About Me:
My name is Michael Gwizdala and I live in Albany, N.Y. The Capitol of the Empire State. I'm probably the biggest most knowledgeable, opinionated sports fan I know. First and foremost I'm an avid, die-hard New York Yankees fan.
About Me:
My name is Michael Gwizdala and I live in Albany, N.Y. The Capitol of the Empire State. I'm probably the biggest most knowledgeable, opinionated sports fan I know. First and foremost I'm an avid, die-hard New York Yankees fan.
About Me:
My name is Michael Gwizdala and I live in Albany, N.Y. The Capitol of the Empire State. I'm probably the biggest most knowledgeable, opinionated sports fan I know. First and foremost I'm an avid, die-hard New York Yankees fan.
Even with that Stanley Cup you're never going to convince me that Sidney Crosby is better than Alexander Ovechkin. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone better period and that proved to be true Thursday night in Beantown. Brooks Laich got the scoring started for the Caps and along with Ovechkin had two goals of his own in the 4-1 win. Of course defending Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas of the B's didn't get much help as on one goal A.O. waltzed around the 6'3 Milan Lucic for a quick tally. The Caps who went 3-0-1 against the B's last season look primed to contend again, as does an Ovechkin 3-peat for the Hart Trophy.
Meanwhile in another original six city it was a back and forth barn burner for the Leafs and Habs in Toronto. As someone who watched Brian Gionta come up with the Albany River Rats who were then the New Jersey Devils AHL farm club, I still can't get used to seeing him in a Habs sweater. But Gio the Rochester Rocket set the tone early with a PPG. I'm still trying to fathom how the L.A. Kings let go of Mike Cammalleri, who might be one of the best playmaker/setup guys this side of Marc Savard. Matt Stajan picked up a pair of goals for the Leafs who pelted Habs netminder Carey Price. Price turned away 43 of 46 shots on the evening and Montreal won late in OT 4-3 on a Josh Gorges score, assisted on by Cammalleri and Tomas Plekanec who also got the helpers on Montreal's first goal by Gionta.
In Colorado where they raised Joe Sakic's # 19 to the rafters, it would also be a special night for Avs coach Joe Sacco. Sacco was an assistant coach for the Albany River Rats under Tom Rowe during the 2006-07 campaign when the Rats were the dual affiliate of the Avs and Canes. One of those former Rats Cody McLeod helped his coach to that first NHL victory by netting the third goal which turned out to be the game winner in a 5-2 triumph over the San Jose Sharks. Former Rat Chris Stewart also assisted on McLeod's goal and Kyle Cumiskey who also starred in Albany saw 12:13 of ice time on the blue line registering a minus one on the night. Patrick Marleau found the back of the net twice for the Sharks, as did the Avs Wojtek Wolski. But in the end it was the Avs holding their ground despite getting outshot in the third period 19-1.
Finally to Calgary where the Flames snapped a league long streak of losing (7) season openers. The Flames jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first, Mark Giordano ended up with a goal and an assist. However the Canucks rallied late in the second down 4-1 as former Detroit Red Wings forward Mikael Samuelsson netted a PPG to cut the deficit in half. Vancouver carried over that momentum over to the third with a quick tally by Alex Burrows from former Albany River Rats defenseman Willie Mitchell, bringing the Canucks within one. But Dion Phaneuf hit the empty net off a pass from Jarome Iginla and Calgary held on for the 5-3 win.
Nightly notable: Every team that outshot their opponent Thursday night ended up losing.
Get ready for the rest of the league to fire it up boys and girls.
Welcome to Crash The Crease, the hockey blog that says go hard or go home.
Tonight of course begins the 2009-10 NHL season. What's on tap for when the puck finally drops for opening night:
A.O. leads the Washington Capitals (and my Yahoo! fantasy hockey team) into Boston where the Bruins will try to rebound after a heart breaking game seven loss at the new Garden against the Carolina Hurricanes last year. This game can be seen on Versus.
A big double-header up Nord for Hockey Night In Canada. Two original six rivals square off when the Montreal Canadiens pay a visit to the Maple Leafs in Toronto. Following that a couple of Western Conference playoff teams from a year ago will lace it up as the Vancouver Canucks meet the Calgary Flames. These games will be telecast on CBC.
Rounding out tonight's action the San Jose Sharks swim into Colorado where the Avalanche will retire Joe Sakic's number 19. This will be the first year since the 1987-88 season that the franchise formerly known as the Quebec Nordiques will take to the ice without the presence of Sakic. The game can also be seen on Versus.
In other notes, speaking of former Nordiques, Mats Sundin has called it quits. And speaking of other hall of fame players, Brendan Shanahan and the Devils have decided to part ways.
Considering that I am usually the advocate of the Capital Region having a Double-A or Triple-A franchise, I'd like to thank the Tri-City ValleyCats organization and the fans of this area for proving my point, that 15 years after the Albany Colonie Yankees left town, minor league baseball can thrive in this area.
Put this into perspective, the TCVC's averaged 4,293 per game in 2009, 145,976 overall, most (and in the case of some season's more) in this area since the Double-A AC Yanks in the early 1990's. If one averaged that over a regular long season minor league home schedule of 70 home dates, the ValleyCats would have totaled 300,510 fans on the season! That amount would have been the most in this area since the AC Yanks drew over 316,034 fans in 1986!
Now say what you will about poor early spring weather (around these parts we call that July!) but one also has to factor in just how many more fans could've packed "The Joe" with a higher level of talent, at least a competitive team with possibly a different parent club and possibly expanded seating to accommodate more people
Additionally take this into account, the ValleyCats on average outdrew half of the 12 team Eastern League. This includes the Binghamton Mets and the Norwich team which is dead last in attendance. Of course you'll recall Norwich is where the Yankees initially moved their Double-A team to from Albany before eventually landing where they are now in Trenton. Tri-City also beats out the Bowie Baysox and Harrisburg Senators who were both around back in 1994 when the AC Yanks were still around.
To the ValleyCats' credit, considering the losing of the last three years and the way attendance has only grown leaps and bounds, the organization should be applauded. The NY Penn League is comprised of mostly college ballplayers making their first go-round in professional ball. While some franchises spend a lot more on prospects than others, it is mostly a crap-shoot. Virtually everyone is in the same boat and unlike other levels there aren't reinforcements coming when guys get hurt or called up.
That having been said, after crunching all the numbers and listing out all the facts, if you still don't believe this area should have and can support at least a Double-A team, you are either lying, have ulterior motives or just plain don't want that or any kind of minor league baseball to succeed in this area.
And if you don't believe we can get back to a higher level of professional ball after such a long hiatus, I have one analogy and five words for you: Adirondack Phantoms AHL hockey club.
The last time the Buffalo Bills made the playoffs a decade ago it was on the legs of the little engine that could. An excitable dash and dart, scrambling magician of a quarterback who also coincidentally wore number seven. His name, Doug Flutie. So now when it comes to the question of Michael Vick, with the Bills essentially in the same spot they found themselves in prior to Flutie's arrival is, what have you got to lose?
They've already brought in the one man controversy show in TO, so why stop there? Granted TO has never done anything on the scale of what Vick was involved in but unlike TO has Vick ever really been a problem child on the field?
Now, team COO Russ Brandon has said the Bills have "no interest at this time." Said Brandon, "We're comfortable with our roster as it stands right now." Yet I wonder what happens when the patchwork O-line crumbles, Trent Edwards who was knocked out with a concussion last season gets smacked around again or when the Bills go up to New England for the Monday Night opener and possibly get crushed and TO starts making noise, then what?
Conversely it was Vick desperate for some receivers in Atlanta who advocated for the Falcons to bring in Terrell Owens some years back and it was Owens this time around sticking up for Vick.
While some could question Vick's ability as a polished passer, his speed could help that line immensely, while keeping defenses honest opening it up for the receiving corps. Just look at what the Miami Dolphins were able to do employing the "wild cat" offense last year and think of how innovative the Bills could get with Edwards and Vick. Not to mention having speedsters like Roscoe Parish, Freddie Jackson and Marshawn Lynch to mix it up in addition to deep threats in TO, Lee Evans and Josh Reed.
Granted Vick hasn't played since 2006, but if you weren't afraid of the attention TO would bring then why would you object to bringing in a guy once thought to be a franchise quarterback? Vick is a guy who we all knew could beat you with his feet, he would be armed with more than enough weapons to make Bills Backers blush at the passing game.
Much like Trent Edwards everyone thought Rob Johnson was the answer. I like Trent, I think he's a bright kid on and off the field with a good amount of potential. But much like Flutie in albeit different circumstances, Vick who would be entering his prime deserves another chance.
Besides if Vick signs with the Bills and is out the first four games, who wouldn't want to see him make his return against, you guessed it, the Dawg Pound.
The New York Yankees gave Mark Teixeira an eight year contract this off-season. Meanwhile the Boston Red Sox have used eight first basemen this year alone. If this weekend's four game sweep didn't indicate who got the better dividends of that deal, then one must believe in the words of CC Sabathia that, "the best is yet to come."
The man who delivered the early winning go-ahead RBI single in the third inning Saturday, came up in the eighth inning of Sunday's contest and taught a physics lesson to young Daniel Bard that if you throw the ball straight and hard to Mark Teixeira it quickly leaves the yard.
With two outs Teixeira connected for this 29th off Bard, just after Johnny Damon had tied the game against Bard with his 21st on the 2009 campaign. With those two homers, Damon and Teixeira broke a team record with six back-to-back HR's in a season, passing Gary Sheffield and Alex Rodriguez, Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig who all had five, giving the Yankees back the lead.
For the Red Sox who hadn't led or scored a run in 31 innings since Casey Kotchman hit a two run shot in the top of the fourth off of Joba Chamberlain to go up 3-1 on Thursday, one has to wonder if Manager Terry Francona doesn't regret not putting in closer Jonathan Papelbon to get a four out save after not using him the previous contest.
Before both bullpens buckled, this game "shockingly" saw another pitcher's duel. Jon Lester and Andy Pettitte were very efficient, tossing seven innings of solid ball, taking the game down to the wire.
However Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees cracked through first in the seventh, hitting his 21st bomb of the year, a solo job off of Lester, making it 1-0 Yanks.
The Sox shot right back in the eighth with a two-run jolt off the bat of Victor Martinez, his 17th of the 2009 campaign off reliever Phil Coke, which put Boston out front 2-1.
But it was the Yankees who were able to cue up the dramatics in their half of the frame with the consecutive clouts, coupled with Nick Swisher tacking on some insurance runs with a two-run single of his own off Hideki Okajima.
After that it was all a formality as Mariano Rivera locked down his 32nd save, good enough for a 5-2 Yankees victory.
With the win the Yanks have now taken four in a row from the BoSox in perhaps their biggest sweep of importance since taking a five game series at Fenway Park in 2006. Hence the Yankees have the best record in baseball while the Sox have sunk into a tie with the Texas Rangers for the AL Wild Card.
And while the Yanks may have sent the Sox a "Tex-message" after Boston had their number early on this season, they know that even with a season high 6 1/2 game divisional lead, it is still August, time to take on Toronto today... first things first.
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