Tag Archives: Detroit Red Wings

Sports

Should start talking about the Wings….

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Well…one of my favorite times of the year is upon us and I thought I’d talk about it a little bit….damn….I keep burying the lead in all of these and I don’t know why right now..it is the Stanley Cup Playoffs starting Wednesday night and I thought I’d share a few thoughts on the journey to get where we are with our team. It has been a season of inconsistent play that has left us faithful frustrated and confused at times, excited at others, and with the hope that our team will drive on to the cup finals and win it….that was the rabid fan in me talking and it really does mask the uncertainty that shrouds these playoffs…what team is going to show up? The dominant one that uses power, speed, and skill to amaze us, or the one that leaves us scratching our head and looking at the ice to see if it is really mud they look so slow. That type of performance has made me hold my breath during almost every game, to wonder when the self-destruction will come….but still always hoping it won’t.

That said, let’s take a look at some of the particulars that I think are necessary for us to get out of the first round….it’s one of the things that M and I were talking about this aft; that we just don’t have the goaltending that will steal us a game or two when we are not playing as we can. I just don’t think Jimmy Howard is that type of a goaltender but we don’t have anyone else with Osgood being hurt. That leaves us with another great big unknown…when will Hank Zetterberg be back? I know, no one player is essential for the success of a team, but with how Hank has played this year with all of the injuries, I think he is the one we can least afford to lose. One last thing, we need to start to play like we want it, there has been too many games where we have phoned it in and if anyone does that, Babcock should sit them and let one of the youngsters give it a try…after all, it was a couple of years ago the the unknown Darren Helm came into the playoffs and won a starting job for himself by outplaying everyone on the ice. So, I think you are going to see a few of these as the playoffs progress….Let’s Go Red Wings!!

Misc

TGIF….

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Well…I think I’ve fallen into the trap of waiting for the idiots on the right to say or do something stupid and then writing about it…kind of like a counter puncher in boxing and while it has some value, does it stifle original thought? Is there even any original thoughts anymore? I mean the written word has been around for quite a long time and how can you meet the expectations of being original? It just seems to be too easy to just comment on things other people say and it does get to be a habit but I’m going to try over the weekend to be original and have some thoughts of my own. I do have thoughts of my own sometimes, I did write two original novels after all….no, you can’t see the first one….it was written back in the time of 5 1/4 inch discs and no electronic copy exists anymore….I have been trying to find the original…geez, there’s that word again…let’s not say original…let’s say hand written manuscript…yep, on legal pads in ink…had a stack of them about 2 feet high before I finished that one. I will say this…the writing process has never been painful or difficult for me…when it comes it comes fast and easy…but I’ll bet you’ll say it’s easy to write crap…and I’ll counter with no it isn’t. I’ve done it….

Enough of that….how about the weekend…I did title this one TGIF after all…the Wings play again tonight but I am concerned that they’ve lost their fire with losing 3 of the last 4….I do like the fact that Babcock has called them out on it and is pushing them with the extended practices….I’ll still watch tonight since it is cocktail night and it is fun to settle in on the couch and watch it with a few friends via text…tomorrow we have the start of the nascar season with the shootout from Daytona and I am trying mightily to still like the sport with the crappy cars and lousy competition…they just need to stop using the rules to make it homogenized and let the creativity of the builders come through again….where are you Smokey Yunick?

I need to text K and see if there is a SF this week….it would be nice to get out…although, the Peppino’s over here was so frickin loud last night I couldn’t hear a thing…so maybe the mex place instead….need to see the guys there anyway…..or Logan’s, haven’t been in there in a while…..and the car could use getting up to temp at least once this week…that’s about enough for now…I’ll get to the political masturbation that is the repubs agenda tomorrow or Sunday….

Sports

A bad day for Michigan sports….

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Well…starting with the Wings losing in Ot last night…and the routs of Michigan and State, it was a bad couple of days for Michigan sports….I guess the Big Ten isn’t as good as it looked during the regular season…but we might get one good thing out of it…that Rich Rod will probably be gone from Michigan and we can start over again…after all, he’s had three years to put together some kind of a defense and just hasn’t done it….I can say I won’t miss him…..

I think the Wings have been going quite good lately so I guess I shouldn’t bitch…especially with the four guys that are now out with injuries….and it is cool to see some of the youngsters get a chance to play…I think that Mursak kid is going to be fun to watch…he’s as fast as Helm and I’d like to see the two of them just run away from the defensemen. To still be in first in the West with the bad stretch we’ve had is a good thing..last year, we were in 9th or something at this point in the season so I do feel good about making the playoffs….and everyone will be back for them so I’ll match us up against anyone…starting to get excited already…

Maybe another one later but I don’t think so….have “The Creature From the Black Lagoon” cued up on Netfliux instant and the Rose Bowl going…

Sports

No politics right now…

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Well…I don’t know if you are getting as tired of me talking about politics as I am but, in case you are, I think I’ll change it up some and talk about sports for a while…I’ll probably come back later with some political ramblings but I don’t know if I can muster up any outrage today. I’ll try, but no promises…

On to sports….I am excited about the Wings and Canadiens game tonight as I am whenever we play an original six team…and they are on a tear with a record comparable to ours so it should be fun….in interviews in the Detroit papers today, the guys even seem pretty geeked up about it….this is one that I’ll have the gear on for…might even go out for while to share a little of it. Then, we have the “Big Chill” at the big house tomorrow where Michigan and Michigan Sate play an outdoor hockey game that will set the record for attendance by almost 30K…I WILL be watching that one on TV…V even got tickets for it but I’m not sure I’d want to sit in the cold for 2 1/2 hours…I like the couch better and having my own private bathroom….and beer. I’ll be rooting for Michigan….

Hmmmm…what else? I could talk about soccer but I drive enough people away with my normal stuff that I can’t take the chance of losing more of you….Baseball? Not that interested right now….Racing? Nope….nothing happening there but the BTCC….and if I have to explain what that is, you’re not interested enough in racing to keep reading…so I’ll stop here…more later…

Sports

I’ll be back…see, I told you…

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Well…have been busier than crap all morning and now I’m going out to ride the bike before it rains…I’ll be back later with a topic but it might be sports, I’m not sure yet…

Yep, I’ve decided to do a sports update today…but I’m not typing too well since my hands are still a little numb from the bike ride….there was a little tidbit that I’d like to pass along that made me smile…when I stopped and parked the bike, the odometer read 666…yep, bet that made you laugh, too…never really thought of myself as the devil but who knows? Just joking…you know I don’t believe in that stuff. First lets get to the Lions…if you’ve been here in the past, you’ve seen that I had almost let myself surrender to the optimism that plagues all of us Lions fans at some time in the season…but I have been inoculated by their play over the last two weeks so I can let them go until next year….the disease didn’t hurt anywhere near as much this year and I may be gaining long-term immunity…I hope so.

Then, we have our Red Wings….how can one team be so good when the football team in the same city has been so terrible for so long? Can the Ilitches buy the Lions, too? Back to the Wings….another good start to the season and it’s great to see them playing upwards toward their potential…but I think they can get even better once the first line gets going and Hank and Pavel start dominating like we all know they can. I would like to tip my hat to the play of Danny Cleary and Todd Bertuzzi….it’s is a joy to watch them at full strength again with the nagging injuries healed….we need those points right now and let’s just hope they keep going when the rest of the team kicks it in gear…it’s going to be fun! Go Wings!

Sports

Let’s go Red Wings…

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Well…have been looking forward to this day all summer…the first televised Red Wings preseason game. Have the gear on already and I’m waiting to hear from K to see what time we are meeting up for HH…I have planned for C and D to come over after that to watch the game with chips and dip…oh, already said that this morning, didn’t I? Can’t wait to see some of the new kids play since some of the veterans are being held out to give them a chance to see what they can do and we should see huge amounts of energy with their jobs on the line.

I know the game won’t be as good as Sunday’s when we have Ken and Mickey doing it but that is okay; I want to see what the Hawks will look like after all the changes in the offseason and they are the champs, after all. So, Let’s Go Red Wings!!

Sports

Thank you Kirk Maltby…

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Well…have been reading about the Red Wings getting ready for the start of the season and I just wanted to say a few words about Kirk Maltby…to start, I just want to say thank you…thanks for the hard work and for your contribution to what it is to be a Red Wing…the hard work, the teamwork, and for being a person that anyone’s kids can look up to. I know it must be hard to have your role reduced this season and to have to accept the two way contract where you’ll have to play in GR. But don’t think we fans don’t appreciate it…we appreciated you being an integral part of 4 Stanley cups and will never forget you doing whatever it took to make that happen.

So, from fans across Hockeytown, I just want to say thanks…keep playing hard and I hope to see you in GR this year…

Sports

A little sports…

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Well…that last one sounded like a good idea at the time, like a lot of the stuff that goes on in my life so I thought I’d change gears and talk a little sports. Not sure how I’ll format this but maybe just take it as it comes to me…oh, that’s how I always do this..

The Lions….what can you say about the Detroit Lions? They’ve been in the playoff I think once in my long lifetime…well, I think they were pretty good in the fifties and I was around then but I didn’t really follow them as a three year old. But, I think all of us here in Michigan fall prey to the disease of hope each autumn; I thought most of us had been innoculated and were immune since they are officially the worst team in the history of football but I see glimmers of that disease again rising as September gets nearer. Last year, I made the point of not watching any games but was not really successful…there is still some draw there for me that I can’t explain. So, I’ll keep hoping that they may have a winning season before I die. Or after….

U of M….it used to be that you could depend on Michigan to be one of the premier large college teams in football and we would have a chance to beat Ohio State every year…what happened? Is it Rich Rodriguez? I’m not sure, but I do know that before he came we didn’t have NCAA investigations and we won at least 9 games a year….BO is probably spinning right now and we’ve lost that special aura that used to surround the program. I know, winning fixes everything but if this is another losing season changes should be made and the responsibility always goes right to the top. I will still watch every game because this was the first college sport that I fell in love with and still do love it. Go Blue!

Detroit Tigers….what can you say about the Tigers and their now all too familiar swoon after the all star break? Were they imposters at the start of the season? There must be a way to fix this but I surely don’t know what it is…maybe cancel the All Star game next year or just ignore it? Keep playing games when everyone else has the time off? Yeah, I know…not legal to do but what they are doing doesn’t work…maybe we can have a winner from the first half of the season and one from the second? Then no matter what their records, you could have a playoff? Silly stuff, but a reflection of the frustration of us Tigers fans.

Red Wings….what can you say about the best team in the best sport? Not much else right now because I’ll have an entire post on them in the near future…it is good that they re-signed Abdelkader finally, and the addition of Modano to the third line may be fun to watch….Let’s Go Red Wings!

See, I can do something other than outrage…

Sports

Let’s talk about the Wings…

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Well…yeah, I know, that last one was quite a downer but it was something I felt I had to say…but now, we’re going to move on to something that always makes me smile…talking about our Red Wings and the prospects for a good season. It’s not even that far away..just a little over a month for the preseason games to start. The addition of Mike Modano to center the third line between Hudler and Cleary is kind of exciting, and signing Ruslan Salei to help out Jonathan Ericsson on D could help him get back the form he showed a couple of years ago.

One other news item that I am excited about is that Cheli is retiring and coming to work for the Wings in player development, scouting, and other as yet undisclosed duties. I’ve always liked the way Cheli played and became part of the community here in Michigan and I welcome him back to the Wings family. I am also quite excited with Stevie Y’s start with Florida and wish him all the success with his new team…he will always be the Captain to me and lots of other Wings fans and it is great to see one of the “good guys” get the chance to spread the integrity he showed every day while with the Wings. Not much else right now…for the Wings that is…I still have that class warfare thing percolating so you may get another one today…

Sports

Wings are getting closer…

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Well…the hockey season is getting closer and there is some good news to report finally…Mike Modano is going to sign with the Wings…I know he’s 40 but so is Nick Lidstrom and we all know how he can still play the game. Now they just need to get Helm signed and we can feel pretty good about the upcoming season. Even though we didn’t do well in the playoffs last year, I have hopes that the injuries will stay away and we can get back to our potential. Was sorry to see Maltby leave since he has been with the Wings since I’ve been a fanatic…and not being able to say Lebda anymore will take some of the fun out of watching…Go Wings!