Since everyone in the MSM is so bored with this series I’d like to point out a controversy here at A2Y.  Chief, didn’t your record in Wii bowling against your wife used to read 1-3? I’m a numbers guy so I notice things like that and it seems it flip-flopped. I’m just saying, since we’re so bored with this series and all.
The site ate my previous post.

Posted by AndrewB from TN on 04/28/08 at 06:53 PM ET

I think covering NASCAR has gotten into the MSM too much. Where’s the crash, how many flips, how many fires and always in that fake relieved voice “luckily, he walked away with only minor bruises.”

Morbid toolbags.

Anyway, there hasn’t been emotion between the players because it has been so lopsided. A close playoff game is emotional, owning the ice is nice and doesn’t exactly make you angry.

I guarantee you, however, that if it was Crosby and Malkin, or Ovechkin and Semin on that same play, the intermission show would turn into a circlejerk instead of just a circle of jerks.

Posted by Osrt on 04/28/08 at 09:04 PM ET

Lyle’s a lot smarter hockey analyst than he came off in that piece. The whole rationale that “parity” has somehow made the two tems unequal in skill is rather strange to say the least.

As organizations, the Avs have had exactly the same opportunities the Wings have had. They just haven’t been as smart with their money and they don’t have a coach who knows how to get the best out of both his stars and his “secondary” players.

So, don’t expect the Wings to play down to the Avs level just so the games will be more “even” and “memorable” for you, Lyle. Personally, I hope they bore you all the way to the Cup Finals.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 04/28/08 at 10:55 PM ET

We recognize that the series is not the same as it was in the past because the MSM keeps trying to bring it up when we’re six years past that!

[shrugs]

What...we can’t let the next generation of superstars make their own mark in this series?

Posted by SYF from Las Vegas, NV on 04/28/08 at 11:39 PM ET

I think Lyle’s point is that Detroit’s simply going about its business against a horribly inferior team, uncapable of mounting any resistance and, unlike Nashville, unwilling to do so. Even worse, the Avalanche seems to have been resigned to their fate almost from the start.

While it might be fun for Wings fans to watch their players shine in a series in which they both outclass and out-self-motivate (what poor prose by me) the opponent to such an obscene amount, there’s no real reason for general hockey fans to enjoy a series that looks as sterile and by-the-book as a win against LA in mid-November (which isn’t to say the Wings should do anything different).

Even the relatively uneventful Pittsburgh-Ottawa series had an element of Schadenfreude in seeing just how far Ottawa had fallen. When Ottawa picked up the passion with physical play, they badly lost the fights, too, even more greatly exacerbating the spectacularity of their trainwreck.

It looks like the Avalanche can’t compete (let alone win) and it looks like they know it. But who can tell. Maybe Forsberg will actually show up for a game.

Even better, maybe he’ll go to the time keepers box and bawl about his skate on national television, a la Tanya Harding. That would be something.

Posted by Steve from Pittsburgh on 04/29/08 at 04:02 AM ET

Heh… looks like another highly esteemed “blogger” has some semi-literate, frothing commentary on Chief and ‘Wings fans…

A real “pro.”

Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 04/29/08 at 05:19 AM ET

“Asked how he felt Monday, Forsberg said with a touch of sarcasm: “It felt fabulous."

Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 04/29/08 at 05:30 AM ET

Saw that too Dub.  Thhom’s third try at a blog, at last count.

Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 04/29/08 at 05:30 AM ET

Poor, poor Thhhooommmyyy… looks a tad lonely over there.

Heh.

Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 04/29/08 at 05:32 AM ET

Man, I almost miss lurking the newsgroups…

Newsgroups: alt.sports.hockey.nhl.col-avalanche, alt.sports.hockey.nhl.det-redwings
From: TJ <wha...@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:10:34 -0700 (PDT)
Local: Sun, Apr 20 2008 2:10 am
Subject: Hehehe…

So what was it that all you idiots were saying about JoeTed having
lost it, and that he was incapable of playing like he had before, that
the trade was a mistake, blah blah blah blah…

Heh. Enjoy that crow, a$$holes.

-Thomas

__________________________________________________

:Heh. Enjoy that crow, a$$holes.

Throw out two hundred and fifty things, two hundred forty nine of which are retarded, and you’re crowing about getting one right finally?

Good for you. You should frame it. Put it on your wall and point to it and say, “There was a time when I wasn’t a f*cktard.” Cling to it. No,
seriously. This is an important moment in your life.

You should blog about it.

Tell your friends. Hell, you might even want to throw a party. Or at the very least, a shindig.

Well done, good sir. Well done. This is your moment, your finest hour.

- M. Zaiem Beg

Fabulous.

Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 04/29/08 at 06:18 AM ET

But to Bill and his legion of idiot clones, posting pictures of transvestites dressed as Avalanche fans never gets old.

He got that right!  Clearly, it’s working too!

Thhhommmyy, is it difficult to harbor so much anger, yet no one take you seriously?

Posted by lilja4ever on 04/29/08 at 06:18 AM ET

“dim-witted, uneducated, belligerent, anti-semitic, chauvinist, homophobic Red Wings fan named Bill Houlihan.”

“a cess pool populated by uneducated, homophobic, blue-collar idiots who still think of dick-and-fart humor as avant-garde well into their adult lives.”

eeeoooo...well done, sir!

That about covers it.

Where can I sign up for that train of 19?

Posted by w2j2 on 04/29/08 at 07:51 AM ET

I don’t know about you guys (actually, I guess I do), but I think the MSM should probably have watched a couple of games from the Flyers-Canadiens series.  Those teams are out for blood.  If you want a brutal, in-your-face fight to the death, Philly versus the Montreal Car-Burners is definitely where to go.

Avs-Wings?  Eh, there have to be two good teams for a decent rivalry.  There’s only been one as of the start of game 3.

Posted by Joe on 04/29/08 at 07:55 AM ET

Goodness, but Thomas sure is angry. I don’t get it. In his blog post from a week ago, he sounded like he really wanted an Avs/Wings matchup. Now he’s all upset. Poor Thomas. Some people just don’t know what they really want.

Too bad for the poor bastard, ‘cause he’s got it anyways.

Posted by Matt from Tennessee on 04/29/08 at 08:02 AM ET

I take issue with being called “dim-witted”, “uneducated”, “anti-semitic”, “chauvinist”, and “homophobic”. I can’t speak for Chief or the other A2Y 19, but none of those adjectives describe me.

I have no problem being called “belligerent”, “blue-collar”, or someone that appreciates a quality “dick-and-fart” joke once in a while (every minute of every hour of every day). As it relates to the Avs/Wings rivalry, you bet I’ll be “belligerent”. I don’t technically work a “blue-collar” job, but I have in the past, and would in the future. There’s nothing wrong with being “blue-collar”. Most people in this country got where they are through hard work. And as for “dick-and-fart” jokes… come on, that’s the spice of life.

Loosen up a bit, Thom. Sometimes it feels good to be a “blue-collar idiot” and laugh at a stupid joke once in a while. You might find it’s a good coping mechanism for when the ‘Dique get thrashed by Johan Franzen.

Posted by Nathan on 04/29/08 at 08:04 AM ET

I don’t know about you, but I think I was in 5th grade the last time that I got angry when someone called me a “fag”.

Which is also when he renamed his G.I. Joe, G.I Jules and stared dressing him only in pastels.

Posted by O-Joe on 04/29/08 at 08:21 AM ET

It seems to me that Lyle’s point is made in his Headline:

Avs-Wings missing the magic— and the hate

But in the six-year interim since these two teams last met in the postseason, the emotions have largely evaporated. Many of the rivalry’s previous participants are either playing elsewhere or retired.

To be honest, this playoff series, and the season series for that matter is “missing the magic”.

In order to have a rivalry, you have to have “COMPETITION”!  Consider these numbers, from Rick Sadowski at the Rocky Mountain News:

It’s hard to score goals when you hardly have the puck, a problem the Avalanche has encountered in all six meetings with the Red Wings this season.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise the Avalanche lost all six games, including the first two in the Western Conference semifinal series.

The best puck-possession team in the NHL, the Red Wings have been at their best in the series. Counting shots on goal, missed shots and those that have been blocked, the Red Wings attempted 128 shots in the first two games (76 were on net), while the Avalanche was held to 64 (41 on net).

Av’s have not won a single game against DET all year.  Jose “Three or Four” has posted this line so far this series:  Jose Theodore (G)
0-2-0, 9.34 GA, .778 save %, in last 2 GPI.

I respectfully suggest there is “no magic”, no intensity; simply because there is no competition.  At no time in the first two games did you really sense that the Av’s belonged on the same sheet of ice as DET; simple as that.

Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 04/29/08 at 08:41 AM ET

Anyone else find it telling that Thhhommy made a conscious decision to name his “blog” Riding the Avalanche? Holy double entendre.

Just sayin’…

Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 04/29/08 at 08:47 AM ET

I love that Thhhom attempted to add credibility to his paranoid ravings by suggesting that he’s “even shown the blog to other Red Wings fans” who found Chief to be an ass. I bet he even listed their responses on an Excel spreadsheet.

Personally I hope he keeps blogging. All joking aside, he’s really got some problems, and perhaps blogging will be cathartic. I don’t know...maybe someday he might even look deep enough and find the courage to show us on the doll where the bad man touched him.  And made him an Avs fan.

Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 04/29/08 at 08:59 AM ET

maybe someday he might even look deep enough and find the courage to show us on the doll where the bad man touched him.  And made him an Avs fan.

Courage, Thhhommy, courage.

Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 04/29/08 at 09:05 AM ET

I take issue with being called “dim-witted”, “uneducated”, “anti-semitic”, “chauvinist”, and “homophobic”. I can’t speak for Chief or the other A2Y 19

While I REALLY didn’t want to pay Thomas any more attention than he’s due (none), speaking as an educated, reasonably bright white-collar Jewish man who believes in equal rights for and nondiscrimanatory treatment of women and homosexuals, I have NEVER been made to feel by the Chief that any of those things should count against me.  Nor is there any evidence that he is any of these things.  The only tarnishing I see of Paul’s professional reputation is by allowing Thomas to continue his angry, abusive commenting for so long before he ventured over the line and was summarily banned by the Chief.

Thomas, on the other hand, by using the Chief’s actual identity and making libelous claims about his personal bearing, is opening himself up for potential lawsuits, charges of defamation, and injury settlements, not to mention costly legal fees.  Though it would most likely not come to court, at the very least the Chief could retain counsel in the countries where Thomas’ blog is readable, making him answerable to such charges if he were to ever enter said countries.  Again, somewhat unlikely.  Of course, the Chief could just complain to Blogger and get Thomas’ (what is it, third?) blog taken down.  Lucky for Thomas the Chief is far more thick-skinned than I am.

I did like the self-contradictory tone of the post, claiming that typical Red Wings fans are morons, then praising Paul, who is a well-known Wingnut.  Once again Thomas demonstrates the research skills that have made him a legend around A2Y.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from the law offices of Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe on 04/29/08 at 09:21 AM ET

Andrew, perfectly said.

My point in saying I can’t speak for the other 19 and Chief is simply that I believe, above all, that everyone has a right to speak for themselves and have their own opinions, whether I agree with them or not.

THAT is America.

I simply don’t want to misrepresent someone else’s beliefs. Though, admittedly, in my right mind I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t take issue with being called any of those things. But like I said… if we’re getting down to ethical discussions, it isn’t my place to speak on behalf of anyone but myself.

Posted by Nathan on 04/29/08 at 09:41 AM ET

Andrew, you’re overlooking the obvious.  Chief would actually have to produce evidence that anyone (other than us) actually read that crap.  Hell, other Avs fans don’t like him either. In fact, I showed his post to a wild pack of howler monkeys, and, after briefly conferring with each other, they unanimously decided that he wasn’t worthy of having their poo flung at him.

I’m just sayin.

By the way, Dub…

Good for you. You should frame it. Put it on your wall and point to it and say, “There was a time when I wasn’t a f*cktard.” Cling to it.

That’s friggen hilarious. Great find.

Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 04/29/08 at 09:49 AM ET

anti-semitic

Where did this come from??

Forget lawyers, call in the Seals for a quick strike operation; both fan bases can party together then we can let them go back to moping in the corner.

...You know, I heard they only allow Jews into the Seals…

chauvinist

Care to comment Baroque?

dim-witted, uneducated

If I remember correctly, Gerogeums, back when he actually gave a damn about Thom, dropped a quote from Nietzsche and some German as a reply. Must be hard living in a trailer huh George?

Oh, and on the ‘logical’ side of things, he is also calling for Sakic to retire/ resign his captaincy, and ‘pick up a more vocal leader on the free agent market.’ Yes, then you can retire another free agent’s jersey. Classic.

Posted by Osrt on 04/29/08 at 10:13 AM ET