Duke beats GA Tech, loses mascot 4-6 weeks

Good Riddance: Sens fire Paddock

This news comes as some sort of a relief for Ottawa Senators fans. I guess Bryan Murray simply had enough of the lengthy losing streaks and back-to-back shutouts against the lowly Leafs and again last night in Boston.

The GM didn't exactly give Paddock the biggest vote of confidence, saying the other day that his job is safe "if the team keeps winning."

It kinda seemed like the players stopped playing for him. They are all competitive people, and I guarantee that they would enjoy an equally competitive coach behind the bench who shows some emotion. That's exactly what ol' Paddy didn't do. He was like an English Jacques Martin. Cross those arms and scowl the entire game and then give meaningless gargled quotes while choking up your Christmas turkey followed by the occasional burp. Gross? You bet. (If you listen to TGOR Nation on Team 1200 in Ottawa in the morning, you know what I'm talking about.)

But hey, at least Bryan Murray has some character. Paddock is a perfect fit for a team in the East Coast Iron League or something. I couldn't quite understand why he became the Sens' head coach. He wasn't exactly what you call a 'finesse' player in his day. More like, 4th-line plug/scrapper. It would be like Tie Domi coaching an NHL team in 10 years. How could you expect to win with a knucklehead like that at the helm?

Maybe I'm being too harsh, but if we couldn't lock up a sniper or stalwart defenceman at the deadline, then this is the next best thing. Paddock is a solid hockey guy with a great eye for talent. Today marks the beginning of another chapter and let's hope Murray can get the Sens to start playing like the team he took to the Cup last year. Peace out Paddy.

Roundup: Trade Deadline Edition

So the 2008 NHL trade deadline has come and gone. Anybody else think us Canadians are ridiculously obsessed with hockey trade coverage? The 3 major stations committed every minute of the day to endless banter that included a bunch of big kids texting on their Blackberries in between analyzing every trade to death. But I digress...

Who were the real winners today? You gotta think San Jose improved by acquiring a steady, puck-moving defenceman like Brian Campbell. Poor Buffalo...everybody keeps leaving them. How about Brad Richards heading to the Big D? And he's gotta be happy to get out of Tampa, especially after he said the franchise is "spiralling".

But what about Ottawa? They were one of the front-runners in the Marian Hossa sweepstakes, but obviously weren't willing to give up a 1st rounder, like Pittsburgh had to do. I recall owner Eugene Melnyk saying that he would "do anything to win the Cup," so it's very disappointing that they weren't able to land a marquee player. Just because the draft is being held in Ottawa this year, it doesn't mean the host team HAS to have a showing in the 1st round. Instead, GM Murray settled for Martin Lapointe in exchange for a 6th rounder. Another brutal deadline day for the struggling Senators. Will try to keep the expectations low for the upcoming postseason.

As for the rest of the trade details, check out TSN for a full list of who went where.

Gross: Arsenal player gets leg snapped

If you didn't know: Tiger Woods runs the show

Tiger Tiger Woods y'all!

It would've been nice to see Stewart Cink at least put up a fight today. But, because Tiger is the man, Cink gracefully accepted a good ol' fashioned beat down today at the WGC Accenture Match Play in Arizona. Here's a ridiculous stat: Stewart Cink hasn't won a tournament in 86 starts, while in the same stretch, Tiger has won 23 times.

Setting a tournament record with an 8-and-7 vic, Tiger has now won 15 of the 26 WGC tournies that he has entered.

Let's be honest. Tiger Woods has the professional golf world beaten, picked back up, and beaten some more. Safe to say that if Tiger is in the field at any given event, he will be accepting the hardware come Sunday afternoon.

Just another tidbit: he's now in 4th for all-time career wins with 63, stepping over Arnold Palmer. Should be an interesting exchange between the two, as Tiger's next stop is at Arnie's Invitational at Bay Hill.

Great Opportunities: Sign up for PPP

I recently became involved with a great internet company called PayPerPost (PPP). In the short period that the team at Bulging the Twine has been associated with them, I've received nothing but support and encouragement.

When you first hear about companies like PPP, your first thoughts tend to be focused on the fact that they're an internet-based company, so how legitimate can they be? Truth is, they're at the top of the blogging game, and have the stats and members to back it up.

I had initially heard about them through my daily blog crawling and figured that since there were enough people representing them, they had to be doing somethin' special.

So why did I feel compelled to sign up? Well, like every good capitalist, I want to make some extra cash by speaking my mind on Bulging the Twine. PPP offers some great opportunities to make money and can be quite lucrative if you know what you're doing. I think of myself as someone who knows what they're doing. Plus, their site looked interesting. A great design and interactive features. Put it this way, within 2 hours of being part of their team, I had already bought a nice white visor with their logo. That's how much I think of them, and their position in this online marketplace we call blogging.

As for the money I'm going to make, well, I'm going to Disneyland! If you're looking for a great way to drive traffic to your site, check out PayPerPost!

Ray Emery = Weaksauce

Dare to disagree? And even if you do, you obviously didn't catch the fine display he put on against Columbus last night. He didn't even look interested in stopping the game winner in the shootout.

It's hard to even comprehend the situation the Senators have put themselves in. I mean, 2 goalies...sorry, 2 underachieving goalies who both belong at the end of a bench somewhere in the AHL. Yet, here we are. Sens fans get the pleasure of watching weak goal after weak goal bulge the twine (yes, I had to throw in that term) in the back of the net, night after night, while both rack up ample interest in their bank accounts.

The Poolsider brought up a valid point in our last transcontinental meeting of the minds. The way Emery is playin', he won't be in the NHL by the time he's 30. Keep in mind that's he 25. He's got another 2 years left on his $9.5 million contract. That's a lot of money to spend on Hummers, Lambos, and baby blue leisure suits!

If he doesn't get his act together in a hurry, Poolsider's forecast for the Razor may just come to fruition. Hey, at least he can fade away into oblivion like his idol, Mike Tyson.

Limited Profitability: Nike sells Bauer Hockey

That has to be the only explanation for why Nike would sell off a company. Especially a company like Bauer.

The sale is reportedly worth $200 million to a U.S. private equity firm, Kohlberg & Co. The Montreal-based Bauer has been around since 1927 and has been at or near the top of the hockey world for as long as I can remember. That's why it's kinda shocking to see them discarded like this. I do recall some rumblings about a possible sale a few months ago, but never really thought Nike would drop the axe.

"It was a tough decision but one that was in the best interests of Nike and Bauer as we each look to maximize our respective growth opportunities," Nike CEO Mark Parker said in a statement.

So basically, they weren't making enough money for the head-honchos behind the Swoosh. Like they need more...but hey, business is business and if there's one thing Nike does well, it's maximizing their profits by making intelligent business decisions.

But, this announcement is not necessarily bad news for Bauer. Even though RBK squeezed themselves into the hockey space by dumping a boat-load of money into the NHL with the tight-fitting jerseys and all of the equipment, Bauer and its brand have remained near the top of the market. There's a reason they've been around for 90years. The underlying reason why Nike bought them in 1995 was because of their massive presence in the hockey marketplace. Nike wanted a piece, but didn't want to have to launch their own line of equipment. Quick fix: buy a powerful brand and market it as their own.

They've had their fun, built up a presence in the sport, and now they're out...

NHL: Will Do Anything For Money

Here comes an idea that further emphasizes the fact that nobody cares about the NHL south of the border.

Hmmm...now that we're finally realizing that fans in the southern states could care less about hockey, how do we make more money? Let's put ads all over our goalies! Genius!

Seriously though, we could be seeing all of the netminders in the NHL covered with Red Bull and Viagra ads. Is this a good idea? Well, financially, it's seems very lucrative. An estimated $30 million in revenue is the magical number the NHL would make. But what about the jerseys that have remained untouched and unaltered for the past century? Like Montreal, Detroit, Toronto. Minor changes have been made, but they're still the original design. No other major sport has allowed the greedy fingers of corporations to take a piece of any franchise's attire. Why does the NHL continuously look to change the game. Every few weeks, there's a different issue. Rules changes, dirty hits, and now sponsored jerseys. I say leave the game alone and keep ads off goalies. What do you think?

Ridiculous: Dwight Howard is Superman

You gotta watch this.

The Peter Forsberg Sideshow Continues

Wait a second. Before he decides to sign with an NHL team, he needs to file a lawsuit against a horse racing track.

Tsar d'Inverne, his prized racing horse was put down after an injury left it with chronic pain. The injury - which took place at a local track - could've been avoided if the track company had taken the proper precautions with their equipment. A tarp had apparently fallen on the track and scared Forsberg's thoroughbred. It then collided with another horse. Peter the Great is suing the track company for $1.87 million, which was the value of the horse.

The 34-year old is still looking to return to the NHL, with Philadelphia and Ottawa being the front-runners.

Done Deal: Corvo and Eaves dealt to Carolina

Say it ain't so, Joe! As for you Patrick, we'll be seein' ya.

The Senators shipped defenceman Joe Corvo and forward Patrick Eaves to the Carolina Hurricanes today in exchange for forward Cory Stillman and defenceman Mike Commodore.
Pretty good deal.

Both Stillman and Commodore are unrestricted free agents as of July 1, and they have a combined 3 Cups between them. Commodore brings some much needed defensive skills to the Capital, while Stillman is no stranger to putting the biscuit in the basket. He's racked up 55 points so far this season and should be a welcome addition on the 2nd line with Mike Fisher.

It's too bad for Eaves, though. Hampered by nagging shoulder injuries, his season never really got started. I think he's too small and won't last long in this league especially if he gets hit hard again. As for Joe Corvo, he's been a decent addition to the power play with a canon of a clapper, but still struggles defensively and has confidence issues. He's expected to be a fixture on the 'Canes power play, which ranks 17th in the league. Getting rid of Joe also opens up some cap room for next year, as he is set to make $2.75 mill.

I believe this trade is a sign of things to come in the Nation's Capital. With Stillman filling up that coveted 'top 6 forward' position that everyone in the city was begging for, who's next to suit up for the Sens Army? Patrick Marleau? Mats Sundin? Jaromir Jagr? Peter Forsberg? It's a long list of possibilities. From the looks of it, it's shaping up to be an active deadline in O-Town. Open up that cheque-book Melnyk!

Hurricanes trade Commodore, Stillman (Raleigh News & Observer)
Sens, Hurricanes swap players (Ottawa Sun)
Senators deal Corvo, Eaves to 'Canes for Commodore, Stillman (Ottawa Citizen)

Mugshot Central: Purse-snatching Habs arrested in Tampa

Most likely reeling from a 6-1 romping at the hands of the Ottawa Senators saturday night, 2 members of the Montreal Canadiens were arrested outside a south Tampa night club late Sunday night.

Defenceman Ryan O'Byrne was charged with grand theft when he took a woman's purse claiming that it belonged to his girlfriend. Forward Tom Kostopoulos was booked for resisting arrest without violence when he wouldn't back away from the police officers.

Later on at the same bar, a former 'never-was' NBA player named Alvin Jones was arrested for being an idiot. Apparently he punched someone inside the bar, then kicked out a window in a cruiser, and then got the taser in the leg. His all-star credentials: played 23 games with the Philadelphia 76ers in '01-'02, averaging 1.1 points per game. You know you're good when...

Yikes: Florida's Richard Zednik held his life in his hands

After watching the incident several times last night and seeing the 40-foot stream of blood on the ice at HSBC Arena, it's reassuring to know that Florida's Richard Zednik is in stable condition after surgery.

Talk about scary.

For those of you who aren't aware of what happened last night in Buffalo, I'll recap.

Puck goes into the corner. Florida captain Olli Jokinen is hit and falls awkwardly. Florida winger Richard Zednik is behind Jokinen. Jokinen's skate swings backward and slashes Zednik in the neck.

It's pretty unbelievable that Zednik was able to skate off the ice with his glove covering his throat. According to his teammates, Zednik was conscious but was "pale and starring blankly at nothing" when he arrived at the bench with the help of team trainers.

It seems as though nasty injuries have a way of happening in Bufftown. For instance, Kevin Everett of the Buffalo Bills broke his neck earlier this year and wasn't supposed to walk again. He's already been walking for 2 months. Remember when Buffalo goalie Clint Malarchuk had his neck viciously cut while playing playing St. Louis in Buffalo? If it weren't for a fast-acting trainer and a whole bunch of luck, he would have bled out. It's something I like to call the Buffalo miracle.

Sure, Buffalo has put up with a lot of playoff disappointments with their Bills and Sabres, but there is more to life than sports success. Malarchuk and Everett have both beaten the odds. Let's hope Zednik can follow-suit.

Sens in SoCal!

Wanna see a Sens game.....in California?

Compare this to what you get at the SBP in Kanata...and the weather's a hell of a lot nicer.

For the Monday, March 3rd re-match between the 2007 Stanley Cup Finalists, a local hockey entrepreneur here in the desert (probably a snowbird Canadian) is offering hockey fans: good, sideline tickets, comfortable luxury coach-bus transportation from Palm Springs (two hours away), a pre-game meal, 'beverages' to and from Anaheim, and Don Cherry via video.

How much? $155 US! What a great country, this America!

Poolsider will be at the game...'til next time!

Wade Redden's staying put...for now

Well that's disappointing. The weak, overpaid, and non-tradeable defenceman known as Wade Redden told Sens GM Bryan Murray that he wants to remain in Ottawa and is still committed to winning a Cup in the capital.

Then play like it Wade!

According to TSN, the San Jose Sharks have been inquiring as to whether or not he'd wave his no trade clause and be part of a deal that would likely see Patrick Marleau come to Ottawa.

I'd like to see him go. Especially if we could bring in a top-6 forward.

Forget the fact that his position is "defence", because he sure doesn't know how to play it very well. He's weak in the corners, in front of the net, and continuously gets burned by quick forwards that know he can't pivot fast enough. All that being said, and other teams still want him! Of course they do. They would be on the hook for a fraction of his $6.5 mill he makes this year, and he's unrestricted at the end of the year. Even if the Sens win the Stanley Cup, I would think Murray would be reluctant to sign him to another expensive multi-year deal. But who knows, maybe Sens owner Eugene Melnyk could entice ol' Wade to sign for less. Or, he may tell him to take a hike. We shall see...

Immediate impact: Heatley scores twice as Sens end skid

Dany Heatley made his return to the Senators lineup last night, and lit the lamp twice helping Ottawa end a 3-game skid by beating the Florida Panthers 5-4. The Heater, who potted his 26th and 27th goals, couldn't have come back at a better time.

With the Montreal Canadiens inching ever so close to the Sens' coveted 1st place spot in the East, Ottawa needed a boost from a player who has missed their last 11 games with a shoulder injury. During those 11 games, the Sens have gone an abismal 3-8, and have showcased how thin their lineup is without the back-to-back 50 goal scorer.

Let's not forget about the absence of captain Daniel Alfredsson. Without their feisty leader, the boys from O-Town have lost their double-digit lead in the conference making it clear that if this team is going to go deep in the postseason like last year, they will need Alfie and the other top guns to be healthy and firing on all cylinders.

There was some good news out of Montreal last night, as the Maple Leafs downed the surging Habs 4-2. The Senators' lead is now back to 3 points with what should be a fiery tilt against Montreal at Scotiabank Place on Saturday's Hockey Day in Canada.

There's a feeling around the nation's capital that another top-6 forward needs to be brought in to plug some holes up front. If Peter Forsberg becomes unavailable, Patrick Marleau might be another option. The San Jose Sharks are looking for an offensive defenceman, and Joe Corvo could be the right fit. If Wade Redden didn't have a no-trade clause in his ridiculous $6.5 million contract, he'd be out the door for the nearest bag of pucks. The same thing could be said about his defence partner Andrej Meszaros, unfortunately, nobody wants him.

NHL loosens the leash: Tocchet to rejoin Gretzky on the bench in PHX

It's hard to believe that it's been two years since Operation Slapshot went down, but it’s even harder to believe that certain individuals within the NHL had a hand in the illegal gambling ring.

Among those implicated in the fiasco that shocked the hockey world was Phoenix Coyotes associate coach and former NHLer, Rick Tocchet.

Tocchet was at first said to be the main financial backer of high-level, underground operation that involved a New Jersey State Trooper, among many others in the northeast.

But as details surfaced, Tocchet became less and less a target of the investigation and was named simply as a participant. He pled guilty to promotion of gambling and conspiracy to promote gambling. These were minor offenses, and when all was said and done Tocchet received just two years of probation and a three-month suspension from the NHL.

Speaking of participants, whatever happened to all the talk about Janet Gretzky betting up to $500,000 on games? I suppose those details were swept under a very large rug.

In any case, Tocchet's three-month suspension has been lifted and he will be reappearing in the NHL tonight as the Desert Dogs host the Columbus Blue Jackets. All this talk about gambling makes me want to go do a ProLine. Till next time...

Obscure Jersey Thursdays: Stephon Marbury

Who cares about Stephon Marbury, right? After all, he hangs out with Ja Rule and Fat Joe while playing for the ridiculously awful New York Knicks. I'm not sure what's worse.

'Starbury' was originally drafted 4th overall by Milwaukee in the '96 entry draft but traded immediately to Minnesota where he excelled with Kevin Garnett. He ended up leaving for New Jersey after a fall-out with management. Following 2 uneventful years in Joyzee, he was traded to Phoenix for Jason Kidd. Unfortunately for Stephon, the Suns weren't the run-and-gun powerhouse they are today and he was dealt to New York in early '04. Things didn't get any better under the heavy lights of NYC. After several public spats with coach Larry Brown, Marbury was labeled "the most reviled athlete in New York" by 2 Newsday reporters.

All-in-all, it's been a rocky but lucrative journey across the Association for Mr. Marbury. These days, the Knicks would like to trade his ass, but nobody wants him or the 2 years and $42 mill left on his scam...er...contract. (Straight Cash Homey.net)

Around the Horn: Mets welcome Johan Santana to Shea Stadium

Move over Doug Heffernan, Johan Santana is the new King of Queens. It's official. 2-time AL Cy Young Award winning hurler Johan Santana threw on the pinstripes of the New York Metropolitans today at Shea. Santana was all smiles as he was introduced. Of course he was. He just signed a $136.5 million 6-year deal to play with the Mets! No more small town, small wallet BS. He's hit the big stage. But hold your horses, though. Big questions still remain. What about Pedro Martinez? Will his arm fall off come opening day? Will he refuse to wait for another table? (Yes) What else do the Mets need to do to make sure they don't fall apart at the seams like last September? Will Santana continue to give up long bombs like it's his job? Will Twins fans miss him?

Finally some good news: Heatley to return Thursday

Senators forward Dany Heatley is expected to play Thursday against the Florida Panthers. Jason Spezza, his offensive partner in crime, must be breathing a little easier. The Sens have been nothing short of awful since the Heater went down with a shoulder injury in the 3-2 win over Detroit a month ago. Compounded with the absence of captain Daniel Alfredsson, the Sens have lost a lot of ground in the Eastern Conference. With their 4-3 win last night, the Montreal Canadiens are within 1 point of top spot. It's safe to say that those 3 individuals dictate the success of the team. Here's hoping GM Bryan Murray gets on the horn and fills a couple holes up front and on the blueline...Peter Forsberg could be coming to Ottawa. Peter the Gimp has reportedly turned down Dallas, Nashville, Detroit, Calgary, Pittsburgh, and San Jose...with all of his recent shenanigans, who would want Ray Emery?

Reality sets in: The New York Football Giants are Super Bowl Champs

First and foremost, I do not want to discredit any part of the New York Giants, including Eli Manning. They played the best game of their collective lives on Sunday, and they deserved to win the Super Bowl. Eli's drive in the final minutes of SB42 was nothing short of miraculous. Nobody expected him to march 80 yards down the field, eating up the Patriots secondary and defensive line along the way. Who would've expected Eli to elude 4 defenders and hurl the ball downfield to David Tyree, who made an absolutely unbelievable catch which put them in position to score. He caught it with one hand and held the ball against his helmet while falling backwards over Rodney Harrison. Unreal.

I think it's finally setting in that the New York Giants are the Super Bowl champions. It was an upset for the ages. Quite possibly the biggest in the history of the NFL. New England Patriot haters out there can say all they want about spygate or how Bill Belichick and his players have no class. Whatever. They were an unbelievable team this year even without the New York Jets practice tapes. I mean, com'on. A CFL team coulda beaten the Jets. Ok, well maybe not. But they'd probably cover the spread! The fact of the matter is that a better team won the game on Sunday. The Patriots will be back, and hungrier than ever next year. Enjoy this for now G-Men, well done.

Tiger loves Dubai

I would be lying if I told you that I'm getting tired of writing about Tiger Woods and his (worldwide) domination of whatever golf tournament he's playing in. Truth is, it's absolutely unreal how good of a golfer he is. He's already done so much, with so many more outstanding years ahead of him. He seems to have kicked this season off on the right foot. 2 for 2 in 2K-ocho. After winning the Buick Invitational, he disappeared like a batman smoke grenade went off and ended up in Dubai. After a couple half-decent rounds to start the week off (probably because he just flew 6,000 miles), he capped a ridiculous final round off with a beauty roll on 18 for a 7-under 65. Proving once again that he remains the standard for perfect performance. But what was Ernie thinkin' trying to reach the lake-guarded green with a 5-wood?! Not only did he plunk his approach in the water from 240ish, he didn't even come close. Ho-hum, another W for Tiger. Did you know that he's got 34 European Tour wins, and he barely plays over there. On top of the Dubai tourney he just won, the only other logical choice for him on the Euro circuit would be the British Open (technically, it's a Euro sanctioned event but also counts towards the USPGA money list). And, he'll probably win that too. According to his website, Tiger's next even has yet to be confirmed, but he will likely be kickin' ass and takin' names at the Accenture Match Play in Tuscon at the end of February.

Bud Light: Suck one

One of the best ads from Super Bowl 42. By the way, I want a Flint Tropics jersey.

18 and 1 Giant upset

There were very few people who believed the New York Giants could win the Super Bowl. After all, they started the season 0-2. They weren't supposed to beat Tampa Bay at Raymond James on wild card weekend. They weren't supposed to beat Dallas one week later at Texas Stadium. Well done Giants, but now it's time for you to go away. Oh wait, they then beat Green Bay at Lambeau in a blizzard to go to the Super Bowl. I'm still in shock over what happened last night. Not only did they win 3 tough playoff games on the road, they end up beating the unbeatable New England Patriots.

This what not supposed to happen.

I don't know about you, but I would have preferred to have seen a truly historical 19-0 season than see another friggin' Manning win a Super Bowl. I'm gonna steer clear of going over the details and what I think about how poorly the Pats' offensive line played, but what's the point. Plaxico still made the catch and shed a tear, Eli's still the MVP, and New England's magical season has come to an abrupt end. Just like this post.

Let's take it outdoors

Does anybody else want to see the Super Bowl played in anywhere other than a dome or the southern states? They're calling for moderate temps in PHX this Sunday. Last time I checked, 60 degrees and sunshine is a helluva lot better than 4 feet of snow. But after the Pack/Giants game a couple weeks ago, I figured a good ol' fashioned snow bowl would make for some great TV, and it would also make for some good surfing.