MafiaMan

My cousins grew up in Longview WA and since I didn't have a local team to root for, I adopted the Sonics as my own. 1979..."Downtown" Freddie Brown...Gus Williams...Lonnie Shelton...Dennis Johnson...Jack Sikma...loved, Loved, LOVED that team. Watched the final Sonics game ever and almost teared up hearing the fans chant "SAVE OUR SONICS!" near the end of the game. I still cringe every time I see Oklahoma City take the court. Shame on you, David Stern. I would love to see the NBA get a team back in Seattle - as long as its called the Sonics. Hell, put an NHL team in Seattle and call them the Sonics too.

To 'da Bears, no less. Ouch.

Outside of Kentucky making it to the title game, this tournament was indeed fun to watch.

Fixed your post, Blackheart.

Yep. Pretty amazing.

I watched that game last night...Columbus completely in control of the game until that stretch. Unfortunate.

So Barrie is to blame for trying to dive out of the way of Cooke lunging at him, knee extended, in order to make sure he makes contact with him? 2:00 penalty on Barrie for delay of game embellishment, while we're at it?

You (not you, farce poobah) are either a Matt Cooke homer or blind if you can't see him stick his left knee out in an effort to clip the opposing player.

Columbus should be kicking itself good for blowing their game with Pittsburgh tonight...

Wow.

3:30? Good heavens! Halftime? I bet the Wild don't make it to the 7th inning stretch before they're gassed. Unless someone fouls out or picks up a red card first.

...so much for the 'new and improved' Matt Cooke...he just can't kick the habit, can he?

...and Carlos Gomez just doesn't get it... http://mlb.si.com/20...rawl/?eref=sihp This only a couple of games after he does a cocky bat toss thinking he's hit a home run...only he lined out to right field.

And I had my sights set on the NBA as a kid and believed I would get there too. I worked hard and believed in myself. But the only college court I saw was Hyslop - for intramurals. Alas, the NBA never found me.

I can give you a good example of why the answer to your question would be "no" - Northern Michigan. The Wildcats won the 1991 NCAA title as a member of the WCHA. How did the move to the CCHA pan out for them? Not good.

According to updates posted within the last half-hour or so on GPL, Gary Shopek has passed away.

The defending Stanley Cup champs in trouble...Columbus with its first-ever playioff win...some great hockey already in the first round...I love it.

How about last season's Filppula incident?

None of the Toews-loving Blackhawks fans on this board will say a word...

I've always been a big Brendan Shanahan fan but his handling of discipline last season was atrocious.

Whatever it takes...the end justifies the means. Just like the Filppula play last season. No, it doesn't. At all.

You weren't picking up on my sarcasm - fines mean nothing. Now sitting a game in the playoffs? That would make some guys wake up and pay attention.

But I don't. Remember Kris Draper almost having his face removed courtesy of Claude Lemieux in '96? Is that 'Old Time Hockey' that we need to get back to? Count me out.

Lucic can pay that as easily as you or I can order a cheeseburger at McDonalds. Throw a head shot in the NFL and you're gone from the game. Zing a fastball at a player in MLB and you're likely hitting the showers early. But nail a guy with your stick in the NHL? Meh. Nut up...it's the playoffs.

Much like the slew-foot from Andrew Shaw that wound up breaking Valteri Fulppula's ankle in game 7 of last year's Chicago/Detroit series, the NHL will continue to play the 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil' card in terms of discipline. Nothing will happen to Lucic or Perry.