After a year of only half paying attention to the Pittsburgh Dad phenomenon, I recently started to watch more of his videos, and I have to say, they really take me back to a simpler time. Curt Wootton, the co-creator and actor who portrays Dad, really has the speech pattern, mannerisms and accent of the typical "Pittsburgh Dad" down perfectly.
If I close my eyes, I can picture every adult authority figure of my youth (male and female) as they raised holy hell over everything I did.
Speaking of my youth, one of the neighborhoods that I grew up in was Polish Hill.
For the past seven years, I've been playing recreational volleyball in the West Penn Recreational Center, located in Polish Hill. It's always a fun time, but whenever I'm over that way, I can't help but feel a sense of home. I often forget that the playground located adjacent to the rec. center was the playground of my toddler years, and it's where my mom taught me how to swing.
I never went into the rec. center as a kid, but I did swim in the pool, and looking back on it, I probably shouldn't have, because it was an absolute disaster. The pool was so badly in need of restoration, pieces of cement would crumble into your hands as you got in and out, and if you had goggles on under water, you could see huge chunks of cement just sitting at the bottom.
If stuff like that went on at a local pool today, people would lose their minds.
Back to volleyball. Following one of my Thursday night matches, it's fairly common for my teammates and I to frequent Gooski's, a bar located on Brereton Avenue, about a block away from the rec. center.
In the late 70's, when I was about six years old, I lived in an apartment right next to that bar. It wasn't called Gooski's then, but it looked pretty much the same as it does now. There's a little walkway beside the bar that connects Brereton to Dopson St. and it's adjacent to the yard I used to play in. All day long, drunk grown ups would walk by and comment on whatever it is that I was doing, and it would scare the living crap out of me.
Back when Jimmy Carter was President of the United States, he, along with Vice President Walter Mondale, visited Pittsburgh, and one of their stops was Polish Hill. During their visit, one, or both, came over to pat me on the head. I couldn't have been any more than four or five at the time, and I would have none of it.
I don't know why I'm blogging about this stuff. I guess the Pittsburgh Dad has got me feeling a little nostalgic.
Too bad he's also got me ramblin' and writin' bad!
I BETTER SHUT THIS DAMN COMPUTER OFF! IT'S RUNNIN' UP MY LIGHT BILL!
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Notre Dame vs. Alabama for the BCS National championship: Let the ratings begin!
Alabama came back to defeat Georgia in the SEC Championship game Saturday night to secure the program's second straight appearance in the BCS Title game. The Crimson Tide, the defending National champions, will meet top ranked Notre Dame January 7th.
It's the first appearance in the BCS title game for the Fighting Irish, who are seeking their first national title since 1988.
Alabama also won the National title following the 2009 season, so a victory over Notre Dame would not only mark the first time a team has won back-to-back BCS Championships, it would be the Tide's third title in four seasons.
It will also be the seventh straight season in-which at least one school from the powerful SEC will appear in the championship game.
As far as television ratings are concerned, this has to be a dream matchup for ESPN, the network that holds the rights to broadcast the BCS.
The Crimson Tide aren't just the most important thing in the state of Alabama, they're also a national brand, complete with eight national championships.
As for Notre Dame, the program has been a bit down in recent years (at least for them), but make no mistake, the Irish still generate the ratings, and much like Frank Sinatra, who was still filling up Las Vegas venues back in the 70's despite being over the hill and past his prime, Notre Dame fans go to see their team play regardless of its record, and regardless of what bowl it's in--to say Fighting Irish fans travel well would be the understatement of understatements.
With a perennial national powerhouse in Alabama and a Notre Dame program that finally has the on-the-field credentials to match its long-time national cache--the Irish also have eight national titles--the 2013 BCS title game could be the most hyped college football game in the past two-decades. And if the over-the-top rabid fan bases of both programs have anything to say about it (which, make no mistake, they will), it could be the most talked about football game of 2013, period.
It's the first appearance in the BCS title game for the Fighting Irish, who are seeking their first national title since 1988.
Alabama also won the National title following the 2009 season, so a victory over Notre Dame would not only mark the first time a team has won back-to-back BCS Championships, it would be the Tide's third title in four seasons.
It will also be the seventh straight season in-which at least one school from the powerful SEC will appear in the championship game.
As far as television ratings are concerned, this has to be a dream matchup for ESPN, the network that holds the rights to broadcast the BCS.
The Crimson Tide aren't just the most important thing in the state of Alabama, they're also a national brand, complete with eight national championships.
As for Notre Dame, the program has been a bit down in recent years (at least for them), but make no mistake, the Irish still generate the ratings, and much like Frank Sinatra, who was still filling up Las Vegas venues back in the 70's despite being over the hill and past his prime, Notre Dame fans go to see their team play regardless of its record, and regardless of what bowl it's in--to say Fighting Irish fans travel well would be the understatement of understatements.
With a perennial national powerhouse in Alabama and a Notre Dame program that finally has the on-the-field credentials to match its long-time national cache--the Irish also have eight national titles--the 2013 BCS title game could be the most hyped college football game in the past two-decades. And if the over-the-top rabid fan bases of both programs have anything to say about it (which, make no mistake, they will), it could be the most talked about football game of 2013, period.
The 2012 Pitt Panthers are bowl-eligible after their 27-3 thrashing of South Florida
What to make of the 2012 Pittsburgh Panthers under first year coach Paul Chryst? Sure, they're a 6-6 football team that will probably get an invitation to some 3rd world bowl somewhere. However, it's a team that could have been a lot better or even a lot worse. I'm sure you could say that about any football team--the whole "fine line" philosophy--but the Panthers were just totally unpredictable in 2012.
Pitt started out the year by losing to the division II (or whatever the college football sub-divisions are called today) Youngstown St. Penguins in Week 1, followed by a beatdown in Cincinnati in Week 2.
However, just when you thought the season was lost, the Panthers went out and handed it to 13th ranked Virginia Tech in Week 3. Maybe the Hokies weren't worthy of their early-season credentials, but Pitt may have pulled off an even bigger feat weeks later when the team came within an inch (almost literally) of knocking off Notre Dame in South Bend when Panthers' placekicker Kevin Harper barely missed a 33 yard field goal in double-overtime that would have won the game. Now the Fighting Irish' are ranked number one in the nation and are set to play Alabama in the National title game in January.
You lose to Youngstown St. and then almost totally alter the National title picture? Crazy Panthers. Of course, who can blame them for being a bit uneven during a season in-which they had to play under their fourth head coach and third coaching regime since December of 2010. If I was a 20 year old in that situation, I'd act out, too, on the football field.
The roller coaster 2012 Panthers then lost to an underwhelming Connecticut team following the heartbreaking Notre Dame defeat and followed that up with another unexpected impressive 27-6 win over a ranked Rutgers team a week ago at Heinz Field.
The regular season wrapped up Saturday night with a 27-3 victory over the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium.
Pitt finished fifth in the Big East and now is slated to play in any number of third-tier bowl games. The latest bowl projections place the Panthers in the Pinstripe Bowl against West Virginia on December 29th. I don't know how excited any Pitt fan could possibly be with yet another appearance in the BBVA Compass Bowl or the Beef O'Brady Bowl, but a matchup against the program's most heated football rival would probably be more rewarding for the fan base than even a trip to a higher-level non-BCS bowl against a more formidable opponent.
Pitt started out the year by losing to the division II (or whatever the college football sub-divisions are called today) Youngstown St. Penguins in Week 1, followed by a beatdown in Cincinnati in Week 2.
However, just when you thought the season was lost, the Panthers went out and handed it to 13th ranked Virginia Tech in Week 3. Maybe the Hokies weren't worthy of their early-season credentials, but Pitt may have pulled off an even bigger feat weeks later when the team came within an inch (almost literally) of knocking off Notre Dame in South Bend when Panthers' placekicker Kevin Harper barely missed a 33 yard field goal in double-overtime that would have won the game. Now the Fighting Irish' are ranked number one in the nation and are set to play Alabama in the National title game in January.
You lose to Youngstown St. and then almost totally alter the National title picture? Crazy Panthers. Of course, who can blame them for being a bit uneven during a season in-which they had to play under their fourth head coach and third coaching regime since December of 2010. If I was a 20 year old in that situation, I'd act out, too, on the football field.
The roller coaster 2012 Panthers then lost to an underwhelming Connecticut team following the heartbreaking Notre Dame defeat and followed that up with another unexpected impressive 27-6 win over a ranked Rutgers team a week ago at Heinz Field.
The regular season wrapped up Saturday night with a 27-3 victory over the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium.
Pitt finished fifth in the Big East and now is slated to play in any number of third-tier bowl games. The latest bowl projections place the Panthers in the Pinstripe Bowl against West Virginia on December 29th. I don't know how excited any Pitt fan could possibly be with yet another appearance in the BBVA Compass Bowl or the Beef O'Brady Bowl, but a matchup against the program's most heated football rival would probably be more rewarding for the fan base than even a trip to a higher-level non-BCS bowl against a more formidable opponent.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
After playing flag football with a bad back, maybe I won't be so hard on injured athletes anymore?
Two weekends ago, my bowling team was thrust into action as an alternate playoff team because another team backed out. My team just missed "earning" its playoff spot by four points so we were the next in line.
I bowled one game that evening, watched my teammate compete in the seasonal "Queen Pin" tournament and then went home. I didn't notice any discomfort that night or the next morning, but shortly after I arrived at work, the lower-left side of my back started to really bother me, and the pain and stiffness never did subside the entire day or the rest of the week. Thankfully, I had my monthly chiropractic visit that Wednesday, and even though I left the office in great pain, I did a yoga workout and went for a walk, and it seemed to loosen things up a bit.
The next day was my volleyball team's last regular season game, and I dreaded it all day. However, thanks to some stretching and some ibuprofen, I made it through my match even though every step hurt. Surprisingly, by the end of the third game of my match, I jumped up and hit a pretty vicious spike (at least for me).
After enduring some volleyball induced pain the next day, my back gradually started to feel better over the course of the next week or so.
I was feeling a bit froggy, so I decided to participate in a couple of Thanksgiving Day pick-up flag football games this past Thursday. Not sure if that was the greatest idea in the world, but I hadn't played a flag football game in exactly three years, and I was simply bursting with the desire to do so again.. I had a heck of a time getting my back loose before we started playing, and it never did loosen up the entire two hours that I played. Somehow, I managed to make it through both games despite not being 100% physically.
The first game, I didn't do much of anything; I made a couple of "tackles," meaning, I pulled a flag or three, but I got beat for a couple of touchdowns, and the only pass thrown to me was knocked down at the last second. The flag I was wearing kept falling off or almost falling off, and I kept trying to hold it on like one would try to hold up a pair of pants that were too loose or just didn't fit very well. During one play, I was chasing down the quarterback and reached for my flag because it felt like it was about to fall off. When you're on defense, it doesn't really matter if your flag falls off. You're still allowed to chase the person with the football, you just wouldn't be allowed to run if you were to get an interception, for example. Tim Benz, a local radio/tv sports personality who is a fellow PSL (the league where I play most of my sports) participant, was on my team in the first game and reminded me that it didn't matter if my flag fell off while playing defense. I already knew that, of course, but it's like scratching your crotch in public; you know you probably shouldn't do it, but sometimes it happens almost involuntarily.
The second game went a lot better for me. On defense, I was told to cover a guy who was about my height and not very fast--my kind of receiver. I did quite well covering him and I may have even had the best pass defensed of my life. It was a long pass, located the football in the air, reached over the guy's shoulder and knocked it out of his hands. It was text-book. The only pass the guy caught on me was when I got "schooled" on a pick play. I felt like an ass, but stuff happens.
To save the best for last, I managed to score a touchdown near the end of the game. Unlike the first game, the quarterbacks targeted me a few times, and I caught three passes. My third and final reception of the day resulted in a touchdown when I gathered in the football, made a guy miss, which surprised me because it never happens, and then started to run for my life. Another guy reached for my flag as I neared the end zone, and I was convinced he would grab it, and I don't know if I consciously eluded him or it was just luck, but I'm dead-serious when I say I was completely shocked to make it into the end zone and see my flag still around my waist. It was maybe the single-most gratifying sports moment of the year for me. I've had a couple 200 games in official PSL bowling matches and a couple of epic-blocks in a PSL volleyball game (you'd have to know me to know how rare it is for me to block anyone in volleyball), but the touchdown I scored the other day probably tops everything else.
As I said, I hadn't played flag football in years, and that combined with my back made most of the day not so pleasant as I was injured and rusty as all hell. However, that touchdown made up for everything. And it was maybe the first flag football touchdown where I had to actually avoid people on the way to the end zone. I'm what they call a "possession" receiver, meaning I'm super-slow, so most of my touchdowns have involved me already being in the end zone when I caught the pass. Don't get me wrong, I've had a few where I had to find my way into the end zone, but they were usually plays where the quarterback hit me in stride and it was just a matter of me racing to pay-dirt. This one was different. Like most passes from flag football quarterbacks, this one was floated to me, and I had to stop whatever momentum I had, gather the pass in, and then try to get around people on my way to the end zone. Not an easy task for someone like me--I'm fast enough to be a decent tackle football player, but I'm not nearly fast enough to keep people off my flag.
Anyway, the main point of this post is to illustrate just how hard it is to play a game, even a pick-up flag football game, with an injury. Maybe I'll think a little longer before I yell for Troy Polamalu to play with his torn calf muscle. Maybe I'll think a little harder before I complain about Antonio Brown missing another game with a high-angle sprain.
If I had a tough time playing flag football with a bad back, imagine how hard it must be to play a game of tackle football at its highest level when you're not 100% physically?
After Thursday, I have a new-found respect for professional athletes.
I bowled one game that evening, watched my teammate compete in the seasonal "Queen Pin" tournament and then went home. I didn't notice any discomfort that night or the next morning, but shortly after I arrived at work, the lower-left side of my back started to really bother me, and the pain and stiffness never did subside the entire day or the rest of the week. Thankfully, I had my monthly chiropractic visit that Wednesday, and even though I left the office in great pain, I did a yoga workout and went for a walk, and it seemed to loosen things up a bit.
The next day was my volleyball team's last regular season game, and I dreaded it all day. However, thanks to some stretching and some ibuprofen, I made it through my match even though every step hurt. Surprisingly, by the end of the third game of my match, I jumped up and hit a pretty vicious spike (at least for me).
After enduring some volleyball induced pain the next day, my back gradually started to feel better over the course of the next week or so.
I was feeling a bit froggy, so I decided to participate in a couple of Thanksgiving Day pick-up flag football games this past Thursday. Not sure if that was the greatest idea in the world, but I hadn't played a flag football game in exactly three years, and I was simply bursting with the desire to do so again.. I had a heck of a time getting my back loose before we started playing, and it never did loosen up the entire two hours that I played. Somehow, I managed to make it through both games despite not being 100% physically.
The first game, I didn't do much of anything; I made a couple of "tackles," meaning, I pulled a flag or three, but I got beat for a couple of touchdowns, and the only pass thrown to me was knocked down at the last second. The flag I was wearing kept falling off or almost falling off, and I kept trying to hold it on like one would try to hold up a pair of pants that were too loose or just didn't fit very well. During one play, I was chasing down the quarterback and reached for my flag because it felt like it was about to fall off. When you're on defense, it doesn't really matter if your flag falls off. You're still allowed to chase the person with the football, you just wouldn't be allowed to run if you were to get an interception, for example. Tim Benz, a local radio/tv sports personality who is a fellow PSL (the league where I play most of my sports) participant, was on my team in the first game and reminded me that it didn't matter if my flag fell off while playing defense. I already knew that, of course, but it's like scratching your crotch in public; you know you probably shouldn't do it, but sometimes it happens almost involuntarily.
The second game went a lot better for me. On defense, I was told to cover a guy who was about my height and not very fast--my kind of receiver. I did quite well covering him and I may have even had the best pass defensed of my life. It was a long pass, located the football in the air, reached over the guy's shoulder and knocked it out of his hands. It was text-book. The only pass the guy caught on me was when I got "schooled" on a pick play. I felt like an ass, but stuff happens.
To save the best for last, I managed to score a touchdown near the end of the game. Unlike the first game, the quarterbacks targeted me a few times, and I caught three passes. My third and final reception of the day resulted in a touchdown when I gathered in the football, made a guy miss, which surprised me because it never happens, and then started to run for my life. Another guy reached for my flag as I neared the end zone, and I was convinced he would grab it, and I don't know if I consciously eluded him or it was just luck, but I'm dead-serious when I say I was completely shocked to make it into the end zone and see my flag still around my waist. It was maybe the single-most gratifying sports moment of the year for me. I've had a couple 200 games in official PSL bowling matches and a couple of epic-blocks in a PSL volleyball game (you'd have to know me to know how rare it is for me to block anyone in volleyball), but the touchdown I scored the other day probably tops everything else.
As I said, I hadn't played flag football in years, and that combined with my back made most of the day not so pleasant as I was injured and rusty as all hell. However, that touchdown made up for everything. And it was maybe the first flag football touchdown where I had to actually avoid people on the way to the end zone. I'm what they call a "possession" receiver, meaning I'm super-slow, so most of my touchdowns have involved me already being in the end zone when I caught the pass. Don't get me wrong, I've had a few where I had to find my way into the end zone, but they were usually plays where the quarterback hit me in stride and it was just a matter of me racing to pay-dirt. This one was different. Like most passes from flag football quarterbacks, this one was floated to me, and I had to stop whatever momentum I had, gather the pass in, and then try to get around people on my way to the end zone. Not an easy task for someone like me--I'm fast enough to be a decent tackle football player, but I'm not nearly fast enough to keep people off my flag.
Anyway, the main point of this post is to illustrate just how hard it is to play a game, even a pick-up flag football game, with an injury. Maybe I'll think a little longer before I yell for Troy Polamalu to play with his torn calf muscle. Maybe I'll think a little harder before I complain about Antonio Brown missing another game with a high-angle sprain.
If I had a tough time playing flag football with a bad back, imagine how hard it must be to play a game of tackle football at its highest level when you're not 100% physically?
After Thursday, I have a new-found respect for professional athletes.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
My favorite part of the Pirates 2012 season
Despite the fact the Pittsburgh Pirates suffered the worst collapse in MLB history, 2012 was mostly an enjoyable campaign, and certainly the most memorable season since maybe 1997. Every season, even the ones with memorable slides, have a favorite part for fans. Everyone's is different, of course, but my favorite part of the season occurred on August 19th.
After achieving their apex earlier in the month with a 60-44 record and a healthy lead in the National League wild card standings, the Pirates were in a bit of a tailspin. The team had just lost nine of its previous 14 games. On a Thursday afternoon, Pittsburgh rallied to knock off the Dodgers at PNC Park to salvage the final game of a four-game swing, and the final game of an 11-game homestand in which the Buccos went 4-7.
Next up was a trip to St. Louis to play the only team the Pirates seemed to do well against down the stretch, the World Champion Cardinals.
After splitting the first two games of the weekend series, the rubber match saw the two teams battle it out for 19 grueling innings on Sunday, August 19th. About a year earlier, on July, 26th, 2011, the Buccos lost to the Braves in a 19 inning game in Atlanta, in which Pittsburgh seemed to be screwed by home plate umpire Jerry Meals.
I had a bad feeling the Cardinals game would end the same way. However, thanks to a heroic job by a bullpen that held St. Louis to one run over the last 15 innings, Pittsburgh was able to finally win it on a Pedro Alvarez home run in the top of the 19th.
The Pirates won, 6-3, and when they flashed the score at Heinz Field during the Steelers' preseason game against the Colts, the entire stadium erupted. It was certainly a memorable night, and just a couple days later, I was inspired to write this satirical piece about following the antics and frustrations of the fans on the Bucsdugout game thread.
That's my favorite part of 2012, what about you?
After achieving their apex earlier in the month with a 60-44 record and a healthy lead in the National League wild card standings, the Pirates were in a bit of a tailspin. The team had just lost nine of its previous 14 games. On a Thursday afternoon, Pittsburgh rallied to knock off the Dodgers at PNC Park to salvage the final game of a four-game swing, and the final game of an 11-game homestand in which the Buccos went 4-7.
Next up was a trip to St. Louis to play the only team the Pirates seemed to do well against down the stretch, the World Champion Cardinals.
After splitting the first two games of the weekend series, the rubber match saw the two teams battle it out for 19 grueling innings on Sunday, August 19th. About a year earlier, on July, 26th, 2011, the Buccos lost to the Braves in a 19 inning game in Atlanta, in which Pittsburgh seemed to be screwed by home plate umpire Jerry Meals.
I had a bad feeling the Cardinals game would end the same way. However, thanks to a heroic job by a bullpen that held St. Louis to one run over the last 15 innings, Pittsburgh was able to finally win it on a Pedro Alvarez home run in the top of the 19th.
The Pirates won, 6-3, and when they flashed the score at Heinz Field during the Steelers' preseason game against the Colts, the entire stadium erupted. It was certainly a memorable night, and just a couple days later, I was inspired to write this satirical piece about following the antics and frustrations of the fans on the Bucsdugout game thread.
That's my favorite part of 2012, what about you?
Monday, November 5, 2012
Unfortunately, Pitt's Heartbreaking Overtime Loss to Notre Dame Was Just Another Case of Pitt Being Pitt
The Pittsburgh Panthers have had a lot of success in South Bend, Indiana in recent years, mostly as a result of exciting overtime victories over the Fightin' Irish in front of Touchdown Jesus.
It looked like Pitt would have that same exciting result Saturday night when, after blowing a 20-6 second half lead, they had a chance to win the game in the second overtime with a 33 yard field goal by Kevin Harper. Unfortunately, despite making a field goal from 41 yards out in the first overtime, Harper's kick sailed just wide-right, and the Irish survived and would go on to win, 29-26, on a touchdown in the third OT.
Because Notre Dame was ranked third at game-time, you might say Pitt's loss was a character builder for a team playing under its fourth head coach and in its third different system since December of 2010. However, we Pitt fans know better. Paul Chryst might bring an impressive resume and an understated determination to the job, but he's in for the fight of his life if he's going to try to overcome the stigma that this football program has spent the past three decades cementing.
The concrete has been drying for years, and it's reinforced with each close, devastating loss like the one on Saturday, just like it was in '09, when Brian Kelly's Cincinnati Bearcats came to Heinz Field and walked away with the Big East title and a BCS berth after the Panthers held a three touchdown lead.
It was reinforced a season ago, when the Panthers blew a 17-point second half lead at Iowa.
It's no coincidence that Pitt has lost three games or more each season since 1981, and I doubt things will change anytime soon.
To quote a tired cliche: "It is what it is."
To paraphrase basketball coach, Rick Pitino: "Dan Marino isn't coming through that door; Tony Dorsett isn't coming through that door; Hugh Green isn't coming through that door.
Larry Fitzgerald and Shady McCoy might, but as has been proven in the past, they probably won't be able to help much.
I hope Chryst is finally the man to bring it all together, but I'm not holding my breath.
Character builder in South Bend? Nah, just Pitt being Pitt.
It looked like Pitt would have that same exciting result Saturday night when, after blowing a 20-6 second half lead, they had a chance to win the game in the second overtime with a 33 yard field goal by Kevin Harper. Unfortunately, despite making a field goal from 41 yards out in the first overtime, Harper's kick sailed just wide-right, and the Irish survived and would go on to win, 29-26, on a touchdown in the third OT.
Because Notre Dame was ranked third at game-time, you might say Pitt's loss was a character builder for a team playing under its fourth head coach and in its third different system since December of 2010. However, we Pitt fans know better. Paul Chryst might bring an impressive resume and an understated determination to the job, but he's in for the fight of his life if he's going to try to overcome the stigma that this football program has spent the past three decades cementing.
The concrete has been drying for years, and it's reinforced with each close, devastating loss like the one on Saturday, just like it was in '09, when Brian Kelly's Cincinnati Bearcats came to Heinz Field and walked away with the Big East title and a BCS berth after the Panthers held a three touchdown lead.
It was reinforced a season ago, when the Panthers blew a 17-point second half lead at Iowa.
It's no coincidence that Pitt has lost three games or more each season since 1981, and I doubt things will change anytime soon.
To quote a tired cliche: "It is what it is."
To paraphrase basketball coach, Rick Pitino: "Dan Marino isn't coming through that door; Tony Dorsett isn't coming through that door; Hugh Green isn't coming through that door.
Larry Fitzgerald and Shady McCoy might, but as has been proven in the past, they probably won't be able to help much.
I hope Chryst is finally the man to bring it all together, but I'm not holding my breath.
Character builder in South Bend? Nah, just Pitt being Pitt.
Friday, November 2, 2012
The NHL is Still Locking its Players Out, I Could Care Less, and That's Really Where the NHL is in Trouble
It was announced on Friday that the NHL has canceled its annual New Year's Day outdoor game, formally known as the Winter Classic. The main reason, of course, is due to Friday being the 48th day of the lockout of the players by the owners.
This is sad news to a lot of my friends who are huge hockey fans and have been posting on facebook about how disappointed they really are about this whole mess. I feel for them because I know when you're a die-hard fan of something, even if nobody else shares in your excitement, you don't care. You just know you love it, and you look forward to enjoying it each and every time you get the opportunity.
Unfortunately for hockey fans, they may not get to enjoy their favorite sport anytime soon. Last I heard, 18 of the 30 NHL franchises are losing money. Normally, I would be on the players' side in this whole mess, but if your bosses aren't making any money, you need to concede more than your share, or you're probably not going to have a job in the future, anyway. I won't get into the particulars, but the main point of contention, just like with the NFL work-stoppage a year ago, is the owners' desire to decrease the overall piece of the pie for the players.
Regardless of what happens, or who is the blame in this lockout, the real sad reality for the NHL is that nobody cares that much, at least not the majority of the country. I'm sure it's headline news everyday in Canada, where hockey is a religion akin to what football has become in America. But in places like Nashville and Tampa, I'm thinking college football is probably the main topic this time of year. Heck, that's generally the case anyway, work-stoppage or no work-stoppage.
As for someone like me, the casual hockey fan, this work-stoppage has been a litmus test of my true level of hockey fandom. And I obviously do not pass. I often find myself forgetting there even is a lockout. For a league that has had a niche following forever in America, I'm sure I'm the rule and not the exception.
The 2004 lockout is what probably saved the league and made it healthier. And it damn sure saved a team like the Penguins, who were dangerously close to either folding up shop or moving elsewhere. The 2004 lockout created a salary cap and made it easier for teams like the Penguins to compete on equal footing.
Shortly after the '04 lockout, Sidney Crosby came to town, and as they say, the rest is history. The Penguins had a huge influx of young and exciting players, and I even upped my fandom of the sport and really got into the team's playoff runs from '07-'11. Remember game five of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit between the Red Wings and Penguins, where Sergei Gonchar scored the game-winning goal in the third overtime to stave off elimination and force a game six? I actually celebrated like the Steelers just scored the game-winning touchdown in an NFL playoff game.
The next season, when the Pens finally reached the top of the mountain and brought home their first Stanley Cup in 17 seasons, I enjoyed the ride very much. In fact, many months later, my ex girlfriend and I waited in line for hours at the Heinz History Center just so we could get our picture taken with the Cup. It was a tremendous amount of fun and something I'll never forget.
Did it make me a die-hard fan? No, but I'm the kind of fan the NHL needs, and a work-stoppage, regardless of who's to blame, is the worst way to keep people like me even a little invested.
Sorry, NHL. There's a reason the Steelers never have giveaways at home games and the Penguins have the Student Rush program. The NHL needs to smooch a little more to get the fans to love it.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Where's my Terrible Towel?
This is sad news to a lot of my friends who are huge hockey fans and have been posting on facebook about how disappointed they really are about this whole mess. I feel for them because I know when you're a die-hard fan of something, even if nobody else shares in your excitement, you don't care. You just know you love it, and you look forward to enjoying it each and every time you get the opportunity.
Unfortunately for hockey fans, they may not get to enjoy their favorite sport anytime soon. Last I heard, 18 of the 30 NHL franchises are losing money. Normally, I would be on the players' side in this whole mess, but if your bosses aren't making any money, you need to concede more than your share, or you're probably not going to have a job in the future, anyway. I won't get into the particulars, but the main point of contention, just like with the NFL work-stoppage a year ago, is the owners' desire to decrease the overall piece of the pie for the players.
Regardless of what happens, or who is the blame in this lockout, the real sad reality for the NHL is that nobody cares that much, at least not the majority of the country. I'm sure it's headline news everyday in Canada, where hockey is a religion akin to what football has become in America. But in places like Nashville and Tampa, I'm thinking college football is probably the main topic this time of year. Heck, that's generally the case anyway, work-stoppage or no work-stoppage.
As for someone like me, the casual hockey fan, this work-stoppage has been a litmus test of my true level of hockey fandom. And I obviously do not pass. I often find myself forgetting there even is a lockout. For a league that has had a niche following forever in America, I'm sure I'm the rule and not the exception.
The 2004 lockout is what probably saved the league and made it healthier. And it damn sure saved a team like the Penguins, who were dangerously close to either folding up shop or moving elsewhere. The 2004 lockout created a salary cap and made it easier for teams like the Penguins to compete on equal footing.
Shortly after the '04 lockout, Sidney Crosby came to town, and as they say, the rest is history. The Penguins had a huge influx of young and exciting players, and I even upped my fandom of the sport and really got into the team's playoff runs from '07-'11. Remember game five of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit between the Red Wings and Penguins, where Sergei Gonchar scored the game-winning goal in the third overtime to stave off elimination and force a game six? I actually celebrated like the Steelers just scored the game-winning touchdown in an NFL playoff game.
The next season, when the Pens finally reached the top of the mountain and brought home their first Stanley Cup in 17 seasons, I enjoyed the ride very much. In fact, many months later, my ex girlfriend and I waited in line for hours at the Heinz History Center just so we could get our picture taken with the Cup. It was a tremendous amount of fun and something I'll never forget.
Did it make me a die-hard fan? No, but I'm the kind of fan the NHL needs, and a work-stoppage, regardless of who's to blame, is the worst way to keep people like me even a little invested.
Sorry, NHL. There's a reason the Steelers never have giveaways at home games and the Penguins have the Student Rush program. The NHL needs to smooch a little more to get the fans to love it.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Where's my Terrible Towel?
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