Open Thread & Sports Posted by JP Stormcrow, 01 Jun 2007 01:38 pm

Open Thread (#11)

Update: Wednesday 6/6/07  - Will be on about 8 for some Stanley Cup Game 5 coverage - not looking so good for the Senators though

Join us in the comments for Liveblogging Cavs/Pistons Game 6 (seamlessly intertwined with Ducks/Senators Game 3) starting at 8:00 PM Saturday, June 2nd. (Update: game coverage starts at comment #9)
Sports fans, non sports fans, knitters, left-handers. malcontents, those that belong to the emperor, sockpuppets and and anyone else are welcome.
Seamlessly intertwined, I tell you … seamlessly.

I know that many think that he is a jerk per Open Thread (#9), but if you didn’t see LeBron score the last 25 points in a row for the Cavs in their victory Thursday night (including all of Cleveland’s points in both overtimes) to go up 3-2 in the series, well, then I guess you didn’t see it. I had Detroit in 6, so I’m happily wrong in my prognosticoratoring.

Next game: (i.e. next NE Ohio Post-Traumatic Sports Loss opportunity)
Cavs v Pistons: Game 6 Sat., June 2 at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Which pretty well overlaps with another mega-important sports event:
Senators v Ducks Game 3 Sat., June 2 at Ottawa 8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS
At least it is on fracking NBC and not the VS. Channel like the first two games. I know that many of you enjoyed that horse race thingie last Saturday (and yes, I watched the race itself and it was good), but, Michael Michael motorcycle!! What in the hell was NBC doing cutting away from an overtime game over an hour before the frigging Preakness even started? Like are ratings and ad revenue really that important? … not quite the Heidi game, but Jesus. (and I’m afraid that if this one goes to OT, they will cut to a rerun of Law and Order). Official waagnfnp team to cheer for is Ottawa - one of those “Hey! We only lost to the champs” kind of deals for the Pens.

Oh, and Northwestern is still alive in Women’s softball.
Game 5 Friday, Jun 1– Washington vs. Northwestern, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

And as much as I’d love to go on at length about the LPGA, I will defer to the We Are All LPGA Bloggers Now stylings of TC.

Trackbacks

  1. 1. waagnfnp » Open Thread (#12)

Responses to “Open Thread (#11)”

  1. on 01 Jun 2007 at 7:04 pm 1. JP Stormcrow said …

    Apparently the Northwestern is just getting underway at 10:00 EDT due to weather delays. This is not an elimination game for Northwestern. (It is a double-elimination tournament.)

  2. on 01 Jun 2007 at 7:16 pm 2. JP Stormcrow said …

    In the meantime, here is an interesting and technically stunning video - 500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art. Recommend watching it through twice, the first to marvel and just take it in. But it also provides an interesting (and unintentional?) metacommentary on art and it’s subjects, and “Western” societies.

  3. on 01 Jun 2007 at 8:01 pm 3. Oaktown Girl said …

    Thanks for the cool YouTube, JP.

    I can’t believe the person who created it (who also appears to be the one who posted it) did not list anything about the music. For those who don’t know, it’s the Sarabande (4th mvt) from Bach’s solo Cello Suite #1 in G major, BWV 1007.

    It just doesn’t make sense for the filmmaker not to mention that since it’s so integral to the film itself, and clearly a lot of thought about the music went into it. “Bach” should also be one of the tags for this YouTube. Again, I can’t believe it’s. (Yes, I checked the “expanded” tags as well).

    Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

  4. on 01 Jun 2007 at 8:58 pm 4. JP Stormcrow said …

    Arrgh. Washington 9 Northwestern 0 - still in progress. OK, christian, I cheered for NW, you cheer for Cleveland and LeBron …

  5. on 01 Jun 2007 at 9:54 pm 5. Oaktown Girl said …

    OK, Kiera, hear that? We have our marching cheering orders: we’re rooting for Cleveland over Detroit tomorrow night. I know, not normally the way I’d ask you to go, but I’m happy to support JP. Plus Zeus (native Ohio boy) wants the Cavs too. Let’s see if we can work some magic.

    Not gonna ask for cheering orders for the hockey game. I got enough cheering work to do already - in addition to the Cavs for JP and Zeus, the A’s are having a night game tomorrow. But I did see a couple of really cute ducks just yesterday. They were in the parking lot of the building where I work playing in a puddle. I haven’t seen any Senators lately.

  6. on 02 Jun 2007 at 5:35 am 6. christian h. said …

    JP, thanks for cheering for NU - they’ll need to pick themselves back up later today. And jerk or not: James’ game on Thursday was definitely one of the great ones. Trust me: I won’t cheer for the Pistons. So let’s pull it all together and get those Cavs to kick them out!

  7. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:34 am 7. Kiera PSI said …

    Well, the D-Man and nephew are Ducks fans…goes back to when they belonged to Disney…and they’re the Cali team, not to mention the US team, so I’ve got to cheer them. Will do on the Cavs, but you know I stink at basketball.

    ‘Course, my track record for baseball ain’t that great at the mo’…look what happened last night after I turned it on in the 7th! Probably had something to do with the D-Man being there, napping on the sofa beside me.

  8. on 02 Jun 2007 at 2:57 pm 8. black dog barking said …

    500 years of art history compressed into less than 200 viewing seconds. Portrait painting is a talented medium to suffer such a radical transformation so gracefully. Can’t imagine the written word surviving similar compression — “To be or not, Ishmael. Poo-tee-weet?”

    The piece gives the concept of “evolution” a good work out, as technique and materials get better the faces grow less and less mirror-like. Progess ain’t necessarily found where one would think to look.

  9. on 02 Jun 2007 at 4:34 pm 9. The Constructivist said …

    FYI, Bill Benzon has been doing yeoman’s work to make sure that Mostly Harmless remains Almost All LPGA, Almost All the Time. And every so often I get in the YouTube Spirit, too. I will continue my tradition of not linking to Peter Ramus’s baseball blogging, to see what other charges can be added to my eventual and inevitable show trial.

  10. on 02 Jun 2007 at 4:37 pm 10. JP Stormcrow said …

    A few LeBron items before the game.

    This is a pretty good bio of LeBron. Worth a read to get a broader view of him than just his shoe dealings, especially the part which describes his time in high school - his senior year, St. Vincent St. Mary, had games broadcast on ESPN2.

    A recent item getting a lot of notice is the new 35,000 sq. ft. house that he is building near Akron. (Aerial from Google Maps here.) The area it is in, Bath Twp. last saw this kind of publicity a number of years ago when a search was made on the grounds of house that Jeffrey Dahmer had lived in as a teenager for the body of his first victim. My parents live a few miles away and I was amazed at their stories of what a macabre media circus it was for a number of days as the various crews camped out along the narrow road - because there is nothing more important than your network’s own footage of the remains of some one killed years earlier being unearthed.

  11. on 02 Jun 2007 at 4:54 pm 11. JP Stormcrow said …

    TC, sorry for the moderation queue - will be more on top of it from here on in - so go ahead with links & pictures.

    to see what other charges can be added to my eventual and inevitable show trial

    Yep, MOJ is making alist and checking it twice.

  12. on 02 Jun 2007 at 5:03 pm 12. JP Stormcrow said …

    Hockey preview. (And please note which of the two games is on a major broadcast network.)

    As I said in the post, I am “rooting” for Ottawa, just because they eliminated the Pens plus my much greater familiarity with the Eastern Conference. That said, for as good as the Senators looked in slicing through Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Buffalo, the few games that I have seen of the Ducks (last game of their series w/Detroit, period 3** of Stanley Cup game 1 and all of game 2) they have been something. So far the Senators awesome threesome of Spezza, Heatley and Alfredsson have been reduced to duties of frantically trying to clear their own zone as the Ducks press the attack.

    **The Senators probably looked better in the first part of Game 1, but don’t ask me, someone had to be at a Memorial Day picnic where dinner got served at 8:00 fricking PM…

  13. on 02 Jun 2007 at 5:11 pm 13. Oaktown Girl said …

    Hey Everybody!
    I see the basketball game is gonna have a good 20 minutes of pre-game hype, so I’ve got the hockey game on now…which is also showing pre-game hype. Don’t know how long it’s going to go on though. Can someone please tell me where we are in this hockey final? I’m cool cheering for Ottowa. Don’t particularly care for the Ducks.

    Sheesh. I need to make a quick run to the store. Doesn’t look like I’m miss much. Back soon.

    TC - peter’s Giants are on TV right now playing Philly. Maybe he’s at home watching and will join us.

  14. on 02 Jun 2007 at 5:12 pm 14. JP Stormcrow said …

    B-Ball Preview: I had Detroit in 6, so this is gravy. However, I am still girding my self for more NE Ohio Post-Traumatic Sports Loss Disorder (PTSLD), to use spyder’s apt term.

    Whatever, I suspect it will be close, I do not think either team has the offense to win by more than 10. (plus I think the Spurs will have their way with whichever team gets through.) Detroit will have a lot of pressure to not let LeBron destroy them again, so if another Cav gets hot, that could do it - but with this Cavs team that is a feat in itself.

    My favorite PTSLD scenario, LeBron, inspired by the presence of Chris Webber, calls a timeout on the Cavs last possession even though they are out of timeouts…

  15. on 02 Jun 2007 at 5:13 pm 15. JP Stormcrow said …

    Ducks up 2-0, Oaktown.

  16. on 02 Jun 2007 at 5:17 pm 16. Oaktown Girl said …

    Thanks, JP. I’ll be back in about 20 minutes.

    I leave you all with the following sports question: Since LeBron’s amazing performance came in the last 2 games, neither of which was in the championship series, nor the game getting them to the championship series, can his performance in those game be truly considered “epic”?

  17. on 02 Jun 2007 at 5:29 pm 17. JP Stormcrow said …

    can his performance in those game be truly considered “epic”?

    I think the Game 5 performance will be “epic”, but its real place is contingent on whether they get to the finals. Some kind of great Detroit comeback takes a bit of the bloom off the rose, but one way or another that game stays in the pantheon.

  18. on 02 Jun 2007 at 5:31 pm 18. JP Stormcrow said …

    Lebron scores for the Ducks on the power play … damn. (seamless I told you.)

    .. Seriously, Ducks start up just where they left off.

  19. on 02 Jun 2007 at 5:38 pm 19. Oaktown Girl said …

    OK - just got back and I see Anaheim is already handling their business.

  20. on 02 Jun 2007 at 5:47 pm 20. Oaktown Girl said …

    Was Cleveland down 2-0 and then came back to win 3 in a row?

  21. on 02 Jun 2007 at 5:47 pm 21. JP Stormcrow said …

    So far in B-ball, most offense in the series so far… LeBron’s spotting them points, before he gets involved, only fair. & Senators looking better, even game now at least.

  22. on 02 Jun 2007 at 5:48 pm 22. JP Stormcrow said …

    Yes, first 4 won by home team - big thing about Thursday as well was that it was in Detroit.

  23. on 02 Jun 2007 at 6:07 pm 23. JP Stormcrow said …

    End of Q1 & Period 1.
    Ottawa came back well - now 1-1 & Ottawa very close to a 2nd - maybe it is a series.

    Cavs - ont bad, if role players like Hughes & Verejao(sp?) keep it up - this might well work.

  24. on 02 Jun 2007 at 6:13 pm 24. Oaktown Girl said …

    The A’s game just started. Peter Ramus’ Giants down 5-2.

  25. on 02 Jun 2007 at 6:21 pm 25. Michael Bérubé said …

    I’m honestly amazed at how hard I’m rooting for Ottawa. Not just because of their victories over the Pens and the Sabres, but also because I believe we are at a historical crossroads: if Anaheim wins the Cup there will be 12 or 15 GMs in the NHL next year who’ll be convinced that the road to success involves signing a bunch of 6′5″, 255 lb. guys. We almost hit that point back in 1997 when the Flyers had the 800-pound Legion of Doom line with Lindros and LeClair, but fortunately the worst was avoided when the speedy, crafty Red Wings dispatched Philly in four. Seriously, folks, I don’t care whether you spent your entire life and three previous lives in California. The Ducks must go down. The NHL has only two possible futures: one involves its continued irrelevance in the US. The other involves a major steroid scandal in about the year 2011. (Calling Bill Benzon!) Let us pray for irrelevance. Go Sens.

    And I’ll be back a bit later to suggest a reasonable method for how to think about an NBA season that’s been tainted by administrative meddling of truly NHL-quality stupidity. In the meantime, what are “A’s” and “Giants”?

  26. on 02 Jun 2007 at 6:34 pm 26. Oaktown Girl said …

    I don’t care whether you spent your entire life and three previous lives in California. The Ducks must go down.

    No arguments from me. Normally I’d cheer for the CA/West Coast team as a matter of principle against the East Coast media hype bias. But I just can’t pull the trigger for the Ducks. 1. It’s Anaheim - not exactly a bastion of cultural diversity and understanding. (I’ll spare you the stories I could tell). 2. Their ties to Disney, even if Disney doesn’t own them anymore. Now I don’t claim to be Disney-free - I’ve been to Disneyland before - but I sure as hell won’t buy their merchandise. Do any of the kids working in Disney sweatshops think Disney’s the happiest place on Earth? I know there’s a ton of other companies using sweatshop labor, but the hypocrisy with Disney (all about being family and kid friendly) is just too much.

  27. on 02 Jun 2007 at 6:35 pm 27. JP Stormcrow said …

    MB - Jeez, no fair typing a coherent well-crafted reply during liveblogging. And I just missed the last two goals in this most excellent hockey game. Got captivated by the spectacle of the NBA Conference finals being played with an announcer counting down the shot clock since the real one is busted.
    Way-o-way to go O-hi-O. Maybe Blackwell is managing the facilities.

  28. on 02 Jun 2007 at 6:37 pm 28. JP Stormcrow said …

    Hay-sus Christ!! 3-2 Minions of Evil in the lead.

  29. on 02 Jun 2007 at 6:46 pm 29. Oaktown Girl said …

    MB - Jeez, no fair typing a coherent well-crafted reply during liveblogging.

    I know! His very first appearance at the WAAGNFNP blog, and he’s showing people up. Tacky.

  30. on 02 Jun 2007 at 6:49 pm 30. christian h. said …

    To mention the important sport, NU is up 2-0 after one in their elimination game. Looks to me like the Cavs have the game well in hand - never a good sign… and already outdated.

  31. on 02 Jun 2007 at 6:56 pm 31. Oaktown Girl said …

    Hey - I just saw Ottawa score that goal to tie it 3-3! I was beginning to wonder if they were gonna piss away that power play opportunity.

    Ut oh. That goal is under review. Waiting…waiting…goal!

  32. on 02 Jun 2007 at 6:57 pm 32. christian h. said …

    Uh, play under review in the hockey game… and it’s tied at 3 [see previous comment, Oaktown Girl beat me to it]. Cavs-Pistons tied at 41. Ties all around.

  33. on 02 Jun 2007 at 6:58 pm 33. JP Stormcrow said …

    Looks to me like the Cavs have the game well in hand - never a good sign… and already outdated.

    Ah, but they have the intangibles. Never underestimate the power of the intangibles.

    And gee, I did not realize the celestial importance of the Ducks/Senators. Ddi anyone else? Or alternatively, if the Ducks win, will Chris Pronger become the highest paid and most sought after 30 yrs + old defenseman in the history of the league.

    … ah the kicking in a goal determination, one of the Achilles heels of hockey rules - unfortunately arbitrary - .. but in this case determined correctly with great wisdom and care. 3-3!!

    Oh, and Hattie just posted over on the Cindy Sheehan thread that she had just seen Cindy - who do you think Cindy is rooting for?

  34. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:02 pm 34. christian h. said …

    YES! Homerun for Tammy Williams, NU up 5-0 over Baylor… and now the Baylor center fielder deflected a deep fly ball over the wall for another homerun.

    Pistons up by 1 now.

  35. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:09 pm 35. JP Stormcrow said …

    Did anyone have an over-under of 10 on this hockey game? Now this is the Senators team that kicked the Penguin ass. Not too bad 4-3 into intermission.
    Get in the fast lane grandma, the bingo game is ready to roll.

    Pistons up by 1 now.
    Intangibles don’t really kick in until the 4th period.

  36. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:10 pm 36. christian h. said …

    Cavs-Pistons tied at 48 at the half. LeBron is 0-2 from the field, there are 3 fouls on Rip Hamilton. I’d say it looks good for the Cavs.

  37. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:12 pm 37. Oaktown Girl said …

    Thanks for the head’s up on Hattie’s comment, JP.

    Oh damn, I missed the Ottawa goal that put them up 4-3.

    Can any of you hockey folk explain the rule that the refs were reviewing on that 3rd Ottawa goal?

    Dinner time. Back later. Go Northwestern!

  38. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:14 pm 38. JP Stormcrow said …

    Hmmm, my last comment went into the spam queue, when I am logged in as admin…this Akismet spam thingie can A-kiss-my-ass. I bet it was “b1ng0″ that did it.

    And I am trying to come up witht he NBA meddling. Playoff suspensions in Suns-Spurs?

  39. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:21 pm 39. JP Stormcrow said …

    Can any of you hockey folk explain the rule that the refs were reviewing on that 3rd Ottawa goal?

    Part of Rule 70
    A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who uses a distinct kicking motion to propel the puck into the net[emphasis added]

    If it just bangs off your foot OK, otherwise not OK. Hard to decide, would it be too bad if just allowed kicks? Reminds me of the old NFL rule that pass could not be deflected from one offensive player to another - that was what caused all the excitement in the Immaculate Reception play - in those days, if it did not hit Tatum, no TD. Changed soon after.

  40. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:27 pm 40. Michael Bérubé said …

    OK, period break, time for another distinctively well-crafted comment!

    Got captivated by the spectacle of the NBA Conference finals being played with an announcer counting down the shot clock since the real one is busted.

    That’s just bizarre, JP. I think I’d prefer that, though, to the play-by-play of Doc Emrick, who simply drives me crazy. “And now the University of Michigan graduate whose friend once lent me a spare pair of knee pads dumps the puck in and now let’s go to an on-the-bench interview with Dustin Penner.” Grrrr. Besides, the constant countdown must make the Cavs-Pistons game sound like those streetball games we used to play as kids, where every shot was preceded by a dramatic “three! two! one!”

    About Alfredsson’s kicking-goal, which seems (for now) to have turned the game around: can we have a good long debate about this after the game? Because on one hand, there’s no way he used a “distinct kicking motion” to put that puck in. I can’t believe they reversed the call on the ice — especially since the booth made the right call. But on the other hand, there’s no doubt in my mind that Alfredsson turned his skate to deflect that puck. The fact that you and I can see this only in slo-mo proves only that we are mere mortals and they are like unto gods. Seriously, hockey players at that level are perfectly capable of turning their tibias ten degrees in a hundredth of a second so as to redirect a three-inch piece of rubber moving at 80 or 90 mph. On the third hand, I’m with Scott Burnside — change the damn rule already.

    I’ll get back to the travesty of the Suns-Spurs series later. In the meantime, wow! What a period of hockey that was. Lotsa weird bounces and strange mistakes (on an individual and team level — like Anaheim forgetting how many skaters to put on the ice before a face-off) and fun in general.

  41. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:27 pm 41. JP Stormcrow said …

    Re: Anaheim and Disney. For about 2 years in the 80s I lived just a few miles north of D’land and Anaheim (fireworks reminder every evening, if you ever chanced to forget.) Was there during the great ‘86 AL baseball playoff, but in general was struck at how low-key the pro sports fans were in the LA area (not necessarily a bad thing.) Not sure if that predated the Mighty Ducks as a team, since that predated my interest in hockey. Still I was surprised to see the Anaheim GM describe them as a “small market” team in an article leading up to the series. I have a whole Disney post, I wil do some day - working title A Trip to DisneyWorld, or Why Mankind will not Contribute to the Long-term evolution of Intelligence in the Universe.

  42. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:35 pm 42. christian h. said …

    Well, the Senators-Ducks game’s gettin’ ugly. A Duck threw an elbow into the face of a Senator player, no call. A couple minutes later, fighting ensued.

  43. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:35 pm 43. JP Stormcrow said …

    where every shot was preceded by a dramatic “three! two! one!”

    I think he should go One Mississippi, Two Mississippi …
    (or Hippopotamuses) … at least that is what we used, is that a kids constant across the USA?

    Though unless Lou Dobbs saves us all it will be:
    Uno Aguascalientes, Dos Aguascalientes …

    … and now we got the real hockey going. Bring on the Hansons.

  44. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:40 pm 44. JP Stormcrow said …

    Damn!! - Flash Flood Warning on the TV where they blank out the whole screen. Could they make it any longer?

    Not even raining here …

    Ducks look to be losing some composure.

  45. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:43 pm 45. James Killus said …

    Miserable confession #1: I have been sufficiently inattentive to spectator sports for so long that yesterday when I heard about the game, I misheard it as “Pistons vs Cams.” I will, however, insist that this mishearing redefines the concept of the “internal combustion engine” and provides an entirely new metaphor, albeit one that remains impenetrable for now.

    Miserable confession #2: The Duck is my totem animal. I have significant difficulty in rooting against Ducks in whatever venue they may be found. Fortunately, in accordance with the above noted obliviousness to spectator sports, the last hockey game I watched was nearly 40 years ago, the exact duration depending upon whether one counts the official RPI team game, the game that occurred on the first floor of our dorm (during winter break, with the shower drains deliberately blocked, the halls flooded and the doors opened to the winter cold), or the one that took place in the back yard of 207 Hoosick St, where the ice had been supplied by packed snow and garden hose.

    Nevertheless, bring on the steroid scandals. They sell more newspapers than that dreary war stuff, and by 2011, we’ll need every distraction we can get.

  46. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:52 pm 46. James Killus said …

    Howdy from Michigan everyone, currently the wedding and thunderstorm capital of where we are.

    I think I’ve got a previous comment caught in moderation, probably from Too Many Links. I be abashed.

  47. on 02 Jun 2007 at 7:53 pm 47. JP Stormcrow said …

    OK, I am calling this one for the Senators. (… sure it’s a bit early.)

    And probably no need for a long discussion on the kicking, per above, I think itdefinitely should go away. And yes I am sure these guys do everything up to just short of kicking to direct it.

  48. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:00 pm 48. JP Stormcrow said …

    I think I’ve got a previous comment caught in moderation

    It is out now … my bad.

    The delay in the b-ball game for the clock is going to make it work out nicely for end of game timing.

  49. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:03 pm 49. Oaktown Girl said …

    Howdy from Michigan everyone, currently the wedding and thunderstorm capital of where we are.

    Hi James! Thanks for stopping by while you are on the road.

    I really like thunderstorms (not if anyone gets hurt, of course). We get very little thunder and lightening in general here in the Bay Area. But I’ve seen some monster ones (from the safety of being indoors) in other parts of the country, and since it’s such a novelty for this Bay Area girl, my reaction is always the same: “Cool!”.

    Well, just checked the hoops game a minute ago and it was tight. You must be feeling much less comfortable about that game, eh JP?

  50. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:09 pm 50. Kiera PSI said …

    NBC has a bit of a delay in their broadcast…when I started typing this, they still showed two minutes on the clock, but the NHL site is showing a final score on the game, 5-3 Ottawa

  51. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:11 pm 51. JP Stormcrow said …

    OTTAWA WINS!! OTTAWA WINS!!
    Imminent Death of NHL put on hold.

    You must be feeling much less comfortable about that game, eh JP?

    Got those intangibles coming. ‘Cuz you know they have worked so well for so many Cleveland professional sports teams …

    Up by 12 now .. but getting into the zone where if they lose, it can be a real Traumatic Sports Loss.

    See that confidence just oozing out of me.

  52. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:12 pm 52. Kiera PSI said …

    Had to laugh at the Yankees today. Not only did they take a royal drubbing from Boston 11-6, but their pitching savior injured himself in his minor league warm up start and now they don’t know when his first game this season with the Yankees will be. They paid $29 million for this? Georgie will never learn.

  53. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:12 pm 53. christian h. said …

    I’m calling the Cavs-Pistons game for the Cavaliers. By by, Pistons…

  54. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:20 pm 54. JP Stormcrow said …

    I’m calling the Cavs-Pistons game for the Cavaliers. By by, Pistons…

    OK, if this was anything but the Cleveland Cavaliers, I would agree. But those of us from that area know, we have learned.

  55. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:29 pm 55. Oaktown Girl said …

    Yeah, Ottawa! And the A’s won tonight too. (Any win for the A’s is a big deal because of all the injuries they’ve had. It’s been a freakin’ hospital circus).

    Thanks for the update on the Stankees Kiera. Couldn’t happen to a nicer team. And of course Giambi is out for a few weeks with a tear in his plantar fascia.

    Hey christian - the Cubs have been all in the news for the fight that broke out. Where’s you’re inside report on that? And the catcher who got stitches in his lip from getting knocked around by his own pitcher - did he get hurt just from that little bit they showed on TV in the dugout, because that didn’t look like much. Must have been a fight in the clubhouse, yes?

  56. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:36 pm 56. JP Stormcrow said …

    Jesus, Cleveland. Quit fouling! …

  57. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:36 pm 57. Oaktown Girl said …

    Well, 93-77 Cavs with 3:52 left. Something truly epic would have to happen for them to give this one away.

    So JP, if the Cavs go on to beat San Antonio, it will be the first championship for Cleveland in one of the 4 major sports since when?

  58. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:37 pm 58. christian h. said …

    Oaktown Girl, apparently the “altercation” continued in the tunnel from the dugout to the clubhouse. Damn Cubs have just a terrible bullpen again (on the last two road-trips combined, the bullpen lost 5 games, out of 13 played…).

    Today, Lou Piniella was ejected after a vintage base-kicking blow-up. Gotta get your fun wherever possible if you’re a Cubs fan.

  59. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:37 pm 59. Michael Bérubé said …

    OK, about this NBA. It’s great to see Cleveland in a final in any sport, and it’s great to see King Kaufman’s preseason pick of Spurs-Cavs come to pass, because I like King Kaufman. But you know how certain sprinting and long-jumping records are flagged as “wind-aided” when the wind is something like 2 m/sec or more? Right. Well, can we just flag this year’s NBA Championship as “Stern-aided” and give the Spurs their trophy with a big fat asterisk?

    Of course, if the Cavs win it all, the question is moot. But however I try, I cannot compel myself to imagine the Cavs beating the Stern-aided Spurs.

    And game four in Ottawa will be intense. Unfortunately, Ottawa (as a region) is not a bastion of cultural diversity. I mean, it ain’t no Toronto, now. But at least its hockey team is not composed of cheap-shot artists (see Ducks, Anaheim; Stern-aided Spurs, San Antonio). . . .

  60. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:38 pm 60. christian h. said …

    Jesus, Cleveland. Quit fouling! …

    Word.

  61. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:40 pm 61. JP Stormcrow said …

    1964. (Browns) 1948 (Indians) never (Cavaliers)
    never (Barons) … they were only in the NHL for one or two years I think.

    Don’t trifle with “truly epic”. Ok, up by 18 with 1;43 — I think it is OK.

    .. OK. Over.

  62. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:40 pm 62. christian h. said …

    Well, Northwestern wins 7-0. Now they just have to beat Tennessee and Monica Abbott (only the career NCAA leader in wins, starts, strikeouts and no-hitters {23}) twice tomorrow to advance to the championship series. Should be a piece of cake.

  63. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:41 pm 63. Michael Bérubé said …

    So JP, if the Cavs go on to beat San Antonio, it will be the first championship for Cleveland in one of the 4 major sports since when?

    Since the original Cleveland Indians defeated Major-General John Forbes in the French and Indian War in the Battle of Fort Duquesne, 1758.

  64. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:45 pm 64. JP Stormcrow said …

    .. OK. Over.

    There you see the “asymmetry” of sports fandom. My emotion is mild relief…

    Since the original Cleveland Indians defeated Major-General John Forbes in the French and Indian War in the Battle of Fort Duquesne, 1758.

    Oh, we dare defame the memory of Otto Graham. 3 NFL championships in 6 years in the early ’50s.

  65. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:46 pm 65. Kiera PSI said …

    Is anyone else here old enough to have personally seen Cleveland win a major league championship? 1964, holy moley! That’s worse than Philadelphia.

  66. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:48 pm 66. Oaktown Girl said …

    First - Congratulations, JP! I’m so happy for you.

    Second - Well, can we just flag this year’s NBA Championship as “Stern-aided” and give the Spurs their trophy with a big fat asterisk?

    Oh, hell yes. Thanks for the reminder. Now I’m gonna be cheering for the Cavs 100%.

    Third -

    OK, about this NBA. It’s great to see…
    The male athletes in tank tops so you can see those male athlete arms (as in the LeBron pic JP posted way up near the top). Absolutely delicious. Couldn’t agree with you more, Michael!

  67. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:50 pm 67. JP Stormcrow said …

    And I do agree with Michael that it is very hard to see Cleveland taking San Antonio, David Stern or no.

    But still…
    Stuff this into your river and smoke it!!

  68. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:55 pm 68. Oaktown Girl said …

    I was planning on going out tonight, but I decided the concert I was gonna go to was too piano-heavy for the cost and bother of a trip into SF. And nothing must-see (music-wise) was happening on this side of the Bay. But now I can take credit for helping the Cavs win. And Ottawa too. So now JP owes me (and Kiera), and that’s good just on GP. Not a bad Saturday night even though I stayed in.

    Talk to y’all tomorrow.

  69. on 02 Jun 2007 at 8:59 pm 69. Oaktown Girl said …

    One last thing since that monster-sized Cavs logo gave me such a big laugh -

    After what Shrub did as Gov’nor in Texas allowing polluting companies to “regulate” themselves (among all the other damage he did to that poor state), I bet that river really can be rolled and smoked.

  70. on 02 Jun 2007 at 9:00 pm 70. christian h. said …

    Go Cavs! Gotta agree with everybody, though. I’ll take the Spurs in 5 - hoping I’m going to be proved wrong.

  71. on 02 Jun 2007 at 9:00 pm 71. JP Stormcrow said …

    Is anyone else here old enough to have personally seen Cleveland win a major league championship? 1964, holy moley!

    Ahem ….
    Twern’t long after we got the ‘lectric, and we would all set around this big old monster of a radio in the parlor, listening to the game. Granny would be sitting in her favorite rocker in the corner, chewing on her corncob pipe, yelling “Knock Johnny Unitas right on his ass, boys! He can’t beat us if he’s sitting on his ass!” The sprints to be the first in line at the privy during timeouts were legendary, Granny was slow, but ruthless …

  72. on 02 Jun 2007 at 9:05 pm 72. JP Stormcrow said …

    Thanks all, including those who write better than is good for them.

    And you know what? I’m really not that big of a basketball fan…

  73. on 02 Jun 2007 at 9:06 pm 73. Kiera PSI said …

    [After what Shrub did as Gov’nor in Texas allowing polluting companies to “regulate” themselves]

    Shorely, ya’ll ain’t inSINyouatin’ that those Fhan upstandin’ corp-rate citeezens ain’t doin’ an exceelunt job of pollutin’…uh, Ah mean policin’ themselves?

  74. on 02 Jun 2007 at 10:13 pm 74. Michael Bérubé said …

    Thanks all, including those who write better than is good for them.

    And you know what? I’m really not that big of a basketball fan…

    Me neither! I don’t see why they hafta bounce the ball up n down alla time. And now i shd go to bed — tho that ginormous ghostly loomin cavaliers logo is gonna mess up my sleep somethin bad, i can tell for sure

  75. on 03 Jun 2007 at 4:09 am 75. hi ho, hi ho said …

    Here’s a somewhat different YouTube video. This one’s about Nature, and has several surprising turns of events. It involves a herd of buffalo, a pride of lions, and two crocodiles. And unexpected turns for events.

  76. on 03 Jun 2007 at 5:37 am 76. christian h. said …

    And you know what? I’m really not that big of a basketball fan…

    JP, you are such a backstabber.

  77. on 03 Jun 2007 at 6:20 am 77. JP Stormcrow said …

    JP, you are such a backstabber.

    I think you misspelled “asshole”.

  78. on 03 Jun 2007 at 8:15 am 78. christian h. said …

    Nah. If the Bulls were in the finals, I would also claim not be a basketball fan - to soften the blow after the inevitable loss…

  79. on 03 Jun 2007 at 8:40 am 79. christian h. said …

    One more thing: I carefully managed to construct a reality in which hockey was, like, totally boring to watch on TV. This saved me a lot of time. Now you all come along and force me to watch some of the game yesterday, and it was exciting! My reality construct is now crumbling, and I hold everybody here (with the exception of the MoJ, of course) responsible.

  80. on 03 Jun 2007 at 2:45 pm 80. Kiera PSI said …

    Ah, christian, we live to serve. *insert maniacal laughter here*

  81. on 03 Jun 2007 at 3:05 pm 81. JP Stormcrow said …

    Since the original Cleveland Indians defeated Major-General John Forbes in the French and Indian War in the Battle of Fort Duquesne, 1758.

    Day late response. Actually, the original Cleveland Indians, the Eries, weren’t even around to do that, as an Upstate New York team had come down and swept them in 4 in the mid 17th century at a place relatively close both to where I grew up and to LeBron’s new digs.

    According to folklore, Erie Island, located in Copley Swamp, was the stronghold of the Erie Indians. In the mid-17th century, it was here that the tribe made a last, but unsuccessful, stand against the invading Iroquois.

  82. on 03 Jun 2007 at 3:15 pm 82. JP Stormcrow said …

    And now for something completely different to atone for my thoughtless “backstab”.

    I defy anybody not to be entranced with this unique a cappella rendering of The Who’s I Can See For Miles by Petra Haden. They actually did the entire Who Sells Out album note for note.

  83. on 03 Jun 2007 at 11:12 pm 83. Oaktown Girl said …

    The All Spin Zone has a very nice RIP tribute to Steve Gilliard, with a link to another nice tribute at The American Street here.

    For those not familiar with “Gilly”, the above links give a little information about his many contributions and what a great loss his passing is. Please read if you have not already.

  84. on 04 Jun 2007 at 6:11 pm 84. JP Stormcrow said …

    Just in case anyone is around (this one is for you christian) there is yet another very entertaining hockey game on NBC tonight.
    Senators score with 0.3 seconds left in the first period to go up 1-0. Senators outplayed and out worked the Ducks, but Giquere was awesome in goal, and as usual, the Ducks looked quite dangerous on the very few opportunities they did have.

    And christian, I too willfully ignored hockey, until 1991 (Pens first Stanley Cup run.) My third and youngest was born that March and developed respiratory issues that basically required him to be held and rocked all evening. And voila, there was this exciting sport with a local angle happening basically every other evening all the way to June.

  85. on 04 Jun 2007 at 6:14 pm 85. Michael Bérubé said …

    Now you all come along and force me to watch some of the game yesterday, and it was exciting!

    Another convert. Heh heh heh.

    Hey, can we do game four liveblogging?

    As for Steve Gilliard: I met him about a year and a half ago at a blogger party in NYC. Soft-spoken and forceful at the same time — and his blogging voice will be much missed (and badly needed) in the months and years ahead. I can’t believe he was only 41 — and I hear he was putting a niece and a nephew through school, as well. May he rest.

  86. on 04 Jun 2007 at 6:44 pm 86. JP Stormcrow said …

    Hey, can we do game four liveblogging?

    Sure we can. Can you say irresponsible? Sure you can. (applies only to JP)

    Michael, am interested in your take on the alleged dives in the first period.

    Jesus Christ, 2 in an eyeblink for Anaheim. The Ducks may be thugs on D, but they have shown some nice individual skill on several goals in this series.

  87. on 04 Jun 2007 at 6:56 pm 87. JP Stormcrow said …

    christian h.

    Your next assignment is to watch Slapshot.
    And guess what? If you get the AMC TV channel, you can do just that next week.

    Schedule:
    Tuesday, Jun. 12 8:00 PM / EST
    Wednesday, Jun. 13 3:00 PM / EST
    Friday, Jun. 29 8:00 PM / EST

    My confession. I only watched Slapshot for the very first time just a few weeks back. We were on an “emergency” run to the video store to get Slaughterhouse-5, which they did not have, but there was Slapshot right next to it.

  88. on 04 Jun 2007 at 7:11 pm 88. Michael Bérubé said …

    Jesus Christ, 2 in an eyeblink for Anaheim. The Ducks may be thugs on D, but they have shown some nice individual skill on several goals in this series.

    Yeah, that’s what guys like McDonald are for. They’re the finesse loss leaders.

    About the “dives,” or “embellishments”: I think Neil really was speared in the thigh on the first penalty. Did Emery exaggerate the contact with Getzlaf on the second one? Yes, but: there shouldn’t have been any contact in the first place, but there was, because the Ducks play up to and over the edge that way; and– more generally– when your team takes a number of stupid, thuggish penalties (Perry cross-checking Neil in the face, e.g.) you don’t get the benefit of the doubt from the refs. So no sympathy for the Ducks from me.

    Now, if I can complain again about Doc Emrick: after Perry ran into Emery on that play, we were treated to three full minutes of miasmic meandering from Emrick about how Perry’s former coach Dale Hunter used to play aggressively and then how he and the Hunter family from Western Ontario used to play against the Verbeek family and how they used to have to separate the two and how Kelly Fraser the referee got involved and WTF ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, DOC, there’s a game going on, this isn’t bloody baseball where you can tell stories about chewin’ tobacky with Ty Cobb while the middle reliever warms up. . . .

    And OK, Alfredsson shouldn’t have shot that puck at Niedermayer.

  89. on 04 Jun 2007 at 7:26 pm 89. JP Stormcrow said …

    I do agree that there is an element of “what goes around, comes around” in both the tight calls and the end of the period puck shot.

    All of that said though, this series is being as entertaining a Final as I can recall for a while. A lot of “elements” in play, and set up for a very intense finish, especially if Ottawa can pull this one out. (For instance how often do 4 on 3s happen?)

  90. on 04 Jun 2007 at 7:53 pm 90. JP Stormcrow said …

    Not looking too good w/6:00 left. Emery keeps them in it on the break.. Wow!

    And “finesse loss leaders” is such a good phrase that I think you should apply for a permanent copyright on it. A lot of soccer teams (at all levels) are built that way - 2 fancy footwork players with a bunch of “thuggesque” guys. (They aren’t really thugs since they are often about 5′10 180.)

  91. on 04 Jun 2007 at 8:11 pm 91. JP Stormcrow said …

    Le sigh.

  92. on 04 Jun 2007 at 8:18 pm 92. Oaktown Girl said …

    What channel is the game on? I can’t find it.

  93. on 04 Jun 2007 at 8:20 pm 93. Oaktown Girl said …

    Oops. Guessed I missed the game entirely. I get home pretty late from work. What channel was it on? How did Ottawa look? Are they gonna come back in game 5?

  94. on 04 Jun 2007 at 8:21 pm 94. JP Stormcrow said …

    NBC… but it is over now. There is a chance that it did not get carried in your locale?

    Anaheim 3-2. However, excitement mucho per usual.

  95. on 06 Jun 2007 at 10:20 am 95. The Constructivist said …

    BTW, here’s some Cleveland sports history from Lawyers, Guns, & Money!

  96. on 06 Jun 2007 at 11:56 am 96. JP Stormcrow said …

    BTW, here’s some Cleveland sports history from Lawyers, Guns, & Money!

    Yep, 10-cent Beer Night … down there with the Cuyahoga river catching fire (which was at the root of my “stick this in your river and smoke it” comment above) as a low point.

    And if you look at the comments, I commented on it, a bit late, as follows:

    1) Amusing side note. The next day in one of the papers (probably Akron Beacon Journal) a reporter got some frat guys from U of Akron to say how they had gone up there explicitly and proudly to … well, act like frat guys at 10-cent beer night. Down came the shitstorm of outraged frat alums & the boys got to practice for their coming real world jobs by eating shit at the behest of powerful interests which controlled things they cared about (staying in the frat in this instance.)

    2) Your overwrought description [LG&M laid it on a bit thck] aside, my observations were that there was a general edgy feel to any kind of sports or concert crowds in NE Ohio during that time. Hard to compare, but I will say sports and concert crowds in Houston, TX a few years later were noticeably more docile. (just do not know effect of time, vs. geography) There were frequently some kind of outbreak at concerts (even at a sold-out John Denver show at Blossom - a gate was knocked down by disappointed fans wielding a phone pole - …wanting to get in, not out …) and I recall an article from a concert free-medical aid group at the time saying the worst thing they had ever done was a Browns game.

  97. on 06 Jun 2007 at 4:27 pm 97. JP Stormcrow said …

    Around 8 or so will be here for some Game 6 coverage.
    Surprised they got the Ducks to move the game all the way up to 5:00 PM PDT.

  98. on 06 Jun 2007 at 5:22 pm 98. JP Stormcrow said …

    Unfortunately a lot of the attention has been on the ratings which have been quite low.

    Ah well, two early Ottawa penalties. Short 5-on-3 1-0 4 minutes in.

  99. on 06 Jun 2007 at 5:45 pm 99. Oaktown Girl said …

    Well, that early 5pm start sucks for me (CA). I’m still here at work, so thanks for the update.

    I’m surprised it got moved up to 5pm too. That’s a lot of people having to bag out on work very early. But then again, regular season hockey tix are so expensive, I shudder to imagine what playoff tix cost, let alone championship series tix. Meaning: almost everyone at that game is in a financial position to be able to leave work early, and/or is the boss calling the shots and can leave whenever they want anyway. It just sucks for the have-to-watch-on-TV Anaheim fan working person.

  100. on 06 Jun 2007 at 6:33 pm 100. JP Stormcrow said …

    Holy crap..
    Ottawa looking good - back to 2-1 & they score an own goal off their goalies’ skates….a lot of odd plays this series.

  101. on 06 Jun 2007 at 7:04 pm 101. Oaktown Girl said …

    OK. I just got home and turned on the TV only to see the Stanley Cup being rolled out and prepped to bring into the Arena. Of course I knew that this could only mean Anaheim was winning. And sure enough, they are up 4-2 at the start of the 3rd period.

    Great Gojira, JP - what happened?

  102. on 06 Jun 2007 at 7:15 pm 102. JP Stormcrow said …

    Great Gojira, JP - what happened?

    Oh, well lots of stuff. Alfredsson had a great short-handed goal for Ottawa … but then Anaheim scored on a long shot on the same Power Play. .. and now 5-2.

    Damn, Ottawa penalty shot- saved… lot of different on-ice stuff this series.

    During my short stint in California, I generally liked the early starts - did not lose the whole night.

  103. on 06 Jun 2007 at 7:27 pm 103. Oaktown Girl said …

    During my short stint in California, I generally liked the early starts - did not lose the whole night.

    Yeah, early starts are great if you are lucky enough to be off work in time. Especially if it’s your team that’s playing, driving home in traffic listening on the radio is very frustrating when you could be home seeing the action on TV. And if you’re commuting on public transportation, you can’t listen on the radio at all because it can’t cut through the static. (Only bad thing about taking BART to the A’s games - you can’t hear the post-game wrap up on your radio).

    And now Ottawa is behind 5-2 with 5:05 left. As you said, JP: Le sigh.

  104. on 07 Jun 2007 at 5:32 pm 104. Oaktown Girl said …

    JP - you need to come back to this thread and put a denouement (postmortem?) on it. It feels like it’s just a bleeding, hanging limb of unresolved Ottawa grief because we last heard from you here when Ottawa had the lead.

    And that was a long, long, long time ago. Come back and help us put this thing to bed, while we yet tip our hat to Kiera’s husband, the D-Man, (even though he’s not that big of a hockey fan), who wanted the Ducks to win.

    And even in defeat, I would normally at least find happiness that the Stanley Cup resides in CA for the first time ever (even though it belongs to the despised city of Anaheim). But that too is denied me because you and Michael ruined everything by explaining what a horrible pox on hockey a Duck’s victory would put on the sport.

    So get back here, JP (and Michael), and help clean up this emotional heartbreak of a sports mess y’all helped create, and we can move on to a clean, fresh-start Open Thread tomorrow night.

  105. on 07 Jun 2007 at 5:35 pm 105. Oaktown Girl said …

    Correction -
    JP - you last checked in when Ottawa was down 5-2. But we still need your postmortem…and Michael’s plan to save hockey now that Evil has prevailed.

  106. on 07 Jun 2007 at 9:10 pm 106. Kiera PSI said …

    Yes, the D-Man and his nephew are happy. But there is no joy in Mudville (Dustville would be the more apt name for this town), the Mighty Ducks no longer wear Purple. And aren’t Mighty anymore for that matter.

    LeSigh. I’m such a sucker for a purple uniform. Go Vikings!

  107. on 07 Jun 2007 at 9:29 pm 107. JP Stormcrow said …

    JP - you need to come back to this thread and put a denouement (postmortem?) on it

    OK, but I am a little sported out right now. (Cavs predictably lose game 1, USA can beat countries much smaller than us 1-0 in soccer, Pirates are teh suck, and my son’s soccer team loses today for the umpteenth time to the dominant area team in their age group.)

    Hockey: I am not knowledgable enough to really say more than that, results notwithstanding, it was an entertaining series. It would have been much more so if Ottawa could have held on in Game 1 or pulled out Game 4. A lot of interesting on-ice situations:

    missed Penalty shot in game 5
    more 4-on-3s than I ever recall seeing
    a goal with .3 seconds left in a period
    Anaheim not having enough guys on the ice for a faceoff & Ottawa scoring
    an excruciating own goal by Ottawa,
    A tremendoug short-handed goal by Alfredsson of Ottawa
    A cheap shot with a suspension by Pronger of the Ducks
    Ottawa not taking advantage of that in Game 4
    Alfredsson firing the puck at an Anaheim player at the end of a period
    Some very good goalkeeping throughout by Giquere & at times by Emery
    Some good offensive skill plays by Anaheim, (which Michael characterized with a phrase for the ages as being performed by their finesse loss leaders) plus very effective punishment of turnovers.
    Diving controversies
    Kicking in a goal controversy.
    A lot of great overall action.

    Just needed a curved stick penalty (and Ottawa winning .. or at least forcing 1 or 2 more games) to make it complete.

    Too bad more did not watch it. I ate lunch with a group of guys today who are nominal hockey (more just Pens) fans and they had given up trying to figure out how to catch any of the playoffs on TV and were surprised and disappointed that the last several games were on NBC. (One guy remarked that your team did not need to be in the Stanley Cup finals since the action was generally so exciting.) That said, Pittsburgh is in my view a relatively poor sports town when it comes to anything beyond Pittsburgh (& Penn State on occasion.) teams. The series got basically no coverage here - even though they had Sidney Crosby on for a nice interview, and Ottawa had eliminated the Pens.