Today, the Dallas Cowboys take on the Green Bay Packers in a NFC Divisional Playoff game in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Last night, the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Carolina Panthers in Seattle, Washington in the other NFC game. The Dallas-Green Bay game is a TV ratings friendly matchup. So the events in the Cowboys victory over the Detroit Lions last week were disturbing for neutral fans with no rooting interest.
The National Football League and FOX Sports combined to make last Sunday's NFC Wild Card Playoff game between Detroit and Dallas into the WWE with the inept officiating, conflict of interest, and biased commentating. I swear I was watching old-school WWF/WCW/ECW...whatever wrestling. It felt to me and a lot of others on Twitter that this wasn't a normal controversy.
Football officials are human and mistakes just like players. When there are missed calls or perceived ones in the opinion of one team by officials, it seems like whining on most occasions. Very rarely, several officiating decisions with reasonable doubt will all go in the favor of one team and not the other. Sunday was a rarity.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Detroit was leading Dallas, 20-17, and their offense had 3rd down and 1 at the Dallas 49-yard line. Matthew Stafford, the Lions quarterback, threw a long pass intended for Brandon Pettigrew. Pettigrew and the Cowboys defender were fighting for position with Pettigrew in front. There was contact between the two players, they fell down, so did a yellow flag, penalty called.
The Head Judge, closest official to the play, signaled defensive pass interference against the Cowboys. Their sideline was right next to the play and screamed in anger. Offensive wide receiver Dez Bryant ran onto to the field without a helmet to argue the call. The head judge walked back toward the original line of scrimmage spot where the play started. He talked to referee Pete Morelli who then announced the penalty through his on-field microphone.
To this point, outside of Dez Bryant running on the field, everything is standard practice for a penalty decision and announcement in the NFL. The yard markers indicating the length needed to get first downs was moved forward. The ball was picked up by one of the officials and moved to the yard line where the penalty occurred.
Then, Morelli reversed himself and said no penalty would be called. No explanation was given. It was mind-boggling because it seemed like Hitchens ran up against Pettigrew's body. Why did the officials throw a penalty flag, announce it for everybody to hear, and then take it back? It made no sense.
Sometimes, officials take back penalties after talking to each other as a group, However, they always make a decision on whether there is a penalty before making an official announcement. In this case, they went backwards. The penalty was declared and told publicly before the officiating crew was 100 percent sure.
Detroit lost a first down deep in Dallas territory and were forced into 4th down. The Lions could have tried another offensive play. They only needed one yard to achieve the necessary yardage for a new series of downs. There was another option, they could punt the football away to Dallas and defense. Detroit was leading by three points, 20-17, so they didn't to score any more points. The Lions decided to punt and it backfired, the kick was very short and the Cowboys offense had great field position.
If the officials did their job, that above scenario doesn't happen. Also, the above paragraph and many other paragraphs in this entry don't get written. What a waste of space.
It got better, or worse, depending on your viewpoint on the Cowboys go-ahead touchdown. Tony Romo threw a 10-yard pass to Terrance Watkins in the endzone after scrambling away from Lions defenders. It appeared one of those Detroit players was illegally held from reaching Romo.
Later on, Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson was clearly bumped illegally past the five-yard legal contact zone. That was on Detroit's last offensive chance, a 4th down play with just over a minute remaining.
While there was a brief discussion of the called-back penalty, there was none about the other questionable non-calls made by officials. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman didn't address how much the picked-up flag helped Dallas while hurting Detroit. You heard tons of praise for the Cowboys offense and defense. This was an ongoing theme throughout the game.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Monday, January 5, 2015
Steelers, NFL, and NBC show too much care for game, too little for player health
The Pittsburgh Steelers showed a lack of care for their players well being in their playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night. In turn, NFL officials and broadcaster NBC Sports didn't do a good enough job addressing the situation.
The Steelers played the last five minutes of the game with two offensive players having a head or neck injury of some sort. Ben Roesthlisberger, the Pittsburgh quarterback was wrapped up by two Baltimore pass rushers on a pass attempt. Roesthlisberger was then taken down to the ground, mostly on his back and sides. Upon impact, his head was still upright.
However, as his body landed, his head hit the ground and bounced up quickly. Within a one second span, the same thing happened due to the impact. Roesthlisberger stayed on the ground, laying down, for a few moments. The Steelers were forced to use a timeout because the clock was running. Then, Roesthlisberger was forced to leave the game due to specific rules. There was a timeout during non-stop play. The game clock was stopped because he was too slow, and with very good reason, to line up for the next offensive play. Also, he appeared to have an injury to the head/neck area. For safety reasons, players are forced to stop playing and go under physical/mental tests to make certain they are healthy.
Bruce Gradkowski replaced Roesthlisberger and completed his first pass, a 20 yard pass on 3rd and 21, to tight end Heath Miller. Miller caught a short pass, started running, and then was hit in the helmet by a Baltimore defender using their helmet. Miller stopped one yard short of the first down. He could barely stand upright when he rose up from the ground. Miller looked completely out of it. His eyes were looking one way while his head was turned the other way. Game officials waved Miller off the field toward the Pittsburgh sideline for further examination. Pittsburgh with their season on the line, needing two touchdowns, was now playing with two backup players on offense.
Nonetheless, the Steelers got a first down on 4th and 1 thanks to Gradkowski's passing. On first down, he nearly threw a touchdown pass except for a great knock away by a Baltimore defender in the end zone. Gradkowski was performing well in a pressure situation. Unbelievably, Roesthlisberger came back onto the field and replaced Gradkowski. On his first play back after the head injury, Roesthlisberger made a poor mental decision by throwing a pass where there was only one of his receivers versus two Ravens defenders. Baltimore easily intercepted the pass. On that same play, Miller reentered the game as well. On their next offensive possession, Roesthlisberger threw a pass to Miller who caught it but fumbled it away even though he wasn't hit particularly hard. The Ravens recovered the loose ball, and won 30-17.
It was idiotic coaching by the Pittsburgh coaching staff led by head coach Mike Tomlin. It was the football malpractice by the Pittsburgh medical staff to not examine Roesthlisberger and Miller more closely. They were more concerned about the short-term effect of losing one game compared to the long-term effect of people's well-being. Roesthlisberger and Miller should have been taken to the nearest hospital for X-rays and further testing. It was gutless, spineless, and heartless. The players are not at fault. They want to be successful for their employer like anyone working a 9 to 5 job every Monday through
Friday. What's different is football players put their lives at risk for entertainment value. At the end of the day, it's a game, not the end if the world.
The National Football League showed great restraint, concern for others, respect, and integrity. Five minutes later, they did the opposite. It's unclear if there was poor communication between the NFL and the Steelers. It's also unsure if it was complete incompetence. Was is favoritism toward the Steelers, one of the most popular teams? Did the NFL want Pittsburgh to score more points to at least keep watching even if they didn't care who won? Baltimore led Pittsburgh by a score of 30-15, at the time of the injuries. That's two touchdowns of six points each with one kicked PAT for one point and one run/pass from the opponents 2-yard line for 2 points. In other words, a lot.
Finally, game broadcaster NBC deserves criticism for not addressing the hypocritical behavior. Cris Collinsworth did a great job explaining why the Steelers needed to call timeout and replace Roesthlisberger with Gradkowski even though Roesthlisberger is the better quarterback due to the injury rules. Then, Collinsworth correctly explained what happened to Miller. For some strange reason, defenders CAN HIT OFFENSIVE PLAYERS BY HELMET TO HELMET IF THE PLAYER IS RUNNING. Defenders CAN NOT HIT RECEIVERS BY HELMET TO HELMET. However, runners are different.
When he ran after catching the ball, he became a runner and legal to hit in the helmet. However, Collinsworth waffled on giving any insights or opinions when both players were allowed to return after minimal examination. Michele Tafoya reported from the Pittsburgh sideline that Roesthlisberger talked briefly to one of the trainers who massaged his neck. Yes, let's worry about the neck even though the head was bouncing up and down on the ground.
Furthermore, he didn't even seek medical approval to re-enter. There was nothing from Collinsworth, the color analyst, and Al Michaels, the play-by-play announcer. What was the problem? Did they not want the Steelers team and fans mad at them for accusing the team of not playing by the rules? Did they not want to criticize the game officials assigned by the NFL which NBC has a contract with?
The Steelers played the last five minutes of the game with two offensive players having a head or neck injury of some sort. Ben Roesthlisberger, the Pittsburgh quarterback was wrapped up by two Baltimore pass rushers on a pass attempt. Roesthlisberger was then taken down to the ground, mostly on his back and sides. Upon impact, his head was still upright.
However, as his body landed, his head hit the ground and bounced up quickly. Within a one second span, the same thing happened due to the impact. Roesthlisberger stayed on the ground, laying down, for a few moments. The Steelers were forced to use a timeout because the clock was running. Then, Roesthlisberger was forced to leave the game due to specific rules. There was a timeout during non-stop play. The game clock was stopped because he was too slow, and with very good reason, to line up for the next offensive play. Also, he appeared to have an injury to the head/neck area. For safety reasons, players are forced to stop playing and go under physical/mental tests to make certain they are healthy.
Bruce Gradkowski replaced Roesthlisberger and completed his first pass, a 20 yard pass on 3rd and 21, to tight end Heath Miller. Miller caught a short pass, started running, and then was hit in the helmet by a Baltimore defender using their helmet. Miller stopped one yard short of the first down. He could barely stand upright when he rose up from the ground. Miller looked completely out of it. His eyes were looking one way while his head was turned the other way. Game officials waved Miller off the field toward the Pittsburgh sideline for further examination. Pittsburgh with their season on the line, needing two touchdowns, was now playing with two backup players on offense.
Nonetheless, the Steelers got a first down on 4th and 1 thanks to Gradkowski's passing. On first down, he nearly threw a touchdown pass except for a great knock away by a Baltimore defender in the end zone. Gradkowski was performing well in a pressure situation. Unbelievably, Roesthlisberger came back onto the field and replaced Gradkowski. On his first play back after the head injury, Roesthlisberger made a poor mental decision by throwing a pass where there was only one of his receivers versus two Ravens defenders. Baltimore easily intercepted the pass. On that same play, Miller reentered the game as well. On their next offensive possession, Roesthlisberger threw a pass to Miller who caught it but fumbled it away even though he wasn't hit particularly hard. The Ravens recovered the loose ball, and won 30-17.
It was idiotic coaching by the Pittsburgh coaching staff led by head coach Mike Tomlin. It was the football malpractice by the Pittsburgh medical staff to not examine Roesthlisberger and Miller more closely. They were more concerned about the short-term effect of losing one game compared to the long-term effect of people's well-being. Roesthlisberger and Miller should have been taken to the nearest hospital for X-rays and further testing. It was gutless, spineless, and heartless. The players are not at fault. They want to be successful for their employer like anyone working a 9 to 5 job every Monday through
Friday. What's different is football players put their lives at risk for entertainment value. At the end of the day, it's a game, not the end if the world.
The National Football League showed great restraint, concern for others, respect, and integrity. Five minutes later, they did the opposite. It's unclear if there was poor communication between the NFL and the Steelers. It's also unsure if it was complete incompetence. Was is favoritism toward the Steelers, one of the most popular teams? Did the NFL want Pittsburgh to score more points to at least keep watching even if they didn't care who won? Baltimore led Pittsburgh by a score of 30-15, at the time of the injuries. That's two touchdowns of six points each with one kicked PAT for one point and one run/pass from the opponents 2-yard line for 2 points. In other words, a lot.
Finally, game broadcaster NBC deserves criticism for not addressing the hypocritical behavior. Cris Collinsworth did a great job explaining why the Steelers needed to call timeout and replace Roesthlisberger with Gradkowski even though Roesthlisberger is the better quarterback due to the injury rules. Then, Collinsworth correctly explained what happened to Miller. For some strange reason, defenders CAN HIT OFFENSIVE PLAYERS BY HELMET TO HELMET IF THE PLAYER IS RUNNING. Defenders CAN NOT HIT RECEIVERS BY HELMET TO HELMET. However, runners are different.
When he ran after catching the ball, he became a runner and legal to hit in the helmet. However, Collinsworth waffled on giving any insights or opinions when both players were allowed to return after minimal examination. Michele Tafoya reported from the Pittsburgh sideline that Roesthlisberger talked briefly to one of the trainers who massaged his neck. Yes, let's worry about the neck even though the head was bouncing up and down on the ground.
Furthermore, he didn't even seek medical approval to re-enter. There was nothing from Collinsworth, the color analyst, and Al Michaels, the play-by-play announcer. What was the problem? Did they not want the Steelers team and fans mad at them for accusing the team of not playing by the rules? Did they not want to criticize the game officials assigned by the NFL which NBC has a contract with?
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Wizards struggle down the stretch in loss at Oklahoma City
The Wizards played the Oklahoma City Thunder even for 44 minutes last night. The final four minutes showed Washington still is learning how to play big in big games. The players admitted they basically gave the game away.
The biggest giveaway was with under a minute to go. They trailed by 3 and had possession after a Thunder missed shot. There was plenty of time to take a 2-point shot closer to the basket. Point guard John Wall was indecisive about what he wanted to do.
It appeared he was waiting for Marcin Gortat to post up against OKC's Kevin Durant. Gortat had decent enough position and was much stronger. For some reason, Gortat couldn't fight his way to an open area.
Wall panicked and threw a soft cross court pass which was stolen by Russel Westbrook. The pass was intended for backcourt mate Bradley Beal. Westbrook grabbed the ball and raced down court toward the other basket. Somehow, Wall blocked Westbrook's layup attempt from behind without fouling. Unfortunately, nobody from the Wizards came back to rebound the ball. Oklahoma City picked up the ball and Westbrook scored to put the Thunder up by five points. That was the game, for all intents and purposes. Washington eventually lost by seven but it seemed closer.
Their offense late in the game exposed some fatal flaws. When they don't pass the ball around to open teammates, they struggle. Too often, the Wiz took many forced shots. Andre Miller grabbed a Thunder missed shot and dribbled down the right sideline. He was stopped from going toward the basket as the Thunder stayed still on defense and took a long shot falling away from the basket. Later on, Wall took an ill-advised three-point shot with no teammates near him or the basket for an offensive rebound. Even the three-point basket by Bradley Beal was a little unorthodox. Wall dribbled from the Thunder basket all the way to the Wizards basket and almost under the rim. He was close enough to shoot a 2-foot basket but decided not to. Beal isn't not at fault either. He didn't hustle downcourt to help Wall out on Westbrook's steal and game-changing basket.
It was a terrible loss in a completely different way than against Dallas on Tuesday. In that game, they didn't play well after the first 12 minutes. In Oklahoma City, the Wizards played superbly for almost all of the game, except the last few minutes. What makes it even worse? Tonight (Saturday), they take on the defending NBA champion Spurs in San Antonio, a place they haven't won in for the past 18 games going back nearly a decade.
The biggest giveaway was with under a minute to go. They trailed by 3 and had possession after a Thunder missed shot. There was plenty of time to take a 2-point shot closer to the basket. Point guard John Wall was indecisive about what he wanted to do.
It appeared he was waiting for Marcin Gortat to post up against OKC's Kevin Durant. Gortat had decent enough position and was much stronger. For some reason, Gortat couldn't fight his way to an open area.
Wall panicked and threw a soft cross court pass which was stolen by Russel Westbrook. The pass was intended for backcourt mate Bradley Beal. Westbrook grabbed the ball and raced down court toward the other basket. Somehow, Wall blocked Westbrook's layup attempt from behind without fouling. Unfortunately, nobody from the Wizards came back to rebound the ball. Oklahoma City picked up the ball and Westbrook scored to put the Thunder up by five points. That was the game, for all intents and purposes. Washington eventually lost by seven but it seemed closer.
Their offense late in the game exposed some fatal flaws. When they don't pass the ball around to open teammates, they struggle. Too often, the Wiz took many forced shots. Andre Miller grabbed a Thunder missed shot and dribbled down the right sideline. He was stopped from going toward the basket as the Thunder stayed still on defense and took a long shot falling away from the basket. Later on, Wall took an ill-advised three-point shot with no teammates near him or the basket for an offensive rebound. Even the three-point basket by Bradley Beal was a little unorthodox. Wall dribbled from the Thunder basket all the way to the Wizards basket and almost under the rim. He was close enough to shoot a 2-foot basket but decided not to. Beal isn't not at fault either. He didn't hustle downcourt to help Wall out on Westbrook's steal and game-changing basket.
It was a terrible loss in a completely different way than against Dallas on Tuesday. In that game, they didn't play well after the first 12 minutes. In Oklahoma City, the Wizards played superbly for almost all of the game, except the last few minutes. What makes it even worse? Tonight (Saturday), they take on the defending NBA champion Spurs in San Antonio, a place they haven't won in for the past 18 games going back nearly a decade.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Wizards look to put last game of last year behind
The Wizards will try to start the new year off right tonight. Hey, that rhymed! Anyway, the Wiz played more like goblins than wizards against the Mavericks in Dallas on Tuesday.
In the second game of a back-to-back, they looked tired. After beating Houston by a point, 104-103, Washington showed no offensive rhythm. They lacked defensive awareness and intensity. The Wizards were looking for payback after a close loss to the Mavericks. Instead, they were embarrassed in a 27-point loss, 114-87. What is about Dallas this week? The Redskins lost by 27 to the Cowboys to end their pitiful NFL season last Sunday. Tuesday's Dallas debacle was so bad for Washington that the starters didn't play the entire fourth quarter, rare in the NBA.
Tonight, the Wiz start another tough back-to-back stretch of road games. They face the high-powered Thunder with a healthy Russel Westbrook after a hand injury sidelined him for most of two months. Tomorrow, Washington travels to San Antonio to match up against the defending NBA champion Spurs. In addition, the Wizards are in a fight for first in their division. The Atlanta Hawks took a one-game lead in the Southeast standings with their win over Cleveland and the Wizards loss to Dallas.
In the second game of a back-to-back, they looked tired. After beating Houston by a point, 104-103, Washington showed no offensive rhythm. They lacked defensive awareness and intensity. The Wizards were looking for payback after a close loss to the Mavericks. Instead, they were embarrassed in a 27-point loss, 114-87. What is about Dallas this week? The Redskins lost by 27 to the Cowboys to end their pitiful NFL season last Sunday. Tuesday's Dallas debacle was so bad for Washington that the starters didn't play the entire fourth quarter, rare in the NBA.
Tonight, the Wiz start another tough back-to-back stretch of road games. They face the high-powered Thunder with a healthy Russel Westbrook after a hand injury sidelined him for most of two months. Tomorrow, Washington travels to San Antonio to match up against the defending NBA champion Spurs. In addition, the Wizards are in a fight for first in their division. The Atlanta Hawks took a one-game lead in the Southeast standings with their win over Cleveland and the Wizards loss to Dallas.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Classic victory for Capitals in Winter
For the perceived lack of excitement and hype in the weeks leading in, the Capitals 3-2 last minute victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in the Winter Classic felt really special for the team and its fans. Washington defeated the best team in the NHL this season in regards to Chicago. They stood toe-to-toe with a club that's won two of the last four NHL championships. All of the hockey world, many in the D.C. Metro area, and other casual sports fans watched the Capitals play well in a heavily-publicized game.
Whether in the playoffs or nationally televised regular season contests, the Capitals usually perform at their worst. Today, they played their best.
Alexander Ovechkin was a beast on the ice. He was scoring goals, hitting opponents, hitting goalposts with scorching shots narrowing missing the goal, blocking shots, etc...
Braden Holtby was a brick wall in goal. Holtby wouldn't let the Blackhawks break down his fortress. He stopped several great Chicago shot attempts from getting past him. Holtby appears to be playing like he did late in the 2012 season when the Caps made it to game 7 of the playoffs 2nd round.
Brooks Orpik was a warrior on defense. Orpik played today's game even though he severely injured his knee on Monday. He hit any Chicago player who moved. He intimated the Blackhawks.
Speaking of Blackhawks, Troy Brouwer used to play for them in 2010 and scored the winning goal against them today. Brouwer did something simple but yet complicated in a frenzied environment. He skated to the front of the net, watch where the puck was going, skated as fast as he could to it, and shot the puck on goal as fast that Chicago couldn't react. This all happened in the final twenty seconds of regulation play.
As a team, the Capitals fought through a lot of mental adversity during the game. Previously, this had not been a trademark of Capitals Hockey. They jumped of the Blackhawks by a score of 2-0 on Eric Fehr and Ovechkin goals in the first period. Then, Nicklas Backstrom took a questionable holding penalty while on an offensive attack. As he moved past Chicago's Jonathan Toews, Backstrom put his arm over top of Toews arm for leverage. It's a common maneuver in hockey but was ruled to be a penalty. Patrick Sharp scored seven seconds later on Chicago's power play. Early in the second period, defenseman John Carlson's backhand clearing pass hit a rut in the boards and stopped leading to a Brandon Saad goal to tie the game. Later in the second, they had to play three skaters compared to Chicago's five due to penalties. The Capitals could've packed up and left mentally. However, they stayed focused and did not allow any more goals.
In the midst of that sequence, the Blackhawks appeared to commit a couple of penalties which weren't called. Andrew Shaw tripped and took down John Carlson which caused Carlson's stick to lift upward connecting with Shaw's face. During the 5-on-3 power play, a Chicago player held Brooks Orpik's stick not allowing Orpik to clear the puck away.
Through two periods, the Blackhawks had five man-advantage power plays compared to the Capitals one. The Capitals did get a power play in the middle of the third period but didn't score. Late in the third with around three minutes left, Andrew Shaw knocked a Capitals player without possession of the puck. Shaw was not penalized. Seconds later, Shaw was hit up against the boards by Matt Niskanen. The hit was not jarring, a little from behind but mostly from the side. Niskanen was called for boarding.
Again, the Caps could've called it quits but played defense until Chicago received a penalty. Jonathan Toews was called for hooking. His stick was in poor position where referees look for players using their sticks to hold back opponents. TV replays showed Toews didn't use his stick to stop the Capitals player at all. It seemed to be a make-up call for the Niskanen called penalty and perhaps previous Chicago fouls not called. Whatever it was, the Caps scored with five skaters to the Blackhawks four with 13 seconds left.
The Capitals showed themselves, their fans, other team's fans, and hockey/general sports journalists, that they're a different team. They are physically and, most importantly, mentally stronger than previous seasons.
Whether in the playoffs or nationally televised regular season contests, the Capitals usually perform at their worst. Today, they played their best.
Alexander Ovechkin was a beast on the ice. He was scoring goals, hitting opponents, hitting goalposts with scorching shots narrowing missing the goal, blocking shots, etc...
Braden Holtby was a brick wall in goal. Holtby wouldn't let the Blackhawks break down his fortress. He stopped several great Chicago shot attempts from getting past him. Holtby appears to be playing like he did late in the 2012 season when the Caps made it to game 7 of the playoffs 2nd round.
Brooks Orpik was a warrior on defense. Orpik played today's game even though he severely injured his knee on Monday. He hit any Chicago player who moved. He intimated the Blackhawks.
Speaking of Blackhawks, Troy Brouwer used to play for them in 2010 and scored the winning goal against them today. Brouwer did something simple but yet complicated in a frenzied environment. He skated to the front of the net, watch where the puck was going, skated as fast as he could to it, and shot the puck on goal as fast that Chicago couldn't react. This all happened in the final twenty seconds of regulation play.
As a team, the Capitals fought through a lot of mental adversity during the game. Previously, this had not been a trademark of Capitals Hockey. They jumped of the Blackhawks by a score of 2-0 on Eric Fehr and Ovechkin goals in the first period. Then, Nicklas Backstrom took a questionable holding penalty while on an offensive attack. As he moved past Chicago's Jonathan Toews, Backstrom put his arm over top of Toews arm for leverage. It's a common maneuver in hockey but was ruled to be a penalty. Patrick Sharp scored seven seconds later on Chicago's power play. Early in the second period, defenseman John Carlson's backhand clearing pass hit a rut in the boards and stopped leading to a Brandon Saad goal to tie the game. Later in the second, they had to play three skaters compared to Chicago's five due to penalties. The Capitals could've packed up and left mentally. However, they stayed focused and did not allow any more goals.
In the midst of that sequence, the Blackhawks appeared to commit a couple of penalties which weren't called. Andrew Shaw tripped and took down John Carlson which caused Carlson's stick to lift upward connecting with Shaw's face. During the 5-on-3 power play, a Chicago player held Brooks Orpik's stick not allowing Orpik to clear the puck away.
Through two periods, the Blackhawks had five man-advantage power plays compared to the Capitals one. The Capitals did get a power play in the middle of the third period but didn't score. Late in the third with around three minutes left, Andrew Shaw knocked a Capitals player without possession of the puck. Shaw was not penalized. Seconds later, Shaw was hit up against the boards by Matt Niskanen. The hit was not jarring, a little from behind but mostly from the side. Niskanen was called for boarding.
Again, the Caps could've called it quits but played defense until Chicago received a penalty. Jonathan Toews was called for hooking. His stick was in poor position where referees look for players using their sticks to hold back opponents. TV replays showed Toews didn't use his stick to stop the Capitals player at all. It seemed to be a make-up call for the Niskanen called penalty and perhaps previous Chicago fouls not called. Whatever it was, the Caps scored with five skaters to the Blackhawks four with 13 seconds left.
The Capitals showed themselves, their fans, other team's fans, and hockey/general sports journalists, that they're a different team. They are physically and, most importantly, mentally stronger than previous seasons.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
NHL's Winter Classic doesn't feel like it in lead-up to big day
It's weird. The NHL's showcase event of the regular season is tomorrow in Washington, D.C., featuring the hometown Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks, Stanley Cup champions twice in the last four years, but there seems to be a lack of interest. Locally, the dumpster fire known as the Redskins has taken attention away from the Capitals.
For as bad as the 'Skins played this year, media couldn't stop talking about them. There are two 24-hour sports talk radio stations, ESPN 980-WTEM owned by Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and 106.7 The Fan-WJFK. Both stations discuss the football team way too much. The Redskins went 4-12 this season.
However, that didn't stop WJFK from doing an eight hour show, double the normal length, each Monday for five straight weeks. Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier host from 10 am to 2 pm. Chad Dukes hosts by himself from 2 pm to 6 pm. The three hosts were so confident the Redskins would defeat then one-win Tampa Bay that they would all do an eight-hour marathon on Monday. Of course, the 'Skins got blown out 27-7. At a time when less talk was deserved, more was given. It's not just radio. The Washington Post and The Washington Times newspapers devote multiple reporters to cover the 16-game Redskins schedule while the Caps get only one reporter for their 82 games.
The Capitals, for their part, have done a poor job promoting the game and not making it a series of events. In addition, the general public has almost been completely shut out. Yesterday, there was a media/alumni game played on the actual game rink at Nationals Park. Only select season ticket holders with VIP status were allowed to attend. Today's Capitals team practice at Nationals Park is closed to the public. That makes no sense. Many practices at their training facility are open to the public. Why is Nationals Park different?
The answer is ownership. Ted Leonsis, owner of the Capitals and the NBA's Wizards, has turned from a fan-friendly owner to a fan-hating dictator. After the Capitals failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2007, individual game and season ticket prices were RAISED!
The team has struggled for much of the last five seasons. In 2009-10, they were the best team in the regular season but lost in the first round of the playoffs to Montreal. Since then, there has been a gradual decrease in wins, points in the standings, and lower rankings.
On local TV broadcasts of games on CSN Mid-Atlantic, tickets are constantly being advertised for future home games and empty seats can be seen at said home games. Capitals fans have invested lots of their money with no reward. Leonsis, the rest of management, and the PR staff need to step up. The fanbase has done its job.
Finally, the National Hockey League shares blame for putting a half-hearted effort in promotion leading up to the game. First, the league left HBO for less cable subscribers with EPIX. Also, the league's broadcast partners have heavily criticized the Capitals best player Alexander Ovechkin. At times, it's completely justified and correct. Other times, the negative analysis is mean-spirited and biased. Ovechkin is an outstanding offense player, however, he's a below-average defense player. When other superstar players like Ovechkin make similar mistakes, they are less criticized than him.
The NHL has also ruined the outdoor game spectacle. There were SIX outdoor hockey games LAST SEASON!, that's equal to the total amount in the PREVIOUS SIX SEASONS! There is another outdoor game this season in late January between Los Angeles and San Jose in Santa Clara, California. Yes, that last sentence was right. In fact, that game will be the second outdoor NHL game in California in two years (Anaheim at Los Angeles, last January). NBC, the NHL national broadcaster in the United States, has a lot of input in the teams selected for outdoor games. The Winter Classic outdoor game on New Years Day has featured Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Chicago and Washington on multiple occasions. Buffalo has participated only once. Teams in cold-weather hockey areas such as Minnesota, Colorado, St. Louis, and Columbus have not even played in an outdoor game, home or away. The scheduling is stale. It's the same teams over and over again. Tomorrow, the Blackhawks will play in their third outdoor game, second in 14 months, and second Winter Classic. The Capitals will play in their second Winter Classic, first at home. Boston has already been selected by the NHL as next year's host. They last hosted an outdoor game way back in...January 2010.
The Winter Classic is a special event which feels less special this year . The D.C. sports media, the Washington Capitals, the National Hockey League, the hockey media, and NBC all are at fault.
For as bad as the 'Skins played this year, media couldn't stop talking about them. There are two 24-hour sports talk radio stations, ESPN 980-WTEM owned by Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and 106.7 The Fan-WJFK. Both stations discuss the football team way too much. The Redskins went 4-12 this season.
However, that didn't stop WJFK from doing an eight hour show, double the normal length, each Monday for five straight weeks. Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier host from 10 am to 2 pm. Chad Dukes hosts by himself from 2 pm to 6 pm. The three hosts were so confident the Redskins would defeat then one-win Tampa Bay that they would all do an eight-hour marathon on Monday. Of course, the 'Skins got blown out 27-7. At a time when less talk was deserved, more was given. It's not just radio. The Washington Post and The Washington Times newspapers devote multiple reporters to cover the 16-game Redskins schedule while the Caps get only one reporter for their 82 games.
The Capitals, for their part, have done a poor job promoting the game and not making it a series of events. In addition, the general public has almost been completely shut out. Yesterday, there was a media/alumni game played on the actual game rink at Nationals Park. Only select season ticket holders with VIP status were allowed to attend. Today's Capitals team practice at Nationals Park is closed to the public. That makes no sense. Many practices at their training facility are open to the public. Why is Nationals Park different?
The answer is ownership. Ted Leonsis, owner of the Capitals and the NBA's Wizards, has turned from a fan-friendly owner to a fan-hating dictator. After the Capitals failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2007, individual game and season ticket prices were RAISED!
The team has struggled for much of the last five seasons. In 2009-10, they were the best team in the regular season but lost in the first round of the playoffs to Montreal. Since then, there has been a gradual decrease in wins, points in the standings, and lower rankings.
On local TV broadcasts of games on CSN Mid-Atlantic, tickets are constantly being advertised for future home games and empty seats can be seen at said home games. Capitals fans have invested lots of their money with no reward. Leonsis, the rest of management, and the PR staff need to step up. The fanbase has done its job.
Finally, the National Hockey League shares blame for putting a half-hearted effort in promotion leading up to the game. First, the league left HBO for less cable subscribers with EPIX. Also, the league's broadcast partners have heavily criticized the Capitals best player Alexander Ovechkin. At times, it's completely justified and correct. Other times, the negative analysis is mean-spirited and biased. Ovechkin is an outstanding offense player, however, he's a below-average defense player. When other superstar players like Ovechkin make similar mistakes, they are less criticized than him.
The NHL has also ruined the outdoor game spectacle. There were SIX outdoor hockey games LAST SEASON!, that's equal to the total amount in the PREVIOUS SIX SEASONS! There is another outdoor game this season in late January between Los Angeles and San Jose in Santa Clara, California. Yes, that last sentence was right. In fact, that game will be the second outdoor NHL game in California in two years (Anaheim at Los Angeles, last January). NBC, the NHL national broadcaster in the United States, has a lot of input in the teams selected for outdoor games. The Winter Classic outdoor game on New Years Day has featured Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Chicago and Washington on multiple occasions. Buffalo has participated only once. Teams in cold-weather hockey areas such as Minnesota, Colorado, St. Louis, and Columbus have not even played in an outdoor game, home or away. The scheduling is stale. It's the same teams over and over again. Tomorrow, the Blackhawks will play in their third outdoor game, second in 14 months, and second Winter Classic. The Capitals will play in their second Winter Classic, first at home. Boston has already been selected by the NHL as next year's host. They last hosted an outdoor game way back in...January 2010.
The Winter Classic is a special event which feels less special this year . The D.C. sports media, the Washington Capitals, the National Hockey League, the hockey media, and NBC all are at fault.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Mixed results for Caps, Wiz on Monday
It was strange watching the Wizards and Capitals games last night. The Caps started bad, played well in the middle, regressed to bad again at the end. The Wiz started good and continued through half of the third quarter, played poorly late in the third and early in the fourth quarter. They rebounded, literally and figuratively, late in the game.
For the Capitals, their special teams were not special. They were 0 for 4 on man-advantage power plays and allowed their opponent, the New York Islanders, to score a goal while having more players on the ice than the Islanders.
The Caps took too many penalties (7) resulting in playing more defense than offense. The Islanders scored on 2 of their 7 power plays including the winning goal in overtime.
The most frustrating part of the Capitals performance was their lack of effort and cohesive play in the first two periods. They trailed 3-0 early in the third and came back to tie before losing. If they played like they did when trailing 3-0 earlier in the game then they would've won easily.
The Wizards had to wait 30 minutes for their game in Houston to start. After 45 seconds of play, one of the basket rims nearest to the Rockets bench stopped working. It malfunctioned. The structure needed to be lowered, taken off the court, and a new one needed to be dragged out and lifted up to proper height.
When they started playing, the Wizards held their own with Houston, currently in the top four in the Western Conference of the NBA. Wizards led by 1 at 46-45 at halftime.
They exploded in the third quarter leading by as many as 18 points, 71-53. Paul Pierce, who seemingly has played for 50 years, scored 11 points in 6 minutes. The Wiz outscored the Rockets during the end of second and start of the third quarters, 38-13!
The Wizards, however, let the Rockets outscore them by a 31-13 margin to make the score even. I don't get it. They're the anti-Caps! They start fast and then slow down at times.
Thankfully, they started fast again after the game was tied. The Wiz scored nine straight points to make it 93-84. The Rockets didn't give up, eventually cutting the lead to one at 104-103 with one second left but ran out of time.
For the Capitals, their special teams were not special. They were 0 for 4 on man-advantage power plays and allowed their opponent, the New York Islanders, to score a goal while having more players on the ice than the Islanders.
The Caps took too many penalties (7) resulting in playing more defense than offense. The Islanders scored on 2 of their 7 power plays including the winning goal in overtime.
The most frustrating part of the Capitals performance was their lack of effort and cohesive play in the first two periods. They trailed 3-0 early in the third and came back to tie before losing. If they played like they did when trailing 3-0 earlier in the game then they would've won easily.
The Wizards had to wait 30 minutes for their game in Houston to start. After 45 seconds of play, one of the basket rims nearest to the Rockets bench stopped working. It malfunctioned. The structure needed to be lowered, taken off the court, and a new one needed to be dragged out and lifted up to proper height.
When they started playing, the Wizards held their own with Houston, currently in the top four in the Western Conference of the NBA. Wizards led by 1 at 46-45 at halftime.
They exploded in the third quarter leading by as many as 18 points, 71-53. Paul Pierce, who seemingly has played for 50 years, scored 11 points in 6 minutes. The Wiz outscored the Rockets during the end of second and start of the third quarters, 38-13!
The Wizards, however, let the Rockets outscore them by a 31-13 margin to make the score even. I don't get it. They're the anti-Caps! They start fast and then slow down at times.
Thankfully, they started fast again after the game was tied. The Wiz scored nine straight points to make it 93-84. The Rockets didn't give up, eventually cutting the lead to one at 104-103 with one second left but ran out of time.
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