The agony of defeat, NHL style

It's always a tough day. That is, the day after your favourite team is eliminated from the playoffs. For me, that day is today. Last night, my Detroit Red Wings met their demise against the San Jose Sharks.

It was a long season for the Wings, one in which no one expected them to succeed, at least until after the Olympic break. Now it's a summer of building and one filled with uncertainty. Especially with the potential retirement of Niclas Lidstrom. Even if the future Hall of Famer doesn't retire, this playoff season made it all too clear that he has lost a step.

So what is next? Well for me, I'll still be watching hockey, but with a little less vigor. And just like those NHL players, it's time for a little golf. Plus, the Wings can rid themselves of the traditional playoff beards.

I am cautiously optimistic about the Red Wings' future. They don't seem to have a hidden Datsyuk or Zetterberg on the horizon (with the possible exception of Tomas Tartar. But who knows, they wouldn't be hidden if we saw it coming.

In net, I think Jimmy Howard did a fine job and that he is capable of carrying the team again next season. I would like to see a young back up come in and replace Osgood. With multiple Stanley Cup rings in his cupboard, it's time for Ozzy to gracefully bow out.

For those of you who question why Detroit is still "Hockeytown," well, try four Stanley Cups since 1997 and the longest active playoff streak in professional sports. Sure, the Red Wings will go through struggles in the coming years, just as the city of Detroit has done, but everytime an octopus hits the ice, it will definitely bring chills to the spines of thousands of fans, including mine.

Let the games begin.

Our wedding invitation to Steve Yzerman

This letter is a little late as you can find it already posted on the CIK Marketing Blog and Chatham-Kent Daily Post, but I thought I would give it a whirl here too. What's cooler, is that within hours of this article surfacing, Steve Yzerman's people actually contacted my fiancee about her wedding invite to Stevie Y:

Dear Mr. Yzerman,

I know you’re a very busy man. In the past year you’ve been involved with the Canadian men’s Olympic hockey team, you’ve been spotted scouting at various Ontario Hockey League playoff games, and right now, your Detroit Red Wings are battling it out against the San Jose Sharks in Stanley Cup playoff action. But with that being said, I really need a minute or two of your time. I’m writing this letter because I need your help.

You see Mr. Yzerman, I’m engaged to be married on June the 26th, and I have a sinking suspicion that my soon-to-be husband loves you more than he will ever love me. And I don’t mean in a creepy way; his love for you is pure and genuine. I guess I really can’t blame him; he’s followed your career since he was a young boy and knows more about you than you probably know about yourself. You’ve been the most important figure in his life for more than a quarter century, and that is why I would like to invite you and your family to join us on June 26th as a guest of honour at our wedding.

Now, I know you probably get a lot of these sorts of invitations from so-called “die-hard” fans, but believe me; no one loves the Red Wings and Stevie Y quite like my fiancée. Ian knows everything about your career, from your birth city in B.C. and your days as a Peterborough Pete, right up to your final minute of play as a Red Wing. He knows every goal and every assist. He knows that you scored your milestone 500th goal on Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche on January 17th, 1996, and that you played a record 23 seasons with the Red Wings. He’s seen you play dozens of times at the Joe, and I’d hazard to say he’s never missed a single game on television. Heck, he proposed to me on the 19th of October, (and no, the date wasn’t just a coincidence). He’s walked in Stanley Cup parades and cried after playoff loses. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve been forced to watched that overtime goal from 1996, when you beat Jon Casey with a slap shot from the blue line to win the Western Semifinals in double O.T. of game seven. And while he still loves the Red Wings more than anyone ever should, it’s just not quite the same as when you were wearing the “C”.

I know you’re schedule is probably pretty booked in the upcoming months, but not to worry – Ian made sure the wedding date didn’t conflict with the NHL playoff schedule. (I’d have been walking down the aisle by myself had the ceremony taken place on the same day as a Stanley Cup Final game). He’s also gone ahead and re-arranged the head table seating plan so you’ll have a prominent spot… in my chair. There would have been a Stanley Cup wedding cake too, but I had to draw the line somewhere. All of the arrangements have been made; all we need now is to hear back from you. You can reply by email to stevieyweddinginvite@gmail.com.

So Stevie (can I call you Stevie?), what do you say? Nothing would make my fiancée happier than to have you as an honoured guest at our upcoming wedding. It would truly make the wedding the most memorable day of his life. Just be forewarned – I come from a family of die hard Maple Leafs fans, so expect to hear plenty of crazy talk about playoff hopes for next year.

Best of luck to you and the boys in game four tonight… you can rest assured that Ian and I will be watching.

Sincerely,

Chantielle MacFarlane

Should your sports team be using social media?

We've all seen the horror stories of pro athletes misusing Twitter and Facebook. I've seen my fair share of NHL friends posting pictures on Facebook they wouldn't want to be public. I've seen NFL and NBA players bashing teammates or referees.

Beyond the negatives however, social media and networking has a world of benefits for professional and amateur sports teams. From promoting athletes, marketing your team to fans, and connecting with parents, players, and media, social networks such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and even blogging can benefit your team.

I recently wrote a guest blog for a Chatham-Kent Marketing company, CIK Marketing, on this topic. Check it out, let me know what you think, and if you need help utilizing social media for your team, feel free to contact me or the good people at CIK Marketing: Should sports teams use social media?

The plague of Toronto sports

If you're a Canadian sports fan, or just a sports fan in general, you've likely seen a trend over the last few years. It has to do with professional sports teams from Toronto.

How are fans still putting up with the mis-management, frequent collapse, exodus of top players, and losing seasons? There is something to be said as a fan for dedication to your team, but there is a point where the fans move from dedicated to dumb. Just take a look at the six Toronto teams:

+ Toronto Raptors have never won an NBA championshop, haven't made the playoffs in two years, and haven't won a playoff series in the last decade.
+ Toronto Maple Leafs haven't won an NHL championship since 1967 and haven't made the playoffs since 2003-2004.
+ Toronto Blue Jays have not made the playoffs since they won the World Series title in 1993.
+ Toronto Rock lacrosse team have failed to make the playoffs the last two season and haven't won a series since they were league champions in 2005.
+ Toronto FC has yet to qualify for the playoffs since entering the MLS in 2007.
+ Toronto Argonauts, this may sound like a broken record, but no playoff appearances in the last two seasons.

The losing history of Toronto sports teams in the last two seasons is incredible. Due to this lack of success, top professional free agents have avoided Toronto like the plague. The ultimate goal for most professional athletes is to win a championship, and if recent history serves, that is not an option in Toronto.

If it were only one team struggling, the source would be easy to trace, but the widespread failure of Toronto teams is incredible. Why are they losing, collectively? I would tend to blame poor management.

The Leafs selling off draft picks for overrated players, the Raptors inability to keep star players happy or to surround them with legitimate support, and I won't even begin with the Blue Jays.

Kudos to the dedicated fans, even if you are disillusioned. With six professional teams in the city of Toronto, you would have to predict one will make the playoffs in the next year...or two. Maybe.

Five people the NHL could do without

As the end of the NHL season arrives, hockey analysts are examining the future for non-playoff teams and making picks for the Stanley Cup playoffs. With the end of the season upon us however, I'm thinking of something else. I'm thinking about 5 people the NHL could do without. In no particular order, here they are:

1. Chris Chelios: The fact that Chelios made it back to the NHL at age 48 is less of a testiment to his ability, than it is to the sad state of the Atlanta Thrashers blueline. Chelios has no business playing in the National Hockey League let alone the American League. If you had the opportunity to watch any Thrashers game that featured Chelios, you'd know that he caused more damage, and directly caused more goals against, than he did good for the team.

2. Pierre McGuire: For the love of all that is good in the world, Pierre McGuire needs to go. Listening to his moronic analysis (if you can even call it analysis) of plays makes me want to throw myself out a window. Seriously, look at the Facebook groups, read about the drinking games, search his name on Twitter; Pierre McGuire is undoubtedly the most hated and least respected announcer in the history of hockey.

3. Brian Burke: Now I know this will never happen, not with all the brain washed idiots in Toronto that actually think the Phil Kessel trade was a smart idea. Tyler Seguin or Taylor Hall, a 2nd round pick, and another 1st round pick for Kessel? Ridiculous. And how about that "Monster" Jonas Gusttavsson? Monster is right. Gustavsson finished 36th out of 44 goalies in both Save Percentage and Goals Against Average. In the most talked about hockey city on the planet, Burke is the most overrated GM on the planet.

4. Gary Bettman: If you've ever read my blog, you should have seen this one coming. I firmly believe Bettman has done more damage to the National Hockey League over the last decade than anyone. Bettman's crowning jewel of the last year has been the Phoenix Coyotes. Until Bettman can figure out that protecting his image is less important than protecting the players and teams of the NHL, this league will struggle. It's time for Bettman's dictatorship to end and for a breath of fresh air to rejuvenate the NHL.

5. Matt Cooke: It was the year of the head shot, and no one has dominated the press for dirty hits over the past few seasons more than Matt Cooke. Is he a decent hockey player? Definitely. Could the NHL do without him? Definitely. Big, open ice hits, even one's involving the head, are a key component of the NHL. Blindside hits or knee on knee hits aren't, and these dangerous plays are a specialty of Cooke.

I know my list is a little lopsided and I know none of them will likely be leaving the NHL anytime soon, but these are five men the NHL could do without.

The best time of year in sports

In case you haven't noticed, the weather is getting warmer, the birds are starting to chirp, and this is the greatest time of year for sports.

Why? Let's start with the NHL and NBA playoffs. Teams are jockying for position, the first round is soon to begin and every game is important (unless you play for the Edmonton Oilers or the New Jersey Nets).

Not only that, but opening day of Major League Baseball is here. For Toronto Blue Jays fans, that means one legitimate month of playoff hopes remaining.

Not enough? How about the Final Four in NCAA basketball and the Frozen Four in NCAA hockey.

Sitll not enough. How about the Masters in PGA golf. I'm not going to mention the slime ball golfer everyone has been talking about. The Masters would and will be great (perhaps better) without him.

This spree of outstanding sports action comes at just the right time. Most people are still feeling a slight Olympic hangover, and this exciting time of the year is just the thing to revitalize sports fans. So get your seat ready, put on your favorite jersey, and let the games begin.

Does the best team win the NCAA tournament?

As a sports fan, you have to love upsets. This year's edition of the NCAA tournament has offered more upsets than our brackets can handle. But these upsets have got me thinking, does the best team really win the NCAA tournament?

Entering the tourny, Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke, and Kansas were regional number 1 seeds. Kentucky got beat by West Virginia in the Elite 8, Syracuse was ousted by Butler in the Sweet 16, and Kansas lost to Northern Iowa in the round of 32.

Does this sound like a tournament where the best team wins? Not necessarily, but some top teams are still surviving. West Virgina won the Big East title, Duke is still alive, and Butler looks like a legitimate contender.

How does this happen? Well, it is a single loss elimination tournament, the games are short, injuries can happen, fouls can happen, and upsets are inevitable.

Part of the confusion however, comes from the inability to accurately rank teams prior to the tournament. West Virgina won the Big East tournament, not Syracuse, yet Syracuse still entered the tournament with the number 1 seed while West Virginia was pegged as a number 2 seed.

As well, it is truly difficult to calculate who actually plays a more difficult schedule. Overall record has a large impact on rankings, but strength of schedule is also weighed in. Mistakes are bound to happen.

Will the best team in NCAA basketball win the NCAA tournament? Probably not, but that does not diminish how outstanding this tournament has been. Cinderella stories have been popping up from every corner of the country and top teams have been slayed by tiny schools from unknown conferences.

For the record, my official pick to win the tournament has been and remains the West Virginia Mountaineers, but I won't be surprised if they don't pull it off.

Will the best team win the NCAA tournament? Likely not. Has the best team already been eliminated? Probably. Will the most deserving team win? Definitely.

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