Originally posted on May 21st, 2008.
Could this be a battle for the City of Champions?
Ever notice how some cities always seem to have one of their sports teams in the finals of a particular sport? Since 1971, the city of Pittsburgh has witnessed two World Series appearances, 6 Super Bowl appearances, and thanks to their 6-0 throttling of the Philadelphia Flyers this past Sunday, the Penguins have reached the Stanley Cup finals 3 times. That's a total of 11 finals appearances over a span of 37 years. I'm no math major, but that means that someone like me, who just turned 36, has had the pleasure of witnessing a finals appearance once every 3 or 4 years on average. For a city the size of Pittsburgh, that's pretty damn impressive. Pittsburgh's teams have won 9 of the previous 10 finals appearances with number 11 pending, of course.
I was doing some research online yesterday and some other cities of similar size don't match up to the success of Pittsburgh's sports franchises. For example, Miami sports teams have had 9 finals appearances over roughly the same time-span but only 5championships. The St. Louis sports franchises have been in 7 finals appearances and 3 titles to show for it.
I thought Pittsburgh couldn't be touched in this area until I researched Detroit and was amazed to see that since 1984, a Detroit-area team has been to a final 12-times. That is pretty damn impressive. That means that if you're a Detroit native in your early 30's and were about 8 or 9 in 1984, an age when most kids get into sports, you've witnessed a finals appearance every other year on average. At this point, you're probably "ho-hum" about the Red Wings being in the Stanley Cup finals. You've seen a Tigers World series victory, the Bad-Boys back-to-back NBA titles in the late-80's and the Wings winning three Cups since the '90s along with another Pistons title a few years ago. You've seen a lot of championships.
For two cities that have had their share of financial problems, that have been the butt of many jokes over the years, 23 finals appearances and 16 titles over a 4-decade spand is something to be very proud of.
Sure cities like Boston, Los Angeles and New York have seen more finals appearances and more titles than Detroit and Pittsburgh over the previously mentioned 37 year time-span, but they've also had more teams to draw from. For example, the New York area has had seven-teams to draw from over that period, and Pittsburgh has had three professional teams.
And look at the city of Chicago. Everyone talks about what a great sports town it is, but if it wasn't for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, they'd have two titles since the 60's. Still, though, even with the 8 titles, Chicago is still 1 behind Pittsburgh and 1 ahead of Detroit.
The New York area has had 15 world champion teams during the period I first mentioned, but as I said, they've had a 7 on 3 power play (to jump on the band-wagon and use a hockey term) the entire time. That's 6 teams producing 15 for New York and 3 producing 9 for Pittsburgh. And the New York Islanders won 4 of those titles in the early 80's, they play in Long Island. Is Long Island even considered part of the New York metro area?
You can even argue that Detroit's run of 12 title appearances in 24 years isn't as impressive as Pittsburgh's 11 in 37. Detroit has had 4 teams to draw from compared to Pittsburgh's 3. Yes, you can argue that the Detroit Lions aren't really a professional sports team so that would take it down to 3, but people have said that the Pittsburgh Pirates have been playing minor-league baseball since 1993, so that's another power play of 3 on 2 in favor of Detroit. Besides that, of the combined 16-titles between the two cities that I mentioned before, 9 belong to Pittsburgh. That means that no matter what happens in the Stanley Cup finals, the city of Pittsburgh would still be ahead, 9-8. That is, of course, if you started keeping score in 1971, and since this is my blog, that's what I'm doing.
And just a warning to the city of Detroit, Pittsburgh's sports teams simply do not lose in the championship round. If you go all the way back to 1927 when the Pirates were swept by Murderer's Row in the World Series, the city of Pittsburgh has seen their team lose a championship just once, Super Bowl XXX when Neil 'O Donnell threw those two baffling interceptions.
I don't know what's going to happen in the Stanley Cup finals, but I think if you crunch all the numbers, pound for pound, Pittsburgh truly is the City of Champions.
Just as a follow-up to this blog, the Red Wings did go on to defeat the Penguins in six games that year, bringing Detroit's championship titles to 8 compared to Pittsburgh's 9. However, the Steelers went on to capture another Super bowl title in 2008 and the Penguins dethroned the Red Wings in their Stanley Cup rematch last Summer. The city of Pittsburgh now has 11 titles in 13 finals appearances since 1971 and Detroit has 8 in 13 championship round appearances since 1984. Still pretty impressive, but not up to Pittsburgh's standards.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
The Penguins and Steelers actually had very similar seasons
I know not everyone will agree with me (namely my girlfriend) but I think the 2009 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the 2009-2010 season for the Pittsburgh Penguins had very similar qualities.
For starters, both franchises were coming off of championship seasons the prior year.
Secondly, there was just something off for both teams and you just didn't have that confidence in them as a fan that you did the previous year.
Hockey is a lot different than football in-that there are obviously way more games played. A hockey slump isn't going to necessarily kill a season. Even if a team suffers through a poor stretch of play, they can still tread water by accumulating points even after overtime losses.
And the Pens had far from a horrible year. They actually had a good season with 101 points and barely missed out on the number 2 seed in the East finishing second to the New Jersey Devils in the Atlantic division. Their record was even better than it was the year they won the Cup so how can I say that there was something missing or something off about last year?
The Penguins had a fantastic first half of the season, but for whatever reason, they weren't the same team after the Olympic break.
I'm no hockey aficionado and can't really analyze it the same way that I do football, so I have to rely on what I hear from others. Stan Savran, a respected sports personality if there ever was one, said that something just wasn't right with the Penguins during the second half. I made a mental note of that because he said pretty much the exact same thing regarding the Steelers, even after they started the year 6-2.
There really was something kind of off about the Steelers last year. They did have that 6-2 first half record, but their house seemed to be built on sand. They were outplayed in the first game against Tennessee and barely escaped with an overtime win. They all but gave away their next two games by blowing 4th quarter leads to the Bears and Bengals.
Pittsburgh had one of the best defenses in the history of the league in their Super Bowl season of '08 and here they were blowing leads late in games? It just didn't seem possible. Well, it was possible because of key injuries to guys like Troy Polomalu and Aaron Smith. I don't care how good a defensive mind Dick Lebeau has, you're not going to replace guys like that with just anyone.
They also lost cornerback Bryant Mcfadden via free agency and their William Gay experiment never worked out as the secondary was shredded the entire year.
The Steelers also lost linebacker Larry Foote after the '08 season and I don't think people realized just how steady a player he was. Not everyone can be an all-pro and there's something to be said for knowing your role and doing your job.
Even though the Penguins had a strong nucleus of talent last season, they, too, lost some key players when defensemen Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi signed elsewhere after the Penguins Stanley Cup victory.
As the Penguins realized, especially in the postseason, those guys weren't easily replaceable.
The Steelers just couldn't get out of their own way last season. It seemed like every time they had their opponents on the ropes, something happened that turned the game around.
Starting with that Cincy meltdown in week 3, the Steelers gave up a touchdown return in 8 straight games. And they came in all varieties: Punt returns, kick-off returns, pick-6's and fumble returns.
If they scored a big touchdown to take control of a game, they would turn around and give it right back. Even Jeff Reed, Mr. Clutch, missed two field goals in the 4th quarter against Chicago. Tight End Heath Miller, who is about as reliable as Walker, Texas Ranger, had a perfect pass clang off his chest and intercepted which helped lead to another heartbreaking loss in Kansas City. If ever there was a play that epitomized the entire 2009 season, it was that one.
The Penguins didn't have one single win against the top two teams in the Eastern Conference last season: The Washington Capitals and the New Jersey Devils. People brushed that off when the Caps and Devils were both upset in round one, but you can't just ignore stuff like that. A championship team finds a way to defeat quality opponents.
The Steelers lost 5-straight to start the second half of the season. Three of which were to the Chiefs, Raiders and Browns; bottom-feeders in the NFL last year. And on the other end of the spectrum, championship teams do not lose games to teams like that.
And the Pens may have had a better record this season than last, but going into the postseason, it's all about momentum and as I said, they weren't the same team in the second half. They went 5-4-1 in the final weeks with the division title and number 2 seed well within their grasps.
And a popular phrase I kept hearing down the stretch regarding the Penguins was "flipping the switch." Well, that rarely works in professional sports. In postseason play, teams usually mimic what they did in the regular season. Especially down the stretch.
Take last year's Pens, for example. They were in 10th place and two spots out of the playoffs with 25 games left and went on a huge roll and finished the season with a bang. Clinching the 4th seed in the process. That's quite the impressive run and just what any team would love to be doing heading into the playoffs. It showed as they went on to capture their third Stanley Cup.
Remember the '05 Pittsburgh Steelers and their historic run to their 5th Lombardi Trophy? They were dead-to-rights with 4 games left. They had to win every one of those four games just to barely sneak into the playoffs as the sixth seed, but by then, they had so much momentum, they never looked back and rolled thru the postseason all the way to a championship.
Even if the Steelers somehow managed to make the playoffs in '09, they weren't going to do anything. They couldn't put teams away. They couldn't finish off drives. They couldn't get off the field on 3rd down. They blew 4th quarter lead, after 4th quarter lead. Do you think they would have suddenly "flipped the switch" and become the team they were the prior season? Doubtful.
The good news for both teams is I think they can get back on top soon. For the Penguins, the future looks really bright because of their core of great young talent. Crosby, Malkin, Fleury and Staal will probably be with them for a decade and as long as they have them, they will always have a chance. I know I said role players are hard to replace, but future hall-of-famers like Crosby are almost impossible to replace. Sid will hoist another Stanley Cup or two before he retires.
As for the Steelers, they're a little older than the Penguins and actually remind me a lot of the Steelers of the late 70's. There are some key younger guys, sure, but the core players of the previous decade are a lot closer to the end of their careers than the beginning.
However, really good personnel guys have a knack for turning over a roster pretty quickly so even if the Steelers have a down year or two, I have no doubt that they can rise again.
The Steelers of the late 90's had to rebuild after that very successful decade but they went on to have even more success in the following decade.
Besides, as long as they have number 7, they'll always have a chance.
For starters, both franchises were coming off of championship seasons the prior year.
Secondly, there was just something off for both teams and you just didn't have that confidence in them as a fan that you did the previous year.
Hockey is a lot different than football in-that there are obviously way more games played. A hockey slump isn't going to necessarily kill a season. Even if a team suffers through a poor stretch of play, they can still tread water by accumulating points even after overtime losses.
And the Pens had far from a horrible year. They actually had a good season with 101 points and barely missed out on the number 2 seed in the East finishing second to the New Jersey Devils in the Atlantic division. Their record was even better than it was the year they won the Cup so how can I say that there was something missing or something off about last year?
The Penguins had a fantastic first half of the season, but for whatever reason, they weren't the same team after the Olympic break.
I'm no hockey aficionado and can't really analyze it the same way that I do football, so I have to rely on what I hear from others. Stan Savran, a respected sports personality if there ever was one, said that something just wasn't right with the Penguins during the second half. I made a mental note of that because he said pretty much the exact same thing regarding the Steelers, even after they started the year 6-2.
There really was something kind of off about the Steelers last year. They did have that 6-2 first half record, but their house seemed to be built on sand. They were outplayed in the first game against Tennessee and barely escaped with an overtime win. They all but gave away their next two games by blowing 4th quarter leads to the Bears and Bengals.
Pittsburgh had one of the best defenses in the history of the league in their Super Bowl season of '08 and here they were blowing leads late in games? It just didn't seem possible. Well, it was possible because of key injuries to guys like Troy Polomalu and Aaron Smith. I don't care how good a defensive mind Dick Lebeau has, you're not going to replace guys like that with just anyone.
They also lost cornerback Bryant Mcfadden via free agency and their William Gay experiment never worked out as the secondary was shredded the entire year.
The Steelers also lost linebacker Larry Foote after the '08 season and I don't think people realized just how steady a player he was. Not everyone can be an all-pro and there's something to be said for knowing your role and doing your job.
Even though the Penguins had a strong nucleus of talent last season, they, too, lost some key players when defensemen Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi signed elsewhere after the Penguins Stanley Cup victory.
As the Penguins realized, especially in the postseason, those guys weren't easily replaceable.
The Steelers just couldn't get out of their own way last season. It seemed like every time they had their opponents on the ropes, something happened that turned the game around.
Starting with that Cincy meltdown in week 3, the Steelers gave up a touchdown return in 8 straight games. And they came in all varieties: Punt returns, kick-off returns, pick-6's and fumble returns.
If they scored a big touchdown to take control of a game, they would turn around and give it right back. Even Jeff Reed, Mr. Clutch, missed two field goals in the 4th quarter against Chicago. Tight End Heath Miller, who is about as reliable as Walker, Texas Ranger, had a perfect pass clang off his chest and intercepted which helped lead to another heartbreaking loss in Kansas City. If ever there was a play that epitomized the entire 2009 season, it was that one.
The Penguins didn't have one single win against the top two teams in the Eastern Conference last season: The Washington Capitals and the New Jersey Devils. People brushed that off when the Caps and Devils were both upset in round one, but you can't just ignore stuff like that. A championship team finds a way to defeat quality opponents.
The Steelers lost 5-straight to start the second half of the season. Three of which were to the Chiefs, Raiders and Browns; bottom-feeders in the NFL last year. And on the other end of the spectrum, championship teams do not lose games to teams like that.
And the Pens may have had a better record this season than last, but going into the postseason, it's all about momentum and as I said, they weren't the same team in the second half. They went 5-4-1 in the final weeks with the division title and number 2 seed well within their grasps.
And a popular phrase I kept hearing down the stretch regarding the Penguins was "flipping the switch." Well, that rarely works in professional sports. In postseason play, teams usually mimic what they did in the regular season. Especially down the stretch.
Take last year's Pens, for example. They were in 10th place and two spots out of the playoffs with 25 games left and went on a huge roll and finished the season with a bang. Clinching the 4th seed in the process. That's quite the impressive run and just what any team would love to be doing heading into the playoffs. It showed as they went on to capture their third Stanley Cup.
Remember the '05 Pittsburgh Steelers and their historic run to their 5th Lombardi Trophy? They were dead-to-rights with 4 games left. They had to win every one of those four games just to barely sneak into the playoffs as the sixth seed, but by then, they had so much momentum, they never looked back and rolled thru the postseason all the way to a championship.
Even if the Steelers somehow managed to make the playoffs in '09, they weren't going to do anything. They couldn't put teams away. They couldn't finish off drives. They couldn't get off the field on 3rd down. They blew 4th quarter lead, after 4th quarter lead. Do you think they would have suddenly "flipped the switch" and become the team they were the prior season? Doubtful.
The good news for both teams is I think they can get back on top soon. For the Penguins, the future looks really bright because of their core of great young talent. Crosby, Malkin, Fleury and Staal will probably be with them for a decade and as long as they have them, they will always have a chance. I know I said role players are hard to replace, but future hall-of-famers like Crosby are almost impossible to replace. Sid will hoist another Stanley Cup or two before he retires.
As for the Steelers, they're a little older than the Penguins and actually remind me a lot of the Steelers of the late 70's. There are some key younger guys, sure, but the core players of the previous decade are a lot closer to the end of their careers than the beginning.
However, really good personnel guys have a knack for turning over a roster pretty quickly so even if the Steelers have a down year or two, I have no doubt that they can rise again.
The Steelers of the late 90's had to rebuild after that very successful decade but they went on to have even more success in the following decade.
Besides, as long as they have number 7, they'll always have a chance.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
"Crosby Sucks!"
Ok, I know what you're thinking and, no, I don't think Sidney Crosby sucks. In-fact, I think he's the best thing to happen to the Penguins since Mario, and the greatest player in the NHL right now. He's also a gosh-darn nice guy.
When he goes to places like Colorado, Vancouver, or even Philadelphia, fans have to be at least a little interested in seeing him perform, even if it's against their respective teams.
I'm sure even the fans of the Montreal Canadiens, the Penguins current opponent in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, recognize that Crosby is the best in the business.
The fans in Montreal might know a great hockey player when they see one, but that didn't stopped them from booing Crosby at every turn during the three games played in Montreal. They even used a couple of anti-Crosby chants; most notably: "Crosby sucks!"
Not very creative, but enough to let Crosby know they did not appreciate him trying to come into their building and have his way with their beloved Habs.
This reaction doesn't surprise me. After all, this is what fans do.
What has surprised me, however, is the reaction of the Pittsburgh fans and media members. People like Stan Savran and Guy Junker are astonished and flabbergasted that the Montreal fans could treat Sid with such disdain. He's their national hero. He won them a gold medal.
Talk show hosts have used entire segments asking the listeners why the Canadien fans are so hard on Sid. Respected hockey writers have been interviewed regarding this.
Some fans and media guys have even gone so far as to say they're disappointed in the Montreal fans.
"I thought the fans in Montreal had more class than that." "I thought they were the most knowledgeable hockey fans." "Don't they realize just how very good Sid is?" "Who did they ever beat? Where are their gold medals? They're no Sidney Crosby, that's for sure."
Oh brother.
I've been following sports since I was 7 years old and I think this is the first time I've ever witnessed people so up-in-arms over a star Pittsburgh athlete's reception in another city.
This is the playoffs, of course Crosby is going to be treated harshly. This is what fans do.
For a time there, Tom Brady was the best quarterback in the NFL, but that didn't stop Steelers fans from booing him and saying he sucked. In-fact, some of us even wished a staph infection on him.
And so what if he won a gold medal for Canada in the recent Olympics? Does this mean that fans all over Canada are supposed to stop supporting their hometown team every time Crosby comes to town? Why don't they just roll out the red carpet for him?
If football became a part of the Olympics and Ray Lewis helped America win a gold medal, do you think Steelers fans would give him a standing ovation when the Ravens came to Heinz field to play the Steelers in an important divisional game? Don't bet on it.
What if the Penguins play Vancouver in the Stanley cup finals? Are their fans supposed to keep quiet when Crosby is on the ice? Are they supposed to just smother their natural urges as fans to boo him and want him to fail?
Come on, people, Crosby is a great player and a great guy, but there is a fine line between great and holier than thou, and he isn't above being booed by opposing fans.
I would expect nothing less, and I'm sure Sidney Crosby doesn't care as much about it as you do.
Opposing fans boo, if they didn't, road wins wouldn't be as sweet.
Man, I haven't seen people judged so harshly for chanting that a particular Olympic hero sucked since the heyday of the guy in the video above.
Oh, it's true. It's damn true.
When he goes to places like Colorado, Vancouver, or even Philadelphia, fans have to be at least a little interested in seeing him perform, even if it's against their respective teams.
I'm sure even the fans of the Montreal Canadiens, the Penguins current opponent in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, recognize that Crosby is the best in the business.
The fans in Montreal might know a great hockey player when they see one, but that didn't stopped them from booing Crosby at every turn during the three games played in Montreal. They even used a couple of anti-Crosby chants; most notably: "Crosby sucks!"
Not very creative, but enough to let Crosby know they did not appreciate him trying to come into their building and have his way with their beloved Habs.
This reaction doesn't surprise me. After all, this is what fans do.
What has surprised me, however, is the reaction of the Pittsburgh fans and media members. People like Stan Savran and Guy Junker are astonished and flabbergasted that the Montreal fans could treat Sid with such disdain. He's their national hero. He won them a gold medal.
Talk show hosts have used entire segments asking the listeners why the Canadien fans are so hard on Sid. Respected hockey writers have been interviewed regarding this.
Some fans and media guys have even gone so far as to say they're disappointed in the Montreal fans.
"I thought the fans in Montreal had more class than that." "I thought they were the most knowledgeable hockey fans." "Don't they realize just how very good Sid is?" "Who did they ever beat? Where are their gold medals? They're no Sidney Crosby, that's for sure."
Oh brother.
I've been following sports since I was 7 years old and I think this is the first time I've ever witnessed people so up-in-arms over a star Pittsburgh athlete's reception in another city.
This is the playoffs, of course Crosby is going to be treated harshly. This is what fans do.
For a time there, Tom Brady was the best quarterback in the NFL, but that didn't stop Steelers fans from booing him and saying he sucked. In-fact, some of us even wished a staph infection on him.
And so what if he won a gold medal for Canada in the recent Olympics? Does this mean that fans all over Canada are supposed to stop supporting their hometown team every time Crosby comes to town? Why don't they just roll out the red carpet for him?
If football became a part of the Olympics and Ray Lewis helped America win a gold medal, do you think Steelers fans would give him a standing ovation when the Ravens came to Heinz field to play the Steelers in an important divisional game? Don't bet on it.
What if the Penguins play Vancouver in the Stanley cup finals? Are their fans supposed to keep quiet when Crosby is on the ice? Are they supposed to just smother their natural urges as fans to boo him and want him to fail?
Come on, people, Crosby is a great player and a great guy, but there is a fine line between great and holier than thou, and he isn't above being booed by opposing fans.
I would expect nothing less, and I'm sure Sidney Crosby doesn't care as much about it as you do.
Opposing fans boo, if they didn't, road wins wouldn't be as sweet.
Man, I haven't seen people judged so harshly for chanting that a particular Olympic hero sucked since the heyday of the guy in the video above.
Oh, it's true. It's damn true.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Fleury haters
Well, Marc Andre Fleury, goaltender for the Pittsburgh Penguins, is a great goalie today after the Pens 2-1 defeat of Montreal in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals. Just the other night, after the Pens' 3-2 loss in game four against Montreal, he sucked. Penguins fans are really hard on this guy and I've never understood why.
I guess the easiest answer is fans always go for the obvious. In football, they blame the quarterback even after a 38-27 loss.
I'm far from a hockey expert, but I do know that Fleury has played in 11 postseason series and won 9 of them, including two game 7's last year on-route to the Stanley Cup. In-fact, Fleury is undefeated in game 7's. Sure, he's only had two, but you know how much pressure there is in game 7 of a series? I can't imagine being a goaltender. I'd probably be jittery 24/7; I'd flinch at the wind blowing.
The man might give up the occasional soft-goal, but when it's money-time, he's there. You can have your save-percentages, because they are often misleading. I could have a .900 save percentage if I only faced 10 shots in a game. Based on his very short history, if I had to pick a goaltender to hold a one goal lead with five minutes left in a crucial game, I would pick Fleury. Getting back to football and the quarterback, Peyton Manning might have the great stats, but if I had to pick a quarterback to lead my team down the field in the final minute, I'd pick Ben Roethlisberger. He could be having a horrible game-throwing picks, getting sacked--but I'd want him to lead my squad in crunch time.
Fleury is a big-game goaltender. Throw out the save-percentages. He rises to the occasion when it matters the most.
If a goalie was supposed to be perfect, then a really great one would never lose a game, and I don't know if you've seen an average NHL team's record, but it's far from perfect.
I remember listening to The Drive on ESPN last Summer on the day of Game 7, and some guy called in and asked if he thought Fleury should be traded during he off season. The host, Scott Paulsen, I believe, mocked him for his stupid remark about future trades just hours before one of the biggest games in the history of the franchise.
Appreciate Fleury. Remember, Sid might be the Kid, but his power is only as great as the Flower.
I guess the easiest answer is fans always go for the obvious. In football, they blame the quarterback even after a 38-27 loss.
I'm far from a hockey expert, but I do know that Fleury has played in 11 postseason series and won 9 of them, including two game 7's last year on-route to the Stanley Cup. In-fact, Fleury is undefeated in game 7's. Sure, he's only had two, but you know how much pressure there is in game 7 of a series? I can't imagine being a goaltender. I'd probably be jittery 24/7; I'd flinch at the wind blowing.
The man might give up the occasional soft-goal, but when it's money-time, he's there. You can have your save-percentages, because they are often misleading. I could have a .900 save percentage if I only faced 10 shots in a game. Based on his very short history, if I had to pick a goaltender to hold a one goal lead with five minutes left in a crucial game, I would pick Fleury. Getting back to football and the quarterback, Peyton Manning might have the great stats, but if I had to pick a quarterback to lead my team down the field in the final minute, I'd pick Ben Roethlisberger. He could be having a horrible game-throwing picks, getting sacked--but I'd want him to lead my squad in crunch time.
Fleury is a big-game goaltender. Throw out the save-percentages. He rises to the occasion when it matters the most.
If a goalie was supposed to be perfect, then a really great one would never lose a game, and I don't know if you've seen an average NHL team's record, but it's far from perfect.
I remember listening to The Drive on ESPN last Summer on the day of Game 7, and some guy called in and asked if he thought Fleury should be traded during he off season. The host, Scott Paulsen, I believe, mocked him for his stupid remark about future trades just hours before one of the biggest games in the history of the franchise.
Appreciate Fleury. Remember, Sid might be the Kid, but his power is only as great as the Flower.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Marian Hossa
Original post date: March 23rd, 2010
Last night's Stanley Cup rematch between the Penguins and Detroit Red Wings couldn't help but remind me of how up-in-arms people were after winger Marian Hossa, who was brought here at the trading deadline in 2008, left following the Penguins Stanley Cup defeat at the hands of the Red Wings TO ACTUALLY SIGN with Detroit after that season.
People were furious and to add salt to the very open wound, after Hossa turned down a multi-year offer to stay with the Penguins and signed a one year deal with the Wings, he said the reason he did so was because he wanted a chance to win a cup.
That little statement sent Penguins fans and Pittsburgh sports talk hosts through the roof. I do believe there were "Hossa: Wanted Dead or Alive" signs along side those of bin laden.
What I couldn't figure out was why people were so furious. I mean, I know he was a good player and a key acquisition for the Penguins '08 run for the Cup, and the guy who came oh-so-close to tying the score at the end of game 6 of the Finals but he was only here for a few months. I could see if it was Crosby or Malkin who left and said such things, but Hossa was essentially a rent-a-player. He didn't have an emotional attachment to the Penguins or to Pittsburgh. He was going where he thought was the best place for him and his goals (no pun intended.)
And was he really wrong for saying what he said? Even though Pittsburgh made the Finals in '08 and lost in six games, they were six TOUGH games and Detroit looked DOMINANT in those six games.
Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut because we all know what happened last year with the Penguins and Red Wings rematch. The Penguins won in 7 games to capture their first Cup in 17 seasons and Hossa was made to look foolish. But was he really foolish? He wasn't far off. The Penguins won in 7 games but it took every ounce of courage and talent to defeat Detroit.
And if Hossa had stayed here, it would have changed the whole dynamic. Think about it. Players like Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin, two key members of the teams postseason run, probably wouldn't have been acquired at the deadline. And what about Mad Max Talbot? If Hossa was here, Talbot might not have been on the ice to score the game-winning goals in game 7.
And not to mention the financial aspect. The Penguins offered Hossa $7 million a year over 7 years. That's a long time, especially for a player who only played with your team for three months. And let's not forget about the whole salary cap issue. The Penguins have some pretty pricey young stars on their team. Keeping Hossa might have meant losing Staal or Talbot or Fleury or even Malkin. I don't think anyone would want that.
Ok, so the Penguins won the Cup and were the champions of the '08/'09 season and people were still talking about Hossa. I hear it to this day about how Hossa was a traitor. Last Summer, during the NHL free agency season, when Hossa signed a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, 1250 ESPN radio brought on a member of the Chicago media to discuss the deal. This is TWO teams later. Wow.
Can you say STALKER? And a few weeks ago, when I was out at the Mall at Robinson, I was browsing one of the sporting good kiosks and I saw a picture of Hossa and the title was "Maryann Hossa."
Man, we sure do get bitter when someone spurns us for another team. This is worse than when Cowher rang that bell last year for Carolina.
Didn't we win the Cup? Who cares about Hossa? Penguins fans are acting like Chris Elliot's character, Dom (Woogie) in "There's Something About Mary." We have a beautiful Cup that we got to parade around the city the entire Summer and we're worried about why Hossa didn't return our calls and shunned us for another suitor.
I'm surprised you didn't steal all of his skates. Do you all get hives anytime Hossa's name is mentioned?
Ok, enough Mary references, but the point is stop worrying about Hossa. It was only three dates. Let it go. He changed his number. He's moved on. You should too.
Last night's Stanley Cup rematch between the Penguins and Detroit Red Wings couldn't help but remind me of how up-in-arms people were after winger Marian Hossa, who was brought here at the trading deadline in 2008, left following the Penguins Stanley Cup defeat at the hands of the Red Wings TO ACTUALLY SIGN with Detroit after that season.
People were furious and to add salt to the very open wound, after Hossa turned down a multi-year offer to stay with the Penguins and signed a one year deal with the Wings, he said the reason he did so was because he wanted a chance to win a cup.
That little statement sent Penguins fans and Pittsburgh sports talk hosts through the roof. I do believe there were "Hossa: Wanted Dead or Alive" signs along side those of bin laden.
What I couldn't figure out was why people were so furious. I mean, I know he was a good player and a key acquisition for the Penguins '08 run for the Cup, and the guy who came oh-so-close to tying the score at the end of game 6 of the Finals but he was only here for a few months. I could see if it was Crosby or Malkin who left and said such things, but Hossa was essentially a rent-a-player. He didn't have an emotional attachment to the Penguins or to Pittsburgh. He was going where he thought was the best place for him and his goals (no pun intended.)
And was he really wrong for saying what he said? Even though Pittsburgh made the Finals in '08 and lost in six games, they were six TOUGH games and Detroit looked DOMINANT in those six games.
Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut because we all know what happened last year with the Penguins and Red Wings rematch. The Penguins won in 7 games to capture their first Cup in 17 seasons and Hossa was made to look foolish. But was he really foolish? He wasn't far off. The Penguins won in 7 games but it took every ounce of courage and talent to defeat Detroit.
And if Hossa had stayed here, it would have changed the whole dynamic. Think about it. Players like Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin, two key members of the teams postseason run, probably wouldn't have been acquired at the deadline. And what about Mad Max Talbot? If Hossa was here, Talbot might not have been on the ice to score the game-winning goals in game 7.
And not to mention the financial aspect. The Penguins offered Hossa $7 million a year over 7 years. That's a long time, especially for a player who only played with your team for three months. And let's not forget about the whole salary cap issue. The Penguins have some pretty pricey young stars on their team. Keeping Hossa might have meant losing Staal or Talbot or Fleury or even Malkin. I don't think anyone would want that.
Ok, so the Penguins won the Cup and were the champions of the '08/'09 season and people were still talking about Hossa. I hear it to this day about how Hossa was a traitor. Last Summer, during the NHL free agency season, when Hossa signed a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, 1250 ESPN radio brought on a member of the Chicago media to discuss the deal. This is TWO teams later. Wow.
Can you say STALKER? And a few weeks ago, when I was out at the Mall at Robinson, I was browsing one of the sporting good kiosks and I saw a picture of Hossa and the title was "Maryann Hossa."
Man, we sure do get bitter when someone spurns us for another team. This is worse than when Cowher rang that bell last year for Carolina.
Didn't we win the Cup? Who cares about Hossa? Penguins fans are acting like Chris Elliot's character, Dom (Woogie) in "There's Something About Mary." We have a beautiful Cup that we got to parade around the city the entire Summer and we're worried about why Hossa didn't return our calls and shunned us for another suitor.
I'm surprised you didn't steal all of his skates. Do you all get hives anytime Hossa's name is mentioned?
Ok, enough Mary references, but the point is stop worrying about Hossa. It was only three dates. Let it go. He changed his number. He's moved on. You should too.
Friday, April 30, 2010
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