UConn James

Sadly, I think it is. NBC is bush league when it comes to sports (besides tennis maybe, and only then b/c Ted Robinson actually knows when to shut the f--- up.)

Nice that NBC went into the replay booth and the official explained the ruling. More than they did in '99.... when Bettman went all BlackOps nowhere to be found.

Still being discussed, but that was a heads-up play by Staios. At worst, there's a penalty shot for him diving on the puck in the crease instead of a definite goal. I'd take that any day. On Edit: No PS, as it was ruled a touch to engage the penalty.

What, you haven't been a victim of the rampant flag-burning? It's epidemic, you know. I actually burned one last week. Tattered, faded, had a rip in it. Meant to do it a while ago.... But I did give it a proper military ceremony --- I wore a boonie hat that got my brother through a tour in Afghanistan (he's on his second now), saluted with my right hand and held a St. Pauli Girl in my left.

eball, that's awesome to be able to say you went to a Game 7. And yes, it's the best championship in sports. This is a brutal game. Imagine the Bills playing 2, 3, or 4 games per week for seven months. Whoever's left standing wins and gets their name forever engraved on one of the oldest trophies in sports. I'm just a little worried about the Edmonton fans chanting "WE... WANT... THE CUP!" on Saturday night. Seems exactly like the kind of thing the Hockey Gods say "No" to.

<whistle> "But I never picked cotton....." --- Roy Clark </whistle>

Is that F-e-r-r-y or F-a-i-r-y? I joke. I joke!

Tell me that TBD is the only website you can access and that the incessant nonsensical grumblers here have gotten to you. Tell me you can't look at the stats readily available at NFL.com. It's right there under L or 'kickers'. Tell me you can't read that Lindell had shoulder surgery last offseason that threw off his technique 2 seasons ago. Tell me you can't read the Transaction Sheet and notice our kickers fared much better and really, really, really, really, really, really like Mike Schneck as their LS. Not to disrespect Jon Dorenbos, but TD let a guy stick around for too long based on a human interest story. Tell me you can't read through the FA lists. What are you suggesting, that we dig up Nick Lowry from Shady Pines Retirement Home? Name someone available and w/in the budget who is better..... Thought so.

That's cruel and unusual if I've ever heard it. A death sentence for crashing his motor-sickle?

It's legit. The Bell May Not Save Hime This Time

That's a lesson to you kids. Take Care of Your Teeth!

Why, what's there for 'no cup' not to protect?

I don't malign the stupidity and referee subjectiveness of the offsides rule b/c it hindered the U.S. from scoring a goal in a game and that when it's not my team (I'm rooting for the Netherlands, one of my heritage countries) it's fine. I malign it because it removes the opportunity for a player to use their attributes (in this case, speed and advantageous field positioning) to score, and it gives the ref yet further opportunity to control a match. Look at the changes the NHL made, and how much better the games are. Not saying that scores need to be 6-5, or even 2-1, but let the players fuggin' play w/o blowing a whistle b/c someone farted too loudly.

You mean to say that Bush's Weather Machine® can't be jury-rigged to change the trajectory of an object heading toward us? Pssshaw!

They've come down a little hard with yellows and reds in the tournament. If I heard right, this was a FIFA mandate to call the games much stricter. I think the original point is that soccer refs, in comparison, have much more power to sway a match than refs in other sports. Humans are imperfect, even refs. In football, a bad call usually results in a 5- or 15-yard penalty and it can kill a single drive. In basketball, a bad call sends someone to the free throw line for a chance at 2 points. Soccer's refereeing system, tho, is set up that an imperfect call results in removing a player from your field for the duration; your team must go into a defensive shell and hope it can hang on, many times not. And it's entirely up to the ref to decide what constitutes desert of a red or yellow card. Simply put, the penalty system in soccer sucks. I think it's this and the equally subjective offsides rule in soccer. That just never made sense to me how they work that. Beasley's goal yesterday was waved off b/c McBride was screening the view of the goalie and it was called back b/c offsides includes 'interference with the goalie'. HE WAS JUST STANDING THERE!!!! Soccer could be a lot more exciting if the FIFA rules committee pulled its head out.

Anything can happen when this one game is for all the marbles. I'm thinking a Game 7 for the Cup will be good for hockey, too. Especially this season.

Oilers tonight played fundamentally great hockey. Passes were crisp, they never stopped/went into a defensive shell and tried to sit on the lead. Attack, attack, attack --- I love that. This is what happens when your back's against the wall. Hope they didn't just blow their wads, tho. If it can't be the Sabres....

If the Bills win a SB, it will be 99 percent attributable to the players, multiple levels of coaches and the current GM. They are the ones who coordinate everything done that year. I'll give TD the 1 percent just b/c he provided a pretty good example of how not to run the organization. As an analogy (which are dangerous on this board, don't you know): Joe Blow is building a stone wall, is 1/3 completed and it's about ready to keel over b/c he uses the wrong techniques of fitting stone. He gets fired by the homeowner. If I take that wall down but reuse the stones in different combinations and create a masterpiece that's entered in Better Homes and Gardens, does Joe Blow deserve any credit?

I think it may have something to do with the Penguins possibly moving and we're on the short list. Perhaps people want to show that Hartford can still drum up some support for the NHL. I've been rooting for Edmonton since the Sabres lost..

Yup. Mangold would've been pushing Teague out by the middle of the season anyway. This just speeded up that process.

Last season Lindell showed what he can do once he got over a shoulder injury that threw off his technique and got an excellent LS. 83% including 3/3 from 50+. His KOs also improved by almost 2 yards per kick. Edinger was 14/23 from over 30 yards away for Minn. So, the question is, did you follow the team at all last year or are you carrying talking points over from last offseason? Or are you arguing for exploding the entire team, even the center of a top STs unit, b/c we changed GMs and said kicker used to kick for our new coach? I would advise you to read my first sig line and take it to heart.

Bush to create largest marine sanctuary After some very unflattering articles in Field&Stream a couple of years ago about the admin's policies (both in terms of conservation and environmental) in some of the larger continental national parks, it's a great thing that was announced today. Didn't have to be done, and certainly not on such a scale... but now there is some promise in protecting a good many endangered species there. Good job for all involved on making this happen.

I don't think Crayola® offers this color yet....

If we blow up each other here on earth, do we really deserve to go to another planet and f--- that place up too? And, so 40 people can watch the Earth either explode in a fireball or go dark, then interbreed into beings that resemble Mr. Hawking?

Three words --- Weekend at Bernie's.