tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39203662053567154142024-03-05T04:51:11.898-05:00Bobby Orr's BastardA Bill Simmons-esque look at sports from the eyes of a Boston fan, focusing on MLB, NFL and NHL with some NBA and NCAA hockey thrown in. If only I were Bobby Orr's progeny and had one tenth his talent...The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-48949149253815616012009-12-15T16:39:00.003-05:002009-12-15T17:03:08.856-05:00Bruins fall to Flyers 2-2I know what you are thinking... how is it possible for a team to lose a tie game? Sadly it is very possible in today's NHL where officiating gaffes are quietly brushed under the rug and the officials are never held liable.In yesterday's game there was a game-altering moment in the first period when Vlad Sobotka, centering the 4th line, came down the right side and put a backhand on net which The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-64415553577725490092009-11-12T14:04:00.004-05:002009-11-12T14:22:10.450-05:00Could there be a light at the end of the tunnel?The Bruins finally appear to have recaptured some of last season's mojo and are playing as everyone expected them to entering the season. The defense has been excellent for the past five games, as has the goaltending and the offense appears to finally be coming around. As if this wasn't enough good news, it would appear that the walking wounded are closer to returning to the ice and are The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-61906652420576380922009-10-27T16:04:00.003-04:002009-10-27T16:53:30.529-04:00One area where the NHL trumps the NFLMost Americans consider the NFL to be the dominant sports league and view the NHL as a fringe organization. Unfortunately for puckheads, this is a pretty accurate assessment as hockey lacks anything close to the national television deal that the NFL enjoys. However, one area where the NHL has it all over the NFL is its financial transparency. Incidents of the past week illustrate my point The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-7334317027639795302009-10-22T13:23:00.005-04:002009-10-22T19:28:43.184-04:00Chicken Little BrigadeIf Boston's spotty start wasn't enough to get the typical naysayers going in full force, events of the past week should ramp their cries up to full volume. Trading Kobasew for spare parts while announcing Lucic's impending absence would have been enough to bring out the boobirds but then to have Savard go down? Even otherwise sensible fans are joining the 'Chicken Little Brigade' and declaring The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-79572844981501119512009-09-21T15:17:00.005-04:002009-09-21T16:36:53.866-04:00New beginnings...Thanks to my good friend Dan, I was able to get tickets to a dozen Bruins home games this year including an all-important Montreal Canadiennes game. This means that the 2009-2010 Bruins season has officially begun in my mind! Thus, I am back on here ready to go at this for a second year... hopefully I will be posting more frequently but nobody should hold their breath (blue skin just really isn'tThe Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-70900048582670786542009-05-11T14:50:00.004-04:002009-05-11T16:48:27.122-04:00Pyrrhus or Yamamoto?The question is... whose quote better fits the situation after Game 5 of the Boston-Carolina series?History lesson time! Pyrrhus led a Greek kingdom named Epirus in the early 3rd century BC and was widely held as one of the greatest military minds of the Hellenistic Era. Only Alexander the Great (his ancestor) was placed ahead of him by Hannibal of Carthage. In the days of Rome's infancy, they The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-41053757153576002312009-04-19T18:48:00.004-04:002009-04-19T19:13:36.390-04:00Ah the hypocrisy...Milan Lucic has officially been suspended for Game 3.So let me get this straight... according to Colin Campbell players are allowed to:-- Sucker punch an opponent in the face at the drop of the puck while on the wing (Cammalleri)-- Attempt to elbow an opponent in the jaw, missing by less than an inch (Kostopoulos)-- Continually eye-gouge an opponent, drawing blood and requiring sutures (The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-91724383130659594922009-04-17T14:12:00.003-04:002009-04-17T15:33:22.866-04:00And so it begins...It, of course, is referring to the general asshattery and douchebaggery we knew would come from Montreal in this series where they are clearly outgunned. I had the good fortune of being in attendance for last night's game and I am proud to report there were very few Montreal fans present and those that were remained silent. The game was nothing like the two previous Montreal games I attended thisThe Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-86277034850149387842009-04-13T16:20:00.004-04:002009-04-14T10:55:27.123-04:00NCAA recap...Every spring, the sports world seems to revolve around the wonder that is 'March Madness' with ridiculous media coverage and endless bracket analysis. The media and the NCAA loves to push it as a tournament where anything can happen and upsets are de rigeur even as no #1 seed has ever lost in the first round. Since 1985, (when it expanded to 64 teams) the top 16 seeds have combined to win 90% of The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-41666614629409875102009-04-06T15:58:00.004-04:002009-04-06T16:27:29.265-04:00Did Chiarelli screw the pooch?Let me preface this by saying that by no means am I a Chiarelli-basher nor am I an doom-and-gloom troll as are (sadly) so common in Bruins forums. I generally agree with the moves Chiarelli makes and understand that not every move he makes will be perfect (Schaeffer, Nokelainnen) and that a GM should be judged by the total body of his work (Wheeler, Ryder, Lucic, Krejci, Savard, Chara). However, The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-59345373115591154812009-04-03T09:08:00.008-04:002009-04-03T16:44:37.708-04:00Thomas Extension - RamificationsThe Boston Globe is reporting that Tim Thomas signed an extension with the Bruins for 3 years at $5.2M per (the same amount as Brodeur). Needless to say, this has some MAJOR ramifications for the future of the team, not all of which are of a positive nature. As much as I love Thomas and everything he has done for this team, I have very mixed feelings about this contract and here is why:Timing - The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-62667154503232489322009-03-26T14:26:00.005-04:002009-03-26T23:08:27.381-04:00Boston's red-headed stepchildBelieve it or not, there is something good about the Bruins playing such a ridiculously light schedule lately... it has allowed me to focus on NCAA hockey, back where the love-affair with all things hockey began!Typically, my interest in NCAA hockey is minimal this late in the season since Northeastern (the alma mater) is a perennial cellar-dweller and never makes it out of the first round of theThe Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-27547249914704664792009-02-25T16:07:00.017-05:002009-02-25T17:43:46.509-05:00RTSS = Home-Cooking?The question arose while watching the latest Bruins-Canadiennes tilt at Montreal. After the first period, the hit totals in the game were 27 to 10 in favor of Montreal (shocker!) which put the Canadiennes on pace for 81 (!!!!) hits, only slightly above their home-average of 28.5 hits per game. The final hit total came out to 48-25 which is still a ridiculous total with an unrealistic difference The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-82205090687180709682009-02-09T19:57:00.021-05:002009-02-09T22:37:00.032-05:00Let's go Huskies!Ten minutes til the puck drops on the 57th Beanpot Finals and I am praying NU can pull out the victory over the #1 team in the nation. If only the game could be based on best and loudest fanbases... Northeastern would win EASILY!4:00 - Quiet game thus far... some decent back and forth but really nothing to report. No surprise the NU fans have been the more vocal thus far.7:01 - NU gets the first The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-78575805196239013802009-02-05T15:49:00.005-05:002009-02-05T16:50:24.676-05:00I'm a celebrity!Ok... not really. Well, actually, not at all...I did, however, get my question answered in the latest Bruins mailbag which is quite pleasing since it has been something I have been wondering for some time but unable to get any news on. Here it is:Any word on the Glen Murray appeal? Last I remember hearing, it was scheduled for January 16th. Did something change or has the verdict simply not The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-26876768860458320772009-02-02T21:07:00.031-05:002009-02-03T11:14:58.382-05:00BeanpotLord I hope Northeastern can claim the title. They are more than overdue... 21 years is far too long. Road won't be easy as they will have to go through #11 BC and likely #1 BU (NU is ranked #3).Harvard is the tough-luck loser to BU, 4-3. The Terriers were handed a power-play with 2:10 left in the game after a Harvard player hooks a BU forward who grabs the stick and falls on it, selling the The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-63653133229182711292009-01-27T12:12:00.005-05:002009-01-28T14:05:47.400-05:00They're ba-aack!Fluto at the Globe has confirmed that the Bruins will be getting considerable reinforcements tonight in the form of Lucic, Bergeron and Ference.Lucic will be returning to the first line to play alongside Savard and Kobasew while Ference has been written into the second defensive pairing with Wideman (Stuart and Hnidy are the 3rd pairing). Bergeron will playing playing for the ill Michael Ryder (The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-81917781767697123792009-01-26T15:46:00.002-05:002009-01-26T15:53:36.363-05:00ASG recap and changesWell, the 2009 NHL All-Star Weekend has come and gone with all the usual highlights and an unfortunate number of lowlights. Despite their best attempts, Montreal fans were unsuccessful in barring Boston from the festivities with all four Bruins making their presence felt. Quick recap of the Bruins’ impact upon the weekend…Blake Wheeler – Hat trick in the YoungStars game (against Carey ‘The SecondThe Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-31675718109095086702009-01-20T17:09:00.006-05:002009-02-12T17:04:25.295-05:00Back in Action!Been a whiles since I last posted... I would use the holidays or work as my excuse but its two weeks into the new year and I haven’t had any real work in months so those aren’t gonna fly. Guess I will just blame my absence on a lack of motivation (I am a complete slacker after all…) and nothing that really inspired me to write a post. Anywho, I am back now and will try to do this on a more The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-72033167410890392292008-12-04T12:31:00.005-05:002008-12-04T14:07:40.501-05:00Yes, it really is a bad thing...Well, he did it again and quite frankly, no one should be surprised by it. I am, of course, referring to Sean Avery's obviously rehearsed insults directed at Dion Phaneuf through the media and the immediate backlash that ensued. No surprise that he did this... it was actually a fairly shrewd move on his part seeing as Phaneuf and Iginla would have destroyed him had he played that night. I The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-85869135179093206222008-11-24T13:43:00.004-05:002008-11-24T14:08:21.413-05:0021 down, 61 to goBefore the season began, I predicted the scoring totals for the players I expected to stick with the club. Seeing as the Bruins just played their 21st game of the season (thus passing the quarter-mark), I figured it was a good time to revisit those predictions. Not surprisingly, some of the players were sent back down (Noke, Sobotka, Schaeffer) or just sent away (Alberts... poor guy) so I willThe Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-76974388982835712172008-11-20T14:09:00.004-05:002008-11-20T16:54:57.434-05:00A Tour of Boston...First stop, the Fens.It was announced this past week that Dustin Pedroia won the AL MVP award (by a surprisingly large margin I might add). Certainly did not see this coming... even doubted my girlfriend when she proclaimed he would win it all the way back in July, saying medium-power balding midget two-baggers don't win MVPs. Looks like I was proved wrong and I have never been so glad!Going intoThe Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-56112882775466093652008-11-13T16:19:00.003-05:002008-11-13T16:32:28.180-05:00Hockeytown, USA?Does Detroit really deserve the title? Or is Boston more deserving?I have been mulling over this question for the past couple months as it randomly comes up in hockey conversations. Originally, I had planned to write about the NHL's policy, or lack thereof, regarding suspensions after illegal hits in the wake of the Van Ryn incident. However, I was beaten to the punch by Tom at HCtB which The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-52392232447649977672008-11-10T13:39:00.006-05:002008-11-13T16:33:45.903-05:00History repeats itself?History repeats itself…Watching hockey highlights over the weekend, I came across the Kostopoulos/Van Ryn incident and I couldn’t help but flashback to October 27th of last year. The date is burned into the minds of Bruins fans as day we nearly lost the face of our franchise to a dirty, illegal hit from behind into the boards. The thing that really disturbed me about the play was just the sheer The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920366205356715414.post-87564859623197284072008-11-04T15:25:00.004-05:002008-11-04T15:33:28.446-05:00Is there a trade in the works?The question must be swirling through the Bruins locker room after word came down that Vladimir Sobotka has been assigned to Providence. He was reportedly told that he would return to the big club after this weekend.Now considering the move only, it makes sense for the Bruins... Kobasew is expected back for Thursday's game and Sobotka has been a healthy scratch for most of this time with the The Bastahdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480718847594872835noreply@blogger.com4