Top 5 NHL All Star Snubs

Last modified on 2012-01-18 16:38:59 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Let me preface this by saying I HATE All-Star Games.  They really serve no purpose to me.  Most of the players don’t want to be a part of them and their really unwatchable (especially in the NHL & NFL), and don’t even get me started that MLB bases home field advantage in the World Series on the winner of a mid-season exhibition (one of the biggest jokes in sports).  I’d rather there be a week break from games and let players rest and heal up before the playoff rush starts.

In saying all this, when All-Star rosters are announced it’s always good to debate who shouldn’t have made the team and who was snubbed.  This year is no exception.  Thursday the NHL All-Star team was announced and while some players who have had terrible seasons (Corey Perry and Alex Ovechkin), made the team strictly on their name (I’m surprised they didn’t add Cindy Crosby as well), there are actual players who might not be the sexiest names in the league but are more than deserving of an All-Star nod.

5 – Radim Vrbata, Coyotes – While Vrbata only has 35 points this season he’s currently tied for sixth in goals with 21 and is a +11 on a mediocre Phoenix team.  Compare that to Perry (35 points, -11) and Ovechkin (33 points -8).  What hurt Vrbata is the Coyotes already have one All-Star (Keith Randle), so to have multiple players on a non-playoff team might have been too much to ask.

4 – Kris Versteeg, Panthers – Versteeg, Phil Kessel, and Joffrey Lupul were three players who came out of the gate on fire.  While Kessel and Lupul have surprisingly kept up their scoring pace, Versteeg has cooled off.  Even so Versteeg still has 39 points in 41 games and is a +11.  More importantly he’s led the Panthers, a team that was expected to fight for the first overall pick in the 2012 draft, to the top of the Southeast Division.

3 – Thomas Vanek, Sabres – Vanek has 40 points in 42 games this season.  What hurts him is he’s lumped in with a bunch of players with similar stats who also didn’t make the team.  The difference is Vanek’s 19 goals leads a Sabres team that has a lot of trouble putting the puck in the net.  In saying that, he’s still a better option than a guy like Logan Couture (31 points).    

2 – Scott Hartnell, Flyers – Hartnell is having the best season of his career and is arguably on one of the best lines in the NHL (along with Claude Giroux and Jaromir Jagr).  He currently has 38 points and leads the Flyers with a +18.  Sure, he’s not the best skater (Hartnell fall!), but he’s more deserving the some players who embarrassingly call themselves All-Stars.

1 – Jordan Eberle, Oilers -   Eberle is currently sidelined with a knee injury and at the time he was seventh in the league in scoring.  Even though he hasn’t played in a week he’s still tied for tenth.  What’s interesting with Eberle is the NHL told the Oilers that if he was healthy he would have made the team (as would have rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins).  I’m calling bulls**t.  Dustin Byfuglien made the All-Star team and he’s also injured.  To overlook a top 10 scorer and blame it on injury is a pussy move by the NHL (not to mention Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins both lost contract bonuses for not making the All-Star team).

Honorable Mentions:

Patrik Elias, Devils – (15G, 25A, -4)

Pekka Rinne, Predators – (22W, 2.55GAA, .919SV%)

James Neal, Penguins – (21G, 15A, -5)

Matt Moulson, Islanders – (20G, 17A, +6)

Loui Eriksson, Stars – (16G, 24A, +12)

 Did I miss anyone or are any of my snubs not All-Star worthy?  What are your thoughts.  Email me at jay@thesportsriot.com and let me know.

Top 5 Exploding People

Last modified on 2012-01-16 15:46:50 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

With some of the events of the past few weeks going the way they have, I was inspired to make a list of sports figures I thought would have the best possibility of actually exploding.  Here we go:

5) Coach K – Mike Krzyzewski’s face last night was incredible.  Like Garth said inWayne’s World, “Ever see that scene in Scanners right before the guy’s head explodes?”  That is what it was like last week as Duke’s #5 ranking slipped away to the God that is known as Fran Dunphy.  Coach K is like Michael Corleone, usually cool, methodical and calculating.  However, if you start beating him, and God forbid you are unranked at the time, he becomes more like Sonny Corleone. 

4)     Tom Coughlin – I hope the Giants never, ever, EVER fire Tom Coughlin.  Other than watching him make it to another NFC championship game, there is nothing more entertaining than watching his head turn purple while he’s yelling and like a cartoon, there is steam literally coming off the top of his head and ears.  I swear, one day I will get my sh*t together and make a DVD highlight reel of Tom Coughlin losing his mind.  The pinnacle might have been the comeback win by the Eagles late last season.  If they were so concerned about terrorism up in the Meadowlands, Coughlin shouldn’t be allowed inside the stadium.  His head alone is a four ton nuke.

3)     John McEnroe – This man-made me like tennis.  I hope you understand the levity of that statement.  Smashing rackets, cursing out the line judges and yelling at fans; this guy was a f**king rockstar.  This dude hosted a game show where he would just ask you questions and you had to monitor your heartbeat.  Even when he was calm you would have a slight twinge of fear, that’s how intimidating his potential flip outs would be.  In fact, if I were ever in a band, we would be called “McEnroe Rage.”  No one would show up to our concerts because they’d all be too afraid.

2)     Jerry Jones – Ok, he’s not a coach.  You called me out on it.  He likes to think he is though.  In my mind Jerry Jones is about four feet tall.  When his team loses watching him flip out sitting atop that billion dollar stadium is even better than any football game I’ve ever watched.  Surrounded by all his rich friends, acting like an idiot and bouncing all around the room.  It’s almost as if Will Ferrell called him an “angry little elf.”  He even looks like Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars.  If the Cowboys loose just bad enough, just the right amount of times, I’m sure lightning bolts will fly out of his arms at some point. 

1)  Bobby Knight – The King of Wrath, there is none higher! Sucka MC’s can call him “arghgfsdghhdsl;kd;” because that’s what you sound like when Bobby Knight is choking you out for missing a free throw.  The undisputed king of rage, Bobby Knight is easily the best explosion you can ever see.    The guy might as well be a guest on Springer.  You never know when he’s going to just wing a chair at you.  His face gets as red as a hooker’s lipstick to the point where you wonder if he’s going to be brain-dead due to the lack of oxygen in his brain.  Screw The Avengers, these guys need to get together and fight crime themselves.  Joss Whedon – get on it!

Top 5 Sports Heroes in Green Bay

Last modified on 2012-01-11 16:51:04 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Throughout the history of sports, any city that has a franchise that has been around forever is going to produce some heroes. Green Bay, who have won 13 NFL titles (most ever) and 3 Division II Final Four’s, has it’s fair share of heroes. Now it’s a personal opinion that numbers are important when you’re talking about the greatness of a player, but what makes him/her a hero? It’s a fans perspective that’s important as well as the numbers. There have been many players that have put up legendary numbers, but produce less than legendary behavior. So with that criteria in mind, and much research on our part, here are Green Bay’s Top 5 heroes.
5- Don Majikowski ”The Majik Man” - The Majik Man wasn’t the greatest QB in Packer history but he was a memorable one. A 10th round draft pick, Majikowski actually had some very productive seasons with the Pack, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 27 TD’s in 1989, but “The Majik Man’s” mystic was not built on numbers. Don Majikowski used to pull out some of the most improbable plays during is short time in the spotlight that he quickly became a fan favorite. It’s only fitting that such a favorite of the fans wound being replaced by the one and only Brett Favre.

4- Aaron Rodgers – The only reason Rodgers is not at the top of this list is because he’s only in his 4th year at the helm of this historic franchise. Barring a massive injury or a pre-mature decline, Rodgers will be near the top of any Green Bay Packers list for many years to come. Rodgers is having an MVP worthy season and is poised to make a run for his second Super Bowl title.

3 – Curly Lambeau - The namesake of the hallowed “Lambeau Field” was also one of its greatest players and coaches. Curly (“hey Moe”) is in the Packers record books for throwing the first pass in Pack history, throwing the first TD in Pack history and kicking the first Field Goal in Packers history. He won 6 NFL titles as the team’s head coach and is so beloved in Green Bay that his name is forever linked with the Green Bay Packers. When you think of Green Bay’s head coaches, one name comes to mind, Vince Lombardi right? But whenever I think of the Packers team the following phrase always comes to mind “on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.”

2 – Ray Nitschke - I shutter to think what it must’ve been like to have to line up against this animal who stood upright and wore a helmet. Not only was Nitschke one of the greatest players in NFL history, but he was one the meanest, hardest hitting linebackers to ever play the game. There are certain images that I will never forget from all of my years watching classic NFL Films specials; Ray Nitschke’s face is one of them. To me, he was the face of Green Bay when I was a kid. Athletic (25 ints in his career) and mean were the lethal combination that Nitshcke used to spread fear throughout the NFL for 15 seasons and lead the Packers to 5 NFL titles including a title game MVP in 1962.

1b – Brett Favre - In my opinion the only reason Favre loses out to Bart Starr on this list is because he left in such a terrible way. I know that other facts have surfaced and we are not really sure whether or not Brett was forced out in favor of Aaron Rodgers, but to go and eventually land with a division rival just to stick it to your former team is bad form, and unfortunately hurt his legacy. I’m sure that the old adage “time heals all wounds” will apply when history remembers Brett in Green Bay, but right now I think that wound is still fresh (considering Aaron Rodgers has done a great job of making Pack fans forget that Brett guy. Brett who?). In any case, “The Golden Brett” won one Super Bowl title in two appearances and won the NFL MVP four times, and is the only player in NFL history to win the MVP three consecutive seasons. He won eight division titles, went to five NFC championship games and started every game for the Green Bay Packers in his 16 seasons there.

1a – Bart Starr – You can’t talk about the Green Bay Packers without talking about Bart Starr. It’s wasn’t statistics, and it wasn’t glamour, it was his flat out ability to win. Starr won 5 NFL titles (three in a row) a season MVP and a two-time Super Bowl MVP. He held most of the Packers passing records until Brett came along and will always be considered THE QB of the Green Bay Packers. Hell, I’m not a Packers fan by any stretch and I love the guy.

Honorable Mention

Reggie White - One of the greatest D-Linemen of all-time and one of the finest gentlemen to grace the gridiron. With punks like Ndamukong Suh and Albert Haynesworth in the NFL these days, you really have to wonder what made Reggie such a kind soul. White died entirely too young, but he lives on in the hearts of Packers and Eagles fans forever.

Sterling Sharpe - In my opinion, Sharpe would’ve been one of the greatest Wide receivers of all-time if he wasn’t forced to retire due to a neck injury. He was the most dominant Wide receiver in the game for the better part of his 7 seasons in Green Bay and was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame.

So there you have it Packers fans, this was the list I came up with. I was looking for other players from your Junior pro Hockey team (The Gamblers) or a player from the UW-Green Bay squad but they just couldn’t crack the list. The cheeseheads dominate Green Bay, and that’s the way it should be. If I missed anybody, or I got the order wrong, leave us a comment or email me chris@thesportsriot.net.

Top 5 Dead Rivalries in Sports

Last modified on 2012-01-04 02:29:51 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

On Monday night on the ice the New York Islanders and the New York Rangers squared off for another epic clash. The only problem is that no one seems to care anymore. The Rangers and the Islanders used to send at least minor shock waves through the sports world on the nights they would meet up back in the 80′s and a little into the early 90′s. Of course being a the rabid Rangers fan that I was in the 80′s and 90′s, I was especially in tune with when these games were coming up and what they meant. You see, I was one of a very few Rangers fans in my neighborhood on Long Island (which is Islander turf), and it was a torturous morning when I’d have to go into school after a Rangers loss at the hands of the hated Islanders. I saw that this game was on the schedule twice in the past week, and I barely cared. I still love my Rangers, and I get amped when they play the Flyers or the Devils, but the Rangers have owned the Islanders for so long now, and the Islanders have become so irrelevant that it could’ve been the Blue Jackets losing to the Rangers 3-0 Monday night and it would’ve been all the same. So with that being said, and with the power invested in me by the fans and myself, I now dub the Islanders and the Rangers a dead rivalry; along with the rest of these rivalries. Enjoy.

5- LA Lakers Vs. Sacramento Kings (NBA) – This one is simple, the Kings just suck now (even with the Kings stunning defeat of the Lakers two nights ago). It seems that this rivalry was red hot in the late ’90′s when the Kings were a championship contender. For a three year stretch from 2000 to 2003, the Kings hooked up with the Lakers in the playoffs each year. Being in-state rivals was one thing, but the 2003 Western Conference Finals series was the pinnacle of this rivalry. To this day, I still don’t know what game the refs were calling in Game 6, but it wasn’t the Kings and the Lakers that’s for sure. The Lakers received questionable call after questionable call for the majority of that game resulting in a Game 7 in Sacramento. The Lakers went on to win Game 7 in a dramatic OT win in which they came back from a large deficit in 4th quarter. The Kings to this day have not recovered from this loss.

4- Kansas City Royals Vs. New York Yankees (MLB) – During the late 70′s through the mid 80′s, these two teams were among the best teams in baseball every season. With both squads littered with Hall of Famers (George Brett, Goose Gossage, Reggie Jackson, etc) the quality and intensity of baseball that was being played was at the highest level every game. Matching up several times in the ALCS (4 times from ’76-’80) with the Yankees winning three of those four meetings, but the Yanks never dominated the Royals. These series looked more like fierce battles in an epic war. The Royals finally beat the Yanks in 1980 en-route to a World Series loss to the Phillies.
Side Note: the famous Pine Tar incident with George Brett took place in Yankee stadium also.

3- Cleveland Brown Vs. Cincinnati Bengals (NFL) – Two teams with the same founder have to hate each other on some level right? Paul Brown, perhaps one of the finest coaches ever and the founder of both franchises, was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1945 to 1963 when he was ousted by owner Art Modell. The move obviously was not met with joyous uproar from the fan base (considering the team was named after coach Brown) and Brown’s next move is probably what caused such a strong rivalry in the first place. In 1968, Paul Brown returned to football by purchasing and coaching the AFL’s Cincinnati Bengals. He would coach them until 1976 and year after year the Browns and the Bengals would meet, and each game was as bitter as the last. These were personal, deep wounds that the players played out on the field. In 1976, Brown officially retired as coach, but stayed on as president. As president of the Bengals, they made it to two Super Bowls (losing both to the 49ers) something Modell’s Brown never did.
That was long ago. This rivalry has been dead since at least the 80′s since both teams have been mostly terrible since then. First off, the Modell owned Browns moved to Baltimore to become the Ravens in 1995, thus ending any real connection to the old rivalry, and the new Brown’s haven’t really made any noise as a franchise in the years since they’ve been back. As for the Bengals, with the exception of one or two seasons in the playoffs, they too have been largely irrelevant on the field. Their relevance seems to be more present in a court room rather than a football field.

2- New York Knicks Vs. Indiana Pacers (NBA) – During the 90′s the Pacers and the Knicks would battle it out for the runner-up position in the Eastern Conference every season (their prize was a quick exit from the conference finals at the hands of the Jordan-led Bulls) except for the 93-94 season. The stars aligned and Michael Jordan decided he was too good to play in the NBA anymore, so he retired and tried baseball for a year or so. During that season, the Knicks and Pacers met in an epic 7-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals which saw the Knicks defeat Reggie Miller and the Pacers en-route to a Finals loss to the Rockets. The thing about this rivalry was not it’s longevity, it was it’s dramatics. The Reggie Miller heroics in Game 5 in ’94 (24 pts in the 4th quarter) and his Game 1 “8-points in 8 seconds” magical ending at the Garden, the Patrick Ewing missed finger roll in Game 7 in ’95 to lose that series and everything in between. For a few seasons whenever the Pacers and the Knicks got together you could expect a dramatic turn of events to unfold like Reggie’s feud with courtside fans at the Garden, especially Spike Lee.They’ve met up a few times in the playoffs since then, but it just seems that since the characters have changed the hatred for each other has gone away. Miller and Ewing have retired and the personality of both franchises has changed, so the rivalry no longer exists.

1- New York Rangers Vs. New York Islanders (NHL) – As I had said at the top, perhaps I’m biased on this one because of what it meant to me throughout my childhood, but it is sad what has happened to possibly the best rivalry in the NHL for years. The Rangers and Islanders have met in the playoffs 8 times and nearly 300 times since the Isles came into the league in ’72. Their records against each other are basically even (The Isles slightly lead the all time playoff record, the Rangers slightly lead in All Time wins) but that is not what made this rivalry great. If you truly want to know what made the Islanders-Rangers rivalry great, you have to go to all the fights that took place during those games. There have been more brawls between these two teams than there’s been hockey played. I remember having arguments with Islanders fans in my neighborhood about who won the fights the night before, not the games.
The other aspect of this rivalry that was key to it’s intensity was the fans. The Rangers and the Islanders had such ferocious fans at the time that when you went to a game you’d best be prepared to verbally defend yourself and your team if you entered the enemies building sporting your teams colors; especially Nassau Coliseum. Yes, it’s a dump and it always has been, but back then there was a section of fans that would coordinate just for the Rangers-Islanders games, and shout down any Rangers fans in the building. It was truly an impressive spectacle and is sorely missed because Islanders fans have disappeared into the ether of the NHL universe. Rangers fans are still around because they have continued to be relevant despite a 5 or 6 year playoff drought (the Rangers are currently in 1st place in the Eastern Conference). The Islanders on the other hand still play in that dump on Long Island, and one terrible move after another has led them to the trash heap of history. The once great franchise that won 4 straight Stanley Cups in the early ’80′s is dead, and as a result so is this rivalry. A moment of silence please for those who have passed………thanks.

Is their a rivalry that you remember being a great one that just doesn’t live up to that hype anymore, or even worse doesn’t have a hype anymore? Email me and tell me about them thesportsriot@yahoo.com or follow us on Twitter @TheSportsRiot.

Top 5 Christmas Games

Last modified on 2012-01-04 15:26:37 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanza, and Festivus to all.  I hope whatever holiday you Rioters! celebrated, everyone was ready for it.  One thing I love about Christmas, aside from spending time with friends and family, and getting new socks and underwear, is the sports.  Since there’s been no NHL or NFL games on Christmas Day since 1971, its’ basketball or nothing and it’s the NBA’s showcase day (I’m not counting the usually boring college bowl game).  This year, the NBA kicked its season off on Christmas day and it didn’t disappoint with a classic in LA (Bulls beat Lakers with last second shot), and an epic comeback in NYC (Carmelo putting up 17 in the 4th quarter the stun the Celtics by 2). As much as I do bitch about basketball, I do watch, especially on Christmas because some of the game’s greatest moments have occurred while we’re sitting in our living rooms deciding if the sweater grandma gave us is actually worth a re-gift.
5 – 2004 – Pistons/Pacers – On paper this doesn’t look like much of a classic Christmas game.  It was a matchup of two .500 teams with the Pistons defeating the Pacers 98-93.  What made it interesting was this was the first meeting of these two clubs since a November 19th brawl that resulted in  Ron Artest and Stephan Jackson entering the stands and attacking fans.  In what was considered the worst brawl in NBA history a total of 10 players were suspended for a total of 146 games (most notable Artest who was suspended for the remainder of the season and playoffs).
The hype surrounding the re-match of these two clubs made national headlines and most feared that there would be retaliation from Pacers fans on the Pistons (the original brawl started when some jackass in the stands hit Artest in the chest with a cup of Diet Coke).  Thankfully the Pacers fans had more class than those in Detroit and the game went on without any incidents.  Rip Hamilton led the Pistons in scoring with 25, while Reggie Miller scored 24 for the Pacers.
4 – 2010 – Lakers/Heat – In 2010 the Heat became the most hated team in the NBA outside of Miami, mainly because of Lebron James douchebag “I’m taking my talents to South Beach” comment, and Chris Bosh proclaiming the Heat to be a “Dream Team” (yeah, Vince Young wasn’t the first).  The media followed the Heat’s circus wherever they went, but all eyes were on Christmas day when the Heat travelled to Los Angeles to take on the World Champion Lakers.  The game was billed as two of the league’s best players going head to head.  The cocky James against the aging Kobe Bryant.
The game lived up to the hype that surrounded it as two of the top teams in the league fought for 48 minutes. The Heat proved to be the better team that night, led by James’s 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists (James recorded his first triple-double of the season), the Heat took the victory 96-80.  James’s “Dream Team” buddy Bosh was no slouch either kicking in 24 points and 13 rebounds.
The Lakers were flat and Bryant only chipped in 17 points.  That tied for the Lakers lead with Pau Gasol.
While the Heat won that round, we all know what happened to the “Dream Team” in the NBA Finals against the Mavericks.
3 – 1984 – Nets/Knicks – The Knicks were an abomination in the 1984-85 season (only the Pacers and Warriors had worse records), but it didn’t stop them from still stealing the spotlight on Christmas day 1984 (the Knicks have appeared in 46 Christmas day games, most in the NBA).
Led by Bernard King, who scored a whopping 40 points in the first half (a Knicks Franchise record), the Knicks appeared to be pulling an upset over their rivals from across the Hudson.  That was until reality set in and led by Buck Williams, the Nets stormed back and defeated the Knicks 120-114.
King finished with 60 points, which is an NBA record for Christmas Day games and he went on to be the eventual scoring champion.
2 – 2004 – Lakers/Heat - I can’t remember the last time an NBA game was so hyped than on Christmas Day of 2004, when the then Shaq-led Heat were making their first trip of the season to Los Angeles to face the Lakers.  The dynasty that was once shared by Shaq and Kobe had crumbled in epic-proportions when they got into a pissing match about who was “the man” on those Laker teams.  After a bunch of shit talking to the media on both sides, Shaq demanded a trade and ended up taking his talents to South Beach.
In one of the best Christmas Day games I’ve ever witnessed, it was an on the edge of your seat battle, that started with the Lakers giving Shaq a video tribute (a class move even though both Bryant and Shaq claimed they didn’t watch). 
The head-to-head matchup was clearly dominated by Kobe who led all scorers with 42 points, but it was the Heat who was victorious thanks to Dwayne Wade who had 29 points and 10 assists.  Despite fouling out with two minutes left to play (Shaq lost count how many fouls he had.  Counting to five is a tough task for some), Shaq held his own scoring 24 points and had 11 rebounds.
1 – 1985 – Celtics/Knicks – As tough as it is to find a game to trump that battle in 2004, the best Christmas Day game had to be on December 25, 1985, which became known as “The Christmas Miracle at The Garden”.  The Knicks were again terrible in 1985 and the rival Celtics were the leagues best (they would go on to win the NBA Championship).  With injuries to Bernard King and Bill Cartwright, the Knicks would have to rely on a rookie named Patrick Ewing.  They were no match for the likes of Bird, McHale, Ainge, and Parrish, right?
That’s exactly how the game started with the Celtics dominating the Knicks.  It was so bad the Celtics were beating the Knicks in the third quarter 58-33.  That’s when the momentum changed and the Knicks went on a 20-5 run to finish the quarter.
Heading into the fourth quarter, Ewing took over scoring 18 points (12 in a row at one point).  The Knicks got the lead reduced to two points and Rory Sparrow tied the game with two free throws, forcing overtime.
In overtime the Knicks struggled again, but battled back and tied the game on a Trent Tucker’s three pointer at the buzzer, forcing a second overtime.  The Knicks dominated the second overtime and won 113-104, marking one of the biggest comebacks in Knicks history.  Ewing finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds, which was only the beginning of his legacy in the Big Apple.
What was your favorite Christmas game?  I want to know.  Hit me up at thesportsriot@yahoo.com and fill me in.  Also remember to follow us on Twitter @TheSportsRiot.  Feliz Navidad…

Jay’s Christmas Wishes (A Top 5 Tale)

Last modified on 2012-01-04 02:30:12 GMT. 25 comments. Top.

Dear Santa, It’s that time of year again when you put on your red suit and give all the good children presents– and the bad ones, well, they’re shit out of luck.  Now I know I’m not a kid, and it’s highly doubtful I made the Good List this year, but I do have a few requests.  Don’t worry; it’s nothing crazy like a car, a winning lottery ticket, or instant fame and success (although I wouldn’t complain about those).  It’s just some basic wishes that I that I think, with your influence and with a couple of calls, you can make happen.  Although I haven’t been the ideal guy this year, I’ll be sure to leave out cookies and milk for you (this year I’ll make sure the milk isn’t spoiled) if you do me this solid and hook me up with these requests.

5 – For the Clippers to be the Dominant Basketball Team in La-La Land - Before you think it, I’m not jumping on the Clippers bandwagon.  The NBA lockout has left a residual bad taste in my mouth, so unless the topic is the Knicks, I’m not really interested.  I would like to see the Clippers make a move to relevance –not because I think Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will be a great 1-2 scoring punch, but because I’m sick of the Lakers.  I’m over Kobe and his personal life, I find Pau Gasol disturbing to look at, and I didn’t like the way they moaned and bitched when the trade for CP3 was denied by the league. 

Considering the Clippers have never been a good team (and the only Clippers fan I can think of is Bill Simmons), it would be refreshing to see them take over LA and, for once, the Lakers take a back seat.  Besides, it’ll be funny to see all these life-long Clippers fans come out of the woodwork when they’re in the playoffs.

4 – For There to be a Hot Player in the WNBA – I’m not sure if this can actually happen because I’m not sure the WNBA is actually still in existence.  I don’t watch it, and I don’t know anyone who does.  It is possible for that to change though, just by adding a little eye candy (which to my knowledge they’ve never had, unless you count Rebecca Lobo, but she only looked hot because everyone around her really wasn’t).

Look, sex sells and men are pigs; if you bring in a couple less-talented-but-smoking-hot players into the league, dudes will start watching the WNBA (men can overlook a terrible product if they get to stare at hot chicks on a basketball court.  We’re shallow like that).  It worked for tennis.  Personally I don’t like to watch tennis, but if Maria Sharapova is playing Petra Kvitova, I’ll pause my channel surfing and watch a couple of sets.  It’s what guys do.  Ladies, if you’re dating a guy who said he wouldn’t do that, he’s lying.

3 – For the Jets to Make the Playoffs – With 33 games under their inaugural belt, the Jets are 15-13-5, currently sitting in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with 35 points.  Their record isn’t as impressive as it should be, mainly due to a poor start, but things are turning around in Winnipeg.  The Jets are 6-2-1 in the month of December and have made the MTS Centre their own, going an impressive 6-1-1 this month.

Although the Jets are currently in 11th place in the conference, they are only one point behind the eighth-seed Senators and seven points behind the division-leading Panthers.  If the Jets continue their up-tempo style of hockey, there’s no reason to think the playoffs are out of reach.
Should they make the playoffs, I will keep my word and get a Winnipeg Jets tattoo, the logo chosen by the Rioters! in Manitoba.

2 – For the Marlins to Still Suck – I don’t like the Marlins.  I never have and I never will.  The fact that they have won more World Series titles in their existence than the Phillies have during that period, makes me sick.  Any ownership group that puts together a World Series team only to tear it down the next season doesn’t deserve to own a sports franchise.

Now the Marlins are “Miami”, and they are going into a new stadium, with horrific looking uniforms, and have made a splash in free agency; all fourteen of the Marlins faithful think they have a legitimate chance at challenging the Phillies for the division.  Sure, the additions of Mark Buerhle, Heath Bell, and Jose Reyes are nice, but their manager is a cocky, obnoxious asshole who would rather drop ten f-bombs during a press conference than actually formulate an articulate sentence as to how his team performed.
I know Ozzie Guillen stepped in shit once and won a World Series with the White Sox, but that’ll never happen again.  Guillen was a loser as a player and a loser as a manager.  Couple that with a city that doesn’t care about the Marlins, and they’ll be selling off pieces during next year’s trade deadline when the team is in the red.

1 – For the Eagles to Fire Andy Reid – I understand it’s not the best fandom to hope your team loses, but I think in some cases it’s allowed.  For example, for Colts fans, I can understand wanting them to lose so they win the Andrew Luck lottery, or in my case, hoping the Eagles would continue to lose so Andy Reid would finally be fired and some fresh blood would be brought into Philadelphia Eagles football.

While I think it could happen, it’s probably not likely, but I’m hopeful that Santa can get a hand in there and work some magic.  The Eagles’ little hot streak, and their outside shot at making the playoffs, is the worst thing for an Eagles fan.  The hot streak will end up as gigantic blue balls, as it’s just enough decent play to give fans a false sense of hope.  Eagles fans, forget it; it’s not going to happen.  This little hot streak at the end of the season is just enough to save Andy’s fat ass.  He’ll be back next season and we’ll continue to be frustrated.
Unless you’re an Eagles fan and see what he does week in and week out, you won’t understand my frustration.  People might see a coach that takes his team to the year after year, but I see a guy who’s an asshole to the media, doesn’t know how to manage a clock and isn’t capable of winning the big game.  As an Eagles fan, I’m sick of being a bridesmaid.

Santa, I think you can make these things happen.  I promise to be good next year.  I’ll drink less, not curse as much, and do my best to be less offensive.  No promises, but I’ll try.

Love,

Jay
The Sports Riot!

On a more serious note, we like to joke around here at The Sports Riot!, and I hope you are entertained (if you’re not, there’s probably something wrong with you).  But for a second I want to take a second and give love to those who we might take for granted.  While most of us will wake up on Christmas morning with a marginal hangover getting ready to open gifts, there are people who won’t be home.  They’ll be out working their asses off to help us. 

There are firefighters who are sitting in their firehouse waiting in case they need to prevent or stop a holiday tragedy.  It’s their job to literally put their lives on the line and save the Average Joe and for that I thank them.  There are the police who are out patrolling the street keeping us safe, and there are the doctors and nurses who are manning emergency rooms ready to help should some unfortunate action happen.  And most importantly, there are the brave members of our military, some of whom won’t be home for Christmas, in the name of freedom and patriotism.
All these people will be sacrificing time with their families to help us.  I am grateful to all of them.

Top 10 Chosen People in Pro Sports History

Last modified on 2012-01-04 02:33:55 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In celebration of the 8 “crazy” nights of Chanukah The Riot! would like to honor sports most impressive and influential Jewish sports people. From any sports, in any position, we have it all covered. I know what you might be thinking and before you get annoyed or offended, I thought about doing to Top 10 Christian sports personalities of all time, and it’s just another all-time best athletes list. Out of the 10 people on this list, only one or two might be considered on the “All-Time” list. So with that being said, be pissed, or just have some fun, whatever, I’m spinning the dradle and throwing out my list.
10) Mark Roth (PBA Champion) – Roth is in the Top 5 of all-time pro bowlers with 34 titles in his illustrious career. He was the first bowler to crack the $1 million dollar mark in career winnings (it took 34 victories? Jesus) and his 8 victories during the 1978 season still stands as the record for single season wins. Even though Jay dubbed this activity (bowling) a non-sport; he’s still an accomplished sports figure and deserves to be on this list.
(Sidebar- Ryan Braun was booted from this list for being a suspected cheater, which paved the way for Roth. Congrats Mark and Happy Chanukah)
9) Bill Goldberg (Former Rams, Falcons, Panthers DT & Pro Wrestler) – A two sport athlete needs to be on this list. He only spent five years in the NFL, but as a defensive tackle, that’s impressive. But his real fame was built in the world of pro wrestling. While in the now defunct WCW and the WWE in its hey-day, Goldberg was one of the top wrestlers for probably five years. I used to be a wrestling junkie for a while and I have to say (no-homo on this) he has probably the most impressive body I’ve ever seen in pro wrestling. That alone put him on this list.
8) Sarah Hughes/Sasha Cohen (Olympic Figure Skaters) – These two women have done not only America proud, but the chosen people as well. Not only are they highly decorated Olympic skaters (Hughes Olympic gold in 2001, Cohen Olympic Silver in 2005) but they are hot as hell. Especially Sasha Cohen who could be the Anna Kournikova of figure skating and I would still watch. She could fall on every jump and it would not deter me from watching her skate.
7) Bernie Kosar (NFL QB) – Bernie Kosar had the most unfortunate career a QB should ever have to have. He played his prime years at the same time as another legend by the name of John Elway. Elway had thwarted Kosar and the Browns every attempt at a Super Bowl berth with legendary drive after legendary drive. I know that Jewish folk often tend to believe that the world is against them; Kosar has good reason to feel that way. When I watched John Elway march 98 yards in the final five minutes of the 1987 AFC Championship game to tie the game in Cleveland, I thought the Browns were cursed too.
6) Mark Cuban (Mavs Owner) – The old adage is that the Jewish community own and control all the money. Well starting with the ultra-rich Mark Cuban is good place to start. Arguably the best owner in pro sports is a newly crowned champion and he’s ready to defend his title with a very good team again this season.
5) Sid Luckman (Bears QB) – We’re going old school on this one. Sid was the Bears QB from 1939 – 1950 and during that time he won 4 NFL titles, 1 MVP and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1965. Luckman has been credited with recreating the QB position by being the first T-formation QB and was said to be the greatest deep ball thrower of his time. That’s right sports fans, a QB from 1950 threw the ball more than Tim Tebow; I’m just sayin’.
4)Hank Greenberg (Tigers 1st baseman) – Hank hit 338 homers in only 13 seasons and was the premier Home Run hitter of the late 30’s. His best season was 1940 when he hit .340 with 41 homers and 150 RBI…..that’s pretty good. Hank was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1956.
3) Howard Cosell (Broadcaster) – Wide World of Sports and Monday Night Football has a space parked in my memory forever and ever and along with that comes the very stunted and staccato delivery of one Howard Cosell. Love him, hate him, it didn’t matter you were listening to him in the 70’s and the 80’s because he was the best “entertainer” in sports broadcasting history. Simmer down you Pat Summerall/Al Michaels/Jack Buck fans; I didn’t say he was the best play-caller or analyst ever. I didn’t even say he was my personal favorite. But the fact is that I will always remember Cosell for his delivery and the way he knew how to entertain the viewer no matter what the subject is.  He was so good, I bet he could’ve made one of Mark Roth’s title runs seem exciting.
2) Sandy Koufax (Dodgers Pitcher) – I’m going to let the numbers do the talking here because with a nickname like “The Left Arm of God,” there’s nothing words can do.
1963 – 25-5, 1.88 ERA, 11 shutouts, 306 K’s
1964 – 19-5, 1.74 ERA, 7 shutouts, 223 K’s (shortened season)
1965- 26-8, 2.04 ERA, 8 shutouts, 382 K’s
1966- 27-9, 1.73 ERA, 5 shutouts, 317 K’s
He won the Cy-Young in 3 of these 4 years, and the MVP in ’63. The best 4 year stretch in the history of the game, and he retired after the ’66 season as the best in the world.
1) The Commissioners (Gary Bettman NHL, David Stern NBA, Bud Selig MLB) – Again it’s the old saying, that the Jewish people control everything; well here’s the proof in the sports world. Three of the four major sports are led by chosen people and 2 of those 3 have generally done a good job (Selig can bite it). Stern has come under fire as of late because of a drawn out lock-out in the NBA and the Chris Paul debacle and Bettman is criticized constantly by NHL fans everywhere but I think they’ve both done great things for their leagues. In any case, they are number one because they hold the collective fate of most of the sports we love, so here’s to you oh supreme chosen people of sports and Happy Chanukah.
Did I miss someone? Let me know. If you are offended by this piece I apologize, it’s not intended to be offensive, and if you are reading this feeling better because I apologized, then you’re not as bright as you think you are. You should’ve heard what I heard at the bar when I proposed this list. It sounded like you were chosen to rip on, not celebrate. In any case, toss me an email thesportsriot@yahoo.com or follow us on Twitter @TheSportsRiot.

Top 5 Oilers of Anytime Other Than 1984 – 1990

Last modified on 2012-01-04 15:29:14 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

 I’ve never hid my love for the Edmonton Oilers.  I’ve loved them since I was a kid and that will never change.  I spend most of my days while I write listening to 1260 The Team (which I personally find to be one of my favorite sports radio stations).  From Neilson and Chase, to The Mark Spector Show, to The Jason Gregor Show (I normally switch off Rome), it’s a staple of my daily life.  If you’ve never listened, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Enough of me whoring out a radio station I listen to.  I’m not on their payroll.  Anyway, I’ve been thinking for a while to do a Top 5 pertaining to the Oilers, specifically relating to the players.  The problem with that is all Top 5 played on one team.  From 1981-1988 the Oilers were a dynasty so doing a standard Top 5 might come off a bit trite. 
So after brainstorming with my partner in crime, the illustrious Chris, we developed a new idea.  The Top 5 Oilers who weren’t involved in the dynasty.   Just in case you are wondering, here’s my personal the Top 5 Oilers of All-Time:
5 – Glenn Anderson
4 – Jari Kurri
3 – Paul Coffey
2 – Wayne Gretzky
1 – Mark Messier
(SIDEBAR:  I know when you look at that at face value most would think that how could Gretzky not be the number one player.  At first I agreed.  Partially I’m biased since he’s my favorite player of all-time, but after talking to Chris he made a good point.  After Gretzky was traded to the Kings, Messier led an Oilers team to another Stanley Cup Championship in 89-90.  Also Mess didn’t need a bodyguard on the ice.  He could score, pass, and deliver a timely elbow when duty called.  It’s a damn shame the Oilers ever dealt Wayne.  He wasn’t the only guy that cried that day.  )
So now that we have addressed the All-Time 5, let’s look a little deeper and look at the Top 5 Post-Dynasty Players:
 5 – Bill Ranford – Technically he was with the Oilers in 88-89, as a backup to Grant Fuhr, but when most people think of a backup to Fuhr they think of Andy Moog.  In 89-90, Ranford did one thing that Moog never did; he won a Stanley Cup without the help of Fuhr.  He became one of the league’s top goaltenders and stayed in Edmonton until 1996 when he was shipped up to Boston (cue the Dropkick Murphy’s).  Ranford currently ranks second in career wins (167) and first in games played (449).  While Ranford’s GAA (3.51) isn’t the sexiest number, it still ahead of Fuhr’s career GAA of 3.67.  While Oilers fans might disagree, name a better goalie since?
 4 – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Look, I know this might be a stretch considering Nugent-Hopkins is only 18-years-old and has 29 professional games under his belt, but the Oilers haven’t seen a play maker like him since #99 graced the ice of Rextall Place (before you get your panties in a bunch he’s got a lot to prove before he gets actual real comparisons to Gretzky).  In his 29 games he’s currently sixth in the league in scoring with 32 points and is blowing all rookies out of the water holding a 10 point lead over Predators rookie Craig Smith (not that it affect where he ranks with the Oilers but it’s still impressive).  At 18, the Nuge’s play is only going to get better.  I have no doubt he’ll continue to improve and become one of the best players in the league.
 3 – Kelly Buchberger – Most of the time when you think of an All-Time Great, statistics is the first thing that comes to mind; mainly scoring.  While Buchberger scored a career-high 44 points in 1991-92, he was more valuable on the ice devastating opponents with violent checks and an occasional ass kicking.  As the Oilers All-Time leader in penalty minutes he menaced opponents during his eleven seasons in Edmonton.  Although he left Edmonton in the 1999 expansion draft and went to the dreaded city of Atlanta, Buchberger permanently left his mark in the city of Edmonton (as well as the heads and ribs of opposing players).  Upon his retirement he returned to the Oilers as an assistant coach.
 2 – Doug Weight – Weight was an offensive force in his nine seasons in Edmonton and ranks sixth in scoring behind Gretzky, Kurri, Messier, Anderson, and Coffey. This obviously puts him right in the company of the All-Time Greats (he ranks number one among American born Oilers).  One of the most skilled playmakers in the 90’s, Weight’s best seasons came while wearing an Oilers sweater, where he earned three All-Star appearances and averaged 82 points per season (including a career high 104 points in 1995-96).  I debated putting Weight at number one, but I couldn’t justify an American being the top Oiler since their dynasty days.
1 – Ryan Smyth – I was stoked when the Oilers re-acquired Smyth in the offseason.  The guy who grew up an Oilers fan returned home to give a veteran presence to a young Oilers squad.  While Smyth has never been a flashy player he’s always been the guy who’s not afraid to do the little things to get the job done.  Whether it’s digging out a puck in the corner, or clogging the goal mouth looking for redirections, Smyth has always brought the intangibles to the table.   This gritty type of play has made him one of the biggest fan favorites in Oilers history.  He gets extra points in my book because he still chooses to sport a mullet.
(SIDEBAR:  I have a story somewhat related to Smyth.  I almost got into a fight with his brother Kevin.  In the 90’s I lived in Florida and Smyth was playing for the Orlando Solar Bears (stupid name), of the IHL.  One night I was out with my girlfriend at a bar called One-Eyed Jack’s, and a few of the Solar Bears were there getting their drink on.  We were having a good time with our group and Smyth kept making comments about my girlfriend; nothing too over the top, just the standard annoyances you have to deal with in a bar setting.  Apparently Kev wasn’t happy his advancements weren’t going his way so he got up and approached us.  With his advances still blown he grabbed her ass.  At that point I snapped out, threw a punch, and had to be held back by my friends.  I guess a couple of the Bears grabbed him as well.  Okay it wasn’t the most exciting story, but it somewhat related).
Oilers fans!  Who is in your Top 5?  I want to hear from you.  Hit me up at shatmeself@yahoo.com and we’ll chat.  There’s still that Twitter thing (it hasn’t gone away).  Follow us @TheSportsRiot and it’ll help you get laid.  I swear…

Top 5 Sports Phrases That Need To Go

Last modified on 2012-01-09 15:28:03 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Being a sports fan, and a practitioner of Advanced Fandom, I’ve watched my fair share of sports. I’ve been to games on all levels and I’ve watched a ton on TV. At the bar, at my home, at a buddies house; sports watching has happened over the years, and as much as I love to watch, sometimes it’s hard to listen. Why you ask? Because you get these guys who want to spew these sports cliches over and over throughout the course of the game. You know what they are. The reason why you know is after about an hour of these d-bag announcers spewing them at you, you have your drunken buddies saying the same damn things. It’s a vicous cycle and it needs to end now, or I’m going to kill somebody. So I asked our buddy “Smeck” to write up the Top 5 of the thousands of these phrases that send douche chills down my spine everytime I hear them.
5- “Going all in” – a team is going to do everything they can to win the championship that year. 
Why it needs to go – Unless your team is completely out of it and is stripping down and rebuilding, every team is “going all in.”  Just because you are using a poker term to define it doesn’t set you apart from say, oh, the other 14 teams still trying to win a championship.  I’d love to hear a coach say something like “we’re going pot limit this year” meaning, the goal of the season is to maybe win a playoff game, but not really try to win it all. 
4- “Weapon” – A player of a skill position in football.
Why it needs to go – We need to lay this one to rest like the way people buried the word “def” in the early 90s.  It was clever once for a little while but pretty quickly wore out its welcome.  It’s gimmicky and doesn’t strike fear into anyone.  Unless Chuck Norris is on the other team, there is no true “weapon” on the field. I’ll go out on a limb and suggest an outside of the box replacement – “good offense.” 
3- “Beast Mode” – When a player is demonstrating above normal levels of athleticism.
Why it needs to go – Do these announcers even know where the term originates?  It was from the cartoon series Beast Wars which, in itself, sucked.  Overuse is easily killing this one.  Rushing for 5 yards on a 1st and 10 at your own 30 isn’t going into “Beast Mode.”    This is on par with going to a mid-management meeting and hearing the term “synergy” a million times when not one person in the room can even define what it means. 
2- “Take it on the chin” – To suffer a defeat
Why it needs to go – Not going to lie, porn completely ruined this for me.  Hearing old players with their grey hair in the broadcast booth talking about the time they took one on the chin – gross. 
1-“Lights out”– When a pitcher is unhittable.
Why it needs to go – Going forward, this term has two times where it can be used without incurring a major penalty.  The first is when I acquire my time machine and go back in time to watch the 2008 Phillies season until I’ve broken enough space-time continuums that the fabric of the universe falls apart and we all cease to exist.  The other is when discussing Mariano Rivera.  It is painful to hear these announcers call a game where a closer with an ERA over 3.00 gets the first two batters out on slow grounders and then say he’s “lights out tonight.”  I did that in little league, and then immediately gave up 10 runs and we were subjected to the embarrassing mercy rule.  I think I literally pitched lights out that night because they turned off the lights and made us go home because the game was so lopsided. 
Did I just ruin your favorite phrase? Are you mad? Maybe I missed one? Maybe there is one you definitely want on this list? Email me at thesportsriot@yahoo.com or follow us on Twitter @TheSportsRiot.

Top 5 One-Time Dynasties

Last modified on 2012-01-04 15:30:03 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Tiger Woods has been getting a lot of coverage this week with him finally winning an event last weekend (albeit an event he set up, but whose counting right?).  So all of that got me thinking about dominant dynasties in sports history. The ones that make the great comeback, and those that do not, because not all great dynasties make the comeback. It’s easy to pick sports greatest dynasties; Yankees, Canadiens, Steelers, but the one-time dynasties may be a little more interesting. You’ve heard of one-hit wonders; you know the team that barely makes the playoffs and before you know it, they are raising the banner. Well I’m here to bring you the one-hit wonder dynasties. Those great runs that came to an end, and for whatever reason never returned. 

 
5) Tiger Woods – The jury is still out on this one so that’s why he makes this list. Quite possibly the most dominant golfer ever has hit very hard times over the past 3 years both personally and professionally. Hopefully with this win he can be on the road to dominance again and be taken off this list. Only time will tell.
4) Cincinnati Reds and Oakland A’s – The “Big Red Machine” of the mid to late 70’s and the A’s teams of the early 70’s with Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson were two of the storied dynasties in baseball history; accounting for six of the ten titles won in that decade. Since then, both franchises have been merely blips on the screen. Each team has won only one title each (ironically in back to back years [89-90] just like their dynasties [A’s- 71-73][Reds 74-76]) and both are now basically irrelevant as we head towards the 2012 season. The A’s are currently selling off their best players as they wait for their inevitable relocation, and the Reds show signs of life every 5 years or so for about a season. Unfortunately for the fine city of Cincinatti, mediocrity then sets in and the Reds once again become the Reds.
3) New York Islanders – From 1979-1984, the New York Islanders put quite possibly the most complete hockey team on the ice in the history of the game. From goaltender Billy Smith, and defenseman Denis Potvin who set the standard for offensive defenseman, to legendary goal-scorer Mike Bossy and playmaker Bryan Trottier; the Isles were an unstoppable force for almost five years. It took the birth of another all-time dynasty (Gretzky’s Oilers) to halt the Islanders at four consecutive Stanley Cups. Unfortunately, the Isle’s have not contended for a division title, let alone a Stanley Cup title since 1987. The Isle’s have made the playoffs a few times, but they were mostly one and done scenarios. It’s gotten so bad on Long Island that I read somewhere that they might move to Quebec. I wonder where that was? http://thesportsriot.blogspot.com/2011/10/hey-why-is-there-no-hockey-in-quebec.html
2) Buffalo Bills – I know what you’re saying “the Bills never won a championship, how can they be considered a dynasty?” I see your point, and this is my answer, if any team appears in 4 consecutive championship games, in any sport, that’s a dynasty. That’s why they made this list and not the “All Time Greatest Dynasties” list when we do one. Since making and losing four consecutive Super Bowls in the early 90’s the Buffalo Bills have only made the playoffs a few times, and haven’t won a playoff game since then. Even this season, after starting off 5-1 the Bills have returned to mediocrity by losing 5 of 6 and are currently sitting at  6-6.
1) Mike Tyson – In a sport that has seen the likes of Muhammed Ali, Rocky Mariciano, Joe Frazier and Joe Louis dominate; Tyson’s reign at the top is one of, if not, the most storied. The legend of Tyson’s domination of the Heavyweight division of professional boxing in the 80’s ranks right up there with the Yankees of the 20’s, the Celtics of the 60’s and the Oilers of the 80’s; it’s that talked about a remembered. Tyson had grown men afraid to fight him. There was even a very popular question that would go around talk shows and bar-rooms in the 80’s; “would you fight Mike Tyson for a million dollars?” An overwhelming number of people chose not to take the money and have to take that punch. This is the reason why Tyson’s dynasty and lack of comeback ranks as #1. Ali won the heavyweight title five times, Holyfield three or four and Foreman lost, waited 10 years to make a comeback and won it again. So the precedent had been set for a heavyweight legend to make a strong comeback after falling. But I think it was the steep fall Tyson took that was his undoing…..oh and the fact that he’s f**king crazy. The decline of Tyson’s reign of terror is so steep that few people talk about his dominance anymore. Most Mike Tyson conversations these days start with “did you here what this crazy mother-f**ker did?” It’s sad, but true. His decline was almost as quick as his unification title fight with Michael Spinks; roughly 90 seconds.
So that’s the list, did I miss anything? Let me know, thesportsriot@yahoo.com or follow on Twitter @TheSportsRiot so you can truly know when my a** is sufficiently wiped.

One Small Step for man, One Giant Leap for an aspiring Radio Guy

Last modified on 2012-01-04 15:31:07 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

TSR! has taken to the airwaves after a year away from the microphone. They thought we could be stopped, and they were wrong. This is only the beginning, but the rest is up to you. Rioters!, download this and spread the word; Advanced Fandom is here to stay, and The Sports Riot! will serve as the messengers to deliver it to the masses. Hate the Team, Love the Fan! It’s The Sports Riot!
The Audio Blog Returns 12/1/11

Top 5 Things The Riot! is Thankful For

Last modified on 2012-01-09 15:31:27 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Happy Thanksgiving Rioters!  Thanksgiving is a day we awake and recover from the hangover from the night before, spend the day with friends and family, and become so gluttonous that we consume more food in one sitting than an African village does in an entire month. 
Personally it’s my favorite holiday.  It gives me  chance to reflect and be thankful for the things I have.  There are the trivial things like having a job, knowing my bills are paid (well most of them), a roof over my head, family, friends, and my significant other.  Then there’s the important things; the meat and potatoes of life.  Of course I’m talking about beer, sports, and music.
When Chris and I discussed each doing a top 5 of what we are thankful for in sports, it really got me thinking.  With all the gratitude I have when it comes to sports how could I possibly narrow it down to five things?  Well after taking a shower, putting away laundry, and chain smoking seven cigarettes I managed to narrow it down.
5 – Thanksgiving Day Football – When I think of Thanksgiving I think of turkey and football (although I probably should think about pilgrims giving thousands of injuns small pox, but that’s not the American way).  For years now it’s been great to watch the football games after a belly full of grub, but it still has its annoyances.  First off the Cowboys play ever year no matter how bad they are (I hate the Cowboys).  Secondly due to poor scheduling the games were nothing more than average.  This year is finally different.
The Detroit Lions are finally a relevant team and that make me as happier than seeing Wayne Fontes inhale a giant bowl of pudding.  At 7-3, they’ll host the undefeated Packers.  I’m expecting a high scoring game with Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rogers gun slinging the pigskin down the field.  My prediction 42-38 Lions.  Book it.  Kevin Smith will have another big game (he better since I’m starting him in fantasy football this season), and the cheeseheads will be crying in their beer.
There’s one BIG issue I have with the Lions/Packers game; the halftime show.  Nickelback is the “talent”  (I use that word very loosely), and is scheduled to perform.  I HATE Nickelback and my hatred runs deep.  Their music completely sucks.  I put it on a shelf with Three Doors Down, Puddle of Mudd, and Stain’d.  I file this under “White Trash Rock”, and there’s no room for that shit in my music catalog. Then there’s their cheesy pyrotechnic show.  It’s so campy and overproduced even KISS finds it offensive.  I hate Nickelback so much I’ve walked out of stores if I heard one of their songs playing (I know I have problems, don’t judge me).  My hatred for this second-rate shitty band isn’t my issue (well it really is).  My other issue is they’re Canadian!
I have plenty of love for my friends North of the border, so this isn’t some type of bullshit “I don’t want them there Can-a-dian’s playing my football game.”  It’s not a “these colors don’t run” speech either.  My issue is Thanksgiving is really an American holiday.  I think it would be more fitting it was played by Americans (just like Three Doors Down shouldn’t play a Boxing Day event).  An American from Detroit would be a plus.  I think clowns like Kid Rock and Eminem both suck, but at least they have some roots in the city where the game is being held.  If I had my way, I’d love to see Ted Nugent tear shit up during halftime at Ford Field (I’ll overlook his facist political views).
4 – NBA Lockout – There’s still no NBA and quite frankly I don’t care.  In fact I like it.  Although I have love for the Knicks and was looking forward to seeing Amar’e Stoudamire and Carmelo Anthony finally turn a great franchise around, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.  The big plus it’s less I’ll have to hear Charles Barkley.
 I loathe Barkley.  I didn’t like him as a player and I can’t stand him less as an announcer.  He really contributes nothing.  He likes to hear his own voice by trying to be a tough guy or telling a poorly thought out joke.  I used to find it entertaining because the guy is such a choad, but now it’s just annoying (he’s on par with the Skylar Brothers).  The only thing that makes him appear entertaining is that Ernie Johnson has the personality of a cigarette butt.  Unfortunately I still have to hear Barkley’s monosyllabic nonsense on the radio from time to time but it’s a lot better than his shtick on TNT.
I actually have benefitted from the lockout because of an encounter I had with Kevin Durant.  A few weeks ago I went to the Mitchell & Ness Store here in Philadelphia with the intention of buying a Quebec Nordiques hat (the next city to return to glory with an NHL franchise).  After looking around for a bit I saw a bitchin’ Kansas City Scouts hat (if you don’t know who the Scouts are, look it up).  Since I’ve never seen one before, it was a score for a hat dork like me, so I picked it up.  As I headed to the counter I saw this giant black guy.  He too was looking at the Scouts hat.  The register girl told me it was Kevin Durant.  So I had to go introduce myself (I wish I had business cards because I’m the kind of guy Kev wants to know).  We took a few pics (those to follow), and I went on my merry way.  It’s nice to know that even though Kev is unemployed he’s still contributing to the economy.
3 – Winnipeg Jets – Big surprise here.  Chris and I have never hid our love for the City of Winnipeg and the return of the Jets.  We campaigned for their return for a long time now and it’s great to see them back.  I listen to them on the radio and watch the game whenever I can (which isn’t exactly easy in Philadelphia unless I have the Center Ice package, but I’m a starving artist).  Saturday I was watching the Jets/Flyers game with the better half and her brother came over.  He asked me if I was really a Jets fan or if I just liked the hat.  I think he knew the answer when he watched me cheer every time the Jets beat Sergei Bobrowsky (eventually the channel was changed to college football).
While the team does still have some questions, the Jets are only going to get better and I’m looking forward to 2012 when they return to Philadelphia (hopefully they’ll score 10 goals this time).
I’m also thankful that as a result of the Jets returning to Winnipeg, that Atlanta no longer has a hockey team.  Like our love for Winnipeg we have also never hid our disgust for the lack of fandom in the “Crab Apple” (when I lived there the yokels would tell me “You’re from the Big Apple, now you live in the Little Apple.”  After about three hours living there I dubbed it the crab apple).  Atlanta is a terrible sports town and doesn’t deserve a hockey team when there are cities out there that are dying to have one.
2 – No John Madden – I think I’m beginning to develop a pattern here.  It’s appearing I’m only thankful for things in sports I won’t have to see (with the exception of the Jets).  What can I tell you, I’m an angry guy, but it only fuels my fandom.  There are plenty of things I love but I guess I might take them for granted.  Anyway, enough of my digression, let’s get angry.
I know it’s been a few years since the slob Madden graced with his Thanksgiving coverage on Fox.  I’m thankful for this every day but more so on Thanksgiving because I know I won’t have to hear his dimwitted insight.  Aside from him lending his name to one of the best video games ever made I have no use for the guy.  He was a poor announcer with bad long-winded stories.  That’s if you can understand what he was saying.  Half the time it sounded like he was trying to get words out between bites of a ham and swiss hoagie.  It’s no surprise Pat Summerall was a drunk.  I’d need a bottle of Jack Daniels just to get through the first half of a game if I had to sit next to that fat bastard.
Then there’s that stupid turkey he would waddle out with (well or get someone to bring out.  If he had to do it himself he couldn’t get 10 steps without starting to nosh on it).  Although ridiculous, it taught me one thing.  Fat Johnny only liked white meat.  Think about it.  If you go back and look at pictures of the turkey it consists of eight legs and thighs, thrown together.  There were no breasts.  What he didn’t shove already down his gullet was waiting for him on his tour bus.
A little known fact about John Madden:  He was never really scared to fly.  He was blacklisted from the airlines because his fat as couldn’t fit in the seat.
1 – Not Thinking About The Phillies Collapse – This still haunts part of me every day, although it’s slowly getting easier.  The fact that the Phillies dominated the entire season, only to shit the bed in the playoffs killed me.  After going through all seven stages of grief at once, which lasted about 10 days (Chris did post a nice email rant I sent him after the Phillies collapsed like a folding chair supporting John Madden’s ass), then I would curse Ryan Howard every day.  I almost felt what it was like to be a Mets fan (except the Phillies collapsed AFTER they made the playoffs).  It didn’t help either that the Eagles have played like a Division II Jr. College.
Now that the World Series is over and baseball’s second season has started it’s getting easier.  I love the offseason.  It’s where Ruben Amaro Jr. will figure out what went wrong in October and make sure it doesn’t happen again (in theory).  They’ve already added a new closer (Jonathon Papelbon), and two big bats off the bench (Ty Wigginton and Jim Thome), so things are moving in the right direction.  Next is to re-sign Jimmy Rollins (or bring in a shortstop who is proven and more talented), and sign Mike Cuddyer, and I’ll be a happy guy counting the days until February when pitchers and catchers report.
It could be worse.  I could actually be a Mets fan.  Then I’d know what it was like to root for a team that has been run into the ground.  It’s not going to be pretty next year when they’re looking up at the Nationals in the standings.
As you can see I’m pretty thankful.  What are you thankful for?  Drop me a line at shatmeself@yahoo.com and let me know.  I don’t want to hear about the trivial crap like your dog, kids, Jesus, lawnmower, or wife.  I want what really matters.  Your fandom (well if you are really thankful for your lawnmower, I’ll accept that too).  Oh, and if you’re really thankful, you’ll follow us on Twitter @thesportsriot.  Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Top 5 Moustaches of All-Time in Sports

Last modified on 2012-01-09 15:32:17 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Well we’re balls deep into Movember and the facial hair is no longer limited to dirty hipster kids.  If you’re unaware what Movember is, every year during the month of November men do not shave and grow out that wonderful facial feature made famous by 70′s porn stars and Burt Reynolds; moustaches.  The reasoning behind it is to raise awareness for prostate cancer (moustaches and facial hair are pretty manly).  Chris hasn’t shaved since August, so he’s got some caveman shi*t going on and I myself haven’t shaved since the first. Although I don’t have a moustache I am sporting some facial patches that are intended to be a beard (damn I’m smooth).   Maybe on Thanksgiving I’ll shave it into a dick duster of my own, but for now I’m quite content with my sketchy beard.
In sports players love to express themselves and facial hair is one way they do so (except if you’re on the Yankees and are tied to the stupid Steinbrenner no facial hair rule).  So what would be better to honor Movember then a Top 5 of the best moustaches in sports?
5 – Keith Hernandez – “The John Holmes” – This was a toss up between Hernandez and Don Mattingly.  Both players graced New York with some fine moustaches in the 1980’s, but I gave the edge to Hernandez because he still sports the ‘stache.  Straight out of a late 70’s porno, Keith saw John Holmes and raised him a better moustache.  Hernandez’s moustache was so well groomed, the moustache itself could have won an MVP award.  What’s not to like about this moustache? Except for the fact that I’m sure it got in the way when he was blowing lines off a stripper’s ass (the ‘stache’s namesake John Holmes had the same complaint).  That being said, if the moustache was good enough for Elaine, it’s good enough for me.
4 – Dave Babych – “The Don’t F*ck With” – Babych’s moustache is so legendary, there are hockey blogs named after it and Facebook fan pages devoted to it  Thick and bushy, this patch of hair just didn’t make Babych look bad-ass and kept him out of bar fights, it also helped him block shots.  If you ever encounter anyone with this moustache, keep them at arm’s length as they can snap at any time.  They are ones not to be f*cked with (hence the name of the ‘stache).  They can be found at local bars in the Midwestern United States and Canada, NASCAR races, and state fairs.  If you should encounter one, do not feed them whiskey.  It only aggravates the moustache which only makes matters worse.
3 – Sal Fasano – “The Stitches” – If it wasn’t for Fasano’s bitchin’ moustache he would have been out of baseball five years ago.  The perennial backup catcher who can’t hit his weight had an advantage for any runner trying to score from second.  Before rounding third, they had to think twice about the ‘stache.  He’s not the only one sporting a “Stiches” (because it’s shaped like stitches on a baseball), but he also had the balls to sport a mullet that would make Kenny Powers jealous.  Similar to “The Don’t F*ck With”, the combination of “The Stiches” and a mullet can be dangerous.
2 – Rollie Fingers – “The Greaseball” – Closers tend to wear facial hair in the style of the job they would have if they weren’t playing baseball.  Think about it.  Brian Wilson would be a pirate, Goose Gossage would be a carnie (specializing in moustache rides), and Jon Axford would (or possibly is)  be white trash.  This brings us to Mr. Fingers.  What would he be you ask?  Clearly he’s a greaseball organ grinder.  A ‘stache like that is waxed to a tee and would make any barbershop quartet jealous and any organ screaming to be grinded. 
This reminds me of an old joke.  Why does an organ grinder have a monkey?  Someone has to keep the books (I’m aloud to make Italian jokes since I’m a quarter Guinea).
1 – Lanny McDonald – “The Walrus” – This moustache speaks for itself and no words can give it proper justice.  I only can dream to have a moustache like Lanny (as well as that cool of a name).  I’ll go as far as saying that his moustache is so bad ass it should be in the Facial Hair Hall of Fame (along with the boys in ZZ Top).  That makes every Canadian proud.  Sure he loses some points for being a ginger (which means he also has no soul), but if you can find a better moustache in all the world of sports, feel free to let me know.
Honorable mentions:
Don Mattingly
George Parras
Dennis Eckersley
Dale Earnhardt
Did I leave anyone out?  Who is in your Top 5?  Hit me up at shatmeself@yahoo.com and we can discuss it.  Remember to follow us on Twitter @TheSportsRiot.  If you’re not following us you have a higher chance of getting cancer.

Top 5 Things that Died Yesterday (11/8/11)

Last modified on 2012-01-04 02:45:48 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

It is very unusual to have a day like we had yesterday. We had so many things perish in a 24 hour period that I had to make a list (it actually shows that I have no soul…at all). But seriously, we all grieve in our own ways, and this is mine so just deal with it.

5- The Eagles Playoff hopes – The team that back-up QB Vince Young proclaimed 2011′s “dream team” has fallen on hard times (that’s why he’s an f’n back-up). The Eagles blew yet another 4th quarter lead against the Bears late Monday night into Tuesday morning, dropping them to a 3-5 record and placing them a full three games behind the NY Giants. Further more, it is the big names that are costing the “Iggles.” Huge free agent pick-up Nnamdi Asomugha hasn’t been huge at all. As a matter of fact, he was flagged for a pass interference late in the game that cost the Eagles perhaps a victory and hasn’t played very well as a whole; BTW, you don’t see that out of Revis island, just sayin’. Things are looking bleak in Philly, and this was only the beginning of a very grim 24 hours for the great state of Pennsylvania.

4- The NBA bites it – I mean really, these bitches are fighting their battles in the press now. They can’t even set up a f’n meeting without whining about the other side. There were at least 27 conflicting reports leading up to the meeting they were supposed to have on Saturday night; and I still don’t know if it happened or not. And here’s the best part, while all this is going on, LeBron James is tweeting and challenging real football players to flag football games. WTF? Doesn’t this ass-hat care that his bread and butter, the game he’s supposed to be passionate about, is pissing away any hope it had of being a relevant part of this years sports story. Anybody miss the NBA right now? Anyone? Yeah, me neither. It would be amazing if Ray Lewis accepted LBJ’s challenge and then f**king decapitated him as he crossed the middle.

3- Heavy D Dead at 44 – This is just tragic and sad. Even though I’m not much of a Hip-Hop fan, I’ve grown to appreciate old school Hip-Hop as I’ve grown up a little. I’ve also, like most 30+ year olds, grown nostalgic about my childhood, especially my high school years. Well Heavy D and The Boyz were very much a part of the fabric of my high school years. The song “Now That We Found Love” was on every Top 40 station, and played at every Sweet 16 party I went to. Then possibly one of the best shows on TV at the time was “In Living Color” and Heavy D did the theme song to that. It’s always sad when a 44 year old dies, especially one that seemed to be a class act and not into the negativity of all of that “gansta” non-sense that seemed to be going on at the time. He was positive, and fun, and those are the memories his songs will always bring to mind for me. Heavy D (Dwight Arrington Myers) RIP.

2- Joe Paterno’s Legacy – Boy, I can’t even joke about this. This whole story is distressing on every level. I’m not a big fan of change, and Joe Paterno retiring alone is too big a change for me. Now add in the fact that he’s going out like this? It is very upsetting. First off, I need to say Joe, what were you thinking? A kid-toucher? That’s who you’re going to protect? You’ve been coach long enough that I’m sure you went through extreme racism, sexism and most of the other “-isms” that could possibly happen to a culture (he’s been coach for a very long time) and this was the mountain you chose to die on? A filthy kid diddler? It is disgraceful. Penn State, who as an institution, has tried to be the good, clean program for so long have now tarnished it’s image forever more. You can’t wipe away the image of a child molester that was protected by the powers that be at that institution. Ohio State and all that Jim Tressel did last year looks like a dream now compared to what happened in Happy Valley. Yuck, that name even has a creepy overtone now. Happy Valley? Sounds like “kid-toucher central.” It’s very sad that a career that has spanned 60+ years has to end this way. Joe wanted to go out on his terms. Maybe a championship run or a top 10 finish, but now he will be linked to this monster forever. This topic hurts my head, time to move on.

1- Smokin’ Joe Frazier – It happened quickly, like a George Foreman phantom punch. Last week, news surfaced that Joe Frazier had Liver Cancer and was not doing very well. Well, yesterday, one of the greatest fighters ever lost his bout with cancer and past on at the all too young age of 66. I unfortunately was entirely too young to remember ever seeing Frazier fight, but the stories I would hear from my father about the man who posed the biggest challenge to Muhammed Ali were thrilling and make me wish I had seen them when they happened. Frazier boxed when boxing was legit. When boxing was THE event. Today, it’s almost poetic that as guys like Frazier, Ali, and Foreman enter the twilight of their years here on earth, so is the sport of Boxing. It almost feels right to me, because Boxing will never reclaim the status it had in the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s. Mayweather-Pacquaio may prove to be a big deal if it ever goes off, but it will never rival “The Thrilla in Manilla,” Hagler-Leonard, and definitely Frazier-Ali at MSG. I’ve heard more about this fight than any other, and it took place 5 years before I was even born. I’ve seen it hundreds of times, but it’s makes me wish I was around to catch it live. Joe Frazier was a great boxer, and a legend in American sports and he will be missed. Joe Frazier RIP.

Top 5 Legends That End Up in Strange Places

Last modified on 2012-01-09 15:38:27 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Sometimes as a legendary career ends in sports, several wrongs can occur. You could have a guy hang on for entirely too long and be a shell of the legend they once were. You can have a guy be forced into retirement  a little too early by a team that wants to move on to a younger option. Or you can have a guy leave the team he’s been associated with and go somewhere else. Now sometimes, this move comes early enough that it’s not very strange; like Roger Clemens being traded to Toronto or Nolan Ryan to any of his other teams. Sometimes the move is late in a career and even though it takes a little bit, it looks right; like when Manny Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers or Mark Messier went to the New York Rangers. But then there are those that just don’t sit right. As a matter of fact, these moves are so strange looking to me that I still pretend they didn’t happen. I’m actually looking at this piece right now as I write it, as a piece of fiction. So enjoy my imaginary list.

5- Peyton Manning going anywhere – Obviously this list was inspired by the talk over the past week of Peyton Manning possibly moving to another team next year in order to make room for Andrew Luck. I sat down and tried to think of a team that Peyton Manning would fit on and I’m sorry I just can’t find one. I can’t think of one uniform or helmet that I can see on Peyton’s enormous head. Can you see Peyton taking the reigns in Tennessee (which is where he went to college)? Can you see him behind center in Cleveland? How about Miami? I just can’t see it.

4- Dwight Gooden in Cleveland – Dr. K, as he became known as during his years in Queens, was the New York Mets ace for 11 seasons. When the strike ended and baseball returned in ’96, Doc Gooden signed with the New York Yankees. Did it anger me? Yes. Did I view him as traitor? Yes. Was it weird? NO! Any ball player in the Yankee pinstripes looks right. I think that’s part of the appeal of playing for the Yanks. You need proof? Ask any Red Sox fan if they would’ve ever imagined seeing Roger Clemens, Johnny Damon or Wade Boggs in pinstripes. I rest my case on this issue. But after two years in the Bronx, “Doc” took his deteriorating skills to Cleveland where he pitched for another two seasons. This particular entry to the list may be more personal than odd, but seeing Doc Gooden in an Indians jersey was very, very unsettling.

3- Wayne Gretzky in St. Louis – I still get confused when I see the occasional picture of “The Great One” in a Blues jersey. The Kings, and the Rangers made sense but St Louis? What a very odd place for Gretzky to end up? He only played like 20 games in St Louis, but it’s still a very odd picture to see. It’s SO odd, that seeing pics of Gretzky in an Indianapolis Racers jersey makes more sense.

2- Michael Jordan in Washington – This one was a toss up between Jordan in a baseball uni or in a Washington Wizards jersey. For some reason I get the sense that if they were still the Bullets at the time, it wouldn’t have been as weird, but that goofy Wizards logo sealed the deal on how odd this was. Jordan sucked at baseball, there’s no denying that, but he looked good. Jordan was an athlete, and could make most sports uniforms look good, but the Wizards? There is no helping that. The fact that Jordan came back after four years away from the game and was a shell of the Legend he was in Chicago may have contributed to the oddness of these pictures, but either way, Jordan in a Wizards jersey should not have happened.

1- Joe Montana in Chiefs Red – I was not a 49ers fans. I am not a football purist nor do I care about the sanctity of the game. I am, however, nostalgic about things from my childhood (note my current obsession with the Winnipeg Jets because of an odd childhood memory that I cherish). So with that said, seeing Joe Montana in a Kansas City Chiefs helmet was devastatingly weird for me to deal with. As a child of the 80′s (my formative years, ages 4-14, were during that decade) Joe Montana defined what a QB should be. He was the best of the best, and he donned the Gold and Red of the San Fransisco 49ers. Then one day in 1993, my world was rocked. Joe Montana took the field in the Chiefs cherry red and white uniforms, and HIS NUMBER WAS DIFFERENT! WTF?! 19! Is nothing sacred? Not that I care because as I said before, none of this is real, but what a nightmare right? Montana, wearing number 19 in Arrowhead? What a messed up dream that was. He would probably take them to the playoffs or something.

Honorable Mention (if these actually happened it would be weird)
*Patrick Ewing as a Seattle Supersonic
*Darryl Strawberry as a Dodger
*Mike Piazza as a Florida Marlin
*Reggie Jackson as an Oriole
*Mark Messier as a Canuck
*Bryan Trottier as the Rangers Head Coach

Well, that’s the list. Did I miss one? Let me know thesportsriot@yahoo.com or follow us on twitter @TheSportsRiot.

Top 5 WHA Players of All-Time

Last modified on 2012-01-04 02:50:52 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

I know what you’re thinking right now.  What is the hell is the WHA?  I don’t expect every Rioter! to know this because let’s be honest, it’s hard enough to find people who are avid hockey fans in general (outside our friends North of the Border), so expecting people to know much about a hockey league that was only around in the 70’s is like asking Stevie Wonder to describe what he sees when he’s looking in the mirror (given some of the get-ups his handlers dress him in, he’s better off being blind).  So I’ll give all the Rioters! out there a pass here and not question their fandom and break it down for you.
The WHA or World Hockey Association was a short-lived hockey league that ran from 1973-1979.  Although only around for seven years the impact it had on the NHL changed the game forever.  Aside it’s where some Hall of Fame NHLers like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Howe, Mark Messier, Michel Goulet, and Rod Langway began their professional careers, the direct competition with the NHL caused some NHL players to jump ship to the WHA eventually forcing the NHL to strip the reserve clause in contracts, giving players free agency and not being forced to play for a team that wasn’t treating them fairly.  The WHA was also the first North American hockey league to think outside the box and look to Europe for talent (something the NHL never considered).
The WHA wasn’t like the defunct USFL or World League of American football.  It was without a doubt more successful and helped the sport, and sure as hell wasn’t a joke like the XFL. There were 16 teams in the league, and unlike other leagues that folded, once the WHA folded it allowed four of its better teams to merge with the NHL (that being the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, and the Hartford Whalers).
5 – Gordie Howe
“Mr. Hockey” retired from the NHL after the 1970-71 season as the All-Time NHL leading point scorer.  After one year away from hockey Howe came out of retirement and signed a contract with the Houston Aeros to play along sons Mark and Marty.  Gordie immediately made an impact scoring 100 points in his first season.  His point scoring wasn’t the only impact Howe had on the WHA, but with the biggest name in the NHL now a member of a WHA franchise it gave the league a serious amount of legitimacy during a time when the NHL was in a panic mode with some of it’s stars leaving for the WHA.
After four seasons with the Aeros, Howe signed with the New England Whalers (who were renamed the Hartford Whalers), where he played the final two seasons of the WHA.  Although he joined the league at a young 45-year-old and only played six of the seven seasons of the WHA he still finished seventh in scoring with 508 points (combining his NHL and WHA stats Howe finished with 2358 professional points).
4 – Ulf Nilsson & Anders Hedberg
My number four pick was a coin flip between Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg.  Both played four seasons in the league, all for the Winnipeg Jets, and both were part of “The Hot Line” with Bobby Hull (arguably one of the greatest lines in hockey history).  Both scored at least 100 point a season ranking 10th (Nilsson with 484) and 11th (Hedberg 458) All-Time, so I’m calling a tie.
During their four seasons in Winnipeg, the Jets were a dominant force appearing in three AVCO Cups (the WHA equivalent of the Stanley Cup), winning two of them. 
Above all, both these players are from Sweden, making the WHA a world-wide sport.  Nilsson and Hedberg were the first two European players to really have success in North America which opened the door for the likes of Hakan Loob, Peter Stasny, and Jari Kurri (then later opening the door for players in the USSR). 
The success they had in the WHA never followed them to the NHL but they will forever be heroes in the city of Winnipeg and WHA greats.
3 – Mark Tardif
Tardif began his professional career with the Montreal Canadiens and honestly wasn’t that much of an impressive player.  His strongest season was in 1971-72 season where he scored a than career-high 53 points.  After the 1972-73 season Tardif joined throng of other NHL players and jumped ship to the WHA signing with the Los Angeles Sharks before getting traded to the Quebec Nordiques.
This was the best move of his professional career. He went from nothing but an average player in the NHL to a superstar in the WHA.  Over six seasons in the WHA Tardif one two MVP awards, one AVCO Cup, racked up 666 total points (second in WHA history), and is the all-time goal scorer with 316. 
Tardif is also part of another hockey precedence.  During 1976-77 playoffs he was attacked by Rick Jodzio of the Calgary Cowboys suffering a massive head injury, resulting in Jodzio to be criminally charged for assault.  Here most of you thought Marty McSorley and Todd Bertuzzi were originals but it started in the WHA.
2 – Andre Lacroix
Similar to Mark Tardif, Lacroix started his career in the NHL.  Lacroix came up as a young center for the Philadelphia Flyers and was less than spectacular.  Following the 1970-71 season Lacroix was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks and was an abomination, tallying only 11 points in 56 games.  Following this disappointment Lacroix returned to Philadelphia, this time signing with the WHA’s Philadelphia Blazers.
Lacroix instantly became a star in Philadelphia ringing in 124 points in his first season.  After one season in Philadelphia he was dealt to New York before settling in with the San Diego Mariners.  During his three seasons in San Diego he tallied a league leading 362 points making him the most offensive force in the WHA.
Lacroix played all seven seasons in the WHA existence, where he scored at least 100 points in six of the seven seasons.  He finished his WHA career with 798 points in 554 games.  Lacroix is the WHA’s all-time leading scorer.
1 – Bobby Hull
Hull was the driving force for any success the WHA may have had during their brief existence.  At the time of the formation of the WHA Hull was the best player in the NHL but he wasn’t happy.  The long time Chicago Blackhawk felt the team was taking advantage for him and was unwilling to give him the contract he felt that his play deserved.  That was when the Winnipeg Jets offered Hull a 10-year, $2.7 million contract (That might sound like peanuts for this day and age but at the time it was unheard of).
Hull was immediately the league’s favorite and skilled player and took the captain role on the Jets.  His 77 goals in the 1974-75 season was tops in the WHA and he finished with at least 50 goals in four of his seven seasons.  The Hull-led Jets were the best team in the WHA, appearing in five-of-seven AVCO Cup’s; winning three of them.
“The Golden Jet” finished his WHA career third in points (638), second in goals (303), and sixth in assists (338).
The WHA will go down in history as a great league that changed the shape of hockey as we know it today.  Who was your favorite WHA player?  Like I said above, I don’t expect a ton of Rioters! to have a strong background when pertaining to the WHA, but Canada, I expect something from you, especially Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Quebec City.  Hit me up at shatmeself@yahoo.com and let me know where you stand.

Top 5 Forgotten Teams of All-Time

Last modified on 2012-01-04 04:20:51 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

So I actually did this last week out of boredom but never posted it.  Well I’m glad I didn’t post it because my inspiration has changed. This weekend, news started to surface that the Atlanta Thrashers had been sold, and were being moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba……which is in Canada for the Atlas impaired.  Hockey will be returning to one of most underrated hockey cities in all of the NHL, Winnipeg.  It is unknown whether or not they will be the “Jets,” but it doesn’t matter to the people of Winnipeg. On Friday when the news first surfaced, hundreds of fans gathered in a popular square in Winnipeg sporting their Jets gear and celebrating the return of the NHL to Winnipeg for the first time since 1994.  So in honor of this news, we would like to present the Top 5 forgotten teams of all time:
5- Vancouver Grizzlies – Some teams made this list because they were great once, but just fade away into the ether of history.  Some made this list because they were exiled to a city in the middle of nowhere.  You know places that are so secluded that you even forget they exist, let alone that there was a professional sports franchise there once.  Then there are those that were just so bad, you felt bad that that city ever had to endure such mediocrity. This is where the Vancouver Grizzlies fall.  6 years of losing, poor attendance and awful team building eventually led to the teams move to Memphis. Let’s throw some Grizzly facts at you.  They never one more than 23 games in a season while in Vancouver. They had 5 head coaches in 6 years. Their first draft pick ever? “Big Country” Bryant Reeves….yikes. Here’s all you need to know about how bad this team was, when I googled the Vancouver Grizzlies, their best players were listed as the following: Bryant Reeves, Sharif Abdur-Rahim, Mike Bibby, and Stromile Swift. Outside of Bibby, there is not a guy on the list that I can’t guard. Yuck.
4- Colorado Rockies (NHL) – When you are a sports fan and you hear the Colorado Rockies, I bet you think of the baseball team right?  Not me.  I think of the NHL franchise formerly known as the Colorado Rockies, but you can call them the New Jersey Devils now. Formerly the Kansas City Scouts, the Rockies make this list not because of any of the other reasons I’ve mentioned already.  They have a very unique place in history.  They get overlooked as a former NHL team for 2 reasons that I don’t think any other team in all of sports can claim.  The first is the aforementioned Major League Baseball team, the Colorado Rockies that began play in Denver in 1993.  The second reason is the huge success the New Jersey Devils have had since coming to NJ in 1983. The Rockies, who weren’t very successful in there short 6-year run in Denver, had a special place in my heart as a child.  First off they had the coolest, ugliest jerseys in NHL history. The second thing was my favorite player as child was former Ranger captain Barry Beck, who began his career with the Colorado Rockies and holds the team record for most points by a rookie; 60. And the last reason was when you’re a child, certain names; funny, heroic, or just badass; stick with you and you pretend you are that person all the time.  Even if you know nothing about them, or if they suck, you are still pretending to be that guy. Glenn “Chico” Resch was that guy. Whenever I would play goalie for anything; hockey, soccer, whatever; I was “Chico.”  Also another significant contribution by this forgotten team was when Don Cherry was hired in ’79-’80 as their head coach, he coined the motto “Come out to the fights and watch a Rockies game break out.” A sentiment that has been associated with hockey ever since. For a team that was only around for 6 seasons, they left an undeniable mark on the NHL.  But yet they are forgotten.
Hall of Famers – Lanny McDonald (nice ‘stache), Don Cherry (head coach, now Canadian institution on Hockey Night in Canada on TV)
3- Winnipeg Jets – One of the most underrated NHL teams ever.  They make this list because of their geographical location; Winnipeg, where is that; and because they had the worst luck of the draw ever.  When they were in the WHL, they appeared in 5 finals in 7 years (winning 3) and were a huge draw in the league. But then the NHL came calling and all there bad luck started.  Upon entering the NHL, 3 of their top 6 scorers were pilfered for an expansion draft, and they had a horrible draft spot (18th out of 21).  Despite this initial luck, during their first 2 horrendous seasons they were able to draft well, and build a successful team. They consistently made the playoffs, and performed well from that point on.  Unfortunately for the Jets, they were cursed to play in the same conference as the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames in their hey-day.  Good performing Jets teams were greatly overshadowed by great Calgary teams, and legendary Oiler teams.  The Jets are now known as the Phoenix Coyotes.
 *Hall of Famers – Dale Hawerchuck, Bobby Hull, and Serge Savard
2- Hartford Whalers – Ok, so this poor team.  I really had a hard time with this move back in ’97.  First off, when we do a top 5 jerseys of all time, this team will definitely be there.  They Whalers have one of the coolest looking jerseys in any sport, at any time. And no, not because it’s ugly like the 80’s Canucks or the Colorado Hockey Rockies, oh no, it’s just awesome.  Secondly, again the Whalers have a strong connection to my childhood.  When I was growing up on Long Island in the 80’s we would get WSBK from Boston on our cable system.  They would show Boston Bruins games every weekend with the world’s most drab announcer, Fred Cusick. That guy could put a hyper active kid without his daily riddlin out for the count.  When I was sick as a child and couldn’t sleep I could always count on 2 things to put me out, Bob Ross’s “Joy of Painting” on PBS and Fred Cusick. I digress, the Whalers would have a game on WSBK like once in a while and it would be a treat for me. First off, I never got to see other teams besides the Islanders, Rangers and Bruins until a few years later when ESPN would show them. There seemed to be no schedule for the Whalers on TV either.  Since Hartford was a very small place, when the Whalers would come on it seemed like a feed from a 3rd world country was finally established and a hockey game broke out.  It was weird. Anyway, the Whalers never really set the world on fire on the ice.  They had some very nice players (Ron Francis, Kevin Dineen, Paul Coffey), and even a legend (Gordie Howe). They had a few good teams, but ultimately they had the same fate as the Jets did.  There good Whaler teams were outdone by great Bruins, Canadiens, and Islander teams. This team is now known as the Carolina Hurricanes, and have won a Stanley Cup since departing for NC.
Hall of Famers -  Gordie Howe, Ron Francis, Paul Coffey, Dave Keon, Bobby Hull, Emile “The Cat” Francis (GM)
1-Philadelphia A’s – The Oakland A’s are one of the most successful franchises in the history of Major League Baseball.  They were a near dynasty in the ‘70’s that rivaled the big red machine. They were an AL dynasty in the late 80’s, and they even are mostly responsible for launching the steroid era in baseball. They have a ton of Hall of Famers (Eck, Fingers, Rickey, Catfish and Goose to name a few) and they continue to be competitive despite being on a shoestring budget from year to year. One fact about the A’s that seems to be completely forgotten, they came from Philly.  That’s right, the Phillies weren’t always the only game in town, it was the A’s of Philadelphia and boy they were good.  With 20 Hall of Famers, 5 championships in 8 appearances, and not just Hall of Famers but legends like Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Lefty Grove, the A’s of Philadelphia were a legendary group.  Unfortunately they seem to blend into history because they moved back in 1954, and there was another team in Philly (The Phillies), that kept fans minds off of the depression that could set in from a team leaving like that. Remember, the Dodgers left Brooklyn in ’57 and I don’t think Brooklyn has been right since.  The thing there was “them Bums” were a good team in the mid 50’s, the A’s of Philly hadn’t won in 24 years, and things weren’t looking up.  After the move to Kansas City in ’55, things only got worse. It wasn’t until Charlie O. Finley brought the team to Oakland in ’68 that the team started to win again. The A’s became a very successful franchise again, thus wiping out all the misery the prior 30 years provided and with it the history of those great Philly teams. As a long time baseball fan, and a knowledgeable one at that, I’m ashamed to say that if it wasn’t for Jimmie Foxx being such a beast, I wouldn’t be very familiar with the Philadelphia A’s.
Hall of Famers – Frank “HR” Baker, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Al Simmons, Eddie Collins, Chief Bender, Connie Mack(Mgr), Eddie Plank, Rube Waddel (that dudes name is rube)
And being the only team on this list to win a championship, the Philadelphia A’s won in 1910, ’11,’13, ’29, and ’30.

The Top 5

Last modified on 2012-01-04 04:22:38 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

So I’ve succumbed to my disease.  I am addicted to Top “whatever” lists.  Take any subject, anything and put it into a top 5 or a top 10 format, and I will read it.  So without further ado, here’s the first installment of The Sports Riot!’s Top 5 list.

Top 5 Worst Championship Games
Playoffs in all sports usually outshine the regular season.  And it is almost always the case when it’s a winner take all situation for a championship.  Game 7’s are usually the most drama, and the best watch.  But every once in a while, you get a real stinker. Monday’s 63-52 UCONN championship victory over Butler got me to thinking about the worst that I have ever seen, and thus kicking off our weekly Top 5 segment. This year’s championship game definitely cracks the top 15, but not the top 5; we have some real crap in here. 
5) 1985 World Series Game 7 – Royals 11  Cardinals 0
 -One night after being jobbed by first base umpire Don Denkinger, who blew an obvious out call at first base, the cards just didn’t seem to have the heart to continue.  In the bottom of the 9th of Game 6, Jorge Orta of the Royals hit a routine bouncer up the first base line, rookie Todd Worrell was covering when the flip from Jack Clark was there in plenty of time, beating Jorge Orta by a step and a half.  However, Denkinger called him safe, and the bottom of the 9th unfolded, resulting in Orta scoring the game winner, and forcing the awful Game 7. Some say Denkinger was subconsciously making up for a bad call at 2nd base earlier in the game that was nearly as bad, but not quite as timely.
4) Super Bowl XX – Bears 46 Patriots 10
 -This game was over before it started. First off, 1986 was a huge year for me in terms of sports.  There were a lot of first memories for me.  The 1985 World Series was the first time I remember watching a whole series with interest.  The 1986 World Series was when I was galvanized as a Mets fan.  I remember struggling with every pitch with my dad during that epic series.  And this Super Bowl sticks out as well. There were some obvious things, the Super Bowl Shuffle, Jim McMahon’s white headband, and the Fridge pounding in TD’s.  This I believe was the first appearance of the Bud Bowl during the Super Bowl broadcast.  I will need to confirm that, but I remember it.  The most memorable thing about this game though was me, a 9 year old with very little experience or football knowledge, asking my father what those children in the red jerseys were doing on the field with the Bears before the game started.  He told me it was the New England Patriots.  I knew at the tender age of 9 what was about to happen to the old Red, White, and Blue on that day. It was very bad, very bad.
3) 1996 Fiesta Bowl – Nebraska 62  Florida 24
 -Perhaps the last lawful appearance by Lawrence Philips and the last football appearance of Tommie Frazer.  Tommie Frazer had one of the most memorable plays in this game when he took a routine looking option 11 yards, and turned it into a 25 yard gain by carrying half the Gator D on his back. This game over by the half when the Huskers put up 29 points in the 2nd quarter thus ending any shot Wuerfel and the Gators may have had.

2) 1990 NCAA National Championship Game  UNLV 103  Duke 73
 -Now as bad a night as Butler had on Monday, they only lost by 11. The Coach K led team was decimated by the Runnin’ Rebs and Tark the Shark.  A few notes from this one.  First off, the Rebs were the first and only team to ever to drop 100 points in the championship game.  30 points is the largest margin of victory for a final and it came against an institution like Coach K’s Blue Devils. Let’s also not forget that this was a Laettner/Hurley team, this team was no slouch. The other reason this game is so memorable, and terrible is that it marks Brent Musburger’s long run as the voice of college sports on CBS.  One of the staples of my childhood was Brent Musburger on New Year’s Day, Brent Musburger in the NFL today studio before Sunday’s Giants game. And that memory was extinguished for a little while after this particular game, because the day following this debacle, Brent Musburger was fired by CBS.

1) Super Bowl XXVII Cowboys 52  Bills 17  and Super Bowl XXIV  49ers 55  Broncos 10
 -This one is a toss-up for many reasons.  The niners annihilated the Broncos by 45, whereas the ‘boys only won by 35.  But the Cowboys forced 9 turnovers, which is a SB record.  The niners were up 27-3 at the half, where the Bills were only trailing 28-10. And if you recall, the Bills were a much better team than those Denver teams, or so we thought. So I guess maybe those 7 points could determine whether or not the casual fan is still tuning in.  I’m obviously splitting hairs here, both of these games were embarrassments, and basically over by the half thus making them the most uninteresting, and boring Super Bowls to date.  Unless you’re a Cowboys or a 49ers fan, Ant I know you were glued.
Honorable Mentions – 2009 Ncaa Women’s Champ game UCONN defeated Louisville by 22,
                                  -2006 Ncaa Men’s Champ Game Florida over UCLA by 16, it wasn’t that close
                                -1987 Stanley Cup Final Game 7 Oilers 3 Flyers 1 – I know the score looks close, but the Oilers took the lead early in the 1st, and out shot the Flyers 25-8 in the final 2 periods.  Flyer goalie Ron Hextall became 1 of 4 players in the 100+ year history of the finals to win the Conn Smythe trophy (Playoff MVP) and lose the series.   

 

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      Wow I must say that I agree with your out-of-the-box thinking. First, maikng it the defending champs versus the league would be a great one, no matter if it is mid-season or pre-season; although, the pre-season idea would be great in so much as the team would have less of a chance to be injured just prior to the game, and there is not that letdown of having the defending champs go out and stink it up for half a season (maikng the game then less interesting)!

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