This Year's SuperBowl Made Up For Last Year's

Last year's 'contest' between the Broncos and Seahawks was over well before halftime, with Seattle making Peyton Manning look like an amateur early and often (starting with a safety on the first snap of the game, if memory serves).  It was a snoozer that we gave up on early in the 3rd quarter.

This year's big show between Seattle (again) and New England was much, much better.  It came down to the final few seconds, looking like the Seahawks were going to take the lead with less than 30 seconds left.  Then Russell Wilson threw an interception in the end zone and Tom Brady got his 4th SuperBowl ring just when it seemed certain that he'd be denied.  The final two minutes of game time featured a couple of unbelievable plays, the latter of which was the pick made by Patriots rookie Malcolm Butler on that final Wilson throw.  On that same Seattle drive, however, Butler managed to break up a catch attempt by Jermaine Kearse, resulting in the ball bouncing around but somehow never quite hitting the ground before Kearse reached out and pulled it in while on his back.  It was one of the most unusual and impressive completions I've ever seen, particularly given the significance of it, in terms of setting (final minutes in a close SuperBowl), yardage (long) and the fact that a second New England defender had a chance to knock the ball away, but didn't.

All in all, this year's was one of the classic SuperBowls.  Therefore it deserved some classic commercials, and apparently it got at least one (besides the cool Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer, of course):



Ah, Walter White... gone but certainly not forgotten!

The Final Jar

Nearly 6 years ago Vicki and I spotted a cache of Bick's Dill Pickles with Garlic in the 1.5 L size, a rare bird which had long since gone extinct in these parts.  We excitedly bought as many jars as we could carry home by foot.  In the end, after more than one trip to the Superstore, I think we had stockpiled roughly 20 jars.  And I was in Heaven.

Today I'll begin enjoying the final jar of that stash.  When the NHL playoffs began two months ago, I decided I'd crack open the sole remaining jar once the Rangers were eliminated, as a small form of consolation for another disappointing year.  Little did I know that the Blueshirts would actually make it to the Finals, coming up just 3 wins short of capturing the Cup.  The postseason wrapped up late last night with another heart-breaking overtime loss, but today I'll get my reward on the 20th anniversary of the last time they actually didn't fail in their pursuit of the utimate glory.

This is also the 2nd anniversary of Jonesy joining our family, another event for which I'm extremely thankful.  And yet, even he's not getting any of the precious contents of that jar!

Not That Anyone Asked Me But...

I think the Washington Redskins controversy is easily solved: rename the team to be the Washington Americans, keeping the logo the same.  The proud Native American depicted in the current team logo, decked out in full headdress, is the perfect icon for the new name.  Sure, some folks would continue to refer to the team by its old name for awhile, but fortunately that problem will solve itself as those intractable few inevitably die off.  Problem solved.  You're welcome.

The Conference Championships I Hoped For

Over the next 24 hours, the New England Patriots will visit the Broncos in Denver, and the Seahawks will host the San Francisco 49ers in Seattle, all in the quest to decide which two teams will meet in 15 days in the SuperBowl.

Almost 3 weeks ago, once the playoff teams had been decided in both conferences, I made my picks for who I wanted to see play this weekend: NE vs Den and SF vs Sea.  They weren't the teams I necessarily thought would be on the TV tomorrow, as I would've said New Orleans or Carolina looked like more likely than San Fran in the NFC, for example.  But the matchups I was most interested in seeing were those two, and lo and behold! that's what we've got!

I'm predicting that we'll be treated to a pair of great games, with four outstanding quarterbacks all vying to make it to "the big show" in two weeks.  I know both of us will be glued to the set tomorrow, starting at 2:00.  Let's hope the quality of play lives up to all the hype!

Big Change In U.S. College Football

I'm not a big fan of NCAA football, in general, but during the TV wasteland period that comes at the end of every calendar year, Vicki and I typically enjoy a few bowl games.  What's always bugged me about the format of college football 'playoffs' in the States has been the fact that there's never really been a playoff.  It used to be just a bunch of bowl games and then voting took place afterward to decide who the best team was... no, I'm not kidding!  The introduction of the Bowl Championship Series several years ago improved things incrementally, as at least with that change you'd get the # 1 ranked team playing the # 2 ranked team for the title of champion.  However, the flaw in that structure was the subjective ranking involved.  More than once I've seen an unbeaten school get ranked 3rd or 4th, meaning that they went the entire year without losing and yet didn't get a chance to play for the title.  Whenever that's happened, there's been a lot of controversy, as there should be.

Starting next year, however, the chances of an undefeated team missing out like that are at least going to be reduced significantly.  Starting in 2014, there will be two semi-final games, involving the top four ranked teams, with the two winners meeting in the championship game (presumably a week later).  What this means is that a team would have to be ranked 5th or lower in order to excluded from the chance to contend for the championship, which seems much, much fairer to me.  Even if you're ranked 3rd or 4th and think you should've been put at the top, you'll still have the opportunity to win a pair of playoff games to prove that you deserve the title.  In a league where positions are determined by votes, that's probably the best you could possibly hope for.

I can't wait for this to be implemented, a little over a year from now.  It should make the end of the U.S. college football season a whole lot more interesting, exciting and satisfying than it's ever been before.

A Good Year For Football Playoffs

How do I know, when the playoffs are still 2 weeks away from even starting?

That's easy... today the Bengals beat the Steelers on a last second field goal and eliminated Pittsburgh from any chance at making the postseason! 

The 6 AFC teams are now set: New England, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Houston, Indy and Denver.  The NFC is a lot less settled, with only 3 of the 6 entrants decided (Green Bay, Atlanta and San Fran).  I can't believe the Saints didn't do better this season and will be sitting out the playoffs, but I guess that's the thing with there being only 16 games to play: anything can happen.

I'm already pumped for the 11 matches that will decide this year's champions.

Pink Floyd - "Moonhead" 1969

This little gem is downright surreal:



Read more about it here, if you're so inclined.

Whenever I watch video of moon walks, I'm always terrified that one of the astronauts is going to rip a hole in his suit, despite the fact that I know that nothing like that ever happened. Sort of like the way I get nervous watching my DVD of Game 7 between the Rangers and Canucks from 1994.

Soccer: Even Less Exciting Than I Remember

Sometimes I really get into the World Cup, and I can appreciate what people who love soccer see in it. The rest of time I'm afraid it just seems really boring.

I've watched exactly two games in the 2012 Euro Cup so far: today's semi-final between Spain and Portugal, and last Saturday's quarter-final between England and Italy. What do those two games have in common, besides being the last two played? Both ended 0-0 after 120 minutes of play, requiring penalty kicks to settle. I actually enjoy penalty kicks, so I have no complaint about that aspect of the outcome in each case. But over the course of 2 full hours of play, neither team in either game could score a goal?! Really? Do they need to make the already-gigantic nets even larger? Or are there just not enough players diving and faking injuries in order to get free kicks and yellow cards handed out?

I have to say, this is not one of those times when I appreciate soccer...

All Hail King Henry!

New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist finally won his first Vezina Trophy tonight! He had to post 8 shutouts over the 62 games he played - better than 1 shutout every 8 games! - and lead his team to the top of the Eastern Conference in the regular season to get it, but he did it!

He also backstopped the Rangers all the way to the Conference Finals this spring (and recorded another 3 shutouts along the way) before the team ran out of gas against the Devils, who would eventually lose the Cup to the Kings in six games. All in all, a very impressive year for King Henry and his teammates, even if they did come up six wins short of the ultimate prize.

Excellent Resolution To The Prisoner's Dilemma

I love the way this guy resolved his prisoner's dilemma at the end of the UK show, Golden Balls: watch and see if you can predict what he does (Vicki and I both did, independently)!

A Tale Of Two Football Contests

It was the best of games, it was the worst of games...

Last night's two NFL Divisonal Playoff matches couldn't have been much more different. In the first one, New Orleans and San Fran went at it, tooth and nail, with 3 touchdowns in the final 2:11 of the game! The 49ers got 2 of those 3 TDs, the second of which came with 9 seconds left, to lift them to an unbelievable 36-32 victory! This was one of the most exciting finishes to a playoff game I've ever been lucky enough to watch.

Then, in the nightcap... we got a real snoozer. Phenom Tim Tebow, who less than a week earlier had played the game of his life in shocking the Pittsburgh Steelers, didn't have a whole lot left in the tank, apparently. New England ran roughshod over Tebow's Broncos, to a final score of 45-10. It was over early, to boot, as the Patriots were up 35-7 at halftime, I believe, and then put it into cruise control from there. The 4th quarter did have one highlight, though, as Patriots QB Tom Brady punted the ball off of a 3rd and 10 snap, prompting a little excitement when the Broncos took exception to it!

We had company over for the second game, however, which dulled the pain somewhat. Unfortunately, Julie was rooting for Tebow and didn't have a whole lot of fun watching him get smoked. Of course, considering that she's the chiropractor who told me I was forbidden from lying on the couch for two weeks (because of recurring back pain I'd been suffering from), her disappointment seems like karmic payback, if you ask me, given where she spent the evening:


And shortly after this photo was taken, she was completely horizontal on that damn couch! Some people just have no compassion for others at all....

Tebow Mania Lives!

I would've bet money that the 8-8 Denver Broncos weren't going to beat the 12-4 Pittsburgh Steelers in tonight's final Wildcard playoff game... but I would've lost my cash, if I had. Despite blowing a 14-point lead in the second half, the Broncos pulled it out in overtime. The first play, following the kickoff, was a long pass for the winning touchdown, ensuring that Denver quarterback Tim Tebow's fame will grow, at least a little more.

All I really care about is that the hated Steelers are now out, meaning that - as Vicki said just moments ago - "now we can watch the rest of the football playoffs!" Yes, dear... yes we can!

Crazy NHL Realignment

Really? 4 conferences, that are essentially just big, crowded divisions? That's the solution? Huh.

[Update Jan 6/12: Or maybe not. The NHL Players Association appears to have blocked it, possibly delaying the realignment until the 2013/14 season.]

Happy Birthday To Boneman

All he got this year was a Stanley Cup (back in June) and a 9-game winning streak right now, both courtesy of his beloved Boston Bruins. Not too shabby, now that I think about it.

Why I Don't (Very Often) Watch Rangers Games On TV

For some strange reason (presumably something to do with Canadian content), the vast majority of the New York Rangers' first 9 games of the season have been televised across the relatively basic TV channels that we subscribe to. By my count, at least their games against Los Angeles and Anaheim (both from Stockholm), Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Ottawa have been on TSN, Sportsnet or CBC so far, along with (possibly) the one versus Winnipeg. That's 7 or 8 of 9 games... for an American team that's not even one of the premiere Cup contenders these days!

Today was pretty typical of what happens when I try to watch a Rangers game. I checked in during the 3rd period, to see the Blueshirts up 4-1 on the Senators. Just as I was digesting that fact, however, Ottawa scored to make it 4-2. Then several minutes later, 4-3. And of course they tied it up before the period ended, sending it to overtime and eventually to a shootout... where the Rangers would lose.

So for those who wonder why I don't watch more Rangers game? There's your answer.

Fame Of A Limited Sort!

Last night, while watching the Bruins win the Cup, I did a little analysis of the upcoming DC Comics Relaunch survey that Comic Book Resources published yesterday, and then sent my results along to Rich Johnston, of Bleeding Cool fame. Rich was then kind enough to publish those results! Very bleeding cool!

In the Comments section for that article, people are pointing out that I possibly shouldn't have counted disinterest in a title as a negative (minus value) against it, which has some merit to it. But I tend to think that, in a fan-centric industry like comic books, lack of interest in a big, highly-publicized event is a failure, and thus should count against the overall success of the relaunched series in question.

Boston Bruins: 2011 Stanley Cup Champions!!

Congratulations, Boneman!!! There's nothing in sports sweeter than finally seeing your team win the greatest trophy of all! And now you've experienced it! Enjoy it to the fullest!!!

Tonight's The Night!

It's always particularly exciting when the Stanley Cup Finals go to a Game 7, and that's exactly what's on the docket for this evening: Boston Bruins @ Vancouver Canucks, and one of them will hoist Lord Stanley's trophy before the night is done.

For Boneman, I'm rooting for the B's. But I won't be heartbroken if Canada finally recaptures the silver chalice after an 18 year absence, either. In other words: it's all good! Let's just have a close, exciting game, and may the best team win!

Boneman's Bruins Are Gonna Play For The Cup!

In a very exciting Game 7 tonight, the Boston Bruins claimed the 2011 Eastern Conference Championship by edging Tampa Bay 1-0! They'll begin what should be an epic Stanley Cup Final against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night, marking the first time Boston's been there since 1990, I believe. As for the Canucks...

Well, if my memory serves, it was 1994 the last time Vancouver vied for the Cup, and they came very, very close to winning it that year. I seem to recall a Game 7 then, as well... Fortune smiled on us long-suffering Rangers fans on that historic Tuesday evening, indeed, and we got a Game 7 for the Ages! Maybe Boneman will be equally blessed by the time the dust settles on 2011's big matchup.

Stars And 'Canes Defy All Logic And Break Their Fans' Hearts

I did a pretty good job of not following the NHL this season - I didn't even know about the new tie-breaker rule that was implemented this year until Boneman mentioned it to me a couple weeks ago - but that same Bone fellow dragged me back in when he claimed the Rangers were 9 points up on a playoff spot with about 6 or 7 games to go. It turned out they were only 7 up, but even that looked reasonably safe, so late in the season. Then the team chasing them for the 8th spot in the East - Carolina Hurricanes - proceeded to win just about every game they played, and it set up a nail-biting final weekend for the Rangers, for the second season in a row. Last year they lost a shootout to the Flyers on the final day, and missed the postseason by that small of a margin. This year they needed to beat the Devils on Saturday afternoon and then hope the red-hot 'Canes would be unable to win against the Lightning later in the day. Tampa Bay had nothing to play for, as they were already in and couldn't move up or down in the standings.

The Rangers pulled off their part, downing the Devils 5-2 to finish with 93 points. I would've bet a fair amount of money that Carolina would be able to win their game, considering that it was a "win and you're in" scenario. Instead, Rangers coach John Tortorella's old team from Tampa did him a huge favour and pummelled the Hurricanes 6-2, sending the Broadway Blueshirts back into the playoffs after a one-year hiatus.

It boggles my mind that Carolina would come up short in that situation, but then lightning (pardon the pun) struck twice more! First Chicago had a chance to secure a playoff spot by earning at least a point against Detroit this afternoon, but couldn't do it, losing 4-3 in regulation (in a game that featured a fantastic finish). That was surprising but not shocking, as the Wings are an excellent team and probably relished the thought of keeping the Hawks out of the postseason. But this set up the Dallas Stars for their game against Minnesota tonight, knowing that a victory against the golf course-headed Wild would propel them into the postseason at the expense of the defending champion Blackhawks... and they lost 5-3! How crazy is it to have one weekend where three teams choke that badly against opponents that couldn't possibly be playing as hard, or have nearly as much on the line, as they do? I would never have thought to see it. At least Chicago's fans lived to see their team play another day, as it were.

And now back to that tie-breaker rule... the NHL changed the first tie-breaker condition from most wins to most wins in regulation or overtime, thereby nullifying the value of any shootout victories beyond the 2 points that they carry with them. This set up a situation where, had Carolina beat Tampa last night, their 41 wins (and 93 points) would've been considered better than the Rangers 44 wins (and 93 points)! The Rangers had the misfortune to get 9 of those 44 victories in the shootout whereas Carolina was only 5-5 after overtime. I hated that rule change as soon as I heard about it, and I hate it even more now that it almost cost the Rangers a playoff spot. I really hope they get rid of it, even if that means eliminating the shootout and going back to awarding ties (if you get through the O/T without a winner). A double standard, as the rule provides now, just shouldn't be allowed.