Stay up-to-date on the NHL’s latest fights
This site not only provides video and commentary on each fight, but it also allows users to vote on the winner. Even cheap shots from scumbags like Chris Simon are documented here. An excellent resource for any hockey fan.
Future Weapons on the Discovery Channel
The only thing I enjoy more than host Richard “Mack” Machowicz’s callus disposition towards combat casualty are his constant reminders to viewers that the weapons featured on the show are used to more effectively fight the evil terrorists. If I get to watch a double reinforced cement building get blown into a million pieces by an “anti-structure” missile, then I’ll deal with the shameless pro-war propaganda. Check this show out Monday’s at 9pm on the Discovery Channel.
If you grew up with the last name “Tootoo”, chances are you know how to throw a punch. Dallas Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas learned that the hard way after an unsuccessful attempt to defend Stars pretty boy, Mike Modano. Not only did he cleanly level one of the leagues premier forwards, but he had the instinct to know that reinforcement was not far behind. Without hesitation, he stood up and blindly delivered a ‘one hitter quitter’ to Robidas’ chin— not even bothering (or needing) to drop his gloves. Well done.
Mark that one in my book as ‘Five Minutes for Being a Total Badass’.
I knew it was only a matter of time before I wrote my first post about the Buffalo Sabres— and after the amount of heart they showed tonight, I couldn’t deny them any longer.
I’ve been a Sabres fan for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Buffalo you don’t really have a choice. We live and die with our sports teams— and games like tonight make me understand why. The Sabres came into tonight’s game against division rival Ottawa with a laundry list of injuries to many of our key players. Most teams wouldn’t stand a chance against an elite team like Ottawa with a bench full of rookies. But not Buffalo.
The games fast-paced momentum went back and forth until about 5 minutes into the 2nd period when Sabres captain Chris Drury caught an elbow to the face, causing a deep cut and a puddle of blood on the ice. From the second he hit the deck I knew this wasn’t going to be pretty. When the puck dropped on the ensuing face-off, it was on. What started as a few scattered fights turned into a brawl for the ages when goalies Martin Biron and Ray Emery left their creases to join the action at center ice. After the goalies were separated, Sabres enforcer and my personal hero Andrew Peters went toe to toe with Emery to prove a point.
Somewhere between the repeated haymakers to Emery’s face I realized something— this is what Buffalo is all about. This is why we have 18,000 screaming fans at every home game when other clubs can’t give their seats away. I’m not talking about the fighting (although it was awesome), but the loyalty that these guys have to each other. It’s a rare thing to find anymore, especially in professional sports, but something that is of the utmost importance to all Buffalonians. We go to the grave with our loyalties, and watching our team defend their fallen captain made me proud, honestly. Judging by the cheers from the crowd, I have a feeling I’m not alone. There’s a reason we are currently the best team in the NHL. It’s not just raw talent; it’s the never-say-die attitude that they play every game with. Few teams can match our skill, but even fewer teams can match our heart and determination. That’s what makes us the BUFFALO Sabres. Not any other team. Not any other city.
It’s easy to sing the praises of star talents like Ryan Miller, Danny Briere and Chris Drury. They are phenomenal players that have made us one of the most dangerous teams in the league. But, tonight was proof that sometimes a team needs more than someone to light the lamp. They need emotion. I’m sure as the playoffs get closer I will have more than enough opportunities to talk about Miller’s mind-boggling saves and Briere’s ice-cold blood, so I would like to dedicate this post to the goons. The guys whose passion to win exceeds their on-ice talent.
Thank you Andrew Peters, Adam Mair and the rest of you guys who have the balls to stand up to anyone and everyone in defense of a teammate. That’s something I can’t help but respect. Wear the Buffalo sweater with pride.
Oh, and we won 6-5 in a sudden-death shootout, incidentally. Had the outcome been different, the time spent writing this post would have instead been spent with a bottle of Jack Daniels. Did I mention we drink to solve our problems in Buffalo? Go Sabres!
I was glad to see the Orlando Magic big man find a way to innovate in a competition that often feels repetative. It’s a simple fact— you can only do so much while airborne. Participants have attempted to add originality to the competition with props, but nothing replaces a 40″ vertical.
Former NBA player John Amaechi recently came public about being gay, becoming the first former NBA player in history to do so. In response to this shocking news, several current and former NBA players were interviewed about their thoughts on playing with a gay teammate. Former Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway took this opportunity to openly express his intolerance for gays. Stunned by the politically incorrectness of the statement, host Dan Le Batard gives Hardaway a chance to back down from his statement and offer a more image friendly answer. Hardaway’s response to being called a homophobic bigot?
** The NFL has pulled all videos of this game from YouTube claiming copyright infringement. That’s right, the game they couldn’t get anyone to watch to begin with. As a result, I have replaced the defunct video with what I consider to be a more than adequate and equally suspenseful Techmo Super Bowl dramatization **
Brian Moorman, the Bills perennial Pro Bowl punter, got jacked up by Redskins free safety and all-around class act Sean Taylor during a fake punt attempt in last weekends Pro Bowl game. Apparently Taylor missed the memo that this was an exhibition game. The fake punt call, made by none other than AFC coach Bill Belichik, was the obvious call to make on a fourth and long, when you’re up by 7 late in the 3rd quarter of a game devoid of any regular season implications. I can only hope that this call inspires future Pro Bowl coaches to ask specialty players to go above and beyond their typical role for the sake of the team. I personally think that Tom Brady going over the middle on Brian Urlacher would be the perfect trick play call in next years scrimmage.
Belichik was later heard saying that he had seen retired linebacker Ted Johnson (who, incidentally, has 75lbs on Moorman) take harder hits. Big Bill’s comments come in the wake of Johnson’s recent public announcement that he now suffers from brain damage. An injury resulting from the string of concussions he suffered while playing under Belichik in New England. Thanks coach.
This years Super Bowl entertainment was proof that advertisers are either utterly clueless about their target demographic or simply don’t care that they are bastardizing the game and everything it means to its loyal fans. Working in the advertising industry, I have a pretty good sense of how a creative brainstorm works, and where the idea for a final concept is derived. With that said, I cannot fathom the conversation that must have taken place to lead to such a conclusion. Evidently it went something like this:
“What if we get dozens of people to prance around while Prince rips ‘Purple Rain’ on an overtly phallic guitar?”
“Dude, that is the best idea ever! But let’s get those people to wear leotards and twirl ribbons around too!”
“Awesome! I can’t see why any football fan wouldn’t love that. This is going to be the best Ultra Bowl show ever!”
Now don’t get me wrong, this is by no means criticism of Prince’s musical prowess or the entertainment value of Cirque du Soleil, but there is undoubtedly a time and place in which they are appropriate. Football’s holy day is certainly not one of them. Give me the Rolling Stones. Give me the Boss. Give me anything not in a leisure suit! The Super Bowl would not hold the cultural significance that it does if it wasn’t for the real fans. The ones who live for the game and die with their teams. Why are we overlooking the fans who truly matter and pandering to the people who presumably don’t even know the names of the teams playing? In short, show me something that this guy would like:
While his prediction was grossly inaccurate, he said it with the heart of a true football fan, and the help of a crazed fans best friend: alcohol. This is the type of guy you see at the stadium when it’s ten degrees out at the tail end of a losing season still supporting his team. Oh, and he’s usually not wearing a shirt. He earned this day, and, if he’s anything like me, is sick of having it ruined by the feel-good, politically-correct garbage that often supersedes the game itself. I’m not here to watch people hold hands, I’m here to see overgrown men pummel each other for no less than an hour. I don’t think I’m asking too much here.
The most common reason non-fans give for watching the Super Bowl is that they want to see the commercials, a cultural trend ignited by the classic 1984 spot by Apple introducing its McIntosh line of computers. And why not, 30 seconds worth of talking lions rolling their “R’s” in an attempt to sell a taquito cost enough money to fed a small country those same taquitos for 30 years. Someone better be watching this stuff.
I often wonder what the players think about all of this commercialism that overshadows their shot at gridiron glory. Thankfully, Snickers got me some answers. Their controversial “man kiss” commercial was shown to two of the games participants as their reactions were filmed. While Colts LB Cato June offers the type of insight you would expect from a 230lb man named Cato, Colts WR Marvin Harrison, with darting eyes and an incredibly uncomfortable smile on his face, offers the more thoughtful commentary of the two. And by thoughtful, of course, I mean far less straight.
