The US Open: Glory's Third Last Shot

The season's second major begins today outside Washington, D.C., where players will tee it up at Congressional Country Club, each trying to win the 111th US Open. The biggest story of course, isn't who's going to win, but who isn't going to win; Tiger Woods. Tiger has pulled up lame and will not be competing this year. The way he's played the past year, it's doubtful he really would have been a factor, but with him not even playing, it is truly wide open as to who's going to win. Perhaps the most wide open field since the late 90's.

The thing about the US Open, it's cachet if you will, is the difficult course set up, which normally sees a winning score a little closer to par than at other tournaments. The rough is thick, fairways tight and greens fast. For some, this means that it takes driving accuracy to win a US Open, while other claim it comes down to putting. But really, like almost every tournament, it comes down to a combination of everything. The person who puts it all together for 72 holes will come out on top. And that leads to the biggest question; who's going to win this year?

Let's take a look at the favorites:

Why I Don't Like the Canucks

Sitting amongst a sea of blue and green at a local bar (By the way Melrose, you should be ashamed to call yourself the home of the red mile) I couldn’t help but stand up and cheer every single time Boston lit the lamp.

I received my fair share of evil, stink, and crook eyes but I truly could care less. I found one local “Bruins fan” to high five and that was plenty to satisfy my need. I was smiling ear to ear.

I’m not a Bruins fan per say. I’m just a Flames fan who would rather see anybody but Vancouver win the cup. It’s pretty simple actually.

This year’s playoff hockey has been outstanding for the most part. The first round itself comes to mind. The overtimes, the drama, the excitement – it was all just fine and dandy from a genuine hockey fans perspective.

But, I have had no greater pleasure throughout this entire post-season than I have had cheering against the Vancouver Canucks. I just hate them that much.

And now we get the joy of witnessing a Stanley Cup Final Game 7. Does it get any better?

Flames Have Hart: Hire Craig Hartsburg as Associate Coach

The Calgary Flames were busy today.

Not only were they playing their annual alumni golf tournament but they also made some hires in Craig Hartsburg and Jamie Pringle.

Hartsburg was hired as the team's new Associate Coach and comes in with a wealth of experience having Head Coaching exerience in Anaheim, Ottawa and Chicago, while assisting in Minnesota and Philly twice. He also was the head coach of the Canada's world junior team in 07' and 08' -- winning gold both times. Additionally, he was Brent Sutter's assistant in 2006 for Canada, winning gold as well.

Last season he was the GM and Head Coach of the Everett Silvertips of the WHL.

He has loads of experience and Sutter is extremely familiar with him. Hartsburg said in an interview on the radio today that he won't be just a "Yes Man" and if he disagrees with what Sutter is saying, he will let him know and not just stand idly by.

Never a bad thing to have a couple of sollid opinions. Hopefully discussion doesn't result in infighting.

The Flames now have a wealth of experienced junior level coaches in Sutter (Red Deer), Lowry (Hitmen), and Hartsburg.

Maybe now they won't be so reluctant to bring up the young prospects and give them a chance to play. In the past, under Darryl Sutter, the team has been very reluctant to bring anyone younger than 35 years of age up to play on this team.  Ok, maybe not that old, but they have been reluctant to move prospects along and I hope this means the younger guys get a fighting chance.

Jamie Pringle is the new Senior Video analyst for the Flames. This guy is aspiring to be the best video analyst in the game, which bodes well for the Flames. He has no asipirations, or so we've heard, of doing anything else, which should mean he will be solely focused on helping the players extract an edge of their opponents.

This seems like a good hire and will probably be a welcome change from Rob Cookson, who was with the team for the last decade.

Two spots still remain vacant with the Flames -- goaltending coach and assistant GM. The AGM most likely won't be hired until after the draft, while the goaltending coach could come any day now.

Sutter made the hires -- something he has always wanted. This is his team, and this will be THE year to put his stamp on the team.

Is it September yet? Have the Canucks lost yet?

Newman

JERSEY FOULS!

 twitter.com/TSRNewman
thesportsroundup@gmail.com
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Welcome to Winnipeg, How Long Can You Stay?

Well, there's hockey in Winnipeg again.  And many hockey fans couldn't be happier.  Myself, I'm neither here nor there about it.  On one hand, it'll be nice to see butts in the seats, but on the other hand, when travelling, I'd rather catch a Flames game in Atlanta than Winnipeg. I suppose that's purely a selfish reason and it'd probably be better for the game with a team in Winnipeg.  Having said that, I refuse to use support for this move as some sort of litmus test of one's patriotism.

So the big question facing hockey in Winnipeg, and it isn't what they'll be called, it's how long will they stay this time?  I will be so bold as to say that the Polar Bears, or Falcons or Moose or whatever they decide to call themselves, will have moved from Winnipeg in five or six years.  Because when I look at this situation, it just doesn't add up.

Here are some of the key facts:

• Smallest market in the NHL:  Winnipeg, 694,668
• Smallest Arena in NHL: MTS Centre: 15,015

Now why is this important?  Well, these numbers are the reason this team will struggle financially; the reason they'll lose so much money.  And I fear they'll find themselves in the same position financially as they did in Atlanta, but with a sold out arena.

First of all, the arena is too small.  With only 15,015 seats, the MTS Centre is considerably smaller than most NHL rinks, and will be selling a couple of thousand less seats than other teams, per game.  Comparing it to the Saddledome, which holds 19,289, a Winnipeg team will be selling 175,234 fewer seats each year than the Flames.  Considering the Flames' average ticket price of $59.73, that's almost $10,500,000 less in revenue each year for the Polar Bears.  And that doesn't include luxury suites, which bring in the bulk of ticket monies.  But it does lead to the next problem, corporate money.

In most successful NHL cities, the majority of season tickets are owned by corporations.  The difference between having corporate ownership versus private, is that companies can wait out losing streaks and recessions better than Johnny Punch-Clock. When the team or the economy tanks, the average person will be giving up their tickets before, say, Imperial Oil. Corporate tickets give teams a little bit of a cushion against bad times. The problem with Winnipeg is there aren't enough corporations to buy that many tickets. Like Ottawa, and to a lesser extent Edmonton, Winnipeg is a government town. The government cannot get into buying season tickets for obvious reasons, leaving only a handful of smaller companies in the Peg to buy up the suites and lower bowl seats.  While many teams can sell dozens of suites each year for hundred of thousands of dollars, Winnipeg cannot.  This leaves the people of Winnipeg to do most of the buying.

While they may love hockey, and they may have supported the Moose; the NHL is a very different beast and a very expensive beast.  The problem this team is going to have, is there simply aren't enough people or enough companies who can afford to buy NHL-priced tickets.  With the 2nd most expensive average ticket price in the NHL (behind the Leafs), Winnipegers are being asked to make three or five year commitments to season tickets ranging from $1,755 to $5,850 in price.  That's steep, and I don't think there'll be enough people in Winnipeg to make it happen.

Of course the ticket problem won't affect the team in the first few seasons as the initial euphoria over having NHL hockey again will ensure the arena is filled every night.  But after that, people may start to reconsider having mortgaged their $60,000 houses to watch hockey.  Especially when their team isn't very good.  Let's not forget that this isn't a new team.  This is the Atlanta Thrashers, who have made the post season once in the past 11 years.  Because of their obvious financial struggles, it's doubtful they'll be able to spend to the cap; they're more likely to be a "closer to the cap floor" team.  And there's no reason to think they will suddenly turn it around because their new fans like hockey.  When this team continues to struggle, attendance will lag and the financial problems will deepen.

It's true that Canada's wealthiest man is one of the owners of this new team, and he could not doubt support this team forever without any significant losses.  But even people with $20 billion don't like to lose money.  After four or five seasons of losing $15 to $20 million per season, it'll be time to pull the plug on this failed experiment.  Let's not forget, this city has already lost their NHL team once before.  There isn't really any reason to think it'll work this time around.

I love the idea of the Flames playing the former-Thrashers six times each season and I hope it does work in Winnipeg; there could be some great rivalries.  But I wouldn't get the Polar Bears' logo tattooed on your ass just yet.

Jersey Fouls

twitter.com/TheRevBW

thesportsroundup@gmail.com

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Flames Deal Erixon to Rangers

The Flames have dealt Tim Erixon and their 5th Round selection in this years draft to the new York Rangers for Roman Horak and two 2nd round picks (projected to be 43rd and 57th overall) in the 2011 draft.

Feaster and the Flames were unable to come to terms with Erixon, the Flames 1st round pick in 2009, and instead of sending him back into the draft they were able to get something in return.

First thought is that it's a shame the Flames will lose Erixon. This guy has a ton of potential and probably would have gone Top 10 if he had been put back into the draft this year. On the other hand, they do salvage something out of him and stockpile some much needed draft picks.

Apparently Feaster's hands were tied on this one and Erixon never had any intention on playing in Calgary. He wanted to play for the Rangers like his papa and nothing was going to stop him. It's tough luck for the Flames as they lose arguably their best young talented player and probably the one closest to being able to play in the NHL.

So what do you do when you are given a lemon?

You make lemonade, or some variation of it. That's what Feaster did. He managed to get draft picks and another less touted prospect back. Sure, none of them might turn out as well as Erixon, but then again you are trading potential for potential and nothing is certain. Heck, look at Alexandre Daigle or Patrick Stefan.

Ok, maybe a little extreme but the Flames lost the best player in the deal yet again, and it stings.

Horak, who hails from the Czech Republic, can score as he put up 26 goals and 52 assists in 64 games with Chilliwack last season. He played with another Flames prospect LW Ryan Howse all year long, so the Flames were very familiar with young Czech. Howse put up 51 goals and 32 assists.  Horak is 20 years old, while Howse will turn 20 this summer. Both should be slated to play in Abbostford next fall and hopefully inject some offence into the lowest scoring team in the AHL.
Some numbers on Horak: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=112706

Newman

Jersey Fouls!

 twitter.com/TSRNewman
thesportsroundup@gmail.com
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