11/23/24
September 22, 2013
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Bring back the replacement officials!
posted by Hugh Janus at 04:39 PM on September 22, 2013
I meant to say this last week, RG3's career in the NFL is over.
posted by phaedon at 06:37 PM on September 22, 2013
That should read "Lots of teams with lots (10+) losses".
posted by Bonkers at 08:28 PM on September 22, 2013
Well, let's look on the bright side. I mean the "get your Oakleys" bright side.
Today's Packers - Bengals game. Sponsored by OSHA.
If those two teams were in the Super Bowl and the lights went out, there would be no need for a stoppage of play.
posted by beaverboard at 08:30 PM on September 22, 2013
You may want to add the Giants to that list bonkers - they look absolutely lost on the field.
posted by dfleming at 08:42 PM on September 22, 2013
Eh, I think 6-10 is probably the worst the Chargers could do. They have two games against the Raiders, one against the Jags, and then a whole bunch of toss-up games. They'll almost certainly lose twice to the Broncs and Chiefs, along with the Bengals and Miami. The Charger's defense is pretty worthless, but at least they're not playing hot potato with the ball any more.
And I'd agree with dfleming about the Giants, and maybe add the Bills, Steelers and Jets. Jets are 2-1, but they could easily go 4-9 for the rest of the seaon.
posted by LionIndex at 09:44 PM on September 22, 2013
Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres played an exhibition game. It was tied after regulation and after overtime.
So they went into a shootout.
After 9 rounds of shots for each team, no one scored. On the 10th round for the Leafs, Paul Ranger got a little goofy with it.
The result was not decided until the 15th round (30th shot) when FINALLY someone (Leafs forward Jay McClement) scored. The shooters were 1-for-30 for the shootout.
posted by grum@work at 10:00 PM on September 22, 2013
Well, *I* thought the Giants game was pretty damn great. Charlotte got renamed "Sackromento" and then "Brandonlafellville." A good time was had by all.
posted by NoMich at 10:16 PM on September 22, 2013
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres played an exhibition game. Things got heated late in the 3rd period.
posted by tommybiden at 11:19 PM on September 22, 2013
Clarkson left the bench during that fight and will automatically miss the first 10 games of the regular season as a result. Nice start, bud.
posted by dfleming at 07:18 AM on September 23, 2013
After what I have seen the last 3 weeks, the Steelers will be lucky to win 5.
posted by Debo270 at 07:50 AM on September 23, 2013
Leafs vs Canadiens - always a heated rivalry.
Leafs vs Senators - always a heated rivalry.
Now we can add:
Leafs vs Bruins - thanks to the 2013 playoffs.
Leafs vs Sabres - thanks to the 2013 pre-season.
18 of 82 games this season will have a nice edge to them.
CBC/TSN/SN must be salivating.
posted by grum@work at 08:38 AM on September 23, 2013
Plus they're getting the Red Wings back - which may not have the initial charge, but historically provided some pretty great battles.
posted by dfleming at 09:08 AM on September 23, 2013
Fight question -- when Scott starts going after Kessel and Kessel then starts whacking at Scott's ankles with two-handed chops, does that violate fighting rules (not in the NHL rulebook sense, but in terms of fighting code/etiquette)?
posted by holden at 11:00 AM on September 23, 2013
Tell me, who here thought the Packers and Niners would be 1-2? One of them would have to have a loss since they played each other week one and Seahawks in Seattle were always going to be tough at home. But SF losing so badly to Indy and the Pack to Cincy?
posted by billsaysthis at 11:38 AM on September 23, 2013
It does violate the code, but Scott is EIGHT INCHES TALLER than Kessel. Fighting someone that much smaller than you is also considered "against the code", unless the smaller player initiates the fight (the Theo Fleury addendum). Kessel definitely did not drop the gloves to indicate he was willing to get Chara-McCabe-ragdolled, so Scott dropping his and reaching for Kessel is why he got "chopped" in return.
I hope Kessel gets a suspension (1-2 games) for his second swing (when Scott was engaged by the other players), but if he simply struck Scott only that first time, it would have simply been a slashing penalty.
posted by grum@work at 11:43 AM on September 23, 2013
I hope Kessel gets a suspension (1-2 games)
Crazy when a rule is in place that gives an automatic 10 games for leaving the bench yet there is no definition for chopping and spearing a player who is being held by 2 of your teammates.
Kessel should be gone for at least 20.
posted by cixelsyd at 12:20 PM on September 23, 2013
Kessel should be gone for at least 20.
That's a bit of an overkill, don't you think?
His stick never got above the knees. If Kessel had swung at his torso or head, then you throw the book at him.
posted by grum@work at 01:12 PM on September 23, 2013
Crazy when a rule is in place that gives an automatic 10 games for leaving the bench yet there is no definition for chopping and spearing a player who is being held by 2 of your teammates.
The chop was a slash - there's a rule for it. It's a two-minute minor. The second chop was at his skates, which will get him a suspension, but it's absurd to think that's worth 20 games.
posted by dfleming at 03:01 PM on September 23, 2013
The third was a spear, again while his mates are holding the guy getting speared.
Look, if it's anyone but Kessel the guy is gone for an extended period of time. It's gutless and dangerous and has no place in the game.
posted by cixelsyd at 04:30 PM on September 23, 2013
It's gutless and dangerous and has no place in the game
John Scott's actions have no place in the game.
posted by tommybiden at 05:49 PM on September 23, 2013
Regarding the last 6 comments:
Gawd, I loves me some ice hockey passion.
posted by Howard_T at 06:01 PM on September 23, 2013
John Scott - 6'8, 270lbs.
Phil Kessel - 6', 202lbs.
Phil clearly didn't want to fight, but Scott came at him anyways. I'm not sure gutless is aimed at the right party in your argument there.
The "third" (not sure what the second one was) was a slash (he hacked at his legs - and didn't use the tip of his stick) while Scott was fighting with other Leafs. Yeah, it's suspendable, but the idea that Kessel's going to get special treatment for not getting a long suspension just isn't in line with what's gotten suspensions that long.
posted by dfleming at 06:55 PM on September 23, 2013
I'm not sure gutless is aimed at the right party in your argument there.
Seconded. I've long been a proponent of fighting in hockey, largely based on the fact that the fighters are willing participants normally paid to do just that. When an oversized brawler like Scott goes after a finesse player like Kessel, he violates one of hockey's long-held tenets. Kessel has the right to defend himself as he sees fit, and quite honestly, dropping the gloves with Scott is just stupid and a good way to miss the better part of the season with a broken jaw or concussion.
posted by tahoemoj at 02:29 PM on September 24, 2013
I don't condone goons in Hockey either, but must point out the Leafs are possibly the worst team for employing guys who never get a shift if it isn't to target opponents better players.
Some Leafs opponents feel they need goons in the lineup when they play the Leafs to counter Carlyle's tactics. Enter Scott to start a shift after the Sabres watched yet another in a long line of Leafs goons beat the crap out of a much smaller teammate.
Yet all we hear in from the Toronto media is about how much of a mismatch Scott vs Kessel was. Maybe Kessel thought he needed to slash Scott to get away. But waiting until Scott was grabbed by 2 Leaf players and then returning to slash him a second time and then spear him is gutless.
posted by cixelsyd at 03:00 PM on September 24, 2013
Enter Scott to start a shift after the Sabres watched yet another in a long line of Leafs goons beat the crap out of a much smaller teammate.
The Sabre that got beat up is the one that dropped the gloves first.
posted by grum@work at 04:06 PM on September 24, 2013
but must point out the Leafs are possibly the worst team for employing guys who never get a shift if it isn't to target opponents better players.
I don't know of any specific incidents where Leafs "goons" targeted non-fighters, but I do agree that the Leafs (last year at least) employed too many "goon-ish" players:
Players with over 100 PIM and less than 10 points from last year:
Rk Player Season Tm GP PTS PIM 1 Rich Clune 2012-13 NSH 47 9 113 2 B.J. Crombeen 2012-13 TBL 44 8 112 3 Colton Orr 2012-13 TOR 44 4 155 4 Jared Boll 2012-13 CBJ 43 6 100 5 Mike Brown 2012-13 TOT 39 2 123 6 Zenon Konopka 2012-13 MIN 37 0 117 7 Frazer McLaren 2012-13 TOT 36 5 102
Orr, Brown, and McLaren all played for the Leafs at one point last year.
posted by grum@work at 04:23 PM on September 24, 2013
The Sabre that got beat up is the one that dropped the gloves first.
Showed some guts - he's 5'11" 185lb and he stood toe to toe with the 6'5" 220lb goon in waiting who was being evaluated as a potential replacement for Orr and McLaren.
posted by cixelsyd at 05:02 PM on September 24, 2013
Showed some guts
Guts like when Tropp slashed a player laying hurt on the ice?
posted by tommybiden at 05:25 PM on September 24, 2013
While I know it's early in the season, it's looking like it could be a bad year for the NFL, at least in terms of having with lots (10+) of losses. The Bucs, Redskins, Jaguars, Raiders, and Chargers are all looking bad.