Anohter reason to laugh at ESPN

There was a time when hockey was on ESPN and ESPN2; there was even a time when NHL2nite was an edgy player profiling honest to god hockey show. All of that changed when Versus came into the picture and now, hockey is an afterthought on the ESPN family.

There are some people who still report on hockey but they are few and far between.

John Buccigross is one of them. He's mostly miss in a hit or miss scenario with me and every now and again, he get something right. Yesterday was just not one of them.

He reported that Ottawa traded Heatly to the Sharks as a part of a three way deal with the Kings involving Patty Marleau.

There is just a small problem here - Marleau has a no trade clause that kicked in on July 1. And well, no one has asked him to waive it. Ok, that's no longer a small problem, it's a large problem.

Puck Daddy posted Buccigross' rational as follows:

Here's Bucci, when asked if a trade was actually done:

"Right now, obviously, nothing is officially done or it would have been announced by all parties. What I heard earlier tonight was that it was a three-team trade. First I had heard it was going to be tonight or tomorrow. Obviously they want to move him before training camp. So I sniffed around and my best source, who's been perfect for me, mentioned he got an email from a front office personnel member. He forwarded me the email, and it's a pretty significant name (laughs) in the NHL, and I thought 'Boy, I would have gone on it just with my initial source, because he's been great for me.' Then he showed me this email, and it was completely supporting it.

"So I was surprised when it hasn't come through tonight. Now, things are complicated, there could be other parts to it, but I still believe he will be moved. But it appears, as I was told, is not going to happen tonight anyway."

Buccigross later said that he was comfortable with the story because "it made a lot of sense in a lot of ways," as far as what the teams need. He also said he could see conditions shifting this deal into one directly between Ottawa and Los Angeles.

I know a great deal of reporting these days is based on speculation. But really? When a network like ESPN who doesn't promote/care about hockey tries to get the scoop? Be damn sure there is a scoop to get.

Roasting Heatley

Lemme first get this out. I do not like Dany Heatley (or the Sens but that's a different post for a different time). I think the biggest reason is that if you kill someone, you should be punished a little more than bad dreams. Now that is out of the way, it looks like I'm not alone in my "dislike" stance. There were three articles over at Slam this weekend echoing my thoughts on the current situation:

No. 15 is your classic finger-pointer. It’s never his fault. His point totals have dropped by 33 in the last two seasons. He’s gone from being a 50-goal scorer to a 39-goal scorer. Why? Gotta be Cory Clouston. Gotta be that he’s playing two or three minutes less per game, and only half of power plays. It’s not Dany Boy.

In his own words, Dany Heatley has confirmed there are no hidden plots and that he is, indeed, the validated self-serving selfish jerk, authenticated me-me-me man with the astonishing sense of entitlement, certified coach killer and confirmed cancer he's been painted to be.

No longer known chiefly for his efforts with Team Canada or the fact he's a two-time 50-goal scorer who deserves to be one of the NHL's highest paid snipers, Heatley is now seen by the public as the poster boy for selfish athletes.

Yes, they are all bashing Heatley for his public trade debacle but you know what? All of what they say is true. I expect this sort of stuff from baseball or basketball (or heck even football), but unless your name is Keith Tkachuk, hockey players just don't do this sort of thing (and before anyone jumps on me, Tkachuk, not once but several times held out on a signed contract to have it re-worked. I'm sure there are others, but sue me, it's early and my morning started off not by going to physical therapy like I was supposed to, but calling maintenance because my stupid front door wouldn't lock from the outside).

Heatley wants people to know that he's not a bad guy, he's just in a bad spot. He makes it clear that this is nothing like the bad spot he was in while he played in Atlanta, this time it's totally different. What I think Heatley fails to understand is that Atlanta, though it still irritated many a hockey fan, was at least mildly understandable.

Ottawa, where he makes the most on the team, is a club that signed him in good faith to play for a boat load of money for several years. Now he wants out. Over playing time. This just smacks of Allen Iverson asking why practice was so important.

Can you imagine anyone in the Sens room wanting to see him pull on the same sweater? Bitching about playing time and your 'diminished role' on a team will win you no favors.

A few years ago, I heard the very quotable Brendan Shanahan say in jest, "There is no I in team but there is an M and a E."

Thanks Heatley for just making that statement seem more and more like the truth.

The French have a saying....

When I saw that Dany Heatley wants out of Ottawa, "Quelle surpise" came to mind. It seems that when he signed his 6 year contract with them, he was on top of the world (and I should point out, that Ottawa did not suck this badly) but now that the Sens are cellar dwellers (which I LOVE, for the record) he wants to go to another team.

Ok, I get it that when you literally get away with murder in a southern American town, things could get tough and I guess that trade request was mildly less distasteful. (Which brings to mind that he might be the first person in the history of American criminal justice to successfully deploy the "I'm sorry defense". I can just see the judge now: "Mr. Heatley, you were driving recklessly through a neighborhood in your fancy car, crashed and it killed your best friend? But you're sorry? Well ok, community service it is.") But now he wants out just because the team stinks and it's not what he signed on for? While we are talking phrases from around the world, Texans have one too: Tough Shit. Heater I have some advice for you. Put your skates, shut up, and play. Oh and get your teeth fixed. You look like an idiot.

Now on to better things: how about that game last night?? Friend of the Chuckers Lisa was there and her favorite boy finally got into game action. I'm very happy for her and ya know, the Pens played a hell of a game. Great saves by Fleury AND Rob "The Piece" Scuderi helped seal the deal. On the other side, Ozzie looked pretty damn impressive for most of the game as well. Bring on game 7 boys...it should be a good one.

In a blatant rip off job, I'm stealing a thing from one of the blogs we read, The Goose's Roost. They are doing a read along and while I'm not joining in, I will start reading one of their suggestions tonight. Searching for Bobby Orr is waiting for pick up by me at the rolling library we call the Bookmobile. I'll let you know how I like it.

I can't help but feel a little robbed when I see footage of him playing. I realize that every generation has its great stars of the game, but I feel like I've missed something not being able to see Bobby skate. Can you imagine seeing a defenseman score 120 points? I know it's a different world now in the game we love but men like Orr, Howe (my favorite number 9; saying that would get me kicked out of Montreal but I'm ok with that), even Hull made the game different than what it was and more like the game we have today. I wish I could have seen it.

Speaking of Gordie, the AP (picked up by The Freep and Yahoo) has a story about how he's having a tough time after Colleen. Not only does it highlight her accomplishments (seriously, could you see Mario Lemieux's wife doing the stuff Colleen did? Or Lisa Yzerman? And that's not a knock on them, honest, Colleen was just special that way.) but it shows a side of Gordie that not everyone might realize.

[Kris]Draper’s 7-year-old son might keep the tradition going after a recent talk with Howe.

“He said to Gordie, ‘Why did you want to be a hockey player?’ Draper recalled. “And Gordie said, ‘I loved it when I was a kid and when I was playing, and I still love it. And my son said, ‘Mr. Howe, I love it, too.’ How awesome is it that a 7-year-old boy can go up to Mr. Hockey and have a chat like that?”

This is Gordie Howe. But I know of a similar story like that (and I'm sure there are thousands more just like it). A friend of mine was up in Traverse City with her son's youth hockey team for a tournament and they stopped into a convenience store to get sodas and snacks and they run into Gordie. He took time to talk to each of the boys and found out what they were up to and spent like 15 minutes with them. Then at the game, my friend saw Gordie in the stands watching the kids. That is a special sort of guy.

I'm sure I had more profound things to say but for the life of me I can't remember them now. So until next time, happy hockey and hopefully an awesome game 7 on Friday. Oh and a side note, what are the odds of this happening? The Pens will be playing hockey in Detroit on Friday and the Tigers will be playing baseball in Pittsburgh. Huh.

Things!

Game three of the Penguins v Canes series is just about to start and unfortunately, I'm stuck with Versus. I don't mind it so much but Joe Benenati and Daryl "Razor" Reaugh are calling the games.

But listen, Razor? You are an idiot. The Pens head coach is not Dan By-Al-sma. It's BILES-mah. Hell, even Benenati gets it right. Take a clue from your play by play guy. Go back to Dallas games where no one cares if you butcher a name.

The Wings/Chicago game last night was interesting. The Hawks had the first; the Wings had the second. Sharp's goal was pretty sweet so I don't feel so bad about the loss.

A prime example of why I say I'm stuck with Versus (in an IM with my CaP cohort):

Amy: shit... it's loud in there [in Carolina's barn]
Me: that's what I hear.
Amy: are they showing it
Me: oh I had an MMA ad. *cries*

I really don't care about ultimate cage fighting or bull riding or that crap sports soup (or their new show the web cam ones? Ugh, people get a blog and get off tv)

But it's what I have and I shouldn't complain as a lot of folks don't even have Versus.

Alright. Game on!


ps- the most annoying ad out there right now has to be that click it or ticket ad where the guy beeps all day. I hate that. No really I do.