So the Cardinals are bumming right now. Bummin big time, they're losing a series to the Xpos... thats lame. I'm always frusterated with St. Louis sports because frankly they have a great venue, great fans that pack the stands out but don't get the super big stars that they can afford. Like they didn't even try for Pettite, Clemens (Granted they were going to Houston w/out a second look) but Maddux, Wells, Hampton, Shilling, these great pitchers traded teams this year through trades/free agency and the cards did even pursue them. Its like they don't want to throw down the big bucks to win it all. All they need is one freakin old timer ace to give the young pitching a leader to follow, a maddux if you will. I mean Morris is awesome and some of the other pitchers are decent but they need a guy who's done the distance and can show them how to win the big games... ah whateva. I still like Rolen, Morris, Matheny's cool, and Poo hole. I mean these guys are dang good and Its cool to see them tear it up. It annoys me that lankfords back frankly. I've always considered him sub par. This guy who could be great but isn't and won't.
In hockey news the Lightening are tearing it up. ITs pretty cool but lame too. I read a great article on Yahoo sports lamenting the changes in the NHL from the changing of the divisions from the traditional names to the blah Western and Eastern Conferences. Also the flight of canadian and northern teams to southern, non hockey towns. Nordiques, Whalers, North Stars: these were great teams with so much history. And really does Atlanta need a team? I mean even the sports teams that have been there for a long time have trouble getting people to go to games, even when they win i.e. The Braves. I've been to a few Thrashers games, it was fun but it was like watching a minor league game, not because of the action on the ice but because of the gimics and distractions there to entertain the non-hockey enthusiast.
Plus with the union threatening strikes and canadian teams on the verge or at bankruptcy it is really sad to see how the nhl is just not doing well. Say la vee.
I must say I'm hoping for the Flamers to win, I think that'd be good for Canada, they deserve a good win. Plus i like Craig Conroy, he's cool, former blue, one of my favorites. Not great, but a hard worker, and what he lacked in raw talent he made up for in hustle and determination.
Posted by holtonian at May 8, 2004 11:36 PM | TrackBackYou know Holty, its funny listening to you talk about hockey and yet you dont even mention the world championship that has been going on for the past two weeks. It is the hugest thing since sliced bread in Slovakia. I swear I think some of these people would sacrifice their own children if it would help Slovakia win. Slovaks and USA were semi-finalists, and Canada plays Sweden for the finals. Slovakia vs. USA would have been much more interesting for me. You write a good blog by the way. Consistently entertaining.
Posted by: Todd Willison at May 9, 2004 02:25 PMActually, Hampton stayed put during the offseason. This is his second year in Atlanta.
Posted by: RobU at May 9, 2004 03:02 PMI wish i could follow world hockey more, as it isn't the overpaid players of the nhl. One thing that is interesting if the players have a lockout in the nhl by law, contract, whatever, they won't be able to play in the world hockey or the olympics.
Posted by: holton at May 9, 2004 06:39 PMIf you're really a purist hockey fan, you should be thrilled at what the Lightning are doing, even if they are from Florida, because the Lightning play hockey the way it should be played--no boring traps from them, making it great hockey to watch. Plus, the Lightning aren't a team that got moved from elsewhere, they're solely a product of Phil Esposito's dream, that everybody thought was crazy at the time, to bring hockey to Tampa. And, unlike Atlanta, where the fans act like they're at a golf tournament or something, Tampa Bay fans are great and we had the second highest attendence all-time at a regular season game (the only way they broke the record was to play outdoors at a football stadium in Canada), and dating back to '96, we have the all-time attendence record for a playoff game--a record that will never be broken, because that was when they were playing in a baseball stadium and people even bought tickets where they couldn't see half the ice, just so that they could be there.
And, if you think it's kind of lame because of the location, just wait for a few of years because you're going to start seeing legitimate NHL prospects coming out of Florida, and then people are going to be really surprised.
Posted by: kathryn at May 10, 2004 12:58 AM