All-Snooze Fest

At some point in time, all-star games turned from celebrating the accomplishments of athletes in the particular year, to a popularity contest. Reputation matters more than what has been done in the current year of play.

When did all the commissioners of the professional sports leagues come together and determine that the all-star games of their respective sports would all turn to crap? And was there ever a time when all-star games actually worked?

There are flaws in all the systems.

NBA: fan voting has too much influence. NFL: no one wants to play in it. MLB: again, fan voting messes with starting lineups. NHL: fan voting, but I am not going to pretend that I know what I am talking about in regards to hockey.

As we approach the Pro Bowl for the NFL and the NBA's all-star game I try to remember when I really cared about an all-star game. For me, I care more about the preceding events than the actual exhibition games.

David Stern has gone wrong with the NBA in that the fan voting system doesn't work, especially with worldwide voting. Tracy "First Round" McGrady almost got the starting nod for the Western Conference this year, due largely to Chinese fans voting him in because of his allegiance to Yao Ming's Rockets.

But fans aren't the only ones to blame on this one, coaches are guilty too. The reserves are determined by them, and are the coaches are being influenced by reputation more than looking at players' success for the year. I grew up a Lakers fan and I am all for seeing more purple & gold laced sneakers on the hardwood. However, I have to disagree with the selection of Pau Gasol this year. That was purely a reputation call by the coaches.

Chris Kaman is having a solid year and should have been selected. Gasol's reputation coupled with the name of the team on the front of Kaman's jersey didn't allow Caveman to be on this year's squad.

Look, I understand that this happens; there are only a certain amount of roster spots and for the most part coaches and fans get it right. And I don't want to go into a rant about every sport and have a post that takes you 20 minutes to read, but on a quick note about MLB...

Why have a requirement that every team needs a representative? If a team doesn't have a player deserving of an all-star nod than why have them there. Most of the time that particular player given the sympathy bid doesn't even get into the game.

And the fan voting totally messes with this one in that Red Sox and Yankees players are always voted to start due to their huge following (also see: Yankees and Red Sox nations need a life... I kid, but not really).

I don't have the solution nor do I believe that anyone does, each sport is different and the leagues want to sell tickets, jerseys, and TV rights. It gives us something to discuss allowing more attention to be paid to the all-star selections and games.

As a beginning point to a fix, give the votes for the starting rosters to the players in the leagues. Who knows the players better than those that are actually competing against them? Next, give the rights to the reserves voting to the coaches.

Where do the fans come in? This is the fun part: allow us fans to vote for a lineup that plays for a quarter, period or couple innings together. Create our own dream team to play together based on the rosters created by the players & coaches of the leagues, and ensure that the coaches stick with the lineup the whole predetermined time. Finding the most common lineup selected by fans would be tricky for a human, but plug it into a computer system and let it do the work. Hell, the BCS determines the college championship game, it can determine the most wanted lineup to play together.

Cry, cry all we want, we'll still tune in.

Oh, and Allen Iverson for all-star game MVP honors.

Tonight's post was created while listening to Dam Funk's "Toeachizown" album. Go get it.

Hockey Highlight

Not huge into NHL, but love going to the games and acted like I was a Ducks fan when they won the cup... Anaheim represent.

Zednik Jumps Defender to Score Goal
Doctor Zee - Richard Zednik - of the Florida Panthers.

Thursday Fight Night

Best hockey fight I have seen all year.

Jarkko Ruuto v. Darcy Tucker on January 3, 2008, complete with punch count!

Young NHL Players Are Naive

Toronto Maple Leafs rookie winger, Jiri Tlusty had his dong all over the internet for the past week, after naked images hit the internet on the isthishappening.com website.

Tlusty, the once-hot Leafs callup, is suddenly the centre of hockey attention after naked photos appeared on the Canadian gossip website isthishappening.com late last week.

The photos were actually shot by Tlusty, according to his lawyer, Jerome R. Morse.

"Mr. Tlusty took these photographs of himself with his camera phone last year," Morse wrote in an letter, e-mailed to Zack Taylor of isthishappening.com. "As such, Mr. Tlusty is the owner of these photographs and any unauthorized publication of these photographs is a violation of his copy-right."

The photos were taken off of the website, but can probably be found on the internet... anything can, but I am not looking for a naked picture of a dude. Ladies, get to work.

Later, Tlusty issued an email responding to the picture in which he said: "I feel like s--t right now."

The picture was circulated around the internet after he sent the original to a female he met online. He took them before the season started, but after he was drafted in 2006.

What was he doing pimping girls online? What was he using, adultfriendfinder.com? Athletes are naive in that they think they can take pictures without the worries of them ending up online. Just ask Oscar De La Hoya.

Read more about the story here.

Friday Night Fights

It is on tonight. Well, not really. Unless we are talking my hand fighting with the bottle to keep it from my mouth.

As I do my picks for the NFL this weekend, here are a couple of good NHL fights I found this week...

Eric Boulton v. Chris Neil from November 1, 2007:

Damn good fight. I do not know what Neil was doing at by raising his free arm; either calling for the refs, pumping up the crowd, or mocking Boulton. Your call. I think he was mocking Boulton for spinning him around. Draw.

DJ King v. Derek Boogaard from November 1, 2007:

I give the decision to Boogaard based on the fact that he did not have his gloves off until after King was already throwing punches. His final round flurry of punches won him the fight. Damn I love the NHL. Where else are you going to have their height and weight flash across the screen on the game telecast after a fight?

Hockey Fight Night

I usually only attend two NHL games in a season. Which is kind of weird because I enjoy going to them.

Anyway, I went to the Anaheim Ducks game last Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and a couple minutes after my arrival I turned to my cousin and told him I wanted to see a fight. Two minutes later, I got my wish granted.

The following are the videos of the fights from that night:

1. Jared Boll v. Travis Moen

This fight was pretty boring, but does last a long time. I remember yelling "there is not hugging in fighting!", which made the usher laugh.

2. Ole-Kristian Tollefson v. Brad May

May won this one and Tollefson knew it... that is why he had to wuss out and put May on the bench wall. He could have at least pushed him over the wall, then I would have given the fight to Tollefson just for being cool.

3. Jason Chimera v. Shane Hnidy, then everybody v. everybody

There is not clear winner in this one, and they just hug it out in the group brawl. But it does bring back good memories from the Ice Hockey game for Nintendo.

I could not find a video of purely fighting in the game, but you can see a fight from that game in the following video at the 1:16 mark:

(Props to my cousin for remembering the fighting in the game.)

I recommend drinking Coors Light at the Honda Center, they put something extra in the kegs that had me sleeping like a baby that night.

Where have I been today? That to come in my NFL week 9 wrap up.

Fight Night - Hockey Edition

I know I do not post interesting news articles or opinions about hockey and the NHL; that is because I do not watch it very often unless it is playoff time. And I have no problem attending a game, especially with a woman, they love hockey games.

What I do find myself doing often regarding hockey is rummaging through YouTube for good hockey fights!

I found this one from a few nights ago between Pittsburgh Penguins' Georges Laraque and Washington Capitals' Donald Brashear:



What is up with the Black-on-Black crime? I kid, but really though, did you know that there are currently only 10 active Black NHL players? I think the announcers should switch from hockey to boxing, they made it exciting. "Southpaw on southpaw!"

Both players are enforcers in the NHL so it should not surprise that they put a good fight on out there on the ice.

A little sidenote for you kids: Have you ever seen the movie Men of Honor with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Robert DeNiro? Well the character Gooding plays, Carl Brashear, is Donald's uncle, who the movie is based on.

Donald Brashear has also trained with boxing legend Joe Frazier.

While searching for good NHL hockey fights, I also found this video that reminded me of NHL '95 on Sega Genesis:



That was Chicago Blackhawks' youngster, Jonathan Toews, who is only 19 years old. I used to be able to pull off those moves in NHL '95 and continued my expertise through 2000. I have seen on MTV how they had Madden Nation as a TV show... they should do it for NHL '95, I would rip it.

Some of the best quotes from the movie Swingers comes at times when they are playing NHL '95:

Trent: Score Chicago!
Sue: F**k! Such f**kin' bullshit!
Trent: [Trent hits the instant replay] Now that was pretty Sue...
Sue: Man, don't do the instant replay thing...
Trent: No way, you said it was f**kin' bulls**t.
Sue: Don't do the f**king...
Trent: Well that's why they put the instant replay in the f**king game! So you can see if it's bulls**t!
Sue: You're unbelieveable.
Trent: Well you know something, I am unbelievable.
Sue: [Trent shoves Sue] Don't f**king touch me.
Trent: When I'm not here will you practice?

I am petitioning for NHL '95 tournament to go down in Vegas. Who is with me?

Don't Mess With A Veteran

Mr. Luke Richardson (who has been in the NHL since 1987), meet Brandon Dubinsky, playing in his 11th game in the NHL the day that this video was taken (October 13, 2007). Welcome to the NHL, kid.

Mickey O'Neil (from Snatch, played by Brad Pitt) and Richardson should battle it out to see who has the more vicious "one punch" ending, Bricktop to fund the event.

Hockey Fight! Goalie Edition

This clip is a fight between New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro and New York Rangers goalie Al Montoya.

I like how Montoya storms out of the crease to the face off with DiPietro after he sees him getting into the action. DiPietro looked like he won the fight.

Score cards:
121-116
120-115
122-116

Winner by unanimous: Rick DiPietro!