Injuries

I've been thinking a lot about injuries lately. Namely, the paradox that exists in sports today. Players are in better shape than ever. They train harder in the off-season than they do during the regular season. Teams employ nutritionists to help players stay on specific diets. The players of today are not only bigger than ever, but faster than ever. And yet, despite all of this, players get hurt today more than ever before.

There are a number of theories attempting to explain this, the obvious one being steroids. That explains why a 38-year-old slugger breaks down in record time, but it doesn't explain why both the Islanders and Mets have had literally more than half their team on the DL at any given point in 2009. A more plausible theory states that the collisions caused when two large, fast athletes run into each other creates a far more severe impact than in the past. We'll come back to this in a little bit. Another theory would be that doctors know more about the after-effects of injuries and prevent athletes from returning from injuries too soon. And, of course, the final theory is that modern players are pampered babies who only care about their paychecks. What's the answer? I don't know.

In the end, it would seem that a lot of this is luck. The Mets were relatively healthy, Pedro Martinez notwithstanding, for much of the past three seasons. This season, they more than made up for their good fortune. While the Mets put $90 million of their payroll on the DL, the Yankees have had virtually no injury troubles this year outside of Alex Rodriguez and Xavier Nady. That's life, especially in baseball, where injuries are almost always incurred outside of person-to-person contact.

But what about hockey? Can you really separate the fact that the Islanders lost over 500 man games to injury in 2008-09 from the fact that they had zero toughness in the lineup on most nights? And can we ignore the fact that the Anaheim Ducks, who routinely lead the league in fighting majors, are the NHL's third-least injured team since the lockout? Yes, luck does play a role, and the top teams usually do a good job of avoiding injuries. But that doesn't mean a team shouldn't use any and all means available to them to avoid injuries. And if avoiding injuries means dressing a goon that actually plays more than two minutes a night, then that's a chance Scott Gordon should consider taking.

Here's the other thing. If we can agree that injuries are getting more frequent, and we can agree that injuries are getting more serious, and we can also agree that injuries in the NHL are preventable on some level, then we can go so far as to state that teams who don't do everything possible to avoid serious injuries are being negligent in protecting their players. Let's face it, hockey is a violent game. Always has been, always will be. And if you watch a game from fifteen or so years ago, you'll see a lot of open ice. That open ice hasn't been taken up by huge pads, it's been taken up by huge players who move a lot faster than they used to and hit a lot harder than they used to. The team that doesn't protect itself takes a serious chance, not only of injury, but of something far more serious than that.

***

If you saw last year's AFC Championship Game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, odds are good you remember the hit Willis McGahee took at the end of that game. We had people over that day, and some of us were convinced that he actually died after that hit. Turns out he's fine. But he's been demoted to Baltimore's second string and it doesn't even bother him - he's just glad to be healthy. That's not the point. Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer was quoted as saying he believes someone will die as the result of a hit during an NFL game. This is a conclusion I have come to myself, and an on-ice fatality in the NHL isn't as far off as people think.

Over the past five years, we've had the Steve Moore incident and the Richard Zednik incident. We've also had Don Sanderson, who died during a fight, but not in the NHL. Despite all this, NHL players refuse to take even the simplest measures to protect themselves. Players wear their helmet chin straps as loose as possible, don't bother to wear face shields, and choose not to wear neck guards, all in the name of masculinity and "The Code", whatever that means. And that's a shame. We all know the NHL will turn a blind eye to all of this until it's too late. And it'd be nice if the Player's Association could get its head out of its ass long enough to ensure the safety of its players, but that won't happen either. Of course, the one player who takes a stand will be mocked for doing so, just as baseball players, writers and fans alike mocked David Wright for wearing a large, but safe, batting helmet last week.

***

The point is, this injury epidemic is manifesting itself with random injuries that might seem insignificant, but seem to be building toward larger problems. These are problems nobody seems interested in solving right now. And it seems hypocritical to say that the solution to injuries is to bring in goons, but if that stops even one opposing player from taking a run at your star player, then that's one less injury you have to worry about. Those who argue against the instigator rule are on the right track. More fighting certainly isn't the answer, but at least then the violence is limited to the willing. We don't need tough guys injuring skill players anymore. Hockey has made great strides since the lockout. Let's ensure that the next time the NHL makes big news, it isn't because someone got blindsided and is seriously injured - or worse.

It's Prediction Thursday!...

For the third time today, we will have a prediction themed post on this website. I guess that's what happens when both of your teams have officially emptied their respective lockers and have held exit interviews.

Based on my poor showing in my 2008-09 predictions, you should not put much stock into what I say. Also take into effect that last year, I predicted Montreal, the Rangers, Colorado, and San Jose to win the 2nd round and go into the Conference Finals. The correct winners were Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Dallas. Much like David Wright, I was 0-for-4.

Keep in mind that Game 1 of Vancouver/Chicago is in the books

Boston over Carolina in 5
Pittsburgh over Washington in 6
Detroit over Anaheim in 6
Vancouver over Chicago in 6

I hope I'm not selling Anaheim short again. I heard Gary Bettman's erection has not gone down since the Hurricanes beat the Devils to force a Penguins/Capitals series. I also hope that the officials go easy in said series. You know they're going to referee it so that it goes to 7 games, or atleast try to. And Pittsburgh will win, of course, because Gary Bettman said so.

Two Sides to the Renney Firing...

Islanders Writer BRYAN - Rangers Report (among others) is stating that Tom Renney and Perry Pearn have been fired. Whether it's the right move, whether it's Renney's fault or that of GM Glen Sather, none of it matters anymore. The truth is, this was an ongoing story that distracted the team big-time. Simply put, this HAD to happen. And, quite frankly, it should have happened at least two weeks ago.

The question now is, was the trigger fired too late? Baseball fans know that the Mets' hemming and hawing about whether or not to fire Willie Randolph last June ended up digging the team a pretty big hole. Thankfully for the Mets, it was early enough that they could salvage their season. These Rangers are in deep trouble. There's still 20 or so games left, so a playoff berth is certainly in the cards as long as the team gets its act together, but you can forget about home-ice, a division win, or any of the other things that seemed certain just two months ago. At this point, just getting in would be an accomplish for the new coach, who is yet to be named. The odds of this new coach being Glen Sather are approximately 1:1.

There's certainly more to report on this story - even TSN doesn't have this news on its website yet  - so we'll be on top of things as they develop. The one thing inquiring minds want to know, though, is who will replace Perry Pearn in talking to Al Trautwig between periods?

* * * * 

Rangers Writer ZACH - Tom Renney certainly needed to accept responsibility for the Rangers' atrocious record as of late (3-7-3 in the last 13 games). He is a good coach and a good guy, and he did to the Rangers what no other man could've done the past 3 seasons. However, his main flaw was relying continually on players who did not perform (last season as well, but I'm talking mainly about this season). Instead of changing the power play or sitting struggling veterans in favor of fresher legs, he (almost comically) put out the same dreadful names shift after shift after shift. 

That said, Scott Gomez, Wade Redden, Chris Drury, Markus Naslund, and Michal Rozsival all played a part in the firing of Coach Renney. 

Coach Renney has now been held accountable. When will the rest of the team?

And the question is worth asking: Does the remained of the season fall on the poorly-dressed shoulders of GM Glen Sather? If the Rangers miss the playoffs after riding the top of the standings until winter, does James Dolan fire Sather?

(The answer is "probably not," but it is worth asking anyway.)

* * * 

The common train of thought is that John Tortorella will become the coach of the Rangers. He is a coach in the Mike Keenan-style - as in you can't give him rookies to nurture (which is where Renney excels) but he can whip a group of veterans into shape real quickly. He holds players accountable, and best of all, he yells at the officials when they mess up. We only saw that from Renney once.

Ryan Sheckler

There's no way in hell we're touching tonight's 6-2 drubbing at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. Instead, here's something else that sticks in my craw.

That damn Ryan Sheckler commercial.

Every year, there are a handful of ads that regional sports networks feel the need to show over and over again. For example, anyone who watched any Mets games in 2007 or 2008 can recite Giuseppe Franco's Procede ad verbatim. So for 2008-09, the ad whizzes at MSG Plus have chosen Ryan Sheckler, his choppy reading of sentence fragments, and his humongous headphones to torment us this season. As if watching a last-place team for 82 games wasn't bad enough. Thanks a lot, MSG Plus.

Anyway, I've seen this ad probably a billion times this year, and I never thought Ryan Sheckler was anybody to be concerned with. But his Wikipedia page paints quite the positive picture of this young fellow. Apparently, he actually is young, and he actually is an award-winning professional skateboarder. I also understand he was the subject of an MTV reality show, but really, who hasn't been? My sources tell me this show wasn't very good. Frankly, I'm shocked. Because Ryan Sheckler's work in the Panasonic ad had me thinking such a show would be a smash hit.

Speaking of this commercial, I got to thinking about how such a commercial would work with a different person. Namely, yours truly. And as much as I despise the Ryan Sheckler commercial, I'd keep the music in the background because I actually like it.

---

(start commercial)

BRYAN: My name is Bryan Berg.

(Shot of Bryan skating up to a puck to take a slapshot. He proceeds to miss the puck entirely and fall on his stomach.)

BRYAN: I'm a 27-year-old hockey blogger.

(Shot of Bryan typing away on his laptop. Bryan reaches for a beer.)

BRYAN: Beer is what keeps me going. It's the key to my performance.

(Bryan spills the beer all over his laptop.)

BRYAN: Traveling to new places is always fun. I'll definitely be taking my 40 of Olde English everywhere I go.

(Shot of Bryan wearing a really big set of headphones that have to weigh at least 20 pounds. Bryan takes a swig of beer, but the weight of the headphones causes him to fall backwards out of his chair.)

Panasonic - Ideas For Life

(end commercial)

---

OK, so maybe Panasonic hasn't found their ideal sponsor here at The Rivalry. However, try Googling "Panasonic Digital Replay" and notice how many times this blog appears. As for ubiquitous commercials, I wouldn't mind seeing that shady foreclosure/bailout commercial we saw tonight a few thousand more times as the season winds down.

EDIT: That shady foreclosure/bailout commercial comes from some company called "Netlink Funding". Their ad, unfortunately, is not on YouTube. Also, I have no idea how we didn't have a Panasonic Digital Replay tag until now.

A Silver Lining

I haven't posted in a while. These are the things that happen when your team has earned four points out of a possible 24 in the month of December. It's hard to get behind your team when it's a lost cause.

Or is it?

Let's look at the other teams around here. Traditionally, the breakdown has always been Islanders, Jets, and Mets, with everyone else siding with the Rangers, Giants, and Yankees. It's not always the way it goes, but it's the stereotype. You could view it as new vs. old, second-rate vs. first-rate, any way you want to. But I do root for the Islanders, the Jets, and the Mets. I'm not sure which order I'd rank the teams, except that I'd rank the Islanders ahead of any of them.

If you're a Jets fan, you saw the end of yet another disappointing season today. And if you're a Jets fan, you aren't remotely surprised that they ended up blowing this opportunity to make the playoffs. If you're a Mets fan, you're excited about the moves they made this off-season, but you're still extremely skeptical of your team. You still feel like they haven't proven a thing until they get into the playoffs and make a run at the World Series.

Let's look at these two teams a little deeper. If you're a Jets and Mets fan, the last two years have brought you one utter collapse (2007 Mets), one slightly less appalling collapse (2008 Mets), one unfathomable collapse (2008 Jets), and one horrendous 4-12 season (2007 Jets). These teams promise you the moon each year, only to let you down each and every time. Can you really blame people for saying the only reason the Jets got Brett Favre was to help sell personal seat licenses? Can you really blame people (I'm one of them) who refuse to spend a dime on Mets merchandise until they prove they're not going to choke again? It's a contentious team-fan relationship, one that's growing to extreme degrees as both teams jack up their prices without, aside from their new buildings, any justification for doing so.

So what does this have to do with the Islanders? Everything. The Islanders haven't teased us with catchphrases like "Your Season Has Come", nor have they jumped out to an 8-3 start just to go 1-4 down the stretch. And they sure as hell haven't been up by seven games with 17 left to play. And for you Yankees fans out there, they don't have a $200 million team that can't even make the playoffs. In short, the Islanders have promised us nothing aside from a potentially brighter future. If anything, they've gone above and beyond to deepen its relationship with fans, as opposed to just about every other local team which takes their fans for granted.

Look at what the Islanders have done since the lockout. They've introduced the Blog Box, a truly innovative development that gets the team tons of free publicity in exchange for a little access. They've created a variety of affordable ticket plans and promotions. They've made their players very available in the community, and they've even tried to swing for the fences with the Ryan Smyth trade. And even then, they made no guarantees. Hedging their bets? Maybe. But at least the Islanders were being honest, something the Mets were undeniably not when they claimed that only full season ticket holders would be able to get into CitiField.

Sure, the Islanders rank 30th out of 30 teams in the NHL. I'm sure we could all live with the team being a little better. But at least we can watch this team grow and develop and not feel like we're being let down. And if you watched the Jets choke away yet another golden opportunity today, or if you've still got a bitter taste in your mouth from the past few years of Mets baseball, you owe it to yourself to give the Islanders a fair shake. They're not a Cup contender or a playoff team; they don't pretend to be. But they're competitive most nights and will occasionally make us fans proud. That's all we can really ask. I, for one, am glad I can watch the Islanders and not be stressed out about them blowing their season anytime soon. It's a refreshing departure from the teams that never fail to let me down.

I Love Late Night Games...

:: I said it the other day, I'll say it again. I love these West Coast Ranger games that start at 10 or 10:30 p.m. because I can do whatever I need/want to during the nighttime and still watch the games. Now I know what it feels like to be a baseball fan when the Yankees are playing 3 in Oakland or the Mets are blowing a series in San Diego.

:: Telling commentary on Dmitri "With Some Help, He Could Be as Good as Marek Malik" Kalinin. I was driving home from work, listening to the beginning of the Kings game Wednesday night, and Dave Maloney was doing color commentary. Listen to his stunning endorsement of Kalinin: "This is the first time in a while I can remember Kalinin having two mistake-free opening shifts." That's $1.05M for every mistake-free shift, I guess.

:: Imagine what would happen if the Rangers played every game like they played the last 8 minutes of the San Jose game?

:: For all you - for lack of a better word - "haters" who "hated" on Blair Betts in the offseason (calling for him to not even make the team), witness the first period of the Sharks game and see what happens to the penalty kill when he is in the box. Incase you deleted your Rangers in 60 from your TiVo already, let me recap: Betts is in the box, giving the Sharks a 5-on-3 advantage. Two goals are scored.

That's it for me. It's already late and I have a game or two of NHL 09 to play still before I rake in 6 hours of sleep. Hey, busy shopping day tomorrow.

Remembering Former Greats

As you may have heard, Shea Stadium closed its vaunted doors for good today. Never again will professional baseball be played in the Mets' now-former home. Fittingly, the Mets summed up 45 years of mediocre baseball by getting four hits in a game that, had they won, would have forced a one-game playoff for the Wild Card. Collapsing in September? Surely, you jest.

Anyway, watching the Mets pay tribute to their former legends - and isn't it interesting how important people in Shea Stadium history like the Jets and the Beatles were barely mentioned - I couldn't help but think about my Islanders. As we all know, no local team honors tradition like the Islanders. The Yankees do a good job as well but it's different with the Islanders. So often the Islanders have had to rely on their past to sell the present. Obviously, the Yankees don't have that problem. Neither do the Mets. So theoretically, today should have been a nice day to remember the good times at a ballpark that, quite frankly, didn't have very many.

As a devoted Islander fan who has seen more than his fair share of celebrations, I have to say the Mets nailed this one, even down to the questionable decision to do the ceremony after the game ended. This ended up being a good thing; by the time it was all over, I'd almost forgotten that the Mets performed an egregious chokejob for the second straight year. And even though it only amounted to Howie Rose reading out a bunch of names and then those players walking out onto the field, it was nice to see.

It's always interesting to see who gets the biggest reactions. It tends to be some combination of the biggest stars and those people who don't come around very often. I barely remember Al Arbour Night - it was my birthday and I was extremely hammered - but the biggest pops came for the guys we don't see very often, like Pat LaFontaine and Benoit Hogue. The Dynasty guys are here all the time; hell, half of them work for the team. It doesn't diminish anything they've done or their value to the team today, but it's worth noting that when fans get one shot to show their appreciation, they make the most of it.

That's what happened today at Shea Stadium. If I had to venture a guess, the loudest cheers were for Dwight Gooden and Mike Piazza. Not coincidentally, neither of them had been back at Shea since they retired. Piazza was so beloved by Mets fans that he received a curtain call when he hit a home run at Shea in 2006... while playing for the Padres. And while the surprising retiring of #31 never happened, it was nice seeing him as part of one of these things. The same can be said for when LaFontaine showed up at Arbour Night. As great as it is to see our heroes, sometimes it's even better when they keep themselves a bit more scarce.

What's my point?

Maybe it'd be wise to keep these ceremonies to a minimum. I love seeing the Islanders honor their past, but sometimes they go a bit overboard with it. They said after Core Of The Four that they weren't going to be doing any more elaborate ceremonies, but only time will tell. Meanwhile, the Mets never do this sort of thing, and I think that's why today was so important. At the same time, though, you don't want to end up like the Rangers and have a forty-year gap of time where nobody has any idea who even played for the team or how they did. I'd rather try too hard like the Islanders do, and that's not because I'm an Islander fan.

There's Only One... October!

...and thank God for that.

October is approaching, which means a number of things. Most notably, October brings about the baseball post-season, though one can't help but wonder how much publicity it'll get without the precious Yankees. We also get basketball training camps, which will surely get more airtime than the start of the NHL season. We'll also have football, both pro and college, in full swing, and for those soccer fans among us, the MLS playoffs, World Cup qualifying, and a critical portion of the European schedule.

Of course, we all know the real signifcance of October. Finally, it's hockey time. So, as you bide your time until hockey begins, watch the other sports and notice the things that make our game different.

As you watch the baseball regular season wind down, watch the elaborate celebrations that ensue after a team clinches a Wild Card or a Division Series win. Watch managers play certain players solely so that they can hit certain statistical milestones. Watch managers bench certain players solely so that they won't set dubious records such as most strikeouts in a season. Watch entire post-season schedules be turned upside down - and games end well after midnight - just so Fox can show its most ratings-friendly game in prime time.

As you watch the NFL with a group of fans who only care about the games for their impact on their fantasy teams, watch coaches punt from the 40 yard line because they don't want the media to criticize their playcalling. Watch defenders celebrate after the most routine of tackles and watch receivers celebrate before even reaching the end zone. Watch the two teams gather at midfield, shake hands, and chat and laugh like old college buddies, even though one of the teams just lost a huge game.

As you watch college football, watch top-ranked teams beat creampuff after creampuff, being tested only a handful of times per year. Watch the administrators continually refuse a playoff system because there's too much money in the meaningless bowl games that advertisers ogle over each year. Watch amateur athletes risk their physical well-being for an association that doesn't pay these players a dime, yet allows coaches to walk out on multi-million dollar contracts anytime a better offer comes along.

And then there's hockey.

In hockey, there's no niceties between opposing players. Each game is a war. And the only acceptable time to celebrate is after an overtime win or a Stanley Cup victory. Hockey fans gag at the thought of a team having a champagne celebration after a first-round series win. And yet, this is what baseball values - a made-for-TV event so that local Fox affiliates have something to show after the national TV broadcast is done. Baseball isn't alone, though; just about every sport out there is mostly concerned with television and advertising. And maybe it's only because nobody watches hockey, but hockey is all about the game. Always has been, always will be. So while the big names dominate the sports world over the coming month, realize that while hockey isn't the most popular sport, it's the most pure out there. We are all lucky to have it in our lives.

One last thing: After the media is done fellating itself over Yankee Stadium, they're finally going to tear that dump down. I can't wait to be the first to piss on the ashes. The Mets aren't much better, though; between the time they close up Shea Stadium and demolish it, they're going to sell every last thing in that stadium to the highest bidder. If that doesn't accurately describe the state of baseball, I don't know what does. Could you imagine the Islanders selling Coliseum seats or sheets of plexiglass? The thought makes me nauseous

New Poll

We're keeping the original poll up because it's still relevant. But Mike Piazza's retirement today got me thinking about all the other New York athletes who are deserving of the ultimate honor - having their number retired.

It seems as though teams go about retiring numbers in phases. For example, the Rangers have begun to honor the 1994 team in recent years. They retired Mike Richter's #35 in 2004, Mark Messier's #11 in 2006, and Brian Leetch's #2 in 2008; they will add Adam Graves' #9 in 2009. Of course, there's another side to this - if you were never part of a big title win or dynasty, it's all but impossible to get your number retired. Off the top of my head, the only New York athletes who had their numbers retired in recent years without any rings are Patrick Ewing and Joe Klecko.

So, then, why can't anybody else join their ranks? Is it really so imperative that someone wins a championship to receive this honor? I hope not, because if that's the case, none of us will be seeing any retired numbers until the Yankees start honoring their late 90's dynasty. Did you know that after they retire Derek Jeter's #2 and Joe Torre's #6, the Yankees will have no single-digit numbers available? They'll have all been retired. Crazy, no?

But let's not talk about the Yankees right now. I'd rather talk about the other teams who haven't won anything, but have legends deserving of praise nonetheless. Here are the main guys who deserve to have their numbers retired, but haven't yet (and possibly never will).

- John Starks, #3. New York Knicks (1990-1998). People love to trash the Pat Riley Knicks for being boring to watch and overly physical, but if you were a Knicks fan back then, you loved John Starks. He was a player with average talent, but became a star because he never backed down. And, let's be honest, Starks deserves to be remembered for something more than his 2-for-18 shooting performance in Game 7 of the 1994 Finals. Put his number up there and exorcise the demons that Stephon Marbury has brought us.

- Gary Carter, #8. New York Mets (1985-1989). His tenure with the Mets was very short, but he was with the Mets as long as Reggie Jackson was with the Yankees. Each had some playoff heroics and brought home a World Series. Yet, when the Hall Of Fame came calling, they gave Mr. October a Yankee hat and stuck Carter with the horrid insignia of the Montreal Expos. Part of me thinks that was done just to get the Expos into the Hall somehow, but still. The fact remains that Carter wanted to go in as a Met, works for the Mets organization, wants to manage the club, and remains very popular with the fans. Why not retire his number?

- Pat LaFontaine, #16. New York Islanders (1984-1991). Perhaps the most egregious oversight on this list. You've got a guy who came up just as the dynasty was crumbling, scored one of the most famous goals in team history, carried a ton of bad Islander teams into the playoffs, did a ton of work in the community, came back to be part of Charles Wang's ill-fated "committee"... and the franchise can't get around to retiring his number? What, is it a rule that you had to have won a Cup to get up there? I mean, come on! Sure, LaFontaine left the organization on bad terms, but so did Clark Gillies and that didn't stop the Islanders from honoring him. Us 20-somethings who are too young to remember the dynasty years grew up idolizing LaFontaine, and it's about time the Islanders acknowledge part of their history that doesn't include four Stanley Cups.

- Keith Hernandez, #17. New York Mets (1983-1989). Hernandez, aside from being an incredible commentator, was the first piece of the Mets' championship puzzle. Aside from being perhaps the greatest fielding first baseman of all-time, he gave the Mets the swagger that brought them the 1986 World Series. He's sort of overlooked (given the other talent on that team, it's understandable), but Mets fans have always had a special place in their heart for the man they call "Mex". Seeing marginal players such as Dae-Sung Koo and Kevin Appier wearing #17 for the Mets hurt... but the organization can make up for it by honoring the man who was the face of the Mets for many years.

- Curtis Martin, #28. New York Jets (1998-2005). Had Curtis Martin been your typical, bragadocious, trash-talking running back, his number would already be hanging in Giants Stadium. Of course, he doesn't get the nod, even though he's the best running back this team has ever seen. He's the kind of player whose accomplishments grow in stature over time; to think about him winning the rushing title in his final full season, at age 31, is just remarkable. You just can't say enough about Curtis Martin. He deserves to be considered one of the all-time greats, just like he deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest Jets.

- Mike Piazza, #31. New York Mets (1998-2005). The inspiration behind this list after his retirement yesterday. It didn't take long for Mets fans to clamor for his number to be retired and for him to go into the Hall Of Fame as a Met. And both should be happening. He might have had better numbers as a Dodger, but he will always be remembered for his home-run after 9/11 (I had tickets to that game and didn't go) and taking the Mets to the World Series. Personally, my favorite memory of Piazza was when he came back as a Padre and hit two home runs (and nearly a third) off Pedro Martinez, drawing the extremely rare curtain call on the road. At least you know Piazza will get his number retired someday, bringing the number of Mets' players with retired numbers to a whopping two.

Honorable Mentions: Carl Banks, Harry Carson, Tiki Barber (New York Giants), Wayne Chrebet (New York Jets), Charles Oakley (New York Knicks).

Check the poll on the right side of this page, and vote for your choice.

A Letter To Bryan, From Bryan

When the Islanders defeated the Penguins on May 14, 1993, I was extra careful to remember the date. It was the cap on the as-yet-unnamed "Miracle of '93"; David Volek's overtime goal completed the Islanders' unfathomable upset of the defending champions. Little did I know that this would be the pinnacle of my sports-watching life to this point.

Channeling my inner Bill Simmons, I'd like to pass along a few words of wisdom to the Bryan of fifteen years ago. I'd like to tell him to enjoy the game - and to be careful about what the future has in store.

Bryan,

I hope this letter found you safe and sound. You should be on the bus right now, heading home from your Academic Enrichment Program trip to Mt. Tone. Knowing you, there's only one thing on your mind right now - getting home to see Game 7 of Islanders-Penguins. Don't worry about running late; you'll get home just in time. I'd strongly advise you not to miss a second of this game for one very important reason - it will be the greatest sports moment of your life.

After this game is over, a lot is going to change for you. Yeah, you'll still get made fun of at school, but you'll turn out okay. As for hockey? Well, that's a different story.

Remember how the cafeteria erupted yesterday morning when Mr. Aronowitz announced that the Islanders won Game 6 by a score of 7-5? Well, that's not going to be happening in the future. Not because of anything the Islanders will or won't do - we'll get to them later - but because hockey will be an afterthought pretty soon. Slowly but surely, goalies will morph into beasts twice their original sizes. This development, in conjunction with something you'll soon know as the "neutral zone trap", will essentially kill the game. In a year and a half, the league is going to cancel the first half of the season; ten years from then, a whole entire season will be wiped out. All of these things you don't care about - free agency, TV ratings, salary caps - are going to ruin the game you love and take it away from you. Worse, you'll be the only one you know who misses hockey.

Sorry to say it, but even though it'll upset you, it won't affect you as much as you might think. You know how you always say you'd hold out if the Rangers drafted you? Well, that won't be a problem, and it's not because the Islanders signed you on your 18th birthday. You could hardly crack the roster of your high school roller hockey team, let alone an NHL franchise. In fact, the closest you ever came to the Stanley Cup was when you won the Cup in NHL Hockey for Sega Genesis. You'll be happy to know that they're still making NHL Hockey games today, and that they're better than ever. These are the games that keep you young, because time isn't doing that great a job.

(Side note: You think Mortal Kombat is awesome? Wait for the sequel.)

Anyway, let's get back to the task at hand - Game 7. Excited, eh? Nervous? You should be. This is the first time you've seen the Islanders in a Game 7. Well, without giving too much away, you're not going to be disappointed.

The real reason I'm writing is that you're going to see everything change after this game is over. Think of it as puberty for a sports fan. After this, nothing is going to come easy. Nothing will shock you. You'll be completely numb to the pain sports inflict on people, and you'll be a much worse person for it. Sorry to say it, but it's true.

- You know Kevin Stevens on the Penguins? Well, in the first period of tomorrow's game, he's going to suffer an awful injury. He will never be the same player, will develop a serious crack habit, and will leave the game with a whimper instead of being inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Speaking of the Hall, this Penguins team has four guys that will make the Hall Of Fame (Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Joe Mullen, Larry Murphy) and one that will when he retires (Jaromir Jagr).

- You like Glenn Healy and Mark Fitzpatrick? I know you do. They'll both be gone in months to make room for Ron "Five-Hole" Hextall. You might not know what "Five-Hole" means... you will soon. This will eventually turn into a revolving door of goaltenders for the next decade until 2006, at which time the new Islanders owner will give a guy named Rick DiPietro a 15-year deal. Crazy, huh?

- How about Ray Ferraro, Patrick Flatley, Vladimir Malakhov, Darius Kasparaitis, and Rich Pilon? You love them all now... but they'll all play for the Rangers at some point in their careers. Even your favorite non-Islanders - Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, and Pat LaFontaine - will all play for the Rangers. Those same Rangers, by the way, will destroy the Islanders in next year's playoffs and win their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. See, I told you the future wouldn't be pretty.

- You know that Pierre Turgeon jersey you have in your closet? Make sure you wear it as often as you can. In two years, Turgeon will be traded for a player whose legacy in an Islanders uniform will be that he was paid to not play for the Isles. Speaking of Islanders uniforms, your team is going to unveil a horrid new design with the Gorton's Fisherman as the centerpiece. Don't buy one - they won't be around for very long.

- You probably don't know this yet, but the Islanders have drafted pretty well over the past few years. Many people are going to predict another dynasty for your beloved Islanders. Well, it's not going to happen. Not only are the Islanders going to miss the playoffs for eight straight years, a guy named Mike Milbury is going to take over the team and trade all of these prospects away for a bucket of hockey pucks. Also, a Mr. John Spano will somehow manage to buy the club without even having any money. He's just one person who will buy the team and sink it further into the ground. When someone named Charles Wang comes along, you'll know you're in the clear.

It's not just the Islanders that are going to break your heart. It's everyone else, too. Below are some spoilers - feel free to avoid them, but remember that you'll eventually be hurt by all of your favorite teams.

- While the Rangers are in the process of winning the Cup next year, the Knicks are going to make a run at the NBA title after Michael Jordan retires. You read that right. On the night of Game 5, you'll be watching the game at John's house, only to find that the camera is focused on O.J. Simpson driving after killing his wife. You read that right, too. Anyway, the Knicks will get to Game 7, only John Starks will blow the whole thing by shooting 2-for-18 on the night.

- You probably know by now that the Jets only serve to let you down. Well, you're right. Next year, you're going to be thinking big things, only to see everything fall apart after a play that will become known as "The Fake Spike". You'll also see them fumble away a chance to play in the Super Bowl and miss two would-be game-winning field goals in the playoffs. Oh, and here's one you're not going to believe - Browning Nagle isn't the quarterback of the future.

- The Mets gave you the only championship you actually remember, but that's not going to stop them from breaking your heart in the future. Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry, your idols growing up, are going to join the Yankees and win a World Series. By the time you get to my age, you'll have seen the Yankees play in six World Series. One of them will be against the Mets. The Mets will actually get into the playoffs a number of times, thanks to something known as the "Wild Card". You'll know all about that soon enough. Here are some things you might not want to know about - you'll lose in the playoffs in each of those years in soul-crushing fashion. I'm not even going to bring up that the Mets will author the biggest collapse in baseball history under your watch.

So, having said all that, watch tonight's game intently. Enjoy it for what it is. Notice the amount of space on the ice, knowing you'll never see it again. Notice the spacious nets and realize that they will soon be clogged by oversized players and oversized pads. Enjoy the SportsChannel telecast and try to avoid the fact that fifteen years from now, television ratings will run the sporting world.

When the game is over, if you feel like yelling and screaming, do it. When Mom and Dad yell at you, don't listen. Remember, tonight is going to be special. Again, not trying to give anything away... but fifteen years later, you still have your 1993 Patrick Division Champions t-shirt.

Sincerely,
Bryan

Awesome

I'm trying to watch Sharks-Stars on Versus. It's on the regular channel, but not on the HD feed. Why not? Turns out they're showing some golf tournament that happened earlier today. I know it happened earlier today because it's sunny outside on TV. They've since gone into a rousing telecast of "Golf Central".

Now, I understand that Versus and The Golf Channel share an HD channel, and I understand that Versus has bumped golf programming in the past. I also understand that Versus has done a ridiculously good job with this year's playoffs. But come on! I really wanted to watch this game, but HD is hard to live without when you get to experience it on a daily basis. So, thanks to the transgressions of Versus and/or The Golf Channel, I'm stuck watching the game in a small box on the bottom right hand corner of my screen. The Mets are on the West Coast and in HD; obviously, they get the nod here.

Again, not knocking Versus here. I'm just nitpicking. To prove it, here's a tidbit about Versus that you won't hear reported anywhere - their ratings are better than the ratings ESPN2 got when they broadcast the NHL before the lockout. Given the issues with distribution and Versus' less-than-favorable position on most TV dials, that's a great achievement. Kudos to all involved.

Shots, Stats, And Chokes

I barely watched any hockey tonight. You don't want to know what I was doing. Seriously. I'd rather watch "The Trap - The Very Best Of The New Jersey Devils" ten times in a row than relive this evening. And no, that DVD doesn't exist... thank the Lord.

A couple more quick thoughts...

- WTF is up with teams not shooting the puck in the playoffs? Calgary managed ten shots in front of their home crowd. Despite getting blown out in two straight, Anaheim fired fifteen shots on Marty Turco last night; had they not won the game, they'd be getting killed in the papers right now. The same applies to Nashville and their fourteen shots tonight.

I don't get it. You don't shoot, you don't score. Haven't we all heard a million times about how good things happen when you put the puck on net? And how many goals end up being these perfect shots anyway? I'd say at least one-third of all goals scored are off rebounds or deflections, or are somehow modified from the shooter's original intentions. So why not just shoot the puck and see what happens?

- Ottawa. I've been dying to say this for a very long time, but I didn't want to jinx it. Ottawa's nosedive this season is worse than the Mets' collapse last September. All the crap I've heard about The Collapse, as it's now known, should be thrown at Ottawa at least three times as hard.

That Ottawa got into the playoffs is completely irrelevant. Showing up and immediately folding doesn't mean anything. Going back to The Collapse, it didn't matter that Philadelphia overtook the Mets because they got killed in three straight by Colorado - and the Mets would have gotten beaten just as badly. Ottawa doesn't deserve special treatment just for getting in. Two of the games were close enough that the Senators pulled their goalie at the end (both times, Pittsburgh scored empty-net goals), but the other two were blowouts. And if not for Martin Gerber, the series would have been a complete blowout. Five goals in four games isn't going to get it done - and, by the way, Ottawa was just one goal behind Montreal for tops in the league in goals scored during the regular season.

Looks like, at the very least, Bryan "The Lisp" Murray will be looking for a new job this summer. Here's hoping he gets a job with Versus, TSN, or the NHL Network. But it's likely Murray won't be the only one. However, since Ottawa put so much money into signing Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley to extensions this year, how much room are they going to have for free agents? This situation is going to get worse before it gets better.

- Ottawa was kind enough to bow out in 4 games, which means I'm 1-for-1 in predicting finished series. I know I can't have a perfect first round because San Jose-Calgary is going to go at least six games (I had the Sharks in 5), but the other six matchups are up for grabs.

As for Zach, his prediction of Ottawa over Pittsburgh in 7 games didn't exactly pan out. It happens. He also can't get Detroit in 5 or the Sharks in 5. However, a Canadiens win tomorrow gives him a correct prediction in that series. Unfortunately, we don't have access to the predictions made by Sam, Joe, or GiaWigs. Maybe next year.

The Power Of The Crowd

Zach's post about the Bruins' faithful going nuts after winning in overtime inspired me.

There is nothing like a sold-out crowd screaming in unison at a playoff game. Just as the players step their games up for the post-season, the fans give just a little more of themselves. Quite frankly, given the price of playoff tickets these days, they should. The playoffs are exciting enough on their own... but throw that crowd in there, and... WOW.

If you saw last night's Rangers-Devils game, you saw the camera shaking after each Ranger goal. That's how intense it was last night. That was an intensity (and advantage) the Devils didn't have in their two home games. A good crowd can put a team over the top. Look at the Calgary Flames last night. They were down three goals just four minutes into the game. It looked bleak. Suddenly, Patrick Marleau got drilled twice, the crowd picked back up, and the Flames ended up pulling off a remarkable comeback. Does that happen on the road? No way. Does it happen without a sea of red-clad Flames fans giving their all? Doubtful.

That's the power of the crowd.

I've been to four playoff games in my life, and in two of the four, the crowd was just as memorable as the game. At Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, I feared for my life as the upper deck shook up and down after Endy Chavez robbed Scott Rolen of a home run. Between innings, the replay of the catch was shown four times. After each instance, the crowd grew louder in disbelief. Did that really just happen? It sure did, and Chavez received two curtain calls for his efforts. But, believe it or not, it's still not my most fond playoff memory.

The 2002 playoffs were a lot of things for the Islanders, but more than anything, it was cathartic. The home team won each of the seven games in the Isles' bloodbath against the Maple Leafs, and Game 6 was just off the charts in terms of fan participation. Just before the game started, the scoreboard played a highlight video set to "Going The Distance" from the Rocky soundtrack. After the video ended, the screen went black for a few seconds. Then, the board displayed a simple, but powerful message: "Let's win this one... for Kenny and Michael." The Coliseum shook like it hadn't in years, and the ensuing blowout win (and multiple fights) let Islander fans vent eight years worth of frustration on an overmatched Leafs team.

You're seeing something similar this year at the Garden. Ranger fans haven't forgotten that the Devils swept them out of the playoffs two years ago. Add that to the physical play we've seen, and you know the crowd is just going to be louder in Game 4. And if the series gets to Game 6, it'll be louder still. Good playoff hockey is good playoff hockey, but a hot crowd just puts it over the top.

Want proof? Watch a Stanley Cup celebration when the road team is awarded the Cup. It's great to watch... but it could be better. Now, watch a team win the Cup at home, and revel in the mayhem that ensues. I wish every Cup could be won at home for this reason alone.

But it's more than just the Cup. It's the crowd going crazy, waving their rally towels as the home team takes the ice. It's the chants of "We Want The Cup!". It's a big goal, followed by an eruption of applause so loud that the announcers don't even try to talk over it. It's everything sports should be, yet so often isn't. You see scenes like these in basketball and baseball, but in hockey, it's different. Why? It just is. Maybe it's because everyone cares more. Maybe it's because hockey is so geared towards winning the Stanley Cup at the expense of everything else. I don't know, and honestly, I don't care.

Here's one thing I do know. That scene from one paragraph ago? That's something I still daydream about constantly. Even though I'm 26 and my great dream of making the NHL was dashed forever ago, I still dream about playing in front of a sold-out crowd, Gary Thorne calling my game-winning goal, and hoisting the Stanley Cup in front of 20,000 screaming fans. Without the fans, that dream dies fairly quickly. But they're there, probably because they've envisioned that scene a million times in their heads as well.

That's the power of the crowd.

A Positive Approach

This past month has served as a sort of expose into what goes on inside the mind of a New York sports fan.

- March, 2008. The Islanders are on the verge of climbing back into playoff contention with a shootout win over the Rangers. Two nights later, Ted Nolan starts Wade Dubielewicz over Rick DiPietro, who was returning from injury. Dubielewicz let up four goals that night - none of them particularly soft - and the Islanders never recovered. Worse, the ensuing controversy over Nolan choosing Dubielewicz led to speculation about Nolan's job. Nolan's job security - or lack thereof - has been the leading story surrounding the Islanders ever since.

- April, 2008. The New York Mets defeat their biggest rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, in a 12-inning instant classic. The game ends on a play at the plate where Jose Reyes is called safe, even though he appeared to be out. Instead of celebrating the victory, fans and media alike choose to criticize the Mets' bullpen for blowing the game to begin with. Two days later, Mets fans boo free agent acquisition and ace pitcher Johan Santana as he exits the game.

- March-April, 2008. The New York Rangers heat up at the right time, climbing the Eastern Conference ranks and turning from potential playoff team to legitimate Stanley Cup threats. All along, the focus is on Jaromir Jagr's flirtations with a Russian Super League team. After the Rangers outplay the Devils and win two straight games on the road, Jagr is still the team's lead story. Instead of talking about Jagr playing his best hockey since 2006, the speculation about his future has clouded the good vibes his play has yielded.

"Why are you always asking me about next year? Can't you enjoy it now? That's what I'm doing, trying to play my best." That's Jaromir Jagr's take on the situation. And it ought to be ours as well.

Even though I hate the Rangers, I'm a hockey fan first. And what Jagr is doing right now is nothing short of remarkable. Considered washed up by pretty much everyone, Jagr is having a tremendous resurgence right now. Maybe it's because he wants one last big contract before he retires - and so what if it is? Don't we follow sports for stories like these? If you're a Ranger fan, you don't want to hear about where Jagr might be next year. That's something you worry about over the summer. Let him win you a Cup first, then worry about Jagr's destination.

I'm sick of all these stories taking the spotlight from the rightful parties. I don't care about the last year of Ted Nolan's contract. I don't care if a few idiots boo Johan Santana after the first home start of his seven-year deal. And I sure don't care if Jaromir Jagr follows Alexei Yashin to Russia. I almost feel like New York fans would rather be miserable than actually appreciate what's happening to their teams. The Islanders have a real coach. The Mets have a real superstar. And the Rangers have a real shot at a Stanley Cup.

Why ruin these things for ourselves? Let's put the cynicism aside for a little while and see what hockey has in store for us. Instead of focusing on negative things, let's just enjoy these playoffs for what they are - the best hockey we see all year.