Well, my Pens lost today. Mostly through a third period meltdown that saw them racking up the penalties and impotently trying to survive shorthanded again and again. It was a frustrating way to lose, and in all honesty, I’m a little bit bummed out now, even though I have zero personal stake in the game. It’s a question that comes up inevitably for all of us sports fans, when our team chokes and we spin into a brief, morose sadness: […]
Posts tagged "sports"
Cold as Ice: The Lockout Blues
Our worst fears as hockey fans have come true: the looming NHL lockout has become a real NHL lockout. Faithful hockey nuts Stephen and Jay return for a new season of Cold as Ice with their thoughts on the ordeal. Stephen A part of me wants to imagine that Gary Bettman has at least picked up the fiddle as he sits around watching the NHL burn this time. To his credit, the man has turned the NHL into a multi-billion […]
bLISTerd Presents: The 100 Best Albums of the Eighties (#50-#41)
We are in the top half of our ’80s list, and in this installment, R.E.M. appears twice and the King of Pop makes his first of three appearances. Find out what other albums made the cut.
Reading Is Fundamental: “I Love The Red Sox/I Hate The Yankees”
Remember this? If you’re a baseball fan, you do. A new book explores the most heated rivalry in American sports: Red Sox vs. Yankees. Read on to learn more!
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 […]
Cold as Ice: Montreal Dealing With “Un Grand” Coaching Headache
It’s hard out here for a pimp. It’s even harder if you’re the new coach of the Montreal Canadiens and you can’t speak French. The Habs (aka “Les Habitants”) are the NY Yankees of hockey, with more Stanley Cup championships (24) than any other team by far (Toronto is next with 13). The franchise’s storied history is peppered with the exploits of legendary players like Rocket Richard, Bill Durnan, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau, Ken Dryden and Howie […]
Cold As Ice: Shooting To Thrill
In any pro sports league, you’ve got debates brewing over rule changes and inconsistencies. In baseball, the American League’s adoption of the designated hitter rule in 1973 is STILL hotly contested by purists. The NFL changed its kickoff rule this season to increase the number of touchbacks (in the name of player safety), but it also angered players who in previous years served solely as kick returners because they were essentially losing their jobs. In the NHL, a perennial argument […]
Cold As Ice: Big Ch-Ch-Changes Ahead!
What does next year’s realignment mean for the NFL? Check out this week’s Cold As Ice column and find out what Jay has to say about it.
Cold as Ice: Cautious Optimism in Toronto
These are strange days for Toronto Maple Leafs fans. A quarter of the way through the season, the Leafs are near the top of their division and boast the NHL’s leading scorer in Phil Kessel. And most of this was done with top goalie James Reimer out with “concussion-like symptoms.” Still, if you’re a long-suffering Leaf fan like I am, you’re not getting overly excited just yet. After all, this is a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since the […]
Cold As Ice: Too Much of a Good Thing?
Nearly every NHL game ever played has taken place in a hockey arena, which makes the annual Winter Classic outdoor game such a big deal. Ever since the league first held the Winter Classic in 2008 (five years after staging an outdoor game in Edmonton) between Pittsburgh and Buffalo, the New Year’s Day event has been a ratings and headline grabber. This year’s game will take place on January 2 (avoiding a conflict with NFL games on 1/1) at Philadelphia’s […]
Cold as Ice: Suffer for Fashion
There are many things I love about hockey: The speed, the power, the skill. But another aspect that I really dig is the hockey jersey. It’s the coolest uniform in sports, without a doubt. It’s not that I don’t like gear from the other big team sports, but the hockey jersey (or sweater, if you’re old school) has it all over them. There’s just something inherently impressive about the look of a jersey, whether it’s that game-worn Steve Yzerman one […]
Cold as Ice: Hot Starts and Cool Chaos
As if often the case, the first two weeks of the NHL season have been rife with some early surprises. Several stalwarts from last year have shown some early signs of trouble, while a few of last year’s whipping posts have been flashing some signs of hope for their fan bases. For anyone who loves good hockey, these are things to be excited about, even if you know deep down in side they probably aren’t going to last. Fans of […]