Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, or so the saying goes. With tensions running high after the Savard hit, and with the Penguins and Bruins set to meet again this Thursday, several members of each staff would do well to remember possible past lives, or at least figures who mirror their attitudes. If they don’t, a brawl of epic proportions could erupt, and suspensions would be the least of their worries. Unless nothing gets punished anymore. It’s like an L.A. jury in the NHL nowadays. In any case, to better understand the volatile attitudes involved in Thursday’s Beantown Bash, it would help to understand similar minds of the past, and see how they did themselves in just as today’s hockey players might:

Penguins:

Matt Cooke – Reynald de Chatillon

During the Second Crusade, several truces were made between Crusader leaders and the Saracen ruler, Saladin. Despite this, Reynald, a French vassal to kings of Crusader states, kept violating the truces and treaties by attacking valuable caravans under their protection. Reynald even sent pirates to pillage villages all along the Red Sea. The kings claimed to Saladin that they could not control Reynald, and war soon erupted again. Reynald’s actions forced Saladin to swear he would personally behead Reynald if he were ever taken prisoner. Saladin fulfilled his promise after the Battle of Hattin, but Saladin later let King Guy, also taken prisoner, free after some time, a move that greatly helped Saladin diplomatically.

Matt Cooke, despite having higher ups, seems to be rather unruly, and why wouldn’t he be with nobody seemingly willing to discipline him? He takes cheap shots at players who should be protected by regulations. Sound familiar anyone? It can’t be long until his actions provoke massive fights, and there are plenty of Bruins right now who I’m sure would love to behead him with a well-placed skate, especially since vigilante law seems like the only one that will apply to Cooke.

Sidney Crosby – Odysseus

We all know the story of Odysseus. He departs from Troy without offering Poseidon and the gods due sacrifice. He reeked of hubris, just having to be the only one to listen to the Sirens’ song and live to tell about it. He just had to navigate the straits of Scylla and Charybdis. He just had to brag to Polyphemus after blinding and escaping from the Cyclops. His self righteous attitude led to the death of his men and destruction of his ship and supplies. Only when he admitted to his nemesis Poseidon (after losing everything) that he was a man and nothing more was he allowed to return home to Ithaca and kill the suitors ravaging his estate.

Such a face of his team and sport, Crosby leads the league in scoring, which should make him a little uptight. Winning the Olympics can’t help the situation. Surely he thinks he is immune to the wrath of any higher power and can’t be targeted by head hits. With all the Penguins riding with him and bolstered by last year’s Stanley Cup, will Crosby’s high and mightiness lead them to underestimate opponents and blow their title defense? If they want a decent shot, Crosby and the Penguins will need to admit that they’re fallible, and not take anything for granted.

Marc-Andre Fleury – Emperor Constantine XI

In 1453, Constantinople was under siege from the Ottoman Turks. By that time, the empire was severely weakened, practically consisting of only the city itself. The famous walls had saved the 1100-year-old empire for some time, having only failed once before in 1204 to violent, looting crusaders passing through. This time around, thanks to rifts with the West, Constantinople was outnumbered more than 11 to 1 by contemporary estimates. Advancements in gunpowder technology favored the Ottoman siege works, and it didn’t take them long to use their numbers to storm the city. Small holes in the wall helped the Ottomans sneak in and establish a base within the city. A gate left unlocked in the chaos, as some historians suggest, couldn’t have helped. With defeat imminent, Constantine himself lead the last stand against the Ottoman throngs pouring into the city, only to die alongside his troops in noble fashion.

The Penguin defense, led by Fleury, is actually amongst the worst in goals allowed of all playoff teams, and is only better than mostly the worst teams. Fleury gave up three goals in an important game against the Devils last Friday, even giving up a rare hot night post-trade for Ilya Kovalchuk. With their potential to win the division in question, is Fleury’s and Pittsburgh’s defense about to crumble? Their powerful offense is holding off invaders for now, but with Kovalchuk, Ovechkin, and a bevy of other attackers coming for Pittsburgh’s title, it might soon be time for Fleury to lead a last stand of his own. Boston will only be more than happy to pound at the walls. Who thought they were capable of putting up five in Philadelphia, after all?

Bruins:

Marc Savard – Joan of Arc

By 1429, the French had lost most of their country in the North (including Paris) to the English during the Hundred Years War. Only the city of Orleans, with its strategic positioning along the Loire river making it the only city standing between England and complete victory. With the English laying siege to the city, Joan was given the chance, at the age of 17, to lead the French forces and lifted the siege in only nine days. Even a shot to the chest from an enemy archer, which another of her famous visions prophesied, could not stop her from returning to action. Joan’s leadership lead to the recapture of much French territory (despite several more archer wounds), including Reims, where Charles VII could finally be crowned king. It was during a retreat at Compiegne where Joan was surrounded and captured by Burgundians. Her trial and execution in 1431 were conducted without any legitimate evidence, but the English proceeded anyway. Joan was rightfully declared innocent in 1456 and made a saint in 1920. Her status as a martyr so inspired the French, that they completely reversed the tides of war and regained their country and won the war by 1453.

Savard is one of the leading Bruins and has suffered several injuries this year from which he has bounced back. His 10 goals and 23 assists in 41 games have made him a key contributor to the Bruins being in the race at all. Finally, when Savard was leading a charge, his season was killed off, with evidence supporting that move shaky at best. With one of their better players martyred for the cause, the only thing that remains to be seen is if the Bruins will completely turn their fortunes around, get back into the heart of the race, and ride their defense and hopefully better offense to a Stanley cup, and be the last of the four major Boston sports teams to win a title in many of our lifetimes.

Tim Thomas – King Priam

During the Trojan War, Priam hid behind his walls, which were able to hold off the multitude of Greek champions in their attempts at felling them. The mighty Trojan defenses, led by Priam, fought many battles, in the open fields and down to the Greek camps on the shore. After heated fighting, including deaths of champions on both sides, a truce was declared before the fighting would rage on again. It was during this time that the Greeks devised and built the Trojan Horse, hiding their warriors inside. The Trojans thought the horse was an offering to the gods for a safe voyage home after abandoning the war and brought the horse within their city walls to break up this fortune, despite warnings from a select few skeptics who guessed the Greeks’ true intentions. At night, the Greek fleet, which had sailed back to the island under dark’s cover, entered and sacked the city, the gate of which was opened by those inside the horse.

Thomas has been known as a stalwart defender, with a Vezina Trophy to show for it. But there have been plenty of times where Thomas has lost sight of a puck just as Priam lost his wits after the change of Greek strategy. Thomas’ defense has been sliding a little this season, and to reverse that, he’ll have to maintain his hand-eye coordination to track the puck at all times, and keep track of opponents’ rushes, movements, and strategies at all times, and be able to figure them out effectively. But remember, it was Odysseus (Crosby) that came up with the idea of the Trojan Horse, and he has more than enough scoring ability to break down Priam’s (Thomas’) defenses, as do other scoring threats in the league.

Tuukka Rask – Hector

Hector was the son of King Priam, and the strongest champion of Troy. It was thanks to him that the Trojan army was able to hold off the Greeks for so long. He turned back any challenge, even holding off two personal fights with the mighty Ajax. Even though he is wounded by Ajax, Hector keeps fighting back until the first duel is declared a draw, and disarms Ajax, forcing a retreat during the second duel at the Greek lines. Hector gains much glory, outshining even the king. It takes a challenge from the legendary Achilles to finally do Hector in and permanently turn the tide of the war in the Greeks’ favor.

When Thomas started an embarrassing losing streak, his backup Rask was brought in and quickly stole his thunder. Rask brought the Bruins right back into the playoff race, raising morale after a ten-game winless streak. Even now, he leads the league in goals against average and still has much reverence amongst the Bruins despite Thomas resuming much of his starting duties. With Thomas doing pretty well again, and Rask ready to man the posts at any time, it will take a powerful figure to rip through Rask’s defense and take him out of the equation. With the acrobatic saves we’ve seen from him as of late, maybe a tricky Trojan Penguin would be needed to do the trick.

Claude Julien – Napoleon Bonaparte

General Bonaparte led a coup against a very unpopular government, and became First Consul of France, and Emperor five years later. He instituted many economic, educational and social reforms, in addition to his military acumen. After a failed 1812 campaign in Russia, in which supplies could not be mustered and battle could not be decisively won, Napoleon was forced to retreat back to France to maintain control there, having lost 90% of his forces. Embolden, coalition forces captured Paris by 1814, and Napoleon’s generals mutinied, forcing him to abdicate, and the Emperor was exiled to Elba. Early in 1815, Bonaparte escaped and landed in France, where he gave the French troops sent to intercept him a chance to kill their emperor. Instead, they joined him and helped him return to power for 100 days, until his defeat at Waterloo. Bonaparte was exiled to St Helena in the South Atlantic, where he died of stomach cancer in 1821.

Julien rose to prominence with the Canadiens in 2002, but was unceremoniously fired in 2006, and became the coach of the Devils, and was unceremoniously fired again in 2007, despite helping lead the Devils to 107 points. In and out of power, Julien joined the Bruins in 2007, and enjoyed another resurgence of power, twice leading the Bruins to the playoffs. However, injuries have left the Bruins desperate for any type of meaningful offense, just like the French forces who were inevitably defeated. To avoid such embarrassment and make a deep playoff run, Julien will need to make shrewd decisions and manage his troops effectively, and return the team back to the ultimate power in the East.

NHL

Front Office – Switzerland

When heated conflict arises, neither does a thing about it. Ever. Enough said.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Bruins, Featured, Now!, Top Story.

I don’t want to piss all over everyone’s recent Nomar love-fest, but I feel someone needs to pipe up.

Look, I loved the guy when he was wearing a Red Sox uniform. When I played wiffleball, I would mimic his obsessive compulsive batting glove routine, just like every other kid (I still do, because admit it, it’s fun.) Nomar was idolized in this region. He was our ambassador to the outside world. Jimmy Fallon (badly I may add) played a character on Saturday Night Live based on our love for this guy (which is when I first started hating Jimmy Fallon, a passion (a) I carry on to this day and (b) can proudly say I had long before it was cool to hate Jimmy Fallon). Even Ted Williams, the greatest hitter ever, said that Nomar would be the one to inherit his throne. Hell, for all we know, Teddy Ballgame promised Nomar a spot in the freezer next to him when his life was over.

Nomar marked the resurgence of Red Sox Nation. He was our fearless leader, and like my fellow writer Matt, who posted a nice piece about Nomar retiring as a Red Sox, I was happy to hear about this re-sign/retire gesture. In a sports news cycle saturated with paternity suites and vehicular manslaughter cases, reading a story like this is more than welcome in my book.

But amidst this touchy-feely story, it seems we’re kind of forgetting a few things, or at the very least, quickly glancing them over. And it’s this—we, meaning most of us in Boston and New England (fans and media alike) were more than happy to see Nomar shipped out back in 2004.

Not only did we give two craps about the guy who we had loved so dearly being traded by some new hotshot GM barely old enough to buy a case of Old Milwaukee–we were sending him moving boxes and Google Map directions for the quickest route to Chicago (assuming Google Maps was around in 2004, I don’t know, I try not to do research for any of my pieces).

Terry Francona said Wednesday that Nomar was “Boston’d out” when he was dealt in ‘04–like Nomar had enough of this town. Well believe me, the feeling was mutual. St. Nomar was suddenly in 2004 a “quitter,” a “friggin’ crybaby,” and my all-time favorite, “what kind of queer-ass name is Nomar anyway.”

What was once the guy who hustled, who played the game the way it was supposed to, who was beloved by the young kids and the old-timers alike, was now the guy who sat on the bench nursing a sore muscle and pouting, while Derek Jeter, the guy he was suppose to rival, was diving into the seats of Yankee Stadium to make one of the most memorable catches in baseball history.

The first half of the 2004 season, that July series against the Yanks and that classic play especially, epitomized our frayed dynamic. The Yankees were winners. We were losers. And we needed someone to blame for that—and that blame fell squarely on the shoulders of Nomar Garciaparra, because he was the guy sitting on the bench. He was the guy who committed a couple errors in the previous few games. He was the face of our failures, and we wanted to collectively punch that failing face.

Not that I entirely blame Nomar. Here was a guy who had given the Sox a string of great seasons, only to see management publicly lust after A-Rod, who was then with the Rangers.  And when that trade fell through, they pretended like everything was all good. Imagine if your girlfriend spent the whole night hitting on some random dude at a bar, then when he rejected her, she just came and sat back next to you, acting like she hadn’t been willing to jump said random dude’s bones at the drop of a hat. Then imagine that said random dude was A-Rod (or someone you know of equal or greater douchiness, if that’s possible). Starting to get why Nomar quit on us back in ’04?

But that didn’t seem to matter to any of us then. Or even now, because of what happened next. We all know how the story unfolds: Nomar traded for a few players that help us win a World Series for the first time in 86 years. Red Sox flourish. Nomar flounders. He visits for the first time. Standing ovation! Tears! All is forgotten. He comes back! For a day! Retires. Happy ending.

Of course, this cute little re-signing/retirement doesn’t happen if October 2004 doesn’t happen. Those magical four games against the Cardinals erased any leftover animosity. After that event, no insult from the past was too great to be forgiven. Just as older fans forgave Bill Buckner, we forgave Nomar. We conveniently erased the bad times from our collective memories, even if those bad time had just occurred a few months prior. Nomar was now our wayward son, the player who was “our guy” and just caught a few bad breaks. He was always a Red Sox, no matter what uniform he wore–Wednesday reinforced that sentiment.

I’m not saying this little ceremonious signing is bad. Nor do I think it’s all that great. If anything, I think it’s useful–useful because it makes us Red Sox fans mindful of what the team (and by extension us as fans) used to be, and how that’s not what we are any more.

Like my late grandfather taught me, “You should never forget where you came from.” Thank you, Nomar, for reminding us.

© Fudge for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Opinion, Red Sox, Top Story.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Now!, Red Sox.

According to the New York Post and other sources, newly acquired cornerback Antonio Cromartie has been forwarded $500,000 by the team in advance on his 2010 salary for paying child support to seven children by six women in five states. The Jets are being supportive by helping their new defender by advancing him the money, and Cromartie promises he will fulfill his responsibilities and will keep his personal and professional lives separate. But before his court date in California later in March, we have an exclusive transcript from an earlier TV appearance by Cromartie:

Maury: Hello and welcome back to Maury. We’re here with Antonio, who denies paternity seven kids with six different women.

Antonio: That’s right, Maury. All these girls are just hos. They just want money.

Maury: But you did sleep with them?

Antonio: Yeah, but I was drinkin’ and they tricked me.

Maury: Oh, alcohol. (to audience) As if that’s never happened before. We’ve also got with us Nikki, the mother of your oldest alleged child Tyree. (to Nikki) Now Nikki, why exactly is Antonio the father?

Nikki: Just look at my baby. Same nose, same eyes, that came from Antonio; they look exactly alike.

Antonio: Nah, nah, dat girl be lyin’.

Nikki: Shut up, I’m 1,000% sure you are the father.

Maury: Well let’s just settle this right now, because I’ve got the results of the paternity test right here. (takes envelope from aide, reading) Anotnio, in the case of five year old Tyree, you are the father.

Nikki: Hah! I told you! I told you!

Antonio: Yeah, yeah, whatever.

Maury: Calm down, everybody. Antonio, you have one child now, and could have six more. You need to take responsibility for you child and do the right thing. (to audience) We also have with us Angela, the mother of your alleged daughters, Laquisha and Heaven. (to Angela) Angela, why is Antonio the father?

Angela: Maury, my girls each have the exact same facial structures. Same nose, same eyes, same ears, same mouth, he is the father. I’m 10,000% sure he is the father.

Maury: Well I don’t want to wait, I have the results here. (takes envelope from aide, reading) In the case of four year old Laquisha, Antonio, you are the father.

Angela: That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout.

Maury: (reading) In the case of three year old Heaven, Antonio, you are the father.

Angela: Yeah, told you punk.

Antonio: (incoherent sigh)

Maury: Next up is Justine, mother of three year old Terrell. (to Justine) Justine, why is Antonio the father?

Justine: Maury, my baby has the same crooked penis as Antonio. That’s his baby.

Maury: The same crooked penis?

Justine: That’s right, Maury. It shifts to the left just like Antonio’s. I’m 1,000,000% sure that’s his baby.

Maury: Well, alright then. (takes envelope from aide, reading) In the case of three year old Terrell, Antonio, you are the father.

Antonio: Aah…

Justine: (defensive) What, what?

Maury: Alright, settle down, Justine. He’s the father. Yelling won’t help matters. (to audience) Next up, we have Raven, mother of two year old Trevon. Raven, why is Antonio the father?

Raven: Maury, he’s the only guy I slept with when I got pregnant, he is the father; I’m one billion percent sure.

Antonio: That’s bulls**t.

Raven: Shut up, I’m not a ho; you’re the ho. You’re the one trollin’ around for booty in every city.

Maury: Calm down, calm down, there’s nothing that can come of this. Let’s just look at the results; that’s the important thing is here. (takes envelope from aide, reading) In the case of two year old Trevon, Antonio, you are the father.

Raven: See, what did I tell you?

Antonio: Yeah, yeah, whatever.

Maury: That’s five kids so far, all of them Antonio’s. Next up is Asia, mother of one year old Aaliyah. Asia, why is Antonio the father?

Asia: Maury, he’s the only man I’ve ever been with. I’m a googol percent sure he’s my baby’s daddy.

Antonio: Riiight.

Asia: (glares angrily)

Maury: Before this gets any more heated, let’s just find out the results. (takes envelope from aide, reading) In the case of one year old Aaiyah, Antonio, you are the father.

Asia: See?

Antonio: Yeah, yeah, I see.

Maury: Finally, we have Jasmine, mother of six month old Precious. Jasmine, why is Antonio the father of your daugher?

Jasmine: Maury, my psychic told me Antonio is the father of my baby girl.

Maury: Wait, your Psychic told you that he was the father?

Jasmine: That’s right Maury, my psychic look at my palms and her cards and told me without a doubt he is the daddy. I’m infinity to the infinityeth power sure he is.

Antonio: Oh come on, did she read sheep entrails too?

Jasmine: Hey, psychics are good people; they mean something.

Antonio: Yeah, those fakes mean whatever you want them to.

Jasmine: No they don’t, they no a lot more than you do.

Maury: Well let’s just find out if the psychic was right or not, shall we? (takes envelope from aide, reading) In the case of six month old old Precious, Antonio, you are the father.

Jasmine: Hah, you are the father.

Maury: Well, how about that? A clean sweep. (to Antonio) Antonio, you’re the father of all seven of these children. Are you going to live up to you responsibilities as a father?

Antonio: Yeah, I’m a man, Maury. I’ll admit I was wrong, and I’ll do what I have to do.

Maury: (to audience) Well there you have it. Let’s hope Antonio does what he promises to. That’s all the time we have for today. Until next time, America.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Now!, Patriots.

Was the hit clean? Decide for yourself:

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments
Filed under: Bruins, Now!.

As far as I know, Peyton Manning has never been accused of sexual assault. Same for Tom Brady. Same for Brett Favre. Same for Drew Brees.

Now, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been accused of sexual assault for a second time. The first accusation was brushed off as a woman looking for some money (her claim did seem suspicious). But, after another accusation, does Big Ben have a big problem?

Before I start accusing him myself (I wasn’t there), let’s take a look at the latest report.

Roethlisberger, who just turned 28 this past week, was out with a couple friends watching a University of Pittsburgh basketball game at a Georgia bar. Patrons at the bar noticed nothing out of the ordinary, and the QB “was very polite with everybody,” according to 24-year-old Paul Kurcikevicus.

Big Ben then moved onto a nightclub to “celebrate” and was escorted to a VIP area with a group of close friends and a group of women. Ben, to my knowledge, isn’t married, so this is a perfectly normal activity for a single professional athlete (Tiger, the key word is “single”).

The victim, a 20-year-old female college student, and her party contacted police after the alleged sexual assault.

“(Roethlisberger is) been identified as being at the scene and there are allegations naming him as the perpetrator,” Deputy Police Chief Richard Malone said.

The nature of the sexual assault is unknown, but Malone was quick to note that Roethlisberger is not being accused of rape.

Roethlisberger and the victim were interviewed by police, and the woman was taken to the hospital. She was later treated and released.

Roethlisberger’s agent Ryan Tollner seemed skeptical that his client had done anything wrong. He question’s the alleged victim’s motives, especially considering the QB’s past allegations.

“Last night, Ben and his friends met a group of women and everyone mingled together throughout the evening,” the agent’s statement said. “We have spoken to law enforcement. Based on information currently available, an allegation was made against Ben, which appeared to be dismissed after a preliminary investigation last night. Obviously, given the prior accusation against Ben, we are skeptical of motive, but we will continue to cooperate with everyone involved.”

Roethlisberger and his friends left Georgia on Friday, but police will be speaking with the QB again as the case begins to take shape.

Analysis

In the world of sports and news, where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. It’s true there are isolated cases that may be a mirage (like we all thought that Ben’s first allegation was), but when similar stories keep popping up with the same athlete, questions have to be asked.

I know it’s in my nature to be skeptical of anything and everyone, but I will give Roethlisberger the benefit of the doubt here. Unless he comes out and admits guilt, is found guilty in court, or decides to settle the case outside of the court room, then I believe that all people, including athletes, are innocent until proven guilty.

I understand, though, that it’s pretty hard to ignore a story when it keeps popping up. We’ll see how this case gets settled, and if any more pop up in the future.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: News, Now!, Patriots.

Do you believe in dramatic yet predictable outcomes?

Olympic hockey favorites Canada narrowly avoided losing on their home ice in their national sport to their hated rivals, the sixth-seeded Team USA, for the second time in a week, winning the gold medal on Sidney Crosby’s sudden-death overtime strike.

In a tense, well-played, and dramatic game, Team USA battled back from a 2-0 second-period deficit, forcing a 2-2 tie when Zach Parise scored on a rebound with only 24.4 seconds left in regulation.

Ryan Miller was fantastic again for Team USA, saving 36 of the 39 shots team Canada fired at him, and was named MVP of the tournament.

Canada started the scoring with 12:50 gone in the first period. Mike Richards stole the puck from U.S. defenseman Brian Rafalski and fired a shot that Miller saved. Jonathan Towes was on the doorstep and buried the rebound for the first goal, and handing the U.S. their first deficit of the tournament.

Canada extended their lead in the second period, when Corey Perry won the puck from Ryan Whitney and snapped a shot past Miller, and the U.S. was on the ropes.

Less than a minute later, Canada broke in on a 2-on-1 rush, but Miller made a fine kick save to keep his team alive.

The U.S. battled back, and when Patrick Kane wristed a shot toward goal, Ryan Kesler of the local Vancouver Canucks tipped it with his stick, sending the puck fluttering through Canadian goalie Roberto Luongo into the net, cutting the deficit in half.

A minute later, the Americans had a great chance to tie the game on a 2-on-1, but Parise was forced wide and his snapper hit Luongo in the maple leaf logo on his chest.

Late in the second, Canada’s Dan Boyle sent a long pass to Eric Staal, who broke in alone on Miller, but his shot whistled wide.

After two periods, Canada had outshot the U.S. 25-23.

Canada nearly put the game out of reach early in the third period, hitting the goalpost twice. A bouncing shot clanged off the stick of U.S. defenseman Ryan Suter, past Miller and off the post, and soon after, Chris Pronger blasted a shot from the blue line that also clanged off the iron.

Miller had to come up big several times in the third period, stopping a tough Corey Perry deflection and making two leg saves on Dany Heatley, who was alone on the side of the net.

In desperation, Team USA turned up the pressure in the last eight minutes of regulation. Parise had a shot trickle just wide of the net. Later, he ripped a shot while diving-face first that sizzled into Luongo’s chest.

Canada had another chance to ice the game when Canada’s Peyton Manning,  Crosby, broke out alone with 3:15 to play, but Miller saved his dribbling shot with the handle of his stick to keep the U.S. in the game.

Desperation in the Final Seconds

With 1:30 to play, Miller was pulled for the extra skater when the U.S. got some pressure in Canada’s zone, and the Americans used their timeout with 1:17 left to set up a play. But Canada cleared the puck out of their zone.

The Americans regrouped for one final assault with less a minute left. A long shot from the point bounced out of Luongo’s glove, and team U.S.A kept the pressure on. Kane snapped a shot from the side that Luongo saved, but Parise was there for the rebound and slid it into the net with Canada less than 25 seconds from the gold medal.

The final seconds passed without any scoring threats, and the teams moved on to the first sudden-death gold medal final since 1994, when Sweden defeated Canada in a shootout for the gold.

Overtime

No doubt memories of that loss were on the minds of millions of Canadians as overtime began. Would their dream team fall short in overtime again, this time to their rivals on their own ice, after being so close to victory?

Their team seized control early in the 4-on-4 overtime, with Miller forced to make three big saves just four minutes into the extra period. A minute and a half later, Miller stopped a Heatley slapper, and then a chance by Steve (Rick) Nash

The U.S. had its best overtime chance when Joe Pavelski stole the puck in Canada’s zone, but his shot was blocked by Luongo.

Soon after, Jarome Iginla won the puck in the corner of the U.S. zone and fed Crosby, who was streaking toward the net. Crosby slid the puck between Miller’s pads for the gold-medal-winner, sending his country into an explosion of joy and relief. Canadians perched on ledges and bridges around the nation came back inside, screaming “We didn’t lose, we didn’t lose!” as team Canada won their second gold medal in their last three Olympics, defeating the U.S. in the final both times.

The sixth-seeded team USA was a young group, mostly unheralded, featuring six guys named Ryan, one named Brian, and another with the last name Ryan. Top-seeded host team Canada entered the tournament as heavy favorites, though the U.S. had outplayed them in the tournament previous to the Yukon Cornelius Silver and Gold matchup, beating them 5-3 just last Sunday.

© Dan Davis for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments
Filed under: Bruins, Featured, Now!, Top Story.

Julius Caesar. Nefertiti. Hippocrates. Napoleon Bonaparte. George Washington. Martin Luther King. And…Marquis Daniels. These great and accomplished human beings have many similarities. Leadership, guile, artistry, determination and a high intelligent quotient all come to mind. But save for one, these famous historical figures were never able to average 9.3 PPG and 3.1 rebounds over the course of their distinguished careers. That’s why Marquis Daniels rightfully thought that come time to have his bust sculpted, he would not settle for the normal medium of marble or bronze. Oh, no my friends, a man who is shooting 27% from 3-point range this season deserves to have his likeness preserved for all eternity in a material fit for the Gods. That’s why Marquis  had a reproduction of his head covered in diamonds. (VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP)

Diamond Head Made by Jason of Beverly Hills from vKofJBH on Vimeo.

Diamond Head Made by Jason of Beverly Hills from vKofJBH on Vimeo.

While the people of Sierra Leone might be pissed to see this is how all their hard work is being put to use, I was simply giddy when I first saw this video. Is this ostentatious? Pointless? A waste of money? Head scratching? Yes, yes, yes and more yes. But do I love it? Oh, hell yes. Watch it again. Did you see the beginning? They literally took a scan of his entire head. That means, at some point in time, Marquis had to make an appointment with Jason of Beverly Hills and go in to have his head scanned. I immediately conjured up this scenario in my own, non-jewel encrusted cranium:

“Sorry, I’m can’t make it this weekend, gotta fly out the LA to have my head scanned.”

“Oh man, you OK Marquis? You have a concussion or some head trauma that they gotta look at?”

“Ah hell no, I’m getting my dome scanned so they can make a diamond medallion out of it!”

And it wasn’t just enough to have his hair pattern molded into, they had to meticulously solder on a crap-load of little chains to replicate his dreadlocks. And add on diamond earrings. Priceless, eff’ing priceless. Marquis Daniels, you took this to the next level. You could have simply gone to an old standby like a diamond medallion with your number, initials, home state, the Cadillac emblem or some unoriginal piece of jewelry that these hacks are toting around these days. But you didn’t. You knew that the only deserving item to be hanging  from your head was a smaller and ridiculously expensive version of your head. And for that Mr. Daniels, I salute you.

The only thing that bothered me about this video was one lingering question it left me with–why don’t we see more of this? Marquis Daniels is a bench player and just had his own bust bedazzled. What are Paul Pierce and KG doing? Do they just not want us to know the crazy ass crap they do with all their money? Are they afraid of the backlash they’d receive for spending wildly while others in this economy are struggling to get by?

If that’s the problem guys, well don’t worry. We’re poor, you’re rich. We all know it. It’s no secret you have tons of cash, so start acting like it. I want to see Rajon Rando pull up to practice in a DeLorean decked out like the time machine in Back to the Future, flux capacitor and all. I want to see KG doing an interview in the locker room wearing seal skin boxers and a hat made of rare eagles feathers. That’s what I’d do. That’s the whole point of having fistful of dollars–so you can buy stupid ass crap you’d never be able to afford otherwise. And if you don’t do that, well, the terrorists win and you don’t support the troops. So come on rich athletes, man up and start blowing through some of that money, like Marquis Daniels, a true American patriot and a figure of greatness that will be remembered in the history books as a man deserving of a diamond decorated bust.

© Fudge for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
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With the quarterfinal bracket for the men’s hockey tournament in Vancouver set (and preempting our usual NHL Power Rankings), SoB’s bi-weekly power ranking for hockey will instead cover the eight teams that have made it to the quarterfinals. Since every team is being ranked, a first place vote earns seven points, a second place vote earns six points, and so on, down to zero points for a last place vote.

The surprising American team has forced Russia vs Canada to be a quarterfinals match instead of the Gold Medal Game. In doing so, they’ve captured the top spots in the Olympic standings and our power ranking. The middle of the rankings are a little jumbled (thanks to Canada moving up our power ranking) when compared to the Olympic standings. #9 Belarus, #10 Norway, #11 Germany, and #12 Latvia all were booted out in the qualifying round, but they were surprisingly all by one, save for Germany’s 8-2 loss to Canada; Belarus lost in a shootout, Latvia lost in overtime, and Norway lost in regulation.

It would appear that the U.S. is probably headed for a showdown with Russia or Sweden, maybe Canada, in the Gold Medal game, with Sweden/Canada/Russia and Finland fighting for the Bronze. With Canada and Russia having arguably the most potent NHL superstars in the Olympics, the U.S. will undoubtedly delight in watching them tire each other, and attempt to pick the bones (if it comes to that) for gold. With the way Ryan Miller has been playing, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Table Legend:

• A number in parentheses before a team name indicates the number of first place votes received.
• A number in parentheses after a team name indicates total points received.
• A tie is broken by who received the most first place votes, then the most second place votes, and so on.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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The men’s round-robin hockey play has seen some huge surprises in 2010, like the U.S. knocking off Canada for the first time in 50 years, and what about Slovakia beating the Russians? The Russia/Canada match everyone thought would be the gold medal game is instead a potential quarterfinal contest. The defending champion Sweden is #2 behind the also unbeaten United States. Latvia emerged as the worst team, just barely behind fellow point-less country, Germany. So much is going on, and it’s still anyone’s medal, so take a look at what the brackets look like following the completion of the preliminary rounds:

#1 United States

With a surprising upset over Canada, the U.S. claimed the top spot heading into the quarterfinal round. It’s been all Ryan Miller so far, and he has impressed. He has made key stops when needed, especially when Canada took a total of 45 shots against him. The offense has scored 14 goals over three games, tied for the most with Canada. Their #1 seed ensures that the United States will face either Switzerland or Belarus, then likely either Finland or the Czechs. From there, it would likely be Sweden, Russia, or Canada in the finals. The U.S. has what it takes to win, but they’ll need to give it their all. Surprise losses by Canada and Russia greatly help their chances of another miracle on ice.

#2 Sweden

The defending gold medalists finished unbeaten with a 3-0 defeat of Finland, the #4 seed. That defeat showed Sweden is able to hold their own against the top teams in the bracket, but the most goals they scored in a game was four against Belarus. Many games have seen the winners surpass that mark, which means Sweden’s offense will need to heat up if they hope to appear on the podium. Sweden awaits the winner of Slovakia/Norway, which shouldn’t be too difficult. Heavy hitters Russia and Canada, whichever one beats the other, will give Sweden a true test as to whether or not they belong with the elite teams.

#3 Russia

Russia looked good against Latvia and the Czech Republic, but Slovakia surprised Team Ovechkin and Kovalchuk in a seven-round shootout. Alex Ovechkin had three attempts in the shootout, only converting one. Kovalchuk also missed in the shootout. Russia may have their potent scorers, but they’ll have to keep themselves on track, more like Russia’s 8-2 victory over Latvia. Russia had to beat the Czechs in regulation to win their group, but they came through in the clutch when needed. But can they do the same against Canada, which has Sidney Crosby to light things up in his own right? Both countries are known for their hockey. Both countries have large land areas, much of which is too icy to be habitable. We’ll see which team does better at coming back from close matches.

#4 Finland

Finland rounds out the top four with byes into the quarterfinals. They scored five goals in each of their first two games, before being blanked by Sweden. Finland beat Belarus 5-1, Germany 5-0, and lost to Sweden 3-0. They beat the poor teams, and lost to the good one. They’ll likely face the Czechs in the quarterfinals, who like Finland, have scored 10 goals and have six points. But the Czechs managed to put two goals on the board when they faced Russia, whereas Finland couldn’t do likewise against their contender opponent. Finland will go into the quarterfinals with the advantage in the standings, but they’ll have a tough time advancing. Whatever happens, Finland should have the most interesting game of the tournament that doesn’t involve Russia, Canada, or the U.S.

#5 Czech Republic vs #12 Latvia

The Czechs have already beaten Latvia 5-2, and show no signs of losing this time around. Latvia finished 0-3 with only four goals to their name, while the Czechs lost only to Russia. The Latvians gave up 19 goals over their three games, tied with Norway for the worst total. Overall, it really shouldn’t be much of a challenge for the Czech Republic to advance to the quarterfinals.

#6 Canada vs #11 Germany

Never has a Canada/Germany fight been more anticipated than D-Day. Germany finished win-less, point-less, and with a bracket-worst three goals. Canada scored a bracket-best 14 goals, tied with America. Martin Brodeur won’t be playing for Canada, though, in favor of Roberto Luongo. If Germany is to have any chance of winning they’ll have to take advantage of Brodeur’s legacy of negative momentum for Canada, and hope the law of averages says it’s time to give Germany a win, though that’s still incredibly unlikely.

#7 Slovakia vs #10 Norway

Norway did their best against Switzerland, but only managed one point for their efforts. Slovakia won two games, one of them being the huge upset of Russia. Slovakia was part of low-scoring games, scoring nine and giving up four over the course of their three games. Norway scored five (four against Switzerland), but gave up 19 in all. It might not be a blowout like they’re used to, but Norway will find it rather difficult to beat up on Slovakia.

#8 Switzerland vs #9 Belarus

Switzerland nearly pulled off a major upset of their own, but fell to Canada in a shootout. Belarus’ only win was against lowly Germany. Both teams are actually quite similar in their offense and defense so far, but Switzerland has shown a remarkable ability to stay in it against Canada, and only lost to the U.S. by the score, 3-1. That will probably be the difference-maker in giving Switzerland the victory. After all, Switzerland is famous for its neutrality and guarding the Pope, while Belarus is famous for not being famous.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
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