Beer and Hockey

Well hockey has returned to the Saddledome with last night’s pre-season tilt between the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.  What can I really say about the game?  While brochures handed out at the entrance proclaim that ‘every game matters’ we all know that may be true, with the exception of the pre-season games, which don’t matter at all.

The fact that these games don’t matter is quite apparent too, as there is an obvious lack of intensity from players, coaches, media and fans.  It just isn’t the same.  Having said that, I always enjoy going to the first pre-season game, as it’s a chance to get back into the Dome, and get back into the swing of watching the Flames play on a regular basis.

I can’t really comment much on the game last night.  Some will say there are players ‘fighting for jobs,’ but really, are there?  There are maybe two players, maybe, that have a chance of ‘cracking the lineup.’  This team is pretty much set.  And I definitely couldn’t comment on the Canucks, who were fielding a team that wouldn’t even hold water in the AHL.  I mean, they had Anders Eriksson in their line up.  Anders Eriksson!  I guess Andrei Zyuzin was busy.  As with any pre-season game, I didn’t head into this one with any kind of expectation of seeing some great hockey.  But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t disappointed.

Earlier this month, or maybe it was in August, there was a new partnership announced between the Flames and Budweiser.  Waking up early that day to watch the press conference live (okay, I watched it on-line a week later), I listened with excitement as things like the first ‘beeriod’ were announced, as a chance to elevate the fan experience.  And most importantly, it was announced there would be bottom pour technology at the Dome (this was on the tarmac during Stampede if you aren’t familiar).

I didn’t see the first beeriod last night.  And while I did see one bottom pour station on the main concourse, I expected to see them everywhere.  Disappointment isn’t a big enough word for what I felt last night.

Now maybe it was only a pre-season game, and the technology will be installed everywhere by the home opener, and maybe the first beeriod will be ready to go.  It better, or there I will have been let down, by beer.  Something I never thought would ever  happen.

-TheRev


Jersey Fouls!
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Langk You Very Much: Daymond Langkow Traded

By Derrick Newman

Following Robyn Regehr and Ales Kotalik out the Scotiabank Saddledome door this summer is yet another high priced contract in Daymond Langkow.

Langkow is set to make $4.5 million this season and coming off a near career ending injury, the 35-year-old wasn’t getting any younger.

Sure, Langkow is a serviceable, reliable veteran who can play anywhere from the first to the third line without ever hearing a peep or complaint from him.(The Flames have another player like that in Brendan Morrison)

But simply put, he was not in the long term plans of the team and GM Jay Feaster most likely saw a chance to shed some more salary to give the Flames added flexibility this coming season, while at the same time keeping the team competitive.

Scott Hannan: New Flame but same old strategy

Bringing his talents to cowtown

Written by Newman

I remember a time not too long ago when Scott Hannan was considered one of the premier shut down defenceman in the NHL.

I even remember him being constantly compared to another shut down defenceman – Robyn Regehr.

Where did the time go?

Regehr is gone and Hannan is now a Flame. Not traded for one another, but you can’t help but think that one is replacing the other – even if Hannan is not on the same level as a Regehr at this point in his career.

Hannan had his best days as a San Jose Shark and most of them before the lockout.

Glory's Last Shot or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the PGA

The last major championship of the year, the self-proclaimed ‘Glory’s Last Shot’, the PGA Championship begins today. In a way, the PGA Championship is the red-headed step child of the majors. It doesn’t have the historical significance of a British Open, the national status of a US Open, or the prestige of the Masters. Simply put, it’s the least important major. But, it’s still a major, it’s still a tournament the players want to win, and it still has a very good field. So how to pick a winner?



Don't be fooled by the flags, Americans
almost always win the tourney


To begin, the PGA’s field is different than the other majors. The other three fields feature a host of amateur players taking up spots from potential winners (I have nothing against amateurs in majors, but they don’t really have a chance of winning, and they do keep a professional out of the tournament), while the PGA has twenty odd club pros, who have absolutely no chance of winning. We can shrink the field down quite a bit when looking for potential winners, but there are still a lot of golfers with a chance at the Wannamaker Trophy.

What also makes it more difficult is the PGA’s tendency to crown more ‘one and done’ major winners than the other three. In the past quarter century we’ve seen such household names as Jeff Sluman, Shaun Micheel, YE Yang, Rich Beem, Wayne Grady, Mark Brooks and Bob Tway win this tournament. Hardly world beaters, these are players who never really amounted to much other than that one hot week. So when we look at the field this weekend, these ‘no-name’ players have to be considered, even though their biggest ‘win’ might be a T22 in the Lumber 84 Classic.

Tiger's Ex-Caddy and Other Summer Musings

Tiger has the club in his hand. You are
holding a god damn pin.

By Derrick Newman

Watching the summer go by at the speed of light I have been unable to blog as much as I would like but over the past few days I’ve seen some things that I just can’t keep quiet on...so here are my thoughts in written form.

The Caddy

Steve Williams. Oh Stevie boy. You are a true champion.

Let me get this straight.

Did YOU actually win 145 tournaments? Have YOU won 13 majors? Have YOU won eight times at Firestone? Was that YOU winning by 15 shots at Pebble Beach?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I could have sworn that was Tiger Woods winning, not you.

You were carrying the guys F#%king bag! Get over yourself, please.