11/21/24
February 19, 2014
SportsFilter: The Wednesday 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.
Hakka palle suomen poika!
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:03 AM on February 19, 2014
posted by Etrigan at 12:31 PM on February 19, 2014
Well, that was unnecessarily close.
Hopefully that was the "bad game" that Canada has, and can bring something a lot better against the Americans
posted by grum@work at 02:23 PM on February 19, 2014
I've a love-hate feeling about the semifinal pairings. True enough that the regional rivalries are great, and they should produce some great intensity, but Canada vs USA belongs as the gold medal game, not a semi. Sweden and Finland are both good enough to beat either US or Canada in a semi - or the final for that matter - but my North American bias insists on the 2 heavyweights in the final. My biggest fear is that US and Canada will burn themselves out against each other in the semi and the winner will have nothing left against the Scandinavian side.
posted by Howard_T at 02:44 PM on February 19, 2014
Sweden and Finland are #1 and #2 (respectively) in the IIHF world rankings.
2006 Gold Medal Game - Sweden vs Finland
2010 Gold Medal Game - Canada vs USA
Someone else pointed out to me that the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs had a final four of the last four Stanley Cup winners, and now the 2014 Olympics will have a final four of the last four gold medal game participants.
I do agree that EITHER of these games would have been a better gold medal game than whatever combination comes out of the semis.
Not that those teams don't deserve to be there...just that there isn't any real rivalry other than "respect".
I'm glad I'll be able to "work" from home on Friday while the games are on.
posted by grum@work at 03:03 PM on February 19, 2014
posted by grum@work at 04:11 PM on February 19, 2014
The Buccaneers are getting new helmets. I don't know if these are possibilities, but the ones at lower left and upper left are the bee's knees.
posted by rcade at 05:12 PM on February 19, 2014
I like the top two the best. I loved those old colors.
posted by NoMich at 05:20 PM on February 19, 2014
When I saw the headline "Russia Men's Hockey Team Eliminated," I thought "damn, Putin is harsh."
posted by rcade at 05:48 PM on February 19, 2014
Homer Bailey joins the $100 million club. Somewhere, Brandon Phillips can be found shouting angrily into a pillow.
posted by dfleming at 06:17 PM on February 19, 2014
For reasons unknown Sapp is apparently a key player in the new Bucs helmet unveiling. He's tweeting at large about it well ahead of the moment. Earlier he had said that there would be silver grills on the new hats. As reported this afternoon by Uni Watch.
I have my own version of what the grill on any helmet worn by Sapp would look like, but they can't use that design because a man's gotta be able to get air in and out when he's on the field. It ain't the space program.
posted by beaverboard at 07:57 PM on February 19, 2014
I do agree that EITHER of these games would have been a better gold medal game than whatever combination comes out of the semis.
Two potential classics instead of one. They won't have the intensity of the gold medal match in Vancouver, but that was never going to be replicated in Sochi because of the location.
Has anyone checked to see whether Finland has suffered a mysterious outage in its gas supply yet?
posted by etagloh at 09:13 PM on February 19, 2014
"Well then, there will be a different coach because I won't exist any more, since you will have eaten me." That man is funny! Too bad he isn't a better coach ;)
posted by billsaysthis at 11:52 AM on February 21, 2014
I'm pretty sure Putin is not going to be happy with a 5th place finish by the Russian hockey team. Beware of the polonium-laced vodka, comrades.