Crosby vs Ovechkin (or Fighting in Hockey: yes or no?)

It was delightful to finally see the NHL's two most marketable super stars take pot shots at each other this weekend following the matinee game between their respective clubs on Sunday. Undoubtedly, the powers that be in professional hockey have been waiting for these two to have at each other since their rookie campaigns. Finally, one can say that there is indeed a rivalry brewing between the Penguins and the Capitols. It all started with rumors that Evegeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin held disdain for each-other despite being countrymen. With Malkin and Ovechkin having kissed and made up at the all star skills challenge, it looks like the Penguins captain Crosby is finally ready to make his opinions about Ovechkin's celebration antics heard by all. Concurrently, Ovechkin is no longer apprehensive to call out Crosby on his incessant whining. To quote Ovy; "He is a good player, but he talks too much!"

And so, like all hard core hockey enthusiasts, the next date circled on my callendar is March 8th. It is on March 8th that these two clubs will meet for the last time in the regular season. By then, Pittsburgh will either be fighting for the last eastern conference playoff spot, or they will be trying to better their position in playoff seeding. That is to say, if they don't tank and lay eggs in all their games before that date and ultimately end up taking the edge right off the game. The Caps however are proving themselves to be one of the top dogs in their conference, and the entire league. Thus, when Ovy and Sid the Kid meet again one can only hope that sparks will fly.

I for one would love to see then drop the gloves and throw down! We all have seen Crosby complete his magic-like backhand saucer pass, and we all have seen Ovechkin score from laying on his back (twice!). We all know that these two have offensive prowess. However, both seem to have a rough edge to them as well. Ovechkin was amongst the leagues top ten hitters last season, and will be again this year. Crosby, for all the flack he takes about his whining, does have a dark side and does pick up for himself, and has dropped the gloves before. Therefore, to see these two young superstars, both of whom have extraordinary talent, throw-down in a visceral exchange of of fisticuffs would certainly be a highlight of the hockey season.

Class; Hope you enjoyed my post! Now it is your turn to respond. Recently the debate over fighting in hockey has heated up. Many personalities who have a long history with our game have said that perhaps it is time to take out the rough stuff. What is your opinion of this issue? Please respond on your own blogs.

How Disappointing!

I was a little apprehensive about waking up this past Sunday. You see, for the past few months my plan for every single Sunday has been to cook a good breakfast, settle in to do a day of school work, and watch three football games while I am at it. However, I knew this Sunday would be different because the Superbowl was last week. With the arena league shut down for a year due to bad economic times, the CFL pre-season months away, and the NFL pre-season even further off, my football fix has been limited to Madden 2009 for WII. All in all, the video game is pretty cool and it does help cure the football blues, but it ain't the real thing. Sulking and procrastinating from doing my home work made me turn on an early morning Sunday hockey game. It was while I was watching hockey that I saw an add for the Pro Bowl, or the NFL equivalent of an all star game. My Sunday was saved! (or so I though?) I had forgotten about the Pro Bowl mainly because I never really watch the thing anyway as most years the big name players that I would like to see forgo the game on the grounds that they are tired, and don't want to risk getting injured for the sake of winning a few thousand dollars ($22,00 per person for the losing side, and almost double that for the winners to be exact!) Thus, with both Mannings, Larry Fitzgerald, Ray Lewis, and Kurt Warner slated to play, I figured maybe this years game would be all right. Man was I ever disappointed. After watching an incredible season of hard nosed football, watching this thing was like having seen and been a big fan of the original Star Wars trilogy, and then forcing yourself to try and get involved in episode 1. Sure, it looks, sounds, and seems like the real version, but suffice to say something is definitely lacking. What lacks in the pro bowl is competition; competition and defence! Sure, these dudes are playing for a nice chunk of change if you are a working class Canadian like myself. But to an NFL superstar $40,00 is what you spend on underwear and eye black in a year. The game had no pop whatsoever. Like the lineup of the Toronto Blue Jays, there were no hits, and like an episode of Grey's Anatomy, no real drama! The disappointments were many, the extraordinary plays that I was hoping for were few.

Who is better?

Comparing and contrasting is a literary device that many writers use. However, it can also be a humorous way of looking at two different elements of pop culture, or two different characters that one may find interesting. For example, debates over which superhero would win in a fight have been known to insight long lasting feuds between even the best of friends. For me, this is a non issue because Batman of course is the penultimate purveyor of vigilante justice. Others may find it interesting to debate which guitar hero has better chops. This argument is multifaceted as one can choose any single axe slanger from many numerous genres of rock n roll. I find that I can even schizophrenically debate this issue with myself. The classic rock side of me has to agree that Slash is truly the guitar god to end all, while my punk side is a huge fan of Johnny Ramone. Further still, the alt rock side of me is way into Johnny Marr. Other popular debates that arise are; chocolate versus vanilla, Coke versus Pepsi, black versus white, and of course I could go on forever.


Now it is your turn! In response to my post, I want you guys to create your own post on your own blog that debates between, or compares and contrasts two things. Make sure you pick a side, and have fun with it!

Field Trip on Thursday

For those who are going to Kamloops on Thursday, I have an assignment for you. I need my best photojournalists on task and taking all the pictures they can so we can use them to do a piece on the field trip for both the yearbook and our magazine. So make sure you take good pictures and get shots of all the best elements of the field trip. Thanks!

Now its your turn!

Greetings class. Once you have read my post, I want you to write on on a similar topic. What are somethings that you hate to see come to an end? What are somethings that you are waiting for in eager anticipation to start? I look forward to reading your thoughts on this one!

Bitter Sweet!

For me, February is a bitter sweet time of the year. February means the culmination of football season until late June. It signals the beginning of what I like to call the "dark period" in professional sports. So begins the highlight devoid time that exists before March madness and the start of the NHL and NBA playoffs.

For almost an entire month, I will be forced to digest baseball rumors as spring training gets closer and closer. The most entertaining and engaging sports news will consist of pre trade deadline rumors, and Raphael Nadal's rise to the pinnacle of professional tennis at the expense of Roger Federer, who has suddenly become yesterday's news.

However, February also means that winter is slowly coming to an end. Soon the late winter thaw will lead into the to mild warmth of spring. Then, it will be ideal for hiking and fishing in the pristine natural playground that is British Columbia. Birds will once again pleasure us with their enchanting song, and rivers and streams will tattle to us in their cool, babbling, and banterfull way. As the days grow longer, shorter grows the time we have left to spend locked inside the bright white ice box that is the Canadian winter.

As football season ends, so begins our gradual release back into the warmth and life that is spring! Perhaps there is more to look forward to than there is to lament?

Greetings Class! Once everyone has emailed me the URL to their blog we are set to begin our regular blogging activities! Your first topic for blog entry is the following: "Your personal goals for our next semester here at DSS". I look forward to reading everyone's entry.