So I have to tell you....this weekend the NHL playoffs began....and so far they've been rip roaring stuff. I mean, in the opening 8 games of each series, I think there were at least 3 games that went into double overtime! Just crazy good stuff. After the King Tut exhibit we got home just in time to watch the 2 overtime periods of the Buffalo-Philly game, and it was about as exciting a game as you'd ever wanna see---considering that there was only one goal scored.
Naturally of course....the Florida Panthers are not in the playoffs. However! Things may be about to change in that department......
Sort of an amazing hockey season. I mean to tell you, earlier this season......the Panthers were absolutely cursed. I have NEVER, EVER seen a team lose games the way that they did. Not only was it that they lost, it was that they lost......doing shit like allowing a goal with 5 seconds left in the game. Or, by allowing a goal when they had a 5 on 3 advantage.
Seriously, it was truly an amazing thing to watch.....you watched to try and figure out what sort of crazy unusual way they would blow the game. And then....the Olympics came.
After that....it was like they signed 25 different guys to play the game. Their post Olympic record was like 15-7-4. They were probably one of the 5 best teams in the conference.
Luongo was standing on his head, Jokinnen turned into the dominant power forward we've been waiting 5 years for, Neuwindyk & Gary Roberts provided the veteran leadership....and Jay Boumeester finally became the world class defenseman that we drafted 4 years ago.
All that, and two other veteran free agents---Martin Gelinas & Jozeph Stumpel---both played their asses off. Gelinas finished up like a plus-25 for the season, which is 2nd alltime in Panther history. The other good news is that the ownership finally stepped up to the plate and resigned Jokinnen to a 4 year contract (instead of trading him like everyone thought they would), then resigned Chris Gratton--who actually had a pretty good season for us also---which showed a commitment to the team. The reason that this is important is that Luongo, who is totally the heart and soul of the team, had said that if he didn't see some sort of message from team ownership that he would sign with another team.....after the last game of the season was quoted as saying that he expects to sign a new contract with the Panthers soon and fully expects to remain with the team.
So, we go into the offseason with (to quote the 4th Star Wars) "A New Hope". And after 5 years of no playoffs, that's something we haven't had lately. The owner has come out and said that he will raise the team's payroll about $10 million....so there are a lot of rumors about the Panthers going out and making a big move in the free agent market. The loudest rumor is that Ed Jovanovski is going to leave Vancouver and come back to Florida. Apparently his wife is from down here and wants to come home. Eddie Jo and Boumeester would make a very interesting # 1 defensive pairing.
So we got that going for us....I may have to even look into getting one of those 13 game packages before the season starts....the fact that I'm even THINKING about it means my confidence level is up.
As for my Cubs.......(DOH!)....well, besides the fact that Mark Prior & Kerry Wood continue in their seemingly never ending stints on the DL.....this week Derrick Lee gets bumped on a fairly routine play at first....and manages to break two bones in his wrist.
Bingo, he's out 2 to 3 months....the Cubs best player. Truly amazing how cursed one franchise can be.
We're one week away from the NFL draft---so you know what that means. I'm going to start to head into my own personal bunker (which may or may not be like My Own Personal Idaho) and began researching in depth how and who my Minnesota Vikings will be drafting. Should be interesting to see if they make the jump up in the draft and target a QB....or stay where they are and possibly go LB....or do something altogether different and make me look like a complete idiot--which wouldn't be the first time.
Finally, yesterday was the annual Blue & Gold game in South Bend, Indiana, as the Fighting Irish played their spring football game. Now, that would be news enough to keep a poor lonely ND football fan happy for awhile.....however....we were also happy to hear the additional news yesterday that the Golden Domers received a verbal commitment from prep QB Jimmy Clausen, a high school hotshot from California.
Now...honestly, I try and take this sort of news with a grain of salt. I mean, we're talking about a 17 year old here. However, scouts have had their eyes on this kid since he was a freshman playing QB, his two older brothers both started at QB at Tennessee, and the kid is regarding as....I kid you not....."the LeBron James of high school football". Hey, I think I'll get just a little bit excited!!
Later,
Jeff
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment