As I sat at home yesterday, I tried to come up with something catchy and smart for a weekly post. Unfortunetaly, I got off track and ended up watching 3 hours of the West Wing. So here you are you hardcore blog junkies: The Monday Night Powerplay. The five events from the last week in sports that have had a truly profound impact (at least on my pools). Also, before I get started, Lee Stempniak going to the Leafs did not make it.
1. Patrick Roy night in MontrealI remember clear as day the last game Patrick Roy ever played as a Montreal Canadien. Our side of the country was getting the Leafs game and it seemed to be interrupted by Ron MacLean at every whistle with a new Red Wing goal from the Forum. Finally, when Mario Trembley pulled Roy, the reaction was inevitable and famous. Al Strachan rightfully was predicting the end of Roy in Montreal. That Monday, Roy and Mike Keane were traded to the Avs for Jocelyn Thibault, Martin Rucinsky and Andrei Kovalenko and les bleus, blancs, et rouges would never be the same.
This past Saturday, I could barely fathom the outpouring of emotion on all sides when Roy's 33 was put in the rafters with all of the other greats. Imagine, playing for Montreal as a Quebecois in the early-mid 90s. That is just the political pressure and does not even include the on-ice stuff. Now that Roy has returned and wounds have begun to heal, one can only imagine the pressure put on the likes of Carey Price to succeed. Jose Theordore met the pressure and collapsed under a pile of rogaine. The next goalie to lead Montreal to the Cup will have to follow in the footsteps of one of the most revered of all time. Good luck Carey, I wish nothing but luck and no Referendums in your career.
2. Sooner Boom!As I sat at home on Saturday night (Insert the single joke of choice here), I was mostly watching hockey with the odd glance at the Big 10 match-up between Oklahoma and Texas Tech. I was thinking it would be entertaining because Bob Stoops always has a great Sooner program and Michael Crabtree and Graham Harrell are freakin awesome! When your entire last-second play is throw it near the guy and let him get 20 YAC, you know your program is solid... NOT!
The only thing entertaining about the football game was that the play-by-play man sounded as if he came to the church expecting his best friends wedding only to find out it was actually his Aunt's funeral! The game was a blowout : 65-21. Everyone who expected a great game of football was treated to a Detroit Lions game of shitting the bed. I like Crabtree a lot, but he might want to get use to these games in case he actually ends up with the Lions in a couple years.
3. LBJ = NYK in '010?LBJ in '010! No, that's not Lyndon B. Johnson running for office again (although I think running against him is Sarah Palin's only chance in '012), that's LeBron James coming to the New York Knicks. You think it can't happen? Let's look at the checklist:
- Getting a "Class A" coach in Mike D'Antoni? Check
- Getting a knowledgeable executive in Don Walsh? Check
- Getting rid of the contracts of Jamal Crawford and perrenial All-Webber Team favorite Zach Randolph in exchange for expiring contracts? Check
- Putting Isaiah Thomas in charge of the internship program... ergh... Human Resources? A very creepy Check
- Winning? No, these are the Knicks stupid!
- Not winning and getting awesome draft picks in the next couple of years? Check
- Already having traded one of your First-Round picks to the Utah Jazz? God damn pricesless!!!
4. Burris Goes Grey!
As Henry Burris goes, so do the Calgary Stampeders. Luckily for them, he was on fire Sunday night in the 96th annual Grey Cup. As most Grey Cups seem to be, this was a great game and very entertaining. The play of Burris and Canadian MVP of the game Sandro DeAngelis was stellar and made for an impressive victory against the Alouettes in the Expo Dome.
Yet, this year, there was something a bit more special about the game... TSN made it feel like the great Canadian Event that it is.
It could be that this was their first year with the Game but TSN went all out for promotion. For the first time since the 90s, it felt like the Grey Cup was celebrated instead of simply being held. The parties were supported, the fans were thanked, and the coverage made it feel like something special. I don't know about you, but even Matt Dunnigan couldn't ruin it for me this week.
5. Not even Tiger will bail you out!
Have you ever heard the Paul Simon lyrics "A man walks down the street and says 'why am I soft in the middle?'" I am pretty he was talking about the current support for GM in the United States. It was announced today in a cost-cutting effort that GM and Tiger Woods are ending their affiliation. Let's see, in order to get support from the American public, you are now shedding promotional money instead of fixing the actually problem? You know... cars that don't cost your first born along with an arm and a leg for gas? You know what is scary? That might work.
Tiger is the most recognizable figure in the entire sporting world. He gets more money each year for golfing in Saudi Arabia then they give to Halliburton. His pocket change is not a concern. But by shedding their top figure, this is exactly the type of PR which will allow GM to do what they do best (cutting people's jobs) and still get a bailout from the government... simply brilliant.
And with that, the puck is in the net and this powerplay is over.
But imagine being Mr. Burress and having to explain to your boss that you can't play this weekend as a result of mistaking your right knee cap for a partridge in hunting season. As a result, let's take a look where this would rank on the all time awkward scale:
3. Injuring yourself doing a simple household chore. This could include carrying your gun (Burress), Vacuuming (Kobe Bryant), or falling asleep in a tanning booth and waking up looking like Darth Vader (thank you Marty Cordova). These guys have kept us laughing longer then Rosie O'Donnell trying to fit into a size 12 dress. Thanks guys, and keep up the great work.
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