The Republic of Sport

easy rebel

easy rebel's Comments

Posted Sunday March 01, 2009, About: Lightning shopping stars?

Amazingly high levels of stupid in these comments.

Also, the Boston Globe -- an amazing rag barely worthy of wiping my a--.

Posted Tuesday January 13, 2009, About: Canadiens-Lightning deal in works?

Instead of posting the same *FACTS* about Tampa and it's hockey team, I'll just keep my mouth shut and let all of these dumb northerners continue to assume they know what they're talking about.

Anyway, we all love Vinny here in Tampa. He was voted the most popular Tampa pro sports player, beating out various Rays and Bucs players. The new ownership has already made one awful trade that took away one of the big fan favorites (Dan Boyle), not to mention erasing our transition game. If they want to further damage the team chemistry and ticket sales, then trading Vinny makes sense. Otherwise, most of us will continue to just lose interest in a sinking ship.

Posted Sunday January 04, 2009, About: Ovechkin unlikely to be punished for hit

Heward himself said it was a clean hit in the Tampa papers the other day.

It's hockey, things like this will happen. Regardless of when players are along the boards, facing the glass, or if they're in an open-ice area... keeping your head down and not paying attention to opposing players skating towards you is bad news.

Posted Friday January 02, 2009, About: Flyers, Rangers, Bruins, Avs want Winter Classic

Yea, couple of intriguing ideas for winter classic games. I definitely wouldn't mind watching 2 winter classic games (one in canada, one in the US) next year. However, I think the NHL brass would prob want to keep it with 1 game a year for the first few years they do it. I don't think you guys needs to worry about the NHL trying the winter classic in warm weather markets. They are going to be forced to stick with cold weather climates because they are simply the bigger markets for hockey. Thus, with TV ratings and such need to be able to tap into a local venue where the market will be strong for the event. Besides, playing a Winter Classic in warm sunny weather defeats the entire purpose of going outside. This is supposed to be like when you were a kid, going out to the lake when it froze in the winter, and having some fun with friends and family. Down here in the south, we are BBQing and at the beach or a lake or river, partying, and waiting for all the college football bowl games.

As a Lightning fan since the beginning, I'll say that it would be cool to see the Bolts playing a northern team at their local football/baseball stadium in a winter classic. It just wouldn't happen being that the Tampa market for hockey isn't consistent. Even the market for pro football isn't as big as other places because we just don't have the population to compete.

Posted Monday November 10, 2008, About: Thrashers may put Lehtonen on market

lawl

Lehtonen has never been too solid. I don't think Atlanta was a very good place for him to start his career either. Terrible team, not very successful with the fans, etc. If I'm Kari, I'm hoping that Waddell does trade me somewhere different.

Posted Saturday November 08, 2008, About: Flyers trade making room for Shanahan?

Bolts brass (Lawton) said this move was good for TB to free up cap space, put more experience on the blueline, and another right-hander on D as well. I'm getting a little annoyed by the trigger happy style of business. Carle didn't do too well his last season in SJ and this season in TB wasn't looking that much better. He made a lot of mistakes, most of which were things that were pretty elementary. One of them cost the Bolts a chance to tie a game late in the 3rd. There isn't room for him to improve in Tampa because of the new ownership's way of doing things. Going to Philly might be better for Carle's career. The kid seems like he just needs some good coaching.

I guess the Bolts felt they would dump the weakest link and try to get someone that is below the age of 30, makes less, has a bit more experience, and maybe make cap room down the road for what seemingly is a never-ending desire to shop players. I can't wait for the trade deadline.

Posted Tuesday October 28, 2008, About: Vegas, K.C. still top NHL expansion list

The NHL has been putting new teams in the wrong places for a while now. Tampa is the only exception, but with the new owners shipping out fan favorites like Dan Boyle and what seems like a return to the "dark ages" (embarrassing losing records before they won a cup), the attendance numbers have already begun to fall. Pretty bad considering the Bolts were picking up top 10 attendance #'s the 3 previous seasons before the current one.

I cannot see the reasoning for Bettman wanting to stick hockey teams in markets like KC or Las Vegas. The Panthers, Thrashers, Predators and Coyotes are franchises that should be folded or moved elsewhere. There should be only one team in the Los Angeles area. Dallas is another one that could be doing a lot better if they were in a more supportive city.

The benefit of closing franchises like this would be the power to move good players to markets where teams are struggling because of losing records and a lack of elite players to help turn things around. The Islanders, Bruins, Capitals, Oilers, Leafs and Blues could all benefit from picking up some of the players from these teams. The NHL is really trying to press its luck with notions towards expansion into terrible hockey markets. Canadians in general should be outraged since there hasn't been a Canadian team to win a cup in over a decade.

Posted Tuesday October 21, 2008, About: Kazmir likely to start Game 1

lol, yea ok...

During the regular season, the Rays bullpen was one of the best in baseball. Look it up. The Phillies have only one real weapon in their bullpen. After watching the Rays rip the Red Sox' star pitchers (both starters and relievers) in the ALCS, they should be more than ready to do the same to the Phillies hurlers.

Posted Tuesday October 07, 2008, About: Lightning shopping defenseman?

Who is Krajicek? :(

Posted Friday September 26, 2008, About: Lightning goalie puts on muscle

and lol @ luongo/twins for smith/vinny

keep dreaming

Posted Friday September 26, 2008, About: Lightning goalie puts on muscle

Get all your Lightning bashing done now. We'll just see how things are in a few months, kids.

Posted Sunday May 11, 2008, About: Atlanta owner denies Waddell rumor

Why is there an NHL franchise in Atlanta to begin with?

Posted Sunday May 11, 2008, About: Redden won't return to Sens

Bolts do need upgrades/depth on the blueline, but I don't know how their situation is with cap space. Is there a site to find this kind of stuff out?

Posted Friday May 09, 2008, About: League's next big star will be in Dallas

I never heard of this guy until all this out-of-nowhere hype started recently. I keep up with prospects quite well. That said, calling him the "League's next big star" is really jumping the gun. Is the Dallas Morning News just trying to help with season ticket sales next season?

Posted Thursday May 01, 2008, About: Who's willing to take Emery?

No way the Bolts will pick up Emery, GEO. If some crazy f'd up deal brought Emery to Tampa, I will cancel my season tickets. Smitty and Ramo will be the tandem in net next season.

Peter Goezinya: I like how you assume all Bolts fans are ignorant to the game. Moron.

Posted Wednesday April 30, 2008, About: Melrose to coach Lightning?

attention idiots (RP-29, etc): First of all, Tampa is more of a hockey town than you knobs seem to think it is. It's not that everyone and their mom spanks it to posters of Gretzky like in Canada. I wouldn't say we're that dedicated to the game. This is a town full of people that love sports in general, especially the home teams. As long as the venue serves beer and/or liqour, you can bet your snow-flake a.ss's that Tampa folks will attend and cheer the home team.

Secondly, this exact same issue came up years ago. It was rumored that Melrose had been in talks with the Bolts about coaching. It became a really popular story after some confirmed reports and eventually Melrose talked about it on ESPN. In his quick note on ESPN, he respectfully declined whatever offer was made to him to coach the team, and some other stuff I can't remember.

Posted Friday April 18, 2008, About: Rangers hear gay group's concerns

This is hilarious. What **** people doing at a hockey game anyway? Shouldn't they be watching some other fairies in a play on broadway somewhere? Sporting events should be for the whole family, but you can't go to these sorts of events and not expect to hear drunken hecklers and young people screaming out obscenities.

Posted Wednesday April 16, 2008, About: Will Leafs buy out Tucker, Raycroft?

getting rid of raycroft is a no brainer

Posted Wednesday April 16, 2008, About: Is NHL officiating in crisis?

I'd have to say that 8/10 games I've watched since the term "new NHL" has been throw around have been terribly officiated, or, because of new rules, force the refs to make really soft calls. So it's not always the refs fault. The new rules have changed the way the game is played and the way its officiated. During the regular season it was painful to watch sometimes... it would take away too much from the flow of the game. The playoffs things seem to be a bit loosened up, but I have seen some calls that were really terrible.

Posted Tuesday April 15, 2008, About: NHL deems Avery's tactics illegal

Bettman is trying to turn hockey into soccer

Posted Friday April 11, 2008, About: Martin out as Panthers coach

Panthers organization needs to save themselves and the city time, and just fold/move.