Mats Sundin: Underachiever

Yesterday, Mats Sundin announced his retirement from the NHL.

Immediately following his announcement, the stupidity began.

Canadian sports networks ran tribute pieces, playing up his numerous accomplishments and heralding him as a Hall of Fame lock.

Two things instantly came to mind:

1. The NHL Hall of Fame inducts just about anyone, so he probably is a mortal lock
2. I have as many Stanley Cup rings as Mats Sundin

There is no question that Sundin was a gifted offensive player; you don't average a point per game over a 1300-plus game career by fluke.

But Bernie Nicholls averaged a point per game too and I don't see anyone lining up to enshrine him.

Had Mats Sundin played the majority of his career in Phoenix, Anaheim, or Carolina, he'd be looked as a player who excelled individually, but never managed to get his team over the hump. Why that changes because he played in the epicenter of hockey in North America is beyond me.

Not once did Sundin carry the Leafs beyond the Conference Finals; his greatest leadership display according to The Score Television Network came when he scored a late goal to force overtime against Carolina during the 2002 Playoffs.

Under the bright lights of the biggest hockey market in the game, Sundin's exploits on the ice were intensely scrutinized and with good reason; for all the accolades people want to bestow on the Swede, there was only one 100 point season.

He topped 90 points just once more, and only cracked the 80 point plateau four additional times. To keep the comparison going, Bernie Nicholls netted 70 goals and 150 points in an NHL season, topping the 100 point mark once before that and collecting two more 90 point campaigns as well.

It's fitting to me that his greatest triumph on the ice was winning gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

When surrounded by superstars, Sundin produced just as he did throughout his NHL career: eight points in eight games.

No rings, no Finals appearances and not once close to a scoring title, Hart Trophy or All-NHL First Team.

Just point per game production under the brightest hockey spotlight around.

At the end of the day, whether you want to admit it or not, Mats Sundin was an underachiever.

Happy Retirement, Mats.

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Take a Hint Already, Balsillie

For those who don't know, the man pictured above is Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO of Research in Motion, makers of the Blackberry. To put it quite simply, homeboy is crazy rich. He's also a massive hockey fan.

Over the last couple of years, Balsillie has tried and failed on three separate occasions to purchase fledgling NHL franchises and move them to Southern Ontario, specifically Hamilton. On three separate occasions, Balsillie has failed to secure a team.

We here at iBlog think it's time that Jim Balsillie take a hint.


Face it, Slick - the NHL doesn't want your brand of gung-ho, website-creating ownership, regardless of the fact that you're worth an estimated $3.5 billion and care more about the sport than many current NHL owners.

As much as this might sound blasphemous to some, I can't blame them.

Having all kinds of money and a love of the game is one thing, but have a little business savvy while you're at it, Jim. How many times to you have to try and fail using the same business model before you realize it's flawed?

Don't go into the activity of buying a team with websites dedicated to bringing the team to Canada and announcing grand refurbishment plans for Copps Coliseum. I mean, at least this time you didn't start selling tickets already or anything, but shit, slow down and let the process run it's course for chrissakes.

Just because you have a whack of cash and a desire to bring a team to a market that is clearly better than Phoenix, Atlanta and Nashville combined doesn't make it a done deal. Buffalo, for one, has no interest in you plunking a team down in their prime territory of border-crossing fans. You've got to play the game and most importantly, you've got to follow the rules of said game.

The interesting thing about all this is that Balsillie could own one of the most storied franchises in sports history - and their rink - for probably less than he would spend on the Phoenix Coyotes, as the Montreal Canadiens and the Bell Centre are up for sale as well. Why not buy them?

Simply put, it'd never happen because Balsillie is hell-bent on bringing whatever team he buys to Southern Ontario, even though you, me and everyone without a vested interest in the situation can see that it won't happen under Gary Bettman's watch, though the continued employment of Bettman is another topic for another day.

If you're so dire to be an NHL owner, buy a team, period. No talk of relocation, no water colour paintings of changes to old arenas, no logos on your Blackberry when you're mugging for the television cameras.

Stay put in the city you're already in, operate the team and show that you're biggest interest is in furthering the game and making the NHL better. Put your politics and ideologies about the game in your back pocket and show the NHL you care about more than bringing another team to Canada.

We both know that hockey in Phoenix is never going to fly, no matter how good the Coyotes ever become. Ride out a year, maybe two, with empty seats, losing a couple million dollars. What's a couple million dollars to you, right?

Tow the line, play the game and do what you have to do to appease the NHL. It's the only way you're ever going to get what you want.

Let me put that in a way that is easier to understand ...

Stop being a douchebag!

You want a team? Buy one, just stop all this Make It Seven relocation bullshit already...

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10 Things I Learned this Week

Breaking out a brand new Albert this week. Why? Why not? Let's get to it ...

1. 'Net Working
Over these last seven days, I've really learned the power of working the social networking scene on my computer to the best of my advantage. The Shameless Self-Promotion Tour is still in full force and has thus far yielded a great interview, a couple solid links and a handful of opportunities for the future.

2. My Work Analogy
Saturday night I had no interest in dealing with 95% of the people I work with. I get like that some times. In thinking about it, I came up with the most apt analogy of the situation: work is like high school and I'm the new artsy kid who doesn't really know anyone. I've got a few friends, but for the most part, I don't know the people you're bitching about and I don't care to, so we stay out of each others' way.


3. Too Close?
I've been spending more time than ever before immersed in the world of Mixed Martial Arts and I think my prediction skills are suffering because of it. Saturday night's Strikeforce card yielded a 4-7 record and while I'm doing well tonight with the WEC fights (5-3 with 2 to go), I'm still way under .500 on Keyboard Kimura and that is horrible.

4. Booking My Ticket to Stardom
This week, I'm sending out my book proposal. It's done, as is the query letter and I'm not wasting any time. As many agents as I can possibly find who are accepting the type of manuscript that I'm hawking will be receiving the 22-page offering for their consideration. The more the merrier... and more likely to find someone willing to make like ABBA and take a chance on me.

5. It's Been Seven Months...
So why should it surprise anyone that we're investigating another move? This is what we do. Actually, we're looking because Sarah's job isn't as rewarding or enjoyable as she'd hoped - being 50% over capacity every shift can do that to you - and we know we don't want to spend forever in Kimberley. That means moving sooner rather than later makes the most sense. Feel free to submit your "Move Here" requests in the comments. Or your "Don't Move Here" alerts as well.

6. One More Win
A win tomorrow night and my Detroit Red Wings are once again Stanley Cup Champions. Man, that has a nice ring to it. To the fans of everyone else in the NHL: Suck It!

7. Speaking of the NHL
Listening to Gary Bettman talk about trying to ensure the Phoenix Coyotes remain in Phoenix is so frustrating. You can't cling to a "we don't want to abandon markets" argument when you have a track record of doing it. Winnipeg, Quebec City and Minnesota all got ditched, in part, just because. Fan support was far better in each of those cities than it is in several US markets right now and nothing prevented the Jets from flying to the desert, Les Nordiques from heading to Denver and the North Stars heading to south to Dallas. I'd respect him more if he just admitted it was about money.

8. Been a Great Food Week
Sarah's been off all week, so we've had time to make some serious meals around here and I must say how rewarding and enjoyable they've been. Neither of us are gourmets by any stretch, but even just having some homemade BBQ burgers yesterday was far better than anything Kelseys or the fast food joints could offer, not to mention 3000 times healthier. What makes it more satisfying is that it really doesn't take any longer to make something great and fresh like we've done all week than it does to open a box or order a pizza. I never would have said these things two years ago ...

9. Three Words: Bud Light Lime
I know the naysayers will lobby that it's simply a light beer infused with lime, something you can do to every bottle of beer you ever open. I get that. But I also like something light and refreshing in the summer that I can drink by the case and this hits the spot. To me, it's a higher quality Corona; better beer, hint of lime already there and none of the dangerous Mexican contaminants of los cervezas. I don't care if you think it's stupid - I love it.

10. Working Sucks
To prove this isn't just sour grapes from a guy making no money slinging drinks and piling plates, I've made $300 in the last 24 hours at the restaurant, so no, it isn't about money. It's about being sick of the bitching and the bass-ackwards approach always taken to doing business. Bars shouldn't run out of draft beer, especially not Canadian and you certainly shouldn't be putting the overstocked something else on the that line and calling it Canadian. Don't cut everyone before people have even had a chance to come into and eat; you just end up leaving someone fucked every time. Want to keep labor costs low? Don't have 14 people in the kitchen and keep a couple front of house staff. I can't keep doing this; I'm going insane. Cross those fingers for a book deal people.

See you next Sunday!

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The Rundown: Premier Post-Seasons

As of late, the normally normal folks on ESPN's sports talk shows have been saying some pretty stupid things, leading to some very frustrated rants here on iBlog.

Two days ago it was Kornheiser calling Barry Melrose the "face of hockey," while yesterday saw Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times call the NBA Playoffs the "best postseason of them all."

What?

How many times has Hayden Panettiere licked your trophy, Plaschke?

Top 5 Sports Post-Seasons

5. NCAA March Madness
I know some of you are going to call me out on this one, but follow me for a minute. The first week is the best four day stretch of one sport in the history of sports. Those opening two rounds are awesome, but then the lull kicks in. We have to wait for games. Things get over-analyzed. Jay Bilas says way too much. By the time the whole thing ends it's already April.

4. NFL Playoffs
While there is a week between games, there is always a week between games, so that part is cool. Truthfully, this one lands here simply on the strength of the Super Bowl which is still arguably the single best sporting event around and has been living up to that hype pretty well recently.

3. NBA Playoffs
Having games to watch every night is nice, but here's the thing with hoops and do remember that I am a big basketball fan: half of the time only the final two minutes matter, while the other half of the time it's a blowout. Now, I love watching LeBron do his thing no matter what the point differential, but watching the Lakers clobber the Rockets last night was pointless. The game was done by halftime.

2. MLB World Series
Yes, baseball often comes down to the final couple innings too, but at least it doesn't take forty minutes to play two innings. And when it does, it's because something noteworthy is happening, not a string of timeouts. Besides, baseball trumps basketball on the final out versus final shot battle. The last out always leads to insanity, while the final shot can often be meaningless.

1. NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
Anyone who doesn't recognize the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the best post-season in all of sports is both a liar and quite possibly suffering from brain damage. What is more entertaining than triple overtime? Besides quadruple overtime, nothing. Every game is a back and forth where neither team gives an inch. Yeah, the regular season is too long, but the playoffs make all of that waiting around worth it.

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Barry Melrose Is Not the Face of Hockey

So I'm watching Pardon the Interruption yesterday and in their discussion of the Pens - Capitals series, Kornheiser states that Barry Melrose is the face of hockey.

Excuse me?

Maybe in his advanced age and receding hairline Tony forgot to add the qualifier of "on this network" or "in the United States," at the end of that sentence. I sure hope so or else the state of the NHL is far worse than I had imagined.

Not to take anything away from Barry Melrose; he was a decent coach in Los Angeles and is an agreeable enough figure in the studio, but the face of hockey he is not. In fact, he's not even the smartest hockey guy employed by ESPN. That honor goes to Pierre LeBrun. Now there is a guy who knows his hockey.

Taken on a larger scale, this comment further illustrates the sad state of hockey in the United States.

While the Stanley Cup Playoffs run on our National network (CBC) and our largest sports network (TSN) on a nightly basis, games are being broadcast in the US on Versus and the NHL Network, two channels that most people either don't have or don't know about.

More time is dedicated to covering Tiger Woods' awful final round on Sunday than one of the best Playoff matchups to come along in years, pitting the two brightest stars in the NHL sky against one another.

As if that weren't bad enough, you once again have Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie trying to purchase a cash-strapped, failing franchise from a hideous American market. What other sport repeatedly tells a guy with an obvious passion for the game and more money than he knows what to do with that he can't own a franchise?

This is a league that sold a team to a guy who is now in jail for fraud and embezzlement instead of Balsillie.

While I understand Gary Bettman's desire to keep franchises where they are and not "abandon" markets as he says, let's not forget how this team got to Phoenix in the first place...

Where was the desire to work through problems when the team was in The 'Peg or the Nordiques getting moved to Colorado?

American expansion is fine, but returning to a market that is starving for hockey or bringing another team into the hot bed of hockey fanaticism is just plain wrong, is that it?

Thankfully, I live in Canada where I can watch all the games without issue and see what the true face of hockey has to say... Ron McLean!

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The Sean Avery Saga

I've written a piece on the Sean Avery drama that'll be coming out soon at The Love of Sports, but I just wanted to bring it here too since this is where we've discussed pretty much everything that has crossed my mind in the last year and change.

For me, it shakes down like this:

What Avery said was sophomoric and crude and classless.
He's a jackass and probably yapped his way out of playing in the NHL this season.
But was it worthy of a suspension and all the uproar and attention it's gotten in the media?

In a word: No.

Access fucking Hollywood was waiting for Avery outside the NHL Offices in New York today, where he met with Commissioner Gary Bettman. While I'm sure this isn't the attention Bettman necessarily wants for the NHL, tell me the last time anything related to hockey was on Access Hollywood?

And for all those people who are climbing up on their soapboxes saying how disgusted they are with Avery's choice of words and the message it sends and blah blah blah blah blah, please tell me how this is even remotely as bad as Plaxico Burress toting a loaded weapon in a nightclub?

Bottom line: I can't wait to see what the NHL does here because if they suspend him for any length of time, they're showing they're more worried about PR than players and I'll have me a field day with that.

Random Note - I sure did use a lot of colons in this piece... weird...

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Here's A Better Idea

Reports indicate the NHL is considering putting a second NHL team in Toronto in the future.

To be blunt, the notion makes me sick.

Not just because I grew up in Hamilton and had my hopes of an NHL franchise in my backyard dashed a number of times or because I have an absolute hatred of all things Maple Leafs.

No, the idea of a second team in Toronto is ridiculous to me because cities across Canada that have, could and would support an NHL team are ignored completely while craptacular US cities like Nashville and Atlanta refuse to support teams.

Instead of giving a great place like Winnepeg another kick at the can or returning a franchise to Quebec City, the NHL would much rather make like the NBA has done in Los Angeles for years and have two teams calling Toronto home.

Of course, all of this has to do with finances, as Toronto could very easily support two teams and those poor Buffalo Sabres couldn't lobby against the efforts like they have in Hamilton as no one from the Niagara Region is going to drive two hours to Toronto when they can jump across the border and watch better hockey at The HBC.

The name being tied to all of this is Research in Motion millionaire Jim Balsillie, a man who a couple years back the NHL (read: Gary Bettman) basically instructed the owners of the Nashville Predators not to sell the franchise to. Now that teams, including Nashville, continue to struggle and the economy has taken a serious downturn, the NHL is ready to welcome Balsillie and his millions into the fold with open arms and a team in the biggest hockey market in the world.

While I have written at various sites about how much I would love to see the NHL have a stronger Canadian presence, this isn't what I had in mind. Although Toronto may have the best attendance and merchandise revenues around the league, they also have a long history that contributes to their ridiculously loyal fanbase. A second team in the city may not be the same cash cow as the Maple Leafs, except that everyone who can't get tickets to Leafs games would now have another option.

Instead of bringing a second team into the city that thinks of itself as the center of the Canadian world, why not branch out and grow the game in other markets or return it to cities that loyally served the NHL long before guys with deep pockets decided hockey would be a big sell in Nashville?

I mean really, you could stick a team out here in Cranbrook and they would draw better than the Atlanta Thrashers!

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Dishonour Roll: Steve Downie & Bobby Clarke

These two really do deserve each other.

One is a jackass forward for the Philadelphia Flyers, the other is a former jackass forward for the Philadelphia Flyers who has been involved with running the team pretty much since he hung up his skates. Neither has any business around the NHL.

Let's start with Steve Downie.

He was a pest and a shit disturber in junior, getting shipped out of Windsor because one of his rookie teammates wanted to beat the living daylights out of him over a hazing incident. Fine, he was a kid. Kids do some stupid things.

During the pre-season this year, he laid out Ottawa Senator forward Dean McAmmond with one of the worst hits I've seen in all my years of watching hockey. He took a big, premeditated run at a guy who didn't have the puck and was coming around the back of the net. Plus he left his feet, which is an absolute no-no. McAmmond didn't stand a chance and was carted off the ice on a stretcher. Somehow, not a single Senator managed to get a shot in on Downie. The league suspended him 20 games, a penalty that some saw as too harsh, others saw as too lenient and I thought was just about right.

So what does he do when he finally finishes serving his suspension and gets into an actual NHL game? He gets in a little skirmish with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Blake and when the linesmen have grabbed a hold of both guys to break up the wrasslin, Downie pops Blake in the face one more time for old time sake.

Then we have Flyers Senior VP Bobby Clarke. This guy is a first class jackass; always has been, always will be. He must have pictures of Flyers owner Ed Snider, a donkey and a can of Cool Whip or something because Clarke never accomplished much as a General Manager over the years and somehow still gets to collect a pay cheque from the Flyers.

Anyhow, Clarke's slash to the ankle of Valeri Kharlamov in the '72 Summit Series and his asshole treatment of Eric Lindros at the tail end of his Philly tenure aside, Clarke gets this honour for his bullshit comments on TSN's Off The Record earlier this week.

For those of you outside of Canada, TSN is our version of ESPN, except the hosts are annoying for totally different reasons.

Back to Bobby... when asked about the Downie sucker punch, Clarke said that he loved it and that Blake should have expected retribution for opening his mouth about Downie's hit on Dean McAmmond. He also said that he thought Downie's initial suspension was unfair and likened his hit to those doled out by bonecrushing New Jersey Devils Captain Scott Stevens over the years.

I didn't watch the whole Q&A because I was already yelling at the TV too much and needed to make dinner, but I'm guessing that Clarke also saw no fault with Jesse Boulerice's crosscheck to the face of Ryan Kessler, Randy Jones' hit from behind that left Boston's Patrice Bergeron out cold and still on the shelf or Riley Cote's hit on Dallas defensemen Matt Niskanen either. Yes, all these guys are Flyers and all of this has happened this year...

The bottom line for both of these jaggovs to use a favourite of my one Philly friend Meech is that no one - and I mean NO ONE - in the NHL with an ounce of respect for their colleagues sucker punches a guy like Downie did the other night. Fighting is a part of the game and that is why you'll see guys give each other a pat on the head after a good tilt - they know they were both doing their job. Downie suckering Blake is akin to Albert Haynesworth stepping on Andre Gurode's head last year or Andrew Golota repeatedly smashing Riddick Bowe in the nuts for fight fans. It was just plain dirty.

These two douchebags deserve each other... and they deserve their place on the Dishonour Roll.

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Eric Lindros: Hall of Fame?

Thursday afternoon in London, Ontario, the original "Next One" hung'em up and the debate began.

Eric Lindros was the heir apparent to Wayne Gretzky's throne. He was a man amongst boys dominating the OHL with the Oshawa Generals in the early '90s and oozed talent as a member of the Canadian National Team while boycotting the Quebec Nordiques*, who drafted him First Overall despite knowing he would never suit up for them.

Even as he entered the NHL, Lindros displayed his game-changing talents, though he would finish behind "The Finnish Flash" Teemu Selanne for the Rookie of the Year Award. Lindros' trajectory to stardom was on course following the 1995 - 96 NHL Season where he won the Hart Trophy as League MVP after posting an easy career best 115 points.

Though the Big E led the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals in '97, they were beaten by the Detroit Red Wings with Lindros managing only one goal on th ultimate stage. Injuries limited his playing time and his performance, although it has to be said that when he did play, he produced.

The beginning of the end is easily identifiable in Eric Lindros' career. It take the night he crossed the middle of the neutral zone with his head down against the New Jersey Devils and Devils Captain / Bonecrusher Scott Stevens leveled Lindros. From then on, things never were the same again.

While Lindros posted a point a game average during his first year in New York, he also sat out the entire preceding season, as effects of the Stevens hit still lingered.

After three years in New York and zero playoff appearances, Lindros emerged in his home town of Toronto following the lockout, but only lasted 33 games before a wrist injury ended his season with the Maple Leafs. An uneventful year in Dallas followed and wound up being the last of Lindros' career.

* * * * * * * *
So the question of whether Eric Lindros belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame is one that is sure to be debate a great deal over the next couple of days by hockey analysts, fans and television types. Being the opinionated soul that I am, I figured I would chime in here.

The answer is no.

Beside his one Hart Trophy, only an Olympic Gold Medal as a role player on the 2002 Nagano team resides in the Lindros Trophy Case. There are no Stanley Cup rings, just the one finals appearance and a truckload of unfulfilled expectations.

Some will argue that Lindros marked a changing of the game - the first of the bigger, stronger, faster NHL'ers who combined skill with size and strength, but to me that isn't enough. That would be akin to putting Kevin Garnett in the NBA Hall of Fame simply because he was the first to go from high school to the pros.

Before Lindros goes in, there are a number of other players who deserve entrance, including Dino Ciccarelli and Glen Anderson. And if Lindros goes in, what of his contemporaries?

Sergei Fedorov has a couple of Stanley Cup rings to go along with his Hart Trophy.

Since I don't think Fedorov, his rings and his MVP belong in the hall, when it comes to Lindros, I gotta say, "No Hall for You!"

* * * * * * * *
Quebec received Ron Hextall, Mike Ricci, Steve Duchesne, Chris Simon, 2 First Round Picks and $15M from Philadelphia. Oh yeah, and some kid named Peter Forsberg who helped lead them to two Stanley Cups as the Colorado Avalanche.

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