I don’t care what the circumstances are with the Coyotes bankruptcy, I don’t care how obvious it is that you’re going to be dropped regardless of who gets the team. I don’t care about the fact that the NHL’s bid specifically states they will not honor your contract.

Right now you’re the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. This is an NHL franchise. You are being paid over $8.5 Million a year. Get off your butt and show up and do your job.
I respect Gretzky but this is pathetic. How can the head coach of a team not be there when training camp starts?
Unless your dying in a hospital somewhere there are no excuses. None.

Is it embarrassing for him?  Yeah.
But hey, you’re getting 8.5M. That’s well above any other coach in the NHL. And it’s not like there aren’t questions about your ability to do the job. Sure you’re a part of marketing the team and all. So there is a little extra. But however you cut it you’re getting huge money to coach that team.
And regardless of what happens in the future you are the coach.

If I’m a Yotes player I’m asking myself why should I show up and work my butt off if the coach won’t even bother?
Hard to have respect for any coach after that.
Gretzky has been a model citizen for the game. He’s done a ton for it. He’s worked hard, he’s given a lot of time and poured his heart into it. He’s legitimately been a superstar of the ice as well as he was on it.

But this is horrible. If he’s anyone else he should be fired 2 seconds from now. It won’t happen but there is absolutely no justification no matter who you are. There are far better coaches then he that should be dropped in a second if they pulled this.
Embarassing.
For hockey, the NHL, Gretzky, and the Coyotes.

Gretzky no-show article

Someone please tell me why LA is funding Jackson’s memorial service?
This is really a pressing need for funding?
His family cant do it?  None of them have a cent?  What?
Maybe I’m missing something but I don’t much see why any government should be any more interested in funding his memorial then they would be mine if I dropped dead.

Celebrate him all you want. But please, government funding should NOT be used for such ridiculous expenses. How about taking all those millions of dollars and giving them back to the tax payers. Makes more sense if they can’t find anything at all to use it on.

So Gmail is finally out of Beta, as is Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Talk. Amazing. I wasn’t aware Google was capable of labeling anything as officially being launched and not merely a never ending perpetual beta.
Gmail has been in “beta” for a little over half a decade now.
Stupid, and silly.

I guess businesses ignoring Google Docs due to the perpetual beta status finally got Google to wake up and  remove the meaningless beta tag.
Naturally in classic Google fashion it’s quietly swept under the rug.

Getting Google to do anything without years of research into the tiniest minutie is an incredible accomplishment. Now all we need is for Google’s spending to be devoted more to their products then the billions of swimming pools and other such apparent necessities that their employees must have access to.
Nice company to work for I’m sure, but that whole “Do Good” mantra of their died long ago. For all the hype and love, their an awful lot like a mini Microsoft in actions and behavior.
Or at least old Microsoft. I don’t have much issue with current Microsoft, or rather I do but not about their behavior on any sort of a legal basis.
But Google’s more questionable actions are kinda well out of the way of anything related to the shocking news that…. they actually have something that’s not beta.

NO!
ARGH!

The Leafs are systematically taking away every one of my favourite players
I loved Kronwall, he was one of the very few players I’ve been cheering for since well before he hit the NHL to play for the Leafs.

The Marlies lose easily their best D-Man all season, and Toronto loses a guy who could step in and play well as a bottom pairing blueliner for the next half decade.

I wish him luck in Washington, he’s a legitimate NHL talent and can play now. He could have played several years ago as our 6th D-Man. I don’t usually make hard definitive comments on what a player will be, and it’s perhaps arrogance to suggest that of Kronwall a mid 20’s AHL’er… afterall, such players don’t typically have any real value at all. In this instance I’ll be arrogant however, because I have confidence in Kronwall.

May not be anything special but he’s solid, and cheap. We don’t exactly have an abundance of players fitting that description.

And yes, I realize no one except me cares. But I love Kronwall, perhaps as much because he’s the only player I’ve ever felt I saw and recognized his talent before NHL scouts did.  It’s easy to watch prospects and read about them and form an opinion after the scouting agencies start mentioning them a year or so in advance of the draft.
Not so easy to see an unknown European, that goes late in the draft and say you saw him as an NHL talent.
Fun.
Because I fully admit, my hit rate on prospects I like is pretty middling and definitely well below the Leafs actual success.
(I do a sort of mock draft every year, selecting whom I’d pick of those available at the time the Leafs pick. Predictably, I’ve faired extremely poorly relative to the actual Leafs scouts. Which is as it should be of course, their professionals, I’m a fan…. they have all the resources and time to see all the players. I have little of either.)

Regardless, while I recognize few think much of him he’s quality IMO. Some offensive ability, albeit not likely much at the NHL level. He was taking on the tough opposition down in the A and coming out ahead. He was on the ice for a ton more D-Zone draws then O-Zone draws, and the puck was moving the right direction when he came off. Routinely took the shift after a PP when the rested top talents on the other team typically stepped on. In short, he’s been getting results in some very unfavorable ice time for 2yrs now and was adequate in his NHL showings.  Yes, he’s an AHL vet but he can play IMO.

Microsoft REALLY should have come up with a new name for automated in-place upgrades between Win7 versions. That just sounds like a porn orgy.

Hell has frozen over, Google has actually released something that isn’t in a perpetual beta. Officially releasing anything that isn’t in beta for it’s entire lifespan is a massive step forward for Google.

Download Chrome here

It’s not about to replace Opera for me, but it is noticeably better then it was.. fixed up the few huge issues it had previously. Playing around with it, it’s looking like a browser that I could use on an everyday basis now if I chose to.
Now yet certain if I prefer it over IE7, and it’s clearly inferior to Firefox and Opera IMHO.
Still, a capable browser. Well done Google.

Now if only they could figure out how to actually make 2 cents off any of their products besides the core search business.

I just love the contrast between the NFL and the NHL at the moment. Everyone’s up in arms about Avery saying ”I’m really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada, I just wanted to comment on how it has become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don’t know what that’s about. But, enjoy the game tonight." in reference to Phaneuf dating his ex Cuthbert.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think for a second this is about his comments, their just an excuse to suspend him. The issue is… well, all of a thousand things he’s said and done.

Meanwhile in the NFL Plaxico Burress has been put on the injured list after he accidentally shot himself in the leg with an illegal weapon that he was storing in the waistband of his pants. His teammate allegedly disposed of the weapon in New Jersey, crossing state lines. Nobody really seems concerned by this. Admittedly, the NFL often seems like it pretty much is a league of criminals more or less. So maybe a player shooting himself instead of assaulting someone else is a breath of fresh air.

On a related note, I wonder if the NFL has such a massive disparity between rules for the stars and… lesser players as the NHL does?
I don’t follow it, so I have no idea. It’s a constant aggravation to me that a fringe NHL’er can get suspended a week for something someone like Pronger could do 3-4 times before getting suspended for one game. The keep the stars on the ice at all costs mantra is tiring.
I sincerely wonder sometimes what would happen if Crosby brought a knife onto the ice and stabbed someone, if it were the playoffs would the NHL dare suspend him?  I’m honestly not sure.

How to treat murderers better then law abiding citizens

Ah, the wonderful usage of American Tax Dollars… ensuring prisoners in maximum security prisons that are jailed for murder can live in luxury wearing designer clothing, playing new video game consoles, getting 3 nice personal meals a day while sitting back relaxing and watching TV and the warden encourages the guards to develop personal familial relations with the aforementioned murderer.

A lesson from the government: Want to live an easy assured life with no worries and all you could want? Go kill someone.

To the Media:  (Yes I know none are reading this)

Another day, another question from the media as to whether he will waive his No-Trade Clause. Another response from Sundin that says “No”. I’ve been keeping track this month because it seemed over the past few months that he was getting asked that practically daily. I was wrong, he’s only been asked that by twenty different people in the past 23 days (at least that have been oublished), though obviously many have asked multiple times.

This is getting annoying. Seriously an example of todays article:

“Sundin spoke to the media at Saturday’s morning skate and admitted that interim GM Cliff Fletcher had asked him to waive his clause, allowing the club to pursue a trade.

‘The Leafs gave me a chance to think about it and all that but as I said my position hasn’t changed since the start of the year.

”I have to do what feels right in my heart. I just don’t think I can go to another team if I don’t want to play for another team. That wouldn’t be right to myself. That’s how I feel”

So he’s firm in that he will not waive his NTC. What does the author then say?

“Sundin has only a few days to contemplate his future. The belief is the Leafs were hoping for a response from him on Friday. Instead, it may take the rest of the weekend for Sundin to make his decision.”
It may take the weekend for him to make his decision?  He just finished telling you he MADE his decision. A YEAR ago!  So instead you just keep asking him and pretend you haven’t heard the same answer every day for months?

Seriously, quit this. It’s aggravating incessant and ridiculous. We know he has trade value, we know the Leafs stink and we know dealing him for futures would help a rebuilding process. We also KNOW he will not under any conditions play elsewhere. End of discussion. He’s been adamantly firm on that thousand times over.
He probably has himself on tape recorder just to replay his words, their the same every time. He must have the patience of a god to put up with this, because it’s driving me insane just reading about it.
Every day, multiple times a day a new article pops up telling us the exact same thing. Ask Sundin, Sundin replies in the negative. We ignore that and say “Sundin hasn’t made a decision”. Ask next day, he made his decision long ago. It’s a no. Ignore it and say he hasn’t made his decision.

PLEASE STOP!
This is Toronto. I know you need to write a billion stories about even the tiniest incidents that may be even vaguely related to anyone that has even the slightest connection to the Leafs but for the love of god FIND SOMETHING NEW!

I can answer every single question Sundin will ever be asked over the next few months right now:
I will not waive my NTC, I will not play for any other team besides the Toronto Maple Leafs. I will retire a Leaf. I will resign here in the off season. I would rather play here then have the opportunity at a cup elswhere. I do not feel comfortable doing as Ray Bourque did.

How do I know that’s the answer? Easy, it’s copied verbatim from about 200 articles.

Whether Sundin is a wonderful guy whose loyalty is paramount and cares more for Toronto then the Cup itself, or he’s a heartless *beep* that’s staying here so he won’t have to work hard elsewhere on a cup run I really don’t care what the media thinks. Both have been said a billion times over.
Sundin is a god if he does waive his NTC, and the devil if he does it. He’s a god if he refuses to do so, and a devil if he refuses to do so. He’ll be crucified and worshipped by an equal number of people either way.
Pretty much all Leafs fans have their own opinion, as I do. None of us care what you think of his refusal to play elswhere.

Regardless, his heart is in Toronto and he’s clear that wherever Toronto goes he will be on the team. Be that to last in the NHL or first. He’s here. No where else, and that NTC ensures that he has final say.
What anyone else offers Toronto for him doesn’t matter, nor does Fletcher’s desires. Sundin holds all the cards. And he refuses to play elsewhere.

I’ll respect him regardless. If he goes at a deadline rent a player deal then I’ll love the prospects/picks coming back. If he refuses to then I’ll love his devotion to a dead team. But either way Sundin made his impact on Toronto long ago, and he’s hard pressed to significantly alter it positively or negatively now.

3.7M over 2 yrs, 1.85M per.

That seems like an awful lot to be paying Steen in the short term, he doesn’t appear likely to outperform the contract in the near term and there is no long term benefits with this deal.

Strange.

Without any strong counting stats to fall back on to boost his contract value, and no track record of being an outperformer against decent opposition he can’t be reasonably expected to justify it immediately. If he does ever justify it, he’ll be up for another contract by then.

Disappointing when Trent Hunter went for 2M per over 5yrs with the NYI today. Certainly a substantially better player right now, at only incrementally more. Also a pending UFA. Steen was a RFA whose still years away from UFA.

This really makes no sense to me. If Steen was pushing the Leafs that hard in contract negotiations that he demanded an overpayment then they would have been better off simply offering the 1yr qualifying offer with the minimum obligatory raise in order to retain his rights.
If their comitted to Steen long term, then a term of more then 2yrs would have been the path to take.

Hard to see any real benefit here to Toronto.
Stajan will presumably see a commensurate raise in his contract.

If Facebook is “worth” 15Billion (which it’s NOT), then MySpace would be worth 65Billion…. which it clearly isn’t.

In the NY Post’s business section one of their articles today makes a very important point: this Facebook valuation is insane, and .com bubble-ish. They quote an analyst who applied the $357 Microsoft awarded for each registered user to MySpace, and came up with a $65b valuation. Three words: Not. Freaking. Likely.

“At $65 billion,” the article states, “MySpace would be responsible for all but $3 billion of News Corp.’s entire market capitalization – which clearly isn’t the case – and would be larger than CBS and Viacom combined.”

It’s crazy, I know, but sometimes the sheer number of users isn’t the most important thing. Irresponsible valuations, like this one, lead to solid companies with solid products, but without a surfeit of eyeballs, being ignored or, relatively speaking, undervalued.

Which is good for no one.

$240 million for a 1.6 percent stake in Facebook makes no financial sense at all. To be fair to Facebook, for a 3.5yr old company to have a revenue stream of 150M is stellar.

Now I wish I could say I believed that 10yrs from now Facebook would be at the top of the social networking scene-I’m not however, such a belief is an entirely different topic however.

Allow me to reiterate what I said a few weeks ago.

Women: You cannot live with them, you cannot live without them.
You get comfortable thinking everything is back to normal, and naturally a new personality randomly pops up.

Present Emotions: Frustration, Confusion, Aggravation.

To the surprise of absolutely no one Wirtz moment of silence at the last Blackhawks game intended to pay respect to his memory didnt quite go off as planned.

The fans joined in one united long and continuous boo.
Really, what did anyone expect?

Holding a moment of silnce deserved or not for someone that’s universally despised and hated in Chicago obviously wasn’t going to go off well.

Pierre McGuire has always been a little bizarre. His absolute love affair with Zach Parise and Dion Phaneuf is frightening in it’s intensity and his absolute conviction they they are respectively guaranteed to be racking up Art Ross/Norris Trophy’s.

Today he kindly furthered the perception of him as a nutcase.

He believes Cam Ward will win the Vezina Trophy. Why?

Cam Ward has now been married for a year and is used to it, and will thus stop more pucks. I only wish I were joking. Yes, everyone all you have to do is be married for a year and the Vezina is yours.

 Condolences to the family of the man who owned the Blackhawks and congratulations to the few remaining fans who will admit to still following the team.
The biggest member of the “old boys network” in the NHL, the man who singlehandedly destroyed one of the best hockey cities in North America is dead. A poor man’s Harold Ballard, all those dozens of high draft picks Chicago has had for the last 60 odd years will now begin to matter. Failure isn’t assured, Wirtz is gone.
Now we just have to hope his son sells off the team, though even if he keeps it he can’t help but being an infinitely better owner.

It’s harsh to poke fun at a man’s death. But the truth is, Wirtz death does more good for the NHL then Wayne Gretzky ever did.
“Dollar Bill” Wirtz is gone, Harold Ballard is long since gone. Their demise is worth more to the NHL then a major US national television contract. It sounds ridiculous that such an impact could be had by someone’s death with nothing actually positive occuring, but the truth is… I’d be shocked if anyone disagreed with the statement of how incredibly positive this is for the NHL, all of the NHL’s fan and most importantly everyone that’s every watched Chicago Blackhawk hockey.

The various Chicago papers all have the expected articles up expressing their joy. I’m sure that makes the Wirtz family sick, but frankly… they had to have expected it.

Sarcasm: In memory of their father, the Wirtz kids announced today that the funeral will be blacked out on local TV, and available only on “Hawks Vision” PPV.
I commend Wirtz for his business acumen and his philanthropy, but there’s no denying the Blackhawks suffered because of him.
Wirtz had a penchant for running out of Chicago his more outspoken Blackhawks stars.
The Blackhawks in the last ten years have only been to the playoffs once, and his unwillingness to televise his team’s games locally further contributed to the decimation of the Blackhawks’ fan base.
This team was in such sad shape that ESPN ranked it in 2004 as “the worst franchise in sports”.
And as Chairman of the NHL Board of Governors from 1974 to 1992, Wirtz along with former NHL President John Ziegler and former NHLPA director Alan Eagleson were responsible for keeping players salaries artificially low, thus setting the stage for contentious labour negotiations between the owners and players since the early 1990s.

Emotional state: Annoyed, aggravated, frustrated confused.
The last few weeks are continued definitive proof the entire female gender is absolutely insane.
Period, end of discussion.

Women: You cannot live with them, you cannot live without them. Such is life. Such is why women live longer then men.

Every last one of them has about 5 billion different personalities all bottled up into one body, all spontaniously flickering randomly between each personality roughly once a minute to once a day depending on the individual in question.

Random theory: Drug addicts that are addicted to hallucinogens use them in an attempt to vaguely understand the billions of personalities embodied in women. They continue using drugs because drug addiction with a vague hope of occasionally undeeerstanding them or guessing which personality will be dominant at any given point in time is preferable to being sober, logical and unaddicted…. and entirely incapable of understanding any female.

If your female reading this, don’t take offence. Your all insane, men are simply *beep* (insert expletive of choice). Probably better insane then naturally and almost unavoidably *beep*. Afterall, there are typically some good personalities mixed in with your many other.

At first I thought this was a joke… mocking the intelligence of professional football players, then horrifically I realized it was real.
Apparently they weren’t kidding when they say elite pro football prospects get a… “easy” ride in college. I’m not sure whether to laugh or find this terrifying… a college educated top young NFL prospect evidently feels this an excellent introduction of his character for public consumption.

Behold Michigan’s Marques “Grand Marques” Slocum: (No, I haven’t the faintest idea who that is… just that he’s apparently some great young talent everyone’s drooling over)

(Begin edited interview. Questions in italics, answers in bold.)

What is your favorite song of all time?

Just another nigga- state property II

Do you own any pets, and if so what do you have?

i got a fuck lion now come fuck wit me

Who do you admire most?

My mom CARLA, dat bitch da shit, i love her i think she da realest bitch alive

Do you have any tattoos, and if so what and where?

fuckin real

When do you plan on getting married?

it dont matta cuz i hope my wife know ima be playa 4 life

Get the number or give the number?

i would have 2 say bof

Romance or Kinky Sex?

it dont matta however i can get it

How do you feel?

i feel like killin somebody so dont be dat person… lol….not really dont be dat person

What size shoe do you wear?

a big enouf size 2 boot chu da fuck up outta here

T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Cingular/AT&T, or Sprint/Nextel

sprint/nextel bitch! dey got da best phones

Would you rather be hot or cold?

fuckin warm fuck dat hot shit and dat cold shit Id rather it be in da middle

Would you rather lose an arm or a leg?

what da fuck! i needs bof of my muthafuckin body parts

Opera, Musical, Concert, Play, Performance, or Other?

opera- no, musical- no, concert- maybe. play- no, performance- fuuuuuuuuuuuck no, other- no

What is your favorite clothing brand?

state property, im on my philly shit im on my jawn… lol

Most Memorable Past?

shit i couldnt tell u cuz i dont know

If you had to pick one car, which would it be?

96 impala ss

Your favorite Disney Films?

fuck disney

Why did the chicken cross the road?

cuz he was all fiend out

Do you support Paris?

why should i

Where is Waldo?

i killed dat punk muthafucka he owed me money

Favorite element?

i would have 2 go with………….. water

What was your last thought?

why da fuck am i doin dis interview

Firefox, Internet Explorer, Netscape, or other?

i dont give a fuck i just want 2 get on

Who are you going to vote for in 2008?

me

Juice and crackers or milk and cookies?

i want sum milk and cookies

Favorite fruit?

watermelon

Which is worse? A bad laugh or a bad cough?

dam mafucka u just fucked up da mood, i guess i aint sayin no more jokes

Are you a cat or a dog person?

im fuckin wit a rock or a pit just so it can cha cat

Would you rather be blind or deaf?

deaf btu dam neither

Define yourself in 3 words…

im da shit

Do you eat cold cereal at night?

what da fuck is cold cereal

What is your favorite TV show?

the wire

Kill the spider or let it out?

man! fuck dat spider

Do you shower every single day?

shit i at least get a bird bath but yea i shower everyday dis summer its 2 hot not 2

Walking past a beggar, spare change or ignore?

shit ima be askin him 4 sum change

Boat or bus?

bus bitch! i cant swim

Where do you want to travel next?

da future

What would you do if Michael Jackson asked you out

I be like yea and den ima rob em’, ima steal all his shit and im stealin bubbles and im sellin dat muthafucka

What is your favorite food?

I like 2 licky licky licky licky… lol

Do you read harry potter books?

who da fuck is dat!

If you could have one super human power what would you choose?

come on now i wanna fly i hate walkin dat shit overrated

Have you had a beer in the last week?

shit I downed a forty last night in 2min. and 37sec. yea, beerfest bitch! im ready 4 da boot!

Vitamin Water or Gatorade?

Bof of dem shits is nasty but i fuck wit gatorade

Favorite body part?

my whole fuckin body

Flip flops or sandles?

come on now! what type of question is dat?

What do you do on fridays?

whatever da fuck i feel like doin

Do you like bananas?

do u

Here’s Michael Vick’s idea of being kind to a dog. Michael Vick and 3 other men were served with a federal indictment for dog fighting, Vick unsurprisingly being the leader of the whole group and funding the operation and owning the property they used for their…. ‘entertainments’. Vick today finally accepted of plea bargain agreement admitting his guilt.

They were acquiring dogs and used them to gamble on dog fights. The dogs that lost/couldn’t be trained to kill/weren’t violent enough to suit them were tortured and executed for their enjoyment. The methods of execution included shooting the dogs with a pistol. Wetting them down and electrocuting them. Picking them up and slamming them into the ground until they were finally dead. Or using their custom built dog guillotine to chop off their head. The other method was simply hanging the dogs. Some of these dogs were perfectly healthy but because they couldn’t fight or make them money they killed them. They filmed the dog fights and executions to retain for ‘memories’.

Most people seem to be under the opinion Vick is getting a raw deal and should go free with a few thousand dollar fine. “Well, it’s not like it’s a crime against people so he should be OK”.

Apparently people feel it’s perfectly acceptable and reasonable to take an animal with feelings and love and subject them to torture?

To quote a politician:“One is left wondering: Who are the real animals? Who are the real animals, who are the real animals – the creatures inside the ring or the creatures outside the ring?”

The NFL seems only concerned about the gambling charges, happily content to ignore the whole torture, execution, and forcing dogs to fight for their lives. Yes… gambling is worth suspending someone, killing dogs?  Not a problem.

The last I heard he’s expected to see prison time of 6-18mnths. Some claim this will likely finish his NFL career… I neither follow nor care about the NFL, so I won’t comment there.  He’s apparently still owed over 100Million $ on his current contract, one would hope the team can recoup that and kill the contract. I’d have to assume there is some personal conduct guidelines in the contract that Vick’s broken which will allow them to get out of it.

Look at the picture. That’s an animal that’s been treated well and kindly by Vick and his friends. Other pictures make this image seem the most humane thing you’ll ever seen.

Sick and disgusting person.

Updated Aug 18/2009:
Apparently he’s now back in the NFL, soon to be a millionaire again… and all is forgotten and forgiven.
I tend to believe in second chances. But I’m also a dog lover, so I’m not exactly happy.
I doubt he’ll do it again, but I also think the only reason he wouldn’t is because he knows he’d get caught.

You know hockey obsession in Toronto is a touch excessive when front page news is Mats Sundin has hugged a girl in Sweden.

Yes, I know the shock and awe. He’s now one of the hundreds of millions of men across the world that probably hugged their wives/girlfriends the same day. Outside of destroying my long held suspicion that Sundin was gay (Yes I seriously believed it possible, no it’s not an insult to Sundin).

Welcome to the media Josephine Johansson, you will never again escape it, ask Mats ex-Tina Fagerstrom. She’s still news several years after they were a couple for the sole reason that she was once with Sundin.

Not even Mats semi-legendary ability to keep his private life-private can save you now. At least she had a few months peace before the media caught ahold of the news.

Apparently when your named Mats Sundin, the biggest news in Sweden or Toronto on Aug17 is when you hug your girlfriend. Unsurprisingly the newspapers have pledged to keep us updated on the couples exploits. Much as I love Sundin I cannot even begin to fathom why I should care whom he’s dating however.

“The League sat down and brainstormed about what would be the biggest improvement for the game and the uniform was first and foremost.”
- Keith Leach, director of NHL Uniforms for Reebok

The league figured the best way to improve the game was with a new jersey? Sad, but probably true.

I’d like to say I’m surprised, but honestly I’m not. This is why hockey has been in perennial decline since the early 90’s.