Sports Talk Ep. 514

Jeremy and Zam welcome Shaheed back into The Press Box, and start the show talking about VANOC and its relationship with the media, the boys also get into the Canucks epic 14 game road trip and the play of Mason Raymond. It’s also just passed the midway point of the NHL season so it’s time to do some power rankings, so the boys give their top 5 teams in the league, they also talk about the NFL conference finals and Brett Favre throwing that infamous pick near the end and more.

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Sports Talk Ep. 513: Headshots and NFL Conference Championships

Headshots are at the top of the agenda on tonight’s show with the QMJHL’s Patrice Cormier and OHL’s Zach Kassian getting punished for recent head shots. The Canucks continue to roll along yet the Calgary Flames are continuing to sputter after their 9-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks. As well, the NFL Conference championships kick off on Sunday so the boys make their picks.

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Sports Talk Ep. 512: Mid-Season Premiere, WJHC, Team Canada and a Foot in Mouth Disease

The Boys are back for the new year and it starts off with a bang. The World Junior Hockey Championship just ended and we get into who the best player to don a Canadian jersey for that competition is. As well, Canada’s Olympic hockey team is selected and we dive into those selections, the Canucks are hot and Zam sticks his foot in his mouth…not for the first time…as well the boys get into the NFL Wild Card Games for the weekend.

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2010 Olympics: Team Canada men's hockey roster prediction

Will Jarome Iginla wear the "C" for Team Canada in Vancouver? Photo: CBC.ca

Hockey Canada is set to announce the team it will be sending to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver to compete in the men’s ice hockey tournament. With powerhouses like Russia and Sweden already having announced their respective rosters, the unveiling of the Canadians’ roster is highly anticipated and is being hotly contested.

Below is who I believe should crack the 23-man roster for Team Canada. If Hockey Canada, Steve Yzerman and the rest of the brass, are in line with my thinking you will see a similar roster announced on Wednesday.

Forwards:

St. Louis, Crosby, Nash

Heatley, Thornton, Marleau

Iginla, Getzlaf, Perry

Morrow, M.Richards, Neal

Stamkos

Defensemen:

Keith, Seabrook

Boyle, Weber

Niedermayer, Pronger

Doughty

Goalies:

Brodeur, Luongo

Fleury

Analysis: It’ll be pretty hard to argue with any set of top nine forwards you see for Team Canada because of the types of players it consists of. These are superstar players that deserve to be on the roster not only based on their play season but also because of the quality of skill they possess. If any one player in my top nine was to be questioned it would be Martin St. Louis.

St. Louis has put up very good numbers in Tampa Bay this season playing with Steven Stamkos but can he continue that pace outside of the Southeast Division and against the best players in the world? I bet Canada thinks yes because of his style of play and his history for Team Canada, let alone his apparent chemistry with Sidney Crosby at the summer camp.

For my money, James Neal not only will be one of the best all around players in the NHL one day, but is already. He had a superb year in Dallas last year and has only continued that this year, even with an injury sandwiched into his season. He is offensively skilled, posseses great speed and if you saw him play in the World Juniour Tournament you know that he can hit with the best of them. I think he will be an important part of Canada’s shutdown line with Mike Richards and Brendan Morrow and the penalty kill.

Steven Stamkos is my 13th forward and as you’ll see with my 7th d-man, I have more reasons to bring this guy along for the ride than to keep him off the roster.

On the back end, it’s once again really difficult to argue with the top five or six players that most prognosticators come up with. Duncan Keith may be the best all around defenseman in the league, and his partner Brent Seabrook isn’t far behind. Why split them up when they’ve had and continue to have such success together? They very well could be Canada’s shutdown tandem.

Dan Boyle has won a Stanley Cup and is an explosive defenseman and a leader on and off the ice, and I think has earned himself a spot. Pairing him with Shea Weber, who I think will be Canada’s most feared defenseman will provide a very sound duo. Niedermayer and Pronger played together in Anaheim and despite their separation and their sub-par seasons respectively, I think their experience and leadership in the international game cannot be underestimated. Finally, Drew Doughty. How can you leave him off the roster based on his play? I couldn’t find a good enough reason. Hey may not play, but if he does I think he’ll be fine.

In goal there has been no doubt or debate as to who the three tenders would be but the order is what has people arguing. I think Martin Brodeur because of his play this season, his team’s success and of course all of that hardware and experience he has in his closet will be given every opportunity to succeed and if he doesn’t Roberto Luongo will be the next in line.

Although Marc-Andre Fleury has won a Stanley Cup and plays on arguably the best team in the NHL, he hasn’t played in an Olympics or World Cup and Canada has had a tendency to groom is goaltenders. And I’m not sure you can distinguish too much between the play of the two (Luongo and Fleury) this season. When all is said and done, I think Canada could succeed wither any of the three between the pipes.

With that being said, I think Canada could ice another team of players left of this roster and have a good chance at success. Guys like Brad Richards, Patrice Bergeron, and Dustin Penner have also had great seasons thus far. And young guns like Jonathan Toews and and all three Staal brothers as well as tried and tested Canadians like Vincent Lecavalier and Shane Doan could be vital pieces of a second team for Canada.

Whoever cracks the roster will have heavy expectations thrust upon them and with that responsibility will come a great chance to win gold on home ice in Vancouver.

Peyton Manning: A Team Player

The Indianapolis Colts had a shot at history.

At 14-0, the Colts had a chance to match New England’s 16-0 regular season from 2007, by winning their last two games.

But the Colts had already clinched home-field advantage throughout, and wanted to rest their key players.

So, on Sunday afternoon at home against the New York Jets, rookie head coach Jim Caldwell pulled quarterback Peyton Manning–along with several other starters–in the second half, with Indianapolis ahead 15-10.

The Jets rallied for a 29-15 upset victory, ending the Colts’ 23-game regular-season winning streak.

The big play came in the third quarter, when Curtis Painter, Manning’s replacement at QB, was hit while trying to throw from deep in his own territory, and lost the ball. The Jets’ Marques Douglas fell on it and got into the end zone to put New York ahead for good.

Clearly, Manning, standing on the sidelines, was not happy. But afterwards, he supported his coach’s decision to rest the starters.

“It was the plan, the organizational philosophy that we were going with,” Manning said, “and, as players, we support that” (AP, Dec. 27, 2009).

Again, the Colts were chasing history, so it must have been disappointing for Manning to be taken out.

At least he was a man about it.

He didn’t argue with his coach on the sidelines.

Wasn’t that what happened last Sunday night in Carolina, when Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre refused to be taken out?

Favre said afterwards: “(Coach) Brad (Childress) wanted to go in a different direction. And I wanted to stay in the game. It’s not 70-6, but we were up 7-6. I said I’m staying in the game. I’m playing…No way being up 7-6 and getting banged around a little bit would I consider coming out” (AP, Dec. 21, 2009).

So, when coach Childress considered pulling Favre, with his team ahead, his QB wouldn’t let it happen.

No, the Colts don’t have a shot at that perfect season anymore in 2009.

At least Peyton Manning should have respect from all the football fans out there.

He did as his coach said, didn’t question the decision to pull him, and thought more about the team than himself.

And don’t tell me the Colts had nothing to play for, while the Vikings–trying for the top seed in the NFC–did.

The fact is, the Colts had a chance to make history, something that had happened only once in the NFL (Sorry, ’72 Dolphins; I’m talking about a 16-0 regular season).

Manning, however, is a team guy. He did what the coach said.

Good job, Peyton.

Why the Yankees' Acquisition Makes No Sense

Yes, I know it’s hockey, football, and basketball season.

So why am I talking baseball?

Well, since it’s about the Yankees, it’s always big news, even in the off-season.

Besides, if you like baseball, you’re either a Yankees-hater or a Yankees fan (I’m the former), so here’s my take on the big news out of the Big Apple today…

The Associated Press has reported that the New York Yankees have re-acquired right-handed pitcher Javier Vazquez, who spent last season with the Atlanta Braves.

Vazquez will head to New York, with outfielder Melky Cabrera going to the Braves.

Sure, Vazquez had a strong season in 2009, and was one of the top pitchers in the National League. He went 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA and 238 strikeouts, helping Atlanta stay in wild-card contention until September.

He even finished fourth in the NL Cy Young balloting.

But haven’t the Yankees seen this guy before already?

Back in 2004, Vazquez spent one miserable season in the Bronx, and was one of the culprits in the biggest collapse in baseball postseason history.

Yes, he was an All-Star with the Yankees, but he went 4-5 with a 6.92 ERA (!!) in the second half. His postseason was even worse, when he got the ball in Game Four of the ALDS at the Metrodome and got rocked.

Ruben Sierra’s three-run home run off Juan Rincon rescued the Yankees, however, and New York moved on to the ALCS against the hated Red Sox.

For that series, Vazquez was banished to the bullpen, but still found a way to screw the Yankees. In Game Three, he relieved an ineffective Kevin Brown in the third inning, and was rocked for two runs immediately.

Fortunately for him, the Red Sox’s Curtis Leskanic was even worse, and the Yankees bombed their way to a 19-8 win for a 3-0 series lead. Vazquez was even credited with the victory, but it was ugly:

4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR.

That was the last time the Yankees would win the rest of the postseason.

The Red Sox won the next three, and in Game Seven, Vazquez once again relieved Brown, this time, in the second inning with the bases loaded.

New York was down 2-0, and called on him to stop the bleeding. As witnessed in the 2003 ALCS against the same Red Sox (ie. the Aaron Boone game), a Game Seven deficit was not insurmountable, as long as the guys on the mound kept the runs to a minimum.

And what does Vazquez do? Serves up a grand slam, on the first pitch, to Johnny Damon, and the rout was on. And if that wasn’t good enough, he served up another two-run bomb to Damon two innings later, after the Yankees had just got on the scoreboard.

In the offseason, Vazquez was dealt to Arizona in the Randy Johnson deal, ending his horrible tenure on the team.

Never mind he’s a .500 pitcher (142-139, 4.19 ERA). The fact remains that he’s already pitched for the pinstripers before, and he failed miserably.

Okay, so the regular season means nothing when it comes to New York. It’s the playoffs that matter. Well, take a look at his postseason history. His postseason ERA: 10.34. And this includes a start in the 2008 ALDS for the Chicago White Sox, where he imploded for six runs in only 4.1 innings–serving up two home runs to Evan Longoria–in his Game One outing against Tampa Bay.

And didn’t White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen–who knows a little about winning, having guided Chicago to its only championship in the last 92 years in 2005–have an issue with Vazquez last year?

Guillen, who is known to have outbursts about players to the media, criticized him for his lack of performance in big games. The manager said publicly before the start of an important three-game series against the Twins in late September 2008: “He hasn’t been” a big-game pitcher, and “that’s the bottom line.”

(For the record, Vazquez then went out and dropped a 9-3 decision at the Metrodome, getting pounded for five runs in his pitiful four innings of work. In fact, over his final eight starts for the ChiSox, he was 2-6 with a 5.89 ERA.)

If he couldn’t get the job done in Chicago, how can he get it done in New York?

And it’s already been talked about to no end this past season: Pitchers with bad records in the AL who go over to the NL will have success. See Brad Penny and John Smoltz, who both failed in Boston, but went on to thrive in San Francisco and St. Louis, respectively.

So, to summarize:

1) Vazquez has already failed in New York once.
2) He is not a big-game pitcher and has a woeful postseason history.
3) He’s going from the more pitcher-friendly National League to the American League.

And this deal is going to work out for the Yankees?

What’s up with that?

Tale of Two Athletes: Brodeur and Favre

The comments made by two star athletes in two different sports over the weekend were notable–and a sharp contrast–but surprisingly, not much was made in the media of the one that actually was part of the winning team.

On Saturday night in Atlanta, the New Jersey Devils fell behind 3-1 before the end of the first period, with goaltender Martin Brodeur giving up three goals on only six shots. Devils coach Jacques Lemaire pulled Brodeur after the period, and inserted backup Yann Danis to start the second stanza.

The Devils, who had outshot the Thrashers 24-6 in the opening period, didn’t quit after their No. 1 goalie was pulled. New Jersey rallied–scoring four straight goals over the final 40 minutes–and pulled out a 5-4 victory.

Was Brodeur upset about getting the quick hook?

As reported by the Associated Press, Brodeur didn’t even beg Lemaire to put him back out on the ice. “No, no, no. We needed a kick in the butt. It’s all about winning, with me or without me” (AP, Devils lift Brodeur after period, still win 5-4, Dec. 19, 2009).

The star goalie also acknowledged his coach’s right in removing him from the game. “After three goals on six shots, we had to do something.”

As Lemaire put it, “We changed goalies to make a difference…it was a good opportunity to put Danis in and rest [Brodeur].”

And the Devils did come back despite having their top player on the bench.

Now, Brodeur’s unselfishness didn’t really get much press.

Still, it was certainly refreshing to know that an elite athlete was putting his team ahead of his own ego.

But on Sunday night, that wasn’t the case in Carolina, when another star wasn’t having a stellar game. The difference was this player refused to get pulled.

Brett Favre, quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, was involved in what he called a “heated exchange” in the second half with head coach Brad Childress.

With Minnesota leading the 5-8 Panthers by a score of 7-6 in the third quarter, Childress reportedly thought about removing Favre from the game because his QB was “taking a beating” (AP, Childress considered benching Favre to protect him, Dec. 21, 2009).

Favre had already gotten sacked four times and been hit several other times during the game.

The quarterback, however, strongly objected and lobbed to remain in the contest, and ultimately did.

Alas, the Vikings’ defense allowed three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and the Panthers came out on top, 26-7.

Favre threw for 224 yards and was 17-for-27 with no touchdowns. He had one interception, which came in the Vikings’ final possession of the contest, when the game was already out of reach.

As he put it, “Brad wanted to go in a different direction. And I wanted to stay in the game. It’s not 70-6, but we were up 7-6. I said I’m staying in the game. I’m playing. … No way being up 7-6 and getting banged around a little bit would I consider coming out” (AP, Favre, Childress argue, Panthers beat Vikings 26-7, Dec. 20, 2009).

For Minnesota, the loss on Sunday night was its second in three games. The Vikings are now 11-3 following a 10-1 start.

Of course, concerns over Favre’s health isn’t unwarranted. Last season with the Jets, Favre led his team to a 9-3 start and had people talking Super Bowl–until he started throwing interceptions and the Jets missed the playoffs by dropping four of their final five games.

Naturally, it was within Childress’s right to want to keep his QB fresh. Childress, after all, is the head coach. Not Favre.

And the Philadelphia Eagles (10-4), who have the tie-breaker over Minnesota, are now suddenly right behind the Vikings, sitting only one game back for the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

Childress supposedly wanted Favre to get enough rest for their final two games so that they can clinch the No. 2 seed and get a first-round bye in the playoffs.

But Favre wouldn’t have any of it.

Now, was it okay for Favre to demand to remain in the game?

Sure, his team was ahead–thanks only to a missed point-after by the Panthers; otherwise it would have been 7-7–but it wasn’t as though Favre was lighting it up against the Carolina defense.

Both Brodeur and Favre, of course, will end up in the Hall of Fame after their playing careers are over. Both are regarded as the best at their respective positions. Both have won championships and own numerous records.

In fact, Brodeur, the winningest goalie in NHL history, had just set the league record for goalies the previous night by playing in his 1,030th regular-season contest. And he didn’t argue about getting pulled on Saturday. All he talked about was the importance of the team winning the game.

On the other hand, Favre, who owns the NFL records for QB victories and career touchdowns, argued with his coach on Sunday night and kept talking about “I…. I… I…” after the game.

What a difference between the two.

Sports Talk Ep. 511: Fall Finale

This week as the year nears a close, the hosts talk about the biggest news stories of the year, Tiger Wood’s indiscretions as well as the rest of the dirty laundry and biggest sporting news stories of 2009. As well the NHL has rehashed an old argument of renaming the NHL awards, so Zam and Jeremy dive into those murky waters.

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Sports Talk Ep. 510: NHL Advice, Brendan Burke

This week the hosts near the end of their school term and the boys take a sigh of relief. The NHL Board of Governers meet in December so Zam and Jeremy give them some advice what to do with some of these broke franchises as well as the boys get into a touchy issue and talk about Brian Burke’s son coming out saying he’s gay and the impact felt among a sports team.

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Remembering Bernd Dittrich

The following is a two part video created by the SFU Clan Athletics Network and shown at Bernd Dittrich’s memorial service at SFU this past Monday.