The Leafs should fire Carlyle and trade Kadri. This Leafs team so far is not the team I have enjoyed watching over the past 10 years... all this winning and nobody to really dislike? This is no fun.
Wouldn't it be great if just once one of the nominees for an award didn't applaud when they lost and got pissed off? That would be entertaining.
Russel Martin, a mid-level MLB catcher, backs out on Team Canada 2 weeks before the World Baseball Classic because they won't let him play short stop, despite the fact that he has never played SS ever in his career. Enjoy Pittsburgh, Russel... and don't wait by the phone for your next invitation from Team Canada.
This goat stuff is pretty funny. I might have to get a goat and I might listen to this kind of music if it was done like this...
Enjoyed Seth McFarlane at the Oscars. Not sure why anyone would have expected much different from him.
I previously wrote that I hoped Dwight Howard would get hurt and the Lakers would win without him this season. Well, part 1 has happened but part 2 of my plan ain't going so well. What a disaster of a season and with no clear signs of turning things around I wonder if Nash is second-guessing the contract he signed. Nash was offered a 3 year deal by the Raps in the offseason, which would have made little sense for him at the time other then the bonus of retiring in Canada, but now with the addition of Gay what would the Raps look like if Nash was on board?
Whether this new proposed version of the NHL re-alignment holds up or not, it looks like the Wings are headed back to the East, which is great news.
Funniest tweets I have read lately:
-Fun Fact: 100% of people don't know what to do with a dirty dish at someone else's house.
-What kind of emotional tailspin causes people to "like" Lysol on Facebook?
-Just whispered to a 6-year-old, "I can eat cookies whenever the fuck I want" when his mom wasn't looking. Small victories in life
-Sometimes, when I talk to a woman I'll say things like, "that makes sense" or "interesting." But I know the truth
-My kid asked me if I "do the sex." I asked how long he's been talking like a Russian immigrant. Then we stared at each other for a while
I like these Harlem Shake videos and here is the Miami Heat version:
My hockey season ends soon and I am already starting to get the golf itch.
Finally went to see the Tragically Hip for the first time and it was as good as I hoped it would be. I knew Gordie was nuts, but he was far more bizarre then I expected. He was singing to his hand for quite a while and was also barking at one point. I loved it. I guess after playing New Orleans is Sinking every night for over 20 years you would start to go a little goofy.
I have to admit that I wasn't 100% sold on Rudy Gay when the Raps made the trade. I thought the same as what the Grizzlies did - that he was just an 18pt, 6 rebound kind of guy who couldn't make that next step. It's still early, but so far I have been wrong - and very happy about it. He seems very capable of being a perennial all-star and a bona fide closer. Possibly best of all is that he seems to have his head on straight and isn't an ego maniac like the majority of NBA stars.
Stick it in your ear: "When My Train Pulls In" by Gary Clark Jr:
It has been weird to watch the Wings play this year. They have been very inconsistent and definitely not as deep as they once were. They have some promising young players on their way but none of them are impact players yet. Damien Brunner has been excellent and Zetterberg has been as good as ever. Their D is much worse and coupled with injuries it has looked really poor at times. Brendan Smith should be really good and now that he is back from injury it will be interesting to see how he does the rest of the season. Howard has been playing well and with Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Kronwall and now Brunner they should have enough to be a playoff team but it's not the sure thing that I am used to.
Facebook: 2% useful/interesting, 98% useless/annoying.
If the Jays had a chance to trade for Roy Halliday, do you think they would?
They can stop jumping over people at the NBA dunk contest any time now. You guys can jump high, we get it.
There is a rumor that the Raptors can/could have had Carlos Boozer in exchange for Andrea Bargnani any time they want(ed) to pull the trigger. I do this deal in a heartbeat. I'm done with Bargnani and to be honest I am surprised there is even an offer this good available. The downside is that Boozer has a heavy contract (2 more years at $16 mil/yr) and after acquiring Gay, the Raps would be in tight with the cap to do this. Depth is obviously important but TO would not be the first and only team to have the majority of their salary soaked up by a small % of the roster (Heat, Spurs, Knicks, Nets). Plus, Boozer and Amir Johnson - neither of whom needs to have the ball to be effective - would be a great frontcourt to compliment the perimeter guys of Gay, DeRozan and Lowry. The trick would be to unload some anchors from the payroll and Bargnani's would be a good start with Kleiza and Fields next to get the boot. I'd also like to see the Raps bring Calderon back in the offseason as a free agent if he can be had at a better deal than his last contract.
Nazem Kadri has played very well for the Leafs this season and many, notably Don Cherry, are suggesting the Leafs should have had him up with the big cub all along rather than down with the Marlies. From watching the Wings system for years, I say it's because he was down there grinding it out with the Marlies that he is playing the way he is now. Rushing and ruining prospects is the Leafs way though.
No matter where you are, if a kid hands you a toy phone you're gonna answer it.
The 2014 Winter Olympics are only a year away, so when Stevie Y calls me for advice, this is what I'm gonna tell him:
Forwards:
1. Sidney Crosby
2. Claude Giroux
3. Jonathan Toews
4. Steven Stamkos
5. Martin St Louis
6. Rick Nash
7. John Tavares
8. James Neal
9. Patrice Bergeron
10. Patrick Sharp
11. Ryan Getzlaf
12. Jason Spezza
13. Jordan Eberle
*It's in Russia on the bigger ice so I went with a smaller group but still think there is enough size with Nash, Neal, Getzlaf and Spezza. St Louis (37) and Sharp (31) are the only guys over 30 but there is still enough experience with 6 Cup winners among the group and plenty of leadership in Crosby, Toews and St Louis. On the bubble: Perry. Iginila, Lucic, E. Staal, Skinner, Thornton, Marleau, Seguin, E. Kane, Duchene, Benn, Ryan, M. Richards, B. Richards, Huberdeau. That's 15 guys on the bubble that could easily make a gold medal team on their own.
Defense:
1. Shea Weber
2. Duncan Keith
3. Alex Pietrangelo
4. Drew Doughty
5. Marc Staal
6. Kris Letang
7. Dan Boyle
*There are some good young d-men coming up but the Olympics is a pretty big stage and it's hard to expect repeat performances like what Doughty did in 2010. On the bubble: Hamilton, Schultz, Hamhuis, Brewer, Girardi, Green.
Goalies:
1. Carey Price
2. Roberto Luongo
3. Cam Ward
*Who the hell knows? I'm not 100% on any of these guys and if, say Corey Crawford or Mike Smith were lights out going in next year, I wouldn't have a problem taking one of them instead of any of these guys. I guess Fleury should be in the mix but he scares the hell out of me. This is the most worrisome position for Canada in my opinion.
This list was fun to make and I'm sure I will change it 5 times before the Olympics, but right now this would be my group.
Winter is like that guy at the party that hangs around too long and won't go home. Beat it already!
Cheers,
Bonesminded
