Sounds exciting, looks like everything but the result will make a good story. Leafs up 1-0 after two. Monster has looked good, hopefully they can keep it up. Brees better show up soon, not just but for perfection but for the sake of my fantasy football season Edit: Vicious cheapshot elbow to Matt Stajan, one of Toronto's better players. Somehow the only penalty on the play goes to Toronto. The league really does need to do something about headshots, it's getting ridiculous. Edit2: Huge win for the Leafs- not only do they beat Boston, they shut them out. I don't know that I'd say this is one of their finest defensive efforts, but The Monster was excellent. Really night and day his performance tonight versus the worst goaltender in professional hockey last night.
Agreen: Nice win by the Monster. Can't say the same about the Wild. I'm sure a lot of superstitious types had a day with the equipment being set on fire some how...that was bizarre. No excuses though. Havlat scored, so he continues his streak and point production. You're right about Toskala...I only watch highlights, but they make sure to point out the bad ones, and they are terrible. I'm surprised he has made it this far. I agree with the comments about taking away rooster spots from goons. It's why I am not a fan of Boogaard. Sure, he is entertaining but he does nothing for the team. The refs have his number, he can't skate, and he can't score. He may fight people, fine...we have others who fight as well and can score. Or at least skate. I think charging might be a good call. Many of the guys have said, "I didn't mean to hurt him", or "I made a mistake" and they feel bad but at some point they have to take responsibility and make good decisions. It's the same with any other aspect of the game. Think. Also, I pray we have no more Chris Simons but there probably will be someone like him in the future. And Avery is garbage. He can score, I give him credit but what a coward. Edit: Stajan got nailed. Bloody mess, wow. Hard to tell from only two quick replays what exactly hit him so I won't say either way. Speaking of soft goalies, Rask let in that Kaberle floater...ouch
And my fantasy season along with it If Rodgers decides not to throw any TDs again this week, my season-long frontrunner is out in the first round. I am the Dallas Cowboys! Avery is easy to hate, but in a twisted sort of way I admire him. While what he does taps into one of the worst aspects of hockey culture, he deserves some credit for being the very best at it. It's too bad he's based his whole game around agitating, he could have been a decent player otherwise. As for the Wild, it has to be hard playing a game with fresh equipment you've not broken in yet. Especially for goalies who are some of the worst in sports for superstitions. I'm still not happy about the Stajan hit- it looked like an elbow live and I still think it was, but it's hard for the ref. Hits like that happen so fast. I just think the refs should err on the side of making the call, even if it means Colton Orr or Jamal Mayers are taking even more bad penalties. Hopefully it'll get reviewed by the league, though I'm not exactly holding my breath. At least Stajan came back to play. Rookie Viktor Stalberg took a nasty but accidental highstick in the 2nd and didn't come back, and I think one of the Bruins was cut as well in the third. It was a bloody game.
I'm still not happy about the Stajan hit- it looked like an elbow live and I still think it was, but it's hard for the ref. Hits like that happen so fast. I just think the refs should err on the side of making the call, even if it means Colton Orr or Jamal Mayers are taking even more bad penalties. Hopefully it'll get reviewed by the league, though I'm not exactly holding my breath. At least Stajan came back to play. Rookie Viktor Stalberg took a nasty but accidental highstick in the 2nd and didn't come back, and I think one of the Bruins was cut as well in the third. It was a bloody game.[/QUOTE] I wouldn't be thrilled. I wonder how many hits are reviewed. Is there someone at each game watching for that type of hit? Or is it simply a penalty, injury, or something similar that draws the league's specific attention to it? I am glad he is okay, too. It's heart stopping watching such collisions. How's Stalberg looking since his call-up? I know he has a goal.
Liverpool lost again this weekend, mark Hughes got sacked for not being in the top four and rafa benitez is still in charge. Something in the world is not right.
The only time English soccer makes the TV here in California it is to show "fans" in violent acts like fighting or tearing up the pitch. What is the reality?
I used to play hockey as a kid in Massachusetts but I lost interest in pro hockey when I'd go to a game and be bored by all the fights. I want to see fast paced skating, great puck control, intelligent strategy and brutal (but fair) checks. I also enjoy great goalie saves. But, if I wanted to watch men bloody each other in mindless pummeling, I can turn to Ultimate Cage Fighting.
Any hit that results in a major is automatically reviewed. The problem is that a lot of hits that should be majors go uncalled, and unreviewed. If an incident is caught on film and the media/fans/a team draws a lot of attention to it, the league might review it. I believe this is what happened with one of the Pronger and Simon stomps a few years ago. Stalberg reminds me of a slightly less talented Kadri. I think he's a year or two off from regular NHL duty, but he should be a solid 2nd line offensive threat with Kadri most likely being their #1 centre next season or the one after. He's fast and creates some chances, but he's still undersized and despite the supposed 'truculent' nature of the Leafs other teams target him for big hits. NaCl: I agree in that I wish the NHL would do more to change the sport's culture of violence. It's still my favourite sport to watch, but I'm getting increasingly frustrated with the increase in predatory hits, that aren't answered by league discipline, but with more violence. And yes, when I want to watch a fight, I'd much rather turn to the UFC than hockey. At least (some) UFC fighters devote themselves to technique and skill when it comes to fighting. Go Raiders, 13-6 at halftime in the most important game of the season. No matter their record, if they beat Denver the year is a success.
Best day of the sporting year I know I've said some harsh words about him. Almost every time I've made reference to him in this thread, it's been to rip into him, call him a bust, and generally bemoan his presence on my team. But tonight, this beautiful, wonderful night, Football God(s?) Bless You JaMarcus Russell! Final score: Oakland Raiders :redface: 20-Denver Donkeys 19. This season, despite the disappointments, the baffling losses and the terrible first 3 rounds of the draft, is a complete and utter success. I have the NFL gameday page up, and I'm thinking of screenshotting it and making it my new wallpaper. This is a pretty accurate depiction of me right now, and for the rest of the season :
If it makes it seem commonplace, then it's misleading you. Generally, trouble happens only with those looking for it. Yesterday at Norwich the two sets of fans were separated by a two-seat wide stretch of tarpaulin. No trouble happened. At full-time, fans were leaning across and shaking hands. I've experienced trouble a grand total of once in over 400 matches, and that was at L**ds, whose fans are notorious.
*complete shocked silence* F**********************NG STEELERS!!!!!! How the *@&# did that HAPPEN?!?!?! WHAT THE @#^$? W....T.....F?! Seriously!! How did that happen?! HOW? DID? THAT? HAPPEN?!?!?!
How are they able to arrange it so that fans are separated by section? Here, both fan bases merge together. It sometimes leads to fights.
Ha, thank you JaMarcus Russel. Thanks to the Raiders beating the Broncos are Ravens are up to the fifth seed in the playoffs!
Actually Denver needs to lose again so someone else can take the sixth spot. It'll take the Ravens winning, the Broncos losing and someone else winning.
Unfortunately, the Raiders do not get to beat them again this year. The Eagles should beat Denver, but KC probably won't. The weirdest thing is that it's still possible for Baltimore to take the AFC North- if it happens, Cincinnati would not win the division despite winning all their games in the division. I've seen tickets online for the Raiders-Cleveland game next week as low as $5. If it wasn't Christmas weekend, I'd consider the long weekend road-trip to Ohio.
Clubs set aside a different part of the ground for away fans, give them an allocation and that's how it works. Of course, the system breaks down when massive followings go to tiny grounds and away fans sneak in the home ends. I remember a few years ago at York. Of the 7,000 there, nearly 5,000 were Town fans - 4,000 in the packed away terrace behind the goal and then 1,000 around the ground.
I think it depends of if the Eagles are going to rest people. Also, it'd take a big stroke of luck for the Ravens to pull off winning the division. If with their recent tail spin and being upset over Henry's death, I don't see the Bengals losing two more games. Though being the fifth seed instead of the sixth mean that if it comes down to the Broncos and Ravens, it'll be at the Ravens stadium. Though realistically speaking, it'll be lucky for one of them to get past the divisional round. Oh and that Raiders-Browns game should actually be pretty good, despite neither team really playing for anything at this point. It seems that both of them have started catching on late this season. Hell, if Gradowski would have been the started from the beginning, the Raiders could have been in playoff mix with the Dolphins and Jets.
Yeah... I imagine if they tried to do something like that here, certain teams- the Leafs, Flyers, Canadiens, Wings, and the bandwagons of the moment (Penguins and Capitals right now) would quickly spill out of their assigned area and still take over a good part of the arena, while other teams wouldn't come close to filling theirs. Thanks to Minnesota, the Eagles still have a chance at the first round bye- that's worth playing the starters, especially with another week of the regular season to rest them if the game slips away. I don't think it likely Baltimore will take the division, especially because the Raiders are giving their daggers some work this season , but if it were to happen it'd just be weird a team was perfect in their division, yet couldn't win it. I'm sure it's happened before, I just can't think of an example. Tonight, Leafs play Buffalo again. Thankfully it's in Toronto this time (all those Leafs fans cheering on the road intimidate the poor dears), and Toskala remains affixed to the bench. In my opinion, the Monster stole Saturday's game. If the team (and his heart ) gives him a chance, he'll deliver another solid showing tonight. Go Leafs Go, Buffalo has won far too many in a row against us.
