The Rick's Sports Blog
RIP Bob Probert
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As we all know Former NHL Brawler Bob Probert passed away a few days ago. At 45 he collapse on a boat near Windsor, Ontario. It was a sad day for hockey fans and he will be missed. I remember growing up as a kid watching this guy pummel his opponents. He did so with a demeanor I had never seen before. What I didn’t know was how he was with the players he fought off the ice. I could do a eulogy about the man and give some nostalgic stories about watching Probert and Stu Grimson battle tooth and nail, but the truth is when he played I was pretty young. Yes I knew who he was and yes I knew he was a great fighter, but playing in a different conference I saw mostly highlights. I did see him live a few times in the late 80s, but I cannot recollect one moment that stood out. I have read a bunch about the guy in the last few days and from what I have seen Kevin Allen from USA Today’s article seemed to be the best. Here is a quick excerpt along with the link. I suggest reading it. It’s quality stuff.
“The most interesting aspect of Probert from a reporting standpoint is that when you interviewed him, it was difficult to believe it was the same guy that you watched pummel some guy on the ice earlier that night. He was the league’s bad boy, deserving of all the legal trouble he received because of drug and alcohol abuse. But he wasn’t the least bit intimidating when you spoke to him.”
Our thoughts go out to the Probert Family during this unexpected tragedy. RIP Bob Probert, you will be missed.
Rick’s Thoughts
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This is a new weekly column that will talk about things happening in sports that caught may eye and I needed to weigh in on.
*Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Is it just me or have fans been involved in some pretty bizarre incidents this summer. Watching Sports Center last night before bed, I saw highlights of the Rangers- Indians game. During the 5th inning a ball went into the stands, when some Rangers fan went for it falling over the rail of the second deck landing on a group of fans below. I really think the Umpire may have turned away like that, not in horror but to hide himself from laughing at the moron that dove from the upper deck to catch a $3 ball. Take it from Steve Bartman just let the ball go. Along with the taser in Philly, it seems like the fans have been more entertaining than most of the games.
*The Price Is Wrong
Almost a week later and Ilya Kovalchuk still does not have a team. After playing games with the LA, the Kings called off talks and wished him the best of luck. Rumors all weekend were that the Islanders offered Kovy a 10 year contract worth $100 million. It seems owner Charlie Wang is at it again. If having Yashin as one of the highest paid guys on team despite not being there for the past 4 or so years isn’t reason enough to avoid the excessive long-term contract, surely injured goalie Rick Dipietro’s 15 year deal would be. Not for Charlie, who may some day strive to reach the salary cap basement in dead cap space. It should be noted that as of today Kovalchuk is still a free agent and multiple reports say there is an agreement in principle with the NJ Devils.
*Bigger Than Sports
It appears Lebron James will have a primetime ESPN special to announce what team he will be going to in Free Agency. Will it be the Knicks, will it be the Bulls, maybe Miami, is he staying home in Cleveland. Since his team was eliminated Lebron has dominated the airwaves, where is he gonna go? I know he is the biggest player in the game of basketball, but ESPN needs to remove their head from their tush and realize that there is some awesome things happening. Between World Cup, Perfect Games and Record Setting Tennis, there has been plenty to talk about outside the hype machine that was largely created by ESPN while still in High School. This has been ESPN’s thing for the past decade though, it’s much easier to market one guy than it is one sport. Just ask Tiger Woods.
*What A Wiener
Glutony has reached an all-time low, during the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest when as Joey Chestnut was on his way to winning the Mustard Belt, former Champ Kobyashi showed up ready to throw down. Well throw down a few hot dogs. The drama started last week when it was made known Kobyashi decided to not take part in the glutfest because of contract issues. Ego got the best of the Japanese Eating Machine as he taunted Chestnut and refused to leave the area. Ultimately Kobyashi was arrested and charged with several counts including resisting arrest. I wonder how much Nutraloaf Kobyashi will be able to suck down in one sitting?
*Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks
Once again Michael Vick finds himself at the center of controversy. When he was or was not at the scene of a shooting outside a nightclub, of a guy he may or may not have known,, by someone he may or may not know. Details are sketchy of what happened, but we know he was at the club for his Birthday. One would think when you are on the tightest of leashes, that you would not risk killing your career. Then again this is the same guy who had the richest contract in the NFL and wanted to supplement his income by running a dog fighting circle.
That pretty much wraps up what I have on my mind for now. If you would like my thoughts on anything else going on in sports, send me an email TheRick625@gmail.com or Direct Message TheRick625 on Twitter.
Tags: Arrrested, ESPN, Fans, Indians, Joey Chestnut, Kobyashi, Kovalchuk, Lebron James, MLB, NBA, NHL, Rangers
Toronto Nets Versteeg
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Brian Burke does it again as he nets Stanley Cup Champ Kris Versteeg from the Hawks for what amounts to a few prospects and a borderline NHLer Victor Stralberg.
UFA Defensemen 2010
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This may be the strongest of the positions available, a few big names, but mostly just consistent players.
Sergei Gonchar
Kim Johnsson
Pavel Kubina
Paul Martin
Brett Clark
Andy Sutton
Willie Mitchell
Derek Morris
Ruslan Salei
Henrik Tallinder
Adam Foote
Anton Volchenkov
Toni Lydman
Randy Jones
Joe Corvo
Jason Smith
Aaron Ward
Dan Hamhuis
Brian Pothier
Mark Eaton
Shaone Morrisonn
Brad Lukowich
Jordan Leopold
Garnet Exelby
Paul Mara
Mathieu Schneider (Yes he still playing)
Nick Boynton
Zbynek Michalek
Lukas Krajicek
Carlo Colaiacovo
Milan Jurcina
Andreas Lilja
Sean O’Donnell
Nathan Paetsch
Jonas Frogren
Brett Lebda
Jay McKee
Mike Weaver
Mike Mottau
Shane Hnidy
David Hale
Jason Strudwick
Andrew Hutchinson
Freddy Meyer
Kurtis Foster
Aaron Johnson
Brendan Bell
Lawrence Nycholat
That concludes the list of UFAs for 2010, there are a few names, but it’s pretty thing all around. With a class like this there should be more trades than usual to keep us talking. Tomorrow 7/1 at Noon the Free Agent Frenzy begins!!!!
UFA Right Wingers Available 7/1
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Probably the thinnest position in a lean class. Here are the Right Wingers that will be unrestricted tomorrow.
Right Wingers
Pavol Demitra
Lee Stempniak
Owen Nolan
Scott Walker
Fernando Pisani
Marek Svatos
Teemu Selanne
Bill Guerin
Petr Sykora
Evgeny Artyukhin
Richard Park
Shean Donovan
Arron Asham
Craig Weller
Tim Jackman
Brandon Bochenski
Brian McGrattan
Jed Ortmeyer
George Laraque
UFA Goalies 2010 As of 6/30
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Here are the goaltenders that are set to hit the market tomorrow. Anyone you like to man the pipes for your team? See a back-up for Brodeur or Miller on this list?
GOALIES
Evgeni Nabokov
Marty Turco
Jose Theodore
Vesa Toskala
Chris Mason
Dan Ellis
Ray Emery
Martin Biron
Johan Hedberg
Patrick Lalime
Alex Auld
Stephen Valiquette
Michael Leighton
Curtis Sanford
Antero Niittymaki
Yann Danis
Andrew Raycroft
Dany Sabourin
Scott Munroe
Free Agent List as of 6/30
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Many fans have been wondering who is available on the market this year. The pickings are slim, but I complied a list of what players are available as of 6/30 at I will be by posting the list by position, consider this a one stop shopping area of sorts. These are only the UFAs and this list does not include players who were bought out.
Up First Center and LWs
Center
Olli Jokinen
Saku Koivu
Matt Cullen
John Madden
Matthew Lombardi
Mike Modano
Chris Higgins
Doug Weight
Jeff Halpern
Eric Belanger
Jason Williams
Brendan Morrison
Wayne Primeau
Kyle Wellwood
Ryan Johnson
Mike Comrie
Vaclav Prospal
Craig Conroy
Glen Metropolit
Jim Slater
Ryan Craig
Adam Mair
Adam Burish
Joel Perrault
Jamie Lundmark
Stephane Yelle
Andrew Ebbett
Zenon Konopka
Derek Armstrong
Left Wing
Ilya Kovalchuk
Paul Kariya
Alexander Frolov
Vyacheslav Kozlov
Ray Whitney
Fredrik Modin
Raffi Torres
Alex Tanguay
Alexei Ponikarovsky
Darcy Tucker
Ruslan Fedotenko
Jere Lehtinen
Jon Sim
Christoph Schubert
Steve Begin
Brad Winchester
Eric Nystrom
Kirk Maltby
Stephane Veilleux
Jody Shelley
Eric Boulton
Raitis Ivanans
David Koci
Matt Ellis
*RWs, Def and Goalies will be up a bit later today.
Less Trades Make For A Boring Draft
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I think it’s safe to say the NHL Draft was rather quiet. The rumor mongers were trying their best to grasp at straws to come up with anything. Leading up to the draft we heard many names would be on the move. All-Stars Jason Spezza, Tomas Kaberle, and Marc Savard were all mentioned going into the weekend to likely have new homes by the conclusion of the draft. All stayed in place for the time being. In fact the biggest trade from this weekend involved for Sabres prospect Keith Ballard going to his 3rd team in three years. Hardly the blockbuster anyone was expecting. Otherwise we saw the usual picks swapped for picks or prospects that we have come to expect every year. There is a growing feeling among many NHL insiders that this year is going to become more of the norm, rather than the exceptions in years to come.
In a salary cap era draft picks have become more valuable than ever before. Teams are reluctant to part with picks in order to gain short-term success. The trend is shifting in the NHL with more teams going with younger players that are cost-effective options rather than the high-priced veterans at the end of their careers. With the salary cap, general managers have to be more cautious how to spend the money allotted to them. The buyers are nervous of not having the cash to fill out the rest of the roster when bringing in a big name player. The sellers are trying to avoid adding salary to the cap when moving a big name player, instead opting for younger, cheaper cap friendly players. The usual players in the swap meet are unable to play due to their cap restrictions. Philadelphia, Boston, New York Rangers, San Jose and Montreal have been among the most active in recent years all are dangerously close to cap and do not have the room to add-on salary. These teams have already traded most of their prospects and no one wants their mistakes. There is a reason Wade Redden is still a Ranger, he is overpaid and has not lived up to his contract. For the first few years after the lockout teams through caution to the wind with their spending, now it is finally catching up. Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks are a prime example of this. They are right against the salary cap going into next season. Thus far this offseason, Chicago has been forced to move playoff hero Dustin Byfuglien, along with Brent Sopel and Ben Eager in order to open up room to fill out a roster next season. Ultimately the gamble paid off for the Blackhawks, they are the champs, a Stanley Cup is worth two or three of salary cap hell, but for countless other teams this method has not paid off. It is a changing of the guard in the NHL no longer will we see guys like Scott Gomez being awarded $7 million dollar contracts or Jeff Finger getting $3.5 million.
The NHL is becoming more fiscally responsible. Although it will create a boring offseason and rumor mongers will have more time on their hands, we will see parody grow. Teams will lock up their younger players to better contracts early on. Sure the superstars will still have enormous contracts, but that is because they have superstar talent. It is not because they are strictly a product of a less talented pool of players hitting the market.
Tags: Boston, Chicago, Draft, fiscal responsibility, Jason Spezza, Keith Ballard, Marc Savard, Montreal, New York, NHL, Parody, Philadelphia, Sabres, Scott Gomez, Stanley Cup, Tomas Kaberle, Wade Redden
Old Friend Not Forgotten
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I was walking around the harbor the other day, when I looked over at the hole in the ground that once was War Memorial Auditorium. I just let out a sigh and started to reminisce first about the Aud’s impact here in Buffalo, then on the impact it had on making me who I was.
Built in 1939 War Memorial Auditorium was a part of FDR’s New Deal, using federal funding to build the arena. It proved to be an important project as it provided hundreds of jobs for local Buffalo natives to help put food on the table during The Great Depression. Over the years it was home to many events, wrestling, boxing, hockey, lacrosse, basketball and soccer to name a few. Stanley Cups were hoisted, greats like Lafleur, Perrault, Orr, Howe, Gretzky, Esposito and Bossy skated on the ice there. Among the legendary moments at The Aud, were The Bat Game, when Jim Lorentz swatted a bat out of the air in a game killing it and sending it to the ice. Then there was the legendary Fog Game, in the playoffs 1975, when the humidity caused the machine that keeps the ice-cold to malfunction. The result was a thick fog over the ice. Most players could not see a foot in front of them. They played on instinct and the end result was Rene Robert putting the game winning goal in the net. In the first year of the franchise the Buffalo Bandits were able to take home their first lacrosse championship. In the end the Aud had the last of the small ice surfaces in the NHL and the Sabres stopped playing there in April of 1996 against the Hartford Whalers. It was a sad day as we said goodbye to an old friend.
For me personally, I have always called The Aud, my playground. At the age of 5 I was on my way to my seats for the first game I ever seen. Mike Robitaille a former Sabres and current analyst walked up behind me and my cousin and tapped me on the head. I turned around and he handed me a bumper sticker with the Sabres logo on it. What a welcoming. That started a love affair with a building that would last 25 years. My first concert, my first beer, my first hockey game all were at the Aud. I had free reign there as a kid. I was in the locker room, the press box, friends that I still have today I met playing mini-stick hockey in the basement. One of my first dates as a kid was taken a girl I liked to a Buffalo Bandits Lacrosse game when I was 13. A friend who worked there introduced us to the premiere LAX players at the time the Gait Brothers. I felt like a VIP. That night I got my first kiss. Without the Aud, I don’t know when it would have happened. I had an emptiness inside looking at that hole in the ground, knowing we will never have those moments back. With the building gone, the memories will always remain. I just hope the bait shop they are building has as much charm as my playground did.
Hello world!
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Hello and Welcome to The Rick’s Sports Blog. Let me tell you a bit about the site. I am Rick a very opinionated fan and I want to share my thoughts with you. I mainly focus on hockey, but I will also from time to time give my take on what else is going on in the world of sports. Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts on anything I post. Also click the links on the blogroll to read some excellent posts from great writers. I have included a few sports related not for profits in my links that I feel are really good causes. If you are interested in finding out more about them just click the link and it will offer a whole slew of information about the organization. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks
The Rick
- Devils outlast Rangers, 5-3, take 3-2 series lead (Yahoo! Sports)
- Canucks extend contract Vigneault's contract (Yahoo! Sports)
- LA Kings conquer West, await Cup final opponent (Yahoo! Sports)
- Blue Jackets sign RW Dorsett to 3-year deal (Yahoo! Sports)
- Finnish star Granlund signs with Minnesota Wild (Yahoo! Sports)
