Not Dead, Just Resting

- I apologize for my absence around here the past couple of days. My Crohn’s is being a real bitch these days, and usually the only thing I can think about doing when I get home from work is falling face first onto the couch and hiding under a blanket. No offense to you, my loyal readers, but sleep and rest are outweighing blogging these days. So if you notice me posting a little more infrequently for the next while, have no fear that I’m not dead, I’m just resting. I’ll let you know when I’m dead.

- I may become twitchy over the next two weeks, as there’s no Sabres hockey on TV until February 4th. This radio-only thing for the West Coast road trip sucks all kinds of monkey balls. I know that the team and MSG think that the West Coast games won’t draw ratings, but how many people would just put the game on and drift off to sleep while watching it? Those TVs still count as ratings points, even if the people watching them are asleep.

Updated to add that Bucky just posted that LQ and MSG struck a deal to televise the games after all! Yay! And the villagers rejoice!

- After reading Kevin Sylvester’s interview with Curtis Brown and Jeremy Roenick, I’ve decided that Jeremy Roenick is good people.

- Some of the photos that have been released from All Star Weekend are absolutely hysterical.

Thomas looks very nice in this photo, but can’t we get the poor dear some ProActive? I know the redness on the nose is from the game the other night, but the rest of it can be easily handled with meds.

What is with the All-Stars sporting cardigan sweaters this year? I don’t like Kovy’s old man sweater here.

However, Vinny completely rocks the heck out of the cardigan in this photo.

And this is just a gratuitous photo of Soupy. He looks good.

I’m ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille.

This photo does not do Zach Parise any favors.However, he kind of looks like Zachary Quinto in this photo. Which is not a bad thing, but ZQ and ZP are different animals.

Tooth! Although what is going on with SJ Sharkie’s skates? They’re like ginormous in relation to the little shark legs.

Is There Real Hockey Yet?

- During last night’s ASG, I was hanging out at IPB, and one of the topics that came up was Buffalo hosting a future ASG. The group pretty much agreed that the city has a snowball’s chance in hell of that ever happening, since our city doesn’t have enough swanky hotels, restaurants and cultural attractions for the people that require swanky hotels, restaurants and cultural attractions. (I don’t want to see the fights that would break out over who would get to stay at The Mansion and who would be relegated to the Hyatt or a No-Tell Motel. )

However, in reading the Buffalo News site this morning, Bucky writes that Buffalo is on the list of contenders to hold the World Junior Championships in 2011. The tournament has been awarded to the USA, but USA Hockey needs to make the final decision on who the host city would be. Bucky rationalizes that the city’s proximity to Canada, plus having satellite sites in Rochester and Jamestown, make the area a natural fit.

Buffalo can put on a show, as we just proved with the Ice Bowl. If your looking for tournament credibility, check out what Buffalo’s done for the NCAA Basketball tourney and The Frozen Four. (I only remember the Frozen Four because some kid named Vanek was the star of the show. Wonder what happened to him?)

- Continuing with the Bucky writings, he gives Bettman a written BJ. All that aside, Bucky does bring up an interesting idea to make the All-Star game more relevant: put a prize on the table, a cool couple million. Winning team takes all. Losing team gets nothing but the swag they picked up over the weekend. It might give players an additional incentive to stay on the All-Star roster, and would make the game have some meaning. If the NHL doesn’t want to pony up the cash, then give the winning team’s conference home ice advantage in that year’s SC Finals.

- Surprisingly enough, Bucky only mentions Soupy’s contract in his blog, not in the actual paper itself. And there’s nothing new to add, nothing that no one with half a brain couldn’t figure out.

- Am I the only person who didn’t know the All-Star uniform pants were worn over the player’s regular team uniform pants? See here for an example.

- Flipping channels last night, I stumbled across Snoop Dog’s reality show on E! Its not my cup of tea, but what made me stop and watch was Snoop and his kids on ice with the Anaheim Ducks. It was pretty hilarious watching Snoop try to skate and Getzlaf encourage him (I think this show kind of cemented my Getzi-phiphany, which started with the Home Depot commercial of him just jammed in the back of an SUV. He really was quite adorable with Snoop, though the camera did get a rather unfortunate look at his bald spot.) The only other Duck mentioned by name on camera was Pronger, talking to Snoop about the penalty box. Even though he wasn’t called out by name, I did see Baby Crunchy floating around in the background. I guess this is another thing he can lord over his brother.

- Poking around on one of the message boards this weekend, it looks like Crunchy has a new mask. Its a similar design, but there’s more blue in it than before. And, the back of the mask features a halo over the bulldog representing his cousin Matt. Aww.

- Not hockey related, but New Kids on the Block are getting back together. It will be interesting to see how they sound after so many years of being apart. Will they try to be that cutesy boy band (like the Backstreet Boys were when they reunited), or will they sound a little more grown-up (like Hanson has managed)?

All-Star Mishmash

- For those lucky few named to the All-Star squads, its four days of hockey related fun and frolic. For those luckier players not named All-Stars, its a chance to be away from hockey for four whole days. Its also a chance to reflect on the games already played and look ahead to a playoff push or a high draft pick push.

The Sabres have definitely been an up-and-down team this year. Lately, they’ve had more ups that downs, more un-dependable players than dependable players and less bounces going their way. I still think they have an outside chance at making the playoffs, but there needs to be a serious amount of removing heads from sphincters if they want to have a chance of making it.

- Speaking of removing heads from sphincters, this gem came from Jerry Sullivan’s blog today:

But it amazes me sometimes how little some people understand about the sports writer’s role. Heck, a lot of athletes don’t get it, either. I’m told one of the Sabres actually thought the reporters would get their names on the Stanley Cup if the Sabres actually won it all.

Now I don’t know if its a current or former Sabre that said this, but shouldn’t a hockey player have a pretty decent idea about who gets to be on the Cup? Or even that Cup names are usually limited to people that work for the team, not journalists that do not work for the team? Maybe the player was mixing up PR people and journalists, I don’t know. Its just very bizarre.

- I’ve been watching the Skills competition. There’s been a few good moments: Pronger’s delicious face plant, Jarome Iginla almost killing Corey Perry, Getzi and Ovechkin’s performances in the shootout exhibition, just to name a few. The only complaint is that the same 8-9 players are participating in the events. I get it, they’re the name players, but its got to be pretty boring for someone like Campbell to compete in the first event and then be out for the rest of the night.

- I was poking around on different corners of the internet, and stumbled across a Canadian article about what the Sundin would be worth to the Leafs in a trade. The reporter posed the question to a bunch of different former GM’s around the league. One of them suggested that Sundin would be a good fit for the Ducks. The Leafs would then get the Ducks first round pick in 08, next year’s first round pick AND Drew Miller. Why is Miller so important here? The rationale being that Baby Miller in Toronto could be used to lure Ryan Miller up to the Leafs when his contract expires at the end of 08-09.

Scuse me, while I try and stop laughing. I really can’t see Miller going to Toronto. First, the Buffalo fans would totally melt down. Second, I don’t know if he has the mental fortitude to be playing in the media fishbowl that is Toronto. When your own family expects you to melt down after your baby brother wins a Cup before you, the Toronto environment might not be your cup of tea. Third, if Miller bolts anywhere, I could see him bolting to Detroit. He would be able to play for his “hometown” team. (I know Detroit currently has Osgood, and spent boatloads of money developing their next goalie, but stranger things have happened in this NHL). Some of the other scenarios provided for Sundin are pretty out there, including shipping Sundin to the Devils. Something tells me Mats would not fit in with Lou’s vision of an orchestra.

- This has to be probably one of the nicest shots of Soupy I’ve seen in a while:

Soupy at ASG

I wish I could post the actual picture, but doing so has been throwing the formatting of the blog off.