You know, I've never been a huge fan of the NCAA's trophies - they kind of bore me, and I wish they'd give something at the Frozen Four that was a bit more unique - but at least the damn thing doesn't fall apart.
(Seriously, you know my take on major junior: different routes are best for different people. I just want everyone to have all the information they need to make the right decision.)
Speaking of championships, I haven't seen a lick of the Stanley Cup Finals so far. I work nights now, and the office doesn't get Versus. Thankfully, with the series moving to NBC tonight, I'll have my eye on things.
The best news so far, from where I sit, is that the ratings are up. Isn't it amazing what happens when the matchup isn't Secondary Canadian Market vs. Warm Weather City Where No One Cares? Seriously, as the Penguins finished off the Flyers in the last game I saw, I couldn't help but think of the sign above the entrance to the Penguins' locker room at Mellon Arena bearing Badger Bob Johnson's immortal "It's a great day for hockey!" quote.
The NHL is clearly getting what it wants here, and if NBC can spend some time with members of Chris Chelios' Malibu Mob - getting past the fact that Scrubs and John C. McGinley are moving to ABC - so much the better.
By the way, the Malibu Mob has to be one of the coolest things I've heard of all year, if only because my favorite movie actor (Cusack) and favorite TV actor (McGinley...although he was also in Office Space, which is awesome) are part of it, and I'm also a big fan of Kid Rock, who appears to be on the verge of joining. I think I officially have something to dream about: get rich, buy a place in Malibu, and join them.
However, on the more immediate - and real - horizon, I'm starting to look at what I'm going to be able to see in person next season. At the moment, I'm working a Thursday-Monday week, so as the schedules come out, I'm looking to see who's playing Tuesday night games that I can get to easily. UMass at RPI, RPI at Harvard, Holy Cross at BU, Providence at BU, Providence at Brown, Harvard at Brown...you get the idea. In other words, if you thought I was an "East Coast tool" or an "East Coast homer" before (holla if you hear me, SiouxSports.com message board), well, it's about to get worse.
Actually, since I plan on keeping up my Hobey Baker blogging with USCHO (among other things), I will probably take the plunge on a sports package to watch the FSN-North and FSN Detroit games (and maybe even the Big Ten Network, although I'm not sure if that's included). Heretofore, I'd never seen the point, because:
1) CSTV was not included in the package.
2) I was never home on game nights anyway.
3) It involved giving more money to Cablevision.
I have serious issues with Cablevision, and while they largely stem from the fact that they don't carry my former employer, I also have more general issues with Jim Dolan, a card-carrying member of the Lucky Sperm Club who has managed to screw up everything he touches, most notably the New York Knicks, although includes the Rangers, which needed the lockout and resulting salary cap to change the organization's philosophy on developing talent. Moreover, I have a feeling that Dolan does untoward things with farm animals, because the only possible explanation I can think of for Isiah Thomas' continued employment is that Zeke has photographs of such activiites taking place.
In fact, I actually considered not getting cable service at all when I moved out of the parents' place, and getting by with online streaming and iTunes and such, but then I realized I was going to be buying Rangers tickets anyway, so it was really kind of a stupid and futile gesture. Besides, as my financial future is no longer tied to a network that Cablevision may or may not choose to carry, I don't really see the point anymore (except for the whole farm animal thing).
Finally, bringing it back to hockey, I bought a copy of the Hockey News' draft preview, and I haven't finished with it yet, but at the moment, I have one main question: when did Steven Stamkos become a Greek god? I thought depth was the big thing this year, not a Crosby or an Ovechkin at the top, and that Stamkos would be a distant No. 2 in this draft if John Tavares had been born a week later. Guess I haven't been paying as close attention as I ought.
On the bright side, there aren't nearly as many disparaging comments about the college track this year as I saw in last year's issue, which may well mean they stopped using the scout who was saying such nasty things, although there is one shot at the USHL in their blurb on John Carlson (and even that had more to do with perception than reality). Nothing really major to report, except that BU's Colin Wilson is ranked No. 7 and Wisconsin's Cody Goloubef is No. 42, those two being the only current collegians in the Top 100.
Oh, and one last thing: Lee Stempniak was listed as the Blues' shrewdest pick of the last 10 years. Hell Yeah!
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