Monday Moaning

This weekend I did something I haven't done in a very long time...I spent some time alone and watched some NFL football....Guess what I learned...

I'll never do that again....All my feelings I've had over the last few years were confirmed...The NFL has become a bad product...The players, the majority that is, are fucking scumbags...The coaches are in over their heads...They can't control their overpaid children...And the fans are still fucking idiots...Be it the fucking assholes in Cincy throwing stuff at the field and Ben Rapistbuerger  and cheering his injury....Or the countless fuck-sticks in Minnesota shitting on Blair Walsh over his missed field goal...Did you see the steady stream Vines and Instagram videos, of fans going out in the cold and kicking a field goal, and then yelling at Walsh?

Hey cunts, life is a lot easier when you don't have a defense in front of you, and don't have 70,000 screaming fans around you....Oh, and it's also easier when you can hit delete and retry your kick you just missed...

Shit, let me stay on these Vikings cunts....You fucking assholes trashing the kicker, and holder...SHUT THE FUCK UP!  If your cunty team would have scored touchdowns instead of field goals all day, you would have won...If your cunty, child beating, self-proclaimed "greatest running back in the league" would have picked up more then 45 yards on the ground, and wouldn't have fumbled at a key point in the game, you would have won...Stop blaming the Special Teams when there is plenty of blame for your whole fucking team!

Hey Kansas City, thank you for exposing another thing I knew to be true...JJ Watt is overrated....(this is the point when some fuck-stick tells me how many sacks Watt has each year)...Yeah...Awesome...He's a one fucking dimensional cunt who loves playing for the cameras and forgot he needs to play against the run...The Chiefs made Watt look stupid and confused, running right past him...Some plays unblocked...His mind is always at going for a sack and isn't reading to stop the run nearly enough...

Hey Watt, go have a Subway and Gatorade...Mug it up real good...Pretend that you stay 8 hours after practice on Hard Knocks working by yourself...Smile at Erin Andrews and make her wet...And get the fuck out of here, just like half your coaching staff that got fired today! CUNT!

(Seems to be a reoccurring word today)....

Pittsburgh and Cincinnati....Two fucking teams I will never like...Two teams with more hate-able players then like-able....Two teams with coaches that seem like genuinely good guys...But they can't control the criminal elements on their teams...I had missed the first half of this game...The wife and I were out to eat and enjoying some us time...But then I got into this later stages of this game...

Many talking heads felt the refs were doing a good job of letting them play and not letting the bullshit get out of hand...Those people are wrong...The refs should have set the tone early if they didn't want any bullshit...Instead the slow boil began to rage late in the 4th quarter...

Listen Cincy fans, I get it...Porter is a piece of shit, antagonist, and as a "coach" shouldn't have been out on the field...But your guy, Pac-Man Jones pushed a ref...Right there, end  of discussion...If you don't think he deserves a flag, you are retarded...Then he cried on the sidelines realizing he had a big hand in losing this game for his team...Then he made a Vine video screaming about how the refs sucked and fucked them...Not wining any points at all Pac-Man...All this stemmed from Vontaze Burfict being called for a head shot on Antonio Brown....





 Then, today hePac-Man was on the Rich Eisen Show saying that Brown was faking, and that's why he was so mad....Really...He faked getting hit in the head...Sorry you stupid fucking cunt, there's no faking that...

A sinkhole opening up under that stadium and swallowing up everyone there would have been the best solution....

I'm still amazed guys like Jones and Burfict are still in the league, since the Goodell was going to be Mr. Law & Order...Oh yeah, that's right...He's a pussy when it comes to serious stuff....

I hate what the NFL has become...I am, officially, 100% done...My hope for the rest of the playoffs is that New England and Seattle meet again in the "Super Bowl" since those are two teams most people seem to hate...I hope the Patriots win...I hope Brady in the MVP...And when they stick the mic in his face I hope he tells Goodell to 'Eat my ass!'

-

You know what is a great sport?  Hockey...You know who made an awful trade last year...My New York Rangers, they traded top prospect Anthony Duclair for overrated D-man Keith Yandle....Look at this move Duclair pulled off this weekend...






That was sick....Kid made everyone look bad...Especially the Rangers!


There was also a big trade in Columbus...Sadly, I saw this coming back in OCTOBER ....Since the arrival of John Tortorella, rising 'Jackets star (C) Ryan Johansen has become a lump of shit...Bad turnovers...piss poor defensive play...all around, totally sucking...This, a year after a long, drawn-out, contract negotiation, that got him paid handsomely...The 'Jackets sent him to Nashville for rising star (D) Seth Jones...Nashville has tons of talent on the blueline and need a #1 Center which Johansen should be...Jones looks like he will be a top pair defenseman...this looks like it may be one of those win-win deals for both teams...

Sadly for Columbus, After the season Johansen had last year, they could have gotten a bigger haul if they moved him in the off-season...But I guess you never know when a guy is going to start acting like a lazy, cunty, piece of shit...


That's it for now...


Have a week!

Blue Jackets Changing on the Fly

After starting this season 0-7-0 the upper management of the Columbus Blue Jackets felt a change, a drastic change was needed...So this morning, after getting smoked by the New York Islanders last night, the 'Jackets fired head coach Todd Richards and hired John Tortorella...Torts contract is for this season and the next two, which is the same amount of time that was left on his contract with Vancouver...and Vancouver is paying "some of it"....Columbus had to send a third round draft pick to the Canucks

After a season full of injury on top of injury...The Blue Jackets scratched and clawed late last season to be a thorn in the rest of the NHL's side...When the season was over, Richards' job seemed secure and the 'Jackets were on everyone's list of teams to watch this season...That thought was bolstered by the off-season trade for Brandon Saad, and signings of a couple role players...

Well, if you have watched them, you have seen that they aren't very watchable...The numbers of mistakes made by their defense is horrifying...A team with high expectations starting 0-7 is no good, and a move of some sort seems to be demanded by either the media, the fans, or both...Richards ended last season getting high praise form both...Now he has been shown the door...How quickly things can change....

Tortorella, well known for being a pain in the ass to his players, has a 444-371-115 record as a head coach...And a Stanley Cup ring from his time as the Lighting head coach when they won it all in 2004...When Torts time ended with the New York Rangers being hated by his players, who made it clear they were happy he was gone...His tactics that worked when they were young kids coming up, had grown tired...

In Vancouver, Tortorella didn't have the players to play his style...And they didn't seem to willing to buy in to his temper and tactics...When the coach leaves the dressing room to go after the opposing coach in his team's dressing room, it says a lot about your team and/or a lot about how they feel about you, when they don't follow you in...

In Columbus, there are a number of young players, especially on the blueline, that could use a Tortorella kick in the ass...There are also guys like Brandon Dubinsky...

Dubinsky played for Torts in New York...He became the player he is because of Torts...Playing Tortorella hockey killed some of his offensive numbers, but he plays every other aspect of the game very well...He's a Tortorella guy...I just wonder if he wants to deal with it again...

Nick Foligno can play Torts hockey...He seems to fit  the mold...Saad can play it too...Christ, just walking in the door to Columbus killed his offensive numbers, so what the hell...Guys like Calvert and Atkinson, and Campbell will fit well into his system...

The guy who will have the most trouble with this move is rising superstar center, Ryan Johansen....

Johansen has all the skills...All the talent...He can play two-way hockey...But players like him often get caught in a tight spot with Tortorella...They are expected to play tight defense, physical, and then knowing their skills, Torts piles the bulk of the offensive pressure/load, on them...


I think Tortorella will help Columbus, but he may have to pull back on the asshole level slightly...His teams play D...This team has played no D so far...The 'Jackets will turnaround...I just don't know for how long...

Lots of NHL Moves...Who Won?

This past week the NHL's free agency period opened up...And while there were plenty of signings, the biggest moves were all trades...The first one, and the biggest one was the Toronto Maple Leafs, after much speculation, moving talented scorer, Phil Kessel to the Pittsburgh Penguins...And while many in Toronto are happy to be rid of Kessel, the Penguins won this deal...

Kessel, with great hands, great skating, good speed, to go with his piss-poor defense, often out of shape, coach killing, locker room cancer ways, has driven people crazy since stepping into the NHL...Guys with his goal scoring ability don't get traded for no reason...Especially not twice...By all accounts the guy is a pain in the ass...He has a wealth of talent, but doesn't work hard enough...Doesn't play D...He's fat...But man can he shoot...And now he's going to a team where he has talented people around him, to feed him the puck, and he won't have to worry about D...Sidney Crosby has got to have had a boner since this news broke...There's a chance he'll actually be playing with an elite goal scorer, assuming the pair Kessel with him and not Malkin...Malkin and Sid don't play well together...So with this deal, the Penguins could have two high-powered lines...

And what did they give up for Kessel? Well, Kessel comes with two prospects who haven't sniffed the potential they are said to have in D-Tim Erixon, and W- Tyler Biggs...As well as a 2nd round pick...The Penguins gave up, Prospect F-Kasperi Kapanen, average prospect, F-Nick Spaling, and prospect D- Scott Harrington, who if I'm making a big trade, he is not the Penguins D prospect that I would trade for...They have better...Also the Penguins send conditional 1st and 3rd round picks...The Leafs may be rid of the Kessel bullshit, but they lost...

Pittsburgh also resigned trade deadline acquisition, D- Ian Cole...3 years for $6.3 million is a good deal for keeping your Blue line strong...

The other big trade...The St. Louis Blues sent star RW- T.J. Oshie to the Washington Capitals for F- Troy Brouwer, G-prospect Phoenix Copley, and a 3rd round pick...Ummm, Yeah, Washington is a big time winner here...Oshie gives them the ability to have two strong top lines...And makes their Power Play a lot better...Brouwer is an average grinder guy...And Goaltending prospects are often the toughest to figure out...Example, Rick Dipietro was a first round pick, and fucking horrible! Henrik Lundqvist is one of the NHL's elite goalies, and he was a 7th round pick...

There were a lot of rumblings that at least one of S. Louis's stars was going to get moved, so I wasn't shocked when it was Oshie...He was quite outspoken late last season about the teams lack of respect for their coach...

The next trade, and this one surprised the shit out of me...The Chicago Blackhawks traded pending restricted free agent W- Brandon Saad, prospect F- Alex Broadhurst, and prospect D- Michael Paliotta to the Columbus Bluejackets for forwards Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Jeremy Morin, Corey Tropp, and a 4th round pick...It was no secret that Chicago was going to have to make tough decisions, and there are probably a couple more moves they will make to free up cap space...But trading the young, talented Saad who had a huge playoff run, caught a fee of us off-gaurd...

Anisimov is good, and Dano will jump right into the lineup as well...Tropp is a grinder who may end up in the AHL, and this will be Morin's second stop in Chicago, and not much is expected...Saad bolsters an already Talented and ready to burst lineup in Columbus...Adding him to their top six just made this already tough to play team, a real pain in the ass...Columbus locked Saad up this week with a 6 year, $36 million contract...Columbus wins this deal...

Signing-wise, the winners start in Alberta...Edmonton signed D- Andrej Sekera (6 years $33 million) and F- Mark Letestu (3 years $5.4 million)... Letestu is a well rounded player who can play on the PP and PK and will be a good influence with that young team...

Calgary signed RW- Michael Frolik (5 years $21.5 million) after a breakout season...They also agreed to terms with 22 year old D- Dougie Hamilton (6 years 34.5 million) after trading with Boston for him...They also inked G- Karri Ramo for another year at $3.8 million...Between their draft weekend moves, and these, both of Alberta's teams are looking good...

Arizona did well too...Signing back two players they recently traded...Stanley Cup Finals clutch performer, F- Antoine Vermette (2 years $7.5 million)   and D- Zbynek Michalek (2 years 6.4 million)...Also, solid backup goalie Anders Lindback (1 year $875,000) and tough guy, with some skill, Steve Downie (1 year $1.75 million)...

One signing jumped out at me, and could be a surprise win...The Ducks signed Goalie Matt Hackett for 2 years $1.2 million...Hackett (25 years old) was the third string guy in Minnesota, before he was traded to Buffalo...In Buffalo he was lumped in with a mess of goalies, and none quite got the shot to be the guy...Hackett has talent, and if he gets regular work, he could be really good...

Losers... Buffalo...Yes, they signed 2nd overall pick Jack Eichel...But on draft weekend they traded for Ryan O'Reilly, who comes with a big ego and an agent that feeds it, and wins apparently...At 24 years old, and 6 seasons into his NHL career, O'Reilly has only scored 20 or more goals in a season, once...Yet his agent was commanding big money, and that's why Colorado was eager to trade the physical, defensive Center...Well, Buffalo resigned him to a 7 year, $52.5 million deal...

The O'Reilly deal will lead to more winners...Guys like New York Rangers C- Derek Stepan, who just filed for arbitration...And a guy like Steven Stamkos, who will be  a free agent nest year...'O'Reilly got $7.5 million a year? I better get 10 or 11!'

Surprise...35 year old Brad Richards cashed in on his Stanley Cup run with Chicago, and got a 1 year $3 million deal with Detroit...Many didn't expect Detroit to be much of a player in free agency, but they did this, which was a tip-off...Because next they signed D- Mike Green for 3 years $18 million...Detroit is getting older, but always seem to move talented young guys into their lineup...Will these two moves payoff?

My Rangers did squat...They announced their GM Glen Sather was stepping aside, but staying President...His right hand man is the new GM...Now he must search for cap space, and resign 4 important restricted free agents...And he has no 1st round picks for a couple years...Thanks for the ass fucking Glen!

If I didn't cover your team, they didn't do anything that really grab me...Let me know how you think they did, or ask me about your team, I'll have some thoughts...I've been going through all the moves fro a couple days.

Not-so Blockbuster Trade

In an odd pre-trade deadline move the Toronto Maple Leafs moved under-performing and grossly overpaid winger, David Clarkson and his $5.25 million a year contract that still has 5 years left, to the Columbus Bluejackets...Clarkson had just one 40 point + season before signing the deal...Give the guy credit for cashing in, but it was just another in what has been long line of horrible moves by the Leafs...

In return, the Leafs got...Wow, this one is great....

Nathan Horton and his $5.3 million a year deal...I believe it has 4 years left on it...That said, since signing that 7 year deal with the Jackets, Horton has barely sniffed the ice...And it was announced this year that Horton is suffering form a degenerative back injury and it's likely he'll never play hockey again...Now he'll get put on the Long-term Injured Reserved list, so he won't be a giant waste of cap space...

But seriously...Toronto blows and wants to dump salaries...And rebuild, again...Why not just say, 'Here, take Clarkson and give us some pucks and water bottles, maybe throw in  a7th round pick...No, okay just the pucks!'

Normally with trades everyone talks winners and losers...I guess this clunker is a wash!

The Beeze.

Monday Moaning

Gate - "A gate or gateway is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in some sort of fence."

Yes people, that is the definition of "Gate"....It doesn't mean, 'lets add it to the end of every possible conspiracy ever'....Back in the tricky Dick Nixon days Watergate became a big thing...A big crime...a big story...But it was called Watergate, because that was the name of the damn building where it happened....

So when you talk about the New England Patriots underinflated footballs and call it "Deflate-Gate," you sound like a fucking idiotic asshole! Just as you did when you called the Patriots spying shit "Spy-gate"...Or the Saints bounty plan being called "Bounty-gate"...Or every other conspiracy over the last 4 decades...Seriously people, read a dictionary...But while I'm at it, why didn't they call that Ray Rice mess, "Woman Beating-Gate?"

Stop with the "Gate Bullshit"!

And no, Ballgazi isn't any better...Sure it hasn't been beaten to death for 4 decades, but it really has the idiotic political overtone of trying to blame President Obama for it...Anything he does gets a "gazi" thrown on it now, he doesn't need the Patriots balls on his head too...

And yes, I said President Obama...I'm not sure when it started but I'm sick of hearing and reading people referring to the President as juts "Obama"....At first, it seemed like it was just a Republicans?Conservative way of disrespecting him...But I have heard it on the left too...Some of the President's biggest supporters regularly, simply refer to him as "Obama"...I don't care if you like him or not...Agree or not...I was always taught, and believe you respect the office...Even if you are opposed to the man...Average Joe doing it doesn't surprise me...But so-called journalist doing it makes me sick...Truly respectable journalism is dying away at a frighteningly rapid pace...

-Okay, Let me get into a little sports...Saturday the NHL had it's All-Star Skills competition...Sunday was the game, but that's always a joke...The skills competition is all about the players having fun, and the fans getting a look in at not just the fun, but some skills as well...Columbus, Ohio has become a good hockey town, as was pumped for this weekend...And Columbus Bluejackets Center Ryan Johansen made the place go crazy during the Breakaway Challenge...It's become their version of the Slam Dunk contest, where the guys like to get creative...Here's his first shot....





The fans in Columbus ate that shit up...But I was really impressed with his second effort...





The kid is  the son of one of the Bluejackets trainers...Just an awesome moment...Former Bluejacket Jakub Voracek didn't want to be out done, so he tried the same move with his own little guy...






But in the end Johansen won...The other big story from the Skills Competition was Shea Weber winning the hardest shot contest with 108.5 miles per hour...It was a bit easier for Weber this year, without Chara being there, who holds the record with 108.8 mph...




Now, as I said the All-Star game is a joke...No Defense, no hitting...Goalies getting hung out to dry...I was at work and didn't see the game...Luckily, the NHL broke down the tape...Here's all 29 goals in a minute and a half...




If you can watch more clips of the skills competition, do it...Then watch some hockey...Any hockey...Junior, AHL, high school, NHL...It's better then basketball...And the week of bullshit leading up to the "Super Bowl" is just that...Don't waste your time...Tune it all out until Kickoff on Sunday...Fill that time with hockey...

That's this week's public service message...Now, one last video....The Mrs. and I took Molls out with us to eat Saturday evening...The other two didn't want to come, and the oldest had a friend over...So it was just the three of us...And the little girl was cracking me up...I hope you enjoy this as much as I do...





Have a week...

The Beeze.

The Curious Case of Rick Nash

 

Rick Nash walked into the NHL as a first overall pick, and a superstar...He instantly became the face of the Columbus Bluejackets and a fan favorite...For most of his time there, he was the only bright spot on a struggling expansion franchise...He was a prolific goal scorer...A great passer...While not the fastest skater, his skating ability and strength overmatched many...And his stickhandling was amazing....He was a Rocket Richard Trophy winner, and an All-Star Game MVP...He also holds two Olympic Gold medals...One of those, working on the third line, and filling the role superbly...Often having the announcers talk about him being one of the best players on the ice, even though he wasn't on a scoring line...

In his first couple years, league tough guys tested the young, big, strong Nash...He held his own, to the point were he didn't get tested to drop the gloves much more...And playing under a coach like Ken Hitchcock, Nash improved his defensive game, stick checking, blocking shots, and becoming a quality penalty killer...He had become an elite, all-around power forward...




Then in 2012, a year after signing a long-term contract extension with Columbus, rumors started swirling about what moves the Jackets would need to make to get competitive...Nash's name started coming up...Nash never asked for a trade...Nash never demanded to go to a certain team...He was a team guy, and loyal to Columbus...He went to the brass and told them, "if trading me is the best thing for the organization's future, get the best deal you can."

Nash was traded to the New York Rangers along with a 3rd round pick and a minor league defenseman...The Rangers gave up fan favorite, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, top prospect, Tim Erixon, and a first round pick...Dubinsky and Anisimov were two players under contract for a few years, who would fill immediate holes...Erixon was a year or two away...And it freed up the money going to Nash for the next 8 years...It was a good move for Columbus, even though fans didn't want to see their star go...

As a Rangers fan and a Nash fan...I was thrilled...This would bring a surge to the Rangers offense, and he was able to play their defensive style as well....In New York, Nash hasn't always looked comfortable...His offensive production had become very streaky...Then he took a series of concussions...Late in the 2013 season he was knocked out with a concussion which hindered the Rangers playoff run...Then at the start of this season, Nash took another hit to the head...An illegal shot to his head, then bashing his head into the boards...This lead to Nash doing something we rarely see in sports...Nash spoke out against the union for not working with the NHL to take these hits out of the game...He called out all players for a lack of respect for each other and their livelihood...

He came back, and was streaky...But the most noticeable thing was that his drive didn't seem there...The aggressiveness in his game is gone...In so many of those highlights you see him get to another gear...He's taking the game to another level...He's putting everyone on his back, and beating two d-men and a goalie on his own...Now he's not driving to the net...He's not getting in front and mixing it up, and waiting for a rebound to roof over the goalies shoulder...

What has happened to Nash? Have the concussions taken the edge away?  Has fear of another taken it away?  Has playing in New York shaken his confidence, going from big fish in a small pound, to little fish in the big apple?  He has never looked very comfortable in New York...Has a combination of things changed his game?

In this year's playoffs, Nash is at the top of the board with shots on goal...But he's not putting them in...The Rangers are down 2 games to none to the LA Kings in the Stanley Cup Finals....This is the moment that Rick Nash has waited for, languishing in Columbus for so long...This is the moment where Nash needs to put the team on his back...The playmaking goal scorer needs to return...

The Rangers have squeaked through the playoffs on the back of Henrik Lundqvist's great goaltending, and some timely goals coming from seemingly everyone but Nash...But I don't see them getting past this Kings team without a standout performance that superstar players are made for...Blueshirt fans everywhere are calling Rick Nash...We need you to come back if the Rangers are going to win this thing.


Oh yeah....Eye candy...

Have a week...

The Beeze.

Monday Moaning

                                                   Anyone else hungry right now?

Well, Spring has sprung...It reached over 60 degrees in the Cleve Sunday...The Indians home opener is set to kick off...So, based on past history, it will either rain, snow, have heavy fog, or the city will fall into Lake Erie...But no matter what, Clevelanders will be out in full force, getting shit-faced, and many will have no idea what happens in the game...Because let's be honest...Opening day is just fake holiday type of thing...Like Valentine's day!  But it gives people a reason to take an extra day off and pound beers..."America, FUCK YEAH!"

I took my extra day off Friday...The wife and I had some things to take care of in the morning, and it was nice to have an extra day with the kids while they were on Spring Break...Minutes after I got home from work Thursday, the UPS man showed up with 3 large boxes...When I ordered bunk beds for my daughters, I didn't expect them to show up in this many pieces...

I got them about 97% done in about 2 hours...Then I took a long break...Friday afternoon I finished them up....

Then we just had to wait for the mattress for the bottom bunk to show...It showed up at 7:00AM Saturday morning...I wasn't pleased about that timing...But Molly and her big sis love their bunk beds...

We spent plenty of time hitting a few parks this weekend, with the touch of Spring we had...We also stopped for a bite to eat, where Molly hammed it up for the camera, and people around us...

The wife took the older two to see Jurassic Park on the big screen, while Molls and I watched baseball and napped...The new bed is comfy...

-So far I have found myself getting into the baseball season much easier then normal...Maybe it's the fantasy teams that have me watching closely...I've been battling my impatience with guys starting slow...and the occasional guy starting well, who is going to tank in a month...I've been all over the waiver wire, looking for the next great break out player...And seriously, Chris Davis, calm down and save some for July...Holy fucking hot start batman! Dude is making a bunch of us look stupid!

The Indians will enter their home opener at .500...They have 4 with the Yankees, 3 with the White Sox, and 3 with the Red Sox on the home stand...They better take advantage of the Yankees...The Tribe has already shown a Jekyll and Hyde side...The Rays 4 and 5 starters shut them down in back to back games, then Sunday the Tribe shredded Cy Young winner David Price...Hey, if this sorry team can go .500 all year, that's a step in the right direction...Oh, and while it's early...That off season trade, sending Choo to Cincy, and bringing the Indians Stubbs and Bauer, looks fucking awful...Stubbs blows...I don't care how much speed the guy has...It doesn't matter if he can't get on base...And Bauer, looked like the head case his ex-teammates described him as...

-Last week we saw the NHL trade deadline lead to a frenzy of activity...Like the Penguins getting Brendan Morrow and Jerome Iginla...Morrow has looked horrible and lost...Shocking for such a heady, steady player...Iginla said he wanted to do what was best for Calgary...SO he said no to an offer from Boston, that would have been better fro the Flames, then the deal Pittsburgh made...Why should we be surprised?  He hasn't looked that great out there...

So Boston settled for old man Jagr...I was shocked they didn't go after some one who was more then a rent-a-player...So far he has been okay with the Bruins, but the guy is old, and can't put up the minutes...

The Minnesota Wild landed one of the top guys out there, in Jason Pomminville...This guy plays bot ways...Has great hands...A great shot...Good speed...Total game...The Wild can smell a run, and they struck...They gave up their goalie of the future in Matt Hackett and another top prospect Johan Larsson...Buffalo getting Hackett may be a sign of things to come for Ryan Miller...He's been the face of the team, and he's a top tier goalie, but they are a small market team trying to catch lighting in a bottle with a young, deep team that won't send them to bankruptcy again...

The trade that shocked many was the New York Rangers dumping sniper, Marian Gaborik...Not so much that they moved Gabby...That writing was on the wall...He's gotten lazy many times in his career...And if you don't play by coach John Tortorella's rules, you're gonna be gone...The shock was that the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have quietly crawled into the playoff hunt, made the deal for Gaborik...They gave the Rangers Derrick Brassard, who in his first game at MSG had a goal and 3 assists...They also got Young defenseman John Moore who was a top prospect for the Jackets...He had a goal in his Ranger debut...They also got Derek Dorsett who is injured, but adds some grit, and balls the Rangers have missed...

Based off of the youth and talent of Moore, and Brassard, I see this as a win for the Rangers...But for Jackets fans, who saw the team trade their star Rick Nash to the Rangers last year for not much, this had to be nice to see...The team fighting for the playoffs, and they trade some youth for a proven 40 goal scorer...If nothing else, it shows Columbus fans the team really is heading in a new direction...

The Rangers also added size, strength, grit, and talent, when they traded some draft picks to San Jose for Ryane Clowe...As far as the score sheet, Clowe has been awful...But he does all the little things too...And that makes him perfect for Torts...And he fit right into the Rangers system...In is first game with the Rangers he had 2 goals and an assist...His first two goals of the season...Saturday he added another assist, and is seeing more ice time...The change of scenery is paying off...

I was pissed about the NHL lockout/strike, but to be honest, I've really liked this shortened season...It has actually made the regular season count for something....The games seem more intense...The NHL doesn't want to talk about cutting down the season, but it may be something they should look at...

-Before I go...Why not close with a classic tune from my youth...Perfect for the Indians home opener!

Catch the fever!

Have a week...

The Beeze.

Monday Moaning Part Two

Well before I get to how the NCAA came down on Penn State, I have to get to this...It was announced this afternoon/evening that my New York Rangers, finally got a deal done with the Columbus Bluejackets, for star winger, 28 year old, Rick Nash...Even better, is what the Rangers gave up for Nash...The Rangers sent forwards Brandon Dubinsky, Aretm Anisimov, and defenseman Tim Erixon, along with a 2013 first-round draft pick...Besides getting Nash, who has 6 seasons left on his contract, the Rangers get defenseman Steve Delisle, and a conditional 2013 third-round draft pick...

Dubinsky was one of the key guys in the locker room, and while his offensive numbers dipped last season, his toughness, willingness to drop the gloves, and defensive play were very important to the Rangers success...His contract size pretty much made him expendable...Columbus fans will love him, on and off the ice, just as they did Nash...Anisimov is a good player, but hasn't yet reached his full potential...Erixon had a cup of coffee in the NHL last year, and should make the Jackets roster this season...Lots of upside in his game...

As the talks have gone on for months, names like Kreider, Stepan, and Del Zotto kept coming up...No way did I want the Rangers to move Kreider and Stepan...As much as IO love Nash, I didn't want to lose those guys...DZ okay, but those other two kids, give the team so much extra jump...Stepan has already shown the ability to be an excellent two-way player, and the spark Kreider gave the team in the playoffs, made it clear that this kid is one of the key building blocks...

Adding Nash's offensive skills is huge, especially since Marian Gaborik will be out for the beginning of the season recovering from a shoulder injury...Nash's work ethic, and professionalism will fit right in with the Rangers and what coach John Tortorella has been doing there...I'm very happy with deal!

Now, to the way the NCAA dropped the hammer on Penn State...$60 million fine...Yes!
4 year ban on PSU going to a bowl game...Yes
4 year ban on conference championship and national championship eligibility...Yes!
Loss of 40 scholarships over 4 years...Yes
All wins from 1998-2011, stripped...Yes/Wow!
I have to say, stripping the wins, shocked me...

It's rumored that PSU had this option, or to have a 2 year "Death Penalty"...Shutting down the program for two year...I have to say, this may actually do about the same kind of damage to the "Death Penalty"...Losing 40 scholarships, and the 4 year bans, just kills recruiting for at least 3 years...And yes, there are still PSU alums, and fans, and students bitching and moaning about this...And yes, the Paterno family is holding firmly to their belief that Joe Paterno was a mother fucking saint...He wasn't...I'm sorry you were fooled...We all were...Even people like me, who aren't Penn State fans, we all respected Paterno as a coach...He seemed like a no-nonsense guy...He disciplined his players fairly, and harsher then most coaches did...Sadly he didn't do the same when it came to his coaches...

This was a strong statement by the NCAA...All programs have been put on notice, that this shit can't go on...But now that the NCAA has taken, a moral and social stand, they need to live up to it...There are plenty of other wrong doings that have and will go on...They need to continue to be firm if they want to change the "Football first culture" that NCAA President Mark Emmert spoke of...

That's it for now...

Later, The Beeze.

Monday Moaning

Since the passing of our friend Jud, I've been struggling with how open this post, and what to put in it...I think 3rd would want me to do my thing, so let's do it right...



"When all these walls come down, they'll shake us...
We fight not to be, not to be weightless...
When all these stars hit ground, they'll wake us...
We fight not be, not to be weightless..."

Since I learned of Jud's passing, I've been feeling like many of my fellow bloggers...We all feel a great sense of loss, even though I have never sat in a bar and had a beer with him...It seems kind of odd to be so moved by the death of some one you know only from blogging, twitter, and facebook...But the fact of the matter is, I feel closer to many of my Internet friends, then I do with people I see every day of my life...There is a common bond that we have, and that has created the connection we have...

3rdStone's wall came down, and it shook some of us...His star hit ground, and it woke some of us up...Now we're trying not to be weightless...

I learned a lot from 3rd...Tons about Football and NFL greats...I also learned a lot about writing, and networking...And this past week I also learned, I need to set up a place in my Will, so some one can contact my Internet friends, and fellow bloggers when I die...Sad, but true, this is the age we are living in...

Like I said, I think Jud would like it if I got back on track, and did my thing...So, last week I saw a story that set me off, and I'm sure the post I wrote about it, didn't earn me anymore fans in China...The parents in THIS story gotta be up for Tool Of The Week!

Then there was the 9 year old hockey player that set things off after his 200 goal...Check THIS shit out...Read the comments too...Relentless fuckers on that site!

Now most people on Barstool are all in with their side of it...Some of my friends think the coach went overboard...Listen, what's overboard is a 9 year old knowing he was going to score his 200th goal...How does he know that...Either he's an asshole already at 9, or his parents are keeping track, and let him know...If they're keeping track, fuck them! How is a kid lighting the lamp 200 times in Pee-Wee...That's crazy fucking Gretzky shit...Is he playing in a league of 7 year olds...Are the goalies blind...WTF!?!

The coach was trying to teach the kids a lesson, and then mom goes crazy, screaming child abuse, and wants everyone to pay up...I'm putting the blame on the parents...The kid, well I'm sure this shit was put in his head...The coach does seem to have some dick-head in him, but shit, dealing with twat-bag parents is a son of a bitch!

-The New York Rangers were in Philly Saturday, and pounded the Flyers, on the scoreboard, and on the ice...The Rangers own the Flyers this year...And Philly if you keep running that Sestito meat head out there, he's gonna end up lying in a puddle of his own, blood and piss...Kid keeps running his mouth, and wanting to drop the gloves, but he's got no game to back it up, and he's an average fighter...Just a big mouth, dolt...

But the other news from that game was, Columbus Bluejackets GM Scott Howson, and a couple scouts were at the game...There has been a lot of talk about the Jackets moving Rick Nash to the Rangers...But the price may be too high...And then there is the cap space to worry about since Nash is under contract until 2018, for more than $7 million a year...

There is also talk of moving Jeff Carter...It's his first year in Columbus after they traded fro him last year...He's underachieved, and has spent more time on the IR then he has on the ice...Carter would be cheaper, but also a bigger risk, since he can't stay healthy, and can't seem to find a team that wants to ever keep him...

So this was me trying to do my thing, and write a bit about sports and shit...Like I said, I know that's what 3rd would tell me to do...But I'll close with a little more love for our friend...One of the things I always liked about Jud, was his musical taste...He if you go to his BLOGSPOT_PAGE, you'll here Hendrix's 3rd Stone From the Sun kick in...Scroll down to the bottom and look at his play list...An amazing variety...And he was always open about how much he liked A Flock of Seagulls...So Jud, this one is for you...




Have a week...

Later, The Beeze.

Monday Moaning

I heard there was some soccer talk going on...Apparently there was a big game between the U.S. Men's team and Mexico in California on Saturday...Now there were a few things that happened that surprised people...The U.S. had a 2-0 lead...SURPRISE! The U.S. lost that lead...NOT A SURPRISE! The U.S. lost 4-2...NOT A SURPRISE!

But the one that has many people surprised has to do with the attendance...Of the more than 93,000 people who paid to see this game, 80,000 were there to support the Mexican team...Me: NOT SURPRISED! It was at the Rose Bowl...There's a big Mexican/Hispanic population in California...People in the U.S. don't care that damn much about soccer...There should be nothing shocking about this...How often do Americans show up in big numbers for Soccer...Especially when there is a perfectly good Saturday to be had...Why blow it on soccer!?!

Then I heard some one say the Women's World Cup is starting...Why do they keep trying to push soccer...Knock it off, we don't care! Unless all the chicks looked like Rosie up above there...But they don't, so knock it off!

In some Hockey news, The Philadelphia Flyers decided to finally spend money on a high-priced goalie...But to do so they had to move a couple of key players, shipping Mike Richards to LA, for young "talent"...So of that talent overrated...Win for LA...

Then they traded Jeff Carter to Columbus for Jakub Voracek and a couple draft picks...I didn't mind the draft picks because this year's draft was filled with high-end talent...Voracek is talented and was starting to click with Rick Nash...But Carter finally gives Nash a quality Center to play with...So maybe will call this one even...

Then the Draft happened, and the trading got Wild...Starting with the Minnesota Wild trading Defensman Brent Burns to San Jose for Devon Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, and the 28 overall pick...

The Chicago Blackhawks who have been battling Cap trouble since winning the Stanley Cup last year, traded overpriced D-man, Brian Campbell for player(s) to be named...And traded Troy Brouwer to the Capitals for their first round pick...

Now that everyone is asleep, let's get to the good stuff...

Friday my Mom took the Little Beeze to get his hair cut...He wanted a Mohawk that would look like a shark fin, but the Mrs. said no...He got it cut nice, and they gave him some goop so he could spike up the middle for a fin when he wanted to...

So Saturday morning he was trying to goop up his hair, and it wasn't working well for him...So he got pissed, got his scissors from his pencil pouch, and started chopping...Then he showed my wife...He was afraid he was going to be in trouble with me, but all I could do was laugh at his crooked, jacked-up hair...

Sunday I took him to get it fixed...He wanted to go totally bald, but I knew the Mrs. wouldn't like that, so we left a bit of hair on his head...What do you think?



Sunday I took my new favorite picture of Molly, while feeding her dinner...



Molls is a big Music fan, like all of us in this house...When she's up late I test different stuff out on her...She's becoming a fan of Coltrane, Portishead, Paul Westerberg, and Billy the Kid...So this week we'll end with Billy's latest video...




Have a week!

Later, The Beeze.

Monday Moaning

Happy 4th of July if you missed me saying it here, or at You Gab Sports, or at Sporting News, or on Twitter, or on Facebook...

Was there any sports going on to talk about? I gotta tell ya, I spent hardly any time paying attention to sports this weekend...I've watched about 2 innings of baseball...That's it...I think it was the red hats...Hey I like red...and I like hats...Just ask the guys at LIDS! And I'm all about being patriotic...But MLB, could we maybe have had one team where red caps and the other wear blue?

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about...Major League Baseball had every team wearing red hats this weekend with the team logo filled in with an American flag design...I think they did for Memorial day also...But it was too much red, and the Oakland A's look silly enough with there white shoes...Then you add a red cap with their green and yellow gear, and they are gay guy's nightmare! (don't be offended, gay guys love me...But I ain't gonna be a bottom...it's a joke)

The finals were held at Wimbledon and the match Federer and Roddick put on was amazing...Well, okay, I only watched the last set, but Christ it was as long as 3 sets...I was pulling for Roddick...Always go with the Underdog...Especially if he is an American who could sh!t all over some Swiss dudes record! unfortunately Roddick lost, but it was a hell of a match....

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Now to the sad sports news...Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was found shot to death on Saturday...I'm not going to speculate on what all happened between McNair and the young woman who's body was found with his...I just feel sorrow for his wife and children...

I heard some of the talking heads on TV and radio discussing what this would do to his legacy as football player and as somebody who has always been well respected for his good deeds...Who the f**k cares!?! Kids lost their father...And a mother is left to try and explain it and raise them on her own...There are seriously times when the media are total f**king idiots...And based on the last week or so, they really show off how stupid they are when celebrities die...

In a little hockey news...The free agency madness has started...My Rangers signed the often injured Marian Gaborik to 5 year, 7.5 million dollar contract...The Chicago Blackhawks signed Marian Hossa to a 12 year deal...WTF!?! I guess the 'Hawks don't want to win the Cup for another 12 years! (and what's with all these dudes named Marian?) Martin Havlat left Chicago and jumped into Gaborik's spot in Minnesota...And a move that made me happy...The Columbus Blue Jackets signed Captain Rick Nash to a 8 year extension... http://www.yougabsports.com/?cmd=blog&nid=358041&ptitle=Columbus-Blue-Jackets-Make-a-Great-Move

But seriously...I'm tired from all the drinking I've done since Thursday night...So for any and all NHL moves stop over here.... http://www.nhl.com/

Thursday night Mrs. Beeze and I went out for dinner with two other couples, at this fondue place called The Melting Pot...Fondon't! I put down some notes that night and I'll be posting a review in the next day or two...But let's just say, if you are in the restaurant, and you have to call the restaurant to get your server to bring something...anything, to your table...The review isn't gonna be good! But we did get a nice buzz on, and had fun...And of course, some sloppy drunk sex!

Friday, I wanted to call off work and drive up to Buffalo to see Our Lady Peace...But I didn't...(There are videos from that show at the bottom of the sidebar) I went to work...Which was stupid and slow as hell...We were suppose to go to a party at an old friend's house that night...As we were getting ready...We had put some cream on the little Beeze, for his eczema...It was a new cream we were trying...He broke out with an allergic reaction in seconds....Off to the hospital...No party...It took a couple hours for it to settle down...After we got home, everyone went to bed...Except me...I drank...

Saturday, we had a birthday party to go to...Friends of ours son was turning the BIG 01...That's right 1 year old party...Which means...Excuse for adults to drink! BTW...I got little dude a sweet, green, Notre Dame #3 Jersey...It was on sale at LIDS...

I spent some quality time with our one friends baby...Which was giving me that it wouldn't be so bad to have another one feeling...Mind you I was buzzed...But this little peanut was cute, and kept drinking my beer...She's just like her mom!

The kids had a blast...My wife sucks at corn hole...I'm alright...But she sucks...And when the hell did corn hole go from sticking things in somebody's ass to tossing little sacks of corn at a wood board with a little hole cut out!?!

After we got home we watched some fireworks in the neighborhood, and watched Neil Diamond rock out with the Boston Pops...

Sunday was a lazy day...Thank God...And we got the big news...We took a pregnancy test a couple days before, and it was negative...But I don't trust those...Just like birth control, they're not 1000%...When I woke up, I was given the news that Aunt Flo had arrived...."And there was much rejoicing!"

That's it for now...Have a great week...

Later, The Beeze.

Jackets Make a Great Move

The Columbus Blue Jackets signed captain Rick Nash to a eight year contract extension...The extension starts in 2010 and goes through 2018...

This is a great move for the team and the fan base...But they still need to get Nash some more help...

GM Scott Howson said..."Rick is a Blue Jacket. He is our captain, the foundation of our team and one of the elite players in the National Hockey League and we are very happy that he will continue to call Columbus home for many years to come."

Nash's (25 years old) career numbers are...194 goals...161 assists for 355 points in 441 games.

In other Blue Jacket news...Columbus signed goalie Mathieu Garon to a 2 year deal, giving the team a solid backup for Calder winner Steve Mason...

Speaking of Mason...He, along with Nash have been invited to Canada's National Men's Team orientation camp, as candidates for upcoming international events including the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 IIHF World Championship...

Some good news coming out of Columbus this week...

Have a great 4th of July gang...Don't blow your fingers off!

Later, The Beeze.

Monday Moaning

What the F*ck!?! The weekend is already over...That sucks...Well I guess I need to fire some shit off then...

The NFL Draft is over...I'll be honest...I watched a total of about 10 minutes of it...My weekend was not about me...Mrs. Beeze turned the BIG 4-0 this weekend...It was all about her...Any sports I saw...I had to sneak in quickly...Then catch Sports Center after she was asleep...

So, about this draft...How'd your team do? I heard a rumor the Jets fans didn't boo the shit out of their first pick...Well f*ckers...Thank the Cleveland Browns for trading with you!

To be honest I'm not sure how I feel about the Browns draft...I've been reading up on their picks, and the players they got from the Jets...Let's face it...The Browns have a lot of holes to fill, and they did a hell of a job getting bodies to try and fill some holes, and hopefully make some sort of impact on the field...

You may not care, but here are the players the Browns picked up this weekend...

First in the trade with the Jets they got Abram Elam (S)...Kenyon Coleman (DE)...and Brett Ratliff (QB)

Their first pick (21 overall) was Alex Mack (C) from Cal...He was a 3 year starter who can also play guard...Versatility is good...So is depth...You can never have too many good O-linemen...

Pick 36 overall was Brian Robiskie (WR) Ohio St. I think he will do well...It may have been too high to pick him, but WR is a need, and he has a great football IQ...

Pick 50 overall was also a WR...Mohamed Massuquoi from Georgia...I'm not happy with this pick...The main reasons being...Rey Maualuga was still on the board...The brownies could use a good Linebacker...Second reason...LeSean McCoy was still on the board...We could use a back to play behind Jamal Lewis, and take over eventually...

Pick 52 overall was LB David Veikune from Hawaii...I really don't know much about him at all...

Round 4....pick 104 overall was LB Kaluka Maiva from USC...Lot of USC linebackers in this draft...This is the guy you heard the least about...

Round 6...pick 177 was DB Don Carey from Norfolk St.

Pick 191...another DB...Coye Francies from San Jose St. I think he may wind up being a good player...

Pick 195 was RB James Davis from Clemson...A little stat I found on him was...In 805 touches at Clemson...Only 2 fumbles...Not bad...More of a grinder...Not gonna be a feature back...

The Browns weren't flashy...But I'm hoping they come out looking smart...Like I said...The Browns have lots of holes to fill...This weekend they got some bodies...Let's hope some of them fit...

Now moving on...Let's go to Hockey...

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The Washington Capitals have decided to nut up, and have forced a game 7 with the New York Rangers...

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I am not happy about this...The Caps have a ton of momentum now...If the Rangers are going to win...Henrik Lunqvist is going to have to carry them...He will need to be perfect...I hope he can do it!

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The Columbus Blue Jackets were swept by the Detroit Red Wings...I was really hoping to see the Jackets make some noise in the playoffs...They played hard and well...But the Wings know how to win in the playoffs...The Jackets took a big step this year, and will hopefully learn and grow from this...A few things that stood out to me in the series were...R.J. Umberger played great...This guy is a keeper...He brought a spark to this team that they have never had...

Also, Antoine Vermette played great...His stats may not show it...But he was playing non-stop, aggressive, two-way hockey, every shift...

The biggest thing I noticed was about rookie goaltender Steve Mason...Mason seemed to give up a lot of big rebounds that put him out of position for the follow up shot...That's the type of thing the Red Wings will take advantage of...

What else do we have this week...My D&T Fantasy Baseball team sucks big hairy balls...

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Oh yes...Mrs. Beeze's B-day...We went to Erie PA...The hot-bed of entertainment that it is...She spent her teenage years there...Her parents are there...And many of her friends...So, that's where we went to celebrate...Saturday night we left the kids with the grandparents, and went out to dinner...I'll be posting a review of the great restaurant later this week...The food was great...The $45 worth of wine she drank was great also...I was feeling frisky...As I always do...I kept talking about going somewhere for a little bump session...When we went out to the parking lot...It was pitch black...She said..."We may as well do it here!" CAR SEX rules! I told her...If we're still f*cking in a car, in a dark lot...You're not old yet!

After Dinner we got together with some friends for a little while...I'm pretty sure some of them could smell the sex in the air...It was a warm evening...She hates when I share all this personal shit!

Now I know many of you look forward to reading if my son did something f*cked up each week...Like leaving a surprise shit somewhere...Well, we haven't found anything recently...Yes he had moments of being a pain in the ass this week...But that is just par for the course...When I stumble across whatever nightmare he has rolled up his sleeve...You'll be the first to know...

One final bit of sports...The Red Sox swept the Yankees at Fenway this weekend...That's just awesome...I guess the Yankees don't just suck at home...They suck on the road too!

Have a good week...

Later, The Beeze.