I have to admit, last week I made a bit of an error. The Wild came back from two 3-1 series in ’04, not 3-0. In any case, the point is moot now, since they’ve regrettably been eliminated. Let’s move past this, and well, discuss it in Item One.
ITEM ONE: Are the Ducks really as good as we saw against the Wild, or did Jacques Lemaire revert to the trapping style he has always espoused for the playoffs? I think it’s the latter. The Wild really handcuffed themselves in this series by reverting to the trap, despite their quicker, offensive minded players. If they had remained aggressive, they may not have won, but at least the series would have been mildly interesting. Oh well, we’ll get ’em next year.
ITEM TWO: The Mariners seem to be slipping slowly towards oblivion, buried under immense contracts and their best hope for the future, Felix Hernandez, has the early signs of a disastrous, injury wrought career. In any case, the Royals are looking up, with some solid young talent, and a pitching staff that is looking up. This was all evident with the way the Twins played on their little road trip, sweeping the Mariners and losing 2-1 to the Royals. The offense needs to settle into a groove, while the pitching staff could sure use some consistency from their more portly starters.
ITEM THREE: Of the series I have seen, the team I am most impressed with is New Jersey. The Devils seem to know what they want to do when they have the puck, and Marty Brodeur is at the top of his game. Another perennial powerhouse, Detroit, is sorely missing the veteran leadership they were provided when Steve Yzerman was on the roster. They kept finding their way into scraps with Calgary, and they broke down several times in their series. They could be in trouble in the next round.
ITEM FOUR: With the NFL draft coming up this weekend, I’m really excited to see who will say the least believable thing. My money is on Brady Quinn excitedly telling us how happy he is to play in Detroit. Then, of course, there is the possibility that we’ll see Chris Berman eating directly out of a bucket of fried chicken without using his hands. All great possibilities.
ITEM FIVE: I don’t know why, but I’ve always had a softspot for the Phillies. I just don’t get how they seem to have so much going for them, and they still get destroyed during the season. They have such a wealth of talent on their roster, but things just are not going well for them. This is what you get for booing Santa Claus, I suppose.
ITEM SIX: An open letter to the folks at Fox.
Dear Folks at Fox – I don’t care about Sanjaya. I don’t care about American Idol. You have ruined a great show in 24. You have ruined many sporting events by putting Jack Buck in charge of announcing them. I hate you. I may kidnap Rupert Murdoch if you successfully ruin Drive as well, which I have every faith you will.
Sincerely, the Victoria Times
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