The Republic of Sport

Appleseed

Appleseed's Comments

Posted Tuesday November 24, 2009, About: Mangini suggests Lions faked injuries

Hats off to the Lions (especially Stafford) who, despite their record, still want to play like football players should. They are the successors to the past Lions greats (Layne, Walker, Sanders, etc.) Were they diving to slow the game down? Maybe they were diving, but they didn't need to slow the game down against Cleveland!

Posted Sunday November 22, 2009, About: Rich Rod running short on time?

Note that in his first year, RichRod went 3-9 and dissed his own fans. This year he went 5-7 and didn't dis anyone. Does this mean that next year he will go 7-5 and complement everyone? Maybe if RichRod plays his cards right, he can get to the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl next year.

Posted Friday November 13, 2009, About: Red Wings not interested in Giguere

Hang onto your hats for this one. The Red Wings have also shown no interest in a number of players - including "Rocket" Richard (who has been in retirement for almost half a century).

"Someday," said Ken Holland, "we might be interested in some free agents or making a trade. But not right now. We couldn't afford it."

Posted Wednesday November 11, 2009, About: Yzerman wants NHL in '14 Olympics

As a fan, I would like to see the NHL players in the '14 Olympics. I like to see a large number of players who want to participate - including a number of "names." I would like to see the NHL get some international exposure. But most of all I would enjoy seeing the best hockey players in the world compete in honest-sized rinks and according to honest-type rules for checking.

Posted Thursday November 05, 2009, About: Iverson frustrated coming off bench

One thing occurred to me - suppose that AI signed with a team that already had five AI's on it. Would the sixth AI still complain about coming off the bench? ;-)

Posted Sunday November 01, 2009, About: War raging inside NHLPA

It seems to me that Perry, et. al., engineered the takeover of the NHLPA to begin with. It is a common technique of those who undermine the authority of others to claim that their authority is being undermined. What authority?

When Chellios, Lindstrom, and others are angry; there is something definitely rotten. Maybe if the players clean up their own union, the owners won't be so happy after all.

Posted Saturday October 31, 2009, About: GM blames cap for Red Wings woes

Contrary to many who have posted, I think the Wings have managed the cap rather well. Decisions have to be made about who to keep and who to let go, and putting your resources into the Duck, Z, and Mule makes sense to me - but it was clear from the get-go that they would not be the team they were last year. But they will be a force in the NHL for many years to come.

The injuries don't help, of course, but they are a part of hockey.

I expect the Wings will make the playoffs. Whether they will go far in them is a different question.

Posted Tuesday October 06, 2009, About: NHL: Ref called phantom penalties

Having had some experience officiating Little League baseball, my sympathy tends in general to be with the referees. But hockey is an extremely difficult game to officiate - it is difficult to see everything and it is difficult to interpret borderline cases of infractions.

I do feel that NHL officiating in general is poor, but that this is due as much to NHL inconsistency in stating rules and in how they are enforced. And, of course, every group might include a bad apple or two - including referees.

Posted Monday September 28, 2009, About: Union in turmoil over Kelly firing

I'm pro-union, but union leadership has to be open with its membership. If not, it's as bad or worse than having no union.

I think all the stakeholders in the NHL have an interest in knowing what happened. But the rights of the members of the NHLPA are the strongest of these.

Posted Saturday September 19, 2009, About: More players question Kelly's firing

There are some things worth "endlessly speculating" about - at least until more information emerges. I know nothing about what actually happened, but it seems to me that it has all the earmarks of a power struggle which rapidly developed and which Kelly lost.

There is not necessarily anything wrong with that, but there is not necessarily anything right about it either. I think all stakeholders in the NHL - including the fans - deserve to know more.

Posted Saturday September 19, 2009, About: Big Ten suspends Wolverine for Irish punch

Mouton was wrong. If the officials had seen it when it happened, it would likely have been called. Olsen was wrong for instigating the contact, and it should have been called either in the game or by the Conference.

Does anyone else see a parallel here between Weis and RichRod. Both whine when they lose or are criticized. Where are the coaches of yesteryear who taught sportsmanship and integrity in addition to football?

Posted Thursday September 03, 2009, About: Red Wings getting improved Bertuzzi

I've never been a Bertuzzi fan,
I never hope to be one.

But this I'll tell you here and now:
I'd rather be one than be him.

(With apologies to Ogden Nash.)

Posted Sunday August 30, 2009, About: Michigan players allege NCAA violations

You might like to check out my six-part blog developing my attitude of RichRod from"wait-and-see" to "win-or-not, he's not a Michigan man!"

Whether these allegations are true or not, there will be more of them to come. If someone had said that a coach could be a winner and yet embarrass a program, I would have thought that person tetched--until RichRod at Michigan.

Posted Monday August 24, 2009, About: Will Bertuzzi be 'toxic' as Red Wing?

The only question which occurs to me as a Wings fan is: Is he worth $1.5M?

I think the answer is "no"!

Posted Tuesday June 23, 2009, About: Why Wings won't re-sign Chelios

I think that the arguments that Chelli should no longer be a player are right on target. But he has class and savvy which can help the young core of a team to develop. Maybe one more year on as a player helping the next Crosby or Ovechkin. Or even better, a whole new career as a coaching mentor.

Chris, we love you. It is now time to use your experience to develop the game you love.

Posted Monday June 22, 2009, About: Red Wings, Chelios to discuss future

I will leave it up to Chilli to negotiate with the Wings (or anyone else) regarding his playing or coaching future. He is class in contributing to the cities he has played in regardless whether he left his heart on the ice a time or two.

Regarding Crosby, I think he has the potential to be one of the great all-time NHLers. But he is not there yet. I take issue with those who cannonize him now, but would also caution those who knock him to give him some slack until we see what he is really made of.

Posted Tuesday June 16, 2009, About: Red Wings want Hossa at right price

I disagree.

(1) The Wizard of Oz has had spectacular success in the playoffs, but his play during the regular season suggests that it might not hold up. I always hold my breath with the Wizard in the nets, not knowing if the good twin or the evil twin will show up.

(2) The Wizard is no longer a spring chicken. How many seasons has he left? Detroit needs to start developing an heir apparent now, not in a few years down the road.

Posted Monday June 15, 2009, About: Red Wings want Hossa at right price

From "****" from the Watergate timea: Keep you eye on the money. Cap space is a factor for every team, including the Wings.

It is true tha the Wings farm system is full of promising young players, but there are established NHL young players now they cannot afford to lose.

What cap space room the Wings have should be spent on getting a championship caliber goaltender.

Posted Sunday June 14, 2009, About: Wings claim Crosby handshake snub

Congratulations to the Penguins. Enjoy the Cup. You earned it!

Regarding the traditional "handshake" at the end of the game, I fault both Lidstrom and Crosby. I think Lidstrom's "waiting and waiting" could have been a little longer - although it probably seemed like forever to him. And the traditional handshake usually occurs sooner than Crosby made it. There was player celebration and media interference, so I'm sure it was not intentional.

This was a time when emotions were running high for players on both teams, and not all the players met the high goals we would like to see in sports competition.

Posted Tuesday June 09, 2009, About: Penguins may shake up No. 1 line

As some of you may have heard, NBC and the NHL have decided it would hurt their ratings if JoeVision picked up NBC's feed of the game. So patrons are going to the local Hockeytown Cafe with 30 plasma screens to see the game out of the CBC.

Those of us at home will also be watching the Canadian Broadcasting Company feed. The video is pretty much the same, but the commentary is far superior.

Those of you who feel like I do that NBC is getting too big for its hockey breeches may want to dial out some other NBC programs. They want ratings? What they did is no way to get them!

Posted Tuesday June 09, 2009, About: Penguins may shake up No. 1 line

There is another reason Hossa came to Detroit - over and above his desire to win a Cup. That is that the Motown Monsters are a good place to work. Other Detroit players have sacrificed income to this end, including Brendan Shanahan, Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, and Dominck Hascek.

I am not a hockey player, but have accepted lower income than I might otherwise have earned to work in a good environment. I am reminded of how high school basketball players would go to be coached by Bob Knight, even though they knew they would be treated roughly. A Knight-coached player was a great player.