Monday Morning Mehta 10/24/05

Edition # 137
October 24, 2005

NOTE: Next week's MMM will be on Tuesday, November 1st.

The NBA is back and that means that MMM is fully staffed again, with all 4 major sports being covered for the first time since the middle of 2004.

Eagles/NFL

Eagles win an ugly, penalty ridden, sloppy game 20-17 in a game MMM quoted as being "a lock". Never a doubt, right?

Game Positives:

- Special Teams. When I wrote "lock", I actually meant they'd win on a "block". The blocked FG by Q-Mike, no relation to J-Mike of the Phillies, with 2:40 left in the 4th, down by 4 points, with Matt Ware picking it up and running 65 yards to paydirt, is by far the biggest play of the year for the Eagles. It reminded me so much of Brian Westbrook's gallop 2 seasons ago against the Giants in similar fashion. It looked like the Eagles had the game lost both times, with Special Teams bailing them out. This could also spring this team like it did in 2003.

- Front Four. Going into the bye I thought ST's and Front Four play was what the Eagles needed to work on. Both phases played great. Unfortunately I think they didn't work on anything else.

- Jeremiah Trotter. The best MLB in football proved once again to be a game changer. He was all over the field. He's no pass defender, as I've stated before, but nobody can cover Antonio Gates who is clearly the best TE in football right now.

Negatives:

- Donovan McNabb. I think the telling point of the whole game was McNabb missing LJ Smith who was open by 20 feet early in the game which would've been a sure long TD. San Diego's defense was ready to give up 31 points yesterday, McNabb wasn't ready to score more than 13.

- Brian Westbrook. People can rip the offensive line all they want, people can rip Andy Reid's play calling (we'd never do that here), but Westbrook has to do better than 25 yards on 10 carries. He had one run of 9 yards which meant he had 16 yards on the other 9 carries. Doesn't the running game need to show it can run before we start running the ball more? (Yes, I just made a case to throw more, I've gone full circle)

- L.J. Smith. Sometimes I think McNabb throws the ball at LJ's feet because he doesn't want him running after the catch, knowing it's a fumble waiting to happen. Tuck it in!

Overall, the Eagles played an ugly game. The defense and special teams came through and won that one. The defense gave up 17 points in the second half, but I blame that on the offense. You can't keep giving the back to San Diego and expect the defense to bail you out on every possession.

Donovan McNabb looks bored to me.

The Eagles now travel to Denver to face the Broncos. Two full time MMM staff members will be in attendance along with a former College football writer. We'll have a full recap for you next Tuesday, as we'll need a travel day on Monday.

Around the League

The biggest statement yesterday was a loud and clear statement by the Steelers. They went into Cincy and stomped the Bengals in all aspects of the game. They completely exposed the weak Bengals defense and ran the ball 47 times while passing 14. The anti-Eagles effort made it clear they're still the team to beat in the AFC North. Carson Palmer had a rough day as he looked baffled most of the day.

This wasn't Rip-Off weekend like last weekend, but the Saints hit some tough luck once again, this time by their own doing. Ernie Conwell of the Saints was apparently down by contact but the ball was stripped of the ball and the Rams ran it back for a TD. The tough luck? The play started with 2:10 left, and the Saints had no timeouts left. Even though the play ended with 1:55 left, the Saints couldn't challenge, and they hence couldn't overturn the key play. The booth doesn't take over replays until the 2 minute warning.

Joey Harrington's days as starter for the Lions appear over. Jeff Garcia played an unspectacular, but steady game with no turnovers for the Lions. The Lions defense is for real.

Speaking of defenses that are for real, the Bears are good. They play hard every week and Thomas Jones is keeping Cedric Benson on the pine.

Wow the 49ers are bad.

I hate the Giants so much. Watching them win completely overshadowed any joy from watching the Cowboys win. BTW, for those keeping track at home, that's two losses for Dallas which they should've won if they had a non choking QB.

Baseball

For those of you who stayed up and watched last nights game, in my opinion that was one of the greatest games in recent baseball history. Yes, I said baseball history. An 7th inning go ahead grand slam amid hit by pitch controversy, a 2 out game tying hit by Jose Vizcaino, only to be trumped by a walk off home run by a guy who hasn't hit a home run all year. Amazing.

I'm sticking to my prediction of the Astros winning the series, I think we're in for a series for the ages.
One thing on the Phillies, how are they offering Billy Wagner a contract, and there being speculation about Ryan Madson becoming a starter, if there is no GM?? This smells of front office controlling too much.

NBA - Derreck Sura

"I don't think I've ever made such a daring prediction in the hallowed pages of MMM, but here goes, after the end of next season Larry Brown is gone. MARK IT DOWN!"

That's a direct quote from the MMM published on December 16th 2003. Unlike most, I obviously love to say I told you so. If you're a long time reader, you know the drill by now. East this week, West next week. Welcome to the 2005-2006 season.

(Note: The "Eyes On" and "Now or Never" sections are dedicated to Doug Morgan, who hates them.)

1. Indiana - Ron Artest is back, and that's a good thing for the Pacers. Mental stability aside, Artest's return gives Indy their best on ball perimeter defender back, as well as their #2 option on offense. Donnie Walsh (CEO) and Larry Bird (President) have done a masterful job of giving the Pacers depth at every position. Indy plays great team defense, rebounds the ball, scores inside and outside, and has one of the best coaches in the NBA in Rick Carlisle. Maybe it's their hard nosed style of play, or possibly just bad luck, but for whatever reason these Pacers have been a bit injury prone the last couple of years. Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley, and Jeff Foster specifically (starting PF, PG, & C respectively). If Indy can avoid the injury bug, and Artest is able to maintain his sanity, the Pacers are a legitimate contender to win it all.

Eyes On - Sarunas Jasikevicius. The starting PG for the last three Euroleague champions is a nice insurance policy for Tinsley.
Now or Never - Jonathan Bender. Multi-dimensional big man has done nothing to date. Now entering his 7th year, he's averaged only 39 games played a season.

2. Miami - Heat President Pat Riley was busy this off season on a few fronts. First he acquired Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, and James Posey in a blockbuster 4 team trade (he also signed free agent (FA) Gary Payton). Then he made news by suggesting that Miami coach "Stan [Van Gundy] has done a great job", but "I may take a little bit more of an active participation in some of the things." Since then Riles has backed off that statement, but the seed is already planted. On paper the Heat look devastatingly talented, but keeping this crew happy and developing some type of chemistry is not going to easy. Miami could easily win the East, and the NBA Championship for that matter, but I expect this team to take many a night off during the regular season. However, if Shaquille O'Neal is healthy come playoff time, the Heat will be very tough to beat.

Eyes On - SVG. Riley did him a huge disservice this summer by undermining his authority. If they get off to a slow start, his job security will be in the news.
Now or Never - Alonzo Mourning. I can't help but think Zo doesn't have many more, if any, years left after this one. This team gives him his best chance yet for a ring.

3. New Jersey (4th best record) - The combination of Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson easily makes the Nets the odds on favorites to win the Atlantic Division. This club is going to want to get out and run at every opportunity. I can't wait to see J Kidd leading 2 on 3 fast breaks with Vince and RJ filling the opposite wings. Highlight reel says what? NJ President Rod Thorn's acquisition of Marc Jackson for a 2nd round pick helped solidify their front court rotation, but rebounding and shot blocking will still be issues for the Nets. Thorn's signing of FA Jeff McInnis gives them a solid back up behind Kidd, but NJ is very thin behind Vince and RJ. An injury to one of them, and the Nets will be in trouble. I don't see NJ as a contender, and it's possible that they get the 3rd seed with the 6th best record in the East.

Eyes On - Nenad Krstic. 2nd year 7 footer from Serbia has a nice post up game and mid-range jumper. Needs to improve his toughness, rebounding, and defense.
Now or Never - Zoran Planinic. 22nd pick from the 2003 draft has been a bust as a PG. If moving to SG doesn't help, it'll be Euroleague time.

4. Detroit (3rd best record) - The big question in Motown is how will their battle tested group of players react to new coach Flip Saunders? Only time will tell, but there are a few things I'm excited to see with Flip in charge. The first is their style of offense. Flip is going to install more motion into the Pistons normally stagnant attack. This should get them more easy looks in their half court sets, and allow Richard Hamilton to flourish. Next is that young players like Carlos Arroyo, Carlos Delfino, and Darko Milicic are finally going to see some regular minutes. As for the defense, Flip is going to have them playing some zone, but Detroit will still be able to lock teams up with their man to man when they need to. The Pistons could win the East, but without Larry Brown cracking the whip daily, I suspect this team is going to coast quite a bit in the regular season.

Eyes On - Maurice Evans. He is a hard worker who can defend, rebound, and finish in transition. Could be the athletic swingman off the bench they've never had.
Now or Never - Arroyo. Went from starter in Utah to 3rd PG for Detroit due to his post Olympic attitude. Must shoot less, and create for his teammates more.

5. Cleveland - Rookie GM Danny Ferry did a fantastic job his first summer by signing FA's Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones, and Alan Henderson. Jones and Hughes will be the Cavaliers starting back court. While Marshall and Henderson provide much needed depth up front. Cleveland's weakness since LeBron James arrived has been their 3 point shooting. Now with the addition of Jones and Marshall, along with a healthy Luke Jackson, teams will not be able to sag into the lane or double LeBron without paying the price. Scoring points will not be an issue with this team, and that's where rookie coach Mike Brown comes in. Brown honed his craft as Indiana's defensive coordinator for the past two seasons. If Brown and his Cavs can deal with playoff expectations, they could end up with the 4th best record in the East.

Eyes On - Anderson Varejao. Energetic Brazilian big man should provide a lift on the defensive end when he returns from a right shoulder injury in February.
Now or Never - Drew Gooden. He will be on his 4th team in 4 years if he doesn't improve his focus on defense, regardless of all the offense and rebounding he provides.

6. Washington - The Wizards return basically the same squad that made the playoffs last season, with the exception of Larry Hughes. I think President Ernie Grunfeld did enough to replace Hughes' scoring with the additions of Antonio Daniels and Caron Butler, but Larry was the leader of Washington's D last year. Daniels and Butler are adequate defenders, but neither possesses the physical gifts of Hughes. The Wiz are unquestionably Gilbert Arenas' team now. GA might be the quickest player in the league with the ball, and can score at will on anybody. If Washington is to take the next step as a team, GA is going to have to make more of a consistent effort to get his big men involved Look for GA to slide to SG with Daniels running the point for stretches early on. If things break right for the Wiz, they could end up with the 4th best record in the East.

Eyes On - Brendan Haywood. 7 footer can rebound, play D, and block shots. Has a decent low post game, just doesn't get the ball enough to show it.
Now or Never - Jarvis Hayes. 10th pick from 2003 has yet to prove he's anything more then a spot up shooter. Needs to be able to create his own shots off the dribble.

7. Chicago - GM John Paxson took the lemons from the Eddy Curry situation and turned them into lemonade. Two conditional first round picks, two second round picks, Tim Thomas, and Mike Sweetney was a steal of a deal for Curry and Antonio Davis. The one down side for the Bulls is that they are a little small up front now, but Sweetney and FA signee Darius Songaila should make up for Eddy's low post offense. My concern with Chicago is the size and depth of their guard core. While Paxson did a nice job dumping Curry, he really did nothing to improve their back court. Rookie Eddie Basden is their biggest guard at 6'5. That weakness is going to keep the Bulls out of the elite in the East. Chicago will still play suffocating defense though, and could go as high as 6th, but an injury or two, and they could miss the playoffs.

Eyes On - Sweetney. A bit undersized and out of shape, but has a slew of post moves, gets to the line a ton, hits the glass hard, and is more athletic then you'd think.
Now or Never - Tyson Chandler. Always a superior defender, but now he will have to be at least serviceable on offense while playing starter's minutes at C.

8. New York - You know it's killing me to have the Knicks here, but I think NY has just enough talent for coach Larry Brown to work his restoration magic and get them into the playoffs. It's going to be ugly at first, but LB will eventually get the Knicks to play better defense and share the ball. Even if he has to annoy President Isiah Thomas into trading half the roster. The inevitable power struggle between LB and Isiah is what I find most interesting about NY. You know it's going to happen, it's just a question of when and how nasty it gets. The acquisition of Eddy Curry gives the Knicks a bona fide post presence on offense, and Stephon Marbury is still an upper echelon PG. Throw in Quentin Richardson, and that's three players who could start for most teams. However, NY is far from a lock to make the playoffs.

Eyes On - Trevor Ariza. Long and athletic swingman plays the type of defense LB loves. His lack of an offensive game will not deter LB from giving him minutes.
Now or Never - Curry. LB will not stand for his lack of effort on the defensive end or the paltry amount of rebounds he grabs for his size and athletic ability.

Also Ran's

Philadelphia - Sorry folks, but I have to ask, what did the Sixers do to improve themselves this off season? Signed FA's Steven Hunter and Lee Nailon you say. Ok, I'll buy that as a slight upgrade in their front court depth over Marc Jackson and Rodney Rogers from last year. After that? Ah yes, new coach and Philly legend Maurice Cheeks takes over for Jim O'Brien. That's only if you consider that an improvement though, which I don't. Sure Cheeks is going to be more player friendly and design the offense and defense around Chris Webber's strengths and weaknesses. But is that a really good thing? The last player's coach the Sixers had was Randy Ayers, and he lasted 52 games. Everyone knows Webber is a shadow of what he used to be, well, everyone except C-Web himself that is. Catering to what C-Web can and can't do is a good idea, but only if he accepts his role and doesn't try to do more then he's capable of. Is Mo the guy to keep him in check? Likewise, is Cheeks really going to have what it takes to stand up to Allen Iverson when he's up to his old tricks? Time will tell, but I'm doubtful. It's not all bad though. I expect Philly's offense to be more conventional this year, which should get everyone more easy looks. On defense though, I'm not as optimistic. I'm well aware that everyone hated Obie, but the guy had them playing some pretty good D last season (11th in opponents FG% at 44.3%). I'd be surprised if Cheeks can get them to play that type of D again. The Sixers back court rotation is another thing I worry about. After AI, it's not pretty. Kyle Korver, Kevin Ollie, and John Salmons? Yuck! The bottom line for Philly is how many games AI and C-Web miss. If Iverson plays in 70+, and Webber in 60+, they could squeak into the playoffs. Maybe I'm wrong, but I have a feeling that about half way through the season people are going to realize that Obie was not the problem with the Sixers, it's their lack of talent.

Eyes On - Andre Iguodala. Freakish athlete with a well rounded game. Already the team's defensive stopper. If he worked on his jump shot this summer, look out.
Now or Never - Salmons. Not a scorer, shooter, ball handler, or play maker, and only a slightly above average defender. It's his contract year, so he better find a niche.

Orlando - The Magic return basically the same team that missed playoffs last season. Doug Christie was waived via the amnesty clause, and first round pick Fran Vazquez (11th overall) decided to stay in Europe. Sharp shooter Pat Garrity is healthy again, and Keyon Dooling was their big FA signing. A pretty unimpressive first summer on the job for GM Dave Twardzik. Head coach Brian Hill is back for a second tour of duty, and while it is a form of poetic justice, I'm not sold on his coaching ability. Orlando's success this year depends on three things: Grant Hill's health, Dwight Howard's development, and Steve Francis' attitude. If any of those three things go south, so does any chance the Magic have of making the playoffs. If Howard explodes into a 20 point and 12 rebound player, Orlando could sneak up to 8th.

Eyes On - Mario Kasun. Croatian big man plays hard and is very active around the basket. He will see
consistent minutes off the bench if he can stay out of foul trouble.
Now or Never - Francis. His "Franchise" days are long gone, and if moving to SG doesn't work, he will be on his 3rd team in 3 years by the trading deadline.

Milwaukee - I really like the makeup of this team, and was tempted to put them in the playoffs, but a few things stopped me. First, I'm not a big fan of new coach Terry Stotts. Next, they lack quality front court depth. Mainly though, I can't see all 5 teams from any division making the playoffs in the same year. The Bucks will be much improved this season even if they finish last in the best division in the East. T.J. Ford's return to the court from his spinal cord injury will have Milwaukee running again. The addition of FA Bobby Simmons allows Desmond Mason to move back to the 6th man role he excels at. And if number one pick Andrew Bogut is just serviceable, that will be enough in his first year. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Bucks in the playoff chase, but realistically, they are probably a year away from being in the hunt.

Eyes On - Ford. Will he drive the lane and play with the same reckless abandon that he did before his injury? He'll be a difference maker if he does.
Now or Never - Jiri Welsch. Has been traded 5 times in 3 seasons, and his contract is up after this year. He can do a few things pretty well, but nothing at an NBA level.

Boston - It's hard for me to type this as a Laker fan, but I'm actually looking forward to watching this team play. The Celtics have young and talented players all over their roster, and I can't wait to see who can do what. PF Al Jefferson has by far the most upside of the entire group. With Antoine Walker gone, and Brian Scalabrine as his primary back up, Al Jef should get all the minutes he can handle this season. He showed a surprisingly polished post game for someone straight out of high school last year, but his defense still needs a lot of work. Boston has some veteran players in Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz, Ricky Davis, and Mark Blount, but they are clearly a team that is rebuilding. The Celtics will be competitive and play hard most nights, but their lack of a decent PG will relegate them to the lottery.

Eyes On - Justin Reed. Appeared in only 23 games last season, but is a rangy and tough defender with a decent in between game. Should see more time this year.
Now or Never - Pierce. He can either be the leader of the team through their transitional period, or sulk his way right out of town. The choice is his.

Charlotte - This may be a little too high to have them, but I think the Bobcats will play harder and more like a team then the two squads below them. They return the same young and promising front court of Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor, and Primoz Brezec. Their chemistry as a unit should improve with another year together in the same system, which should then allow each individual's game to flourish even more. With the additions of Sean May and Jake Voskuhl, Charlotte has some depth up front, but their back court is suspect at best. They employee a SG by committee approach, and their PG situation is only slightly better then that. The Bobcats should be in good shape this summer when they get the benefit of a full salary cap for the first time. Hopefully they'll spend their money wisely.

Eyes On - Raymond Felton. If he proves to be a legitimate PG that can a run an NBA team, GM/coach Bernie Bickerstaff will look like a genius.
Now or Never - Kareem Rush. He is a one trick pony (shooter) and a major softie. If it wasn't for expansion, I doubt he'd still be in the league.

Toronto - The Raptors will be able to put points on the board with scorers like Mike James, Morris Peterson, and Jalen Rose on the perimeter. Future star Chris Bosh will handle the scoring in the paint, and it looks like he'll have some help from rookie Charlie Villanueva. I think Sam Mitchell may be a good coach, but if the players won't listen, it doesn't matter. I see Toronto as the first team in the NBA to pack it in and start playing for individual numbers. They have some talent, but it doesn't fit together, and the general atmosphere of the team seems to be very poisonous. GM Rob Babcock and President Richard Peddie appear to be clueless, which has led to the franchise having no discernable direction. Bosh will be a restricted FA in two years, and if the Raptors want to keep him, they better get their act together quickly.

Eyes On - Attendance. This franchise is on the verge of becoming the Clippers North. If fan support continues to dwindle, they will be a prime candidate for relocation.
Now or Never - Rafael Araujo. The fact that he was the 8th pick in 2004 still amazes me. He's no more then a foul prone bruiser who is outclassed on a nightly basis.

Atlanta - The good news is that the Hawks will be a more entertaining team to watch this season. The bad news is that four of their starting five, and their 6th man, are all between 6'7 and 6'9, with more or less the same skill sets. The plan is to have four of them on the court together most of the time. That means at least two of them will be playing out of position at all times. Atlanta's big FA signing, Joe Johnson, can play and defend multiple positions, but he is NOT a starting PG. To have all those similar players without a true distributor is a recipe for disaster on offense. They were dead last in opponents FG% last year (47.6%), so they can only improve on the defensive end. The Hawks are still years away from being competitive on a regular basis, but at least now they have some trade assets to try and improve with.

Eyes On - Zaza Pachulia. FA big man was penciled in as their starting C before the sudden death of Jason Collier. Will see all the minutes he can handle now.
Now or Never - Al Harrington. It's never a good sign when the team drafts your replacement 2nd overall. I don't think there's anything he can do to avoid being traded.

Final Four - Indiana, Detroit, New Jersey, Miami
Eastern Finals - Indiana, Miami
NBA Finals - Miami

NHL Week in Review By : Ed Wasser

- Quick note....there will be no NHL Week In Review next week because I'm going to Denver next weekend. Unfortunately I have to go to Denver to claim the remains of my uncle Lt. Jebidiah Wasser who was lost in 1942 while parachuting over Colorado and his body was recently found. Uncle Jebidiah was a member of an elite fighting crew in the US Army Air Corps that was burdened with the responsibility of keeping America safe from Sasquatch. While in Denver I'm going to take in an Avalanche vs. Canucks game with tickets I bought with the money I got from selling the gold fillings in Uncle Jebidiah's teeth. I feel he would have wanted it that way. It should be an interesting game because it will only be the second time Todd Bertuzzi will play in Denver since he tried to kill Steve Moore. So I'll have a review of the game, teams, stadium, etc when NHL Week in Review returns on Nov. 7th.

- Only one game for the Flyers this past week, a 5 - 2 victory against the Leafs in Toronto. The game featured something I've never seen before, a shorthanded goal by Flyer Mike Richards while they were two men down. That's the hockey equivalent of back to back to back to back home runs. Leaf goalie Eddie Belfour was shaky at best, the aforementioned shorthanded goal and a later goal that was a deflection off Donald Brashear were both awful. Belfour has this thing during games when he gets behind were he seems like he loses interest in the proceedings and just goes through the motions. The Flyers as a whole played well despite a 4 minute, double minor penalty were they didn't register a shot. Flyers offense has averaged 4.3 goals over the first 6 games so far, which is below the league average, and are having a little trouble getting scoring from lines other then the Forsberg/Gagne line. And speaking of Forsberg.....I'm not stupid (after all I did go to the University of Phoenix), I know the guy is a great player, no doubt about it, his defensive positioning is perfect every time and he's the best passer in the NHL. But Ken Hitchcock is right, he has got to shoot more. Against the Leafs Forsberg had at least 3 opportunities when there was nothing between him and the back of the net except a weeble wobbling Eddie Belfour and he still continued to look for the pass.

- There's only a handful of things the NHL does right and retiring numbers is one them. Last week the Edmonton Oilers retired Paul Coffey's number before a game with the Phoenix Coyotes and through the majesty of cable TV I was able to watch the ceremony. First of all, the video tribute was right out of NFL Films. One thing NFL Films can do is take a team like the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and through the use of slow motion and slick edits make the team look like the 1985 Chicago Bears. But, despite his awful stint with the Flyers, Coffey actually was great. And the video tribute made him look super human. Another cool thing, and I never knew this, is that every Edmonton Oilers game since their inception has been called by the same announcer, a guy named Rod Phillips. He was the on ice MC and introduced all the Oilers that have had their jerseys retired before Coffey; all the introductions started with a long preamble "this player scored X amount of goals and won X amount of Cups for the Oilers and is considered the greatest European player ever, yada, yada, yada.....ladies and gentlemen please welcome Jarri Kurri!!" These preambles also went on for Grant Fuhr and Al Hamilton. Then Phillips simply walks up to the mic and says "hockey fans......Wayne Gretzky". And the place went nuts, as it should. Of course when it came time for Coffey to give his speech he, like most hockey players, has the charm and out going personality of the average turtle. Cool tribute up until then though.

- Line of the week - From ESPN.com's Scoop Jackson during an interview on the Jody Mac show on Sports Talk 950 AM in Philadelphia regarding New York Knick Eddy Curry and the Bulls trying to force him take a DNA test prior to when they traded him to determine if he has heart problems..."the main problem was that it's illegal to make an employee take a DNA test in most states, you know it's not legal throughout all 52 states".

- Normally I would never write about women's sports because of the overall lack of athletic skill and the fact that nobody in America cares about women's sports, but this week..........is no exception.

- Couple notes from around the NHL......the Penguins are still winless. They have a dreadful defense and their goaltending is letting them down. I'm not saying it's time to hit the panic button but I'd tell Lemieux and company to at least keep the hammer to break the panic button glass close by....Preds are still undefeated, Paul Kariya is on fire....Talk about pressure, on Saturday the Canadiens had an 8 year old deaf child named Jeremy Gabriel sing O'Canada. The kid comes out and does a bang up job with the song. Canadiens' captain Saku Koivu skates over to the kid to congratulate him after the song when the kid asks Koivu to score a goal for him. Koivu gets flustered, not knowing what to do and says "yeah, sure". D'OH!!! So now Koivu is on the hook to score a goal for the kid. Well I guess someone was looking out for Koivu because he managed to do it.

- Jessica from Laguna Beach, a graduate of Laguna Beach High School, on MTV.com in response to the question "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"........"I wanna travel all through Europe, you know like Italy, Spain, like Rome....that's in Europe right?"

- Another reason the NHL broadcasts on OLN are so bad is that the sound is terrible. The sound is kept at a level that is usually reserved for a guy talking on the phone to his girlfriend with his wife in the next room. ESPN used to put microphones close to the ice which would force the announcers to sort of raise their voices to be heard; the raised voices would sometimes cause a sense of excitement. A false sense of excitement, but excitement nonetheless. So far OLN is doing a bang up job, they show games you can't hear through cameras that look like they have vaseline on them.