How Did That Happen?
1. My site hits got over 20,000 without me noticing. It would take more time than I want to give to find out who was the 20,000th and celebrate that person. Most likely it was someone looking for pictures of Jill Wagner. I'm linked in several forums and on the Ford site as a source for Jill's pics and as evidence of the "craze" Jill's ad campaign has created. These people either failed to notice, or don't care, that I criticized Jill and that she inspired my "Real Beautiful Women" Project to celebrate women who aren't overly-skinny, made-up, and glamorized in the media. Anyway, the Jill Wagner Hounds are still coming to my site in record numbers, and they don't comment. At least do the Daily Brain Squeeze, guys!
2. USA and Canada Men's hockey teams out of the Olympics. Actually, this isn't that hard to figure out. Canada had good goaltending and a STACKED roster, but not enough good chemistry. No line appeared to click like they should have to win games. Don't give me any practice time excuses, because there are other NHL-heavy teams that are playing great together. They generated a lot of shots, and pressure, but not enough good chances, no good odd-man rushes, and their power play just wasn't producing. Glen Murray or certainly Patrick Marleau should have been put on the team just to have a familiar linemate for Joe Thornton. Sure, Jumbo Joe wasn't the centerpiece of the team (that would be the underperforming Jarome Iginla), but having someone who knows how to maximize Joe's playmaking skills would have helped better than having Rick Nash on the team. Maybe not, since Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier didn't produce much together. What they really needed was a healthy Mario Lemieux to lead them and set up goals on offense. Even at 70-80% he would have made a difference on the team. They played six games at the Olympics, and were shut out in three of them. Wayne, you have a problem, and it's not your wife's gambling addiction.
As for the USA, they probably put together as good a team as they could, except for some hindsight goalie choices. Ryan Miller and Tim Thomas probably would have played better, but there was no way to know that when the team was selected. Too bad Rick Dipietro had an off day yesterday. Even though they're out, all their losses were one-goal losses, so they found a way to score and play tough. With the younger guys from this team (Blake, Drury, Gionta, etc.), a couple future young hot shots, and more solid goaltending, USA should do fine in 2010.
I'm totally rooting for Sweden now, only because I love PJ Axelsson. Even though he gets no love in the NHL, he's always a big part of his national squad and I'm sure his teammates know how valuable he is. Finland is a great story, too, especially playing without Mikka Kiprusoff. Just like in the women's tournament, there's good in teams like USA and Canada losing, because ultimately it makes the sport richer, more interesting, and makes us work harder to get the gold.
Okay, I'll stop the hockey now. Unless the Bruins succeed in getting into the playoffs, that is.
Back to work.
2. USA and Canada Men's hockey teams out of the Olympics. Actually, this isn't that hard to figure out. Canada had good goaltending and a STACKED roster, but not enough good chemistry. No line appeared to click like they should have to win games. Don't give me any practice time excuses, because there are other NHL-heavy teams that are playing great together. They generated a lot of shots, and pressure, but not enough good chances, no good odd-man rushes, and their power play just wasn't producing. Glen Murray or certainly Patrick Marleau should have been put on the team just to have a familiar linemate for Joe Thornton. Sure, Jumbo Joe wasn't the centerpiece of the team (that would be the underperforming Jarome Iginla), but having someone who knows how to maximize Joe's playmaking skills would have helped better than having Rick Nash on the team. Maybe not, since Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier didn't produce much together. What they really needed was a healthy Mario Lemieux to lead them and set up goals on offense. Even at 70-80% he would have made a difference on the team. They played six games at the Olympics, and were shut out in three of them. Wayne, you have a problem, and it's not your wife's gambling addiction.
As for the USA, they probably put together as good a team as they could, except for some hindsight goalie choices. Ryan Miller and Tim Thomas probably would have played better, but there was no way to know that when the team was selected. Too bad Rick Dipietro had an off day yesterday. Even though they're out, all their losses were one-goal losses, so they found a way to score and play tough. With the younger guys from this team (Blake, Drury, Gionta, etc.), a couple future young hot shots, and more solid goaltending, USA should do fine in 2010.
I'm totally rooting for Sweden now, only because I love PJ Axelsson. Even though he gets no love in the NHL, he's always a big part of his national squad and I'm sure his teammates know how valuable he is. Finland is a great story, too, especially playing without Mikka Kiprusoff. Just like in the women's tournament, there's good in teams like USA and Canada losing, because ultimately it makes the sport richer, more interesting, and makes us work harder to get the gold.
Okay, I'll stop the hockey now. Unless the Bruins succeed in getting into the playoffs, that is.
Back to work.
posted by CBK at
9:47 AM
