Should Fro just go? It’s time to say - yes

The situation involving Alexander Frolov and his being benched on Monday for the Los Angeles Kings game against the Dallas Stars has led to the return of rampant speculation about whether or not the Kings should do whatever is necessary to part ways with their enigmatic forward. But before I give my opinion, let me re-state what happened for those unaware of the situation.

But before I even do that, I need to quantify this piece by stating the following publicly: in the ten months that I have covered the Kings for Examiner.com, I have never spoken to Frolov. I have never spoken to him individually; I have never been one of several reporters huddled around his locker following a game or a practice, and I haven't felt the need to do so. From what I've been led to believe, I know him to be an approachable guy, and someone who is a good guy in the room with teammates. I've never heard of him refusing anyone an interview, or any fan an autograph or a handshake. So for me to say that Frolov is a bad guy, in the mold of Sean Avery or Terrell Owens, would be a grievous mistake.

I have also never written negatively about him for Examiner. For one thing, it's not like he's a sullen malcontent; he always seems loose with teammates in the locker room and during practice. He isn't showing up on the police blotter, isn't showing up late for practice or being a disruptive force in the locker room. By all accounts, he is a good teammate and a good citizen. So, dear reader, do not read into this personal blog piece that I am simply running scattered-shot over a guy for any personal reasons.

Frolov is a talented forward who came to the Kings from Russia with skills as a first round draft choice in 2000. He made his debut with the Kings during the 2003-04 season, and scored 24 goals in 77 games. He played 48 games in Russia during the lockout, scoring 22 goals. He returned to the Kings for the 2005-06 season: in his last four full seasons, he has produced goal-scoring totals of 21, 35, 23, and 32.

But when you read all of the scouting reports ever produced about him, and talk with fellow members of the media, off the record with past and present management personnel and scouts, and with hockey fans in general, they all have the same relative conclusion. And that is that Frolov has an incredible and untapped scoring talent due to his great body size, his length with his stick, and his soft hands.

He's always been a no-brainer selection for Russia's national team when they compete in international competition. This is partly because of a love of country that is admirable in the most basic sense. The loyalty to winning for a country rich in historic hockey excellence is hard to ignore; if you've been brought up with a sense that winning a gold medal for your country is more important than winning a Stanley Cup for your team, it's hard to divorce yourself from that sentiment.

So if the Kings are intent on keeping him beyond this season, when his current contract expires, perhaps they should petition the league to allow him to wear his Team Russia jersey in games instead of his Kings sweater. In my humble opinion, when I've watched Frolov play for Russia in the World Championships the last two years, scoring eight goals in 16 games, you can see the full embodiment of his talent and desire to play at a high level. And I have no doubt that he will do so for Russia in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver this February.

And there's the rub. When playing for country, he is fully plugged in. But when playing for the team that pays his salary, which this season is $4 million, he becomes hockey's version of Kevin McReynolds. Let me explain:

McReynolds was an outfielder for the San Diego Padres. Following the 1986 season, when the New York Mets won 108 regular season games and their first World Series title in 17 years, McReynolds was traded to new York as part of a trade to help bolster the Mets' chances in the future. Indeed, he produced great offensive numbers for that era, hitting 29 homers and driving in 95 runs in 1987, and following that up in 1988 with 27 homers, 99 RBI, and 21 steals, allowing him to finish third in the MVP balloting that year.

But any Mets fan watching the team every day like I did back in the late 80's cringes anytime McReynolds name is mentioned – that's because he would hit the most unimportant home runs ever. When he was at bat in a game with two on and two out trailing by one run, you could count on him to fail to drive the tying run home. But when the score was 11-2, in either direction, you could force your friends to buy rounds the rest of the night by predicting he would smash a home run. In other words, as I became known for saying around my Met friends and baseball friends, 'the next big home run Kevin McReynolds hits will be the first.' Not only that, but he was asked prior to Game 7 of the 1988 NLCS, a win or go home game against the underdog and inferior Dodgers, about his mindset for the game his response was something to the effect of, "I'll be happy either way; I'll either be going to my first World Series or going home to do some hunting and fishing."

So while I appreciate Frolov's talent, to me he is the Kevin McReynolds of the Kings – the next big goal he scores will be the first. Hey, it's great that he has 24 career game-winning goals – but how many of those came late in the third with the score tied? How many has he scored to answer a goal by the other team, as a top three goal scorer should? Can Kings' fans honestly remember an important goal that he has ever scored for them?

To be fair, the fact that he plays well in the World Championships may not just be because of love for country. For all we know, he might be the next great playoff goal scorer, a guy that thrives on the big stage, a 'step up when money is on the table' kind of guy. We don't know for sure, because he hasn't participated in the Stanley Cup playoffs yet.

And therein lies the problem. The Kings have counted on him to be one of their top scorers his entire career. In order to make the playoffs this season, if he's here all season, they will need 30+ goal production from him. But at what cost? How can we measure whether he will step up his play in the playoffs if he can't help lead his team to the playoffs?

Which is why, if I were made GM for a day, my first order of business would be to find a taker for Frolov. Despite this recent situation which forced his benching, his trade value has not diminished. If anything, the tease that is his unlimited potential and talent would certainly make any of the other 29 GM's around the league want to at least talk about making a deal, hoping that a change of scenery would help.

Atlanta would seem to be an ideal fit, if only to allow for him to play every night with his Team Russia linemate Ilya Kovalchuk. Chicago was rumored to be seeking his services just prior to the start of training camp, a club that has seemingly pushed all of their chips to the middle of the table to win the cup this season. Nashville and Minnesota have struggled out of the gate in both the victory and goals scored columns; perhaps they might be willing to shake things up for a scorer. In essence, this is a Jimmy Buffet style of trade: changes in latitude, changes in attitude.

The other issue in this trade conjecture is that the trade deadline is March 3rd. Why is that an issue? Because the Olympic break begins February 15th and ends on February 28th The season re-starts March 1, and is only 36 hours underway before the trade deadline commences. Many experts around hockey have surmised that there won't be a flurry of activity at the deadline, but rather just before the Olympic break.

But I wouldn't even wait that long. In a blog posting this past week on the Los Angeles Times blog site The Fabulous Forum, Kings television game analyst Jim Fox discussed the Frolov situation, and made great points on both sides of the argument. The most compelling in favor of Frolov was the fact that he isn't being utilized correctly on the checking line. The most damning came straight from Murray's meeting with Frolov before announcing the benching. In the meeting, Frolov apparently showed no emotion, no real reaction.

The quotes from Murray should suffice. When asked if Frolov was receptive to what Murray was saying about his play, Murray said following a long pause, "There's nothing coming back. That's the 10th meeting along those lines, and nothing ever comes back." When pressed about the response, Murray's response was most unflattering:

"That's been going on for seven years… I'm not the first coach, not the first GM and not the first in line in any of those categories… when he's on his game, he's a 30-goal scorer and a big part of our hockey club, but it has to come with that love for the game… you prepare to win games, is in the practice (and execution), and that's an area that I have to have him better in."

Seven years and no one has reached him yet? Alcoholics Anonymous states that the definition of insanity is repeating the same mistakes over and over again, hoping for a better result. At this point, if you still believe he's on the cusp of a breakout season where he scores 40+ goals, gets important goals, and plays night in and night out without taking shifts off, then it's time to check into rehab yourself. As one executive told me this summer, "…if you are expecting that from Alex, you're going to be disappointed."

So what am I saying? Look, for his own good, for the team's own good, maybe it's time to move him. Again, I'm sure he's a good guy, and means well. Call it addition by subtraction. Call it giving him a fresh start, maybe somewhere that the expectations aren't as high as they are here.

But whatever you do, call it time to trade him now, for everyone's sake.

Running on Empty

ITEM ONE: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

"Money, so they say, is the root of all evil today." - Pink Floyd

I'm in the soup again in terms of monies owed to me. Say what you want about me, and believe me there is plenty to be said, but one thing I seem to be is a little bit gullible. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt beyond what most other people would do, and certainly what many people have done with me in certain circumstances.

If you've been looking for my Internet radio show the last 2 weeks, you know that it hasn't been on the air, and that's because of money. I had been working a full time job for a company, but that company has been unable to pay me, or any of my fellow employees, for several months now.

I don't want to get into specifics about this because I'm still hoping that my checks will be made available any day now, which is what I and my fellow employees have been told for months now that things would be resolved. I don't want to further add to the troubles that the company has faced trying to resolve this situation, based upon what they've been telling me is the problem as best they can. It has to do with their relationship with the banks and the verification of funds.

Nevertheless, I have reached a real breaking point because of this. And not that losing a stream of finances can ever come at a good time, for me in my attempts to launch my radio career, it couldn't have come at a worse time.

This is because I need to generate payments for air time, studio location, and those helping me produce the show. I'm hoping to reach out to prospective advertisers to hopefully alleviate this situation, but I know this will likely take some time.

Of course, this is not the first time this has happened to me. In fact, three of my last four major employers have faced financial issues. One of them currently owes me $5,000 from a three-month project. The other still owes me a large deferment of salary from a couple of years ago.

So if you've wondered why you haven't heard from me on Twitter or Facebook, via e-mail or cell phone, and why the show is currently 'on hiatus', now you know. The second that these funding issues resolve themselves, I will be back on the air and hopefully better than ever.


ITEM TWO: NFL 2009 preview
Well, at least I get to ease my pain and numb my depression with the start of the NFL season tonight as the Titans visit Pittsburgh in the opener.

I've moved through projecting the final standings using several simulation sources, and here's what foggy view through my cracked crystal ball looks like:

AFC EAST
New England 13-3, NY Jets 9-7, Miami 7-9, Buffalo 4-12
AFC NORTH
Pittsburgh 12-4, Baltimore 12-4, Cincinnati 6-10, Cleveland 5-11
AFC SOUTH
Indianapolis 12-4, Tennessee 10-6, Jacksonville 8-8, Houston 6-10
AFC WEST
San Diego 12-4, Denver 6-10, Kansas City 4-12, Oakland 4-12

NFC EAST
NY Giants 11-5, Philadelphia 10-6, Dallas 9-7, Washington 7-9
NFC NORTH
Minnesota 9-7, Green Bay 8-8, Chicago 8-8, Detroit 4-12
NFC SOUTH
Atlanta 10-6, Carolina 9-7, New Orleans 9-7, Tampa Bay 3-13
NFC WEST
Arizona 11-5, Seattle 10-6, St. Louis 4-12, San Francisco 4-12

My playoff teams (in order of seeding) are New England, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Indianapolis, Baltimore, and Tennessee in the AFC; NY Giants, Arizona, Atlanta, Minnesota, Seattle, and Philadelphia in the NFC

My Super Bowl prediction (take it for what it's worth): Patriots versus Giants


ITEM THREE: Other stuff

Although my radio show is on the shelf for now, I will still be covering the LA Kings for Examiner.com and will be at the first day of practice this coming Sunday morning. The Hockey Fest that took place two weeks was amazing, and the Kings deserve an enormous amount of credit for putting on a first-class show, despite weather challenges (maybe the hottest weekend all summer here in LA)... My college football picks by conference: Florida State in the ACC Atlantic, Virginia Tech in the ACC Coastal, West Virginia in the Big East, Penn State in the Big Ten, Nebraska in the Big 12 North, Oklahoma State in the Big 12 South (you read that right), East Carolina in Conference USA East, Houston in Conference USA West, Buffalo in the MAC East, Central Michigan in the MAC West, TCU in the Mountain West, California in the Pac-10 (yep, you read that right too), Florida in the SEC East, Ole Miss in the SEC West, Florida Atlantic in the Sun Belt, and Boise State in the WAC. I'm picking Florida over Penn State in the title game... I think Oregon handled the mess with running back LeGarrett Blount properly. I think Boise also handled things appropriately, but I think that they should use video imaging to single out the people who antagonized Blount from the crowd and ban them from games... excited for the new TV season to begin in two weeks. Five shows I'm going to try out this year are: NCIS Los Angeles, Three Rivers, The Good Wife, Modern Family, and FlashForward

First week in the books

It's been an exhaustive process getting the two radio shows on the air this week. A lot of people have helped to make this happen, and I want to thank them for their support not just over the last few weeks, but in some cases over the last few years.

The members of our crew have been very influential in this process: Christopher Kerr has been invaluable providing technical assistance in setting up our equipment and providing transportation in those situations; Ray Manukay, Brittany Salsberry, and Amanda Salas have been very supportive and understanding of the many false-starts that we had; and everyone at the Sports Journey Broadcast Network, specifically Lake Lewis and Monica Lewis, have been very supportive as well.

Additionally, my friends and family have been very supportive of this effort as well, and I really appreciate their enthusiasm.

Our guests this first week have been outstanding. Guests such as Howard Schnellenberger, Charlie Weatherby, Ryan Herrington, and others. Jim Fox, Heidi Androl, and Daryl Evans have all appeared this week to help me talk-up the Kings Hockey Fest later this month, and they have been tremendous in those interviews. Special thanks to the Kings PR department for their incredible efforts in making these guests available. I hope in the next two weeks leading up to that big event that they will continue to make others available to us. Other guests next week include Ed Berliner and Dan Rosen.

We've also spent time this week attempting to 'brand' our correspondents. This week alone, we brought on-board AJ Smith (NBA), Courtney Ports (NHL), Bradley Weber (Auto Racing), Ivan Jones (boxing), and Chris Griffin (college football). Sunday morning on The Sunday Tailgate, you'll hear again from Christopher Kerr (NFL) and Ray Manukay (MLB) On Monday, we will introduce Jennifer Colli (college basketball) and Mario Melara (soccer).

Finally, a couple of people need special acknowledgement: Arny Schreer, a mentor at a young age who encouraged me to seek the morning announcements gig at Saddle River Day in the 8th grade; my three best friends growing up, Patrick & Brian D'Errico and Bob Larsen, for putting with my 'play-by-play' of all of our sporting events growing up; Jeff Shade, who was the production manager at WFAN when I interned there - he, and I remember John Minko as well, who both thought I had talent and encouraged me to pursue this as a profession - I'm not completely there yet, but I appreciate their part in that process; Mike Francesa and Chris Russo, along with Art Russ Jr, Dave Sims, and Howard Cosell, all of whom inspired me to want to host a sports radio show. I should also mention Charley Steiner, who once upon a time was Art Russ's fill-in on 'Sports Talk' on WABC radio back before there was even a WFAN.

And finally, my family has been most supportive of me my whole life, and have been extremely patient with me when I was 'struggling'. I especially want to acknowledge my father, for fostering a belief in me and my keeping my dreams alive. They haven't fully come true yet, but I'm standing on the stage of it and beginning what I hope is a long and glorious walk across the stage. None of this happens with you Dad.

I thank all of you for being so patient these three months while we were in 'pre-production', and for listening this week. I hope you enjoyed listening to it, because trust me when I tell you I enjoyed performing it.

Visit our blog sites for the two shows at these addresses:
Moncrief in the Morning:
http://moncriefinthemorning.blogspot.com
The Sunday Tailgate:
http://thesundaytailgate.blogspot.com

Also, become a fan of our show on our Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Moncrief-in-the-Morning

and follow us on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/moncriefintheam

No more excuses - RADIO SHOW begins THIS WEEK!

Hello everyone, this brief blog posting is to let all of you in Crief Case Nation know that the radio shows I've been talking about are finally going live! Here's the scoopage:

- The network is the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. You can find it on your computer at http://www.sportsjourney.com

- I'll be hosting a weekday morning show starting on Monday, August 3rd. The show is called Moncrief in the Morning and will air from 9AM until Noon Eastern time Monday through Friday mornings.
- Our first show on Monday features Examiner.com National Sports Columnist Ed Berliner from Stone Cold Sports.com.
- On Tuesday morning, Marty Appel, author of the book 'The Life and Death of a Yankees Captain' about Thurman Munson, will join us.
- And beginning this Friday, we will be providing previews of every single Division 1-A (a.k.a FBS) team.

- This Sunday, August 2nd, is the premiere of The Sunday Tailgate. It airs from 10AM - 1PM Eastern Time every Sunday. It features my co-host Ray Manukay.
- This Sunday, our guests include: Tina Cervasio from MSG Network; Lake Lewis from the Sports Journey Radio Show; and Paula Duffy, national sports columnist for Examiner.com.


No more delays. No more technical issues. No more location issues. It is finally happening!

By the way, if you can't listen to the show live, you can still listen to it by clicking on the 'Past Shows' tab on the website and listening to it as a podcast. So for those of you here on the left coast, if 7AM local doesn't work for you, fear not - you can listen on tape-delay too.

My thanks to all of you for your support during this 'pre-production' stage - GAME ON!

Radio Show Update - July 27

My thanks to those of you out there in 'Crief Case Nation' still waiting for the debut of the internet-based sports radio shows. We have had several near-misses in this process, but I feel as though we are about to turn a corner.

UPDATE: Today we are in the process of finalizing the deal to secure our professional studio location to air the shows. Also will likely be renaming both shows, with reasons to be included in official "It's On" post coming Wednesday.

Some very exciting news in terms of guests to be announced in the coming weeks as well. So keep checking back here for more info.

Bottom Line: likelihood of Sunday show debuting this week, August 2: 90%

*******

Meanwhile, I'm in the process of beginning to organize the third season of the Kokua Football League; this is the fantasy football league that originated from my days working with the fine folks at Mahalo. So far, I've heard from five of the ten owners I was able to track down from last season, and four of them are eager to return. By the way, if you are not currently an owner and advised me at any point in the last 9 months that you want in, you'll be hearing from me shortly.

So as I plan to begin a new season, I need help selecting a team name. In the past, these have been some of the names I have used:

Oakland Invaders, Montvale Whalers, Central Red Army, Miami Vice, Jessica Biels, Jennifer Garners, Jennifer Love Hewitts, Terry Court Bombers, Mookie Wilsons, Wide Right (sorry Raj), and the Pascack Thrillers.

I'd like to choose a new name for this season... thoughts?

Draft Day with the Kings

So I had the pleasure to be invited to an NHLTweetup with other Los Angeles Kings fans for the 2009 NHL Draft. We had the chance to meet some great hockey fans, and I spent most of the draft with four great people:

- Melody Husky, who's official title with the Kings is Social Networking Coordinator, and made me and the others feel extra special
- Howard K. Brodwin, Managing Director of Team Marketing Systems, and a fellow Jersey boy now residing in SoCal (he and I were the only ones enjoying a hardy laugh that one of the draft prospects was being compared to former 80's Ranger Reijo Rutosalainen)
- Hedid Androl, host on Kings Vision and of the NHL.com program "The Cisco All-Access Pre-Game Show"
- Luc Robitaille, the newly minted Hockey Hall of Fame selection, who flew back that morning from Montreal to be at the event

For photographic evidence, I submit the following photo of Heidi and Luc posing for a picture with me.

Clearly this is my Robert Evans moment.

For those that don't get the reference: in the documentary film 'The Kid Stays in the Picture' about legendary Hollywood film producer Robert Evans, he talks about the night that he attended the premiere of the film The Godfather in New York, and walked the red carpet with his then wife Ali McGraw and the Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

His famous quote about that experience, "...I had the most beautiful woman in the world on one arm, and the most powerful man in the world on the other."

Working through more kinks - going live soon

Stop me if you have heard this one before: the radio shows are still in a holding pattern on the runway, ready for take-off. We're just experiencing one minor technical glitch.

In short, we are able to broadcast our voices onto the network, but the commercials and sound effects, both of which are vital to the show, are still not getting through our hardware equipment. We will be attempting to fix this again on Wednesday night, and if all goes well, we will begin broadcasting shows on the Sports Journey Broadcast Network starting on Monday July 6.

I'll keep you posted - thanks for your continued support and patience. I promise it will be worth the wait.


s7zakn2vgb

SHOWS WILL DEBUT JUNE 7 & 8

Okay folks, I know that this seems very much like "The Song Remains The Same", but we were in the process on this Saturday night, watching Detroit defeat Pittsburgh 3-1 in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals and watching Orlando eliminate Cleveland tonight in the NBA Playoffs, of setting up to finally launch our sports shows this week.

For those not yet dialed into this situation, I'm going to be hosting a pair of sports talk radio shows on an Internet broadcast company called Sports Journey. But there have been a few delays along the way.

Tonight, it feels like I'm sitting inside the rocket, having it warm up on the launch pad, only to have mission control give us the thumbs down just prior to the final countdown before liftoff.

The bottom line is that we will get these technical issues worked out this week, and I can tell you that we will be debuting the two shows next week:

- Sunday Scores and More will debut next Sunday, June 7th, at 10AM
- SportsRock, which airs weeknights, premieres next Monday, June 8th, at 10PM

Thanks for your continued patience and support, and I look forward to talking about sports for your listening enjoyment next week. I will post more information this week as it develops...

Tom Petty stars as "The Boy Who Cried Crief"

Yes, the waiting is the hardest part.
Okay, okay, so one more freaking week, jeez....

Sorry folks, but the long awaited and much anticipated launch of Sunday Scores and More is now scheduled for Sunday May 31, which is 9 days from this posting. It will happen then, and we will have some great guests, and I will have much more on this in a few days time.

My thanks to all of you asking about the start of the show and for your support of both it and the weeknight version, SportsRock, which debuts the next night June 1st at 7PM local (10PM Eastern). Thanks - more to come...

Radio show updates and a quick take on Metro

Hey there Crief Case fanatics: can't get enough of my takes? Want to hear me as well as read me?

Well, we are getting closer to the launch of my radio shows on the internet. Here's the latest info:

- Sunday Scores and More will make its debut on the Sports Journey Broadcast Network on Sunday morning, May 24. The air time will be live from 10AM to 1PM Eastern time, which means 7-10AM Pacific time. My co-host will be Ray Manukay, and we are close to announcing our update anchor. Please check out the blog site that we have set up for the show, including details of guests for the first show, by clicking here.
- SportsRock, a nightly two-hour hosted by me from 10PM to midnight Eastern (7-9PM Pacific) Monday through Friday nights, begins on June 1st. For more info, you can visit the blog site set up for that show by clicking here.

Meanwhile, I will keep you posted on other appearances I'll be making on other shows as they happen.

**********

So as many of you know, I use the local bus and train service here in Los Angeles to get around. For the most part, it is one of the best kept secrets in SoCal, that you can actually get where you need to without driving a car and sitting in traffic, provided you are willing to do a little prep work and route yourself.

But I wanted to take a minute to express some frustration with the folks at Metro, because they could be doing a better job of serving the community and they need to do a better job. A couple of issues that I have are:

- Customer Relations: while its nice to have the ability to call Metro's 800 number and get routed on-the-fly, the service is only available between 9-6 weekdays, and fewer hours on weekends. This should be available 24 hours a day. Furthermore, there is no one live to register complaints about service (or lack thereof), which is very frustrating in the moment.
- Drivers: these fall into two categories: one group is dedicated, friendly, courteous, and try to do right by the riders. However, I would say that this group only makes up about half of the drivers. The other half are surly, unprofessional, and uncaring. They are unhelpful and disrespectful. This needs to be addressed further.
- Lack of Real Time Tracking: Other area bus companies, such as the Big Blue Bus in Santa Monica, have the ability to track their buses in real time using GPS. So if you are waiting for a bus that is late and you call their CS line during business hours, they actually pinpoint where the bus and let you know when it will arrive. How its possible that Metro can't do this is beyond me. It would ease a lot of frustrations with passengers if they could get updates on late arriving buses.
- Safety: For the most part, Metro is good about the safety of their passengers. Still, there are certain bus lines that have buses get so jam-packed with passengers that it is unsafe for them to ride. The 720 line that runs down Wilshire Blvd is notoriously overflowing with passengers during most hours of the day. Why they don't correct this problem with more buses running is beyond me. Perhaps they are waiting for an accident which causes passenger deaths, leading to media-driven outrage and/or wrongful death lawsuits, before they correct this...
- Fare enforcement: This is the worst one. In other cities, you have turnstiles that prevent people from riding the trains without paying the fare. In Los Angeles, they use the honor system, which doesn't really work well. So, in order to recoup what must be staggering losses, they've started using LACSD officers to check fares at various locations. The problem though is two-fold with this: (1) they are constantly slowing down people trying to get onto connecting trains by checking people AFTER they've completed their ride. Shouldn't the idea be to check people BEFORE they get on the next ride? And (2) are you telling me that the crime and murder rates in LA County are so minuscule that we can allow these officers to spend their time checking for fare-jumpers as opposed to solving more important crimes? Plus, it just seems disingenuous that Metro, which from my experience has about a 75% on-time rate (which could be much better), is hassling customers when it isn't providing impeccable service.

Don't get me wrong, I swear by Metro, it's been better than I could have ever anticipated it would be. But it could be so much better than it is right now.

guest spot with Lake Lewis May 6

So as preparations continue for the launching of not one but two radio shows, I took time out of my busy schedule to appear as a guest on the Sports Journey radio show with Lake Lewis. Sports Journey also happens to be the name of the network that both of my shows will be appearing on.

To listen to an archived version of the show, click here. I appear at the top of the third hour talking NHL Playoff hockey with Lake, and also taking some good-natured ribbing for burying his Capitals two weeks ago when they trailed 3-1 to the Rangers.

Hope you enjoy it, and very soon, all details will be fully unleashed.

My new future ex-wife: Julia Stiles

It's been a while since I have addressed this publicly. In fact, I don't believe I have ever revealed this throughout the vaunted history of this blog. But today, a new person has leaped into the number one spot on the list. A very special list.

Mind you, the list has changed over the years, mostly for superficial reasons. But there is a very valid reason why Julia Stiles has now taken over the mantle as being the person that I most desire to become my future ex-wife.

Never mind the fact that she is a talented actress. Never mind the fact that she appeared in all three versions of the Bourne movie trilogy, with Matt Damon being the only other to hit that trifecta. Never mind that she has a classic beauty and a charismatic smile that makes me stop flipping the TV tube around the dial whenever she comes on-screen. Never mind of all that, because in addition to all of that, there is one reason above all the rest that has elevated her to the top of the list:

She is a fan of the New York Mets. And not just a "I root for some baseball team" kind of fan either.

As evidenced by this story she wrote for the Wall Street Journal reviewing her take on the Mets home opener a while back at Mookie Wilson Stadium (I refuse to call it by the corporate greed moniker), she not only is a fan of the Mets, but has a clear understanding of the game as well.

I later found out that she also has a blog site as well. So not only am I letting the tens and tens of Crief Case Nation readers know about it, and encouraging all of you to visit her site everyday, but we're adding her onto the famous Blog Roll located over on the right.

Welcome to the club, Ms. Stiles - your jacket awaits you.

********************

Still awaiting the official ability to make the official word on my official broadcasting upgrade announcement to become official. When it is, I will spill the beans. What I can tell you is that the May 3 debut of Sunday Scores and More has been pushed back two weeks until May 17. Many more details soon to follow...

Crief the Guest Star

Be sure to listen to Sports Journey on the Sports Journey Broadcast Network today between 4-7PM Eastern to hear me as a guest talking NHL playoff hockey. I'll be talking about Wednesday's games and previewing Thursday's action with Lake Lewis, the show's host.

Here's a link to the site:
http://www.sportsjourney.com/

In case you missed it, go to the home page linked above, and click on the TAB button that says 'Past Shows'. When the page changes, under the section titled 'Recent Archives', be sure to click on the show labeled '04/23 Sports Journey with Lake Lewis'. It's that simple. I am the first guest on the show, and it appears about 15-20 minutes into the first hour.


Also, another major announcement or two is forthcoming - stay tuned...

Heidi Heidi Heidi Hi

I'll have a new posting here this Friday about the NFL Draft. Also, be sure to go to the home blog page for the new radio show by clicking this link:

http://sundayscoresandmore.blogspot.com/

There, you will soon find info about our guests for future shows and much more.

Also, be sure to go to my L.A. Kings Examiner page to keep up to date on the Kings throughout the off-season. Today, we posted a feature story on Heidi Androl, who is currently being loaned out by the Kings to the NHL as co-host of their daily on-line program called Cisco All-Access Pre-Game Show

See you Friday morning when we go "on the clock"...

In memoriam: Doug Kessler

When I graduated high school in 1986, I'm sure I felt like most of my peers; invincible and able to begin a long journey on the road of life. But even before graduation day arrived, my classmates at Pascack Hill High School experienced two introductions into the cold reality of life that would haunt us. During our junior year of high school, one of our classmates committed suicide. Then during the summer between our junior and senior year, another was killed in a car crash involving a train.

Since then, we've seen other classmates taken from us in various ways. I'm sure this makes us no different than other classes from our school, or other classes that graduated the same year which we did. Still, by the time we reached our 20-year reunion in 2006, ten of our class members were gone. Perhaps just as innocuous is not just how many have passed on, but how they succumbed. One to breast cancer; one involving a shooting outside a nightclub; one involving a gas station robbery where they were at the wrong place at the wrong time; one to HIV; two from drug related issues; one from brain cancer; and another reportedly from an accident swimming in the ocean where a strong tide current slammed him into a pier.

And now I've learned of yet another loss recently. It's my sad duty to report that Doug Kessler passed away in March after an 18-month battle with colon cancer. Unfortunately by the time Doug was diagnosed, the cancer had already begun to spread to his lymph nodes, liver, and spine.

Greg Blue filled me in on some of the details of Doug's passing. But what I was struck by, in even the briefest of messages, was the impact Doug had on Greg in those final months. Greg made sure to tell me about Doug's spirit in battling the disease, and remaining active in terms of athletic pursuits. He also shared with me how loving a husband and father Doug was to his wife and their two children. I know that Doug and Greg were part of a tight circle of friends from high school that still remained friends 22 years following graduation day.

So, I wanted to acknowledge Doug's passing today with this posting. Doug and I played on soccer and baseball teams together when we were little kids, and he was always a gentle and kind person. I'm very saddened by his loss, and wish to extend my condolences to his wife Ivy, and their children Ryan and Emily. I also want offer my apologies on their loss to his parents and his brother Andrew, as well as all of his close friends from our class. I also understand from Greg that donations can be made in Doug's name to the following:

JCC of Central NJ
1391 Martine Ave.
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

Greg also wanted me to mention that if you make a donation to please notate that it is in memory of Doug Kessler, because that money will be applied towards the creation of a new recreation facility being built there. I know that times are tough financially for all of us, but any positive gesture on your part would be greatly appreciated.

Gearing up for a new type of journey

I will never be able to run for President of the United States. I will never be able to run out of tunnel beneath the outstretched arms of Touchdown Jesus and onto the field at Notre Dame Stadium wearing a gold helmet and the Irish uniform. I will never be able to make the final save as goaltender for the New Jersey Devils, helping them to win a Stanley Cup championship, or for the U.S. Olympic hockey team as they win a gold medal. I will never be able to step into the batter's box wearing a Mets uniform and point to the center field fence, calling my shot against a major league pitcher. I will never be able to win an Oscar as best actor. I will never be able to have conversations with people I admire and/or that I'm intrigued by, like: Howard Cosell, Richard Nixon, John Lennon, Thurman Munson, John Kennedy, Marvin Gaye, Jim Morrison, Herb Brooks, or any of my grandparents. But despite all of these dreams that will never happen, I am able to proudly to announce the following:

My dream of hosting my own sports radio talk show is finally becoming a reality. No, this is NOT an April Fool's Day joke either.

This week, I entered into an agreement with the Sports Journey Broadcast Network to begin hosting a weekly three-hour program. It's going to be called Sunday Scores and More, and will air every Sunday morning from 10:00 AM through 1:00PM on the east coast, 7-10AM here on the west coast. The first show will air on May 3rd.

I am beyond excited about this opportunity and I am looking forward to delivering an entertaining and informative weekly broadcast. Ray Manukay, who worked with me on the sports team at Mahalo, is going to be working with me on the show. The program will cover all aspects of sports conversation, and I will be providing not only my own brand of opinions and commentary, but also more expert opinions from players, coaches, and members of the media.

I'm in the process of lining lined up what I think is an impressive first show of guests: NHL on NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Emrick; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio; NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen; MSG Network reporter Tina Cervasio; fellow Sports Journey show host Pat Gallen of Basketball Round-up; and Examiner.com boxing analyst Ricardo Lima. All but Emrick and Del Rio have been confirmed as of this posting, and I'm confident in landing the other two, though I won't be able to confirm those until the week prior to the show.

It goes without saying that I have many people to thank for the fact that I'm finally getting the chance to realize what, at times, seemed like an impossible dream. As much as I like to think of myself as someone who can put just about anything into words, I find myself staring at a blinking cursor in my word program trying to conjugate my emotions at this moment. It'll probably be even more difficult the day of the first show.

I'll be joined each Sunday morning by my good friend Ray Manukay, who along with "Angry" Ken Bothe comprised the on-site sports staff when Mahalo started two years ago. The three of us did a demo for a sports talk weekly video show for Mahalo that they used for misdirection purposes before their launch (too complicated to explain), but I knew from filming that demo that Ray would be a great inclusion to any show I wound up being involved in. He will provide a full news-styled sportscast at the top of each hour, and scoreboard updates at 20 and 40 minutes past each hour. He will also engage with me in sports discussion and debates on a wide variety of topics. He's west coast; I'm east coast. It should make for some great radio.

But we'll also keep things moving with plenty of conversation with guests, and I'm also planning on incorporating some kind of chat room on our site that will allow audience participation. Eventually, I hope to be able to build up the show enough to transition into taking phone calls from listeners, but for now we'll keep things simple. Nevertheless, I will always welcome and respond to your comments and criticisms whenever possible.

I've spoken with the head of the network, Lake Lewis, who also hosts the flagship program on the network each weekday afternoon between 4-7 Eastern Time. He is also planning on introducing me to his listening audience in the weeks leading up to my Sunday debut as the 'Senior Hockey Analyst' for the network. I'll post a notice here when my first appearance will take place.

I'll put more details here as they come about as well through the process. In the meantime, I want to thank all of you that have known me through the years, at whatever level of friendship we've reached, for your support of me over the years, and encouraging me to never put my dreams away. I look forward to sharing many a Sunday talking sports with you starting in May.

Lucky to meet a living legend

So my recent attempt to sit down with Wayne Gretzky last month didn't work out, as I mentioned here on this blog. But I'm still hopeful to get a chance when the Coyotes come to L.A. on Saturday night to face the Kings.

Still, as I chase down the Great One, I can happily report that I spoke with another Kings legend this past week for a piece of Examiner: Luc Robitaille.

I met with him on Friday at the Kings' offices in El Segundo, and I was only supposed to get 10 minutes with the President of Business Operations. So you can imagine how grateful I am that he gave me 30 minutes.

We talked about a variety of topics from his playing career to his role in the Kings front office, as well as the game in general and the development of the Kings franchise moving forward. He didn't shy away from any question I asked him, told me some great stories about his relationship with his father and his respect for Kings fans, and is genuinely a guy you'd like to sit for hours watching a game and drinking beer with while he shared stories of his career.

Clearly his title is not an honorary one - he is very involved in talking with season ticket holders about renewals for next season, existing and potential corporate sponsors, and overseeing the various public appearances of the players. He is also very excited about the future of the team, and very confident that the organization is ready to take the next step and get back to being a playoff team every season.

Feel free to read the article by clicking on this link.

A special thanks to Jeremy Zager for his legwork in getting me access to Robitaille, and Mike Kalinowski for his heads-up proofreading skills. Of all the PR departments that I have dealt with over the years, the Kings PR people are first class all the way, and no one else is even a close second...


PS - The news I spoke of last week concerning an upcoming project of mine is almost ready to be revealed - thanks for your patience...

Big Announcement Coming Soon

Crief Case followers, friends past and present, and family:

Tom Petty is famous for stating that, "The Waiting is the Hardest Part." If you've known me at all, you know that one of my life goals has long been beyond my grasp. But the waiting my finally be over.

I am currently in negotiations to finally grab this dream and make it a reality. For the sake of not jinxing it any further, I will not discuss any further details until all I's are dotted and all T's are crossed. But when those are finalized, I will be making a major announcement here, as well as the other social media I'm involved with, and via e-blast.

So when the time comes, I will notify you about it. Wish me luck, and I should have the details next week...

Sawchuk and the Madness

So before I begin my preview of the NCAA Men's basketball Tournament, which begins tomorrow, I wanted to take a minute and share some thoughts about last night's event at Pasadena City College.

I attended the event which featured readings of passages and discussions about writing and hockey hosted by Dr. Brian Kennedy. He is a professor of English at PCC, wrote a best-selling book himself called Growing Up Hockey, and is a fellow hockey writing covering the Los Angeles Kings for Inside Hockey.

Last night's special guest was Randall Maggs, who wrote the book Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems. It was great evening in which Maggs told a captivated audience about his process for writing the book. There were a lot of laughs, a few surprises, and helped bring more of a sense of just who Terry Sawchuk, one of the more enigmatic players in hockey history, was both as a hockey player and as a man. Sawchuk was a brilliant goaltender during a 21-year NHL career, including the inaugural 67-68 Kings' campaign. But his life was filled with self-doubt and reclusiveness, and his death remains shrouded no so much in mystery as it is intrigue. Here's Maggs reading from his book:


Photo used with permission from Gabriela Moya

I spoke with Maggs for about ten minutes prior to the event starting and then afterwards as well. He was very engaging and appreciated the opportunity, one writer to another (well, at least one successful writer in Maggs to one 'attempt-ful' writer in myself).

It's ironic for me that it happened the same night that Martin Brodeur, just three career shutouts away from tying Sawchuk's all-time mark, eclipsed Patrick Roy's career victories total. I highly recommend that everyone buy Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems.


Okay, on with the madness:

Here are my predictions for the tournament field this season. I will list each of the four regions, with my overview analysis in italics, and then my Final Four breakdown:

WEST REGION:
---First Round---
Connecticut vs. Chattanooga winner: Connecticut
BYU vs. Texas A&M winner: BYU
Purdue vs. Northern Iowa winner: Northern Iowa
Washington vs. Mississippi State winner: Washington
Marquette vs. Utah State winner: Utah State
Missouri vs. Cornell winner: Missouri
California vs. Maryland winner: Maryland
Memphis vs. CSUN winner: Memphis
---Second Round---
Connecticut vs. BYU winner: Connecticut
Northern Iowa vs. Washington winner: Washington
Utah State vs. Missouri winner: Missouri
Maryland vs. Memphis winner: Memphis
---Sweet Sixteen---
Connecticut vs. Washington winner: Connecticut
Missouri vs. Memphis winner: Memphis
---Elite Eight---
Connecticut vs. Memphis winner: Memphis
Best thing that could have happened to Memphis in my opinion was being passed over for a #1 seed like they were. I actually think they are better than last year's team that came within a made free throw in regulation coupled with a miracle game-tying three-pointer of winning the national championship. They shoot free throws better, and they are much better defensively. Plus, Derek Rose is a tremendous talent, but I felt like watching them last year that if he was slightly off, the Tigers struggled. They have numerous weapons to choose from this year. I think UConn will benefit from their draw, but Washington will give them all they can handle. Picking Northern Iowa and Utah State as major first round upsets.

MIDWEST REGION:
---First Round---
Louisville vs. Morehead St. winner: Louisville
Ohio State vs. Siena winner: Siena
Utah vs. Arizona winner: Utah
Wake Forest vs. Cleveland State winner: Cleveland State
West Virginia vs. Dayton winner: West Virginia
Kansas vs. North Dakota St. winner: Kansas
Boston College vs. USC winner: USC
Michigan State vs. Robert Morris winner: Michigan State
---Second Round---
Louisville vs. Siena winner: Louisville
Utah vs. Cleveland State winner: Utah
West Virginia vs. Kansas winner: West Virginia
USC vs. Michigan State winner: Michigan State
---Sweet Sixteen---
Louisville vs. Utah winner: Louisville
West Virginia vs. Michigan state winner: Michigan State
---Elite Eight---
Louisville vs. Michigan State winner: Michigan State
The best league in the country this year was the Big East; I can live with the ACC getting the same number of teams as the Big East – but the Big Ten getting 7 into the dance? That's a joke. Wisconsin has no business being here. The other teams will be exposed in this tournament except for one: Michigan State was clearly the best team in that league. They have a tournament tested coach in Tom Izzo, and I like their draw a lot. I feel that USC will knock off BC in the first round, and I love Siena over Ohio State in the 8-9 match-up. Kansas used up all their luck last year in the tournament – West Virginia will take care of them in round two. I think Louisville's team is very balanced, but something just doesn't feel right about them, which is why I am not taking Rick Pitino's team, which is odd because he is someone I think gets the most out of his team. They'll reach the Elite Eight, but the Spartans will punch their ticket to Detroit.

SOUTH REGION:
---First Round---
North Carolina vs. Radford winner: North Carolina
LSU vs. Butler winner: Butler
Illinois vs. Western Kentucky winner: Western Kentucky
Gonzaga vs. Akron winner: Gonzaga
Arizona State vs. Temple winner: Temple
Syracuse vs. Stephen F. Austin winner: Syracuse
Clemson vs. Michigan winner: Michigan
Oklahoma vs. Morgan State winner: Oklahoma
---Second Round---
North Carolina vs. Butler winner: Butler
Western Kentucky vs. Gonzaga winner: Gonzaga
Temple vs. Syracuse winner: Syracuse
Michigan vs. Oklahoma winner: Oklahoma
---Sweet Sixteen---
Butler vs. Gonzaga winner: Gonzaga
Syracuse vs. Oklahoma winner: Oklahoma
---Elite Eight---
Gonzaga vs. Syracuse winner: Gonzaga
Welcome to the upset bracket, as injuries tell the story in this region. The Ty Lawson injury sounds like it'll keep him out of UNC's first game, and possibly the second. I would feel that the Tar Heels could go all the way with a healthy Lawson, but that Butler would be a struggle for them even with Lawson at 100%. Without him, like it seems like will be the case, I think Butler pulls the upset. I also felt most of the year that Blake Griffin would carry the Sooners to a Final Four on his back. But he hasn't been the same player since his injury late in the year, and even though I think they get to the Sweet 16, I think Syracuse, with their 2-3 zone and physicality, will frustrate Griffin. You'll notice several first round upsets like WKU over Illinois (sorry Dad), and Temple over Arizona State. But in the end, something tells me that this is finally the year Gonzaga gets over the hump and reaches the Final Four. They have balanced scoring, are fundamentally sound, and consider that their RPI was 26. What that says to me is that if they played in a power conference, they'd be a #2 seed.

EAST REGION:
---First Round---
Pittsburgh vs. East Tennessee St. winner: Pittsburgh
Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee winner: Tennessee
Florida State vs. Wisconsin winner: Florida State
Xavier vs. Portland State winner: Xavier
UCLA vs. VCU winner: VCU
Villanova vs. American winner: Villanova
Texas vs. Minnesota winner: Minnesota
Duke vs. Binghamton winner: Duke
---Second Round---
Pittsburgh vs. Tennessee winner: Pittsburgh
Florida State vs. Xavier winner: Florida State
VCU vs. Villanova winner: Villanova
Minnesota vs. Duke winner: Duke
---Sweet Sixteen---
Pittsburgh vs. Florida State winner: Pittsburgh
Villanova vs. Duke winner: Villanova
---Elite Eight---
Pittsburgh vs. Villanova winner: Pittsburgh
Mike Rhoads, this one's for you. First, your sneaky Steelers steal another Super Bowl title, and now your pesky Panthers will pry away a Final Four berth. I have thought all season long that Pittsburgh was the most complete team in the country. They shoot the ball well, they rebound the ball extremely affectively, they don't beat themselves with bad turnovers or fouls, they are the most imposing team physically, and they play defense all over the court. I went back and forth on Florida State-Xavier in second round before settling on the 'Noles. I love VCU, and would have picked them for Sweet 16 in other brackets. I also think Villanova will be too physical for Duke to handle; I even thought about rolling the dice with Tubby's Gophers stunning the Dukies in Round Two but came to my senses.

FINAL FOUR:
--National Semifinals---
Memphis vs. Michigan State winner: Memphis
Pittsburgh vs. Gonzaga winner: Pittsburgh
---Championship Game---
Memphis vs. Pittsburgh winner: Memphis
Last year, all four #1 seeds for the regions qualified for the Final Four, the first time that ever happened since the seeding process began. It won't happen again this year. I have one #1 seed in Pittsburgh, a pair of #2 seeds in Memphis and Michigan State, and a #4 seed in Gonzaga. In the end, a Memphis-Pittsburgh final has the chance to be a 40-minute nail-biter, but I just have a feeling that this is finally John Calipari's year to cut down the nets.

Slivery will get you into the tourney

So some thoughts on yesterday's tournament selection committee decisions for the 65-team field of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The committee was led this year by SEC Commissioner Mike Slive:

- The committee once again did a better than average job of seeding the teams and selecting the teams. I am disturbed by the lack of at-large selections for mid-major conference teams. St. Mary's, San Diego State, and Creighton deserve to be in this tournament, especially over Arizona, Maryland, and Wisconsin. It is a disgrace that Arizona is in this tournament. Whatever happened to the committee not selecting teams because they struggled down the stretch of the season? Michael Wilbon said it best today on PTI: Some of the more memorable moments in the tournament over the last few years have been from at-large teams from mid-major conferences pulling upsets. Damn disgrace.

- I know the SEC didn't have a top-level year, but are you telling me that if Mississippi State doesn't win yesterday that the SEC would have only received 2 bids? Huh?

- Also its a joke to have the pod system if you are only going to use it to 'reward' higher seeds. I understand the need, in a weakening economy, to ensure first and second round sellouts by having teams like UNC and Duke play at Greensboro, and Villanova play in Philadelphia. But Florida State gets sent to Boise instead of Miami? Temple to Miami instead of Philadelphia? Dayton to Minneapolis instead of at home? Portland State to Boise instead of in Portland? Oklahoma to Kansas City but not Missouri, which won the conference tournament that OU did not? They need to fix this.

- That said, I give them credit for having 3 Big East teams as top seeds (although I think Memphis should have been West #1 over UConn), making Gonzaga (ina year of the shrinking mid-majors) a #4 seed, and Siena a #9 seed. Still, I know UNC beat Duke twice during the season, but if Duke won the ACC tourney and UNC did not, and Duke had the best RPI in the country (2 spots ahead of the Tar Heels), then how come the Blue Devils aren't the #1 seed in the South?

But in a few days, all of these complaints will drift away when the ball is tipped. I'll post my predictions for the tournament - FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY - tomorrow here on the site.

BTW - Joe Lunardi of ESPN, the Bracketologist, studies college basketball everyday for his job fulltime, watches a ton of games, and has access to all the people on the committee. Yesterday, he also posted his final projected field right before they announced it. Our side-by-side results:

- Number of Teams in the field: Joe had 64 of 65, I had 61 of 65
- Number of Teams in right seed in right region: Joe had 11 right, I had 8
- Number of Teams in right region but wrong seed: Joe had 12, I had 7

Not bad considering I only have access to the Internet and ESPN to watch and read about games and teams.

My Selections for Selection Sunday

Okay - here are my selections of what the brackets will look like - I'll check back tonight to see how I did and post more expansive thoughts:

EAST REGION:
(1) North Carolina vs winner of Chattanooga-Alabama State play-in
(8) Siena vs (9) Temple

(4) Villanova vs (13) Binghamton
(5) Oklahoma State vs (12) VCU

(3) Ohio State-Purdue winner vs (14) Robert Morris
(6) Clemson vs (11) Texas A&M

(2) Connecticut vs (15) Cornell
(7) Dayton vs (10) Western Kentucky

SOUTH REGION:
(1) Duke vs (16) Morehead State
(8) Texas A&M vs (9) UCLA

(4) Xavier vs (13) Cleveland State
(5) West Virginia vs (12) Mississippi State

(3) Syracuse vs (14) Akron
(6) Tennessee vs (11) UAB

(2) Oklahoma vs (15) East Tennessee State
(7) Ohio State-Purdue loser vs (10) California

MIDWEST REGION:
(1) Louisville vs (16) Morgan State
(8) Arizona State vs (9) San Diego State

(4) Florida State vs (13) American
(5) Illinois vs (12) St. Mary's

(3) Kansas vs (14) Stephen F Austin
(6) Wake Forest vs (11) Creighton

(2) Michigan State vs (15) Radford
(7) Butler vs (10) LSU

WEST REGION:
(1) Pittsburgh vs (16) Cal State Northridge
(8) Gonzaga vs (9) Utah State

(4) Washington vs (13) Northern Iowa
(5) Utah vs (12) Michigan

(3) Missouri vs (14) North Dakota State
(6) USC vs (11) Minnesota

(2) Memphis vs (15) Portland State
(7) BYU vs (10) Marquette

I'll check back with you all later tonight - enjoy the selection show

Fantasy Baseball is Upon Us

Well it's time to start getting ready for the spring things, such as college basketball becoming madder and madder, and the baseball season.

I'm trying to take the Kokua Football League members into the spring with a league of our own, but having a little trouble organizing it. Nevertheless, I've been invited to play in a league among Examiner writers.

So I've decided to call this team the Montvale Mets. Here's my logo:



Let's go Mets...

NHL Trade Deadline Live Blog

Hello there, and welcome to the 2009 NHL Trade Deadline. Today, we were liveblogging all of the moves made around the National Hockey League. The deadline past at 3:00 PM EST, and there were some deals that weren't announced until up to 1-2 hours after that as well. Thanks for joining us today! My commentary will be in italics.

4:52PM: WINNERS today: Boston, Calgary, NY Rangers, and Pittsburgh.
4:51PM: LOSERS today: Anaheim, Florida, and Phoenix
4:50PM: Looks like we've reached the end of the roads: 22 trades completed involving 45 players and 21 draft picks.
4:39PM: No deals announced in last 20 minutes; we may have reached then end of the deals today.
4:19PM: TORONTO acquires Olaf Kolzig, Jamie Heward, Andy Rogers, and a 4th Round pick from TAMPA BAY for Richard Petiot.
4:18PM: EDMONTON acquires Ales Kotalik from BUFFALO for a 2nd Round pick. Word coming down of a possible deal involving Olaf Kolzig to Toronto we are following.
4:00PM: CAROLINA acquired Patrick O'Sullivan from LOS ANGELES for Justin Williams. O'Sullivan was then dealt to EDMONTON for Erik Cole.
3:50PM: SAN JOSE acquires Travis Moen and Kent Huskins from ANAHEIM for Nick Bonnino, Tim Pielmeier, and a conditional draft pick.
3:46PM: COLUMBUS acquired Daniel Carcillo from CALGARY for a 4th Round Draft pick.
3:45PM: Awaiting word on Travis Moen being dealt to San Jose by the Ducks...
3:38PM: CHICAGO acquires Samuel Pahlsson from ANAHEIM for James Wisniewski. Word coming down that a potential Edmonton deal involving Erik Cole is still being finalized.
3:37PM: PHILADELPHIA acquires Kyle McLaren from SAN JOSE for a 6th Round pick.
3:35PM: COLUMBUS acquires Kevin Lalande from CALGARY for a 4th Round pick. Awaiting word of a deal involving Samuel Pahlsson of Anaheim.
3:30PM: FLORIDA acquires Steve Eminger from TAMPA BAY for Noah Welch and a 3rd Round pick.
3:20PM: No other moves in the last 10 minutes, but we are monitoring several potential moves.
3:13PM: ANAHEIM acquires Erik Christensen from ATLANTA for Eric O'Dell.
3:08PM: The Dominic Moore deal has been concluded, but instead of Chicago, he has been traded by TORONTO to BUFFALO for a 2nd Round pick.
3:04PM: NY RANGERS acquired Derek Morris from PHOENIX in exchange for Dmitri Kalinin, Nigel Dawes, and Petr Prucha.
3:01PM: Rumors from CBC feature: Jay Bouwmeester going from FLORIDA to EDMONTON and Derek Morris going from PHOENIX to the NY RANGERS. Awaiting official word...
3:00PM DEADLINE HAS OFFICIALLY PASSED
2:53PM: Rangers get Antropov and yesterday reacquired Sean Avery through waivers from Dallas. We'll see if this stops the bleeding for the Rangers.
2:48PM: NY RANGERS acquired Nik Antropov from TORONTO for a 2nd Round Draft pick and future conditional pick. PHOENIX has acquired Scottie Upshall and a 2nd Round pick from PHILADELPHIA for Daniel Carcillo. Awaiting word on what the Rangers are sending to Toronto, but that is a good move for the Broadway Blues.
2:44PM: Word is that Gary Roberts will be dealt by TAMPA BAY today to a contending team.
2:39PM: A lot of talk on CBC that there are deals being still worked out involving Derek Morris and Marian Gaborik, but nothing official still. Watch for the moves to come right at the deadline itself.
2:32PM: Still no activity at this time...
2:21PM: So far, the winners today are Pittsburgh, for acquiring Chris Kunitz a few days ago from Anaheim as well as Bill Guerin, and Calgary for acquiring Jordan Leopold and Olli Jokinen, who played the best hockey of his career for his new coach Mike Keenan when they were together in Florida.
2:17PM: Rumored trade between OTTAWA and FLORIDA being rumored; is this where Jay Bouwmeester is going?
2:11PM: The Dominic Moore deal is in limbo, but CBC is reporting that Bill Guerin has been dealt from the NY ISLANDERS to PITTSBURGH in exchange for a 5th Round Draft choice in 2009, and could go as high as a 3rd Round pick if the Pens advance far in the playoffs.
2:05PM: The Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly the team set to acquire Bill Guerin; awaiting confirmation.
1:58PM: Two players who were signed before today's activities began, thereby effectively removing them from trade consideration, were Tim Connolly in BUFFALO and Filip Kuba in OTTAWA.
1:52PM: LOS ANGELES announced they have signed Sean O'Donnell and Erik Ersberg to contract extensions.
1:45PM: There haven't been any other deals confirmed in the last few minutes, which indicates to me that there could be a flurry of activity around the deadline itself.
1:35PM: Word is the NY ISLANDERS are moving Bill Guerin - awaiting details...
1:27PM: BOSTON acquired Mark Recchi from TAMPA BAY in exchange for future considerations.
1:18PM: TORONTO acquires Martin Gerber from OTTAWA off of waivers. DALLAS acquires Brendan Morrison off waivers from ANAHEIM. BOSTON acquires Steve Montador from ANAHEIM for Petteri Nokelainen.
1:15PM: Here we go - big trade: CALGARY acquires Olli Jokinen and a 3rd round pick from PHOENIX for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust, and a 1st Round pick. Jokinen was going to be moved because the Coyotes are in money trouble.
1:10PM: Here are the deals done so far as I come "on the web" today: COLUMBUS acquired Antoine Vermette from OTTAWA for Pascal Leclaire and a 2009 2nd Round Pick. CALGARY acquired Jordan Leopold from COLORADO for Ryan Wilson, Lawrence Nycholat, and a 2009 2nd Round pick. BUFFALO has acquired Mikael Tellqvist from PHOENIX for a 2010 4th Round pick. PITTSBURGH acquired Andy Wozniewski from ST. LOUIS for Danny Richmond. No big moves yet.

Good Trades and Bad Trades

Last year, while working at Mahalo, I was trying to establish the sports section of their site as one that fans could come to for live information about games or other events through live blogging. I had some decent traffic generation through the NFL playoff games, and the Super Bowl. I continued that through the Daytona 500, the NHL and NBA All-Star Games, and the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

I'm not there anymore, but the experience served me well, and enjoyed it. One of the things I had the chance to do was live blog the NHL Trade Deadline. For those that forgot about it, check this link for a review. Basically, I did a time stamping every time a new move came down, and wrote briefly about it, as well as other doings on that day.

This year, I plan to produce a second year of trade deadline blogging. Only this time, it will be with my new group at Examiner.com. The day will be Wednesday, and I will be there posting all of the trades as they happen, as well as reaction to them from not just myself, but other hockey writers on Examiner.com, and other experts throughout the league as well. I'll post the link on this site for those of you wanting to follow along.

It should be either a very quiet day, or one of the busiest in league history. See you Wednesday...

Getting the Great One - almost...

I keep getting closer to one of my life goals. Most days, it is so far away, its as if it'll never happen. Today, I came as close as I ever have without finishing the deal.

Today, I almost interviewed Wayne Gretzky.

A little bit of a recap. Of all the people that I have wanted meet in life, Wayne Gretzky is second only to my future ex-wife, whoever she is. The Miracle on Ice boys fueled the fire within me for the sport of hockey. The 80-84 New York Islanders helped ignite the flame, during a streak with five straight finals appearances and four straight Stanley Cup championships. The New Jersey Devils relocation from Denver in 1982 helped spawn a healthy fanaticism for the sport, which has lasted through to this day.

But the one guy that I've always been enamored with, that when he was playing on television I had to literally stop what I was doing so I could watch it, was when number 99 took to the ice. One of the saddest days in my life was the day he retired, nearly 10 years ago, because I knew I would never see another athlete that would mean more to his sport than the Great One was.

In 1996, I was hosting a college radio show in New Jersey in the morning while working a regular job. I was trying to jump start a career in broadcasting that hasn't found it's way to the launch pad (most of the time through no one's fault but my own), and from time-to-time I would get credentialed for Devils games. I had the chance to interview a few players and coaches, and ask questions as part of a reporter's gaggle to athletes such as Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens, Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Brett Hull, Scott Niedermayer, and Eric Lindros, among many. But the one I never had the chance to ask a question from was Gretzky.

I know all the numbers by heart, as any good hockey fan should: 894 goals scored, 1963 assists, 2857 points. He has more assists than anyone else has points in NHL history. Nine seasons with 50+ goals, including 50 in 39 games in the 81-82 season. That year, he scored 92 goals and added 120 assists for 212 points. He holds so many records in league history that he needs a separate publication by the league to showcase them all. He's the first player ever to have his uniform number retired by an entire league (the other was Jackie Robinson).

Then it happened: January 23, 1996 - the Devils credentialed me for a game against the Los Angeles Kings. It was all set, finally my path would cross with Gretzky. I prepared like I had never prepared for anything before in my life. But he didn't make the trip east due to injury, and I was denied my opportunity.

So as I started my new role 13 years later with Examiner.com, I looked at all the scheduling possibilities for the games that remained to attend at Staples. I even went to Anaheim this week and was credentialed for Wednesday night's game. But it was during my initial schedule review that I noticed the game on the schedule for today, February 21:

Phoenix @ Los Angeles

At last, I would finally get my opportunity. Not only did I get credentialed by the Kings, but I was informed there was a good chance that I could have a couple of minutes with him before the game started. I arrived at Staples at 10:45am for a 1PM start for this purpose, with Carly Simon's Anticipation playing in my head. But once again, I was denied. He had other obligations that ran long, and my only chance was in the post-game after his press conference, which was more like a press gaggle in front of a few reporters outside the Coyotes locker room following a 6-3 Phoenix victory.

Hey, he's Wayne Gretzky, and its Los Angeles, where he played for 8 years and helped transform the direction of the league, and still makes his off-season home. So it was no surprise that he had a ton of requests for his time. After all, when he came to LA in 1988, there were 21 teams, and 8 of them were in Canada, with the Kings and St. Louis the only two teams in the southern half of the United States. Today, there are 30 teams, and 24 of them are in the U.S., with many of them in the south, including the team Gretzky now coaches in Phoenix. I mean, the day of the trade, all of Canada came to standstill that almost resembled as if a member of their royal family had died.

But I was given one little scintilla of a chance - I waited for the presser to finish, wanting to ask a question as I was just 10 feet away from him, and kept glancing over at the Coyotes' PR guys, assured they would feed him to me, even for one question. But alas, my moment in the sun will have to wait, because another experienced writer jumped my play and grabbed him for several questions before he ducked away into the friendly confines of the visitor's coaching office.

Still, ever hopeful, I went to the Kings post-game presser with Terry Murray, got a question asked that he answered while looking right at me, and I then scurried back out into the hallway, hoping I might get one 'friendly ambush' attempt. Out he came, and I was ready to pounce, but there was one problem: I was intercepted by two of his sons, Ty and Tristan, who both hugged their dad and started a conversation with him as they began to walk towards the area where the team buses were.

Hey, I may be a jackass sometimes, but even I know that it would have been totally uncool to push his own kids out of the way and try to ask him some questions, or worse ask him to pose for a picture with me with my brother's digital camera that I brought to capture this moment forever. I walked just off his left shoulder, and finally, as I began to veer off towards the press room, I looked over and he noticed me.

I said, "Nice game Wayne, good luck the rest of the way."
He looked back and said, "Hey thanks, I appreciate that." And then, he walked away.

That conversation certainly won't make the journalists hall of fame (if there is one), and today didn't go the way I wanted it to, or how I've longed dreamed it would. But hey, I'm not ready to go on suicide watch just yet because of two things:

First, at least I interacted with him, which will make it a little less uncomfortable the next time around. And that's because, second, the Coyotes will be back for another visit in April, this time a night game, which means more time before the game for him to handle pre-game interview requests. The Coyotes people intimated to me that the next time around, they will make every effort to allow me the chance I've waited a lifetime for - and I plan to take full advantage of it.

Hey look, in the grand scheme of things, today wasn't a total loss, (except that the Kings lost a golden opportunity to pick up two points) and if this is the worst thing that happens to me all year long, I'll feel truly happy about things. Still, I'm left with a slightly empty feeling, and I guess the song of the day goes from Ms. Simon to Mr. Tom Petty, because it's days like this that I hate his appropriate song for this occasion, but very truly understand it's meaning:

The Waiting IS the Hardest Part...

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I did take a few photographs from press box level and I will post them soon... Kings go on a five game roadie starting Tuesday, but first is a big fan-interaction gig tomorrow at Staples called Tip-A-King, where fans can get autographs and pictures with players, coaches, and broadcasters for cash donations to charity... I didn't get to see Kyle Quincey after the game, but I'm sure I'll run into him tomorrow and satisfy my own vanity if he read my article or not. I do know this, a lot of the Kings people (Bob Miller and Jim Fox the announcers, and several PR people) all acknowledged me today - which I think has to do with the article. At least I hope it does...

Dr. Quincey at your service

Hey everyone, be sure to check out the feature story I posted today on Examiner.com about Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kyle Quincey. Here's the link:

http://tinyurl.com/quincey27

Please be sure to let others know about this article. I'll have a new Crief Case posting coming over the weekend...

Getting the royal treatment at Staples

Thursday night marked my first ever visit to Staples Center, where the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2. But this was more than just attending a game: I was a credentialed member of the attending media last night.

My new gig serving as a writer covering the Los Angeles Kings for examiner.com allowed me to be granted full access by the Kings Communications department. While you can read my official story on the examiner site right now by clicking here, let this blog post serve as a little bit of a backstage access piece.

I arrived at Staples Center at 6:30 last night and went to the entrance marked for attending media. I told the young man at the table my name and showed him my ID. After a few seconds of befuddled searching through the available passes, which led to a split-second anxiety attack, the credential with my name on it was produced. After getting through the metal detector, I entered a nearby elevator and proceeded to ice level where I reached the "Chick Hearn Press Room".

Hearn was the longtime voice of the Lakers, and I entered to a large carpeted cafeteria. After dropping my bag on the table, I proceeded to grab a hamburger and bottle of water. After consuming those in record time, I looked up on one of the 20 television screens and saw Jamie Langenbrunner's overtime goal to give the Devils a 4-3 win over Boston, which I took as a good sign. It was then that I noticed, just at the next table behind me holding court with several writers and NHL officials, was legendary NHL coach Scotty Bowman.

I've been in LA for two years now, and have mingled with actors and musicians and rarely been star-struck. Yet, seeing Bowman caused a momentary lapse of decorum as I quickly phoned one of my best friends and said, "Dude, I'm 25 feet away from Scotty Bowman!" Keep in mind, it wasn't loud enough for anyone at that next table to hear it, but afterwards, I decided to use the restroom before I ventured to my seat in the press box. And as I was standing in the urinal, doing my thing, in walked Bowman for a "John Starks Moment".

A few years ago, I was the PA announcer at a charity basketball event that the New York Knicks were involved in, and Starks served as one of the coaches. After the game ended, I was in the restroom in a similar fashion, minding my business, when Starks came in and used the stall next to mine. He recognized me as the only guy wearing a tuxedo that night and told me that he thought I did a great job, which made me feel good. Then after thanking him, I paused and said, "So I have to ask you one question." Without even finishing my thought, he replied, "Yeah, I knew he was there." He finished and walked over to wash his hands and then walked out. Seconds later, someone else came out of the stall behind me and said, "Do you realize what he just said? That was cool!"

I was going to ask Starks about the famous left-handed thunder dunk he did over Michael Jordan, and I didn't even need to finish the sentence before he answered it.

Now, I was anticipating another Starks moment when Bowman just walked by me to the next stall and asked, "So, looks like a pretty big crowd tonight, eh?"

You can't make it up folks.

Another two minutes of small talk concluded with my professing my admiration for his coaching career, and apologizing on behalf of my Devils for denying him a Stanley Cup title in 1995. His response to that was, "thanks for the kind words, and you guys earned that one."

After taking another 3 minutes to collect myself, I exited the cafeteria area and took the elevator all the way upstairs to the top of the Staples Center. I sat in the upper row of the right hand side of the press box, which provided a clear overhead view of the entire arena and ice surface below. There were complimentary drinks (soda and water), and snacks. My seat had a cardboard nameplate directing me where to sit, a place to plug in my laptop and gain internet access, and some notes for the game. After plugging in, I got up and went to find Jeremy Zager, the supervisor for Communications and Broadcasting for the Kings.

When I got to his seat, he wasn't there, but Mike Kalinowski, who also works for the Kings Communications staff, was. When he inquired why I was there and I told him I was looking for Jeremy to introduce myself, he said, "Are you Jon Moncrief from the Examiner? Welcome, did you find everything okay?" We talked for about two minutes and wanted to know if I had any questions I should feel free to ask. Then Jeremy came over and we made introductions. Again, Jeremy wanted to make sure I had no difficulties and that I found where I was located correctly, and if I had any questions.

I've been credentialed for games before, most notably with the New Jersey Devils a few times in 2004. Now this is not a slight on their staff, but I must tell you the Kings treated me with the utmost in respect, as if I were a 20-year veteran covering the sport. In fact, everyone from the door people to the cafeteria staff to the other personnel inside Staples Center, treated me as though I were an important dignitary.

Then it happened. Jeremy indicated to me that not only should I feel free to contact him with any questions or to discuss future story ideas, but indicated that my article about the Kings goaltending was included in the printed News Clips section provided to all members of the media. FREAKING AWESOME!!!

I then headed back to my seat for the start of the game. I twittered the first two periods to keep myself occupied. During the second period intermission, I came back from stretching my legs to grab a water for the third period, and there was Bowman again. He nodded his head at me in approval, and that's when I noticed he was talking with two former Devils I enjoyed watching in my youth. One of them was Mel Bridgman, a hard-nosed center who played 4 seasons for the Devils after they first relocated from Colorado. The other was winger Pat Verbeek, who had held the club record for goals scored in a season until Brian Gionta (favorite player of Tracy Loreng – shout out) broke the mark in 2006. Verbeek also had one of the best nicknames I've ever heard for someone: The Little Ball of Hate.

The game also afforded me the chance to meet a very knowledgeable hockey writer named Kat Kealy, who writes her own hockey on-line called the Press Box Perspective. I encourage all hockey fans and Crief Case fans to read it often. I do so even though she grew up a Pittsburgh Penguins fan – just kidding…

After the game ended, I proceeded back downstairs to interview some of the players afterwards. These included Dustin Brown, Jarret Stoll, and Jack Johnson. I also attended Terry Murray's post-game press conference, and waited patiently for the more experienced writers to ask their questions before I asked mine, which he answered directly. Again, the players and coaches conducted themselves just like their frotn staff, first class all the way. Actually, that's been my experience - hockey players and people seem to have a better handle on maintaining professionalism with the media - unless your name is Sean Avery.

The entire experience was very educational and entertaining, and I am looking forward to their return from a five game road trip when they host Calgary on February 12th.

When You Wish To Shock The World

ITEM ONE: Super fans trying to enjoy a 'Super' experience

Super Bowl week is a mix of emotions for football fanatics: on the one hand, it's the culmination of a 22-week odyssey to determine the championship of pro football; on the other, it means that another meaningful game won't be played for another 8 months. So while the non-football fans and the casual observers of the NFL enjoy the commercials and the pageantry and the excuse to party hearty, we die-hards will try to enjoy one last moment in the sun.

This is why, when I have no definitive rooting interest, I just want the game to be competitive. The only thing worse than being at a Super Bowl party where the majority of guests are asking questions like, "Why do they call it a pigskin?" or "Why are there so many time outs" or even worse "How do I figure out which points I need to win $50 this quarter in my box pool?", is when the game is out of hand and their collective minds wander, making the viewing experience even more nauseating.

I have a hard time relating to people who don't watch sports more than just this one day out of the year. I have maintained the argument for the last decade that the best reality series on television is not just one series but a group of them: sports on television. There's no script, and in most cases there is a group of people to either root for or against, based upon on your personal beliefs and/or your geography. There are great characters, and although there are similarities for games played in each sport, no two games are alike. But the biggest reason I keep coming back is to see something I've never seen before, or to experience that moment when a group of players do what no one else expects them to do.

In the Roman numeral classic known as Super Bowl XLIII (that's 43 for those not in the know), the Arizona Cardinals will be playing the role of underdog, against the seemingly superior favorites known as the Pittsburgh Steelers. If you know nothing about the two teams going into the game, all you need to know is this set of facts: the Steelers are playing in their 7th Super Bowl all-time, and are seeking an NFL best 6th victory in the big game. After being the very model of futility in their first 42 years of existence, the Steelers have been the very model of efficiency during their most recent 36 seasons. The Cardinals, on the other hand, are making their first-ever Super Bowl appearance, and are looking to win their first league championship since 1947. Only the Chicago Cubs in baseball have had a longer wait between championships, which is ironic in the sense that the last time the Cards won the NFL title, they were playing in Chicago.

The Steelers have been listed as a 7-point favorite by the odds makers, and this seems sound judgment. Pittsburgh won their division, finishing with the second best record in their conference, amidst the toughest schedule in the league. They have the top-ranked defense in the league. They have a quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger who was the starter three years ago when the Steelers last won it all. They have a significant fan base located not only in the greater Pittsburgh area, but all around the country. In fact, here I am last football season in Jaguars gear at the Hooters of Hollywood – the only one rooting for Jacksonville in a bar full of Steelers fans:



With all of Pittsburgh's experience and the size of their fan base, it should be a no-brainer that the Steelers will win on Sunday. But as Chris Berman likes to say, "That's why they play the games." Arizona just seems to be on one of those runs through the playoffs like the Giants were last year, or even the Steelers were just 3 years ago. Everything is breaking just right for them, and they are taking full advantage of those opportunities. Kurt Warner is playing in 2008 like he did in 1999, when he led another downtrodden franchise out of mediocrity to a Super Bowl championship. And as great as the receiving corps was for Warner on those "Greatest Show on Turf" teams in St. Louis, this group of receivers, led by Larry "No one can cover me or even properly place any adjective to describe the fact that no one can cover me" Fitzgerald, is even better.

Also, and this will be one of several things you'll hear from the experts all week long leading up to the game, but something that I think has some actual substance: Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt and offensive line coach Russ Grimm were on the Steelers staff as assistants just two years ago. They both left for Arizona after the Steelers passed on hiring one of them to replace Bill Cowher in 2006. These guys understand the Steelers pressure blitzing defense perhaps as well as anyone, and it's critical to mention Grimm because the Cards offensive line will need be at their best to recognize where all of the exotic blitzes will come from. But I have another thought about why Whisenhunt could be a factor: he was Roethlisberger's first coordinator in the NFL, so like Jon Gruden did for Tampa Bay when he helped their defense prepare for his former Oakland squad in Super Bowl XXXVII, Whisenhunt should be able to help the Cards defense recognize the audible calls for the Steelers offense, which could be a significant advantage for the Arizona defense.

It's true that for every team like last year's Giants to win it all in surprising fashion (which I predicted on this site by the way), there have been plenty of Cinderella teams for whom the glass slipper cracked at the most inopportune time.

But this is why someone like me, with both the Giants and Jaguars out of the mix (and yes Jonathan Harris, those are the 2 teams I root for, and the only 2 I root for, deal with it), will watch the game this coming Sunday. And to ensure that my selection is correct: ARIZONA 33 – PITTSBURGH 23.


ITEM TWO: So you want to produce halftime?
When you grow up in New Jersey like I did during the 1970s and 1980s, you either dislike Bruce Springsteen and his music, in which case you are placed into the nearest mental institution for life or asked to relocate to Montana, or you worship Springsteen's music. I have written about my love for his music on this page before, and certainly will again. And so I will need to somehow plan my Super Bowl halftime break to coincide with the first half highlights package and analysis, because I will not miss a single second of Bruce playing the halftime show at this year's game.

As a quick aside: my favorite halftime shows were: Paul McCartney in Super Bowl XXIX, U2 in Super Bowl XXXVI with the scrolling names of the 9/11 victims behind them, and Up with People during Super Bowl XVI. Okay, I'm just kidding about that last one, but I think this year's will join this exclusive list.

Now here's the cool thing: on the NFL's website for the game, you can click on this link which gives you six different choices of which 4 songs Bruce and the band will play during halftime this year. This is really interesting because for a Bruce fanatic like myself, I want to make sure those that see him live in Tampa for the first time understand what those of us that have seen him live over the years has long known: there is no better live musical performance anywhere by anybody. People I've known throughout the course of my life that I've attended their first Bruce shows with have in every case been left with no choice but to change their own minds and agree with my previous statement.

It's just unfortunate for those seeing live the first time that night that they will only get a glimpse into what type of experience that is like. Most concerts are 1-2 hours: Bruce plays for 4 hours, and then he does another hour of encores.

As for the songs I would pick, because the 6 available choices are good but not great, I would choose these 4: I'd have him open with Badlands, then segue into The Rising, follow that up with Prove It All Night, and of course finish with Born to Run, but only because Jersey Girl is a 7-minute song live.


ITEM THREE: Other Stuff
Anyone following the on-line battle of the barbs between the tag-team partners Leah D'Emilio and Lon Harris from Mahalo Daily, and their opponent Maria Sansone from Pop Tub, has to wonder just where all this is leading. I'm not sure where it's going, but I enjoy watching otherwise dignified webcast hosts "drop gloves" (hockey term) every now and then… how many times will hear people wringing their hands this week about companies spending $3 million per 30 second spot on Super Bowl ads. I'm setting the over/under at 35, but confining that only to national cable shows and big market newspapers… so as I posted last week, I've started writing for two publications. SCENARIO is a bi-monthly print publication that debuts in March, and also has an on-line companion with articles being added daily. It has a great deal of potential based upon its premise of returning the country back to old-school journalism, as well as keeping the left-wing pundits and the right-wing apologists honest, which no other media outlet is able to do (even though many claim to try). I've seen a couple of the articles going into the first issue, and I have to say they are an interesting collection of topics with the right pacing. I hope that you will find them just as informative. My articles will not be confined to one area of expertise, because that would insinuate that I actually have an area of expertise. The other publication is The Examiner, which is an on-line publication of daily articles and posting pertaining to a wide-variety of topics in every major city. My assignment here is being confined to the Los Angeles Kings, and I will be providing a mix of commentary and analysis with feature stories on Kings Players, past and present. I talked with my editor on the phone this morning, he used to run the Denver Broncos website for years, and I'm very excited about the prospects for the growth of this website as well. I hope you will all continue to loyally support me in checking these out… Back to the Super Bowl, NBC is the broadcaster for this year's game. Their coverage begins with a 5-hour pre-game show. Bob Costas will be the lead anchor, and will be joined by Dan Patrick, Keith Olbermann, Matt Millen, Jerome Bettis, Tiki Barber, Peter King, and Cris Collinsworth. The Today Show will air three hours before that live from Tampa, with a one hour NFL Films program, The Road to the Super Bowl, in between. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:20PM Eastern Time, with Al Michaels calling the play-by-play, and John Madden providing analysis. Madden will establish a record for having called a Super Bowl for all four major broadcast networks. Alex Flanagan and Edie Falco (also known as Andrea Kramer) will roam the sidelines. In addition to Bruce at halftime, Jennifer Hudson (in her first public appearance since the death of 3 family members last fall) will sing the national anthem, and among those performing in the pre-game will be Journey. Let's hope the screen doesn't go hard to black followed by end credits when they sing Don't Stop Believing… I also enjoy Super Bowl Sunday because it's the one day all year long when I can consume food that on any other day in this combination would have people calling for doctors to perform angioplasties on me. These would be beer, wings, chips, and burgers. Or as I like to call them: the four basic food groups… finally, a tip of the cap to NC State Women's Basketball coach Kay Yow, who passed away over the weekend after a prolonged bout with breast cancer. I had the chance to meet her a few years ago and hear her speak about her battle against the illness, and instead of coming across as bitter and envious; she came across as courageous and determined not only to beat her disease, but to help others do so as well. But as important as that angle of her story is, and I don't mean to reduce its significance in any way, she was a tremendous basketball coach. She posted over 700 victories in her career, won four ACC titles and had teams reach the NCAA Tournament 20 times, and was the Team USA coach for the 1988 Gold Medal winning Olympic team.

Enjoy the food and the game on Super Sunday - I know I will...