June 25, 2013

SportsFilter: The Tuesday 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.

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 31 comments

So tattoos cast doubt on your ability to be an NBA star, unless you've proven you can be an NBA star with tatts, in which case tatts don't matter.

Jason Reid gets paid to write stuff like that?

posted by rcade at 11:06 AM on June 25, 2013

A local radio host here was saying that Aaron Hernandez was likely in a gang and probably killed that guy because, 'have you seen all the tattoos he has!' I didn't realize people under the age of 60 were still scared of tattoos.

posted by tron7 at 11:06 AM on June 25, 2013

The cover of today's Toronto Sun

posted by tommybiden at 12:09 PM on June 25, 2013

James didn't try to sell mass appeal? What exactly does he think the point of that clusterfuck signing event was about?

posted by dfleming at 12:25 PM on June 25, 2013

Bubba's own fault in two ways - 1) You're the guy pulling the club out and hitting the shots, and 2) You're the guy hired the guy that you're accusing of being no good at his job.

It's an interesting debate for the wee small hours when the wee small drinks have been broken out: how many majors would X have won with someone else on the bag? My favourite hobby horse is Big Phil and his 6 second place finishes in the US Open. In at least three of them, a better caddie would have tackled him to the ground long before he got so excited and blew it.

posted by JJ at 12:40 PM on June 25, 2013

Ilya Bryzgalov gets released by Flyers, here's the capgeek list of buyouts through the years.

posted by tommybiden at 01:37 PM on June 25, 2013

The cover of today's Toronto Sun

Perhaps tomorrow's Herald will feature a photo of whomever wins the Boston mayoral election not smoking crack.

posted by yerfatma at 02:28 PM on June 25, 2013

The cover of today's Toronto Sun

What is it with Toronto's obsession with Boston? I mean, I don't follow hockey closely, but I'm aware of the reason for the cover, but in general, Toronto fans seem to get their hate on for Boston sports more than any other city. I've seen this mainly on Blue Jay blogs, but it appears to be deeper than that.

It reminds me of Red Sox fans obsession with the Yankees, which I found embarrassing, but hard to deny. But in that instance, Babe Ruth switching teams, the tie breaker in 78, general Red Sox failure and Yankee success, geography, I can at least understand how it happened.

But Toronto's hate/obsession for Boston? I don't get it. Is there some history I'm missing?

posted by justgary at 03:04 PM on June 25, 2013

in general, Toronto fans seem to get their hate on for Boston sports more than any other city

Is that really a thing? I'd think Montreal rates a lot higher.

posted by yerfatma at 04:27 PM on June 25, 2013

From the reaction of you Boston folks, it sounds like kind of a one-way rivalry. They see Boston as the target, while Boston is sometimes made aware of Toronto's existence in the sporting world through periodic interruptions with its real rivalries.

posted by tahoemoj at 05:20 PM on June 25, 2013

Well I don't think that's fair (doubly so because Toronto proper dwarfs the city of Boston). It's just not very often the two cities have teams that are good in the same sport at the same time. Last time would have been the tail end of the Morgan Magic Sox and that was two decades ago. I was still a teenager so maybe I missed it, but I don't recall a lot of bitterness and acrimony then.

posted by yerfatma at 05:31 PM on June 25, 2013

What is it with Toronto's obsession with Boston? in general, Toronto fans seem to get their hate on for Boston sports more than any other city Realize that Toronto IS the center of the Universe.

The sports reporters there haven't had a decent sports team to report on since the Joe Carter Blue Jays. There would be a shitload of Toronto reporters walking around testicle free for the opportunity to report on the Bruins, Red Sox, or Celtics on a regular basis.

Don't fret on it - nobody outside of Toronto in Canada does when the more successful Canadian teams are similarly attacked.

posted by cixelsyd at 05:56 PM on June 25, 2013

A Leafs/Bruins rivalry is about as real this decade as a Bengals/Steelers rivalry was in the 90's. That is to say, we in Cincinnati considered ourselves to be in a rivalry and people in Pittsburgh said "they have a football team in Cincinnati? I'll be damned."

posted by tahoemoj at 06:30 PM on June 25, 2013

From the reaction of you Boston folks, it sounds like kind of a one-way rivalry...

Is that really a thing? I'd think Montreal rates a lot higher...

Hey, just asking. I could easily be wrong. For all I know Boston has a huge hate on for Toronto. Just an impression I got.

posted by justgary at 07:43 PM on June 25, 2013

But Toronto's hate/obsession for Boston? I don't get it. Is there some history I'm missing?

Well, this year it's that an epic third period collapse against the Bruins that cost the Leafs a trip to the next round. Gives a context for why that cover exists.

The broader level? Boston's seen a ton of recent sport success and Toronto teams are typically in the same division and are usually lousy, so there's bound to be some jealousy there I am sure.

posted by dfleming at 08:22 PM on June 25, 2013

Yankees GM to highest-paid employee: "Shut the fuck up".

posted by yerfatma at 09:34 PM on June 25, 2013

Yankees GM to highest-paid employee: "Shut the fuck up"

Translated - we have to keep paying you but really wish you'd just go away.

posted by cixelsyd at 11:21 PM on June 25, 2013

But Toronto's hate/obsession for Boston? I don't get it. Is there some history I'm missing?

Well, this year it's that an epic third period collapse against the Bruins that cost the Leafs a trip to the next round. Gives a context for why that cover exists.

There is no hate/obsession for Boston. As dfleming said, this cover is just a nice "How do you like dem apples?!" jab to the Boston fans who laughed at the Leafs for their round one, game 7, 3rd period collapse. Consider it a case of delayed catharsis.

If anything, it's Boston fans seem to have an obsession with the Leafs, specifically for Phil Kessel (whose only real crime seems to be not signing a contract with the Bruins, and getting traded to the Leafs (for draft picks...which helped the Bruins get to two Stanley Cup finals)). Since his first game back in Boston while wearing a Leafs uni, they've felt it important to chant his name and boo him everytime he touches the puck.

posted by grum@work at 02:05 AM on June 26, 2013

Don't fret on it - nobody outside of Toronto in Canada does when the more successful Canadian teams are similarly attacked.

For our American friends:

Toronto vs Montreal
Legitimate, socio-historical blood feud, tipped in Montreal's favour because..well..they've won something in the past 40 years. Still, these games are the highlight of the season for Canadian broadcasters, and fans on both teams play up the rivalry properly. Both teams' fans buy up every seat they can in each others' arena, leading to call/response chanting of team names and loud cheers for every goal.

Toronto vs Ottawa
Recent feud, but tipped WAY in Toronto's favour. This stems from the Leafs demoralizing manhandling of the Senators in four consecutive playoff matchups. The Ottawa fans are the ones that carry majority of it, as the Toronto fans just laugh at the whole thing. It's especially hilarious when Toronto scores IN OTTAWA, and other than the missing goal horn, you'd swear from the crowd that the game was being played in Toronto.

Toronto vs Every Other Canadian Team
The other cities like to pretend they hate the Leafs, but their biggest selling games are when Toronto comes to town. That's when the old English-speaking hockey fans (pre-1980) and their kids show up to cheer on the Leafs. It's not as bad as Ottawa, but a Toronto away goal will still draw a large cheer from the crowd. It also galls the owners of the more playoff successful franchises (Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary) to see hopeless Leafs teams sellout their home games (with outrageous prices), while they might struggle to do so.

posted by grum@work at 02:22 AM on June 26, 2013

whose only real crime seems to be not signing a contract with the Bruins

Well, I don't know how much people really care, I think the booing is pretty pro forma. I will admit I don't know a Bruins fan who misses the guy. The numbers probably don't back it up but he seemed like a permanent sour puss who potted most of his goals in 6-0 type games. That and the curved nature of hockey rinks is well suited to a guy congenitally unable to go into corners.

<DonCherry>AND WHAT CANADIAN KID WEARS A VISOR ANYWAY?!</DonCherry>

posted by yerfatma at 08:40 AM on June 26, 2013

When the Kessel deal was done, knowledgeable Toronto fans seemed more pissed at the Leafs at that moment than any B's fan has ever been at Kessel since.

posted by beaverboard at 09:51 AM on June 26, 2013

I can't understand why Leaf fans should be pissed.

Since playing his first game with the Leafs:

- Kessel hasn't been injured or sat out a game during his tenure with the Leafs. Not one single game.

- He's 7th in the league in goals since joining the Leafs. The highest Bruin is 77th.

- He's 19th in the league in points since joining the Leafs. The highest Bruin is 45th.

- In the sabermetric stat "Goals Created", he's 13th in the league. The highest Bruin is 53rd.

Given his output and his age (only 25), I think the Leafs have done just fine with the trade. He's outperforming Seguin, and who knows if Jared Knight ever makes it. Dougie Hamilton is the wild card in all this.

posted by grum@work at 01:04 PM on June 26, 2013

AND WHAT CANADIAN KID WEARS A VISOR ANYWAY?!

The smart ones.
And Kessel's American.

posted by grum@work at 01:05 PM on June 26, 2013

/recalibrates sarcasm meter

posted by yerfatma at 01:13 PM on June 26, 2013

What Weedy said here when the trade was announced:

Oh god. They've done it again. Traded their picks. Kessel is good (not that we have a centre for him.), but goddamn it we need those picks.

Where the hell is Weedy anyway? He's gone totally incommunicado. I thought he was moving to Philly, not entering the Witness Protection Program.

posted by beaverboard at 02:24 PM on June 26, 2013

I think the Leafs have done just fine with the trade

One stat that is missing from your Kessel highlights is this:

He has averaged a yearly plus/minus of -10.25 since being traded to the Leafs while logging an average 20 minutes of ice time.

That's a real bad mix when your forward that gets the most ice time is a career minus. No matter how many goals for he scores, assists, or is on the ice for, the opponent is better off when he's on the ice.

While I was sifting through the Leafs statistics on Kessel, I found this:

James Reimer in 2012-13 set the all time Leafs record for save percentage.

And how does Leafs' management respond to this accomplishment? They trade for another starting goalie.

Mind Boggling.

posted by cixelsyd at 02:34 PM on June 26, 2013

That's a real bad mix when your forward that gets the most ice time is a career minus. No matter how many goals for he scores, assists, or is on the ice for, the opponent is better off when he's on the ice.

+/- is a stat that really hurts powerplay specialists like Kessel. All those goals and assists don't count towards his +/-. This season, 40% of his point total was on the powerplay.

Compare this to other snipers in the top 10:
St. Louis - 33%
Stamkos - 31%
Crosby - 31%
Ovechkin - 48%
Kane - 31%
Staal - 17%
Kunitz - 31%
Hall - 28%
Datsyuk - 32%

(Those high/low watermarks are pretty interesting as well.)

posted by grum@work at 05:32 PM on June 26, 2013

Seeing as how the Hurricanes had about the worst power play in the entire league yet again this season, I'm not surprised by Staal's number there.

posted by NoMich at 07:05 PM on June 26, 2013

+/- is a stat that really hurts powerplay specialists like Kessel.

I think you mean "pretty boys". If anyone fits that label, it's definitely Children of the Corn Kessel. I will say I still love him as the former boy genius in Venture Brothers.

posted by yerfatma at 08:43 PM on June 26, 2013

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