Gary Bettman Caught with his Pants Down Again

Looks as though Gary and his crownies on Sixth Avenue are having a tough time generating revenues for the league when their counterparts in other major sports don't have near the difficult pulling their own weight.

So what does Gary do? He wants the NHL office to take over all team websites to pull revenue into his office to justify his existence.

As a matter of fact, Gary has suid the New York Rangers have $200,000 for selling some NHL merchandise on their website during the last two playoff games of the season for the Rangers. And it was renue-sharing merchandise too! But without Gary's stamp of approval, the NHL sees the Rangers as in the wrong.

Not only that, but Garden CEO Jim Dolan has highlighted Gary's failures in expanding international markets when 30% of NHL players are European. It seems that Sixth Avenue is only bringing in $4 million a year from European initiatives whereas Gary's former boss (the NBA) is raking in $125 million!

Larry Brooks see the writing on the wall for Uncle Gary. LB writes:

THE Garden's lawsuit against the NHL al leging antitrust vio lations and charging the league is acting as an "illegal cartel" by attempting to seize control of individual teams' marketing operations is not only an extraordinary measure unto itself, it represents the first public evidence of the schisms evolving within the Board of Governors and that are threatening Gary Bettman's reign as commissioner.

Make no mistake. After supporting Bettman and the Board on issues contrary to their own self-interests such as the hard salary cap, revenue sharing, and cancellation of the 2004-05 season, the Rangers are no longer amenable to ceding control of their business to Sixth Avenue, and neither are a growing number of the big-market teams who carry the league on their backs.

It's a tough call in my opinion. The only reason I see something like this affecting the Board's opinions on Bettman is because it involves the thing that is most important to the Board... their revenues. And Gary is only slapping the wrists of thebig market clubs, right?

The problem is that Gary isn't playing Robin Hood the way it should be played.

Gary is taxing that website revenue and putting some in his pocket to justify his existence... THEN he re-distributes to the smaller market teams.

I just sit back and shake my head and wonder if anyone else is surprised in the least by this.

I Got Less than 20 Games

Steve Downie can't say the same. But that is the hypocrisy of the NHL. Lots of Senators on this reel. Feel free to leave a comment if you want more added.

Chris Neil - 0 games


Cam Janssen - 3 games


Chris Pronger - 1 lousy game. Have a nice trip to the hospital Dean!


Scott Neidermayer - 10 games


Pronger and Neidermayer - 1 game


Kyle McLaren - 3 games


Derian Hatcher - 7 games


Colby Armstrong - 0 games!


More Armstrong - 0 games!


More More Armstrong - 0 games! Wow does this look very similar to Downie's.


More More More Armstrong - 0 games! Again, familiar. Carter gets the penalty too!


Darcy Tucker - 0 games!

The NHL Hands Down a Joke of a Decision

Steve Downie gets 20 games? Are you kidding me? I was thinking between 3 - 5. Sure the kid has a record in the OHL. But not in the NHL.

And sure he concussed Dean McAmmond; but who hasn't? The guy skates around staring at his feet half the game. This isn't the first time McAmmond has laid on the ice staring at the rafters.

The hit in question:



Seriously. Was it THAT late? Is it me or did he leave his feet a split second before wrecking Dean, who consequently was watching his pass?

Was this worth 20 games???!!! Not a chance.

Folks, I wrote it on the hfboards and I will write it here... I am glad I haven't purchased Center Ice just yet. I will be holding off to see if this is what the NHL has in store for us in 07-08.

What's hilarious about all of this is that while Uncle Gary was over in London promoting the NHL, he was asked a question about hits to the head. His answer:

Downie was given a match penalty, which means he was automatically suspended. He is going to have an in-person hearing with Colie Campbell later today or earlier today, depending on your time zone. But the fact of the matter is this is a case that may result in supplemental discipline. I don’t want to be more specific because we don’t prejudge these things, and Colie has to have a hearing.

But the one thing I want everyone to focus on in terms of the physical play in the game, this is a physical game and we’re not looking to take physicality out of the game. I believe from a statistical standpoint last year, 45,000 hits were recorded in our games. There were probably 10 hits to the head that we had to look at closely. There were less than a handful that we didn’t like and needed to be addressed, which was part of the effort this summer.

What we want to do is get rid of the less than handful of hits without getting rid of the other 45,000 hits because we’re not looking to change the nature of the game, we’re looking to protect heads, and that will be a priority for us during this season.
We can all speculate what the result of the supplemental hearing will be today, but you can weigh in as to whether or not you thought we were too heavy or too light or sent the message or didn’t send a message or disciplined appropriately or didn’t after Colie renders his determination.

Well thanks for letting us weigh in Uncle Gary. And thank you for admitting that of some 45,000 hits, only a handful were problematic.

So the question is, why the backlash over a handful of hits?

Does anyone really think that 20 game suspensions are going to stop players from hitting other players in the head?

And do any of you dopes in Ottawa ever stop to think for a second that hits to the head have anything to do with the fact that these guys play a game at breakneck speeds on a sheet of ice?

Poor Dean gets nailed twice (Pronger gets one game by the way - I won't even touch the hypocrisy of that one!) and Sens fans are outraged.

Oh how soon they forget that Chris Neil is a loose cannon. Can you say Chris Drury? How long before Neil lays out yet another dirty hit on a guy skating around with his head down?

So thanks Collie and Gary. Sens fans are happy. The rest of the NHL still thinks you're a joke.

Rangers/Islanders Brewhaha Vid

I think its been covered enough. So I'll just post the best video I could find. This cuts everything down to about 7 minutes.

Cry Scott Cry!!!

Scott Morrison, from CBC, doesn't like the fact that Chris Simon was allowed to play against the Islanders last night. Simon, of course, has five regular season games left to service on his 25 game suspension for whacking Ryan Hollweg in the kisser with his stick.

So yes, according to Morrison, he should be allowed to play in the preseason. But no, not against the Islanders. According to Morrison:

Where is the common sense?

Simon shouldn't have been anywhere near the ice against the Rangers for all the obvious reasons. And especially since the Rangers decided to dress Ryan Hollweg, the player Simon chopped down his with his stick back on March 8 to earn the supreme wrath of the league.

Serioulsy, does any have Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River" lyrics handy? Thank you Gary.

Scott, Captain Obvious has something to say to you... this is hockey! Players hit; they check; and they occasionally fight. It happens.

I 100% guarantee you that if you were to ask any Ranger in that dressing room whether or not they thought Simon should be playing, they would tell you no or they could care less.

If anything, the preseason is the most opportune time for the two teams to get the bad blood out as two points are not on the line.

But a brawl happend. And that made Scott angry. So he pecked at his keyboard and blamed somebody (I'm still not sure who) for letting Simon play.

And while Scott was pecking, fans that tuned into the game were hooting and hollering as they witnessed some old time hockey and, dare I say it (this will burn Gary), a rivalry brewing.

NHL Jerseys Mean More Money and Nothing More

Forget that more injuries will occur as a result of the new, tight-fitting (they conform), Reebok jerseys the NHL has made every NHL team switch to. What about the sweat? After all, that is one of the reasons the NHL apparentely made the switch, right?

This from the Calgary Sun:

Traditionalists still call a hockey uniform a sweater.

Having now sampled the new, high-tech togs unveiled by all 30 NHL teams this year for a handful of pre-season games, Flames players are understanding why the word sweat is in sweater.

"My undershirt is just soaked," said forward Owen Nolan. "I find I'm changing them in between periods and a lot more frequently than before. I feel like I'm working out in a sauna."

The new uniform system unveiled by RBK has benefits. Sweaters are lighter, are apparently more wind resistant and repel moisture.

However, while moisture doesn't soak in from the outside, it doesn't release from inside the uniform. That means players are becoming saturated in their own sweat.

"With the other ones, you had holes and got more of a breeze in there -- maybe that's why you got that drying out effect," said blueliner Cory Sarich. "These seem to heat you up more because there's not that two-way air flow.

"Besides, the jerseys don't feel much different than the old ones. I don't know if they've accomplished what they want. From talking to guys, I don't feel they're making a difference on the ice."

Moreover, players around the league are complaining their gloves are becoming so full of sweat they have to change them constantly.

Also, their skates are filling like buckets, and that's not a piece of equipment they want to change mid-game.

The article goes on to talk about how elastic the jerseys are and how they are adversly affecting the fight game.

But seriously folks, this all doesn't matter. Forget tradition. Forget what the players want. This is about money, green, revenue, funds in the pockets of the owners, a Commissioner keeping his job. You get my point.

It Couldn't Have Happened to a Better Guy...

Thank you Milton Bradley for brightening my day yesterday. Now I don't like to see athletes get hurt; but if it is going to happen, it might as well happen to Bradley. And yes, it certainly did look like he was egged on by the umpire. That is not shocking to me in the least.



But even if egged on, you can read between the lines and see that this guy is a first-class idiot. According to the Canadian Press:

"It's terrible. And now, because of him, my knee's hurt," Bradley said Sunday. "If this costs me my season because of that, he needs to be reprimanded. I'm taking some action. I'm not going to stand pat and accept this, because I didn't do nothing wrong."

Bradley was playing his third game back from a 12-game injury layoff. Batting .313, Bradley hit his 11th homer earlier in the game.

As Bradley walked to the plate in the eighth, umpire Brian Runge asked the player if he had flipped his bat in the ump's direction after taking a called third strike to end the fifth.

"I said, 'Are you kidding me? That's ridiculous,"' Bradley said. "He said, 'Well, it was reported to me by the other umpires that you threw your bat at me.' And I said, 'That's completely ridiculous. I've done a lot of things. I'm trying to turn it around. I would never harm anybody."'

Bradley singled, then asked Winters if he told Runge he threw his bat. "He goes, 'Yeah, you did.' I go, 'Are you kidding me? That's completely ridiculous. If I strike out and the inning's over, why are you looking at me? Everything's always about me."'

Then, a fan heckled Winters.

"I pointed to the guy in the crowd, affirming it," Bradley said.

Bradley said Winters responded with a string of expletives.

"That's when I went at him and he kicked me out," Bradley said.

Here's some more material on Bradley as Alan Schwarz, from ESPN, put a pretty pink bow on Bradley's checkered past.

Ken Campbell Doesn't Get It...

Campbell's Cuts... read it, digest it, then osmose this garbage right out of your system.

Ken Campbell is another hockey wimp that saw an opportunity and jumped on it. Sure Kenny, a couple of fighters have gotten hurt this year. The insight is appreciated by all.

It's hockey Kenny. Not the ice capades (well, I'm not so sure about in the new NHL). Players are going to get hurt. After all, they are 8% faster and can hit harder as a result, right?

As for the tough guys, well, those shiny new jerseys sure are tight. And they sure do rip easily. So expect so more toe-to-toe action this year. And fully expect more injuries as these guys swing freely.

But feel sorry for someone else Kenny. These guys love their jobs... they love protecting their teammates. Bumps, bruises, cuts, and even the occasional break all heal. You won't hear them complain.

And one more thing, I'd love to see you get real close to one of those guys and call them a "like-minded lunkhead." Nah, stick behind the keyboard... it's safe there.

NHL Enforcers Not Happy with New Reebok Jerseys

James Mirtle has the story over at the Globe.

While the new garb was tested for water resistance, aerodynamics and, ahem, marketing potential, I'm guessing the pointy heads never thought to try it out in a scrap or two.

In all seriousness, I am glad to see James stating the obvious. Folks, these jerseys were made for one reason... to make money. What other pro sports league has overhauled every team's jerseys during the off-season? Better yet, do you buy the cokkadoodledoo (that's a first for me) being fed to you that these jerseys are really going to make the players 8% faster?

Enforcers possess very strong upper bodies as they need to lock out opposing fighters from coming inside and throwing punches. And when those cement grips get on each other jersey's and combatants start tugging and pulling, players expect resistance. And when it suddenly isn't there, there is a potential for injury.

Not only that, but when jerseys start tearing off, players will be free to throw without defense from their opponent. That, most certainly, is how injuries happen. And that is one reason the NHL invented fight straps... thank you Rob Ray (he used to conveniently find his way out of his jersey during fights) for that.

So don't be surprised if this isn't the last injury you see. As James said, the focus has been on the look of the jersey.

At the same time, don't forget about the cost ($100 for an REPLICA and oodles more for an authentic, because the NHL is fan friendly); don't forget that you are now supposedly watching 8% faster players (woohoo!); and don't forget that the NHL has soiled the linens of hockey tradition yet again.

Flyers-Sens... A Little In-Game Blogging

Want to get in to watch FOUR NHL preseason games tonight? This is the link you want to use.

So this is my first shot at NHL t.v. And with a few bumps and bruises I was able to get in. The link from the Flyers site was dead for a while. So I scooted over to hfboards where I was tipped to this link. Lineups to come. Actually this is the best I could up with. Toughness lineups are:

Senators - Bois, McGratton, Carkner, and Neil.

Flyers - Cote, Richards, Grenier, and Eager.

Apparently there should be some brewhaha action tonight after Ben Eager sticked Brian McGratton in the stomach last year. Both teams are icing tough lineups as well. So we could see some fireworks. This game is coming to you live from the John Labbat Center

Thus far, I am impressed with the quality of nhl.tv. I am viewing in a midsize mode. I tried the full screen but the picture was fuzzy.

Before I get going, I am a Caps fan. So if I get some of the spellings on these names wrong, please accept my most sincere apologies! That and I got started late because I wasn't sure if nhl.tv would work.

First period:

Pretty quiet game with 13:30 left in the first.

Fight - Cote comes in after Carkner levels Downey. Downey had his back to the ice and got popped pretty good. Cote gets in quickly and throws a quick left and Carkner counters with a few lefts that send Cote to the ice. Quick fight. Win to Carkner.

Sens goal - Neil with a shot from the right faceoff dot and Zubov cleans up the big rebound.

Fight - Brian McGratton and Martin Grenier, the big boys, drop right off the face off. Both lock out with the lefts and proceed to throw multiple rights that come up short. McGratton starts to wear Grenier down and sneaks in a few rights. Grenier counters with a short nice left before the refs jump in. McGratts controlled the fight and gets the win.

Fight - Eager throws a cheapie from behind on a Sen and in come Danny Bois. They drop the gloves immediately and Eager throws a couple of ineffective lefts that don't land. Eager loses his balance and down they go. Edge to Eager, although he lost his balance.

Gauthier crushes Neil into the end glass shortly after. It looked like he was going to get a penalty; but the refs surprisingly let it go. Pretty chippy game early on. Neil may be a little gun shy after exchanging blows with his teammate, Jeremy Yablonski, in training camp a few days ago.

Getting reports that nhl.tv is dropping out for some in the middle of the game. This is a great feature. Let's hope the NHL gets the logistics worked out real soon.

Hartnell clips Neil with a highstick. Boy does Chris Neil have a target on his back. And this isn't even the Sabres!

Apparently Carkner has gone to the dressing room. He might have hurt that paw on Cote's jaw earlier in the first.

Sens Goal - Mezeros makes it 2-0 with a blast from the point that finds the 5 hole.

Brain Boucher gets to watch the game from behind the end glass. Not only that, he gets to sign autographs too. Apparently the cameraman got the nod for the last spot on the Flyers bench. Apparently Boucher will see the ice in the third.

Sens - Nick Foligno cleans up his own rebound from the side of the net to make it 3-0. Foligno also drew the interference penalty that led to this power play and his first NHL goal.

Refs call a hooking penalty with 6 seconds left in the first. Zero tolerance again in the new NHL... ugh.

After the first, it is 3-0 Sens on the scoreboard. And 2-1 Sens in the fight column.

1st period intermission find... scraps from last night's Flyers/Devils game:

Cote vs. Asham
Smith vs. Clarkson (joined in progress)
Boulerice/Janssen Round 2
Eager/Rupp (shakey camera)
Cote/Clarkson (not much, but Cote gets 17 mins, Clarkson gets nothing)

Second period:

Martin Gerber has been sharp in goal stopping all 19 shots he has seen thus far.

Flyers lead in shots 19-17. So it's not as if they aren't putting up an effort.

Pretty quiet early in the second period as well. Neil gets rubbed out again... what's new?

Cote went looking for McGratton, but Brian skates away.

Danny Bois sits for two minutes after a hook. Flyers on their second PP opportunity.

Umberger promptly highsticks Corvo on the PP to send it to 4 on 4.

Update - Matt Carkner did hurt his left hand and has not returned in the second.

Thank God for helmets. Dennis Gauthier just took a slapshot to the lid, just above the face shield. He got up after shaking the cobwebs.

Penalty to Brian Lee for interfering with Hartnell. The penalty parade has officially begun! 4 on 3 hockey... enjoy! The Flyers pepper Gerber with multiple shots but can't find the back of the net. Gerber makes another brilliant save with 8 minutes left in the first... this kid looks fabulous between the pipes.

Neil is getting smacked around as he takes another hit, this time from Jones. Chris Neil has thick skin. I wouldn't be surprised if he finds Scottie Hartnell at some point, maybe Brad Richards.

You gotta love how the Rogers commentator says Danny Bois first NHL first last year was against Georges Laraque... whoops... it was the other black heavyweight (Donald Brashear)!

Steve Downie gets stood up by Luke Richardson and then decides to throw some weight at Foligno... he gets a stick in the face by Foligno and the Flyers go to their fourth PP.

Martin Gerber stones the Flyers once again at the end of the second. It sounds as though he will hit the showers after the second. A great night by Gerber... I can't find stats right now; but well over 20 saves and a big goose egg on the scoreboard.

Third period:

Commentators say the Flyers have outhit the Sens 9-6 through the second. Who's keeping these stats? I can count more hits than that off the top of my head!

Bois and Eager got matching minors for a meaningless scuffle at the end of the second.

Strike Martin Gerber hitting the locker room. He's still in goal for the Sens. Boucher takes over for the Flyers.

Question - just how old is Luke Richardson? My God he has been in the league a long time. Does the guy drop the mits anymore? I know he used to. The last fight I can remember Luke being in was against Matthew Barnaby a few years ago.

Steve Downie wanted the puck and got a little overaggresive, sending a Sen flying into Gerber as they battled to get to a loose puck. Downie sits for two for interference.

Lupol promptly goes off for a hook. 5 on 3 for nearly two minutes for the Sens. Let's see if they can add some insurance.

NHL.tv note... the audio comes in behind the picture sometimes. I won't complain too much... the picture is pretty good and................ it's free.

The Sens muster a few good scoring opportunites, but can't get one past Boucher. Back to full strength with 13 minutes to go.

More interference (man I love the soft calls) from the Flyers... this time Ruzcinka. Sens back to another PP. On a out-game blogging note, I read the Boogaard picked up the first five-minute major for interference... on a hit that he missed! "Brilliant" new rule. And who better to test it on than the Boogeyman?

Goal - Patrick Eaves picks up a loose puck and beats Boucher glove hand to make it 4-0. A nice kick pass by Foligno for the assist.

Okay I lied... the audio is really starting to annoy me now. I'll log off and on at a commercial and see what happens.

Interference on the Sens... Brian Lee. Yawn. I guess we'll ride the remaining ten minutes out on the PP. When will the NHL learn that fans would rather see 5 on 5 hockey? There are enough rules in place that promote scoring opportunities. Truly, do we need a PP-fest? It makes for dreadfully boring hockey.

Steve Downie has been getting a lot of PP time. I wouldn't make much out of it as I have seen Brian McGrattan on the Sens' PP unit a time or two.

Neil cranks Umberger into the end boards... a nice hit.

Update - audio still is behind the picture after signing off and on. Ugh.

3:37 left and a trip by Mr. McGrattan as he adds to his PIM total for the night. Pretty pointless penalty on his part. Sometimes I wonder if tough guys try to pad their PIM totals with obvious penalties like this. Psst Brian, tripping isn't tough.

Last count 49 shots to 39 shots in favor of the Flyers. Martin Gerber now makes his 50th save in a potential shutout game. Very impresive as he fights for a backup job in Ottawa.

A final hook, I think, by Joe Corvo will end this game on a PP for the Flyers. Fitting.

A 52 save shutout for Martin Gerber tonight!

No final thoughts tonight folks. It's preseason! Truly, how much can you get from these games? Gerber looked great. The Flyers are a tough squad and I would love to see Cote and Boulerice (he put two beatings on Cam Jannsen last night) stick on a fourth line for them.

Stars of the Game:
Gerber - First star
Eaves - Second star
Foligno - Third star

Marc Ecko is a Brilliant Man

Although I wouldn't let his clothing line touch my worst enemy's wrinkled skin, I can't help but think that Marc Ecko is a genuius for what he is doing with Barry Bonds' #756 homerun ball. According to ESPN.com:

The fate of Barry Bonds' record-breaking home-run ball is now in the public's hands after its buyer announced Monday he was taking votes on whether to give the ball to the Hall of Fame, brand it with an asterisk or blast it into space.

To vote, go to Ecko's site here. Besides that countless headlines that will put Mr. Ecko in the news from now until September25 (smart move), when voting ends, this will be one of the most interesting sports polls that I have ever seen. Your vote will actually decide on the fate of a piece of baseball history that is directly linked to a figure that is the face of steroids in not only baseball, but the entire sports world. Your vote will answer the question, is baseball history more important than how we feel about cheating in sports?

I voted for an asterik. Sending the ball to Cooperstown is a waste anyways because this isn't the ball. The ball will be Bonds' last homerun. Let that ball find its way to Cooperstown. In the mean time, let's make a statement with this ball. And while sending it into space signifies that we want steroids out of sports and out of headlines, an asterik is a clear symbol of how corrupt the sports world has become. And it is the symbol that characterizes athletes that cheat the game and its fans.

Caps Camp Here I Come

I'll be over at Kettler for my first look at the new practice facility and the second day of Caps training camp this Saturday.

If you want to catch me, I'll be the guy briskly walking past the table where the new Caps' jerseys will be on sale for a cool $115 (unpersonalized).

In all seriousness, training camps, at least the Caps' training camps anyways, provide for an intimate atmosphere for possibly meeting some of your hometown players.

Too bad I won't be able to make it tomorrow... the Caps went all out and got Chevelle to open things up. Pretty cool!

The Big Snake Heads to Texas

Slash to the back of the leg to Kuklas Korner for noting this enforcer transaction:

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas (September 12)- The Texas Brahmas of the Central Hockey League (CHL) announced Wednesday the signing of playmaker and enforcer, Robin Big Snake.

"Big Snake is going to make a huge impact for the Brahmas team and organization. There is a lot of excitement built around this signing. I have no doubts that his reputation will bring fans to the NYTEX Sports Centre," said Head Coach Dan Wildfong.

Big Snake, a Siksika Nation native and popular youtube.com (video sharing website) icon, spent 67 games last season in the United Hockey League (UHL-now the International Hockey League) with the Rockford IceHogs in Illinois. He recorded 42 points (17 goals, 25 assists) and 330 penalty minutes.

I have to admit, I chuckled a bit when I saw Big Snake referred to as a playmaker. But if you scroll down in that article, you'll see that his offensive numbers are actually quite good.

In 05-06, Big Snake put up 46 points in 66 UHL games. Last year, he followed up with 42 points in 67 games. For a guy who is fairly young at 23, you'd think he would see more time in the AHL at some point.

Let's hope so... character guys (with skill) like this are few and far between these days.

How Pathetic are the Orioles?

I'm a home town guy; so I stick with my teams through thick and thin. And while I want to become a Nats fan, I'll wait for them to get that farm system rolling and get a couple wins under their belt before I transfer over.

In the mean time, the Orioles are, unfortunately, my baseball team. Folks... it is embarrassing.

The Orioles problems start at the top with a one Mr. Peter Angelos. That being said, one of the few things that keeps me hanging on as a fan are the stories that Cal Ripken will one day take over as the O's owner. Please, please, please make that sooner rather than later Cal. I drink my milk daily in anticipation.

On to this season, which going into it I was fairly optimistic. Did I think we would make the playoffs? No chance. We won't make the playoffs until the O's aren't in the same division as the money bag Yanks (as long as they lose, I'm happy) and Sox OR until monkeys fly out of my...

Fast forward to now and this is easily the worst season the Orioles have ever seen. Kevin Cowherd from the Baltimore Sun puts it best...

First they signed their manager to a new contract and promptly lost 30-3, becoming the first team in almost 110 years to give up that many runs.

Then another team scored 11 runs in one inning against them.

Then another team's rookie pitcher threw a no-hitter against them in only his second major league start.

Then their best pitcher, in the running for the Cy Young Award, went down with a season-ending injury.

Then another promising pitcher went down with a possible season-ending injury.

Then another player was accused of receiving steroids and human growth hormone.

Mix in one of the worst stetches of baseball played in any team's history and one of the most dreadful bullpens, well again, in any team's history and you can't help but feel sorry for us Orioles fans (right?).

Now this isn't very bloggeresque; but I can't help but say it... the Orioles downright suck arse.

God I hope the Caps give me something to cheer about this year.

From the MLB steroid files...

Now I'm not much for patting myself on the back and this one really isn't even worth bending my knuckles to type it out; but the sports journalist in me (this is to not so cleverly point out that journalists would cut off their green pinky toe for a good negative story any day) can't help but point you to an old post of mine in which I named 50 MLB players that may have did "that stuff."

And planted firmly on that list are two guys that are wearing steroid bullseyes on their backs right now... Mr. Troy Glaus and Mr. Jay "Muscles" Gibbons. That's right... they really did call him "Muscles" a few years ago in Baltimore. Then, two or three years ago, he reported to spring training having lost 20 or so pounds to be a trimmer outfielder. Sure...

While the closest thing to a power surge for Glaus was an inrease of 18 HRs from 1999 to 2000 (which actually pretty significant), Gibbons' career has been marked by injuries (big, quick muscles and no stretchy equals injuries folks!) and jumps in HR totals followed by a recent steep decline the past two years. The once promising lefty is currently hitting a whopping .230 with 6 HRs. His slugging percentage is an abysmal .348, way down from his career high of .516 he put up in 2005. Gibbons has played just three full seasons out of a seven year career.

But hey, don't throw that steroid dart just yet; this is just the tip of the iceberg. There's bigger fish to fry than Glaus, of course with the exclusion of Bonds who everyone knows is guilty as sin.

Capitals Training Camp Roseter Announced

ARLINGTON, Va., – A total of 68 players will be on the ice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in the upcoming weeks for the 2007 Washington Capitals rookie camp and training camp, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Thirty rookies will participate in rookie camp, which begins this Saturday, Sept. 8, and runs through Wednesday, Sept. 12, when the rookies travel to Philadelphia to scrimmage the Flyers’ rookies.

Training camp begins Friday, Sept. 14 when 38 veterans – 24 of whom saw action for the Capitals last season – will join selected rookies to get ready for the upcoming 2007-08 NHL season. In between practices and off-ice workout sessions, the Capitals will play seven preseason games before camp wraps up with the Caps Care Golf Tournament on Monday, Oct. 1.

The public is welcome to attend every practice, free of charge, beginning Saturday, Sept. 8.

2007 Washington Capitals Rookie Camp Roster

FORWARDS

19 - BACKSTROM, Nicklas
83 - BEAGLE, Jay*
36 - BOUCHARD, Francois*
63 - GORDON, Andrew
65 - GUERIN, Marty*
61 - JOUDREY, Andrew
64 - KRONICK, Dan*
58 - LACROIX, Maxime*
81 - LEFFLER, Brett*
86 - LYNES, Luke*
74 - MAXWELL, Tommy*
71 - MORIN, Travis
85 - PERREAULT, Mathieu*
82 - PINIZZOTTO, Steve
67 - TAYLOR, Justin*
45 - WERNER, Steve
57 - WILSON, Kyle

DEFENSEMEN

47 - ALZNER, Karl*
62 - COLLINS, Sean
49 - DOVGAN, Viktor
73 - GODFREY, Josh*
29 - HUNT, Jamie
42 - LEPISTO, Sami
46 - MCNEILL, Patrick
34 - POKULOK, Sasha
75 - SEABROOK, Keith*
89 - SLOAN, Tyler*

GOALTENDERS

31 - MACHESNEY, Daren
30 - NEUVIRTH, Michal
40 - VARLAMOV, Simeon

Washington Capitals Training Camp Roster

FORWARDS

24 - BARNEY, Scott*
56 - BOURQUE, Chris
10 - BRADLEY, Matt
87 - BRASHEAR, Donald
17 - CLARK, Chris
27 - CLYMER, Ben
14 - FEHR, Eric
43 - FLEISCHMANN, Tomas*
15 - GORDON, Boyd
38 - KLEPIS, Jakub*
25 - KOZLOV, Viktor
21 - LAICH, Brooks
53 - LAING, Quintin*
22 - MORGAN, Jason
50 - MOTZKO, Joe
92 - NYLANDER, Michael
8 - OVECHKIN, Alex
18 - PETTINGER, Matt
54 - POTULNY, Grant*
28 - SEMIN, Alexander
39 - STECKEL, David
16 - SUTHERBY, Brian

DEFENSEMEN

41 - ARSENE, Dean
78 - BOUMEDIENNE, Josef
44 - EMINGER, Steve
4 - ERSKINE, John
52 - GREEN, Mike
23 - JURCINA, Milan
76 - MCALLISTER, Chris*
79 - MCNEILL, Grant*
26 - MORRISONN, Shaone
9 - POLLOCK, Jame
2 - POTHIER, Brian
3 - POTI, Tom
55 - SCHULTZ, Jeff

NHL/AHLGOALTENDERS

35 - CASSIVI, Frederic
1 - JOHNSON, Brent
37 - KOLZIG, Olie

I might start taking some notes on some of these guys, so stop back in before training camp for something you could print off and take with you.