12/18/24
December 19, 2003
Hockey, with a Twist:: Please stop and read this Important Disclaimer before continuing on. "The only people we're going to accept are people who have played or are playing hockey," Wolski said. "We won't take street thugs"...... NHL, say hello to the WBF.
Yeah, and he does horrible, horrible "analysis" for The Score.
posted by Succa at 09:13 AM on December 19, 2003
What is the championship trophy called? The Kordic Memorial Cup? This is one of the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
posted by grum@work at 09:33 AM on December 19, 2003
ok, where do I sign up? Just kidding!
posted by jasonspaceman at 09:50 AM on December 19, 2003
More than a few people are unhappy with this. (link also has a great assessment of Lowe's low-blow)
posted by garfield at 10:00 AM on December 19, 2003
I think it's tacky, crass, and tasteless, and I will cringe during the entire time I'm watching it.
posted by Succa at 10:47 AM on December 19, 2003
Succa: do you watch The Score a lot, or stick to TSN/Sportsnet?
posted by smithers at 12:57 PM on December 19, 2003
Usually I flip between the three channels for whichever is showing hockey highlights at the time. TSN is my fave, although their ESPNization turns me off at times. The Score shows too much horse racing.
posted by Succa at 02:15 PM on December 19, 2003
ESPNization turns me off at times Huh? What's wrong with ESPN?
posted by garfield at 02:34 PM on December 19, 2003
TSN kind of sold out, is what I mean. It used to have more of a homegrown quality to it. Now it's just Canadian ESPN, with super-flashy graphics and a really lame "news bulletin" theme song, and sportscasters who are slaves to the pop-culture reference. It's too blatantly a Product for me. It's kind of like why I don't like the NFL much. Overproduced, with not enough quality between the montages of 3D graphics. I realize these are minor quibbles.
posted by Succa at 02:46 PM on December 19, 2003
TSN has been awful for a few years now. When it started it got knocked for being the Toronto Sports Network, but that's much more true now than it was then. Sportsnet eats TSN's lunch. What is the championship trophy called? it better be the Lady Bong trophy, that's all I'm saying...
posted by alex_reno at 02:56 PM on December 19, 2003
I agree, but I like Onrait and Hedger. So TSN for me. And when dealing with hockey (specifically, Leaf hockey), I'd rather have Healey than Sportsnet's Kypreos. And I hate Sportsnet because it's Vancouver's Sports Network. Whenever I try watching it, it's always Vancouver this and Vancouver that... so I guess we're even for the Toronto/TSN thing.
posted by mkn at 02:59 PM on December 19, 2003
Healy?? 2 Minutes for Instigating is an embarrassment. Onrait and Hedger are indeed great, as are Duthie and the hockey guys. Most of the others on TSN are hacks. Gino Reda has overstayed his welcome by about 15 years. Landsberg may be the biggest asshole in Canadian sports journalism, although he's good at lighting a fire under his guests. And for a while TSN was getting better about its Toronto-centrism, but this year they've regressed. Previewing the Leafs game but none of the other Canadian teams' games, for example. But they've got nothing on the TBC, uh I mean the CBC in that department.
posted by Succa at 03:13 PM on December 19, 2003
I find the Toronto-directed animosity, and its opposing counterpart, really amusing. While at university in Kingston, there was the Toronto cliques and all that, but the best was the line drawn for what really constituted 'being from Toronto', by the true Torontites. Fuck off already! "This is the line of death. You cross it, you die." { "Okay, you cross this line, you die." {Pause} "Okay, you cross this line, you die." "This line, you die." "Okay, you're knocking on my door, I'm not coming out. Naaaaah"
posted by garfield at 03:27 PM on December 19, 2003
Those who flout their Torontonian-ness (or lack thereof) as some kind of cred are hilarious. I've heard a guy say "Don't fuck with me, I'm from the T-dot!" Like it's Harlem or something. Anyway. As for anti-T-dot sentiments, when the entire country is shown a Leafs game every Saturday night, there's reason for animosity. Could you imagine the outcry if the entire US was shown the Yankees once a week? As a Leaf fan garfield doesn't mind, but try wanting to see your (or any! other!) team play. It's Hockey Night in Toronto, and you know it. I have no problem with Toronto getting a majority of the games since they are the biggest market, but could we see some other teams on the Eastern broadcast more than once a year?
posted by Succa at 03:48 PM on December 19, 2003
Healy?? 2 Minutes for Instigating is an embarrassment. Again, in comparison to Kypreos, he is much better. Kypreos just...uh... uh.... you know... says the obvious... yeah, and in that really annoying "I'm making this up right now" kind of way. I'm surprised he lasted on SN for as long as he did. I do like Hazel Mae though (is she still there?)
posted by mkn at 04:38 PM on December 19, 2003
T-dot? T-DOT? I'm originally from Toronto and I'd smack that guy.
posted by grum@work at 04:59 PM on December 19, 2003
Hey, I'm just playing the traditional western Canadian game of 'Pin the blame on Toronto.' Nice thing about Sportsnet is its regional networks. It's nice to have Sportsnet West, which actually pays attention to the Alberta teams. This is something TSN has never done. FWIW, I like Kypreos. I think he's pretty funny, actually. Hazel Mae is still on SNW, as is the lovely and talented Jody Vance.
posted by alex_reno at 05:23 PM on December 19, 2003
Yes grum, he said T-dot...when asked for a specific location he said, and I kid you not: "Yo, I'm from the Daaaan-forth!"
posted by Succa at 07:19 PM on December 19, 2003
Okay, a smack and THEN a kick in the nuts for responding that way. Jody Vance rocks, by the way. She blows away Hazel Mae and all the other female sports personalities in Canada. Well, except for Kelley Law.
posted by grum@work at 12:09 AM on December 20, 2003
Oh, Hedger's a sweetie. But when it comes to brains, looks, humour and sports knowledge, Martine Gaillard from the Score tops them all.
posted by grum@work at 01:33 PM on December 20, 2003
Guys, if you're going to bother, how about some swimsuit shots at least?
posted by billsaysthis at 01:35 PM on December 20, 2003
If you get a chance to catch the Atlanta feed, the period-break anchor is smokin'. trox, alittle help with her name? and a pic for bill.
posted by garfield at 07:17 PM on December 20, 2003
Could you imagine the outcry if the entire US was shown the Yankees once a week? Well, we do have something similar, Succa. Americans from coast to coast are forced to watch fucking Notre Dame each Saturday during college football. They just spent this season sucking big anus, and NBC re-ups for another five years. Brilliant. In a sidenote, I spoke briefly with former Blues player Kelly Chase on Saturday about this fight thingie. He said he didn't think Twister would actually fight, but that he would simply be involved somehow. Chase, who is now the St. Louis radio color man, is also a hell of a nice guy and proved it by signing a hat for my bro, thereby getting me out of one expensive Christmas present.
posted by wfrazerjr at 11:20 PM on December 22, 2003
This isn't something I want to fpp, given the time of year and the festive mood, but this is a touching article about Heatley's burden. I had no idea, or had completely forgotten, Slava Kozlov suffered such a similar fate.
posted by garfield at 02:50 PM on December 23, 2003
......For all of those that lost special people in their lives this year.
posted by garfield at 02:56 PM on December 23, 2003
thanks for the link. touching indeed.
posted by goddam at 03:24 PM on December 23, 2003
This is amazing news: Tony Twist is still alive.