So much for the Cup-Or-Bust expectations.
Guess what, folks. This Rangers team may not make the playoffs. A major change needs to be made.
Is it a blockbuster trade? Fire the coach? Demote everyone? Whatever it is, they had better figure it out quickly.
As I write this, the Rangers trail the Winnipeg Jets at home 2-0. They just completely botched a 3-1 where Derek Stepan chose to try a wraparound instead of attempting a wide open shot.
The team's problems aren't merely physical anymore. It's mental.
Brad Richards has lost his confidence. Marian Gaborik appears he is losing his.
Carl Hagelin has been the best forward not named Rick Nash this season. No disrespect to Hags, but that is not acceptable.
The power play is the worst in the NHL. Getting one goal in a game seems like a chore.
Yes, this team has injuries, especially to Rick Nash. But you don't see the Ottawa Senators, missing three of their best four players, making excuses!
This team is in huge trouble, folks.
Has coach John Tortorella's my-way-or-the-highway approach run its course? Has he lost the team? They lack the grit, determination, and smarts that defined last year's Atlantic Division Champions.
Is this on the coach, or is it just bad luck?
Whatever it is, the Rangers need to step up now. Something needs to change.
Going into this shortened season, the Garden Faithful were ready to party like it's 1994.
Instead, we may be staring at 1993 all over again.
There is still time to turn this season around, but time is running out.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The Truth About Our Sporting Culture
I'm going to begin this post by making a bold, ambitious declaration.
Mind you, this is not my own personal opinion. It is also not fact.
It is a declaration that the court of public opinion has decided before playing out in court. The aura of this declaration hovers like a dark, ominous cloud in the sky, with the sun nowhere in sight.
So here it is. EVERYONE is juicing. Yes. Everyone.
Doesn't it simply feel this way to you, sports fans? Every time you turn on the TV or surf the web, you hear or read about another star athlete being busted or implicated for performance-enhancing drugs. Many are under suspicion, and a handful are caught.
And let's be honest. Any time we see an athlete have a major breakout season or make a miraculous recovery from major surgery to dominate their sport, we assume they are using something!
We have reached the point in our society where we are suspicious of everyone. We are suspicious simply based on observation. Observation of a player's growth in muscle mass, or performance on the field of play.
We can argue all day why athletes juice; whether it is for ego, a competitive edge, their legacy, whatever. With the proliferation of PEDs over the last decade, it is easy to tie a significant improvement in performance to the aid of some kind of drug.
More recently than ever, we've seen some of the biggest names in sport either get caught or be accused.
-Lance Armstrong, the greatest cyclist of all time, is exposed as one of the great steroid cheats in history. Don't we now assume all cyclists use?
-Adrian Peterson destroys his knee late in the 2011 season. He not only makes a full recovery, but comes nine yards shy of the single-season rushing record. Come on, how could he not have "help"?
-Alex Rodriguez once admitting to using PEDs while with the Texas Rangers from 2001-2003. Now, he is linked to a Miami doctor that allegedly has distributed and administered PEDs to prominent athletes. We know for a fact he has juiced longer than three years, right?
-Gio Gonzalez is linked to the same doctor, but little to no evidence exists that he used PEDs. But of course, he had to have used! Most baseball fans will go under that assumption, and it will show at ballparks this summer.
I won't even get into Bonds, Clemens, McGwire, Sosa, et al. We all know their story.
To be fair, many pro athletes don't use PEDs at all. They perform their craft with integrity and are true role models. One example is Derek Jeter. Skip Bayless' wacky opinions notwithstanding, he is universally regarded as the athlete least likely to juice.
But how may of these "clean" athletes have lost the benefit of the doubt because of those that did juice? All of them. A prime example of this is the Blue Jays' Jose Bautista. Everyone and their brother assumed he started juicing after suddenly becoming a 50 home run monster in 2011, despite having never hit more than 20 in a season prior. However, he has not once been linked to PEDs. Guess what? We still assume he juiced, and is probably pretty damn good at circumventing drug tests!
All of this reveals two sad truths about sports:
1. PED use will always exist. As science progresses, so too do drugs undetectable by the most sophisticated of drug tests. Athletes will always attempt to stay ahead of the curve.
2. We have reached the point where the sports fan simply assume that athletes juice. They pretty much accept PED use as part of pro sports at a fundamental level. Also, most are simply tired of hearing about PEDs in the news.
Sports culture can now be summed up in four words: Guilty Until Proven Innocent. It is alive and well, and will not change any time soon. For better or worse.
Yes, the use of PEDs is immoral and hurts the integrity of sport.
We just don't care anymore.
Mind you, this is not my own personal opinion. It is also not fact.
It is a declaration that the court of public opinion has decided before playing out in court. The aura of this declaration hovers like a dark, ominous cloud in the sky, with the sun nowhere in sight.
So here it is. EVERYONE is juicing. Yes. Everyone.
Doesn't it simply feel this way to you, sports fans? Every time you turn on the TV or surf the web, you hear or read about another star athlete being busted or implicated for performance-enhancing drugs. Many are under suspicion, and a handful are caught.
And let's be honest. Any time we see an athlete have a major breakout season or make a miraculous recovery from major surgery to dominate their sport, we assume they are using something!
We have reached the point in our society where we are suspicious of everyone. We are suspicious simply based on observation. Observation of a player's growth in muscle mass, or performance on the field of play.
We can argue all day why athletes juice; whether it is for ego, a competitive edge, their legacy, whatever. With the proliferation of PEDs over the last decade, it is easy to tie a significant improvement in performance to the aid of some kind of drug.
More recently than ever, we've seen some of the biggest names in sport either get caught or be accused.
-Lance Armstrong, the greatest cyclist of all time, is exposed as one of the great steroid cheats in history. Don't we now assume all cyclists use?
-Adrian Peterson destroys his knee late in the 2011 season. He not only makes a full recovery, but comes nine yards shy of the single-season rushing record. Come on, how could he not have "help"?
-Alex Rodriguez once admitting to using PEDs while with the Texas Rangers from 2001-2003. Now, he is linked to a Miami doctor that allegedly has distributed and administered PEDs to prominent athletes. We know for a fact he has juiced longer than three years, right?
-Gio Gonzalez is linked to the same doctor, but little to no evidence exists that he used PEDs. But of course, he had to have used! Most baseball fans will go under that assumption, and it will show at ballparks this summer.
I won't even get into Bonds, Clemens, McGwire, Sosa, et al. We all know their story.
To be fair, many pro athletes don't use PEDs at all. They perform their craft with integrity and are true role models. One example is Derek Jeter. Skip Bayless' wacky opinions notwithstanding, he is universally regarded as the athlete least likely to juice.
But how may of these "clean" athletes have lost the benefit of the doubt because of those that did juice? All of them. A prime example of this is the Blue Jays' Jose Bautista. Everyone and their brother assumed he started juicing after suddenly becoming a 50 home run monster in 2011, despite having never hit more than 20 in a season prior. However, he has not once been linked to PEDs. Guess what? We still assume he juiced, and is probably pretty damn good at circumventing drug tests!
All of this reveals two sad truths about sports:
1. PED use will always exist. As science progresses, so too do drugs undetectable by the most sophisticated of drug tests. Athletes will always attempt to stay ahead of the curve.
2. We have reached the point where the sports fan simply assume that athletes juice. They pretty much accept PED use as part of pro sports at a fundamental level. Also, most are simply tired of hearing about PEDs in the news.
Sports culture can now be summed up in four words: Guilty Until Proven Innocent. It is alive and well, and will not change any time soon. For better or worse.
Yes, the use of PEDs is immoral and hurts the integrity of sport.
We just don't care anymore.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The Playoffs Are No Longer A Sure Thing, Rangers Fans!
I assure you this post is not me hitting the panic button. It should not cause you, the reader, to panic.
This post is simply to offer the truth, nothing more.
It's time for the Rangers fan to put aside expectations, especially the Cup or Bust attitude. Their 4-5 start in a 48-game regular season has exposed some flaws in this team. The playoffs are no longer a guarantee for this team.
The fatal flaws in this team that have been prevalent with this team in the John Tortorella era have reared their ugly head after nine games. First, the power play has been abysmal. And this is being kind. It went 0 for 5 last night against the Devils, including a double minor late in the first period. After the game, Torts stated the lack of effective special teams play cost them big time. And it will continue to do so unless things are changed.
The obvious solution is to shoot the puck more, right? Theoretically, yes. But the power play units also need to screen the goaltender more and not be afraid to crash the net when necessary. It seems that whenever a shot on goal happens, the opposition easily cradles the rebound and clears the puck.
In other words, the entire power play system needs to be fixed. Shooting the puck more is just step one.
The other fatal flaw exposed is that when goalie Henrik Lundqvist gets little to no help from his defense or shot blocking forwards, he is vulnerable. Is the team relying too heavily on the Vezina Trophy winner? It's possible.
Whatever is holding the Rangers back from being the elite team it was last season, it needs to change soon.
One solution is that the Rangers need to acquire a capable power play quarterback or point man before the trade deadline. The other solution is to hold assistant coach Mike Sullivan, the man in charge of the power play, accountable. Whether it means stripping him of his power play coaching duties or his job altogether remains to be seen. But it is obvious his style is not working.
Also, the penalty kill is nowhere near as good as it was last year. Is it the loss of Brandon Prust, or is it just a lack of mental and physical toughness altogether? After last night's loss, Tortorella bluntly stated that a handful of guys are playing "scared" and "tentative". This blogger completely agrees.
I'm not sure if this player is playing scared or tentative, but Brad Richards needs to be called out. He has not played to his potential so far, and has made some mind-boggling blind backhand passes and has just looked lackadasical at other times. He needs to get going immediately.
The loss of captain Ryan Callahan has hurt this team much more than I thought. The mental and physical toughness, the hallmark of this team, is sorely lacking in his absence. The good news is that he may return this weekend.
The other good news is that the front office is being proactive in addressing the team's issues. They recently traded ultra-useless fourth liner Mike Rupp to Minnesota in exchange for shot-blocking specialist Darrell Powe and minor leaguer Nick Palmieri. The call up of top prospect J.T. Miller will provide a huge boost to this team. Him and other top prospect Chris Krieder were by far the best players on the ice not named Rick Nash last night against the Devils. Miller, though only 19, already looks NHL ready. Tortorella also stated that jobs are at stake for some regulars that are playing scared. As stated before, a trade for a power play quarterback will really help, as well.
Again, it is not time to panic, Ranger fans. As of tonight, they are only one point out of a playoff spot. As the LA Kings proved last year, you can simply get in to the playoffs, then go on a cup run. Seeds don't matter anymore. There is still plenty of time to turn this thing around.
But the improvements need to come soon, otherwise it may be time to place your hands on the panic button.
This post is simply to offer the truth, nothing more.
It's time for the Rangers fan to put aside expectations, especially the Cup or Bust attitude. Their 4-5 start in a 48-game regular season has exposed some flaws in this team. The playoffs are no longer a guarantee for this team.
The fatal flaws in this team that have been prevalent with this team in the John Tortorella era have reared their ugly head after nine games. First, the power play has been abysmal. And this is being kind. It went 0 for 5 last night against the Devils, including a double minor late in the first period. After the game, Torts stated the lack of effective special teams play cost them big time. And it will continue to do so unless things are changed.
The obvious solution is to shoot the puck more, right? Theoretically, yes. But the power play units also need to screen the goaltender more and not be afraid to crash the net when necessary. It seems that whenever a shot on goal happens, the opposition easily cradles the rebound and clears the puck.
In other words, the entire power play system needs to be fixed. Shooting the puck more is just step one.
The other fatal flaw exposed is that when goalie Henrik Lundqvist gets little to no help from his defense or shot blocking forwards, he is vulnerable. Is the team relying too heavily on the Vezina Trophy winner? It's possible.
Whatever is holding the Rangers back from being the elite team it was last season, it needs to change soon.
One solution is that the Rangers need to acquire a capable power play quarterback or point man before the trade deadline. The other solution is to hold assistant coach Mike Sullivan, the man in charge of the power play, accountable. Whether it means stripping him of his power play coaching duties or his job altogether remains to be seen. But it is obvious his style is not working.
Also, the penalty kill is nowhere near as good as it was last year. Is it the loss of Brandon Prust, or is it just a lack of mental and physical toughness altogether? After last night's loss, Tortorella bluntly stated that a handful of guys are playing "scared" and "tentative". This blogger completely agrees.
I'm not sure if this player is playing scared or tentative, but Brad Richards needs to be called out. He has not played to his potential so far, and has made some mind-boggling blind backhand passes and has just looked lackadasical at other times. He needs to get going immediately.
The loss of captain Ryan Callahan has hurt this team much more than I thought. The mental and physical toughness, the hallmark of this team, is sorely lacking in his absence. The good news is that he may return this weekend.
The other good news is that the front office is being proactive in addressing the team's issues. They recently traded ultra-useless fourth liner Mike Rupp to Minnesota in exchange for shot-blocking specialist Darrell Powe and minor leaguer Nick Palmieri. The call up of top prospect J.T. Miller will provide a huge boost to this team. Him and other top prospect Chris Krieder were by far the best players on the ice not named Rick Nash last night against the Devils. Miller, though only 19, already looks NHL ready. Tortorella also stated that jobs are at stake for some regulars that are playing scared. As stated before, a trade for a power play quarterback will really help, as well.
Again, it is not time to panic, Ranger fans. As of tonight, they are only one point out of a playoff spot. As the LA Kings proved last year, you can simply get in to the playoffs, then go on a cup run. Seeds don't matter anymore. There is still plenty of time to turn this thing around.
But the improvements need to come soon, otherwise it may be time to place your hands on the panic button.
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