Maple Leafs Have a GM

New Jersey Devils President, Lou Lamoriello, who stepped aside as GM in May, when Ray Shero was hired, has now resigned from his post from the Devils...After 28 years and 3 Stanley Cups, Lamoriello is moving on to a much bigger challenege...

Shortly after leaving the Devils, Lou Lamoriello was announced as the the new GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs...He is the 16th GM in Maple Leafs history...In his 28 years in New Jersey, the Devils went to the playoffs 21 of those seasons...Besides being President and GM for the Devils, he also served as Interim Head Coach three times...

Lamoriello also served as GM for Team USA in 1996 when they won the World Championship, and in 1998 for the Olympics...He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the "Builders" category in 2009...

Another accomplishment the hockey world is grateful for, was Lamoriello aggressively going after Viacheslav Fetisov, and spending much time and money communicating with him, and dealing with the Soviet government, to allow Fetisov to come to the NHL, which opened the door for the many Soviet players who followed.

Now, with President Brendan Shanahan, and new head coach, Mike Babcock, Lamoriello adds more legitimacy to the Maple Leafs organization which has been in shambles, and a loser for too long...The culture change in Toronto continues...With Babcock and Lamoriello, the winning can't be too far away for Leafs fans...Right?

Maple Leafs Make the Big Off-Season Splash

Thursday the Toronto Maple Leafs officially announced the signing of head coach, Mike Babcock...After 10 years at the helm of the Detroit Red Wings, Babcock wanted to test the waters...Most of the talk was of him staying in Detroit, or going to Buffalo for 10 year deal and rebuilding on the shoulders of Jack Eichel and other young prospects...

Then seemingly out of nowhere...Babcock inked a 8 year $50 million deal with the Leafs...Detroit didn't want to go over 4-5 years and said it wasn't about money for them, just years...Not sure that I believe that but it doesn't matter, because they have their man waiting in the wings already...

Jeff Blashill head coach of the Wings AHL affiliate Grand Rapid Griffins...Blashill is eyeing his second Calder Cup, and Detroit GM Ken Holland says he's the leading candidate to replace Babcock...Blashill has also served time as an assistant under Babcock, so the transition should smooth and easy without the Wings missing a beat...

The team/fan-base most upset is Buffalo, who feel hurt saying "Babcock used their 10 year offer as leverage" in his negotiations...Umm, grow up Buffalo that's the way the game of business is played...

Babcock also visited with and studied St. Louis and San Jose...

Babcock also made it clear that he wasn't going to walk into Toronto and turn that steaming pile of shit into a winner day one..."There's pain coming." Nice to see a new coach not bullshitting people.

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.

Old Time Hockey in NYC Monday Night

The New York Rangers and new Jersey Devils have had a great rivalry for many years...And this year, with the Rangers on top of the Eastern Conference for most of the season, their opponents have tried to come at them with a tougher game...Problem is, no team plays tougher then the Rangers...Hard-nosed, grinding hockey...Everyone checks...Everyone blocks shots...Everyone forechecks...And a number of the guys will drop the gloves if needed...

So Monday night the Devils came into Madison Square Garden, and their douchebag coach, Peter DeBoer thought he'd try to send a message with the starting lineup he submitted...He put his thumpers, Cam Janssen, Eric Boulton, and Ryan Carter out there...Pissed off about this, Rangers coach John Tortorella didn't hold back, and he sent Mike Rupp, Brandon Prust out there...Oh, and he sent big defenseman, Stu Bickell out there to play Center...

Here's what happened next...




Way go DeBoer...Not only did you fire up the Rangers squad, but you got the Ranger faithful all fired up too...MSG was rocking from the opening brawl and seeing Carter's blood scraped off the ice...

And then, less than a minute and a half later, The Rangers scored...Momentum was on the Rangers' side all night...

As the game continued, it came out that New jersey's David Clarkson kept running his mouth...So finally Mike Rupp told him, "If you keep talking, I'm going to knock you out on National TV." Rupper rules!

Rupp didn't get to pound Clarkson, but the Devil douche took some hits...


The game had a playoff atmosphere...Which most Rangers/Devils games do...But it was clear, the opening fight sparked the entire team...Every player was skating with a purpose, and playing with the highest level of intensity...Just what they needed to stop a minor skid they've been on...And with their 4-2 victory, they clinched a playoff spot...Thanks DeBoer!


Nothing with guys like Callahan and Del Zotto getting healthy, and Ludqvist over the Flu, they're looking to hold onto the top seed...

So for the rest of the NHL, playing the Rangers is going to be hard enough on you...Don't be stupid like the Devils, and make the night even harder on yourselves...

Oh, and Toronto, way to show about against your rival, Boston Bruins...Maple Leafs, how does that 8-0 ass beating taste...All of Canada should be pissed that the Leafs are such a fucking Joke...

Later, the Beeze.

The Beeze's Friday Finger Pop

The end of the week is here, and it's time for some finger popping!

First I have to start with Bill Burr...I wanted to get this in earlier in the week, but oh well...Burr is a huge sports fan, and loyal to his Boston roots...Last week on The Opie & Anthony Show Bill talked about how he hated how important the Pats/Jets game was to him...Saying, "I really need this one." Well on his Monday Morning Podcast he dealt with the loss, in typical Bill Burr fashion...



Next, I said I was going to start getting into Hockey more, now that Football season is just about done...Wednesday night helped that out greatly, as I sat down to watch my beloved New York Rangers take on the Toronto Maple Leafs...Holy shit! The Leafs are a disgrace...I have said Toronto GM Brian Burke is the most overrated piece of shit in Hockey for years now, and the way he's had the Leafs going is just helping to prove that point...Keep on trading draft picks and young talent for average players Burke, it's doing wonders for ya!

If you didn't know, the Rangers rolled the Leafs 7-0, lead by 4 goals and a an assist from Marian Gaborik...


The NHL likes to think of Toronto as one it's key markets...I have no idea why...The team has been in shambles for some time now...They would have been better off sending their AHL affiliate out there...At least they wouldn't have given up...Yes I said it...I watched an entire NHL team give up halfway through a game...Well except Colton Orr, he kept trying to get into fights and running people, but it did no good...

The fan-base in Toronto has got to take a stand...Tell Burke to get a goalie, and stop trading away talented young ones...Actually fuck Burke...Tell ownership to get that hack out of there...Hell give me a few months, to get in shape and I'll get between the pipes for your non-scoring, sorry ass team...

Next there's the Cleveland Browns...It just broke that the Browns will be hiring Dick Jauron to be their Defensive Coordinator...This had been the rumor since Pat Shurmur was hired to be the Head Coach, but it sure has taken some time...What is also taking some time, and probably will continue to, is hiring a Offensive Coordinator...Why? I'm sure it has something to do with Shurmur, a first time Head Coach, who had only been an OC for 2 years, saying he plans to call his own plays...Well why the fuck would anyone want the OC job...This asshole who is younger than you, coached less than you, is now your boss...Oh, and he wants to do your job too...

People here in the Cleve keep saying we have to trust team president Mike Holmgren...Why? What the hell has he done? He won 1 "Super Bowl" as coach in Green Bay...He had a number of good years as a coach, but he was pretty average...So why do I need to trust in his fat, walrus looking ass? Tell Me! You can't, can you?

In other news...Hollywood hottie, Anne Hathaway is slated to play Catwoman in the next Batman movie...I like the choice!




And now, onto the finger licking good, finger poppin' ladies!










Enjoy the weekend...

Later, The Beeze.

Monday Moaning

"Every picture tells a story...Don't it?"

That's how the Beeze was feeling Sunday morning...And I'm well on my way of looking like this Monday morning too...That's what happens when you spend a little too much time with some Smuttynose Winter Ale!

Brewed in New Hampshire!

I have to say, I couldn't tell you much of what's gone on in the world this weekend...The Grammy Awards were on...I didn't watch...I quit when the y gave Jethro Tull the award for "best heavy metal act." They lost all credibility right there...Nothing against Jethro Tull, it wasn't their fault...For God's sake, it was the first time they ever got any credit for their hard rockin' flute playin'! "But Child please!"

The music industry is crap...And most of the nominated artists I don't and wouldn't listen too...

You don't agree with me about the music industry? Here's my evidence...There's this hack chick Ke$ha, who thinks so much of herself that she spells her name with the dollar sign...Twat! she's got this hit song called "Tik Tok." But clearly no talent...Her voice is totally created in the studio... Example...



Now here's Opie & Anthony fan, 53 year old virgin, nut job, Stalker Patti, after a couple of hours with one of O & A's producers...

Patti isn't very far off...It's all a bunch of crap, and some one needs to be beaten for this...

The "Pro Bowl" was on also...Nope, didn't watch it!

I don't care, I don't care, I don't care...I don't care, I don't care, I don't care! (song in an obnoxious voice)

There was some news in the hockey world...The Toronto Maple Leafs made some noise after trading forward Matt Stajan forward Niklas Hagman, forward Jamal Mayers, and defensman Ian White, to the Calgary Flames for defenseman Dion Phaneuf, forward Fredrik Sjostrom, and prospect Keith Aulie...

Then the Leafs traded forward Jason Blake and goalie Vesa Toskala to Anaheim for goalie J.S. Giguere...

Now if you're a Leafs fan, maybe this makes you happy...Hey, at least their out there trying to get something done...they got rid of some salary, like Blake...And they're getting one of the top defensemen in the league and a goalie with some serious playoff experience...That said, I don't see it helping the team this year...What do I know, I'm drunk right now!

Sticking to hockey, 'cause honestly, I don't follow basketball...I've been happy with the amount of fighting I've noticed this season...I have no stats, or anything to back me up...But I think the number of fights is up this year...And I think that's good...I know, there's a bunch of softies out there that don't like it, and don't think it should be in the game...Well, too bad...It's part of the game, and it was a lot worse back in the day...And I'm talking before I was born, back in the day...

And I always remember Gretzky being against fighting...Listen, dude was without a doubt one of the greatest ever...But he never had to worry about it...If he got challenged some one always stepped in...If he got checked, that guy was getting a beating from McSorley...So his argument doesn't count...Fighting is good for hockey...1. I takes the weapons (the sticks) out of the players hands...2. It does what crashes do for NASCAR...It gets people to watch, if only for a few minutes...Hey, the only time I've ever watched NASCAR was to see an accident...Call me an a$$hole if you want to...But we live in a violent society, I'm just trying to embrace a bit of it!

Here's an old school hockey...Well, from my school...They don''t make 'em like this anymore!



Moving along with this buzzed up roller coaster ride...The wife and I dropped the kids off for a play date at some friends' house, then went to lunch...We tried a little place called "56 West." I wish I would have gone further west!

The Mrs. had a Caprese Salad with grilled chicken...I had the B.E.L.T. It's a BLT with fried egg, arugula, roasted marinated tomatoes, and a herbed mayo...It came out on an 8 pound, stale, baguette, with 1 overcooked egg, and 2 under cooked pieces of bacon...Hardly any arugula, and one tomato...If I go back, it will only be to try something else sh!tty, so I can completely trash them by writing a blog on nothing but them and how much they suck!

Oh, yeah, these ass-hats thought they were so cute...They do a Sunday brunch...Guess what the staff was wearing...Their PJ's...REALLY!?! You look like douche bags...You could at least brush your hair gash! And I don't think slippers are up to code!

All the fans of the little Beeze, I don't have much...He's been a pain in the ass this week, but nothing crazy...I woke up Sunday morning to the sound of him yelling for help...My wife was on it...Thankfully, because I didn't want to get out of bed...I called my daughter in the room and asked her what was wrong...She said he had his foot caught inside my guitar...I don't even want to know...It's not all busted up...I'll re-tune it tomorrow...I just don't want to know...

Have a great week...

Later, The Beeze.