Since both football games today have been pretty sleepy, let's talk about some hockey tidbits before finally getting to the Sabres game yesterday.
- The numbers from the Winter Classic are in, and it's safe to say it was another big success. The market shares are pretty interesting, so let's check out the top five:
Top 10 Metered Markets:
1. Chicago 11.8/21
2. Detroit 10.5/20
3. Buffalo 10.1/20
4. St. Louis 5.3/10
5. Pittsburgh 4.4/8
Of course the first two Winter Classic cities are in there, but the fact that Buffalo almost matched Detroit's numbers is pretty amazing. The Buffalo market always responds well to national broadcasts, but I'm sure there was an extra bit of interest to see how Chicago would put on the show.
- We all know All Star voting is a joke, but it's always frustrating to see the final result, especially when you know the league encourages it. Breaking voting records makes for a cool press release, but there will be some very deserving players staying home when all is said and done. The system is messed up all around, with the wrong players getting nominated (Teppo and anyone who was hurt the majority of the year) and the "team vote" concept. Giving fans the chance to pick the starting roster is a novel concept, but after the last two seasons of "Vote for Rory" and Habs/Pens it just isn't working like it should.
- If you liked the Semin fight, I'm sure you will love this:
Between this and the taint punch from a few weeks ago it seems like Sidney is an angry little bugger these days. I guess you would be if you're on a team with two all world players and struggling to keep a playoff spot.
You can't say the Sabres are doing much better, but it's obvious that the Penguins should be. They have a below .500 home record, have gone 3-7 in their last ten, and are in desperate need of a real head coach. It would help if they could play some defense, too. Sid also needs to learn to take the visor off if he wants to get into real fights, unless pouncing on guys who are actually trying to win a faceoff is his idea of a good time.
- January is a pretty busy month for the Sabres, but they only have three home games left in it. Two of those (Ottawa and NYR) are this week, which means a lot of traveling, including a Florida and west coast road trip. How the Sabres do at home will set the tone for both of those trips, as well as a visit to the Stanley Cup Champions this Saturday. It may only be January, but it feels looks like this month will determine a lot for Buffalo's playoff hopes.
Sometime before daybreak tomorrow I will have some thoughts on the Boston game. Promise.
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I CAN'T wait for someone to take a run at Cindy. It's going to happen soon.
ReplyDeleteAnd people complain how Crosby apparently doesn't show any leadership or toughness. While it may not have been the most "traditional" of fights, at least he's showing some emotion. If Crosby was at the other end of the situation, getting rag-dolled, people would bitch and moan that he turtles and can't even put up a fight. In the end, he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.
ReplyDeleteAnd people have been taking runs at Crosby since he was 16, I think he's used to it by now...
Ogre,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the majority of that. My girlfriend and I were talking about this earlier, and she brought up a good point: this team is looking for that kind of leadership, and he just might not know how to show it.
There are a lot of problems with the Penguins, and we both think it starts with coaching. They've also lost a lot of guys over the summer that could give them a spark when they need it, such as Laroque, Roberts and even Malone. The Penguins aren't a team that needs more scoring; they need defense and a type of leadership Crosby shouldn't have to provide. Matt Cooke isn't giving it to them, though, so I guess they are still looking for answers.