04/26/24
March 22, 2010
SportsFilter: The Monday 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.
Tournament notes:
CBS should not have made the Cornell - Wisconsin game their early featured game yesterday, even though the Cornell win was terrific.
The Maryland - Michigan State game not only had more promise as a hard-fought, dramatic heavyweight match, but it also was by far the most visually appealing game of the day (maybe the tournament) to watch on TV, with the bright yellows and dark greens. Quite stunning.
When Cornell faces Kentucky later this week, if not for the presence of Dale in the Big Red starting five, it would be a role reversed redux of the 1966 Texas Western - Kentucky title game.
BTW, Coach Steve Donahue's official title at Cornell is: The Robert E. Gallagher '44 Head Coach of Men's Basketball. Somewhat akin to having an endowed tenured professorship.
I believe that back in the early 1980's, Guy Lewis was the Ken Curtis Head Coach of Men's Basketball at the University of Houston.
When I look at Bob Huggins prowl the sideline, one thought consistently comes to mind: Al Davis must have started a bowling league.
posted by beaverboard at 08:22 AM on March 22, 2010
In the spirit of full disclosure, I will point out that I write for this same website, but not on this topic. I only posted this article from the site because I felt it made a good point that went along with the double standard that was being discussed in the Torii Hunter link a few weeks back. Floyd Jr roots for Black American' boxers but thinks foreign boxers like Pacquiao are cheaters
posted by Demophon at 08:24 AM on March 22, 2010
Beaverboard, where are you located? CBS chooses which games to feature based on the region. We had Michigan State-Maryland in the DC area (even if I wanted the Ohio State game).
posted by bender at 09:26 AM on March 22, 2010
I should have gone to Flint for the day, just to watch the U.MD - MSU game on regional, then come back home to the monoculture of New England.
posted by beaverboard at 10:19 AM on March 22, 2010
Lionel Messi is playing at such a level as to defy belief. I watched the Barca-Zaragoza match yesterday and was just astonished at his play -- the control, the speed, the immaculate finishing. Guardian report here. Does not bode well for Arsenal in the Champions League quarters.
As Scott Murray wrote in the minute-by-minute report of Barca v. Stuttgart during last week's Champions League action: "Like many folk, I spent some time wondering the other day whether Wayne Rooney was perhaps the best player in the world at the moment... no, no, no."
posted by holden at 11:04 AM on March 22, 2010
The same folks at the Guardian think it'll be good for Arsenal to be dumped out of the ECL at this point though, as it'll let them focus on their run in in the league and perhaps present them with their first title in this half of the decade.
I'm not sure how that logic holds up now that Chelsea are out.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 11:55 AM on March 22, 2010
Teemu Selanne becomes 18th player to score 600 goals.
posted by fabulon7 at 11:59 AM on March 22, 2010
Greatest NHL players by nation of birth:
Canada: Wayne Gretzky
Russia: Slava Fetisov
USA: Mike Modano
Sweden: Niklas Lidstrom
Finland: Jari Kurri / Teemu Selanne (tie)
Czech Republic: Jaromir Jagr
Slovakia: Stan Mikita
Ukraine: Petr Bondra
and, of course, my favourite piece of NHL trivia:
Taiwan: Rod Langway
Edit:
It looks like Wikipedia does have everything.
posted by grum@work at 01:15 PM on March 22, 2010
Greatest NHL players by nation of birth:
Canada: Wayne Gretzky
Russia: Slava Fetisov
USA: Mike Modano
Sweden: Niklas Lidstrom
Finland: Jari Kurri / Teemu Selanne (tie)
Czech Republic: Jaromir Jagr
Slovakia: Stan Mikita
Ukraine: Petr Bondra
Not to nitpick (which of course means I am going to do exactly that), but both Jagr and Mikita were born in Czechoslovakia and Bondra and Fetisov were technically born in the USSR. But you know that and we know what you mean. More substantively, I would take issue with Fetisov being the greatest Russian "NHL player by nation of birth" only because his NHL years did not include his peak (or at least a large portion of it). Greatest Russian hockey player who made it to the NHL? Quite possibly. Although I suspect Ovechkin may have that title 15 years hence. (Also a moot point for this exercise, though.)
posted by holden at 01:28 PM on March 22, 2010
Was Hank Greenberg denied a shot at Babe Ruth's single-season home run record because he was Jewish?
posted by holden at 01:49 PM on March 22, 2010
Greatest Russian hockey player who made it to the NHL? Quite possibly. Although I suspect Ovechkin may have that title 15 years hence. (Also a moot point for this exercise, though.)
I agree that Fetisov is the best Russian player to play in the NHL, but not the best Russian NHL player. That would probably be Sergei Fedorov, if I followed my initial rules.
posted by grum@work at 02:04 PM on March 22, 2010
Vladislav Tretiak: Best Russian player to never play in the NHL.
posted by Debo270 at 02:52 PM on March 22, 2010
Vladislav Tretiak: Best Russian player to never play in the NHL.
Or Valeri Kharlamov.
posted by tommybiden at 03:38 PM on March 22, 2010
I agree that Fetisov is the best Russian player to play in the NHL, but not the best Russian NHL player. That would probably be
Pavel Bure?
posted by MeatSaber at 04:38 PM on March 22, 2010
Messi was a delight to watch on the ball yesterday. I look forward to him decimating the Gunner D.
Makes me wonder what Argentina will be able to do in South Africa. How much will Maradona help or hurt their results?
posted by billsaysthis at 05:48 PM on March 22, 2010
Makes me wonder what Argentina will be able to do in South Africa. How much will Maradona help or hurt their results?
If you read the comments to Dr. Sid's piece on the Guardian linked above, it seems that the consensus is that the only person who can stop Messi is . . . Maradona.
posted by holden at 05:56 PM on March 22, 2010
Argentina aren't as good a team as Barcelona either.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 06:29 PM on March 22, 2010
Hank Greenberg denied a shot at Babe Ruth's single-season home run record
Ever see The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg?
posted by BornIcon at 08:48 PM on March 22, 2010
I agree that Fetisov is the best Russian player to play in the NHL, but not the best Russian NHL player. That would probably be
Pavel Bure?
I was thinking about suggesting that, but many things tipped the balance in favour of Federov:
Stanley Cups
Longevity
Most goals by a Russian-born player (and first to get 1,000 points, I think.)
Playoff points like nobodies business
He can play defense!
I might take Mogilny over Bure too. But Federov is better than either.
posted by fabulon7 at 11:30 PM on March 22, 2010
Federov was also an MVP. So I think you have to give it to him. In his prime (mid 90s) he was top five in the league year in-out and at times the best player in the world.
And he plays defense! (this should never be ignored - he was one of the best defensive centers in the league... while managing to be one of the best offensive centers at the same time.)
Bure just didn't play long enough and was staggeringly one dimensional. But it was a helluva dimension.
But Ovechkin will be the greatest when he's done. Unless he gets injured.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 06:52 PM on March 23, 2010
Sorry, mate, but we busted your bracket.