Chemistry and Discipline Lead Canadian Men’s Hockey to Gold

There’s no argument that Canada had by far the most talented group of hockey players in these Olympic games.  But, as evidenced by team USA’s unfortunate finish, talent doesn’t guarantee success.

Being such a short tournament, with little to no practice time during or even leading up to it, developing team chemistry early is vital in making a serious run for gold.  Not only did Team Canada have the talent, but they gelled as a team very quickly.

However, what made Team Canada such a success these Olympics was their discipline.  The Canadians were very disciplined on both sides of the puck, making it difficult for opponents to generate sustained offensive pressure and quality scoring chances.

While Finland and Latvia gave Canada more difficulty than was expected, the Canadians peaked at the perfect time, posting shutouts in the semifinals and the gold medal match.  They surrendered a meager three goals in six games; tallying 16 goals for.

Allowing only three goals all tournament is a testament to the defensive dominance of Team Canada.  While the scoring ability of the forwards (and many defensemen) had been well documented, their defensive structure was second to none.  You can’t be considered a true powerhouse unless you’re able to control the play both with and without the puck.

It was a rare sight to see the Canadians concede an odd-man rush.  Even when their opponent was able to gain entry into the offensive zone, they were kept to the perimeter, limited to firing bad angle shots towards Carey Price hoping for a lucky bounce.

This defensive discipline no doubt rattled Team USA, who entered their semifinal game against Canada as the top scoring team in the tournament.  Sweden was no match for the stifling defense of the Canadians either, generating just four shots in the final period of the gold medal game.

Team Canada was the class of this Olympic hockey tournament, getting the job done in all three zones.  It started with Carey Price who ended up the tournament leader in both GAA (0.59) and SV% (0.972).  The defensive core was unyielding, bolstered by the two-way efforts of forwards like Jonathan Toews and Patrice Bergeron among others, and the most prominent goal scorers in the NHL were able to take care of the rest.

Team chemistry and discipline were the two biggest factors in turning the raw talent of Team Canada into another Olympic Gold medal.

Sometimes You Need to Celebrate Your Goals by Giving Yourself a Mild Concussion

This video is from an amateur soccer league in Italy. Apparently this guy is a huge fan of Mario Balotelli and figured the only way he could compete with him would be to straight up ram his head through some plexiglass.

Three things stand out about this video.

1. The goalie should definitely not be playing in an Italian amateur league. Just a poor showing by him all around.

2. The focus on this guy is unreal. The second he scores the goal his eyes immediately head over to that bench. Not once does he break eye contact. When his teammates try to congratulate him he just shakes them off. There was one thing on this man's mind and that was mild head trauma.

3. The official was less than impressed...  

Will Michael Sam's Decision to Come Out Impact His Draft Status?

NO! NO! NO! NOT AT ALL! IS THAT A SERIOUS QUESTION? NO BEARING AT ALL! COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? NEGATIVE! ABSOLUTELY NOT! NIX! NON! NEGATORY! etc etc.

Good, now that we got that out of the way it's time to admit the sad fact that, according to some NFL scouts, it will.

During an interview on ESPN's Outside the Lines the Missouri Defensive End publicly stated, "I am an openly proud gay man." The comment has garnered a tremendous amount of support for the AP SEC Defensive player of the year, however there are those who predict that ultimately his decision will negatively impact his position in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Sports Illustrated interviewed several executives and scouts who anonymously gave their thoughts on the implications of Sam's decision. The general consensus was disappointing to say the least. Before the announcement Sam was projected as a mid to late round draft pick, those interviewed by SI claimed that his draft position is going to take quite a hit.

One assistant coach believed that Sam's decision was, "Not a smart move" claiming that "You shouldn't have to live your life in secrecy, but do you really want to be the top of the conversation for everything without ever having played a down in this league?"

An NFL scout added,"I just know with this going on this is going to drop him down," said a veteran NFL scout. "There's no question about it. It's human nature. Do you want to be the team to quote-unquote 'break that barrier?'"

Finally, a player personnel assistant brought up a phrase which has been bouncing around the league for years, I don't think football is ready for [an openly gay player] just yet. In the coming decade or two, it's going to be acceptable, but at this point in time it's still a man's-man game. To call somebody a [gay slur] is still so commonplace. It'd chemically imbalance an NFL locker room and meeting room."

Honestly, I can't believe that a league can be this backwards. When a group of veteran members of upper management almost unanimously claim that a league is not ready for a gay player the question must be asked, "when did we teleport back to the 1960's?"

NFL, The Stonewall riots were over 40 years ago! Same Sex Marriage has been legalized in seventeen states. It's time to wake up and realize that regardless of whether this might impact locker room chemistry, upset players, or cause distractions you need to shut up and get in line.

It's a problem when senior executives on teams are the ones perpetuating these messages. What they don't realize is that THEY are the source of the problem. It's not the locker room, it's not other players, it's upper level management, coaches, general managers and owners who for some reason can't let go of their ignorance and bigotry.

Chris Kluwe, an ex-punter for the Minnesota Vikings, made public his support for the gay community last season, and lost his job as a result of it. Kluwe is threatening to sue the Vikings for wrongful termination if special teams coach Mike Priefer, who Kluwe has accused of using homophobic slurs, is brought back by the team.

Vernon Davis was recently interviewed by Larry King. In the interview Davis claimed that he thought that in the next five to six years there will be numerous notable gay athletes in professional sports. Davis even went so far as to suggest that the NFL would be the first place people would see this transition take place.

In fact a total of 62 players have made comments suggesting that they would be in support of having a gay teammate.

Even Terrell Suggs, yes Terrell Suggs, one of the biggest, meanest, scariest players in the NFL has expressed his comfort at having a gay teammate. When asked if it would bother him if a teammate was gay he responded, "Absolutely not." Adding that his current teammates would be fine with it too.

I don't think you'd want to argue with him.

While 62 players aren't representative of the entire league the fact of the matter is that the players opinions don't matter. Yes there may be some players who would be upset in this situation, but players aren't the people who make these decisions.

Player personal decisions are made by upper management, the very people who earlier were saying that the NFL wasn't ready for a gay player. The fact of the matter is that their reasons for Sam's draft stock falling are little more than pointless excuses.

Would it lead to some friction in the locker room? Possibly, but it would vary from locker room to locker room. And more to the point if players have a problem with it, tough. Plain and simple the players are professionals. Consequently, it's their job to go out there and play every week, no questions asked.

If you were to put this situation into any other context it would be laughable. Honestly, think about it. If you show up to work and find that one of your fellow employees was gay, what would happen if you went to your boss and said, "I'm not okay working in this environment because of his sexual orientation." Your boss would laugh at you and have your ass out on the street faster than you can say "discrimination lawsuit." Why do we hold professional athletes to a different standard?

It also seems like the executives are encouraging an approach akin to the (fortunately) recently disbanded "don't ask don't tell policy" that had been in place in the armed forces for two decades. According to those interviewed, Sam's sexual orientation was widely known, they guessed that maybe three teams weren't aware.

It seems foolish that Sam formally outing himself has somehow changed his future in the league if it was already a well known fact. What the NFL is saying is that it's okay for a gay player to compete so long as he keeps his sexuality to himself. Such an approach merely perpetuates homophobic tendencies in America that are finally beginning to erode after years of resistance. Are we still living in a society where we confine gays to "the closet?" Are we so ashamed of our own biases and bigotry that we would prefer just to ignore them?

I'm also sick of the excuse "The NFL is not ready for a gay player." Guess what, in 1947 baseball wasn't ready for a black player. Almost seventy years later if you walk into any ballpark in the country the number 42 is hanging alongside the numbers of the greatest players to ever play the game and Jackie Robinson stands as one of the most well known players ever. Change like this isn't something you're "ready for." There's no loading bar saying, "The NFL's readiness for a gay player is currently at 79 percent." You're ready when someone has the courage to stand up for their values in the face of discrimination. Michael Sam has proved he has that courage, now the only question is which NFL team has it as well?

One of the scouts interviewed asked, "Do you want to be the team to 'break the barrier'" YES, YES YOU DO! This issue is bigger than sports, this is about American culture and society. Jackie Robinson playing first base for the Dodgers was one of the most important victories for the Civil Rights Movement in America. Michael Sam setting foot on the field for any team would be just as momentous a victory for the Gay Rights Movement in America. This isn't something that should happen, this is something that NEEDS to happen.

Ultimately, little will be decided until Draft Day. Michael Sam will become one of the most high profile players in the draft regardless of where he is picked. And the fact of the matter is that he will be picked. Some team will be willing to take a chance on a player who won Defensive Player of the Year honors in the most competitive conference in college football. It will be a tremendous victory and hopefully the start of changing values in the NFL.

But the problem is that Sam's victory over bigotry, over narrow-minded hatred isn't happening because of the NFL, it's happening in spite of the NFL. Many of the coaches and personnel interviewed expressed disappointment in the fact that Sam would be a target of bigotry and discrimination. Ironically they failed to realize that they are the chief source of its perpetuation. It's time for the NFL to wake up and realize that this is happening regardless of their readiness. The only question remaining is whether the NFL can rise to the occasion.

2014 Sochi Olympic Challenge

Welcome to the 2014 Sochi Olympic Challenge.

The 2014 Sochi Winter Games are officially underway with the Opening Ceremonies starting around 11 a.m. local time in Sochi, Russia on Friday. Qualifying events have started, and on Saturday the first medals will be handed out.

In total, 98 gold medals will be given out over 16 days. To make the competition that much more intense, we here at the blog has devised the Olympic Challenge.  Maybe we stole the idea, but we're making it our own anyway.

Each competitor chooses 12 athletes and/or teams.  They can be from any country or in any event.  If you pick wins a gold medal, you are awarded three points.  For a silver, two points, and for a bronze, one point.  The highest totals from their 12 athletes at the end of the Games will earn four-year bragging rights and an award to be named later.

For a the tiebreaker, playing by Price is Right rules, each contestant guessed how many gold medals they think the U.S. will take home.

Let's see what the line-ups are looking like for the inaugural Three if By Strike Olympic Challenge.

Jon
1 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
2 SWE - M Hockey
3 USA - W Hockey
4 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating
5 USA - M Hockey
6 CAN - W Hockey
7 Petter Northug - NOR - M XC Skiing 
8 Hannah Kearney - USA - W Skiing
9 Ted Ligety - USA - M Skiing
10 Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - W Skiing
11 Tora Berger - NOR - W Biathlon
12 Sven Kramer - NED - M Speed Skating
 Tiebreaker is 11

Petty
1 CAN - M Hockey
2 Mao Asada - JPN - W Figure Skating
3 USA - W Hockey
4 CAN - W Hockey
5 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating
6 Hannah Kearney - USA - W Skiing
7 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
8 Aksel Lund Svindal - NOR - M Skiing
9 AUT - M Team Ski Jumping
10 CAN - M Curling
11 NOR - W XC 4x5 Relay
12 Emil Hegle Svendsen - NOR - M Biathlon
Tiebreaker is 7

Ike
1 Lara Gut - SUI - W Skiing
2 Jamie Anderson - USA - W Snowboarding
3 USA - M Curling
4 USA - W Curling
5 GBR - W Curling
6 Sara Takanashi - JPN - W Ski Jumping
7 USA - M Hockey
8 USA - W Hockey
9 RUS - M Hockey
10 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
11 USA - M Two-man Bobsled
12 Matthias Mayer - AUT - M Skiing
Tiebreaker is 9

Jordan
1 Bode Miller - USA - M Skiing
2 Martin Fourcade - FRA - M Biathlon
3 SUI - M Two-man Bobsled
4 CAN - M Curling
5 Charles Hamelin - CAN - M Speed Skating
6 Martins Dukurs - LAT - M Skeleton
7 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
8 Kamil Stoch - POL - M Ski Jumping
9 USA - W Hockey
10 David Wise - USA - M Skiing
11 Maddie Bowman - USA - W Skiing
12 Canada - M Hockey
Tiebreaker is 12

Sam
1 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboard
2 Ole Einar Bjorndalen - NOR - M Biathlon
3 Therese Johaug - NOR - W XC Skiing
4 GER - M Two-man Bobsled
5 Max Parrot - CAN - M Snowboard
6 Viktor Ahn - RUS - M Speed Skating
7 Lindsey Jacobellis - USA - W Snowboard
8 Jamie Anderson - USA - W Snowboard
9 Gregor Schlierenzauer - AUT - M Ski Jumping
10 Meryl Davis/Charlie White - USA - Pairs Figure Skating
11 RUS - M Hockey
12 Felix Loch - GER - M Luge
Tiebreaker is 8

McNulty
1 USA - M Hockey
2 SWE - M Hockey
3 CAN - M Hockey
4 USA - W Hockey
5 CAN - W Hockey
6 GBR - W Curling
7 SWE - M Curling
8 CAN - M Curling
9 CAN - W Curling
10 Meryl Davis/Charlie White - USA - Pairs Figure Skating
11 Yuna Kim - KOR - W Figure Skating
12 Martins Dukurs - LAT - M Skeleton
Tiebreak is 8

Bill
1 NOR - M Biathlon Relay
2 NOR - W Biathlon Relay
3 CAN - M Curling
4 CAN - W Curling
5 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating
6 NED - M Speed Skating Team Pursuit
7 NED - W Speed Skating Team Pursuit
8 Aksel Lund Svindal - NOR - M Skiing
9 Nick Goepper - USA - M Skiing
10 CAN - W Hockey
11 David Wise - USA - M Skiing
12 Petter Northug - Norway - M XC Skiing
Tiebreaker is 11

Span
1 SWE - W Curling
2 Gracie Gold - USA - W Figure Skating
3 Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - W Skiing
4 Ted Ligety - USA - M Skiing
5 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
6 USA - M Four-man Bobsled
7 Mikael Kingsbury - CAN - M Skiing
8 CAN - M Curling
9 Kaya Turski - CAN - W Skiing
10 Charlie White - USA - M Figure Skating
11 Emil Hegle Svendsen - NOR - M Biathlon
12 Meryl Davis - USA - W Figure Skating
Tiebreak is 26

Fonz
1 Petter Northug - NOR - M XC Skiing
2 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
3 Marit Bjorgen - NOR - W XC Skiing
4 Norway - M XC Team Relay
5 Sweden - M XC Team Relay
6 Sin Da-Woon - KOR - M Speed Skating
7 Sven Kramer - NED - M Speed Skating
8 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating
9 CAN - M Curling
10 Germany - M Team Luge
11 Martin Fourcade - FRA - M Biathlon
12 Tora Berger - NOR - W Biathlon
Tiebreak is 10

Jay

1 USA - M Hockey

2 CAN - W Hockey

3 Alexis Pintaurault - FRA - W Skiing

4 Bode Miller - USA - M Skiing

5 Ole Einar Bjorndalen - NOR - M Biathlon

6 Marit Bjorgen - NOR - W XC Skiing

7 CAN - W Curling

8 Yuna Kim - KOR - W Figure Skating

9 Felix Loch - GER - M Luge

10 J.R. Celski - USA - M Speed Skating

11 Noelle Pikus - USA - W Skeleton

12 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboard

Tiebreak is 9

Cara

1 SWE - M Hockey

2 RUS - M Hockey

3 Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - W Skiing

4 Ted Ligety - USA - M Skiing

5 Olga Zaitseva - RUS - W Biathlon

6 Kikkan Randall - USA - W XC

7 GBR - W Curling

8 Mao Asada - JAP - W Figure Skating

9 Kate Hansen - USA - W Luge

10 CHN - M Speed Skating Relay

11 Lizzy Yarnold - GBR - W Skeleton

12 Sarah Hendrickson - USA - W Ski Jump

Tiebreak is 10

Jim

1 USA - W hockey

2 USA - M hockey
3 Aksel Lund Svindal - NOR - M Skiing

4 Petter Northug - NOR - M XC Skiing
5 Gregor Schlierenzauer - AUT - M Ski Jumping

6 Felix Loch - GER - M Luge

7 Natalie Geisenberger - GER - W Luge
8 J.R. Celski - USA - M Speed Skating

9 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating

10 CAN - M Curling

11 SWE - W Curling

12 Anna Gasser - AUT - W Snowboard

Tiebreak is 31...hahahahahahaha

Dan

1 Petter Northug - NOR - M XC Skiing

2 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
3 Gregor Schlierenzauer - AUT - M Ski Jumping

4 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating

5 Hannah Kearney - USA - W Skiing

6 CAN - W Two-man Bobsled

7 Emil Hegle Svendsen - NOR - M Biathlon

8 Aksel Lund Svindal - NOR - M Skiing

9 Marit Bjoergen - NOR - W XC Skiing

10 Charles Hamelin - CAN - M speed skating

11 Martin Fourcade - FRA - M Biathlon

12 Jorrit Bergsma - NED - M Speed Skating
Tiebreak is 10

Pat

1 RUS - M Hockey

2 USA - W Hockey

3 CAN - W Hockey

4 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding

5 Sven Kramer - NED - M Speed Skating

6 Charles Hamelin - CAN - M Speed Skating

7 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating

8 Ted Ligety - USA - M Skiing

9 Julia Mancuso - USA - W Skiing

10 Kikkan Randall - USA - W XC Skiing

11 Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - W Skiing

12 USA - Four-man Bobsled

Tiebreak is 16

Max

1 USA - M Hockey

2 USA - W Hockey

3 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding

4 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating

5 Lindsey Jacobellis - USA - W Skiing

6 Germany - M Two-man Bobsled

7 Eric Frenzel - M Nordic Combined

8 USA - Team Nordic Combined

9 Yuna Kim - KOR - W Figure Skating

10 Aksel Lund Svindal - NOR - M Skiing
11 Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - W Skiing  
12 NOR - Team Nordic Combined  
Tiebreak is 10

Richard  
1 Patrick Chan - CAN - M Figure Skating  
2 Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - W Skiing  
3 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating  
4 Aksel Lund Svindal - NOR - M Skiing  
5 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding  
6 USA - M XC Relay  
7 USA - M Hockey  
8 Ted Ligety - USA - M Skiing  
9 Kikkan Randall - USA - W XC Skiing  
10 Li Nina - CHN - W Skiing  
11 Hannah Teter - USA - W Snowboarding  
12 Kim Yuna - KOR - W Figure Skating

Tiebreak is 11

Pete  
1 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding  
2 NOR - W 4x5 XC Relay
3 Marit Bjorgen - W XC Skiing

4 GER - M Team Luge

5 Natalie Geisenberger - GER - W Luge

6 GER - M Luge Doubles

7 Sven Kramer - GER - M Speed Skatin

8 Martina Sablikova - CZE - W Speed Skating

9 Lee Sang-Hwa - KOR - W Speed Skating

10 Netherlands - M Speed Skating Team Pursuit

11 Sara Takanashi - JPN - W Skiing
12 Canada - M Curling

Tiebreak is 12

Noah
1 Wolfgang Kindl - AUT - M Luge
2 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
3 USA - Two-man Bobsled
4 Ted Ligety - USA - M Skiing
5 Ole Einar Bjorndalen - NOR - M Biathlon
6 CAN - M Hockey
7 NOR - W Curling
8 Robert Kranjec - SLO - M Ski Jumping
9 Todd Lodwick - USA - M Nordic Combined
10 Christoph Beller - AUT - M Nordic Combined
11 Charles Hamelin - CAN - M Speed Skating
12 Dara Howell - CAN - W Snowboarding
Tiebreak is 15
 
Stay tuned, we'll be keeping up with medal counts as often as possible.

Do You Feel Lucky Punk?

You do if Clint Eastwood happens to be around. This past Wednesday the man, who occasionally talks to chairs and has been repeatedly accused of "monopolizing the world's masculinity" by such notable figures as Chuck Norris and Steven Segal, was faced with one of the most menacing foes he's ever had to glower at... CHEESE.

Far more dangerous than a band of marauding bandits.

That's right. At a volunteer party for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Eastwood noticed tournament director Steve John having trouble downing a piece of processed dairy. John claimed, "A piece of cheese went in my mouth, and suddenly I couldn't breathe." Prompting the more important question of how the renegade Gorgonzola managed to gain access to John's mouth in the first place. Apparently cheese gets aggressive when dealing with people who have a first name for a last name.

Regardless, Eastwood, bad ass that he is, quickly sprang into action, screaming "GET OFF MY LAWN" and charging the wayward pasteurized milk with a loaded M1 Garand. The normally confident Camembert was reduced to a quivering mass of Provolone and swiftly burst forth from John's clogged airway. Never one to back down, Eastwood pulled out his six shooter, loosing a tantalizing, "Go ahead, make my day!" before swiftly making the ill-fated cheese Swiss.

You would have gotten out of there too.

Actually the real story isn't quite as dramatic, but it's close. Upon seeing John, Eastwood unleashed a line that needs to be in his next flick, proclaiming, "I looked in his eyes and saw that look of panic people have when they see their life passing before their eyes." Never one to shy away from excitement the 83 year-old Eastwood lifted John off the ground and proceeded to dislodge the cheese using the Heimlich maneuver.

This is just more proof that Clint Eastwood remains one of the most bad-ass people to ever walk the face of the earth. At a point in life when most are content to indulge in shuffleboard and tapioca pudding Eastwood is indulging in lifting 205 pound men and (most likely) consuming raw steaks. 

While Arnold Schwarzenegger  was busy putting on a wig and short shorts for a Bud Light commercial, Eastwood managed to save John's life, single-handedly  prepared Sochi for the Winter Olympics and turn his glower into a form of renewable energy, thus solving climate change and making the nation energy independent simultaneously. 

Pregnant women should not make eye contact with Eastwood.

When asked to comment on his day Eastwood merely growled, "It's all Gouda" before adjusting his poncho and hat and riding out of town on horseback, leaving nothing but disfigured remnants of cheese strewn about Pebble Beach.

Harrison Ford could not be reached for comment.

The Hot 100: Billboard's 100th Best Song of the Week

The blog has been a little scattered recently, but with the Olympics coming up, we'll look to get right back on track.

Normally posted on Monday, we're bringing you Billboard's 100th Best Song on a Friday to help kickstart your weekend.

I'm very okay with Imagine Dragons.  "It's Time" just isn't a great song, but with jams like "Radioactive" and "Demons" (listen to the chorus and tell me you don't hear "Like a Prayer" by Madonna...thank you, Greg)

February Week 1:

Artist: Imagine Dragons
Song: On Top of the World
Peak: 100 (new this week)

My Rating: 

Good song, and go USA.

If This is What Domestic Drones Will Look Like, Count Me In

WebProNews- Not all drones are bad. In fact, some are downright delightful. Lakemaid Beer, a microbrewery operating out of Wisconsin, has enlisted the utilization of UAV's to provide ice fisherman with one of the single most important components of the ice fishing experience, beer.


That's right, they're using drones to deliver beer. CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING MORE AMERICAN THAN THAT?! "Let me used converted military technology to get people hammered." That's the equivalent of Clint Eastwood wearing Tom Selleck's mustache while training a bald eagle to retrieve steaks.

That said, the Federal Aviation Administration is also competing for the title of "most American organization in the world." Perhaps the only thing more American than using drones to deliver beer, is the FAA preventing people from using drones to deliver beer.

The FAA sent Lakemaid's Jack Supple 74 pages of code listing numerous violations and effectively grounding the single most American invention since we gave the world Freedom and five dollar lobster. Despite the setback, the event has garnered a great deal of support for Lakemaid, including an official White House petition.

Only time will tell whether Lakemaid is allowed to utilize their BUAV's. Regardless, it's a pretty cool concept and just goes to show that you can only judge a drone by its payload.