Sports Guy North

Today was apparently one of those very unproductive days for the JF and I, so I thought I would take advantage of that and use the best of our daily conversations as my post today. It actually took quite a while to put this together, so it wasn't the short cut I was hoping for. Nonetheless, here is the first (and maybe only) installment of Conversations With the JF.

Mogilny and the Blunderers

JF - they showed clips of mogilny when he was on the leafs during the game tonight. i wish mogilny was in the league. it was good with him.

SGN - did he rape lou's wife or something? seriously? did he? or his mothers skeleton? how do you not at least just pick up a 3rd round pick for him?

JF – they waived him and nobody took him, so it’s not like they could trade him. It’s that contract and the salary cap. There’s no excuse for new jersey not having him on the team though.

SGN – if he’s in the minors, does his salary count?

JF - bobby says it counts next year
http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie.asp?id=150228

but i read other places that it doesn't count this year. and remember when elias was coming back, they dumped mcgillis to get under the cap...

SGN – think they’ll call him up for the playoffs?

JF – no I don’t. lou’s just got some idea in his head about the way things are.

SGN – he’ll come up… he has to…

JF – why does he have to?

SGN – for the sake of my sanity

JF – lou ain’t concerned for your sanity

SGN – he should be. I’m dangerous. I can’t believe we never talked about that oilers goal today.

JF – which one’s that?

SGN – the one in overtime. you didnt see it? really?


prongers stick blew up on a point shot, so they took the puck the other way. after a miss, emmington comes out on a 2 on 2 break. they get the the blue line, and the one backwards going defenseman trips over the broken stick, managing in the process to kick it over to the other defenseman who also trips over it. in alone, goal.
JF - wow. they were talking about it on tv. i missed most of it, i just heard them saying they've been working on a play where he busts his stick. except there was no fake laugh to show it was a joke. i figured it had to be but it was weird to hear it in non-joke voice with no context. sounds like a real cheapo, i'll have to take a look.

SGN – I cant believe it didn’t get more play in the media. It was friggin awesome. Both defensemen tripped on the same stick on a 2 on 2. I mean really, that’s a one in a bazillion chance.

JF – just watched it on nhl.com. do you think samsonov purposely led the first guy into the stick? The announcers didn’t seem to realize it happened.

SGN – that’s what I’m saying, no one made much notice of it. Wasn’t even highlite of the night. I thought it was legendary.

JF – I agree. It’s the stupidest thing that’s ever happened in hockey.

SGN – it should have been plastered all over everything. Something like that cant happen. And then it did.

JF – it could happen in a cheesy Disney movie. But that’s about it.

SGN – maybe this is a Disney movie. If Edmonton wins the cup I’m going to be 60% certain it is.



The Other Sports Guys Oversight

JF – http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060317

SGN – his high fives are nothing, if not awkward

JF – dauber's a real center

SGN – i was just punching back in here to say those exact words. and something about sacremento too

JF – i'm glad he threw that kobe stat in there. he's always missing end of game shots, yet people still act like he's this hero because they remember one or two.

SGN – oh, i agree completely.

how can he say in one sentence kamen is a real center... then go on to say he is sub par defensively, and cant o anything guarding real centers. he is between brezac and blount among centers in scoring. if he's bad on defense, what makes him a real center?


JF – that struck me as being a little inconsistent too. sometimes he just misses on stuff

SGN – or, since brezac can play some defense, maybe he's just the best center in the league

JF – I really never thought of it that way.


Fantasy Stuff

SGN - seriously, what happened with goobers team? vernon wells is his weakest batter, and garland with his 18 wins last year is his weakest pitcher. on my team i took rickie weeks in the 10th round. what happened?


lugo in the 13th and kendall in the 15th?


JF - probably a matter of letting the computer pick. if you look at our no trades yahoo hockey league, there's only one team doing better than the computer.

SGN – that’s only cuz your guys retired. And my goalie’s a backup now. So I won’t be winning it.


JF – actually just one guy retired. one sent to the minors. and some injuries. hasek's injury destroyed my team.

SGN – aebischers gonna do the same to me. that ones balls. trade your #1 to be a teams #2 and then have to use your own #2. man.

JF – yeah. mine's still worse though, even if temporary, because my goalies were all i had. i was winning probably 80-90% of goalie stuff and assists, and 20% of the rest.

in real life the av's trade isn't so bad. if theo gets good again they could win it all with him. not so with aebischer. and if it doesn't, the price of the gamble is downgrading from aeb to budaj. no biggie.

SGN – its bad cuz they may have killed their playoff chances this year... depending on how bad LA and Vancouver keep being.... and if your team is good enough, aebischer is fine

JF – budaj is fine.

you're looking at this wrong. it's not about are they more likely to win their next games than they were before the trade. they're upper level mediocre with aebischer, lower mediocre with budaj. but they're not interested in being mediocre. this gives them a chance to be good. that's what they want, so it's worth a shot.
and it didn't kill their playoff chances. if they miss it's more because they lost svatos than because of aebischer being traded. it's not as if they've been shutting everybody down all year.

SGN – aebischer = theodore > budaj

aebischers numbers last year were as good as theodores mvp season, and better comparatively this year. there is nothing in aebischers play that makes him a lesser option than theodore. colorado playe nothing resembling good defense this year.


JF – if we're talking about numbers, budaj's are significantly better than aebischer's this year. and aebischer is not as good as theo when theo plays well. you know that.

SGN – i said all along legace and aeb should be #1's. theodore has a lot of felix in him. you never know what year hell give you

JF – that's all true. that's why it's a gamble. but it's worth taking because the downgrade from aeb to budaj isn't that much. aeb's a solid number one, but he's not hero of the year. theo was hero of the year once and in theory could be again

SGN – aebischer could win a cup. not now. now hes a backup. no goalie has the mental capability of going to backup then being able to recover properly (ie. cechmanek), unless he has a vendetta (ie. felix, cujo). aebs is done now.

JF – think theo has a vendetta?

SGN – no. but he avoided the backup dilemma by being injured and traded instead.


My Bad

SGN - oh sweet, i was wrong. it turns out i didnt sit through OSU early exits before. what an imagination i have.
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/recap?gid=200603170443

JF - well that changes everything.

last saturday, nyr and montreal played a night game. in the afternoon, yahoo had the final game boxscore. called it a 3-0 habs win. even had goal scorers and shots on net and everything. if i recall, souray and ribeiro scored and huet turned away eighteen shots

SGN – I have a helluva imagination.

I see… howd the real game go?

JF – can’t remember. I think Montreal won 2-1 or something. Or something completely different.




Raptors Friday Night Fanibration

SGN – the introduction scrum was so fruity, even for the Raps…

JF – what did they do?

SGN – a lot of hand jives and fake jumping into each other. It was the wow.

JF – oh yeah, mopete like the fake jump. It’s no coincidence that this happened on the team that leads the league in earrings.

SGN – even with Jalen, Starbury (nice to see Starbury back) and Franchise all on the same team? I have no evidence to back claiming the non-Jalens wear earrings other than the fact that they must.

JF – I was actually wondering about the accuracy of my statement as I was typing it, on account of the Jalen trade.

SGN - leo just tried to say the raps problem tonight is that they have attempted 20 3 pointers. i thinks to myself, ok that might have to do with it. in the same sentence he says they are 45% from there tonight, but he'd rather have more free throws any night.

9 for 20 from three, and thats the reason they're losing.

i'll just assume the orange game has him down, and he's hit the bottle already tonight.

JF – it’s not the booze talking. It’s just leo’s special affection for free throws.

SGN – can’t go having 45% from 3… that’s like going 63% from inside. Not nearly good enough.

JF – leo.

SGN – did you see Bonner jumping in front of the inbounds pass…. Hahahaha… white guy…

JF – no. but earlier I saw him throw the inbounds pass, and then run down the court with the arms straight down running.

SGN – did he ever know that he’s my hero? He’s everything I wish I could be.
So, see the end of the iowa game?

JF – nope. What happened? Sometimes I throw the headphones on and look at the computer and miss 99.7% of what’s on tv.

SGN – you’ll see it.

JF – was there a granny at the buzzer?

SGN – almost.



Theodore Huxtable?

SGN – Theodore is playing tomorrow already!?!?!?!?!?

JF – that’s sooner than what was earlier reported. Now this has me wondering if Montreal didn’t fudge the length of it just to give the job to Huet, and Colorado knew he’d be back earlier when they traded.

SGN – I really don’t know what to make of it, because that is insanely early. And out of no where. If the avs knew, then it’s not a bad trade.

JF – maybe there’s a good reason propecia is a banned substance

SGN – maybe you should have picked some up this week.

JF – if only I knew


Speaking of which, the JF’s injury replacement and I will be in a Hockey, Volleyball and Basketball Triathlon all day Saturday, so if I do get around to doing an article Saturday night it won’t be very long, or very good I imagine. These tournaments were too tiring back when I was in shape, I can’t imagine how it’ll feel with 25 extra pounds on my bones. Just keep that in mind tomorrow when you start wondering why a 5 year old is writing for me. It's not a little kid, just a really really tired old guy.