30 Degrees of Banking

NASCAR Nuggets: Daytona 500

By Ryan Frisco



With so much going on in NASCAR every week, I feel the best way to give you the most info for your money is to break it down by specific ‘nuggets’ of topics and excitement.  We’ll see how it goes!

Photo Cred www.bleacherreport.com

The Victor:  Yes, so Jimmie Johnson drove around out of contention the entire race until the final 20 laps, then took off to his second Daytona 500 victory.  Congrats.  Now the tweeting sensation is #6pack, since Jimmie is still on his quest for championship number six.  My only question; is the 6 pack reference to a 6 pack of abs or a 6 pack of beer?

The First Loser: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished the Daytona 500 second for the third time in four years.  Not a bad record, but coulda been better.  Either way, a fine start to the 2013 campaign for him.  This is what he needs to do, continue to contend week in and week out, win races and stay in the hunt come Chase time!



Photo Cred www.sportsillustrated.com



Pat on the Back: This week, I’m giving a huge Pat on the Back to three guys who had a much needed great run.  Regan Smith, Michael McDowell and JJ Yeley all had top ten finishes in the 500.  To these teams, that’s just as good as a win.  Smith has proven he has what it takes to be a full time drive, winning the prestigious Southern 500 two years ago, but still can’t find a seat.  McDowell and Yeley are underfunded, and can usually afford to do no better than start the race, run a few laps and park the car.  This top ten will give them some money to experiment a little more and take some more stabs at finishing races. 



The Girl: Yeah, I know, you were just waiting for me to bring up Danica.  Sorry everyone, I know there is a lot of hype over her, but for crying out loud did you see her run?  She definitely silenced all of her critics.  In her rookie debut, she ran in the top ten all day, and had a legitimate shot at the win in the end.  One less lap she finishes third.  One more lap she might have won.  That’s how it is at this track.  She finished eighth, and that right there is a feat.  Real question: can she run that kind of race at a skill level track?



Photo Cred www.usatoday.com



The Fans: For those who didn’t see, the Saturday Nationwide race had an exciting finish featuring a scary last turn last lap crash.  Kyle Larson’s car went airborne, hit the catch fence and shredded, leaving 28 fans injured from debris.  Kyle is fine, and all the fans are stabilized and recovering.  Props to NASCAR for their quick response to save lives, and their constant enhancements to cars and tracks for the safety of both the drivers and the fans.  Ten years ago, that crash may have had a very different, tragic ending.

Next Week: Phoenix is next up for the Sprint Cup series, with Jimmie Johnson rolling in as the points leader.  Tune in Saturday for a breakdown of what’s to come Sunday afternoon!

Left Handed Larceny

NHL Musical Chairs

by Eric Berkenpas

Photo Cred bleacherreport.com

As the NHL expands and changes, the realigned format of the league to an East and West conference in 1993-1994 slowly starts to not make as much sense as it originally did. Look at Winnipeg for example. In 1993 when Bettman originally introduced the East and West conferences, Winnipeg was in the West Central division with Detroit, Toronto, Dallas, St. Louis and Chicago. Geographically, that makes sense. All those cities are in the same general vicinity and so the majority of their travel to away games happened within their region. In 1997 the Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix and there began the geographical issues with the East/West system. Think about where Phoenix is in relation to Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, etc. Not too close, eh? Then, in 1997, the Hartford Whalers who were in a division with Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Ottawa, Montreal, etc. moved to Carolina, which is not in the general vicinity of any of the cities in their division.

Photo Cred www.chillicothegazette.com

In 1998 Gary Bettman once again enacted a realignment to solve these problems. He went to a 2 conference, 6 division system where teams in each respective division were all in the same region. The only flaw in the plan was there were 3 divisions with 5 teams and 3 divisions with 4 teams. What was the solution? In 1999 the Atlanta Thrashers were added to the Southeast Division and one year later the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets were added to the Northwest and Central Divisions respectively. This seemed to be a pretty good fix as evidenced by the fact that there were no more changes to the league format or members until 2011 when Winnipeg reinserted themselves into the NHL by replacing the Atlanta Thrashers in the Southeast Division.

Photo Cred cousinkovalev.blogspot.com

Here were are in 2013. Let’s refresh our memories as to where Winnipeg is located. Winnipeg is just north of Minnesota in Canada. They are playing in the Southeast Division. That is a LOT of traveling for them. Outside of Winnipeg; Detroit, Columbus, Nashville, even St. Louis and Chicago have to do a fair amount of traveling to their away games in the west. Does it really make sense that cities like Detroit and Columbus are in the Western Conference when they are located in the eastern side of the US? Well clearly these things don’t make much sense to Gary Bettman either because just in the last couple days, information was leaked that the NHL is working on a new realignment plan. Changes are looking to be much more drastic this time. Let’s go over the changes:

First of all, there would still be an Eastern and Western conference but those conferences would be comprised of two divisions each rather than three. Detroit and Columbus will move to the Eastern conference and Winnipeg will move to the West causing the Western divisions to each have 7 teams in them and the Eastern divisions to have 8. As you can imagine, this makes for a confusing schedule with no good pattern or flow. The teams in the 7 team divisions will play each team in the other conference home and away, they will play each team in the other 7 team division 3 times each and they will play 5 of 6 teams in their division 5 times and the 6^th team 4 times. Add that all up and you end up with 82 games. Naturally, the 16 team Eastern conference will experience a little bit different of a schedule. Everything will be the same except each team will play teams in their divisions 4 or 5 times a season. Playoffs will also change. The top 3 teams in each division will earn automatic bids into the playoffs. The final 2 spots in each conference would be taken by the 2 best remaining teams. The assumed solution to the uneven conferences is that the NHL will add 2 expansion teams with no word on where those teams will come from yet. All these changes are awaiting the approval of the NHL Players Association and the League’s Board of Governors. If it gets approved, it will take effect next season.

Photo Cred sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Now that you know all the proposed changes, let’s talk about what effect this might have on the league, either positive or negative. An obvious positive is that Winnipeg, Columbus and Detroit will now be playing teams much closer to them geographically. Washington will move into a division with Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the NY Rangers which will make for some serious excitement as there will be 48-60 games played between those 4 bitter rivals. Colorado will move into a division with Chicago, St. Louis and Dallas which will have similar effect in the West. The road to the playoffs may prove to be more exciting as divisional opponents will by vying for those 3 precious playoff spots, not wanting to leave it up the their draw of a wild card spot to make playoffs. There will still be plenty of interconference play so nothing will change there. Given all those plus', it looks to be like an overall positive change. There are some potential negatives, however. First of all, the addition of 2 more expansion teams will spread out talent even wider in the league and create two more teams who will likely struggle out the gate when there are already teams like Columbus and Winnipeg who are having trouble establishing themselves in the league. One of the worst things for a league is to have teams that are so bad, they can barely be expected to win any games. This may happen, even if only in the first couple seasons of the realigned league. Detroit moving to the East removes them from a league with all of their bitter rivals making for a potentially less exciting season for them. The way the schedules will be made up is rather screwy as well. The way the schedules are now, you are guaranteed a definite amount of games against each team. While this is minor, it just looks and plays out rather sloppy.

Photo Cred insodwetrust.blogspot.com

Altogether, I personally like all the changes and really hope they can be enacted. I think change in itself will bring more excitement to the game but the specific changes look to add a new dimension to the season which could prove exciting and fresh for fans. Either way, I think we can all say we are excited to see another full season of hockey!

Boom Goes the Dynamite!

Role Model of the Year Takes Trip to Penalty Box

By Caleb Musselman



As you may know, our “Boom goes the Dynamite” section usually goes to an athlete who displays some type of embarrassing performance. This week we are giving it to someone just a bit less athletic. After a Pee Wee hockey game in Vancouver last week, head coach Martin Tremblay used some interesting tactics during the postgame handshake. Check it out:

Now, despite being one of the funniest videos of the month, this trip deserves a second look. Watch it again.

Photo Cred www.feeblefather.com

First, it appears that “Coach” Tremblay’s team has won the contest. A few of his 11-12 year old players are pumping up the crowd in a victorious display of picturesque sportsmanship. Second, watch how all the young middle school players seem to be cordially exchanging handshakes and high fives as they glide through the line. Third, notice how Mr. Tremblay moves a bit quicker than the other coaches in getting through the line almost as if he has his sights set on a certain individual. Then, BOOM! In a quintessential moment of sportsmanship and valor, the biggest kid on the ice sweeps the leg and takes down his intended target as well as his little friend. Two kids with one leg. This is a truly remarkable feat. But he’s not done! Tremblay then proceeds to point and yell in the direction of the foe who he just felled.

Photo Cred www.canada.com

Now……where to start? Martin Tremblay, the role model of the year, has some anger issues. What could have possibly happened during that game that boiled his blood enough to take out an innocent opponent? Did one of the boys skate past the bench and tell him his hair looked bad? Or that his jacket was too big for him? Or even worse, that his momma’s so fat she uses double bladed hockey skates??!! What could possibly have happened that irked only him and not his pre-pubescent players?





Photo Cred www.colorlines.com



As this video leaked onto the internet and spread quicker than athlete’s foot in a boy’s locker room, Martin Tremblay was summoned to court. He pleaded guilty to assault charges and was sentenced to 15 days in jail. As he serves a major for his double minor trip (heh heh), Tremblay has found himself on ESPN.





Congratulations Martin, you’ve made a name for yourself. Despite your mediocre high school wrestling career, you’ve found a way to make the ESPN top ten. Wait, the not top ten. Either way, you’ve found your fame and fortune. When Tremblay is released he’ll be placed on the registered tripping offenders list. Wear your shin guards kids, Tremblay got the taste of fame and now he wants more.



And the Foul

Why the NBA Can't Be the NCAA

By Ben Makin



Photo Cred www.bleacherreport.com

This year the NBA and the NCAA are having great seasons. The lack of a serious contender in college basketball is leading to exciting games where truly, any team could win on a given night (Wake Forest-who has a losing record- just beat #2 Miami who just beat #1 Duke who beat #20 NC State who beat #1 Duke who beat  #4 Ohio State who beat Michigan who lost to an unranked Wisconsin team who lost to a terrible Iowa team who has a losing record…are you lost yet? Long story short- Iowa is one of the best teams in the country? No, maybe not).

The NBA on the other hand is full of superstars who are electrifying the court night in and night out. There are obvious favorites to win the ‘ship, but teams on the rise have a serious chance in pulling off an upset.  Both playoffs are going to be more exciting than they have been in years.

Photo Cred www.espn.go.com

           

So here’s the main question- why are people more excited for the NCAA tournament than the NBA playoffs? In talking to people, I keep hearing, “Oh the NBA is good, but it's just a bunch of athletes, they took the team game out of it. College Basketball is so much better” And other things like, “College Basketball actually has defense...” Both these statements have hints of truth to them, BUT if you look closely things are not as they seem.

Debate 1

Photo Cred www.espn.go.com

The NBA is full of the best athletes in the world, hands down. They’re freaks of nature that could jump over the empire state building if the lane was open. To top it all off they make an exorbitant amount of money so there is an ego factor involved. Put those things together and you have the recipe for Isolation Stew. That's what the great majority of the NBA is (not a bad thing). There are a few teams that aren’t following that mold: the San Antonio Spurs and the Indiana Pacers (1 and 2 respectively in their conferences). Watching these two teams play is like watching an artist at work; slow, methodical and in the end it's pretty. Their “off the ball movement,” cutting, screening, slipping, help defense, is the best in the NBA right now.

Photo Cred www.allposterimages.com

 Both are HOT teams that can’t seem to lose, so why aren’t teams following in their footsteps? Because it’s perceived to be “boring” to watch (*at least to most casual basketball fans). When given the choice to see either Kobe and the Lakers light it up with their star power, or the Indiana Pacers play hard nose team basketball, most people are picking the Lake-show 9 out of 10 times. The Laker’s record is clearly worse (8 games below the Pacers), but they consistently sell more tickets on the road.  

Once again, why?

Teams are about selling and winning (in that order) and the best way to sell is to have a superstar take the ball and dunk over someone.  The Spurs have Tim Duncan who can barely touch the net, and the Pacers are from Indiana, they don't allow dunking there. Despite this, they’ve adapted, and play a different brand of basketball. So why is it more exciting to watch a team play fundamental basketball in Cameron Indoor, but not in Madison Square Garden? That's a great question, and one that people need to ask themselves.

So sure, the NBA is more of an isolation game. It sells. But if college basketball is so much better, why do we complain when teams play like an Indiana Pacers club? I’m just trying to get some consistency here!

Debate 2

Photo Cred www.bleacherreport.com

Defense is played in the NBA, contrary to popular belief. Sure it looks different than the college game and the YMCA rec league you play in on the weekends, but that is because the game is different. First, there aren’t bad players in the NBA; guys are there for a reason. College has a greater variety of skill levels, and teams have to play differently to adjust to this. The Association has players that are so advanced offensively; the defense literally cannot stop them. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THERE ISN’T DEFENSE BEING PLAYED. Watch a team like the Heat, Pacers, Bulls (well not lately), Spurs or Celtics and you see the lock down defense a college team plays.

Also, college teams have multiple practices a week. Their schedule is one where they can scheme to upcoming teams, try out new defenses, and really prep for the next opponent. During an NBA season, teams do not have this luxury. And when they do (during the Playoffs!) we see some staggering defense and amazing games that come down to the wire. This is all because teams can prep for their opponent and have about 7 games to figure it out!

Photo Cred www.ronhiphopnc2.com

The two leagues are not that different. The NBA is faster, and does lean to be more of an isolation game, but that is because fans complain when teams try to play college ball.  And sure, College Basketball has “better defense”, but they aren’t playing as high of a level of athlete. They have more time to adjust and be coached. All I’m saying is don't quit on the NBA, because the game is changing. If you sit down and watch some good teams play, you’ll see some amazing talent and basketball skill. Give it a chance, the league is reaching the heights of the mid 90’s when MJ was on his grind. Sure, the NBA isn’t the same as college… but I love it.

Showcase Showdown

Which Pennsylvania Baseball Team Will Make Playoffs?

Philadelphia Phillies or Pittsburgh Pirates

By Ryan Frisco and Eric Berkenpas

Photo Cred www.georgefox.edu

Photo Cred bleacherreport.com

Seeing that half of this blog's authors are in the Pittsburgh area and the other half are in the Philadelphia region, it only makes sense that we go head to head with this question.  Since this is Eric’s first showdown, I’m going to get things started, and give him the privilege of having the last word.

Ryan – I’m a Philly native, I’m rolling with the Phils this year.

Eric – I hail from the Burgh; Go Bucs!

Photo Cred www.nbcphiladelphia.com

Ryan – Let me start this off the right way.  I’m not here to bash the Pirates.  They have talent and are a good team.  The Phillies are better.  If we are realistic, the two of these teams are in contention for only one playoff spot this season, and that is the 5^th seed, the second Wild Card.  Why are the Phillies the better team?  My first reason for this is that their key pieces are coming back this year…rested and healthy.  Roy Halladay is the deciding factor.  His arm is healed, and if he is truthful about feeling as good as he did a few years ago, opposing hitters better watch out!   The second big piece returning is Ryan Howard.  The big first baseman who made more Subway commercial appearances then plate appearances last season has said his leg/Achilles feels better now than at any point last year.  That’s good.  With him back to this kind of health, who knows what can happen.   My only hope is that he hits the lefties a little better.  And, the third key piece nursed back to health; Chase Utley.  He has had the better part of two offseasons really to get his knees back in order.  I see him coming out early this year and getting in that old groove we Phanatics are so used to.  I have much more to say, but Eric, please enlighten us on the Pirates bright spots.

Photo Cred www.nbcsports.com

Eric – Well, Ryan, I can see why you have a good feeling about the Phillies this year and quite frankly, I do too. Only my feeling lands them in the 6 spot, behind the Buccos. Clint Hurdle is sick of his pattern of first half fireworks followed by second half slumps. The Pirates made some key acquisitions in the offseason to deepen their lineup and improve their rotation. Russell Martin will be a large improvement behind the plate with his experience and talent level. Do you remember what Francisco Liriano was putting up in his second year with the Twins? 12-3, 144 K’s, 2.16 ERA and held opponents to a .205 batting average in only 121 innings. If he can get healthy, which is the key, this is what he is capable of in Pittsburgh. Pirates also recently signed veteran Brandon Inge who spent some quality years in Detroit and knows what it takes to win. Pedro Alvarez is getting better each year and entering his prime. Andrew McCutchen was on pace for an all-star season before a second half slump. James McDonald proved to himself in the first half last year what he is capable of and will be entering the season with a lot of confidence. Wandy Rodriguez will be fully acclimated to the team now and will be much improved right out of the gun and AJ Burnett’s competitive nature will keep the entire rotation on cue. Jason Grilli will cement a young and talented bullpen that looks to finish better than their 11^th best in the league last year. This team is primed and ready for a complete season. Let’s see if you can challenge the upside of the Pirates!

Photo Cred www.bleacherreport.com

Ryan – Awesome!  You made my transition for me.  Yes, let’s talk about ‘key acquisitions’ for the Phillies. 1. Michael Young – Bringing in Michael Young gives the Phillies something they haven’t had at third base in a long time; experience, a great glove and a potentially great, powerful bat.  He has a lifetime average over .300 and holds many of the Rangers all time offensive records.  The best part?  He’s that long sought after right handed bat in the line up.  He should be the first player to really replace Jayson Werth in the batting order.  2. Ben Revere – A big addition for the Phils.  Revere might not seem like much, but will huge down the stretch. He brings a solid glove to the center of the outfield, along with tons of speed to cover ground.  He doesn’t hit for power, but he can get on base, and when he does, watch out!  He already has 74 stolen bases in not even two full seasons.  With Revere hitting number two in the lineup, we should see a lot of two and three run homers from Utley-Howard this season. 3. Delmon Young – Is Delmon Young going to play every day? No.  Is he going to break any home run records?  No.  I like him though for two reasons.   One, he adds some depth to the outfield.  Second, and the bigger reason, is he can be a viable bat coming off of the bench late in the game in clutch situations.  Remember what Matt Stairs used to do?  Yeah, I see Young playing that role a few times this season.  These three guys have given the Phillies offense three of the big pieces it has been missing the last few years.  How can a team this complete not be the best in the state?

Photo Cred www.usatoday.com

Eric – Those are some pretty good acquisitions and will bring some good experience to the Phillies, but I can give you reasons why I would not be entirely excited about them. Michael Young is up and over the prime of his career. He is 36 years old and is declining. On an absolute all-star lineup in a hitters ballpark last year, he only managed 8 home runs, 67 RBIs and batted .277. The year before was a little better but his numbers are on the decline. Delmon Young has never blossomed into the player he was supposed to be when he entered the league. That is an accurate comparison you made to compare him to Matt Stairs who was an average baseball player at best.  Will he be clutch like Stairs was? That remains to be seen. Ben Revere is the best thing you got going for you. He will bring a lot of speed to a generally slow lineup and will be a menace on the bases. That said, I don’t see too much improvement in those acquisitions nor do I see many players on the Phillies team who are entering the prime of their career. Pirates have Jared Hughes, Francisco Liriano, James McDonald, Charlie Morton, Tony Watson, Michael McKenry, Pedro Alvarez, Josh Harrison, Neil Walker, Chase d’Arnaud, Andrew McCutchen, Alex Presley and Travis Snider all entering or in their prime. All those players I listed with the exception of Liriano have shown gradual improvement over the last several seasons and with them entering the prime of their careers, it’s only going to get better. Add a couple all-star, experienced players like Russell Martin and Brandon Inge, you got yourself a winning formula. I could keep going at this pace but I need a chance to catch my breath. Whattyou got?

Photo Cred www.zozone.mlblogs.com

Ryan – Hmm…you make great points.  I can’t deny, the Pirates are an up and coming squad.  I’d even go so far to compare them to the Oakland Athletics.  They have potential, I’ll give you that.  But, we’re arguing which of these two teams are going to have the better season, and frankly, it’s no contest.  When you look at overall talent in the three big categories, the Phillies outweigh the Pirates.  Pitching.  You got Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, who are all in the top 10 National League pitchers.  You have one of the greatest closers in the league in Jonathan Papelbon.  They did a little work to sure up their middle relief guys.  This rotation has potential to be one of the best in a long time.  Fielding. There is a ton of speed in the field and lots of Gold Gloves.  Getting Mike Young at third base was huge. Hitting. No one can argue the bats in the Phillies lineup.  Altogether, on paper, they are by far the superior team in Pennsylvania.  Now it depends on a few different things, mainly the health of the key players.  But, if Halladay, Howard and Utley stay healthy, this could very well be a Champion team.  One more thought; Charlie Manuel is in a contract year.  Like any player in this situation, he is going to do whatever it takes to earn that extension.  Look for some un-Charlie like moves this season in an attempt to change it up and make playoffs.  Alright Eric, take it home from here…that’s the only place the Pirates will be come October baseball.

Photo Cred www.sportsjerks.net

Eric – Perfect! You made my point for me. I can’t argue that “on paper” the Phillies don’t look better than the Pirates. Luckily you can’t judge a team in the MLB by what you see on paper. If that were true, the Yankees would probably win the World Series every year. Yes, the Phillies have a lot of big names on their roster and added a couple more. Ask the Oakland Athletics if that matters. I would compare the Pirates this year to the Rays team a couple years ago that made the World Series. Every year they got the new hot draft pick and held on to them. The Pirates are now holding on to their picks and are seeing the results. Pedro Alvarez is shaping into a player who is a home run threat every time he is at the plate and has shown signs of the defensive player he can be as well. Andrew McCutchen has shown that he has what it takes to play at an MVP level. The Pirates boast one of the fastest outfields in the league, second only to maybe the Braves. AJ Burnett still has a lot left in the tank and will be a huge part of leading the generally young Pirates pitching staff. The Pirates have a lot of question marks coming into the season and do not have the greatest team on paper, but constant improvements over the last couple years by some very talented young players teamed with some older experienced players will, in my opinion, lead to great success this year. To top it all off, there is finally excitement in that Pirates Clubhouse. There are expectations to win. Attitudes have changed in Pittsburgh and that is going to yield results sooner rather than later.

Alright fans, it’s your turn to vote.  This poll means more to us than any other one yet.  Rally behind your city and team and let us know, which one of these teams will get the job done this season!

Green-White-Checkers

Daytona, Danica and a Blogger's Thoughts

By Ryan Frisco

It's here.  It's finally here!  Sunday afternoon marks the Daytona 500.  It marks the start to a 36 week season that has NASCAR drivers traveling all over the country, from California to New Hampshire, from Texas to Michigan, on a quest for one thing; the Sprint Cup Championship.  As for me, I know where I'll be;  on my dad's couch, down in the man cave, tuned in to a 52 inch HD TV.  Bring it on!

Photo Cred www.aol.sportingnews.com

So we've been through seven days of Speedweeks.  Three practice sessions, three races and a qualifying session.  If you haven't been tuned into any sports stations, any major news website or even your local news, let me fill you in on the top news story this week.  Danica Patrick, that's right, Danica Patrick will be starting on the pole for the Great American Race.  It almost seems too good to be true!  The perfect storyline!  

Danica has proven she has a fast car.  She had the fastest time in the opening practice session, and that carried over into qualifying, where she torched the competition.  Her finish in her Duel race wasn't great, 17th, but honestly at that point, she already had the pole locked up.  Why would she drive hard and risk damaging her car before the big race?  I'm excited to see what happens.  This is one of the few tracks where truly anyone has a chance to win, even on the last lap.  Could we see the first female race winner this Sunday in the Daytona 500? There's at least a shot.

Photo Cred www.boston.com

While Danica is fast and starting on the pole, there is another driver who has established himself as a clear favorite for the 500.  Kevin Harvick.  He dominated the Sprint Unlimited Saturday night.  He dominated the end of his Duel race.  When he gets to the lead, no one can pass him.  They call him the Closer for a reason.  If he isn't caught up in an accident, I expect Harvick to be in the hunt in the race's closing laps.

Photo Cred www.flickr.com

Other notable names who have been fast this weekend are Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch.  Jeff finished second in qualifying and will be starting on the front row.  He also came very close to winning his Duel race, finishing runner up.  Rowdy (Kyle Busch) won his Duel race, and proved last season he has the wheels to drive to Victory Lane at Daytona.  These are the four drivers starting in the first two rows.  A lot of speed, a lot of limelight and a lot of attitude amongst that group.

So, on to the Blogger's thoughts.  I tend to take the underdogs when it comes to these things.  I've always been a fan of the Blue Deuce, driven by champion Brad Keselowski now, but I don't think he has what it takes to win this race this year.  I'm high on the Kasey Kahne wagon this year, and he's my favorite to win the Cup, but not the 500.  Trevor Bayne has one Daytona 500 Victory already, and has led the most laps this week, but I'm not choosing him either.  No, I've got someone else in mind.

Photo Cred www.michaelwaltripracing.com

Clint Bowyer.  I've seen Clint grow and mature over the last five years, and last season spoke volumes to the world.  No one put Bowyer anywhere near the championship talk all season.  At the end, there he was, runner up in a race he was never in.  His track record at restrictor plate races is impressive, and he's driving for one of the best restrictor plate racers of his time in Michael Waltrip.  The potential is there.  I think this is the year Clint Bowyer goes from average to contender in the world's eyes.

Do you smell that?  Yeah, that's the sweet smell of gas, burning rubber and firesuits.  Ray Lewis, get ready to drop that green flag.  We're going racing!!

Left Handed Larceny

It's a Trap!

By Eric Berkenpas

Photo Cred www.wikipedia.com

There are several variations of the defensive scheme of trapping in hockey, all of which are used to some extent by almost every team. The idea behind a trap is to force the puck to a condensed area of the ice and limit, ideally to the point of elimination, any option other than dumping the puck for the offensive player. In the broad scope of things, there are three different types of traps. There is the Low Trap, the High Trap and the Neutral Zone Trap. Since this article will be covering the Neutral Zone Trap, I will refer to it in the future as the NZT.

The idea of the NZT is that the center forces the puck carrier towards either board and cuts off good passes towards the middle of the ice. the strong-side winger then pinches up and takes away the boards forcing the carrier to get rid of the puck by either dumping it in or making a pass to the middle of the ice. Should a pass get through, the weak-side winger and defender will cut off options for the new puck carrier forcing him to make another pass or dump the puck in. In doing this, the defense is 1) forcing potential bad passes to the middle of the ice which can lead to a good odd man rush, 2) forcing an early dump in which may lead to icing and/or 3) slowing down the faster, more skilled players who like to carry then puck through the neutral zone. The best part about the NZT is that there is no good option to easily counter it every time. The NZT will be tough to break every single trip up the ice.



Photo Cred www.startribune.com

Jacques Lemaire, head coach of the New Jersey Devils from 1993-1998 and then again from 2009-2011, was the first coach to officially implement the NZT. The Montreal Canadiens used a form of it back in the day but never officially named it, so we will stick to saying that it officially started with Lemaire. Lemaire saw quick returns in New Jersey as he lead his team to their first ever Stanley Cup victory in the abbreviated 1995 season. Lemaire instilled a defensive minded approach to hockey in New Jersey from the moment he stepped behind that players bench and it has remained there to this day. After the Devils won their first Stanley Cup, complaints emerged throughout the NHL over the NZT that the Devils played and they were criticized for "making the NHL boring". It doesn't take a hockey genius to notice that any time you are watching the Devils play anyone, the game is slow, boring and low scoring. Even recently, there were instances of revolt against the NZT. Just last season, the Tampa Bay Lightning under head coach Guy Boucher, adopted a 1-3-1 version of the NZT. The following video shows what Chis Pronger and the Philadelphia Flyers thought of this:


                  


Jacques Lemaire started something in the NHL that has really gotten under peoples skin even in present day. After the 2004-2005 lockout, the  NHL eliminated the 2-Line pass rule and added a trapezoid behind the net that goalies could not play the puck outside of in an attempt the quicken the pace of the game and weaken the effectiveness of the NZT among other things.

Photo Cred devils.nhl.com

Regardless of rules that the NHL puts into place, the New Jersey Devils will insist on playing the NZT and will be very careful to sign players who fit right in to their style of play. It helps to have a world class goaltender in Martin Brodeur in net to clean up any lapses in defense, but New Jersey, since the tenure of coach Jacques Lemaire has been a heavily defensive minded team and have been very successful. Over the past several seasons, the team has lost the likes of Brian Rafalski, Paul Martin, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, Bobby Holik, Scott Niedermayer, Zach Parise, Scott Stevens and Petr Sykora among others. Those are some very good players who most teams would feel the loss of. New Jersey, however, has always been able to manage after losses of key players. This is directly related to the style they play and the players they get who fit into that style. Call it cheap if you want, but the Devils organization from top to bottom is built to perfection around defense, specifically, the Neutral Zone Trap. Other teams have tried it and done well with it, but none will ever be as persistent or successful with it. If you want to beat the Devils, you will have to find a way to break the trap.

On Thin Ice

Phizzling in Philadelphia

By Caleb Musselman



Photo Cred www.media.philly.com

The 2012 offseason was a scary time for hockey fans. After having their best offseason in franchise history, the Minnesota Wild feared the hype created by their new blockbuster pickups would fade if there was no season. The city of Pittsburgh was scared to death that they would have to wait another full year to see Crosby and his buddies win the Stanley Cup (because they are always the best team in the league even when they don’t win the cup). On the other side of the state, Philadelphia fans were scared for slightly different reasons. After watching Parise, Nash and Suter slip through the cracks, Holmgren (Flyers GM) assured the city that they were moving in the right direction. Picking up an average defenseman (Luke Schenn) to replace Matt Carle and signing a number of offensive role players, the Flyers contingent feared they were taking some steps backward. Holding out optimism that Giroux would score 48 goals in 48 games and fly around Wells Fargo center with a jetpack attached to him, Flyers fans crossed their fingers and hoped for the best.

Photo Cred www.bloximages.townnews.com

Eighteen games into the new season, Philadelphia’s fears have come to life. With a record of 8-9-1 and currently tied for last in the division (as of 2/17), the Flyers seem to be underperforming in a big way. After a shaky first 10 games, Philadelphia blamed their poor performance on injuries to Hartnell and Meszaros. However, as they continue to drop important games, I fear they might just be playing at their talent level.

Photo Cred www.flyersfaithful.com

The rest of the division got better. Even the Penguins, without any big offseason pickups, got better with the healthy return of Crosby. The Flyers quite frankly got worse. Giving the franchise captaincy to Claude Giroux this offseason seemed to be the right choice after his breakout 2012 campaign, but Giroux has struggled with the new pressure that comes with this leadership. Why? Because his limited supporting cast is severely under-achieving. The Rangers top line features Richards, Nash and Gaborik. The Flyers top line features a mix of Giroux, Voracek. Matt Read and Briere depending on the night. And people wonder why the Flyers are struggling to stay afloat in this dynamic Atlantic Division? The Penguins Power Play features Crosby, Malkin and Neal! Other teams in the Atlantic have three superstars on the ice at once, Philadelphia only has one superstar in their entire lineup.

Photo Cred www.nyhockeyjournal.com

What is the solution to this problem for the Flyers? That’s a great question. In my opinion, the solution lies in three parts. First, the Flyers young talent MUST step up offensively. Matt Read has done his part with 7 goals on the year. After a colossal two game stretch which he put up 7 points against the Islanders and Pens, Voracek now leads the Flyers with 18 points. With these two performing well, Sean Couturier must step up his game. With only two goals on the season, Couturier simply must become more of an offensive impact. Second, the Flyer’s defenseman must take their play to the next level. In particular, Braydon Coburn must ratchet up his game a few notches. With a dismal 1 goal and 4 assists on the season, he is setting a poor standard for the young defenseman around him as one of the leaders on the team. Third, Ilya Bryzgalov must continue his solid play. With consistently inconsistent defensive play in front of him, Bryz has kept the Flyers alive on many occasions in the first 18 games. When the defense steps up, Bryz simply has to continue to excel.

Even with this rough start to the 2012-2013 season, Philadelphia finds themselves tied with NYR and only 5 points out of first place in the division. Is it possible that this Flyers team can turn things around and compete for the division? Yes, and they have made a big statement by putting together a 2 game win streak against division opponents at a crucial part of the young season. Do I think they’ll win the division? No, but I think if they continue to progress with their current lineup, they could grab one of the last spots in the conference and make some timely noise in the playoffs. The Flyers are a few offseason pickups away from being a contender, but in a tough Atlantic division, there is no telling how the standings will fall once April comes around.

Domination Station

Hot Team in the Old Town

By Caleb Musselman



Photo Cred www.thehistoryblog.com



“Late one night when we were all in bed,

Old Mrs. Leary left a lantern in the shed,

And when the cow kicked it over she turned around and said,

There’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight.”

Photo Cred www.cdn.nhle.com

During the lockout, the Chicago Blackhawks must have had this old Children’s song about the Great Chicago Fire on repeat in the locker room. Since the drop of the first puck in January, Chicago has been in flames. Not a fire that burns the city to the ground, but a fireball that rolls around the country and demolishes anything and everything in its way.

On Tuesday night the Blackhawks tied the modern day record for the most games without a regulation loss to begin a season. Their 13-0-3 record gives them their best start in franchise history and an unbelievably hot start to the 2013 campaign. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, Chicago has been in a bit of a rut. With a young, dynamic roster from top to bottom, much of the hockey world feared that a dynasty was being formed in Chicago. After 2 years of moderate success, it seems Toews, Kane and Keith are ready to take the next step.

Photo Cred www.blogcdn.com

Ranked barely in the top ten of preseason rankings, the Blackhawks have very quickly put themselves at the top of the cup favorites list in just a few weeks. Led by Patrick Kane’s 22 points and Corey Crawford’s 1.65 GGA between the pipes, Chicago has been simply dynamic. Friday night, with the chance of making history, the Hawks have a tough matchup against a San Jose team who isn’t far behind. A monster Western Conference matchup between two teams who had no lockout hangover, the United Center is going to be an absolute mad house.

Now begins the waiting game of seeing how long Chicago can keep the streak. When will they lose? Will they ever lose? Maybe that is the better question. Can they break the record? Can they get the streak to 20, going nearly half the season without a loss? The young guns in Chicago don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.



Photo Cred www.committedindians.com



“Late one night, when the NHL was in bed,

Old Joel Quenneville lit a fire under his men,

And when Bettman dropped the puck he turned around and said,

There’ll be a hot team in the old town tonight. FIRE FIRE FIRE”

Boom Goes the Dynamite!

Andrew Bynum: The Great Philosophizer 

By Ryan Frisco

This section is devoted each week to an embarrassing performance by a professional athlete.

Oh, Andrew Bynum.  You come into Philly with so much hype, and do nothing but disappoint.  Dude, you're 24 years old with the knees of someone 80 years old after two failed double knee replacements.  Seriously?  When will we ever see you out on the court in 76ers gear?

Bynum graced the listing of our Not column two weeks ago.  In that instance, he was fresh off his loser statement regarding his potential return to the court.  "It doesn't really matter to me when I start playing again," or something like that.  Yeah, it doesn't matter to anyone else either.  Not to the owner who's paying him millions of dollars, not to Coach Collins who is trying his best to win games without his star player and especially not to the millions of fans who flock to games and cheer on the Philadelphia 76ers in the greatest sports city in the world.  No, you're right Bynum, no one cares when you come back.

As if that wasn't enough, he chose this week to add to his great portfolio of stupid quotations.  When being questioned on whether or not he would play this season, he said he would definitely be playing in 2013.  On a side note in that conversation, he went on to say that he could care less how the fans felt.  The NBA is a business and this is how it is.  Deal with it.

Really?  I'll tell you what, if there's one thing Andrew Bynum is great at, it's winning fans over.  He's probably as good at that as he is bowling.  I still can't figure out how he managed to do more damage to his knees bowling.

Photo Cred www.the700level.com

I'm not a basketball fan in the least.  I haven't watched a basketball game since John Stockton and Karl Malone were in the heat of playoffs against the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan.  But somehow, I have been able to learn everything about the 76ers highest profile player to never play a minute.  

One other thought;  What is up with the hair?!  C'mon man!