Thoughts on the Lions at Empire Stadium

Football is meant to be played outdoors, as is soccer, if anyone actually wants to watch it.

So upon learning that the BC Lions will be playing the 2010 season in the hands of Mother Nature, it made the holiday season that much better for me. You see, I was brought up a die hard Leo's fan. I'm a member of the last generation of fans that will recall the "Looou" chant as being for arguably the best kicker in CFL history, not for every time the guy we hope is the starting goalie for Canada in the Olympics touches the puck.

But somewhere along the way, I faded from caring whatsoever about the Lions or even the CFL in general. It probably started the first time I saw a live Seahawks game in the ninth grade, escalated when I saw the Washington Huskies play eventual Heisman winner Sam Bradford and Oklahoma at historic Husky Stadium, and then capped off when I witnesses Washington play LSU under the lights in Seattle. Probably one of the greatest sporting spectacles my eyes have ever seen live.

All of a sudden, going to BC Place to sit in a sauna and watch punt after punt, a point awarded for failure, and the all-too-predictable second down pass after a stuffed run on first. Being able to see all of the Carolina Blue seats in the dome just kills the atmosphere. Then came the realization that possibly the most talented quarterback the Lions have ever dressed, Casey Printers, was so far down the depth chart in his stint with Kansas City that he could share greivances with Kordell Stewart. It really didn't help when Wally Buono decided not to start Casey in the Grey Cup after he won the MVP killed it. Probably the only time I've ever seen that happen in any sport.

Anyways, bringing Empire Stadium, the place that's played host to the Commonwealth Games, the Beatles, and the King himself, Elvis Presley, has got to be the biggest gust of fresh air a maligned fan such as myself can ask for.

What I'm really hoping for are sellout games. And some serious tailgating parties. If you've never experienced the tailgating at a college football game, it is probably one of the coolest sights you will ever see, and would make gameday for the Lions that much more enjoyable. It's understandable that it doesn't happen now, just because of the fact that half of the people that show up get there from the SkyTrain.

The summer crowd at the new outdoor building will hopefully be close to selling out the new joint, but what will be interesting to see is how much attendance drops when the games start to be played in the cold. Using my estimating of 38% of people at Lions games that are only there to get drunk, those people will most likely not want to do it in the rain, and just stay home. We'll find out just how big of football fans Vancouverites are after this season.

On the negative side, it's only a temporary venue. But why? Why waste a space that is pretty much just used for a softball diamond for a place that can host big time sporting events and concerts? How cool would it be to see Green Day rock and outdoor concert old school at Empire?

And think about this. SFU is going to be an NCAA Div II school in 2010. A 30,000 seat stadium would be the perfect addition to helping them build a program that can eventually, hopefully, end up in a FBS conference? Obviously all of the top high school kids in BC are going to start to flock to SFU instead of playing in the media starved CIS, but playing in a big stadium could hopefully lure in some secondary talent from Idaho, Washington, and even the hotbed of California where a good enough eye might be able to lure a sleeper up here.

This stadium, used properly, could easily become one of the best things to happen to the Vancouver Sports scene since BC Place opened in '83. This is old school, the way football should be.

Where to sit at a Canucks game

In the past two weeks, I was fortunate enough to be at three Canucks games (Colorado, Chicago, San Jose). I went 1-2 for the three games, but it was obviously worth it. The weird thing was, I sat in probably three of the most random sports in GM Place.

--- Game one: $160.  I sat with my dad in the front row right behind the Canucks bench. It sounded pretty damn cool when I figured I'd be right in the mix of everything and get all of the bench chatter from some guys who know quite a bit about hockey.

On the left is my cell phone picture of what the game looked like from my view. Either Vigneault, Bowness or Walter was always right in my grill and blocking my view. And the worst part? I couldn't hear a word that was said on the bench. I also almost got booted from the rink during the fight between Tanner Glass and Darcy Tucker because I was banging on the glass behind the Canucks bench. Apparently that doesn't fly.

My dad and I were constantly looking up at the screen and we both felt like we may have practically missed Christian Ehrhoff's best game as a Canuck. Still a good time, despite all that.

--- Game Two: $71. From the front row to the nose bleeds. Thankfully, my shirt was blood free after this one when Chicago shut out the Canucks. Frankly, I was a little disappointed just because I expected a little more booing of Patrick Kane. But other than that, sitting one row from the top in GM Place isn't all that bad. I'm pretty used to it, due to financial situations, anyways. It's not all that bad because you can still make out the names on the players' sweaters and you can see everything come together, making you feel like some important hockey writer or scout.

--- Game Three: $109. Back down to the lower bowl to see the best line in hockey and the San Jose Sharks. This was probably the best experience I had, 19 rows up from the visitor's end of the ice and a pretty good view of it all. You really don't notice the netting once the play is over. One thing I will say is that some of the rinks in the Lower Mainland have switched to white netting which blends in better with the ice and makes for a better view. Not sure if that would work in a stadium setting, though. Other than that, it's pretty cool to see the Canucks come down on a helpless goalie and feel like you're right down in there with the whole Canadian NHL atmoshphere around you. This had to be the best bang for the buck, even if it were my dad's friend's bucks.

All for now.

Olympic Thoughts

Sitting here watching CTV's "Sid the Kid vs. Alexander the Great" documentary, for the third time, and they're talking Olympics and I started thinking. And what better place to vent my thoughts than on the blog for my loyal readers.

--- First, the lineup. I wish there was some way of tracking how many different Team Canada roster lineups were posted around the internet. I'd guess it's around the hundreds of thousands. One thing about my list I'd really like to exaggerate? No Brendan Morrow!!! I just don't see why everyone likes this guy so much. Here's the lines.

Forwards

1. Rick Nash - Sidney Crosby - Jarome Iginla


I think this one is starting to become a consensus. It really looks like the prototypical line of two proven scorers between a great playmaker. Hopefully Crosby plays with a chip on his schedule and thankfully it looks like he's starting to heat up after a slow start. Two of the possible  team captains on one line really can't hurt.

2. Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Danny Heatley


Or the San Jose Sharks top line, or the best line in the NHL today. Marleau and Heatley are only second and third in the league in goals scored, respectively, and Thornton's already got 32 assists in 29 games, which leads the league. These three could seriously contend for the number one line, but I think it will just be more of a 1a and 1b kind of thing. If the Russians go with Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk as a line, they would obviously have more talent, but they wouldn't be able to match the chemistry of the Sharks line that's been playing together all season.

3. Corey Perry - Ryan Getzlaf - Brad Richards


This is where it starts to get tricky and opinions tend to change. If the Canadians try a stunt like they did in Torino, Ita., and dress a true checking line with guys like Kris Draper, it's going to be hard to watch. So these three guys, two of them teammates in Anaheim, are the hard nose guys that every Canadian hockey fan, and coach, loves. Think Brent Sutter junior hockey. Gritty, skilled guys who can bury pucks while working their tails off. Getzlaf is a serious scorer who could even be moved to the wing to let Richards (25 assists) do his thing.

4. Jeff Carter - Vincent Lecavalier - Martin St. Louis


Lecavalier is getting no love this season but I just can't see Steve Yzerman passing on him. Let's not forget, Canada may have not won the last World Cup if he hadn't buried the overtime goal in the semi-finals against the Czechs. The bets part about him is that he can be moved around the roster and really play with anyone. He will step up come Olympic time. These are three more leaders that can really help the dressing room.

Defencemen


1.  Chris Pronger - Duncan Keith


Pronger is a shoe-in, but what makes the 2010 Olympics is that there really isn't a set defense roster like there used to be with guys like Blake, Foote, McInnis, Neidermayer, and Jovanovski. Duncan Keith just got a 13-year deal from Chicago for a reason. He's a hard nosed guy who strikes fear into the hearts of Europeans. Remember, this year will be played on an NHL sized ice and size will matter.

2. Mike Green - Dion Phaneuf


Mike Green puts up points from the back end for a living. Is that just because he's playing with Ovechkin? Maybe, but it's not like the Canadians are starving for talent. Dion Phaneuf has taken a lot of heat lately, but I really believe he's as solid as we're gonna get on defense. He's amassed countless YouTube clips of huge hits that, again, will be very valuable on the smaller ice this time around. The physical presence in these Olympics is going to be invaluable and the Canadians are going to really be able to assert themselves.

3. Shea Weber - Dan Boyle


For some reason, I've never been sold on Boyle. But hey, he puts up huge points every season and has played himself onto this team. This is the same combination of offensive defenseman/big-hitting defenseman as the last pairing and I've always believed that's the best way to go about it. Of course the D doesn't have to be set and you can pair Boyle and Green together when you need offense and Weber and Keith together when you need to shut down a team.

Goalies


1. Roberto Luongo


This is finally his turn, and he's earned it. I'll get into the experience thing later in the post. Don't say he can't win the big game because he shut down Jagr and the Czech's in the semi-finals of the 2004 World Cup when Brodeur went down, playing for the first time in September after not playing all summer. That game was an overtime game as well.

2. Martin Brodeur


I hate to judge him on one game, but the Canucks tore him apart last night in a 5-2 win. If Daniel Sedin is beating you with a slapshot coming down the wing, five-hole no less, I think you've got problems. I thought he was one of the shakiest goalies in the '06 Games, and luck had to do with his biggest save when he was caught way out of position and managed to get his paddle down. If that puck was raised 4 inches off the ice it was a goal.

--- So that's my roster, commence the picking apart of it.

--- As to who's not on there? Scott Neidermayer is the biggest name that you'll notice that I left off. Why? Because I hope Yzerman and co. will learn from the mistakes of the FOG (Friends of Gretzky) team they dressed in '06 because of all of the experience they thought they had, leaving off Crosby and Eric Staal, who both scored over 100 points that season. And the result? They lost to Pavel Bure's Russians, which included a rookie Ovechkin and Malkin, who wasn't even in the NHL yet. Experience is important, but not as important as who is playing the best hockey, especially in such a short tournament.

--- The Russians. I think they're the favourite to get to the gold medal game. But after you get past Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk, and Datsyuk (hard to get past, I know), this really isn't a deep team. Quick, off the top of your head, name me a russian defensemen. Gonchar. Name me one more. Markov (injured). there are only five healthy Russian defensemen playing in the NHL right now and that could be the downfall of Canada's biggest rival.

--- The Swedes. Henrik Sedin is scoring goals and Daniel Sedin is healthy again. Scary. They;re the defendign champs and I don't think they're getting close to the amount of credit that they'll end up earning. Their defense might, like the Russians, be their downfall, especially since Lidstrom is tailing off and super-rookie Hedman hasn't scored a goal yet. Also like the Russians, they're not very deep with their forwards but if they can find someone to get chemistry with the Sedins they could be hard to stop. For some reason Swedes are able to come together as a team and get the job done. It will be interesting to see if Forsberg and Naslund make the team.

--- The Americans. This will probably be the best US team that we've ever seen. They've never really had a big star, but now they've got two in Patrick Kane and Zach Parise (who I still can't believe is American after his dad was on the 1972 Canadian Summit Series team. Just a travesty.) And, Ryan Miller is playing as good as any goalie in the league right now. Expect the Americans to pull off a big upset at some point in the tournament and make some unexpected noise.

--- The Schedule. I haven't seen it directly, but from what I've heard from Hosea Cheung of 24Hours, the schedule is tailor made for the Canadians for success by starting off with two cupcakes (one of those being the Swiss, who beat Canada in '06), and probably the Germans after that, which is then followed by Slovakia. This will give the Canadians a chance to gel together as a team once they get into the real tough ones.

--- That's all I can think of for now, but one more thing. NO BRENDAN MORROW!!!!!

Forsberg stays in Sweden, Sundin wasn't that bad.

News came out today that Peter Forsberg has decided to stay in Sweden, instead of making a comeback to the NHL.

Vancouver fans know that Thomas Gradin was out in Frolunda, Sweden (or some other city in Sweden) scouting Forsberg to see if he might be able to make a Mats Sundin-esque impact on the Canucks. Boston, Philadelphia and the Rangers also had scouts over there taking their own look.

It's nice Forsberg won't be here at any point in the season. When I think Forsberg, I remember the 2005-06 season when Forsberg was picked up by a Nashville team that was playing as good as anyone in the league at the time. Nashville gave up Scotty Upshall, Ryan Parent and picks to get the Swede, but it was seen at the time to be worth it. And what happened? First round exit in the playoffs.

The blame can't be placed solely on Forsberg, but it does bring back memories.

But when Canucks fans heard that management was taking a serious look at an aging Swede, we think automatically of the disaster that was Mats Sundin.

But was Sundin ever really that bad? He came in at the exact halfway point in the season and put up 28 points. If he would've signed at the beginning of the season and scored just under 60 points, would Canucks fans be upset? Probably not, except for the ones who care about money. The thing is, the money was there to be spent and there was nothing else they could've done with it. The money didn't matter.

Sure, Sundin's arrival came just around the same time the Canucks went on one of their worst losing streaks in franchise history. Then he look bad. Really bad.

Then, either Sundin found his touch again, or his abilities as a leader paid off, or a little bit of both, and the Canucks were the best team in the league and ended up winning the division with the recognition of being a serious Stanley Cup contender, especially with the first round sweep of St. Louis. It's just too bad that money couldn't be spent on David Backes. Nice try, Gillis.

And what would've happened if Sundin did sign at the beginning of the season? We can't be sure, but it's pretty obvious he would step right in as team captain. The Canucks didn't need a guy to step into captaincy when he's only going to be there for a maximum two seasons. Think Mark Messier.

So would Forsberg's arrival have been a good thing for the Canucks? It's tough to tell. But it is hard to tell anyone that the team would be any worse with his addition, especially with their recent rash of injuries.

We will, though, see what we might of missed in February when the Olympics roll into Vancouver, with a roster spot most definitely being held for Forsberg.

Hockey Canada makes another stupid mistake

Bob Nicholson and Hockey Canada are making some pretty idiotic decisions as of late.

First, the negligence to not apply for the logo waiver in order to wear the Hockey Canada logo at the 2010 Olympics, something they've always done in the past. That logo kicks a considerable amount of ass and is tattooed on many a beer leaguer in this country.

Now they've decided to announce the 2010 Olympic roster on December 31st. Right in the middle of the world juniors.

Yeah, a lot of these kids will have bigger moments in their lives, but there are the exceptions where guys who play in the world juniors for Team Canada never blossom into their once-seen potential and fail to amount to anything after the tournament.

Because of that I firmly believe that all hockey attention should be placed on these kids throughout the tournament and the millionaires who will play on the Olympic team should ease off. Like they need more attention anyways.

Either way, I'd like to be at that new years party.

Canucks vs. Wild game diary

Damn fine road win for the Canucks. 5-2 and Burrows got the goal monkey off his back.

6:30 What a save by Raycroft with the paddle of his stick to keep the 2 goal lead.

6:20: And what do we have here? Pettinger makes Backstrom look like an idiot. 4-2 Canucks.

6:17: Henrik puts the Canucks up 3-1, but Brodziak answers right back with his second goal of the night. You can't stop a guy with such a badass mustache.

6:12: Really not much going on.

6:05: Brodziak scores for Minny. This is what happens when you get tunnel vision and everyone just stares at the puck. This is also what happens when you do this with a depleted lineup. Raycroft could've controlled that rebound better.

6:01: Great pass by Edler, Unreal shot by Raymond. Canucks go up 2-0 after doing nothing on the first PP.

5:57: Second period starts. I can't express how proud I am of Sportsnet for giving me a visual of the diner that Charlie Conway's mom used to work at. Good chance for Vancouver to run away with this one with a double-minor to Boogard.

5:45: Did Minnesota really beat Pittsburgh?

5:41: First period over. Good road period from the Canucks. They did give up a couple scoring chances that the Wild could've buried but that might just be nitpicking. Raycroft looking calm and comfortable. Should probably look to get the offense rolling more in the 2nd.

5:37: Good tweet from @Nucksmisconduct: Canucks need Forsberg like they need a hole in the head. Wow, my next post was going to wonder if Raycroft might let one in because he might be getting cold down there. Nice kick save to keep the lead on the PK.

5:32: Minny down 1-0 with a crowd not really into it against a team playing a good road period. I think it's time for Boogard to fight/get beat up by Rypien.

5:29:Wellwood cuts through Minny's defense but decides to pass it off, and in turn turn it over. This is what a guy with no goals on the season looks like.

5:28: VERY uninspiring powerplay by Minnesota, well, until the last 10 seconds where Sykore missed an easy chance to bury one.

5:27: I sure think Marian Gaborik would've loved to play in this system after years of being honed in by Lemaire. This Minnesota powerplay is brutal and sure misses Gaborik.

5:24: Henrik takes a pretty stupid penalty but it looks like a make up call for missing the Mitchell hook earlier on. On another note, how long will the honeymoon period last with Alex Burrows on the top line? Seems like it's been a long time since he's done anything noteworthy.

5:22: Samuellsson making much better offensive decisions these days.

5:18: Commercial Break, that was a terrible PP. Nothing really else to say, other than to ask why Bieksa was playing forward on a powerplay. We get why it is on 5-on-5, but Vigneault can't find a better offensive player than a defenseman to play the wing on the number one PP unit? Reminds me of Gretzky being left out of the shootout in the semi-final of the '98 Olympics when they lost to the Czechs.

5:15: Can't believe how good the Canucks are on the PP this season. That's due hugely (I think) to the signing of Samuelsson.

5:14: In the Lemaire era, the Wild were the best team when it came to playing with a lead, and the hardest team to fight back from a defecit against. Let's see how it is now. Canucks to the PP.

5:12:Hordichuck with an absolute bomb.. or was it a whiff by Backstrom? Who cares. Secondary scoring = essential. 1-0 Canucks.

5:10: Good chance for Raycroft to stay on top of the league in GAA with a team that only scores two goals a game in the Wild. Another note on the Wild, they have a full-time captain for their first time in their history.

5:09: Bieksa on the number one forward line? He did say forward was much easier.. On another note, this is going to be interesting to see Minnesota in post-Lemaire mode. Great start, Bieksa, way to take a penalty on your first shift. Forward isn't so easy is it?

5:07: Phew. Baseball is over. I thought I was going to have to watch this on CityTV

Canucks are just badasses

And I mean that in the coolest way possible.

Has anyone noticed in the Mike Gillis era how much tougher of a team the Canucks are? And this is even when it seems like he keeps signing european after european after undersized forward.

It's almost like bringing in guys like Shane O'Brien, Darcy Hordichuck and Ryan Johnson brought an attitude to the team that most likely makes the rest of the league absolutely hate this team.

First, to prove how cool the Canucks really are, here's a short video claiming that the term "cougar" originated in the Canucks dressing room.

Then, there's the fact that you know the Canucks are doing their research when they start to beak at other players. You know when a new guy comes on board with the Canucks that they're going to ask that new guy things about his teammates, which they can then use to epically piss off other teams. Check out this video of Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows asking a member of the Blues about his wife, apparently named Kelly. You know they got the wife's name from the ex-Blue Johnson. And check out Scottie Upshall talking about his dislike for Kesler on live TV.

Then again, Willie Mitchell admitted before the season that they didn't exactly handle the situation against Chicago last season in the playoffs, saying that they cared more about proving their toughness then winning hockey games.

But hell, that's good Canadian hockey. And what Canadian hockey fan doesn't like seeing stuff like that? Not like it hasn't been proven (see past history of Boston and Philly).

I've been noticing this trend with the Canucks for awhile now, but it really all started with Jannik Hansen. This guy is probably the most soft spoken hockey player I've ever seen. But after playing last year's pre-season on a line with Kesler and Burrows, he was in the middle of every scrum he could get to. He even started fighting. Imagine that. A Dane. Fighting. In hockey.

Badass.

Gotta end with a Puckerman quote from Glee.

"Are you questioning my badassness? Have you seen my guns??"

Tuesday hockey thoughts/Ohlund is still a Canuck

---It appears that even after leaving the Canucks for a sweeter life in Tampa, Fla., Matthias Ohlund still has some Canuck left in him. This was apparent when he absolutely dropped Phil Kessel who figured a trip through the trolley tracks might be a good idea. Again, this is what you get, Toronto, for pinning all of your hopes on a guy with one nut. The Canucks have never really had a bitter rival. Sure, we hate the Oilers, Flames, and Leafs (but for some reason Canuck fans decide the playoffs are a good time to cheer for the first to.), but those three teams hate other teams a lot more than we hate them. Still, it was nice to see Ohlund punishing a team we all hate.

---Where would the Canucks be without the signing of Mikael Samuelsson? Well, probably still in overtime with the Rangers had he not scored the first and third goals of the game. I admit I was hesitant with him at the beginning of the year, mostly just because he was making some stupid decisions. But after years and years of watching the Sedins, Steve Bernier, and practically the rest of the team fail to bury chances, it's pretty damn nice to see someone with some actual finish. And how about Ryan Kesler playing right around point per game hockey? How much is this guy going to be worth when his contract comes up? Goodbye, Mr. Demitra?

---Moving away from the Canucks, I still cannot believe the slew of injuries in 2009. Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin, last seasons top two scorers? Out for weeks. The Penguins have proved during the last two injuries of Sidney Crosby that they can play without their captain. That situation has just given fuel to Crosby haters that say he isn't as good as Malkin. Well, it seems to work both ways with the Penguins not missing a beat without Geno (Malkin). Crosby did have to save the game tonight against Anaheim when he "stacked the pads" and took a shot off the tin cup. The real question that will be answered in Ovechkin's absence? How good are Semin and Backstrom? It's going to be interesting to see how they will play without the MVP.

Husky commit gets drunk at school dance

The main story, the politically correct version of it, is filed here at the Seattle Times.

The reality of it is, Chris Young of Auburn High got drunk at a school dance and will be suspended for the rest of the football season.

I saw a comment on the story saying that a kid like this isn't good for a program as rich with tradition as Washington. That couldn't be further from the truth.

To paraphrase a national championship winning head coach, Nick Saban said that the purpose of college football was for the boys to come out of the program not just as better football players but as better people. So a kid got drunk at a school dance. So what? Name me one member of the 2009 version of the Washington Huskies that didn't go out and get smashed after the colossal 16-13 upset against then-#3 USC? Not everyone is Mr. Perfect like Tim Tebow.

Scout.com has Young listed as a four star prospect. The kid broke a school record with six touchdowns the last time he played. But get this, the Huskies are recruiting him to play safety, and recruiting analysts are touting him as the best safety prospect to come out of the state of Washington since Lawyer Milloy. Well, Milloy is now a Husky Legend. Can you honestly tell me there wasn't a time in high school where he went out and got drunk after a win in high school? For the work these kids put in, especially at the college level, they deserve a beer after a game.

So should this 17-year-old kid lose a scholarship because he made a decision without thinking of his future to impress some girls? No!!!

These high school stars are treated like gods, and in turn think they are teetering on the bring of invincibility. They're bound to think they are above the rules. And trust me, Young missing the post season of an already undefeated season year is going to hurt him enough to know that he might want to think before he partakes in under age drinking on school grounds.

I guarantee you Steve Sarkisian is not worried about this. If Young really can be as good as Milloy, I'm sure he'll take his chances and mould a man out of him.

Somewhat locally related links

Links and minutiae for you to peruse while taking in this not-so-glorious weather today in the Lower Rainland (Patent Pending).

---Some guy named Nucks IceMan at Bleacher Report (who has about the same knowledge as anyone following the Canucks and attempts to write about it) says that Cory Schneider could become one of those guys who shines in the AHL but can't make the transition to the big times. My take? Nucks Iceman is as much of a "ritard" as Allen in The Hangover. Much to the shagrin of people who think they know what they're talking about, Schneider has never really gotten a chance. Goalies need time to get acclimated into the pro game. Look at Marc-Andre Fleury. He was thrown into snake pit and was terrible. Now he's in consideration for the Canadian Olympic team. The only way Schneider can reach his potential is to be a number one goalie in a place like Atlanta or Florida where he can truely get used to NHL shooters without the pressure of a hockey market. Let him pull a Pekka Rinne and actually make a name for himself.

---Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun (and consequently the brother of my fifth grade teacher and may be the reason I'm in journalism) looks on the bright side of what the Canucks are doing with a depleted lineup, while saying that "it could be worse." Well yeah, it could always be worse. They could be the Toronto Maple Leafs and be awaiting upon their one-nutted saviour Phil Kessel. MacIntyre said five Canucks are having a good season but left out Henrik Sedin, who is on pace for his best season ever even without the services of his brother for the last 11 games.

---Moving a couple hours down south, Constable Echelon of Hotdog & Friends argues that seeing a lower level hoops team such as Cal State Northridge would be more entertaining and affordable at Key Arena when they play Seattle U, instead of paying the big bucks to watch Washington play at Hec Ed. Courtside season tickets are running at $150, working out to about $12 per game.

---For your high school football fix, Thomas Miller of The Sports Corner churns out info on all of the important games in BC while putting together weekly power rankings to rival The Province's Howard Tsumara's work.

--- Bob Condotta's football blog and Percy Allen's basketball blog at the Seattle Times will give you everything you need to know about the Washington Huskies two major athletic programs.

All for now.

Love 'em or Hate 'em: The Big Two

Whenever there is a debate about the strongest conference in college basketball, it always comes down to the Big East and the ACC. Unless you like games with an over/under set at 70, in which case, head to the Big 10. Yes, the consensus pre-season number one is Kansas (of the Big 12), and rightfully so. That team is stacked with talent that could've went pro last year and has a sick recruiting class. This may be because half of the teams in the national discussion are playing in the Big East. Exaggeration, but still. Onto the picks.

ACC

Love 'em: North Carolina.

What's not to love about a team that makes it cool to wear baby blue? And a team that has almost successfully changed the name of that colour to Carolina Blue? Nothing. That's what. How can you cheer against the school that Michael Jordan played for and won a national championship with? You can't. North Carolina was so stacked last season that alot of media pundits thought they could run the table on the whole season. They didn't, but that just speaks for the strength of schedule in the ACC. But really, that starting five could have been the starting five for the Charlotte Bobcats. Now they're forced to re-load, but it really shouldn't be that hard. Roy Williams probably has the easiest job in recruiting of any coach in basketball. "Want to play for Carolina?" "Umm.. Yes?"

Hate 'em: Duke

Sorry, but when you're a Carolina fan, you can't like Duke. For a long time, I was a fan of the two, for the sole reason that I was young, stupid and didn't pay enough attention to the fact that there isn't a more heated rivalry in sports than Duke/Carolina. They absolutely hate each other. Want a reason to hate Duke? The family that the school is named after got rich because of their massive cigarette chain. Duke causes cancer. It's a private school with a bunch of rich punks that everyone hates. Duke kills babies.

Big East later, unexpected errands.

Obvious Answer of the Day

Halftime.

Georgia Bulldogs at #1 Florida Gators.

CBS Reporter Lady: "AJ Green, how do you get him more involved in the game?"

Georgia head coach Mark Richt: "Well, we've got to throw it to him more."

Thanks for that.

College Hoops: More love 'em or hate 'em

I was planning on finishing all of these in one post but had to head out to Fright Night at the PNE. Scroll down to check the teams in my last post. Onto the other conferences.

SEC

Love 'em: Kentucky.

I've always hated John Calipari. Only on the grounds that he coached in the C-USA and I could never give a guy any respect that puts together an all-world recruiting class every year to play against nobodies. "Hey, come play for me. You won't lose a conference game." Seems pretty easy to me. But now he's in a relatively big-time conference with Kentucky. And once again he put together a sick class with Demarcus Cousins and John Wall. What I like here is that he took on a challenge. In his first press conference he pointed out that the only banners they hang at Kentucky are for national championships. Just making the NCAA tournament every year won't be good enough. I'm all about tradition and I'd like to see a big time program like this get back into the national discussion.

Hate 'em: Florida

This isn't just basketball. I hate Florida in every sport. So it's nice to see them falter, especially after those two national championships that they won in a row. Now they're just fighting to to win some games in the NIT. Here's hoping that the drop down the CBI this season. You can see how elated I was when ESPN had a big story on their fall. Really, basketball in the States is supposed to be about the middle states. The Kansas's, the Indianas, the Kentuckys. The deep south is about football. I just hate Florida. And you should too.

Big-10

Love 'em: Indiana

If there is anyone reading this that didn't fall in love with the movie Hoosiers, leave this blog right now. Now that they're gone, refer to my Kentucky entrance about tradition. I love it. Indiana has tons of it. If only there was a rule in place to keep Eric Gordon playing for Indiana. I really love everything about the tradition of that program from the candy-striped pants to their big stadium that feels like a little gym. Yes they had a bunch of troubles with idiot players messing with the law, but they do have some home grown talent coming in that will get them back to where they need to be in the Big Ten.

Hate 'em: Purdue

With a close second to Ohio State. But Purdue is the team that knocked Washington out of the tournament last season. Purdue is the team that stole a chance from UW to have a re-match in the Sweet 16 against Connecticut, which was one of the best basketball games I had ever seen. Also, some friends of mine went down to the states to play a tournament in California and Robbie Hummel stayed in the entire game and embarassed these poor kids from Maple Ridge. What a jerk. Purdue sucks.

More Later.

College Hoops can't come soon enough

I think the NBA starts today. I could be wrong. Whatever. The days of me as a young boy watching the Bulls in my black MJ jersey with matching shorts with my dad are over. The cool thing about Jordanis how no one remembers how great of a defender he was. That probably just had to do with how competitive he felt he needed to be in his drive to become the greatest basketball player ever. I'd say he did enough to do that.

And that's what the NBA is missing nowadays. Really, the most competitive guys in the NBA are the officials. They're competitive in gambling, see Tim Donaghy. They're apparently pretty competitive as a union, too. Hey, maybe the scab refs will be competitive enough to land themselves a job when the strike is over.

My point is, the players don't care. And nor should they. They're rich. I probably wouldn't either. But since I'm a fan, I do care. Watching Kobe Bryant spot up, then hesitate, then spot up, then fake a pass, then take a stupid shot, is really just pissing me off. Even better, how about guys taking six steps without being called for traveling?

The point I'm trying to make is that I'm sick of the NBA. It's lack of effort is now 100% apparent and its even shown throughout the crowd. The best shot they can get at games is of whatever celebrity got free courtside tickets for the night. Come on. Give me a die hard fan for God's sake. Someone who spent his rent money on nosebleeds just to see his team lose.

This is why I'm completely converted to college basketball.

I went down to my first University of Washington basketball game in February to watch them beat the living hell out of Oregon. It was a complete blowout but the crowd was still nuts. Most of the student section had brought with them rolls of toilet paper to recognize Oregon's best player, Tajuan Porter's initials. They turn around when the opposing team's starting lineup is being introduced, yelling out WHO CARES after each name.

And above all else, the kids work their tales off. Aside from some of the one-and-doners, see O.J Mayo, their unselfish and are playing for a future job.

And now that I know enough about the national landscape of college hoops, I'm set to give anybody who might read this, a team to cheer for and a team to hate from each major conference. Let's kick it off with the hometown Pac-10.

Pac-10

Like 'em: Washington

This is an obvious one. Their the closest to Vancouver, and it's about a three hour drive to get there. The campus is beautiful and so are the women that sleep there. From a basketball point of view, they have a relatively long standing head coach in Lorenzo Romar, who is also insanely respected. The ovation he got at the Huskies football game against LSU was crazy. The Huskies also hold claim to a top five backcourt with Isaiah Thomas, freshman Abdul Gaddy, and defensive specialist Venoy Overton. This team will be one of the most exciting teams in the country to watch. I feel bad for easterners who won't get to see them play until they hit the Sweet 16.

Hate 'em: Arizona

We all know this history of the Arizona basketball program. Twenty five straight NCAA Tournament appearances is a record. I think. But everyone knows the only reason they got in last year was because of that history. They didn't deserve to be in there, even though they had about four future NBAers on their roster. UW fans, at least, can be a fan of Arizona's last coach, Lute Olsen. Had it not been for him quitting, the Huskies wouldn't have the freshman phenom Gaddy quarterbacking the offense for them.

More to come.

Full Retard of the Day---Phil Steele

Or to be politically correct, Full ritard of the day.

Just because I'm sick of seeing retarded things in the news, I want to make this more of a regular post.

And the winner of my first Full Retard if the day? College football preview guru Phil Steele.

To be fair, this guy has probably watched more football than any non-coach, or non-player in the world, and has most likely forgotten more about football than I've ever learned. And I respect the guy.

That is, until his preview of the second half of the season had my Washington Huskies going 1-5, with their only win against the worst BCS school in football, Washington State.

Steele's gotta realize that the Pac-10 is doing its best to imitate the 2008 version of the ACC, where nobody can figure out why teams like Boston College are losing to teams like Duke.

Here's ESPN's Ted Miller's take on the situation right now.

Follow along. Stanford dumped Washington. Arizona beat Oregon State. Oregon State whipped Stanford. Washington beat Arizona. No, football is not logical or suitable for mathematical equations. It appears the Pac-10 is nine teams deep in quality, which means every game may be an adventure. Oregon and USC are clearly in the top tier. The other seven are sort of scrambling around.

Scrambling around doesn't mean going 1-5 to end the season. It means balls coming off the feet of Arizona recievers, only to be intercepted and taken back for game winning touchdowns.

And apparently that also means nerdy asian kids trying to keep quiet while their parents sleep.

But, if Steele is right, then UW fans will probably look something like Rob Schneider in The Waterboy, which I don't think will happen.

Just know that in all of UW's games this season, apart from (hopefully) a bowl game, there won't be a better player on the field than Jake Locker.

Oh and three

Thoughts and Notes on the Canucks disaster of a season. I'll try to look at the positives, but it's going to be digging deep.

--- "This team is so good that last year's CHL player of the year couldn't even grab a roster spot" was the collective knowledge of a Vancouver sports fan before the Flames took a 3-0 lead on the Canucks. Now, it's straight up "this team sucks, and our top rookie sucks." But what I'm going to do is compare Cody Hodgson to Philly's James van Riemsdyk. You know, the kid who got drafted behind Patrick Kane and in front of Kyle Turris? That's the problem living in a NHL-crazy town. Nobody in hockey media every talks about van Riemsdyk, and the only reason we hear about Turris is because he's Canadian. Why is it that Philly's number two pick gets less pressure than Vancouver's number ten pick?

--- Somebody might have to remind Roberto Luongo how much money he's making to stop the puck. And another reminder that the season starts in October, not November. We can live with him not making the spectacular saves that we've grown accustomed to in his last three years, but the goals he let in against Columbus? Unacceptable. It reminds me of the episode of Friday Night Lights when Smash Williams needs to have a big game with a scout in town, but for some reason can't get it together. One problem: this is an impatient town, and unlike Dillon, Texas in FNL, it's real. What's Sportsnet's slogan? Hockey that matters? Luongo better realize that to these fans, it does matter.

--- To Mikael Samuelsson: Shooting from everywhere, at any time, whenever you get the chance, isn't going to fly when you're sporting a minus-4 rating. That sick save Steve Mason made on Samuelsson? Great save. Yeah. But Kesler's drop-pass that set it up actually brought Mason forward out of the net. If Samuelsson fakes that shot, he has a clear lane to a wide open cage, and what I think would have tied that game up. He's listed as having ten shots. That does not count the amount of missed nets and blocked shots he's unleashed. And above all else, those two categories of shots only lead to one thing: loss of possesson. News flash, watch the Sedins. This is a possession team.

--- While Willie Mitchell obviously has the ugliest slapper I've ever seen in all my year's of watching hockey, his goal against the BJ's was actually an impressive shot. Whether or not he was aiming to put it off the post and in is anyone's guess. But that's not the point. Mitchell is leading the Canucks in scoring. Probably something that should be changed.

--- Gotta admit, this is quite the town we live in. Maybe it's just me, but people, including myself, are really PO'd at this team. Who's gonna score our goals? Is Luongo going to be buried in the goalie graveyard? Did he not get over game 6 against Chicago? Is our Russian not as good as we thought he was? Will Hodgson ever be good enough? Relax. It's three games. I need to tell myself that every once in a while. But, if this gets to 0-5, 0-6, 0-7, we've got problems.

Capologists rule.

Remember when one of Mike Gillis' first signings was that of a capologist?
Remember asking yourself why the hell anyone would spend money on a guy who knew the salary cap real well?

Well, that capologist found the loophole that lets Roberto Luongo make $10 million in his first year, while only hitting the Canucks cap for $5.3 million.

Those last couple years of his contract that have him making around a million each year, well, they aren't gonna happen.

More thoughts on Luongo

--- Does this mean that the last three years of him having brutal starts to the year are over? And if it does, does that mean he stops setting shutout records every November? Sure hope not.

--- There are a few things that can happen when a dude realizes he's ggoing to be making $10 million next year. One, he goes Todd Bertuzzi and puts up less than deserving numbers. Two, he works harder to make sure he earns it. Three, he buys everyone on the team Bentley Continentals in hopes that no matter what happens they still like him.

--- Does he get a new bucket this year with even more coming in? How about 82 different designs (one for each game), and then another one for each (hopeful) playoff series? His 08/09 vintage one has to be my favourite, other than the first one he used with the grizzly and the skyline. But how cool would a playoff edition be of something like a Duck being shot or a Red Wing being sawed in half or something? OOOOOh!! A Flame being exttinguished! This could get fun.

--- Are Shane O'Brien and Kevin Bieksa still the coolest guys on the team? Yes. Who cares about money, those two are bad ass. Just wanted to throw that in there.

--- Cody Hodgson (I'll never call him CoHo. I don't want the future of the franchise to be called a fish.) better get a nice welcoming gift from Luongo, seeing as he's kinda the guy that Luongo is counting on to put up points in front of him come 2019 when the contract starts to run out, as does Roberto's internal clock.

I'll probably have more later.

Quote of the Day (so far)

From nucksmisconduct.com on Luongo's 12-year deal.

"And the first person to say "Rick DiPietro" will have Rick Rypien on a Red Bull bender unleashed in your general direction. You've been warned."

Luongo takes paycut for old-age pension

Here's hoping he retires after about six to eight of those years.

But this trade actually kicks a significant amount of ass. His cap hit is 5.3 million. Unlike every other ultra-long-term contract player, this contract isn't untradeable.

And for god's sake how cool is Ryan Kesler? I remember somewhere along the line I heard/saw an interview somewhere talking about how he conducted a bit of a team meeting, where he pretty much talked the rest of the team into taking a paycut to start winning.

(I think we already learned how cool Kesler is when the YouTube clip of him beaking David Backes' wife surffaced.)

Started with Burrows taking $2 million a year (He might have been able to double that on the open market). Even Mathieu Schneider took about $4 million less, although he wasn't around for that meeting.

Now Luongo, who over-played his career averages last season, takes a paycut to stay in a place where his family doesn't even like, and for 12 years no less?

Bad ass.

Movie Quote of the Day: Remember the Titans

"Water? Water is for Cowards. Water is for the weak. Water is for washing blood off my uniform, and oyu don't get no blood on my uniform! Boy you must be outside your mind! We are going to do up-downs until Blue is no longer tired, and thirsty."
--- Denzel Washington as Herman "Coach Coon" Boone.

Thoughts

Sometimes I think about sports. OK so I'm usually thinking about sports. These are Scott's Thoughts. A periodic entry I'll throw in with my random thoughts of the day or week or year.

--- I think the Canucks are going to be good this year. And I usually don't. I'm not going into salary crap bee's wax just because it sounds like a lot of work. But if they can get their defence settled, Bernier to have another career year, Samuellsson to score 20, and Burrows to continue what he started with the Sedins, this is a dangerous team.

--- I think high school football in and around Vancouver deserves more respect. I think Farhan Lalji might be a better coach (New West Hyacks) than he is a broadcaster. There are a few kids in and around the BC high school circuit with division 1 scholarship offers, which aren't handed out like candy like they are in California. I think people in the Lower Mainland should get behind their alma maters and make an atmosphere like Permian or Dillon in Friday Night Lights.

--- I think anyone who calls Vancouver a hockey market is wrong. Vancouver is a Canucks market, and there's a difference. If it were a hockey market, Junior A and Junior B rinks would be packed , rather than the friends and family crowds that actually go to the games in the low hundreds. If it were a hockey market, You wouldn't be able to get a ticket to a Giants game.

--- I think I want to pursuade anyone who might be reading this that says that don't watch college football because they have no one to cheer for, to make an attitude adjustment. UW is a three hour drive away. and 73,000 at Husky stadium compared to the 25,000 we get at BC Place is worth the drive.

--- I think I need to get to a Seahawks game this year. Almost as badly as Shaun Alexander needs a job this year. Oops.

Mann Cup starts Friday night

As I said in my inaugural post, VSG will be attending the Mann Cup on Friday night at Queen's Park Arena in New West.

If you've never seen a lacrosse game before, Queen's Park is the place to do it. If you've never seen a game at Queen's park.. DO IT. The combination of the brand new wooden floor and the cutout of the old floor hung on the wall is insane. The history there is ridiculous. And senior A lacrosse is a fucking lumberjack sport.

There is no better place to see grown men, most of which are firefighters, hack eachother with sticks for sixty minutes.

New West is probably the sports team with the most history in Canada. the Brampton Excelsiors won the Ontario league, which needs no more respect than it's already got, which is a ridiculous amount.



The best part is.. they serve beer. Two years ago New West hosted the Minto Cup (Jr. A Nationals), and, let's just say we made our own Minto Cup.

Sports in Vancouver

The week before labour day is as lame as these punks trying to get a hold of Mike Gillis to confirm the inevitable signing of Luongo while he's on a fishing trip.

And almost as lame as the Canucks signing Nathan MacIver when they already signed three other D-men a few days ago. Manitoba must be hurtin'.

And almost as lame as the amount of fourth liners those Canucks will have to juggle this season. (off the top of my head.. Rypien, Hordichuck, Hansen, Raymond, Grabner (??), Shirokov (??), and possibly Wellwood).

And just as lame as that too-much-time-on-his-hands statistitian for the Grizzlies that pumped up Shareef's numbers. (I always wondered how he was a "star" player but never even made a damn all-star game.

What it does do is give me more of a chance to read up on college football.. like I haven't been doing that for the past nine god damn months.

Luckily, Thursday gives me six hours of college ball, and I couldn't be more happy about it. NC State and South Carolina looks good on paper, and the Boise State/Oregon game on the smurf turf in Idaho is going to be make or break for both teams. Oregon needs every win they can get to catch Cal, and Boise State has all it's tough games finished after week one, meaning an undefeated season really rides on this one.

And what Thursday really does is prep me for a pretty sick weekend of sports.

Friday: Get the hell off my desk at work, pick up intermission beers and head to Queen's Park Arena for the Mann Cup (New Westminster Salmonbellies vs. Brampton Excelsiors) on the wooden floor-- where lacrosse is meant to be played.

Saturday: Nurse the hangover as much as possible and head down to the U. of Washington to see the Huskies play LSU in what should be at least close to a sellout. Yes, it has the potential to be a blowout, but I saw the Oklahoma game last year live and still had a good time.

Also planning on finding some sort of frosh week party at Udub to see what this college party atmosphere is really about.

Sunday: Recover.

So that's mean in a nutshell ("No, this is me in a nutshell: Help! I'm in a nutshell! Get me out of this fucking thing!). Apologize for the Austin Powers quote. I like hockey. too much. And I'm currently on a fling with college football that could turn into something big. Playing lacrosse is my other love, as is basketball. I hate golf but for some reason still hack around courses from time to time.

I'm gonna blog about what's going on that should interest a sports fan in Vancouver.

And no, the CFL shouldn't interest a sports fan in Vancouver. Don't punish yourself. You have the NFL and College ball three hours away.