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

So this past week started with taking Molly to  Dentist...We'll be dropping even more money into repairs to her baby teeth...The teeth grinding she does has done more damage...It seems her bottom teeth kick her upper teeth's ass...10 upper teeth need repairs...She has ground the enamel away and weakened them seriously...Can't wait for that fun in January!

After the dentist office Monday morning, we had a great day together...It was just great having some quality, one on one time...Oh, with Finnegan the puppy in the mix...Damn dog kept stealing her hash browns!

Wednesday He was dropped off at the Vet's to get his Cleft lip/nose/pallet fixed...He also got his nuts chopped...We picked him up after 5 in the evening...And the poor guy is stuck in a cone until Tuesday, to make sure he doesn't rip out his stitches...

He hates that fucking cone...Been at war with it all weekend!

The rest of the week was crazy...Just a blur...By Friday evening my ass was dragging...Just in time to get up another Saturday morning before 7:00AM to take my oldest daughter 45 minutes away to her Honor band rehearsal...Followed by morning concert...Then back there again for the evening concert...Then the snow started falling...Of course! 

-I had little time for college football...But I did get to enjoy the UCLA / ASU game...The PAC-12 is for real people...Lots of good talent, lots of good teams...Unlike the Big-10...And yes, unlike the SEC that actually has just a few good teams...

Hey Florida how does losing to Georgia Southern taste!?! Georgia Southern won 26-20...They completed zero passes for zero yards, yet they racked up 429 yards on the Gators defense...Florida, you gave up 429 yards to Georgia Southern, a team that can't pass...That didn't pass...You knew they were going to run the ball, and you gave up 429 yards...They should just burn "The Swamp" to the ground...Fire everyone...Take away all the scholarships...That is the definition of sucks!

-Now let me move onto rankings...We all know college football has some serious flaws...None more then the whole ranking system...I'm a die-hard Notre Dame fan, so let me use the Irish for this example...

Notre Dame isn't even ranked, yet they beat USC, ASU, and Mich State, all ranked well ahead of them...They lost to ranked Oklahoma...They lost to Pitt (horrible loss)...They lost to then ranked 17 rival Michigan...Yes, Michigan fell apart after that game...They really suck!   And watching every game, I can say this, ND could have beaten Pitt, Michigan, and Oklahoma...If played again, they could take MSU again, but it would be tight, as usual...They could Take USC again...ASU would take them...

Notre Dame is just one of many examples that prove the theory of, on any given day, any team can beat another...Which makes pre-season rankings idiotic because until two teams take the field you really have no idea what you are getting...Even with a so-called playoff, you still have to have a system to rank teams...But it's clear the current formula is crap...Michigan State plays great defense...But they also play a weak-ass Big-10 schedule...Ohio State is undefeated and has hung around the top 4 all year...But their Big-10 schedule, combined with their non-conference schedule is an embarrassment...

I have already lost any passion for the NFL...Now I find myself the most frustrated I have ever been with College Football...And I have always loved Saturdays in the Fall...

-Let me change gears to a bit of Hockey...We have heard and talked a ton about head shots, and brain injuries in Football...Now finally a hockey player is speaking up, and making a bit of noise about it...

New York Rangers winger, Rick Nash returned to the lineup this week after missing over a month from a concussion after a head shot...This one just months removed from a late season concussion last year...

“We’re all in this together.” Nash said...

“I understand how it happens,  the game is so fast, things happen quickly, and I know that I’ve had some hits that have been close calls, but we all have to take responsibility for changing some of the things we do out there." 

Nash continued...

"I understand that we don’t want to have huge suspensions for plays that are spontaneous and I’m OK with that, but the players as a group and the union have to take more responsibility for stopping these kinds of hits.  It’s up to the guys to have more respect for each other and our careers.”

“Headshots are a serious problem in the game. You see them all the time, something has to change.”

I have to agree, and I'm glad he said it...Yes, I'm a Rangers fan...And yes, I've always been a fan of Nash...But that has nothing to do with it...We have seen plenty of evidence of how concussions, and head trauma have affected football players...Hockey needs to realize they are looking down the same barrel...

That's it for now...I gotta start planning Thanksgiving dinner!

Have a week,

The Beeze.

Monday Moaning

   No, my weekend wasn't this good...Sunday started with me hungover, and three kids, (ages 11, 8, and 2) being loud as fuck...My goal was to sleep until 11:00AM, a rare thing in this house...I made it to 9:30AM...As soon as I showed up in the living room, crabby that my kids were so loud, my wife bolted to the grocery store...After she got back, it was a mad scramble to get everyone ready to go to our friends daughter at Build-A-Bear...One of those special Hell on Earth places...Kids, chaos, and money being spent...Luckily it wasn't mine money being spent...I put my foot down that the kids weren't getting any extras...Unfortunately, our friends dropped a helluva buck for all these bears being built...

Our oldest took home a bear with a girl outfit...Well put together...She likes to shop...The Little Beeze came home with a Camouflaged bear wearing his full military digs...Molly got a Girl Scout bear with the uniform and all...They had fun, that's what it's all about...right?

Saturday night we went to a benefit for a guy I went to high school with...He's a firefighter, so automatically he's getting a certain level of respect...He had an accident, and suffered a serious brain injury...He's rehabbing, and getting better...He showed up briefly, and thanked his family and friends and the nearly 1000 people there...I caught up with some guys from high school, saw some other people I hadn't seen in awhile...Had a couple of those conversations that eventually get awkward because it's been so long...Oh, and I drank beers...

After that the wife and I stopped at the old Fish House...We were going to have some dessert, but they set us up with a bunch of apps, so I had a couple more beers...Then we had dessert...Then I wanted to pass out...But of course, when we got home, 2 out of the 3 kids were still up...The oldest and youngest...Some how I got stuck getting Molly down...Me and her crashed on the couch watching the x-games...She loves the skiing and snowboarding....Especially when they wipe out...That's my girl!

The worst part about getting a night out...having to clean the house like crazy, so your sitter doesn't think you're total pieces of shit...Luckily, when I threw on some music to get started with the cleaning, Molly put on a little show, that made things a little easier...




Now some of you may be asking, where's the sports?  Well I've written enough about Manti Te'o....I've beaten that fake, dead girlfriend enough.....What, did you expect a recap of the Pro Bowl?  Who watches that?  Nobody I know...If you watch the Pro Bowl, the worst version of the NFL...1. you don't need a recap of that boring shit...2. Slap yourself!

I have been slowly getting into the NHL...Seeing Rick Nash skating with Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards for the Rangers is a dream come true...

 

Seeing this line lighting the lamp has been great...

These three guys are clicking really well, and while their names and salaries mean they should be doing what they are, caring the offense...It wouldn't be a bad idea to put Richards on the second line and put Stepan between the two play-makers...Richards may be able to get the second line going...That's just me doing some armchair coaching...

 Now, let's talk "Super Bowl"...As many of you have seen, I've had no problem tooting my own horn for correctly predicted the "Super Bowl" matchup at the beginning of the year...Well lets see just how good I am...Here comes my prediction...As much as the conspiracy theorist in me wants to say the Ravens will win, because it's fixed for the NFL and the media's love affair with that asshole Ray Lewis...I can't...Because when I look at everything, the 49ers just look like a better team...So I'm calling it...San Fransico wins...What, you want a score?  San Fran 34 - Baltimore 27...

But the real question my wife wants to know...Who will have the best commercial...I know this...No one will beat this commercial that was made for the "Super Bowl" but got banned...





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

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....

-

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.