Among all the numerous sports headlines last week (the birth of “Linsanity” , the ongoing Peyton saga, the record setting home victory streak by the Red Wings), it was easy to miss Montreal’s Scott Gomez and his game winning goal against the New York Islanders. It wasn’t particularly flashy, nor did it seal a particularly important game. What it did do, however, was snap Gomez’s calendar year long goal drought, which began on February 5, 2011. Scoring funks are nothing new [...]
Roundball Soundoff: Linsanity!
Just when you thought the New York Knicks’ season was about to tank… My hometown team has been one of basketball’s biggest disappointments in this lockout-shortened season. Although their defensive intensity has picked up tremendously (we can thank Tyson Chandler for that,) they’ve looked lost on offense. A team with as many offensive weapons as the Knicks have should be spacing the floor better, getting more open looks, and scoring more points. We can blame a good chunk of that [...]
Cold as Ice: Gearing Up for the Trade Deadline
Cynics love to complain about how the NHL regular season is meaningless, but for teams battling for a playoff spot, every game from now until the end of the season is huge. Every night, teams shuffle up and down the standings fighting to finish in the top eight in their respective conferences. The season ends April 7, but a much more immediate date looms for many teams: the NHL trade deadline on Feb. 27. As a result, teams are busily [...]
From the Diamond to Developer: The Story of Curt Schilling’s Passion for Gaming
The man with the blood-soaked “red sock,” Curt Schilling , is a hero to many a Boston sports fan. Under the mentoring and friendship of Terry Francona, Schilling went on to set records and helped to win two World Series championships within his four years with the team. What most people don’t know about Curt, however, is that he’s an avid gamer. While he was on the road, he would constantly obsess over a 1980′s board game entitled Advanced Squad Leader . He also became [...]
Cold as Ice: The Popblerd Rivalry, Part 2
For the vast majority of the NHL season, column writers Jay and I are on pretty good terms, following the action, dividing the writing, and commenting on the league’s many stories, players, and events. But for a few nights each season, the fellowship must be broken. And this week, it was rendered asunder for two straight days. Why? Because his Toronto Maple Leafs and my Pittsburgh Penguins met for a rare back-to-back series, one at each team’s arena. This is [...]
The Viewfinder: Madonna’s “Give Me All Your Luvin’”
I don’t mean to sound so blase about Madonna. I mean, I like the woman’s music. However, I can also say that Madonna hasn’t made an all-out great album since 1994. Euro-dance is generally not my thing, so the whole Ray of Light/Music/American Life/Confessions run, to me, added up to maybe 12 great songs and a bunch of crap. Hard Candy was alternately OK (Justin/Timbaland) and awful (Pharrell), and the two new songs on the Celebration compilation sounded like exactly [...]
The Popblerd Staff Predicts Super Bowl XLVI
While our greatest strength as a pop culture website is on the music side, we know a little bit about sports too. If you followed my 10 Yard Fight column over the football season, you know that I’m a fan of the San Francisco 49ers and that I’m still feeling heartbreak warfare over my 49ers losing in the NFC Championship to the New York Giants. Those Giants face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on the biggest sports day in all of the [...]
Roundball Soundoff 1/30/12: What Have We Learned?
D. Rose and the Bulls are the beasts of the East (so far.) How’s the rest of the NBA holding up in this lockout-shortened season. Read on for the best damn NBA column in the world.
The Singles Bar: Nixon Nyce’s “Pat City”
Here’s the dilemma. Not only is Nixon Nyce a valued member of the Popblerd! staff, but he’s one of the leading lights in Boston’s hip-hop scene. Thing is, his new song, a remix of Tyga’s “Rack City” called “Pat City” is about…the New England Patriots. Even if I wasn’t a diehard New York Giants fan, the fact of the matter is that I hate the Patriots. Actually, I don’t hate the Patriots. I [...]
Cold As Ice: Oh Great, It’s The All-Star Game
The NHL is in the annual mid-season lull known as the All-Star break. It’s a time for the league to celebrate itself with a skills competition, fan festival and of course, the All-Star Game itself. There’s just one problem: The NHL All-Star Game sucks. The game is designed to highlight the best players in the NHL, but it inevitably looks nothing like an NHL game and more like a game of pond hockey. There’s no defense, no hitting and the [...]
Poptificating – The Kobe Vs. LeBron Debate
Kobe vs. Lebron. LeBron vs. Kobe. It’s not quite Magic vs. Bird. Or even Wilt vs. Russell. But NBA fans love arguing over who is the better player. What characteristics define who the better player is? Kobe’s the better scorer. LeBron’s the better all-around player. Kobe has a mean streak. LeBron’s doesn’t match Kobe’s. One supposedly is the game’s ultimate closer, while the other doesn’t have the closing mentality ( however, that may very well be wrong ). LeBron has won 11 of their 13 head-to-head match-ups. [...]
Cold as Ice: The Popblerd Rivalry, Part 1
For the vast majority of the NHL season, column writers Jay and I are on pretty good terms, following the action, dividing the writing, and commenting on the league’s many stories, players, and events. But for a few nights each season, the fellowship must be broken. And this week, it was rendered asunder for two straight days. Why? Because his Toronto Maple Leafs and my Pittsburgh Penguins met for a rare back-to-back series, one at each team’s arena. This is [...]