Weekend Review: Bring on the Classic

By Jeff

Sorry for the delay, but it was a holiday weekend and I was too busy doing nothing to make time for writing any posts. But that break is over and there is a lot to talk about.

The Winter Classic is Saturday! Well, maybe Sunday if it rains on Saturday. I'm not going, so it doesn't really make a difference to me. Either way, this is going to be an awesome game. Just look at last Thursday's game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. It was played with a plethora of skill and intensity. And that was just a regular season game in December. The Classic will be a regular season in January, and outside!

Would it surprise you if Fleury's house was filled
with these? How about if he gave them all names?

I missed the live airing of the game because I was at the Pittsburgh Steelers-Carolina Panthers game (Thanks, Mike), but caught the replay on FSN later. For the 2-plus hours I was watching the game I forgot it was 10 degrees outside and thought it was June. Despite telling myself before the game that it was just a regular season game in December, the game felt like playoff hockey. The stars (Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin) showed why they are considered the best, Marc-Andre Fleury was in 09' playoff form and Bruce Boudreau was looking like a lost and angry child. It was awesome.

And it all just sets up the Winter Classic to be an amazing event. Maybe the best game in sports all year.

In all seriousness, the game should be as good as regular season hockey gets. Superstars on both sides, fans from both cities filling the stands and Mario Lemieux lacing up the boots. OK, Lemieux is just scheduled to partake in the Alumni Game Friday morning. But what if playing in that game reignites the spark to play? Imagine a tie game late in the third period, and none other than Lemieux suits up and hits the ice. It would be the greatest comeback in the history of comebacks. Of course, that means Lemieux would hold the top three spots in that category.

Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't have begun that last paragraph with the words "In all seriousness."

Even if it's 40 degrees, as long as it doesn't rain hard and consistently, this game is happening and it will be awesome for everyone participating, attending and watching on television. Try and find me a regular season game in any sport that's as much fun as the Winter Classic. You will fail.

The rest of the weekend was pretty cool too.

• It was nice to see the Steelers take care of business at home against the Panthers. The Steelers were the superior team coming in and showed it. Last season they failed to do that several times.

• What a bush move by the Panthers kicking a field goal when they're down 27-0 in the fourth quarter. Is three points really that much better than being shut out? In a 3-0 game, yes. Not in a 27-3 game.

• Mike Tomlin is a very good coach, but why the hell were the starters playing the whole game? You're up big and need to win next week, rest the big guns.

Oh, buf chick dip. Where have
you been all my life?

• When did buffalo chicken dip become so popular and why did it take us so long to find out how glorious it is? I had the buffalo chicken nachos at the game Thursday and was very pleased. So pleased, I didn't mind my hand going numb as I ate them.

• Shocked that the game fell short of a sell out by almost 5,000 fans. Maybe they were at home watching the Pens.

• Sidney Crosby extended his point streak to 24 with a fluky goal Sunday against the Ottawa Senators. As fluky as the goal was, it was a fluke about three other of his really good chances didn't go in.

• I don't hear any Pens fans with common sense missing Sergei Gonchar this year. The same people who criticized the Kris Letang contract have also gone silent. Don't be fooled. This is just because the team is winning. These people are still lurking out there, waiting for a bad stretch where they can yell "I told yinz this would happen!" 

What kind of name is Norv?

• I've never agreed with the Norv Turner haters out there. I get that he doesn't have a lot of success in the playoffs, but name five current coaches who do. That being said, there is no excuse for that choke job Turner's Chargers put together Sunday. Their opponents, the Cincinnati Bengals, hadn't won a game since September and pretty much gave up on the season. The Chargers were fighting for a division title and a playoff spot. There is no excuse for the effort the players and coaches put forth.

• I hate Philip Rivers, so a playoffs without the Chargers makes me happy. Too bad we'll still have Jay Cutler.

• What's the big deal about the NFL postponing the Philadelphia Eagles-Minnesota Vikings game? There was a state of emergency in Philadelphia, meaning people were advised to stay off the roads. I get that football players are tough and supposed to play in all elements, but the safety of fans has to be the No. 1 priority. Gov. Ed Rendell saying the cancellation shows that Americans are "wusses" is an absurd statement. "Only" five inches of snow can still wreak havoc on commuters. The NFL did the right thing.

• Go see "Despicable Me" if you haven't already. 

• Anyone else hoping that the next Iron Man movie will have a main antagonist that isn't just another guy in some form of the Iron Man suit? 

• Has anyone watched a college bowl game? 

Missing. Last seen in the
Denver area in the Fall of 2008.

• The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Garrett Atkins to a minor league deal. That would be great if it were somewhere between 2006 and 2008 when he was hitting lots of home runs and batting near or above .300. Unfortunately, he has been terrible recently. Maybe a change of scenery is all he needs.

• Anyone else thinking Ryan Church 2.0?

• Monday Night Football showed that the New Orleans Saints are looking good heading into the playoffs. Beating a good Atlanta Falcons team in Atlanta (Matt Ryan's second loss at home in three years) by playing good defense is not something I predicted. They could be the favorites in the NFC if they keep playing at their current level.

• Jamie Dixon coached a hell of a game last night and his team executed the game plan to near perfection in the Pitt Panthers 78-63 victory against UConn. And Huskies coach Jim Calhoun didn't complain about the refs after the game. Weird.

• Florida International infield Garrett Wittels has a 56-game hitting streak dating back from last season. He's two shy of Robin Ventura's NCAA record of 58. Breaking that record could be hard from a jail cell, though. Wittels has been accused and charged with the rape of a 17-year-old tourist in the Bahamas.

• Greg, his brother and I caught the Pens practice on Monday. The place was standing room only for a practice! The drills were cool, but the shootout was definitely the most fun to watch. Fleury's antics are priceless. I tried to get interviewed by HBO, but for some reason they were not interested. Their loss.

• Sorry the blog has been lagging the past couple of weeks. I'm just not inspired right now. The weather may be getting to me. Or I'm lazy. Or I think I'm too busy. All of the above are lousy excuses that I find myself using too often in all phases of my life. 

AC/DC - Money Talks