By the looks of this video it appears Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Ballard was rather perturbed after his team gave up a goal last night against the Atlanta Thrashers. Ballard literally slashed his own goalie Tomas Vokoun and then he even went back for another swipe at the goal post for good measure. Can you receive a fine for slashing your own teammate?
St. Louis Whoppers Will Happen
August 1, 2009 by
You laugh now, but I think someday there is a real probability you will see a professional team sell out to a company in full. As soon as one prominent team takes the leap by placing Dell on the front of their jersey it will only be a matter of time before others follow suit. The need for other revenue streams during the current economy woes has the NBA and NHL already taking steps to have corporate sponsorships for game uniforms.
Starting this year the NBA will let teams sell ads on their practice jerseys and per league officials they are continuing to explore the idea of placing ads on actual game jerseys. NHL COO John Collins says the league would consider placing advertisements on game jerseys for the right price. At this time the NFL and MLB aren’t looking at jumping on the money train, but things can change. I’m 100% against US professional teams mimicking European Soccer standards, but at the end of the day it’s a business so they are in it for the cabbage. Look for this to happen in the NHL first since they are the lowest performer of the top four American professional sports leagues. So be prepared to purchase your Carolinna Home Depot, Dallas Dick’s Sporting Goods, Chicago IBM and Atlanta Time Warner jerseys’.
Magic vs Bird?..not even close
May 12, 2009 by
So you have the 2 best NHL players in Alex Ovechkin versus Sidney Crosby vying against each other in the playoffs in what is essentially the NHL’s Championship series albeit the Eastern Conference Semis and nobody cares.
The great game 6 matchup drew a 1.2 share which equates to ESPN’s College Bowling Championships.
4 years ago when ESPN tried to halt the NHL Players strike they intervened and made a statement of, ‘If you dont stop by this X date we will revoke your TV contract.” Well the smart Players Association did not take heed and in turn lost fans, marketshare and of course the best TV vehicle on the planet.
Now and for the last 4 years the VS Network has carried these games along with the local FOX Sports outlets and a weekend game, in the mid-afternoon, on NBC while the other channels have PGA/Tiger Woods, MLB or Womens Beach Volleyball during those afternoon slots.
Dont get me wrong cause Playoff hockey eh is the best playoff sport on the planet next to NFL, but dont feel sorry for the NHL because they dug this hole themselves and have not apologized to the Sports God (ESPN) for thier wayward thinking.
Wily Coyotes
May 6, 2009 by
Yesterday came word that the Phoenix Coyotes filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy which could lead to a court-approved sale of the team. Word is the Coyotes lost in upwards of $45 million this past year which isn’t surprising in the least. If you live in Phoenix…err…Glendale would you have any interest in hockey whatsoever? It makes it even tougher to drum up a fan base when you haven’t made the playoffs since 2001-2002. Even the “Great One” Wayne Gretzky involved as head coach and Managing Partner hasn’t been able to get things rolling for the Coyotes.
Have no fear hockey lovers because Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie has made a $212.5 million offer for the failing organization with the caveat they must return to Canada. Let’s not forget this team left wonderful Winnipeg back in 1996 for the mirage that is Phoenix. These offers have been made many times before for failing hockey teams, but this one might just go through. The only thing that might hold back the transaction would be if the 12 remaining Coyote fans were to lay down in front of the U-Hauls in protest as they head out for Canada.
SportsUnderground Hat Tip of the Week Part Trois
May 1, 2009 by
SportsUnderground would like to extend a hat tip to Opie Pates for his blog a Hurricanes Fan!
A Devils fan reaction to the stunning Game 7 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes captured so eloquently.
SportsUnderground’s Opinion:
We think this is hilarious footage taken directly from TV after Erik Staal scores the winning goal against the hated Devils. Nice work Opie!
Stats of the Day – April 28th, 2009
April 28, 2009 by
* The Denver Nuggets beat the New Orleans Hornets last night by the largest margin ever on the road in a NBA playoff game. The Nuggets won by a whopping 58 points via a 121-63 win.
* The Atlanta Hawks won their first playoff game on the road in 12 years last night in Miami with a 81-71 victory. The victory ended a slide where the Hawks got pounded by 132 in their last five playoff road games.
* The Chicago Blackhawks won their first playoff series in 13 years last night with a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. The Blackhawks closed out the series 4-2 and they will face the Vancouver Canucks in the next round.
* The Boston Red Sox have won 11 straight games while the Florida Marlins have now lost 7 in a row.
Marvelous Marty
March 18, 2009 by
Martin Brodeur has now won more games between the pipes than any other NHL goalie ever. Brodeur moved ahead of Patrick Roy last night with 552 wins after making 30 saves in a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. He is also only three shut-outs away from tying Hall of Fame goalie Terry Sawchuk for another huge milestone in his illustrious career. Marty has led the Devils to three Stanley Cup titles and won the Vezina Trophy four times as the league’s top goalie during his 15 year career with the New Jersey Devils. Whether you like hockey or not it is hard to not appreciate a superstar like Brodeur playing with one team his entire career and putting up numbers we might not ever see again from a NHL goalie.
Random thought of the day…
January 25, 2009 by
Did anyone know the NHL All-Star game was being played today? If you did than can you tell me what channel it is on and what time the game begins? I didn’t think you could.
Canada and Hockey are BFF
October 11, 2008 by
I’m sure most everyone is already knee deep in their NHL fantasy seasons, but for those who aren’t aware the NHL has started another season. It actually kicked off last weekend in Prague, Czechoslovakia (nice call NHL brass) but officially kicked off in the states and Canada this past Thursday. Check out the clip below to see the extent Canadiens will go to celebrate another hockey season. I have to admit it is one really cool billboard!
Richard Zednik Slices His Neck in NHL Game
February 11, 2008 by
Richard Zednik of the Florida Panthers is very lucky to be alive after his carotid artery was cut by his teammate’s skate last night in a game against the Buffalo Sabres. The video clip shows how this freak hockey accident happened and how quickly officials had to react to save Zednik’s life.