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I am now in 11th and moving up fast ha ha ha ha ha
Now 11th. ha ha ha
Chicago boo birds serenade Amonte
January 8, 2003 Print it
RECAP / BOX SCORE / SCOREBOARD
CHICAGO -- Every time the puck hit his stick, Tony Amonte could hear the boos in an arena where he was once adored.
"They have passionate fans here, that's the way I look at it," Amonte said Wednesday as his new team, the Phoenix Coyotes, and his old one, the Chicago Blackhawks, played the season's first 0-0 game.
"It's always different the first time back. You're standing there at the blue line and look up at the flag. In preparing for the game, I was just trying not to be too high or too low," said Amonte, who made his return to the United Center after spending parts of nine seasons with the Blackhawks.
"I had a few jitters, but you get over it. Sure it felt a little weird going to the different bench and warming up in the different end of the ice," he added.
Amonte may have been the center of the booing, but the game hinged on the goalies.
Zac Bierk made 40 saves in his first start of the season for the Coyotes. Michael Leighton stopped 31 shots in his NHL debut for the Blackhawks.
Recalled from the minors four days ago, Bierk held off Chicago's seventh power play with two great saves early in the third, denying Theo Fleury and Steve McCarthy.
"The second and third opportunities, our guys cleared them away and let me see the puck," Bierk said. "To be honest, I wouldn't have predicted an 0-0 game tonight."
Leighton made one of his best saves with just under three minutes left, turning away a close shot by Paul Mara. He preserved the tie by twice making stops on Shane Doan in overtime.
"The last save came with about three seconds left. The guy just jammed the puck and I got my toe on it right on the goal line," Leighton said.
"That would have been a bummer if that one had gone in."
Leighton, giving top goaltender Jocelyn Thibault some rest, admitted he was nervous.
"I was jittery while I was getting dressed and Jocelyn told me to relax. He was just saying play the way you can, don't think about the NHL or anything else, just think about playing hockey."
It was the first 0-0 game ever for the Coyotes. The last time it happened in franchise history was Feb. 19, 1980, at the New York Islanders. The Blackhawks have had 34 scoreless ties, the previous one was Dec. 17, 1997, at Edmonton.
Amonte was booed in introductions and then every time he touched the puck, which is nothing new in Chicago. Former stars Chris Chelios and Jeremy Roenick are greeted with the same disdain.
"I'm in good company with Cheli. That's the way I look at it. You close a chapter in your life and you move on," Amonte said.
"I didn't think he'd get booed every single time he touched the puck," Blackhawks forward Steve Sullivan said. "That must have been nerve-wracking to come into a hostile situation at this arena."
Amonte, a two-time Blackhawks captain, had an uneasy split from the team when he could not reach agreement on a contract as he and GM Mike Smith differed on his value.
"It's unfortunate the way it worked out," Amonte said in a pregame interview. "It was a hard thing to deal with. Talking with Mr. (Vice President Bob) Pulford, it seemed like he really wanted to keep me around here and let's try to get this thing done. With Mr. Smith, it didn't seem it work out."
He ended up signing a four-year, $24 million deal with the Coyotes.
Amonte, who led the Hawks in goal scoring five times and went over 40 goals in three of those seasons, has started slowly with 11 goals in 42 games.
But he's the NHL's iron man, appearing in his 452nd consecutive game. In his 13-year career, Amonte has missed eight games.
NOTES: Blackhawks left winger Eric Daze sat out his second consecutive game with a stiff back. . . . The Coyotes were without their top two goalies, Sean Burke and Brian Boucher, both of whom injured their knees Jan. 3 in Detroit. . . . The Blackhawks had a four-minute power play starting late in the first period and continuing into the second, including a 42-second span when they had a two-man advantage. But Bierk made a couple of nifty saves, one on Fleury, to turn them away.
Yeehaw, i'm up to 14th in my first day of playing the MDC. Here I come, ha ha ha
Okay you were right. Mr. Hart has done something to pump life back into the stock. I checked the other board but there appears to be nothing to it but newsletter hype. Tell me what is going on, anything I might want to know about?
JR
One last one:
Grant Back In The Ring
Heavyweight contender Michael Grant, who's promoted by Cedric Kushner Promotions, now will fight in Jan. 24 in Philadelphia against an opponent to be determined.
JR
Forrest is a good guy.
Forrest to Receive the Munson Award
By Sean Stowell (January 8, 2003)
-------------------------------------------------------------
World welterweight champion Vernon Forrest will receive the prestigious Thurman Munson Award from the Association for the Help of Retarded Children at the 23rd annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner on Tuesday night, February 4, 2003 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
Forrest will be cited for his convincing wins over Shane Mosley and for his renowned work with the mentally handicapped. The Thurman Munson Awards benefit honors the memory of the late, great Yankee catcher who died tragically in 1979. Diana Munson, Thurman's widow, has been involved with the dinner since its inception, assisting AHRC's many programs that enable people with disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives.
Jones, Ruiz on BDSSP
by Doug Fischer (January 8, 2003)
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Yesterday on Fox Sports Net's Best Damn Sports Show Period light heavyweight champ Roy Jones Jr. and WBA heavyweight titlist John Ruiz along with surprise guest IBF heavyweight champ Chris Byrd, and promoter Don King, sat in studio with the BDSSP crew. Here's what they had to say:
* Jones on why he jumped to the heavyweight division: "The bigger question is why not? There is no one in the way. Bernard Hopkins lost his mind a long time ago. So, what do the fans want to see? They want to see a challenge and this is the perfect opportunity."
* Jones on a possible fight with Lennox Lewis: "Lennox Lewis is the heavyweight champion but undisputed, I don't know. It all depends on how I feel after this fight. I am just taking this opportunity (against Ruiz) to take the heavyweight title."
* On the downfall of fighting a much bigger Ruiz: "The obvious is taking a punch from a guy that much bigger than you. It doesn't feel too good. But it doesn't feel so good taking it from someone your own size either."
* Jones on why he decided to unite with Don King: "The finances obviously worked out. Don and I don't have a problem with each other...They (Don King) quickly understood that no one else wants to fight John Ruiz because he has an awkwardly style and is so powerful. It looks like they are beating him but he keeps winning."
* Ruiz on the lack of respect he has gotten: "You have Super Roy Jones, you have the Emperor Lennox Lewis and then you have me, Rodney Dangerfield. What is going on here?"
* Jones on a wager he made regarding his fight with Ruiz: "If I took the challenge to put my life on the line to fight a guy that no one wants to fight...Holyfield fought Mike Tyson twice, Lennox Lewis twice, Ruddick Bowe about three times and George Foreman once. The only ones to knock him down were Ruddick Bowe and Ruiz. Since I took the challenge I am going to put him (King) between a rock and a hard place. I feel like if I beat this man I deserve to cut Don's hair off his head."
Jones-Ruiz, Pay-Per-View Boom or Bust?
By Steve Kim (January 8, 2003) Shot by Chris Wood
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Despite the fact that Roy Jones' last two pay-per-view shows did less than 400,000 buys combined, Mark Taffet, Sr. V.P. of HBO Pay-Per-View is confident that he has himself a marketable and ultimately successful
event when Jones steps up the plate on March 1st and takes on WBA heavyweight titlist John Ruiz.
"I think we got here one of the biggest promotions of the past decade in the sport of boxing," Taffet told MaxBoxing.com after Tuesday's press conference in Los Angeles that featured both fighters and the ever present Don King. "This is the fight that will literally fulfill the dreams and the imaginations of boxing fans around the world. You got the greatest fighter in the world, Roy Jones Jr., trying to fulfill his destiny in taking on a heavyweight champion — a man six inches taller, 50 pounds bigger — to cement Roy's place in history. So I think this promotion will take off."
While it's understandable to see Taffet's optimism from his point of view, the bottom line is that this fight is more of a novelty act or freak show than a classic fight. And it's certainly not a fight that has the interest level of a Oscar De La Hoya-Felix Trinidad, Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson, De La Hoya-Fernando Vargas or Tyson-Evander Holyfield, all of which did big pay-per-view numbers — anywhere between 900,000 and 1.9 million pay-per-view buys. And Jones has been about as successful a pay-per-view attraction as Madonna has been as an actress. What has changed?
"I can give you numerous instances in pay-per-view where one fighter does a certain number that isn't as great as expectations," explained Taffet. "Then as soon as the match-up becomes magical, you do three or four times the business. Evander Holyfield has fought on pay-per-view and done 250,000 buys and he's fought on pay-per-view and done 1.9 million buys. Lennox Lewis and Oscar De La Hoya, they have done the same. Oscar did 250,000 against Genaro Hernandez and 1.4 million against Trinidad. It's the match-ups that makes the magic of pay-per-view and Roy Jones versus Ruiz is a magical match-up."
What Taffet says is correct. While Holyfield has had varying degrees of pay-per-view success, his biggest bonanzas have come as the proverbial 'side B' to transcendent fighters like Mike Tyson and George Foreman. The De La Hoya-Hernandez fight was early on in the career of 'the Golden Boy' who has clearly become the dominant pay-per-view force below the heavyweight class. And with all respect to Ruiz, isn't this the same guy HBO has spent about six years discrediting and trashing? Now he's the dance partner that Jones needs for box-office success?
"John Ruiz fought 36 rounds with Evander Holyfield," answered Taffet, "and with one right hand, put him down. That is what people will remember when they see Jones versus Ruiz and they make that decision to buy the fight -- can Roy Jones stand up to what Evander Holyfield, for one punch didn't."
One thing that is helping this promotion is the cooperation of the often mercurial Jones. Alongside Ruiz and King, he has been making the media rounds and get this, he's actually showing up to the press conferences on time. (Well, OK, he was a couple hours late for the one in New York, but for him, that's on time).
And the reason for his recent punctuality is very simple according to Taffet.
"First of all, Roy's getting the biggest guarantee in his career -- $10 million. He's respectful and appreciative of that and he knows that he needs to support the people who have put up that money -- HBO, Caesers Palace -- in order to make it a fair investment and a reasonable investment on our parts. Roy's a professional. He's a gentlemen and this is his chance to cement his place in history.
"Let me tell you something, Roy Jones isn't happy settling for $10 million for this fight -- he thinks he can make 15 or 20 million. He knows that it's only through his promotional efforts will he achieve those levels."
OK, so let's put this in perspective, De La Hoya's bout with Shane Mosley in 2000 did around 600,000 buys, his last bout with Vargas did about 900,000 and Lewis-Tyson did nearly 2 million buys. Where does Jones-Ruiz fit in?
"I think this fight if it captures the peoples imaginations, like I think it will, will be one of the biggest pay-per-view fights of the past five years," stated Taffet. "Whether or not it can reach Lewis-Tyson levels remains to be seen but it will be one of the top five pay-per-view fights of the past
few years."
MY GUESTIMATION
I say it does around the same numbers of De La Hoya-Mosley (600,000) and the promoters of this event would be thrilled if it does De La Hoya-Whitaker numbers (750,000). But, that's just my opinion.
Oscar vs Shane is made!
Rematch planned for September 13...
Top Rank president Bob Arum and IMG Senior corporate VP Barry Frank came to terms Monday morning on Oscar de la Hoya vs Shane Mosley II. Contracts still need to be hammered out, but the fight is a go provided Shane wins his February 8 fight with former IBF jr middle champ Raul Marquez. It will be Mosley's first fight at 154 lbs.
Arum told Fightnews that Mosley-De la Hoya will take place September 13 in Las Vegas, "probably at Mandalay Bay." Terms were not disclosed. Mosley defeated The Golden Boy by split decision at Los Angeles in June 2000 for the WBC welter belt. De la Hoya is now the WBC/WBA super welterweight champion.
This is the card your going to eh?
January 11 - At The Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, RI
(no U.S TV) Ray Oliveira (43-8-2) vs. Golden Johnson (22-7-2)
(no U.S TV) Gary Balletto (25-1-2) vs. Wilson Galli (31-8)
**NEW** (no U.S TV) Angel Torres (9-2) vs. Jose Ayala (6-2)
(no U.S TV) Bobo Starnino (1-0) vs. Manny Teo (4-10)
(no U.S TV) Joe Spina (6-0) vs. William Bailey (1-3-1)
(no U.S TV) Jaime Clampitt (8-2) vs. TBA
FOR TICKET INFORMATION CALL: 1-401-724-2253
I joined the membership thing tonight and am going to pass you by month end. ha ha ha. Watch me go!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I started to play the MDC today. Watch out for me. I'm going to win and put all the money into the Sega. ha ha ha
Thanks for that info
JR
Thanks. I just can't stick to the rules sometimes. ha ha ha
JR
I don't like the idea of permanent or long long happy hour, cause that will mean that I signed up for nothing. It is giving away too much.
However a couple of hours Sunday night would be lots. The key is making the FREE members and voyeurs aware of it so they can try it out.
JR
Yes a little extension to give them a taste, but not so too long. Just enough so they get to try the features. Email notification is one of the most important parts though. That way those who have opened accounts but not posted anything yet might come out of their shells and try it.
As much as I hate to suggest it, maybe even a pop-up saying "Happy Hour - Sun 9-10pm" so that all our voyeurs will be aware of it. I'm sure there are twice as many viewers as there are members, and I'm sure only half of the free members do not post at all. So it might be good to get in their face.
Premium members would not have to see the pop-up, just like the ads. It sounds like a good idea to me.
JR
Previous Close-1,401.07
1390 nightstocker
1392 SoxFan
1398 WTMHouston
1405 broderick_s
1414 AKvetch
Well having a "welcome weekend" is a great idea, but it should be emailed out to all FREE members in advance. Also, having a happy hour on Sunday night might allow a few different people to show up and post.
I understand why it is Friday at the market close, but most normal folks are not in front of their personal pc's at that time. It's great for professionals but not the average joe.
Just my 2 cents worth.
JR
Just because I don't care for Lindros...
Re-made in Manhattan
January 7, 2003
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell whether a team is just plain atrocious, or whether there are other factors to consider.
The New York Rangers pose no such dilemma.
Saying the Rangers are a disappointment is like saying Sierra Leone isn’t a tourist haven: sure, it’s true, but such a simple categorization does the severity of the situation a disservice.
Let’s be clear: the Rangers are beyond bad. Imagine a triple-bill concert featuring Roxette, Yoko Ono and The Captain & Tennille. Imagine a Tom Green retrospective at the local cinema. Imagine being Whitney Houston’s publicist. Imagine Dr. Phil coming to live with you for a few years. The Rangers make all those things seem like discovering Bill Gates libeled you in print.
With a Gatesian payroll hovering around $70 million (tops in the league), the Rangers seemed like a playoff shoo-in at the start of the campaign. But with half-a-season to go, the playoffs are little more than a pipe dream for GM Glen Sather and Co. And if things don’t change soon, somebody at Madison Square Garden is going to wind up getting de-hired.
A quick summary: The Rangers are 15-21-6-1. The Rangers have allowed 33 more goals than they’ve scored, second-worst in the NHL. The Rangers recently signed Billy Tibbetts, adding to a lineup that, in one season, has featured the following players, none of whom could reasonably be referred to as ‘softies’: Krysztof Oliwa, Matthew Barnaby, Gordie Dwyer, Ronald Petrovicky, Dale Purinton and Sandy McCarthy. (What exactly is the explanation for this, anyway? Was there a run on tinfoil?) And the Rangers are rumored to have interest in Jiri Dopita. Yes. Jiri Dopita.
In short, the Rangers are a mess.
“But Sather won some Stanley Cups a while back!” you say. “Surely Screen Shots is not suggesting he might not be the person to lead them out of this? Well?”
Well, as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what we’re suggesting.
What else should anyone expect? Should Bryan Trottier take the fall? We’re not arguing the coach isn’t partially responsible, but he’d be the second Rangers coach to lose his job under Sather’s regime, now middling along aimlessly in its 3rd year. Number of Ranger playoff appearances under Sather? Zilch. Number of consecutive years without a post-season game? Five, tying the franchise’s record for futility.
General managers can only pin their troubles on coaches so many times before ownership steps in, and without a stunning turnaround, Sather will be held accountable sooner than later. What, then, should the plan of action be?
Simple: rebuild from scratch. Stop laughing.
Trade Eric Lindros. Trade Pavel Bure. Trade Bobby Holik. Trade Peter Nedved. Trade Darius Kasparaitis. Get back as many young, talented, hungry players as possible, no matter how little they’re known in the five boroughs. Keep Mark Messier around in some capacity to show the youngsters what winning is all about.
We said, stop laughing.
Yes, we know New York City likes its stars. We know the thought of movie stars and captains of industry paying big bucks to see no-name pluggers seems far-fetched. But, having resided in Manhattan for the better part of a year, we feel like an honorary New Yorker. More importantly, we know how hard it is to be a hockey fan in New York.
To wit: In 1994, we went to a sports bar with the intention of watching the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference semifinal. The NBA’s Knicks were also playing that night. Out of 40 TV sets, we couldn’t persuade the bartender to change even one of the channels. Bribes were rejected. Daggers were stared. Bills were paid, and exits were made. Not a fun night.
The point is, you have to work to be a hockey fan in New York City. There are thousands of other ways to spend your money there. Fans who fill the Garden night after night do so because they love the game.
If those fans were presented with a fast-skating, exciting young group of players, guys who had the chance to grow as a unit and develop into something special, we think they’d welcome the change. At least there would be a semblance of a blueprint, rather than a slapdash, patchwork attempt to stuff a marquee at the expense of winning, as is the case now.
When you think about it, there has never been a better time for the Rangers to rebuild. In spite of poor teamwork, individual slumps and injury problems, the aforementioned stars would still fetch a healthy crop of prospects.
And let’s face it: New York doesn’t simply house stars. It creates stars. You’re trying to say a team like the Vancouver Canucks, a Western Conference powerhouse – and product of a long and tortured rebuild – wouldn’t be neck-and-neck with the NFL’s Giants and Jets for airtime on local sports radio? You’re saying that Todd Bertuzzi, the Canucks’ epitome of grizzle, wouldn’t be as popular as Mark Messier ever was? You’re saying that Ed Jovanovski, one of the league’s top defensive talents, wouldn’t have Garden fans eating out of the palm of his hands after a thundering check?
We’re saying you’re nuts. New York doesn’t need another big-ticket addition to a club going nowhere fast. All New York needs is a plan.
Preferably, one that doesn’t include Kevin Sawyer.
con't
21. Los Angeles (19)
Good:Nine of their next 13 games are at home.
Bad:A defensive mess. Allowed seven goals against Dallas, six against Colorado and five against St. Louis in recent road games.
Curious:The Kings had shut out Dallas twice this year, and then in their most recent meeting lost 7-4, the most goals they've allowed in a game this season.
22. Phoenix (23)
Good:Sean Burke spectacular return, earning the Coyotes four wins in a row and Burke player of the week honors.
Bad:Sean Burke got injured again and is out for up to three weeks.
Curious:Burke's last six starts have been wins. In the other 35 games, the Coyotes have nine wins.
23. San Jose (22)
Good:Overcame a three-goal deficit to manage a 5-5 tie with San Jose.
Bad:One win in their last eight games (1-4-3).
24. Florida (24)
Good:A 14-game road streak in which they earned at least one point, finally broken with a 3-2 loss in Vancouver.
Bad:Winless in their last seven at home.
Curious:In their last seven games they've only scored a power play goal in one of them, and only held the opposition from scoring in one of them.
25. Calgary (27)
Good:4-0-1 under new coach, Darryl Sutter.
Bad:With 89 goals, the Flames are tie for the fewest in the league.
Curious:The Flames went 12 consecutive games in which they weren't outshot.
26. Nashville (25)
Good:4-1-1 in their last six on the road, after getting just one previous victory away from home.
Bad:The Predators are the only team that has not recorded a shutout this season.
Curious:Tomas Vokoun has started 17 straight games, breaking his own team record for consecutive starts by a goalie.
27. NY Rangers (26)
Good:At least they still get paid, no matter how poorly they play.
Bad:At least they still get paid, no matter how poorly they play.
Curious:At least they still get paid, no matter how poorly they play.
28. Columbus (28)
Good:Marc Denis earned his second shutout in a span of five home starts, 2-0 over Phoenix.
Bad:Fired coach Dave King, despite the fact that Columbus was on pace for a 13-point improvement over last season.
Curious:The Jackets alternated road and home games for 12 straight games.
29. Buffalo (30)
Good:Two straight wins, a fairly big accomplishment for the Sabres.
Bad:Unsettled ownership.
Curious:In the first five games Ryan Miller started in net for the Sabres, they earned at least one point in every game.
30. Atlanta (29)
Good:Have allowed just two power play goals in their last 11 games.
Bad:Have allowed 20 goals in their last four games.
Curious:In 20 road games, the Thrashers have allowed three or more goals in 19 of them.
con't
14. Washington (15)
Good:The Caps have earned at least one point in 10 straight games.
Bad:In their last 18 games, the Caps have scored six power play goals.
Curious:The Caps have played 23 one-goal games, the most in the league.
15. Tampa Bay (13)
Good:A 3.4 goals per game home average; only Dallas and St. Louis are better.
Bad:During a three-game losing streak the Lightning were outscored 15-5.
Curious:The Lightning are 10-52-5-2 in January over the last five years.
16. Edmonton (14)
Good:Scored five goals in consecutive games, their highest two-game output of the season.
Bad:Mike Comrie broke his thumb and is out indefinitely.
Curious:Eight of the last 12 Oilers games have gone into overtime, with seven of those ending with a decision.
17. Anaheim (16)
Good:In their last seven home games, the Ducks have allowed a total of four goals.
Bad:In their last five road games, the Ducks have allowed a total of 24 goals.
Curious:The Ducks scored 14 power play goals over an eight-game span, and have followed that up with zero power play goals in their next four games.
18. Pittsburgh (21)
Good:Mario Lemieux is on pace for 136 points.
Bad:In five of their last eight road games, they've allowed five or more goals.
Curious:Even though Alexei Kovalev is in the top four in scoring and is on pace for 103 plus points, his -15 is one of the worst in the league.
19. Montreal (18)
Good:Seven of their next 11 games are at home.
Bad:Went winless on a seven-game road trip.
Curious:Marcel Hossa scored in his first game after being called up.
20. Carolina (17)
Good:Got to play Atlanta three times in eight games.
Bad:Atlanta got four points, the Hurricanes earned three.
Curious:The Hurricanes have scored three or more power play goals in a game five times.
con't
7. St. Louis (4)
Good:The Blues average 3.8 goals per game at home, most in the league.
Bad:After winning player of the week in the NHL, Brent Johnson was pulled in consecutive games.
Curious:When the Blues have 25 or fewer shots on net they have a record of 9-1-1-1.
8. Chicago (10)
Good:The Blackhawks have earned at least one point in nine straight games.
Bad:Steve Thomas, who hasn't missed a game, still only has one goal.
Curious:Defenseman, Nathan Dempsey, an occasional healthy scratch has had a three-point game and a four-point game this season.
9. Minnesota (9)
Good:A record of 7-1-1 against the Eastern Conference.
Bad:A sprained MCL put Manny Fernandez out of the lineup for a month.
Curious:The Wild have allowed less than 20 shots twice, and lost both games. When they've allowed 40 or more shots they're record is 2-1-1.
10. Boston (8)
Good:Joe Thornton is one of four players (Lemieux, Naslund, Kovalev) who is on pace for 100 plus points.
Bad:The Bruins are 1-6 in their last six road games, and have allowed 31 goals.
Curious:The Bruins lead the league in shots per game, with 32.2.
11. Toronto (12)
Good:The home undefeated streak is up to 12 games (11-0-1).
Bad:Current injuries to key players, Mats Sundin, Mikael Renberg, Nik Antropov, and Shayne Corson, not to mention Gary Roberts, who has yet to play this year.
Curious:Doctors considered amputation for Renberg's badly infected hand.
12. Colorado (11)
Good:A goal and five assists for Peter Forsberg in a 7-3 win over Nashville.
Bad:After a 4-1 home loss to the Florida, the Avs are 1-4-1 (one loss in OT) against the Eastern Conference. And all of those games were at home.
Curious:The Avalanche were outshot 41-19 by San Jose, but still managed a 6-1 victory.
13. NY Islanders (20)
Good:Five consecutive home wins in which they've outscored their opponents 22-9.
Bad:Starting January 13, the Islanders play six of their next seven games on the road.
Curious:Two Islanders earned hat tricks in consecutive home games - Mark Parrish in an 8-4 win over Boston, and Dave Scatchard in a 6-3 win over Pittsburgh. Prior to that, no Islander had scored a hat trick this season.
NHL Team Rankings: Jan. 8, 2003
January 8, 2003
The Ottawa Senators may be out of cash, but they're definitely running super-charged and lead all teams on thehockeynews.com's weekly NHL Team Rankings.
1. Ottawa (1)
Good:Marian Hossa has six goals and two assists in the first three games of January.
Bad:Show me the money.
Curious:Hossa's four goals in an 8-1 defeat of Atlanta was the first time in Senators history that a player has scored more than three goals in a game.
2. Dallas (5)
Good:A current seven-game (5-0-2) undefeated streak.
Bad:It's a stretch to find anything bad about the Stars right now, except that they allowed four goals in a 7-4 win over Los Angeles, the most they've allowed at home this season. In two of three previous meetings with the Kings, the Stars were shut out.
Curious:The Stars just finished a six-game streak of allowing two or fewer goals. Earlier in the season, they had a nine-game streak.
3. Vancouver (3)
Good:Markus Naslund is one of two players (Marian Hossa) on pace for a 50-goal season.
Bad:After the Naslund-Morrison-Bertuzzi line, no other forward has more than 18 points.
Curious:Naslund's 17 power play goals are the same as last year's league leader, Peter Bondra, had for the entire season.
4. Detroit (2)
Good:Undefeated since the end of November (4-0-3) on the road until losing 1-0 in Tampa Bay.
Bad:Since scoring two goals in a game on October 25, Luc Robitaille has scored two goals in 33 games.
Curious:In the game following a loss (one in OT) the Red Wings have a record of 8-0-2.
5. New Jersey (6)
Good:Joe Nieuwendyk looks as if he may finally be getting it together, with two goals against Montreal after being reunited with Jamie Langenbrunner.
Bad:Had 51 shots against Toronto, in Toronto, but still lost 2-1, facing Ed Belfour.
Curious:Corey Schwab has faced his old team, Toronto, in two of his four starts, and has allowed a total of one goal against them.
6. Philadelphia (7)
Good:4-0 in January, all on the road.
Bad:The Flyers are averaging 2.2 goals per game at home. Only Nashville, at 2.0, is worse.
Curious:Dan McGillis had three points in 24 games for the Flyers. Since being traded to San Jose, he has eight points in 14 games.
A nice world junior write up:
A tough act to follow
January 8, 2003
When is a World Junior Championship not really a world championship? Any time it's held outside of Canada.
The 2003 WJC, held in Halifax, N.S., from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, was a smashing success. The best WJC ever.
Sellout upon sellout – and not just for games involving the host team – set a new standard for this event that will be hard for future host countries to match. A WJC attendance record was set as more than 240,000 fans attended games, about 70,000 more than the previous mark (set in 1999 in Winnipeg). The Canadian sports network TSN established its all-time ratings record when the gold medal game peaked at more than four million viewers.
Indeed, this tournament enjoys unparalleled status whenever it's held in Canada, as each year it increasingly becomes a holiday tradition for millions of Canadians to include watching WJC games as part of their seasonal celebrations.
Next, year the tournament moves to Helsinki, Finland – a country with a population of about six million and a strong appetite for hockey. There is always additional mystique for the WJC whenever it is held in Europe, with the drastic time zone differences leading to a wacky television schedule. For Canadians, at least, the 2004 championship will still be part of their festive agenda.
Things will get really interesting two years down the road, however, when the WJC returns to North America – this time in North Dakota. North America is the market everyone in the hockey industry, whether it's the NHL, equipment suppliers or corporate sponsors, counts on when the issue of growing the game comes up. Therefore, in this context, it's important that the WJC, as a signature event for displaying potential future pro talent, is played.
Who can forget the debacle the last time the tournament was held in the U.S.? It was 1996 in Boston, when even the medal games were played in near-empty buildings.
This raises the question of apathy for this event in the U.S. Consider, for example, that there was virtually no representation from US media outlets during the 2003 WJC in Halifax. There were no American reporters – zero, save for a Canadian freelance writer feeding material to USA Today – on site until the U.S.'s semifinal game against Finland.
Though USA Hockey doesn't come right out and say it, clearly, it must be disappointed with the complete lack of interest from American media in this tournament.
"It's not a surprise," says Chuck Menke, media director at USA Hockey. "The fact is the (WJC) event simply doesn't have the presence in the United States as it does in Canada. Here in the U.S., hockey isn't the national sport and there's a lot of other competition. It's difficult for us to promote this event.
"The other thing is you've got to have a team that performs," adds Menke. "US media follow a winner." (The US junior team has won three medals in 27 years, none of them gold.)
When announcing Grand Forks, N.D., as the 2005 host city in December, USA Hockey president Walter Bush had this to say: "The World Junior Championship is the crown jewel within international hockey circles, and serves as a launching pad for nearly all the top players in the National Hockey League and Olympic Games."
Hmm, a crown jewel that doesn't draw flies from the U.S. media doesn't exactly bode well for 2005 in North Dakota. This point, and remembering Boston, you'll have to excuse us if we remain a little skeptical.
On the surface, North Dakota doesn't immediately spring to mind as a hockey hotbed, and therefore seems something of peculiar choice for the next North American host city for the WJC.
But when you look closer at USA Hockey registration number for the region, which also includes Minnesota and South Dakota, it actually is the third-largest hockey district in the country, with almost 50,000 total players.
This "Minnkota" market actually has a very strong and rich tradition in hockey, says Menke. The University of North Dakota in Grand Forks has had a strong hockey presence for decades. Moreover, the tournament will be played mostly out of the brand new, state of the art, 11,800-seat Ralph Engelstad Arena.
"There's definitely strong heritage there. Plus the proximity to Winnipeg and the Canadian border, will help attendance at this event and make it a success."
We hope so. After Halifax, WJC fans don't want another Boston.
And given all the attendance woes in U.S. NHL cities, the sport itself can ill-afford it.
Little Boy
A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter haven't you ever seen a little boy before?"
Exact Change
A man walks into a restaurant with an ostrich. They sit down and the waitress comes over and asks for their order. The man says, "I'll have a hamburger, fries and a coke," and turns to the ostrich. "What's yours?"
"I'll have the same," says the ostrich.
A short time later, the waitress returns with the order. "That will be $6.40 please," and the man reaches into his pocket and pulls out exact change for payment.
The next day, the man and the ostrich come again, and the man says, "I'll have a hamburger, fries and a coke."
The ostrich says, "I'll have the same." Once again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.
This becomes a routine, until late one evening, the two enter again. "The usual?" asks the waitress.
"No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato and salad," says the man.
"Same for me," says the ostrich.
A short time later the waitress comes with the order and says, "That will be $12.62."
Once again the man pulls exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table. The waitress can't hold back her curiosity any longer. "Excuse me, sir. How do you manage to always come up with the exact change out of your pocket every time?"
"Well," says the man, "several years ago, I was cleaning the attic and I found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just have to put my hand in my pocket, and the right amount of money would always be there."
"That's brilliant!" says the waitress. "Most people would wish for a million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!"
"That's right! Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there," says the man.
The waitress asks, "One other thing, sir, what's with the ostrich?"
The man replies with a slight frown, "My second wish was for a chick with long legs."
Cough Medicine
A man who owns a pharmacy showed up at work one day around noon. He saw a man leaning against the wall outside with a grimace on his face. The owner asked his assistant manager who the guy outside was.
The assistant said, "He came in looking for cough medicine. I could not find any, so I gave him a bottle of laxative and told him to drink it all."
The manager said, "You can't cure a cough with laxative!"
The assistant replied, "Sure you can. Look at him, he's afraid to cough!"
Oops
An extremely modest man was in the hospital for a series of tests, the last of which had left his bodily systems extremely upset. Upon making several false alarm trips to the bathroom, he decided the latest episode was another and stayed put. He suddenly filled his bed with diarrhea and was embarrassed beyond his ability to remain rational.
In a complete loss of composure he jumped out of bed, gathered up the bed sheets, and threw them out the hospital window.
A drunk was walking by the hospital when the sheets landed on him. He started yelling, cursing, and swinging his arms violently trying to get the unknown things off, and ended up with the soiled sheets in a tangled pile at his feet.
As the drunk stood there, unsteady on his feet, staring down at the sheets, a hospital security guard, (barely containing his laughter), and who had watched the whole incident, walked up and asked, "What the heck is going on here?"
The drunk, still staring down replied: "I think I just beat the shit out of a ghost."
Cold Winter?
It was autumn, and the Indians on the remote reservation asked their new Chief if the winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was an Indian Chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets, and when he looked at the sky he couldn't tell what the hell the weather was going to be. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he replied to his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect wood to be prepared.
Being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?"
"It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold indeed," the Meteorologist at the weather service responded. So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood in order to be prepared.
One week later he called the National Weather Service again. "Is it going to be a very cold winter?" he asked. "Yes," the man at National Weather Service again replied, "it's going to be a very cold winter." The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of wood they could find.
Two weeks later he called the National Weather Service again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?"
"Absolutely," the man replied. "It looks like it's going to be one of the coldest winters ever."
"How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked. The weatherman replied, "The Indians are collecting firewood like crazy".
Beautiful?
Woman: When you're finished with me, will my husband think I'm beautiful?
Beautician: Maybe. Does he still drink a lot?
Middle East
A happy couple went on a cruise for their honeymoon. The couple's conversation headed towards political and international events. The husband asked, "Honey. What do you think about the Middle East position."
His wife replied, "I don't know, dear, have we already tried it?"
Cost of Marriage
A little boy asked his father, "Daddy, how much do it cost to get married?"
And the father replied, "I don't know son, I ain't done payin' yet."
Golf
A man staggered into an emergency room with a concussion, multiple bruises, two black eyes and a five iron wrapped tightly around his throat. Naturally, the doctor asked him what happened.
"Well, it was like this", said the man. "I was having a quiet round of golf with my wife, when at a difficult hole, we both sliced our ball into a pasture of cows. We went to look for them, and while I was rooting around noticed one of the cows had something white at its rear end. I walked over and lifted up the tail, and sure enough, there was a golf ball with my wife's monogram on it--stuck right in the middle of the cow's butt. That's when I made my big mistake.
"What did you do?" asked the doctor.
"Well, I lifted the cow's tail and yelled to my wife, 'Hey, this looks like yours!"
Advertising
Signs and Slogans:
On a Septic Tank Truck sign: "We're #1 in the #2 business."
Sign over a gynecologist's office: "Dr. Jones, at your cervix."
At a proctologist's door: "To expedite your visit please back in."
On a Plumbers truck: "We repair what your husband fixed."
On a Plumbers truck: "Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber."
At a towing company: "We don't charge an arm and a leg. We want tows."
On an electrician's truck: "Let us remove your shorts."
On a maternity room door: "Push. Push. Push."
At an optometrist's office: "If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place."
On a fence: "Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive."
In a restaurant window: "Don't stand there and be hungry? Come on in and get fed up."
In the front yard of a funeral home: "Drive carefully. We'll wait."
At a Chicago radiator shop: "Best place in town to take a leak."
Love
John was determined to win over his lovely, girl that evening. After dinner at a posh restaurant he took her for a moonlight stroll along the beach. As they stared at the moon he said: "I have loved you more than you will ever know."
"So I was right," she responded, slapping him across the face. "You did take advantage of me when I was drunk last Saturday night!"
S&M Magazine
One day a mom was cleaning junior's room and in the closet she found a bondage S&M magazine. This was highly upsetting for her. She hid the magazine until his father got home and showed it to him. He looked at it and handed it back to her without a word. She finally asked him, "Well what should we do about this?"
Dad looked at her and said, "Well I don't think you should spank him."
Carburator trouble
JILL: "There's trouble with the car. It has water in the carburetor."
JOHN: "Water in the carburetor? That's ridiculous."
JILL: "I tell you the car has water in the carburetor."
JOHN: "You don't even know what a carburetor is. I'll check it out. Where's the car?"
JILL: "In the pool."
SEGA play today.
Used the BET60 to determine it was a great day to play. Won a couple hundred in 2 hours. Very nice!
JR
Bought a little more today, brought my average down a point or two. Still waiting for more trucks to roll into nashville.
JR