2ITB Conference Finals predictions
With the Conference Finals poised to begin, my somewhat successful prediction rate plummeted in the second round. With Phoenix, Los Angeles, New Jersey and New York advancing, I will try my hand at picking the two teams that will face off for the Stanley Cup.
Phoenix Coyotes vs. Los Angeles Kings
This is the matchup that all of zero people penciled in for the Western Conference Final back in October. Both teams had to scratch and claw over the final weeks of the regular season just to cement their respective playoff berths and each team has received tremendous goaltending.
Mike Smith is doing a fine job backing up the argument that a franchise goaltender in un-necessary, while Jonathon Quick (and Marty Brodeur, Henrik Lundqvist, Pekka Rinne etc.) have done plenty to prove that a legitimate 1A goaltender is a key for playoff success.
Both teams play a pretty boring style of collapsing and blocking shots whenever possible. Each club has a defensive style that chokes out their opponents. They rely on their goaltenders to do the heavy lifting when necessary but typically limit as many shots and chances as possible. Read more…
Bikini Hockey League: Good for the sport?
Women playing hockey in bikinis. Let me repeat that. Women playing hockey in bikinis!
There is an initiative underway to form a made-for-TV “league” made up of two scantily clad teams of women playing roller hockey in slim beach wear. According to reports, the girls will live in a mansion in Tulsa, OK during the tryout period. Sounds like a reality TV winner to me.
The base purpose here is to give people 30 minutes of mindless television by roping together some cute girls, small bikinis and rollerblades. There isn’t much to read into here and the merits of the idea are certainly debatable. However, the fact that hockey will be at the focal point of such an idea (and show) is not a bad thing. Don’t try to convince me of any other train of thought.
If you really think about it, this isn’t all that different from seeing the likes of Kobe, David Beckham, Kate Upton and other celebrities at games in New York and Los Angeles. Not only are celebs heading out to support these teams on their playoff run, their presence is helping to prove that hockey is indeed cool. Obviously fans of the sport are well aware of this fact, but it is the casual fan who will be drawn to the sport by hotties like Upton and Carrie Underwood watching game. Bottom line; this creates interest around the game and gets people talking.
With every playoff game available on (somewhat) basic cable and celebs flocking to Staples Center and MSG, a bikini hockey league should succed in creating some form of conversation about the sport. Don’t mistake this as an effective way to grow the game. It is simply an idea that will serve as effective water cooler fodder. So long as the conversations are geared towards the positive, the BHL will have been a success. However, if there is nothing but negativity surrounding the show, it will be a drawback for the sport.
With the obvious differences of men vs. women, full uniforms vs. bikinis and ice vs. roller; there isn’t much of a direct comparison between the BHL and the NHL. However, creating good conversation about the sport is what is necessary to gain more respect. There is no way to replicate the interest growing in LA, Phoenix and Nashville due to the 2012 Playoffs, but drawing attention to the sport for a reason besides fighting is something every hockey fan is hoping for.
By no means do I expect the BHL to convince ESPN to actually do their job and cover the sport. Nor do I think that this venture will vault the NHL to the stratosphere of the NFL. However, with the NBA appearing to plateau in recent years, hockey could continue to snatch attention from those looking for a different outlet for sports entertainment.
There is certainly a chance that this show is a huge tire fire and makes hockey look worse than any damage the Most Valuable Primate ever could. But I’ll tune in a few times just to see what it is all about, even if it ends up as a glorified MTV Road Rules/Real World Challenge.
Bills take a flier on Young
On the heels of signing six of their nine draft picks, the Buffalo Bills agreed to terms with Vince Young on a one-year contract. According to reports, it is a one-year deal worth $2 million with an additional $1 million in bonuses.
The signing is almost without risk due to the short term and low hit for the deal. Young will likely compete with Tyler Thigpen for the back-up quarterback position through OTAs and training camp. I’d say he has the inside track for the number two spot thanks to his versatility.
Many have already linked Young’s athleticism and mobility to the system that Chan Gailey runs. The assumption is that his natural talent as a running quarterback will lend itself well to the offense run by the Bills. Obviously he will need to find his way into the offense, but the train of thought is quite accurate. Think of Young as a consolation prize to the “Mike Vick is at the airport” rumors from a few summers ago.
Young’s signing could have a number of implications to players throughout the roster based on the different roles he is capable of filling. First, he has proven himself as a starter in the league and has the raw skills to be very effective under Gailey. Second, those raw skills and his track record certainly makes him a more attractive option (on paper) as compared to Tyler Thigpen. Third, that mobility and speed could make him a viable run/pass option in a Wildcat scheme.
The two players who are most likely to be affected by this signing are Thigpen and Brad Smith. Thigpen is a viable backup, but isn’t necessarily the type of quarterback you would want to rely on for long stretches of play. This is particularly important to consider if Ryan Fitzpatrick is injured or if his game goes to hell. On paper, Young is the better option as a backup. His mobility and history of running a read option offense at Texas also makes him an effective Wildcat quarterback. Brad Smith is a luxury because he can function as your third quarterback, a wide receiver and as a kick returner. However, if you save his roster spot but keep the Wildcat threat, your team is no worse for wear.
Determining whether or not Young is a viable Wildcat option is something that will be up to the coaching staff. But his inclusion in training camp, plus the potential return of Marcus Easley and drafting T.J. Graham could potentially leave Smith on the outside looking in.
If Young ends up being a training camp casualty, the Bills aren’t any worse off than they were prior to this signing. If he earns the backup quarterback job and proves to be a viable threat for the Bills offense, they will have improved without breaking the bank. Signing Young gives the Bills two of the top three picks from the 2006 draft and further assembles raw talent and depth on both sides of the football.
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Comparing development projects to fables probably isn’t a very good strategy. Typically the first one to the finish line is the project that finds the most success. However, those in charge of planning, approving and building Canalside seem to think slow and steady wins the race.
Canalside: coming, spring 2030! (Date subject to change)
After putting out an RFP for organizations to pitch for museum space to be built on the former Aud site, ECHDC is allowing Explore-n-More to move forward with the initial study for the children’s museum they plan on building at Canalside.
According to Buffalo Rising, Explore-n-More will begin to determine the size, configuration, exhibit space, capital and operational costs of the “Children’s Experience” that will occupy a major section of the Aud Block. This exploratory phase will also determine if Explore-n-More will be capable of raising the necessary funds – to which ECHDC will match on a $1 to $2 basis – to run such a museum. The BRO report also details that a public involvement plan will be implemented as part of the Master Plan process in addition to a Capital Campagin Feasibility Study for another portion of another Master Plan.
All of this nonsense will be compiled as part of a Final Museum Master Plan based on a Feasibility Study and public input which will be completed in May of 2013 before being submitted to the ECHDC and Explore-n-More boards. All of these hoops and hurdles are supposed to lead towards the museum opening on Memorial Day of 2016. 2016!
Whatever happened to lighter, quicker, cheaper? The dumbest tag line in the embarrassingly pathetic history of Canalside is truly taking on its true meaning; dumber, slower, cheaper. So often you hear people rally towards “the waterfront we deserve” only to see the progress crawl along for half a decade. Read more…
The Buffalo Sabres are slowly growing an impressive stable of talented goaltenders at the NHL and minor league level. Their most recent addition was signing Nathan Lieuwen to an entry level contract, one year after he was drafted.
Lieuwen was an overage junior last year and there was even a chance that he could have been signed to a pro deal over last summer. However, he was sent back to the WHL to play big minutes and continue to develop. Now the 6’5” 20 year old will battle for playing time in Rochester with David Leggio and Connor Knapp.
The addition of Lieuwen gives the Sabres five goaltenders under contract and even more talented keepers who sit in limbo entering the offseason. Brad Eidsness was once a promising prospect through two seasons with North Dakota, but he was unseated by Aaron Dell and will likely not receive a contract from the Sabres. Buffalo also signed Jeff Jakaitis to a minor league deal in order to provide Gwinnett with some additional talent. Jakaitis seemed to show some real promise before getting shelved with a season ending injury. There is also the looming status of Drew MacIntyre, who will be a UFA this summer after a very underwhelming season in Rochester.
There is no reason for the Sabres to re-sign MacIntrye this season, but that doesn’t mean the goaltending pipeline won’t be clogged heading into 2012-13. With Ryan Miller the obvious leader of the pack and backed up by Jhonas Enroth, the Sabres also have impending UFA David Leggio along with Knapp and Lieuwen as AHL goaltenders. Read more…
At long last, the Coyotes are saved
While no official deal has been reached, it would appear that Greg Jamison will spearhead a group that has been endorsed by the league to purchase and save the Coyotes.
Jamison is the former CEO of the San Jose Sharks who is famous for making them profitable. Due, in part, to Jamison’s leadership, the Sharks are now a very stable club – despite being located in a non-traditional market. With Jamison at the helm, the league (and Coyotes), Glendale and Jamison are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle twice.
There has not been an official deal reached, just an announcement that an agreement has been reached to dot the Is and cross the Ts in this deal. There is still the looming specter of the Goldwater Institute, the watchdog group that destroyed the last bid for the team. That isn’t to say they were out of line. There is no doubt that they will comb through the final agreement and there is even a chance that they will attempt to put this deal to an end.
What could derail the Jamison deal is the portion of the agreement that will see the new figurehead (if you will) run Jobing.com Arena. If Goldwater determines the agreement to violate whatever silly law they referenced last year, things could get complicated. With no true knowledge of what Goldwater gets all knotted up about, I can’t truly say if this deal will catch any snags. After all, Gary Bettman even noted that they expect to structure the deal properly as to not raise any red flags.
Based on my knowledge of the history of this scenario, I do think that the city paying one of the new owners may upset a group that stopped a previous sale based on the city paying the owner to buy the team. Of course that is a wildly broad way of putting it, but the former deal saw Glendale selling bonds as a way to supplement the sale. Jamison’s group surely has found a way around such an issue, but I do wonder if Goldwater will take them to task over the owner being paid by the city.
Ultimately, I see this deal going through and the Coyotes finally getting some solid ownership. The team has been in Phoenix for 15 years and has yet to make money. That is a pretty terrifying piece of information. I suppose if there was anyone to turn the team around, it would be Jamison. Acting as the ringleader, he will be the one to guide the spending of the investment group he compiled. His experience with the Sharks speaks for itself and bodes well for the Coyotes franchise. Read more…
Jackson earns his extension
A raise worth $3 million for Bills running back Fred Jackson was long overdue. Buffalo’s favorite underdog finally got his contract extension and will be with the team through 2014.
Jackson’s story is well documented. His journey to the top of the Bills depth chart was capped last season when he amassed enormous chunks of yardage before a broken leg sidelined him late in the year. His low salary put Jackson on the potential line of backs to be ushered out of Buffalo by young talent. In fact, Jackson’s emergence was a big part of Marshawn Lynch’s trade.
However, Jackson’s value to the Bills offense far exceeds what Lynch ever did for the team and management recognized that. Maybe he should have gotten his dough during the season, but the Bills made sure not to mistreat him for too long. The contract raises his salary to $4.5M per year and locks up the team’s three best weapons (Jackson, Stevie Johnson and FitzMagic) long-term.
I do expect Jackson’s touches to go down some next season as C.J. Spiller has also earned the right to see some actual playing time. While Spiller’s strong finish may take carries away from Jackson, it gives the Bills the opportunity to build a proper thunder and lightning duo with their backs. Spiller’s waterbug tendencies and recent effectivness on the ground paired with Jackson’s tenacious running style gives Buffalo a terrific backfield combo.
Even with diminished carries, Jackson’s role in the offense will not change. He was the main reason that the lack of a deep passing game wasn’t an issue for nearly seven weeks. Jackson was far and away the team’s MVP and proved it on a near weekly basis. Pairing him with Spiller makes the Bills’ running game far more dangerous as the 2012 season approaches. Read more…
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Grading the Sabres: Final defensive group
The final group of defensive grades will also be the final portion of the Sabres’ report cards. This group includes the three players called up from Rochester at various points during the season.
Mike Weber – C+
Weber was slightly less consistent that he had been in previous seasons. His best hockey was played with somewhat limited minutes as compared to games when he was given a heavier dose of ice time. While he was a decided upgrade over Marc-Andre Gragnani, he was little more than an adequate sixth defenseman. Overall, his year was little more than average. Considering the role he fills, you can’t complain too much about what he brought to the table. However, there is likely room for improvement that could come in the form of another player.
Alexander Sulzer – B+
Sulzer’s time with the Sabres was somewhat brief, but he was solid in those few games. A mobile defenseman, Sulzer showed he has a nice physical side to his game while not being a pylon. His athleticism might be what is most impressive to me. While he is a UFA this summer, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him re-signed. Considering he was basically a throw in with Cody Hodgson, discovering him could be a major steal for Darcy Regier and the Sabres.
Brayden McNabb – B+
McNabb still needs to stew a little longer in the minors. However, I don’t think that he will need to start the season in Rochester next season. In fact, if he continues to progress over the summer, I have little doubt he will find a spot in the top six.
McNabb is physical and has shown he can contribute offensively. Some of the traits he possesses makes him a very interesting player for the Sabres going forward. He could definitely be a cornerstone for the Sabres defense for a long time. Read more…
Part two of my Pipe Dream series will focus on the Webster Block and in what direction this prime piece of realty may go. Read part one on the Central Terminal here.
Just over a year ago it looked as if HSBC would bounce down Main Street to build a sparkling new office building across the street from the glass-faced Atrium. Weeks after that announcement the bank decided to go in the opposite direction, selling off local branches and consolidating a number of operations. That left the parcel of their potential development sitting empty once again.
Currently standing as a parking lot, the Webster Block blends nicely with the green fields and lawn chairs of Canalside, plus the Cobblestone Parking District that sit nearby. However, it seems as if Bryon Brown wants to fast track development on this prime piece of real estate.
Based on what I’ve read, the possibility for a multi-use facility run by the Buffalo Sabres is pretty exciting. I previously worked up an idea on a practice facility for the Sabres to be built in the Cobblestone District. With the alleged interest in the Webster Block, I’ll tweak my original plan to fit. My recent thoughts on this project go beyond just an arena capable of housing a junior team. I think a proper mixed-use development would serve the Sabres and city well.
Like George Costanza, I like to pretend I’m an architect but have no real skills in the field. So this may come off as completely backwards. Ideally, the arena would occupy the lower floors of the structure – possibly being built a story or two underground if necessary. The shops and restaurants would be on the second level, with access from ground floor entries and a skybridge with First Niagara Center. I’d also have a modest tower built on the corner of the lot fronting Scott St., nearest to the Donovan Building. Read more…
Grading the Sabres: Defensemen part one
My report card for the Sabres defensemen will be split into two five-man groups. Alexander Sulzer and Mike Weber will be in the second group with a trio of prospects. The first group will be the top five, if you will.
Tyler Myers – B
Overall, it was a decent season for the big man. There were times that he still looked lost defensively, but it was fairly obvious that he is a big part of Buffalo’s transition game. His absence often crippled Buffalo’s ability to move the puck and enter the zone.
I actually think there were some stretches that Myers was especially effective in his own zone, showing that two-way game that so many people are waiting to see develop. A healthy Tyler Myers is important for the Sabres. However, based on the last two years, a proper offseason program is what is important for Myers.
Christian Ehrhoff – A
When the Sabres signed Ehrhoff, I was ecstatic. Even though he didn’t go out and score goals like Bobby Orr, Ehrhoff was a very effective member of the Sabres blueline. In fact, he was their most consistent defenseman for the entire year.
While his goal scoring was down, he led all Buffalo defensemen in points, which is what he was brought here to do. What was unexpected was how great he was defensively. If the coaching staff would build their powerplay to better suit Ehrhoff, I think you would see his numbers increase. Read more…
