Avery might be laughed at, but the NHL is the real joke

Many wonder why the NHL is so obviously overlooked by the American audience. Some say it's because it's too expensive of a sport, other say it is because it's too complicated, too hard to watch on TV, yet to expensive to go see live. Others just simply don't like it because it's too violent and fighting is allowed (GASP!) yet those same people will shell out hundreds of dollars on violent video games and go see every Stallone and Schwarzenegger movie thrown on the big screen. But the biggest reason for the NHL never getting attention in most U.S. markets...is because it is a joke.

Only in the NHL will a player get suspended for saying something about an actress. In case you haven't heard or read the comments, click here. And if that is too much work for you to do, what Dallas Stars' agitator Sean Avery said was "I just want to comment on how, it's become a common thing in the NHL for for guys to fall in love with my sloppy-seconds, I don't know what that's about."

Were those comments wrong to say? Yes and no. On the ice, those comments would have been the equivalent to saying hello. The vulgar, disgusting and ruthless things said on the ice don't even COMPARE to what Avery said. Yet, off the ice, to the media, it's a different story. No, he shouldn't have said that. It wasn't awful, but it was something he should have said to the player that he was referencing in those comments, Dion Phaneuf of the Calgary Flames, on the ice.

Phaneuf is happens to be dating Avery's ex-girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert.

That is Avery's game, he instigates, just ask New Jersey Devils' goalie Marty Brodeur or Colorado's Darcy Tucker.

But, back to my point. The NHL is a joke. Why? Not only was he suspended for this, but he was suspended six games! SIX GAMES! I personally think a fine would have been just plenty, but SIX GAMES! There are players in the league that are repeat offenders of illegal hits that haven't been suspended six games. Maple Leafs' winger Ryan Hollweg has dished out some of the leagues dirtiest hits and hasn't even been suspended that long. Don't get me wrong, Avery has been a thorn in the side of the league since he first laced up his skates for the Detroit Red Wings, and has always been in the middle of controversy. Hell, he even has a rule implemented because of his actions. But, he has never been suspended. This was his first suspension and he gets six games? I mean, he didn't illegally hit someone from behind, or in the head, he didn't have drugs on him, he didn't shoot himself in the thigh, he didn't beat up his bodyguard or skip practices and then call a news conference about it. No, he made remarks about his ex-girlfriend. Bravo, NHL.

Rather than clean up the game of the dirty, head-hunting hits, commissioner Gary Bettman decides THIS is what will bring the sport down. Hey Gary, ever think it's your fault that the only time the NHL gets this much exposure is when an "incident" occurs?

In an interview with ESPN, Avery actually pointed out how terrible the NHL is at marketing it's sport (and rightfully so). "It would certainly be good for the game if we marketed the game. The NHL does a terrible job of marketing. They just ... they haven't figured it out that heroes and villains are what sells." Amen!

Why do people love-to-hate the Dallas Cowboys so much? Because they are the bad-boys of America. The NFL does a great job at marketing it's villains.

Avery goes on to say that nobody cares about the players like Calgary's Jarome Iginla. Which is true. How many people outside of hockey die-hards actually know who Iginla is? Nobody. And it's a shame because he is one of the most talented players in the league. There is a plethora of young, amazing, MARKETABLE talents in the NHL that simply don't have any exposure.

Why? Because the NHL would rather focus on hushing it's players rather than exposing them. Think about how many times Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson have said something so extraordinary that it had you say "wow, I might just watch that game just to see what happens."

No, rather than do that, Bettman and Co. would rather suppress the personalities.

Just ask Washington Capitals' phenom Alexander Semin. Alex actually had the guts to speak out about NHL poster-boy Sidney Crosby in a Russian newspaper and was slammed for it. Did the NHL look at this as a way to promote arguably the top-four players in the NHL today -- Pittsburghs' Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and Washingtons' Semin and Alex Ovechkin? No, Semin was criticized and basically ambushed by everyone in the business. You would think the NHL wants exposure and ratings. Nope, guess not.

And for everyone who still says Avery is a moron, should be banished from the league, has no right to even skate with the class-act Dallas Stars...if it weren't for rules implemented by the NHL, guys like Avery wouldn't even be in the league. In the past, if a guy like Avery skated around, ran his mouth and did the things he did today, he would pummelled to no end. Now, thanks to the brilliant "instigator rule" which penalizes the starter of the fight, the enforcers of the league are handcuffed. So guys are allowed to skate around freely taking cheap shots and don't have to worry about a thing. Hey Bettman, want less "incidents" get rid of that rule!

Say what you want about Sean Avery, love him, or hate him, but the NHL is the real joke.

Nassau Conference I Football Championship

Hempstead, Long Island- - Chants of “uno mas” filled Shuart Stadium as the Freeport Red Devils advanced to the Class I Long Island Championship with a victory over the Massapequa Chiefs.

The Red Devils defeated the Massapequa 34-21, last night at Hofstra University, in the Nassau Conference I Football Championship.

The Red Devils’ (10-1) pass rush proved to be too strong for Chiefs’ (7-4) offensive line to handle. Chiefs’ QB Rob VonBargen, who was sacked on five occasions and threw three picks, only completed seven passes on 19 attempts for 145 yards.

The most devastating interception thrown by VonBargen came with 36 seconds remaining in the half to Red Devils’ junior DB Michael Groover. Groover ran the pick back for a 45-yard touchdown to give Freeport a 20-6 lead.

“I read the play right, saw the ball come out and just prayed to God not to drop it” said Groover. “It gave us a major boost, we kept the momentum from that point on”

That was the first interception ran back for a touchdown by the Red Devils all season.
Freeports’ ground-and-pound offense was also too much for the Chiefs to handle. RB Jules Harvey rushed for 138 yards and QB Erick Lapice added another 60 on the ground.
“We gotta give credit to the line tonight” said Lapice.

Lapice, a first-year quarterback, opened up the scoring with a one-yard run for a touchdown midway through the second quarter. Lapice added another rushing touchdown for one yard in the third quarter.

“ He’s [Lapice] the general that makes everything click” said Freeport head coach Russ Cellan. “He’s really a great high school player; he keeps this whole thing going.”

The Week 4 matchup between Freeport and Massapequa also ended with a Red Devils’ victory, when they defeated the Chiefs 27-26 in overtime.

Cellan told his players not to get distracted by the hype that the Class I LIC game will bring or they will “fall one rung short.”

Freeport will play the winner of Friday night’s Lindenhurst (8-2) vs. Connetquot (8-2) game at Hofstra University, Nov. 28th.

“The LIC has been our goal all year, there’s no stopping until we get there” said Lapice. “We still have one more week of practice, and one more game to play.”

Texeira a Yankee!

Kanekoa Texeira. What? Were you expecting someone else?
The Yanks acquired Kanekoa yesterday as part of the deal that brought Nick Swisher to the Bronx. The Yankees, in return, traded Mr. Utility, Wilson Betemit and two prospects to Chicago.

Now that the Yankees traded for Swisher, it pretty much ends the Mark Texeira to the Bombers thought/hope.

Swisher, who was traded from Oakland to the White Sox last winter, hit .219 with 24 homers and 69 RBI last season.So essentially, the man who is slated to play first base for the Yanks is a home-run hitter, who has a sub-par average with a scruffy beard and long hair from Oakland...I could have sworn the Yankees didn't pick up Jason Giambi's option...

According to ESPN.com, the Yankees also offered CC Sabathia a deal that would be larger than the one the Mets inked Johan Santana to last winter. It is reported the deal is for six years, and worth more than $137.5 million. Other pitchers on the market are A.J. Burnett (formerly with the Blue Jays) and Derek Lowe (of the Dodgers).

Sabathia, is a lock. Any team that wouldn't want to sign him is out of their minds. I don't want to hear that he only pitched like that because it was the National League either because his record (106-71) in the A.L. is outstanding. Any money the Yankees throw at him is worth it.

Burnett on the other hand. I'm not too sure about. Outside of pitching against the Yankees (3-1, 1.64 ERA) and BoSox (2-0, 2.60 ERA), he really didn't pitch that amazing. I'd be careful of throwing huge dollars at him. And as far as Lowe goes, he needs to stay in the N.L.

Now play nice boys

The NFL might as well start putting it's quarterbacks in the same bubble Jake Gyllenhaal used in Bubble Boy.

It's gotten to the point where it is almost sickening how much players are being protected in the NFL. Forget about No Fun League -- it should be No Force League.

Just ask Giants defensive end Justin Tuck. He is the latest victim of a bogus fine dished out by the NFL. Tuck was slapped with a $7,500 fine after a hit -- which NFL director of football operations Gene Washington, deemed too forceful -- on Dallas Cowboys QB Brooks Bollinger.

"We can't hit them in the head, we can't hit them in the knees, and now we can't hit them hard?" Tuck said in an interview with ESPN.

This is just a string of fines dropped by the NFL. What's the point. If you can't hit your opposition hard -- something that's embedded in your brain since pee-wees -- what's the point of even playing?

I have a solution. Maybe for now on, all quarterbacks should just wear flags around their waste. That solves everything right NFL? No more gray area. If the NFL keeps this up they're going to turn into the No Fans League.

GR8 vs. The Kid

The Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin debate is going to rage on until one of these superstars falls off track.

Alex the GR8 and Sid the Kid have been taking the NHL by storm since they first made their debut on Oct. 5th, 2005. Ovechkin had two gaols, and 17-plus minutes of ice time in that 3-2 victory over Columbus.

Crosby? Well, he didn't fare too well in his NHL debut – recording only an assist in a 5-1 loss to New Jersey.

Both were picked #1 overall in their respective years. Both play on small-market teams. And both proved they deserved every bit of hype.

Ovechkin won the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year) in 2006, just nudging out Crosby. The following year, Crosby won the Hart Trophy, which is given to the league MVP. Not be outdone, Ovechkin won the Hart last year.

Since coming in the league, Crosby has developed a bad, but earned, reputation of being a baby and a diver. NHL fans have dubbed him the name "Cindy." It's not uncommon to see Crosby talking (complaining) to referees about calls, or non-calls. Ovechkin on the other hand – can not have a bad word said about him from anyone.

Ovechkin will dazzle you with his moves, stun you with deadly shot, entertain you with his post-goal celebrations, but he'll also do something that Crosby will not do – knock the snot out his opponents.

Ovechkin has also earned a reputation in his short time in the league – get out of his way, or he will destroy you!

Don't get me wrong, Crosby will check, will mix in with the rough stuff, but Alex punishes players, there is no such thing as a bump, Alex finishes each-and-everyone of his checks – and makes sure his opponent remembers it.

Here's a breakdown of what each has done in the league since their debut:

Alex Ovechkin-#8-Washington Capitals

• Games - 253
• Goals - 165
• Assists - 150
• Points - 315
• Shots - 1304
• +/- 15
• Playoff Appearances - 1
• Stanley Cup appearance - 0
  
• NHL Scoring Champion 1, Hart Trophy, Calder Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Trophy

Sidney Crosby-87-Pittsburgh Penguins

• Games- 224
• Goals - 102
• Assits - 205
• Points - 307
• Shots - 738
• +/- 28
• Playoff Appearances- 2
• Stanley Cup Appearances - 1
• NHL Scoring Champion 1, Hart Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Trophy

The only thing Crosby has over Ovechkin, is that Stanley Cup finals appearance last year when the Penguins lost in six to the Detroit Red Wings.

My choice, by unanimous decision, Alexander "the GR8" Ovechkin. Hands down, the most entertaining player in hockey today.

Big D....L

Ok, so in football it's called the IR not the DL, but Dallas has been struck with a huge mess of injuries so far in 2008.

Of course the biggest injury (stature, not size) was to QB Tony Romo's pinky but America's team is missing a slew of other key players, which isn't really helping them climb out of the hole they dug themselves into.

Rookie RB Felix Jones(hamstring) is most likely going to miss this week's game against the Bucs after missing practice again on Thursday. He also sat out last week's disgrace of a game against the Rams.

The Cowboys didn't only lose to the Rams 34-14, but they also lost Roy Williams for the remainder of the season. S Roy Williams, not the newly acquired wide receiver from Detroit. Williams re-broke his fractured right forearm in his first-game back since the initial injury during a Week 2 win over the Eagles.

CB Terrence Newman has been out after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia since Week 5. Unlike the Saint's Jeremy Shockey, he will take the suggested recovery time and isn't expected back until Week 11 against the Redskins.

And of course there's Pacman...I mean Adam Jones who was suspended at least four games by commissioner Roger Goodell after an incident with his team-appointed bodyguard. "If he can deal with whatever issues he may have, handle his responsibilities, make good decisions, then he may have an opportunity to play again in the league," said Goodell. Wait, I thought that's what he said last time? Pacman checked himself into an alcohol-treatment center earlier this week.

Backup QB Brad Johnson better rekindle the game he had back in 2003 when he led the Bucs to a Super Bowl victory over the Raiders if Dallas has any chance of beating the 5-2 Buccaneers in Week 8.

Snap Back to Reality

It's about time the New York Rangers and their fans were brought back to reality. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a die-hard Rangers fan, but I'm a realistic one.
Everyone had the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup after they started the season 5-0. Please. Sure they started off with five straight wins, something they hadn't done since the 83 season, but in they looked awful in some of those games.
Take the first two wins of the season. Both were in Prague against the Lightening. Now Tampa has a brand new coach fresh off the desk at ESPN, and a roster that has had more significant changes on it than any other team in the NHL. Not to mention a completely new front office and direction. They squeaked by Tampa and beat them 2-1 in each contest.
Ok, now fresh off that nice little Eurotrip, time to open up the Garden. They beat the Blackhawks. This game easily could have went to the Hawks. Lundqvist made 30 saves, but the Hawks missed the net a good 10-12 times on quality scoring chances. Oh yea, Chicago is the youngest team in the NHL and just fired their coach only four games into the season.
Alright, 3-0 bring on the Flyers. The Rangers started with the most dominating period they have played all season jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first. After that? Same old Rangers. They let Philly creep back to make it 4-3 but the most troubling figure was they only went 1/9 on the Power Play. That's disgusting.
4-0, here comes Marty and the Devils. No complaints. Power Play looked great, Aaron Voros and Brandon Dubinksy continued to play amazing with Nik Zherdev on the other wing, also playing very well. The Power Play was there with Voros putting in two PP goals and Lundqvist looked very sharp as he has all season. Good win boys.
Now, with history on the line, going for their first 6-0 start--Buffalo. This is where the same old Rangers came. They looked awful, absolutely awful. Michal Rozsival continued to show why he is grossly overpaid and would barely be a top-three defensemen on other teams. How he is given so much praise on this team, I don't know. The Rangers looked flat-footed, sluggish and a step behind the entire game. Renney tinkering with lines didn't help either. The worst point in this game was when the Rangers, only down 2-1 gave up a short-handed goal to Thomas Vanek in the middle of a four-minute power play. Ouch.
Hopefully now that the fans are a little more grounded, the Rangers can put together another nice string of wins, with games against Toronto, Detroit and Sean Avery's return with the Dallas Stars coming up.