Sunday, November 07, 2004
BOREDMERTONIAN
This post is being powered by the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup I just ate, the best-of disc by Live that came out last Tuesday, and the smoked salmon penne (good stuff) I had a few hours at the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock, which was packed with about 40 or so people, even though it is in Port Hadlock. If someone can explain to me why wearing funny/obnoxious hats at the Ajax Cafe is standard fare, I'll be glad to listen. It's probably the only thing that bewildered me about the place.
I guess it's pretty late at night, and I should probably just get to the roundup because I can't think of anything too smart to say here. But I really wish the P-I published on Sundays, or just published a sports section or a weekly sports magazine on Sunday or something. Having to settle for Times articles on Sundays is weak sauce.
BASEBALL
Les Carpenter says the Diamondbacks shouldn't have been surprised -- Wally Backman was an '86 Met, a member of a team associated with cocaine habits, barfights, and other lawbreaking shenanigans. Carpenter also suggests that the days of hard-drinking, Billy Martin-type managers that still manage to win 90 games a year are over. Still, all the Diamondbacks had to do was run a background check. Quite a situation for the first big move in the new season for a team with Jeff Moorad now holding a high post.
FOOTBALL
On Friday, the Bremerton Knights lost to Stadium at home. Significance? The Knights finished the season 0-10. The defense was okay, and the Knights didn't allow 30 points for the first time this season, but it was probably of little consolation. The Knights have gone winless in three of the past five seasons, something of which half of the writers for this weblog are painfully aware (I am merely cognizant of the fact). It's sad when players go through any program in high school and go winless in their senior years. I'm not sure when the inbetween winless season was, but I'm hoping it wasn't 2002 or 2003, because then some of those players in this senior class will have gone winless twice, and I don't think I'd wish that on my worst enemy.
Greg Bishop points out that the next five weeks of the Seahawks' schedule is crappy, and that they have to come out with at least four wins. I say they have to win all five. They need to beat the teams they should beat, and they absolutely can NOT lose a second game to the Rams, I don't care if it's in Saint Louis. I can't have this team getting pushed out of a playoff spot because the Rams won their two games against Seattle. Of course, if they did win the next five games, the Seahawks would be 9-3 after that stretch. I think we can all agree that everyone would feel a lot better about the team after that than they do now.
SUPERSONICS
Jayda Evans has the obligatory article for Brent Barry's return to the now-old stomping grounds. Brent is still predictably adjusting, but he doesn't have to do as much in San Antonio, he just has to draw some defense away from Tim Duncan. It's a smart, yet obvious and basic plan by the Spurs braintrust.
And let's not forget that this year is the 50th in the NBA for the 24-second shot clock. Percy Allen writes a very nice informative piece on the clock's creator, and delivers some news on the creator of the clock.
Upcoming...
Tonight: San Antonio at Seattle
Tuesday: Seattle at Denver
Wednesday: Sacramento at Seattle
Friday: Toronto at Seattle
HOCKEY
Everett beat Saskatoon, 5-2. The Silvertips got oodles of power play time thanks to three Blade penalties in quick succession in the second period. The result was a three-goal period that put the game out of doubt. Mitch Love set a franchise record with five points in the game (goal, four assists). Torrie Wheat had two goals, while Karel Hromas and Barry Horman (a.k.a., guy who slashed Winter Hawk Brandon Dubinsky's finger so bad it nearly had to be amputated) scored the remaining goals. Mike Wall was given the night off and Leland Irving turned away 19 of the 21 shots he faced.
Seattle beat Portland, 3-2. The Thunderbirds have won four straight on the road, and are now 7-3-0-0 away from KeyArena. A power-play goal in the second for the T-Birds by Aaron Gagnon (his 11th) opened up the scoring in the game, and Ladislav Scurko put Seattle up by two goals just seconds later. Dustin Butler was pulled out of the Portland net for Blake Grenier after the Scurko goal. The Winter Hawks tied the game in the third period on two power-play goals. Braydon Coburn scored just short of the halfway point in the third, and Brendan Mikkelson scored with 5:31 left to play. Tyler Metcalfe came through in the clutch, finding the back of the net against Grenier with 2:02 left in the game to get the win.
Vancouver beat Lethbridge, 3-1. Colton Yellowhorn put the Hurricanes up 1-0 in the second period, but three third-period goals got the Giants the comeback win. Tim Kraus, Gilbert Brule, and Andrej Meszaros (empty net) scored the three goals for Vancouver, who lost captain Marc Fistric (defenseman) with a broken jaw after a collision with Michal Gulasi. This will be Fistric's second time this season missing time with a broken jaw, as he broke the jaw in the second game of the season also. Marek Schwarz stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced for the Giants.
Utah beat Manitoba, 2-1 in a shootout. The Winnipeg Arena has closed its doors after 50 years of business, with the Moose moving to the new MTS Centre in Winnipeg. The game was scoreless through two periods of play, even after Manitoba outshot the Grizzlies 22-11 in the first 40 minutes, as David LeNeveau hung tough in net for Utah. Nathan Smith broke the scoreless tie 5:58 into the third period with a backhander. The lead lasted for about eight minutes, when Randal Gelech tied the game for Utah. Jeff Heerema almost ended the game in overtime with a shot off the post -- the puck got behind LeNeveau, but never fully crossed the goal line. The game went to the shootout (AHL rules) and Jeff Taffe of Utah got the only goal of the shootout. But the game wasn't on the mind of most, as it was a day for Winnipeg to salute its hockey past, most notably the Winnipeg Jets. Ed Olczyk and Teemu Selanne (76 goals as a Jet in his rookie year) were prominently involved.
Puget Sound beat Tri-City, 6-2. This game was scoreless after 20 minutes. Matt Ferris opened the scoring, followed by the goal parade of Chase Ambuter, Carl Horten, Mike Truex (also with four assists), Whit Garey, and Ryan Osterheldt. I'm not sure how I'll deal with the fact that I have to wait until the 19th to see these guys play again (barring a highly unlikely road trip to the Tri-Cities). The Tomahawks are an insane 16-2.
As for the next week in hockey...
Tonight: Vancouver at Calgary
Tuesday: Everett at Moose Jaw
Wednesday: Seattle at Vancouver
Thursday: Everett at Brandon, Manitoba at Cleveland
Friday: Everett at Regina, Seattle at Spokane, Portland at Vancouver, Manitoba at Cincinnati, Puget Sound at Tri-City
Saturday: Vancouver at Seattle, Portland at Spokane, Manitoba at Cincinnati, Puget Sound at Tri-City
Sunday: Vancouver at Kootenay
---
Everyone out there enjoy your Sunday. Keep safe and keep warm.
[Edit ~1:06p -- Added more stuff to the Moose blip, and added the Sun link for the Tomahawk story.]
I guess it's pretty late at night, and I should probably just get to the roundup because I can't think of anything too smart to say here. But I really wish the P-I published on Sundays, or just published a sports section or a weekly sports magazine on Sunday or something. Having to settle for Times articles on Sundays is weak sauce.
BASEBALL
Les Carpenter says the Diamondbacks shouldn't have been surprised -- Wally Backman was an '86 Met, a member of a team associated with cocaine habits, barfights, and other lawbreaking shenanigans. Carpenter also suggests that the days of hard-drinking, Billy Martin-type managers that still manage to win 90 games a year are over. Still, all the Diamondbacks had to do was run a background check. Quite a situation for the first big move in the new season for a team with Jeff Moorad now holding a high post.
FOOTBALL
On Friday, the Bremerton Knights lost to Stadium at home. Significance? The Knights finished the season 0-10. The defense was okay, and the Knights didn't allow 30 points for the first time this season, but it was probably of little consolation. The Knights have gone winless in three of the past five seasons, something of which half of the writers for this weblog are painfully aware (I am merely cognizant of the fact). It's sad when players go through any program in high school and go winless in their senior years. I'm not sure when the inbetween winless season was, but I'm hoping it wasn't 2002 or 2003, because then some of those players in this senior class will have gone winless twice, and I don't think I'd wish that on my worst enemy.
Greg Bishop points out that the next five weeks of the Seahawks' schedule is crappy, and that they have to come out with at least four wins. I say they have to win all five. They need to beat the teams they should beat, and they absolutely can NOT lose a second game to the Rams, I don't care if it's in Saint Louis. I can't have this team getting pushed out of a playoff spot because the Rams won their two games against Seattle. Of course, if they did win the next five games, the Seahawks would be 9-3 after that stretch. I think we can all agree that everyone would feel a lot better about the team after that than they do now.
SUPERSONICS
Jayda Evans has the obligatory article for Brent Barry's return to the now-old stomping grounds. Brent is still predictably adjusting, but he doesn't have to do as much in San Antonio, he just has to draw some defense away from Tim Duncan. It's a smart, yet obvious and basic plan by the Spurs braintrust.
And let's not forget that this year is the 50th in the NBA for the 24-second shot clock. Percy Allen writes a very nice informative piece on the clock's creator, and delivers some news on the creator of the clock.
Upcoming...
Tonight: San Antonio at Seattle
Tuesday: Seattle at Denver
Wednesday: Sacramento at Seattle
Friday: Toronto at Seattle
HOCKEY
Everett beat Saskatoon, 5-2. The Silvertips got oodles of power play time thanks to three Blade penalties in quick succession in the second period. The result was a three-goal period that put the game out of doubt. Mitch Love set a franchise record with five points in the game (goal, four assists). Torrie Wheat had two goals, while Karel Hromas and Barry Horman (a.k.a., guy who slashed Winter Hawk Brandon Dubinsky's finger so bad it nearly had to be amputated) scored the remaining goals. Mike Wall was given the night off and Leland Irving turned away 19 of the 21 shots he faced.
Seattle beat Portland, 3-2. The Thunderbirds have won four straight on the road, and are now 7-3-0-0 away from KeyArena. A power-play goal in the second for the T-Birds by Aaron Gagnon (his 11th) opened up the scoring in the game, and Ladislav Scurko put Seattle up by two goals just seconds later. Dustin Butler was pulled out of the Portland net for Blake Grenier after the Scurko goal. The Winter Hawks tied the game in the third period on two power-play goals. Braydon Coburn scored just short of the halfway point in the third, and Brendan Mikkelson scored with 5:31 left to play. Tyler Metcalfe came through in the clutch, finding the back of the net against Grenier with 2:02 left in the game to get the win.
Vancouver beat Lethbridge, 3-1. Colton Yellowhorn put the Hurricanes up 1-0 in the second period, but three third-period goals got the Giants the comeback win. Tim Kraus, Gilbert Brule, and Andrej Meszaros (empty net) scored the three goals for Vancouver, who lost captain Marc Fistric (defenseman) with a broken jaw after a collision with Michal Gulasi. This will be Fistric's second time this season missing time with a broken jaw, as he broke the jaw in the second game of the season also. Marek Schwarz stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced for the Giants.
Utah beat Manitoba, 2-1 in a shootout. The Winnipeg Arena has closed its doors after 50 years of business, with the Moose moving to the new MTS Centre in Winnipeg. The game was scoreless through two periods of play, even after Manitoba outshot the Grizzlies 22-11 in the first 40 minutes, as David LeNeveau hung tough in net for Utah. Nathan Smith broke the scoreless tie 5:58 into the third period with a backhander. The lead lasted for about eight minutes, when Randal Gelech tied the game for Utah. Jeff Heerema almost ended the game in overtime with a shot off the post -- the puck got behind LeNeveau, but never fully crossed the goal line. The game went to the shootout (AHL rules) and Jeff Taffe of Utah got the only goal of the shootout. But the game wasn't on the mind of most, as it was a day for Winnipeg to salute its hockey past, most notably the Winnipeg Jets. Ed Olczyk and Teemu Selanne (76 goals as a Jet in his rookie year) were prominently involved.
Puget Sound beat Tri-City, 6-2. This game was scoreless after 20 minutes. Matt Ferris opened the scoring, followed by the goal parade of Chase Ambuter, Carl Horten, Mike Truex (also with four assists), Whit Garey, and Ryan Osterheldt. I'm not sure how I'll deal with the fact that I have to wait until the 19th to see these guys play again (barring a highly unlikely road trip to the Tri-Cities). The Tomahawks are an insane 16-2.
As for the next week in hockey...
Tonight: Vancouver at Calgary
Tuesday: Everett at Moose Jaw
Wednesday: Seattle at Vancouver
Thursday: Everett at Brandon, Manitoba at Cleveland
Friday: Everett at Regina, Seattle at Spokane, Portland at Vancouver, Manitoba at Cincinnati, Puget Sound at Tri-City
Saturday: Vancouver at Seattle, Portland at Spokane, Manitoba at Cincinnati, Puget Sound at Tri-City
Sunday: Vancouver at Kootenay
---
Everyone out there enjoy your Sunday. Keep safe and keep warm.
[Edit ~1:06p -- Added more stuff to the Moose blip, and added the Sun link for the Tomahawk story.]
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