Happy Tuesday!
This week on 15 Minutes of Fame we’re looking at the ups and downs of the first week or so of the Olympics in London, how the Edmonton Eskimos are sitting after five weeks of CFL action and the latest on Shane Doan and the Phoenix Coyotes.
In the GABBYs: Rosannagh MacLennan, Derek Dye, Shannon Eastin, Felipe Kitadai, Rio Ferdinand & London police. The Punchline this week is NBC’s Olympic coverage!
It’s times like these that I wish that Wayne Gretzky were the Prime Minister of Canada.
Sure, he might not be great at balancing budgets or tackling the socio-economic issues facing the country, but he’d probably get the hang of it. At the very least, it would ensure another win for Canada if the rumors about another Summit Series are true!
This September marks the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union, and there will apparently be some kind of month-long celebration of the Cold War clash between the two nations. As part of that celebration, the Toronto Star reported this week that Prime Minister Stephen Harper would be facing off against Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in a couple of exhibition games, which the PMO quickly denied.
Sounds cool, right?
Well…it would be, if we were talking about leaders like Wayne Gretzky and Vladislav Tretiak, or Joe Thornton and Pavel Datsyuk! Instead, we’re talking about a Canadian who dropped out of hockey in his early teens and a Russian who only just recently picked up the sport. (AFTER THE JUMP: Video of Putin on skates!) (more…)
And the first overall pick in the 2011 National Hockey League draft goes to – The Edmonton Oilers.
Now that we’re done with that, the questions begin. Do you remember the Taylor vs Tyler debate of the 2010 NHL draft? I remember a feverish, life-or-death set of debates on the Internet, near the water cooler at work, on my Facebook wall and in the newspaper.
Will we see the same type of debate in the next few months between the two top-touted players Adam Larsson and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Likely so, but the biggest difference between this year and last year is that Taylor and Tyler both play forward. Either of those players could have made an impact in the same type of way on the Oilers lineup.
Going into the 2011 draft, the Oilers will have to choose based on position. Do they need a big, powerful defender who can run a power play and has been compared to Kerrzy-favourite Nicklas Lidstrom? Or do they need a potential first-line centreman who might not be ready for the NHL right now but has a huge upside.
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It’s Monday and that means a new 15 Minutes of Fame video for your enjoyment.
This week, the boys talk about Zdeno Chara and the vicious hit he laid on Max Pacioretty. Kerrzy then talks about the ridiculousness of Via Rail and Air Canada threatening to boycott the NHL if they don’t do something about protecting the players.
In this week’s GABBYs: Good – The Miami Heat end “crygate,” Bettman’s response to Air Canada and the tight NHL playoff race. Bad – Kevin Martin loses at the Brier and is forced to play for third spot, the NFL locks out its players and a QMJHL player was suspended for a racial slur.
In Quick Hits: Canada cricket comes through at the world cup and NCAA march madness starts next week. Do you have the fever?
Check it out:
Lot’s more after the jump. Click “continue reading.” ———————>
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Alex Ovechkin was the hero for the Washington Capitals on Monday night in a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, but while it seems like a familiar tale, the storylines in that rivalry are much different these days…
For one, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby wasn’t in the lineup for the 20th straight game as he battles back from a concussion. Then, there are the “struggles” of his Washington counterpart, a superstar who is looking very human this season.
The game winning goal on Monday was Ovechkin’s 24th of the year, putting him on pace for just over 30 goals and 80-some points by seasons end. Pretty decent, right? Not when you consider the fact that Ovie has averaged almost 54 goals and 106 points per season over his first five years in the league!
So what’s wrong with The Great Eight? (more…)
“Oh say, can you please…by the prawns early right. What so proudly we fail, something Twilight and Glee.”
Okay, so it wasn’t that bad, but Sunday’s Super Bowl in Dallas, Texas, wasn’t all about the Green Bay Packers beating the Pittsburgh Steelers – we were also treated to another chapter of National Anthem flubs and a billion dollar stadium fail!
Lets start out with the stadium: ESPN reports that there were some “structural issues” with the temporary seating in one part of the stadium, which meant that the people who had paid $800 to sit there were unable to. Since they had nowhere else to go, those fans were given the choice of watching the game on big monitors or from the standing-area section of the stadium… (more…)
EA Snub?
When you pick up the latest edition of the EA Sports Tiger Woods video game at the end of March, there are two things you’ll notice:
One, Electronic Arts has teamed up with Augusta National to include the home of the Masters in the game for the first time ever. Secondly, you’ll notice that Tiger Woods isn’t on the cover of the game anymore!
Let’s start with Augusta: ESPN reports the Masters will receive some proceeds from the game, which will go towards investing in development programs around the world. Apparently Augusta has given over $42-million to charity in the past 13 years and they’re using this as another stream of revenue to help that cause.
Very cool. Now, onto Woods: (more…)
Wow, I didn’t see that coming…
After the first two periods of Wednesday’s World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game it looked like it was going to be Canada’s night, but as Ryan Ellis and company found out…looks can be deceiving!
A fired up Russian squad scored three times in five minutes to tie the game near the start of the third period, including two goals that came just eleven seconds apart. They put the game away with two more in the closing five, virtually stealing the title out of the hands of the waiting Canadians and stunning the thousands of fans in attendance.
Who would have thought that Canada, coming off a huge win over the United States and playing in a tenth straight final, would fall to pieces like that?
As I write this, hours after the final whistle, I’m still shocked by what I saw! Canada seemed to have it in the bag after two relatively dominant periods and then just fell flat. So what happened out there? (more…)
Holy Roli!
Remember the time the Tampa Bay Lightning are tied for top spot in the Eastern Conference?
That time would be now, thanks to a 1-0 overtime win over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, a 34-save shutout for newly acquired goalie Dwayne Roloson. The Lightning picked up Roli the Goalie on the weekend for practically nothing from the New York Islanders, sending him from the bottom of the standings to near the top.
I’ve always liked the way the unassuming Roloson carries himself – when he was with the Oilers, the thing that always stuck out for me was his insistence that he still had years of hockey ahead of him despite his age, since he had shared starting duties for a big chunk of his career. Some people didn’t believe him, but here he is at 41 looking like a young buck. (After the jump: All-Star voting, Ovechkin’s new commercial, Kovalchuk’s brutal night and a WJHC final preview!) (more…)
It’s 15 Minutes of Fame for the Holidays.
Jim and Geoffrey talk this week about the Edmonton Oilers, and Taylor Hall. They then talk about the Calgary Flames and Darryl Sutter’s resignation as the general manager with that team. Then they finish up the first part of this week’s episode with a lively debate on Chris Osgood’s potential of becoming a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
In this week’s GABBYs – the UCONN women’s basketball team, Ryan Whitney and Santa Clause. On the bad side – Rex Ryan is in trouble, the weather has been trouble and fans are causing trouble.
In Quick Hits: Michael Vick’s MVP chnaces, the hockey World Junior Championship, Dwayne Roloson and the Governor of Pennsylvania says the US is a nation of “wusses.” Also: Thanks again to YouTube for the great screenshot where it looks like I’m really, really into Jim’s eyes.
Check it out:
Lot’s more after the jump. Click “continue reading.” ———————>
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