StatBoni -- The unofficial NHL StatBoni Room

Terrible Replay Call

2007-01-28T18:06:00.000-05:00

I just set this to the league office:

forward to league operations:
a T E R R I B L E s..tty call in today's Detroit-Colorado game, allowing a goal on a clear "above the net" shot. i'm not waiting for the league's excuse, and turning off the game. golf is more honest!

Bye, Bye, Kenny from Phi

2006-10-23T19:46:00.000-04:00

don't go out on the don hemly limb here, but cipazzo and i saw what may be Ken Hitchcock's only win of the season. The Flyers abused the Rangers by 4-2 the other week. While it was only the Flyer's first win, they've not come close since. So, last night, when no one was looking the Flyers dumped GM Bobby Clarke and Coach Ken.

Chipazzo doesn't remember when Booby Clarke was the Flyers. Apparently the owners forgot, too. But hey! Ken Hitchcock! I'm not Kenny's biggest fan, and the NHL ain't one of them other leagues, but let's not bet against his getting picked up somewhere 'round the league before the Zamboni's go quiet this spring.

Go Steelers

2006-10-23T19:32:00.000-04:00

This is from Pat's cousins Tom and JoAnn V, who've retired back north of the Steel City.
( in the interests of full disclosure, your editor roots for very few teams ahead of the Steelers,
and at the moment, I can't think of any)
=============================================================
Even tho our boys lost today this article is still truly a winner. It
brought tears to my eyes. We're gonna rally and bring in a winning
season again!! GO STEELERS!!

~kat~

What's the big deal about Steeler football? Being a Steeler fan means
so much more than football. It means being from a corner of the world
unlike any other. It means being from a place where the people are so
tough-minded that they have survived the Homestead strikes, the
Johnstown flood and most recently the Etna Floods. These people have
the DNA of hard work, in mills and mines, without the necessity of
complaint. They live simply, with no frills. They don't have movie
stars or fancy cars. Instead, they have simple traditions like
kielbasa and Kennywood. They live in distinctive neighborhoods like
Polish Hill and the Hill District and all of the surrounding counties.
These people are genuine. They don't have chic Internet cafes and
cappuccinos, but they have The Original Hot Dog, Eat n' Park and Iron
City Beer.

People from Pittsburgh don't have sunny beaches or fancy boats, but
the rivers roll gently, connecting the small towns of people whose
histories have been built on strength and humility. People from
Pittsburgh don't have the biggest shopping malls or the best
nightclubs, but they'll take Friday night high school football and
Steeler Sunday over anything. They ran free without a care or concern
in the valleys of those Allegheny Mountains. Their blue-collar world
was easy ... there was no one to tell them that they lacked material
things. There was no one to tell them that they needed more. As the
steel mills closed and the jobs disappeared, some of these people had
to leave. While the world benefits because they spread their
Pittsburgh values, they long for their home where things were simpler
and more pure. They teach their kids about Jack Lambert and Joe
Greene in hopes of departing not just the knowledge, but the feeling
that they represented. They are everywhere, those Terrible
Towels. They wave, not just for the team, but for the hearts they left
behind. They wave in living rooms in Tampa, Daytona, Chicago,
Cleveland, St. Louis, Denver and in the bars of D.C. They wave all the
way to the Seattle Superdome! They wave for the Rooney family, whose
values mirror our own loyalty, grit, and humility. They wave for
football players like Jerome Bettis and Hines Ward, whose
unselfishness and toughness have allowed sports to be about the game
and the team. Make no mistake that Steeler football is not just about
football.

I could not be prouder to be from the Pittsburgh area than I am right
now!! Even if you no longer live in the area, you have South Western
Pennsylvania in your blood no matter where you go, deep down in your
heart of hearts, you can still hear the Super Bowls of times past, the
excitement in everyone's voices especially our fathers, cousins, and
anyone else who gathered around the TV on Football Sundays!! Make no
mistake, its just as exciting right now if not more!! It's not just
about rivalries and who is better than the other, it's about family,
tradition and roots! It's more than football, but it is football at
its finest!! No matter where you now live, be proud of where you were
born and who your FIRST favorite football team is!! GO STEELERS!

Remembering #34

2006-03-06T23:37:00.000-05:00

This title caught my eye... In the Twin Cities, you only had to mention the number and everyone knew who you meant -- Remembering #34. I should also add this was a time in the Minnesota Sports History that Hershel Walker also wore the same number. I remember this well as I ran into a guy on the street with a T-Shirt that read, "Re-sign #34". I jokingly asked, "So, you want the Vikes to re-sign Hershel?". It was a classic "if looks could kill moment".

Thanks for the memories #34.

Time for an Alternative!

2006-02-13T22:42:00.000-05:00

As "ed" lobbied here when starting this blog, it's time for the NHL to revisit (again) their point system. I say this as I seem to be enjoying most (if not all) the new rules. I also say this as I admit the "my team" (sports fan, yes "ed"), but I've developed a foundness for the local team. This link Current Point System has to be Changed makes my point for me.

Doesn't every "homer" think there team is getting "jobbed"?!?! ... despite the very objective points raised in this article ;-)

Morelli Looking for Work

2006-01-16T08:21:00.000-05:00

Here's a thought: Pete Morelli owed the Colts a call.

Googling "morelli call colts" this morning, the top hits were on two _other_ calls involving the Colts Morelli made. Since one was on the Colts home page, it was a little difficult to get the clear picture, but one may infer he felt "he owed 'em one". He forgets who he's working for: the NFL, and who are they working for, if not the fans of football.

Let it be said, in the interests of full disclosure, I've plenty of reason to be upset with the call: since his days in Minnesota, I've been a Tony Dungy fan. I loyally followed him to Tampa Bay, and was a Bucs fan all his years there, where he brought them within a season of winning the Super Bowl, John Gruden reaping the coaching ring. When TD went to the Colts, I couldn't follow him, since a team sneaking out of town, with their logo intact, falls well below the bar of civic responsibility. Honestly, I was ready to grant Tony his ring, while grudging it was on the Colts sideline. Ms Statboni hails from PGH, and we were in town, during the blackout days, to hear the "Immaculate Reception" on the radio. I've been a Pittsburgh fan over the years, and will root for them against any number of teams (most of them, in fact). If a fan-ship is developing here, it might be for the Washington Redskins, but that's another story. I've felt it necessary to have a major-sports team, in all sports, and they've changed over the years. In terms of longevity, it's the Phillies, from the '50s, just when Sports Illustrated came out. Brother Dan picked the Yankees (no Twins in MN yet), because he mistakenly thought "they are the underdogs -- everyone hates them". Next came the Vikes. But I gave up on them, and almost football altogether when, at the moment of the "Hail Mary", in a rarely shown piece of footage, Drew Pearson offensively interfered with Nate Wright, to score the game-winning TD in the NFC title game, which would have been the Vikes best chance at a Super Bowl. What is less known is the official right in front of the play had his hand on the yellow hanky, ready to pull it out, and failed to make the call against "America's Team". And then, out of the stands, comes a completed bottle of Jack Daniels, finding the sleeping official on the noggin. The irate fan was ultimately identified and did a few hundred hours of community service. The Vikes inability to close any of 4 attempts at a Super Bowl ultimately led to my forsaking them. Until Tony Dungy. My only other affiliation is the Boston Bruins, that being from a recent stint back in Boston: '00-'01. I'll stay with them while they expiate their sins. I do call them "The '05 Stanley Cup Champions", since, as we all know, New England/Boston mopped up that year, and no-one else can claim the cup. My basketball fan-ship is limited to noting Al Harrington, of the Atlanta team, who-ever the heck they are, was leading the NBA in 3pt pct!

I discovered the reason I'm becoming more of a "sports fan", and less of a "team fanatic" is it's better for your heart.

Enter yesterday's ugly display of officiating. For starters, I'll be checking to see if the NFL ever lets Morelli call another playoff game, and letting them know they won't be counting on my witness of their show. I'll also be boycotting any regular season game he should be so unfortunate as to have to call.

"You know the officiating is bad when we're talking about it", so said one of the major networks pre-game coverage team anchors, referring to Saturday's games; this before Morelli made "the worst call in the history of the replay". What follows are some links to news reports led by those writers (non-wire service, of course) who were willing to "call it the way they saw it": shameful, a disgrace, the worst call, the immaculate reversal, ...

It's worth reporting on a few sidelights of the play. The Steelers' Joey Porter was the one player willing to speak out; he expects a league fine. I say, let Morelli pick up the tab. One of the writers below is guessing Morelli was prescient: he knew beforehand this would make the game interesting; No Kidding!

And in an aside before we share the links: Tony lost the game when he let Manning go for it on 4th down. Sure it led to the one legitimate Colts TD, but it gave Cower all the impetus he needed to convert two fourth downs, which aside from the Roethlisberger tackle, actually gave the Steelers the win. Watching Manning shake his head at those two conversion was all the compensation I needed for his going against his coach. When he overrulled Dungy's call, I told the Ms that there would be reckoning in the course of the game. If Vanderjagkt should be mad at anyone, it should be at referee Morelli, for making the call that put him on the spot!

Anyway, the links:

Edmonton Journal, CA. Not afraid to speak out: John MacKinnon,

Jerry Lindquist, no-holds barred

Adam Schein: calls the alternative a disgrace

Roethlisberger-Harper photo:

Immaculate Reversal:

Joe Bendel, from Pittsburgh

Joey Porter Links:

AP-like stuff:
kansascity.com

coloradoan.com/news

rockymountainnews

timesonline

Watch this Site

2005-08-09T20:31:00.000-04:00

Today Chipazzo called from the Deleware shore. His observation: there are _no_ dedicated podcasts for NHL lore, wisdom, and tracking the Great Player Diaspora taking place.

His plan: a weekly podcast hitting the high spots of the NHL week.

Your editor, ever the sucker for more information, took the bait. We'll stage it here. So, when the Chipazzo returns from Crawford, er..., Bethany Beach, the Statboni crew will crank up the old ice machine and turn some of these textual rants into the audio variety.

This feeds "Ed"s need to appreciate other forms of communication, ol' Marsh (McCluhan) havin' said enough on the subject.

For some podcast examples, visit the site:

http://www.furl.net/members/martymcgowan

and search for NHL. there were three links as of this writing.

Official NHL Blurg!

2005-03-15T18:44:00.000-05:00

Dear Marty,

Join us on Wed., March 16 at 8:30 pm ET, as Boston Bruins head coach
Mike Sullivan hosts the first flexxCOACH Live seminar in conjunction
with NHL.com and the NHL Coaches' Association. The seminar unveils
flexxCOACH's unique seminar software. You'll watch Mike Sullivan make
the presentation in a video window while also watching drills and
explanation through their telestrator technology. Additionally, you'll be
able to use flexxCOACH's software to send questions and remarks back to Mike!
Register now for this unique opportunity! Until then, check out flexxCOACH's
free on-line demo with Jim Johnson.

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Scooter Sighting

2005-03-13T21:58:00.000-05:00

This last Thursday, March 9th, on the way to BA, going up Salem Rd, from Union (NJ) into Hillside, I pulled into the left of two lanes as we approached a construction zone, where the traffic was diverted into the right lane. I realized there was no point in going further, so I stopped to wait for the traffic to proceed, rather than pulling all the way up to the narrowing lanes. When the traffic started to move, I looked over my right shoulder to see where I might merge. There in a grey compact, the driver was waving me in.

I waved back, and as I merged, looked in the rear view mirror and gave another look. Was it Hillsides most famous citizen -- the Scooter -- Phil Rizutto? It sure looked like him. Another wave of thanks exchanged and we were off. How about if I follow him from the front? There is talk he lives a few blocks from Benedictine, so I thought I'd chance it. Proceeding slowly, I turned down the alleged street where he lives. Lo and behold, the car turned in behind me, and then pulled in to a driveway down the block.

On arrival at school, I checked in with Brian D, whose history classroom is adorned with pinstripes. Indeed, Brian assured me that indeed was the Scooter's corner, and that he only goes out in the morning.

"Holy Cow", I'd met the Scooter, Phil Rizzuto on his home turf.

The NHL doesn't Own the Cup!

2005-02-18T11:13:00.000-05:00

This morning's paper reports, and we should have known, that Lord Stanley's Cup is not the property of the NHL, and may be awarded by its trustees to whichever North American team most deserves it.

The tradition has been for 77 years to award it to the NHL.

Yours truly was hoping for a mythic holding of the Cup by the Boston Bruins for the 2004-05 season, thus completing a 3-season sweep for the Boston/New England fandom, adding to the Red Sox !!, the Patriots (almost ho-hum) championships.

With this new information, I'm now willing to cede the cup to the AHL champions, the remaining high-level North American hockey activity.

The 2005 Stanley Cup Champions

2005-02-16T21:04:00.000-05:00

Oh, the shame of it all.

This was the year, modulo the Celtics, when New England/Boston was scheduled to win it all! On this day of dreary days, we here at the Statboni Room can safely predict, this was the year for the Bruins, yes, the _Boston_ Bruins, to win Lord Stanley's Cup.

I'll not brook any objection to this perfect conjecture. It was their year.

St. Paul Pioneer Press | 01/22/2005 | NHL season over, players say

2005-01-22T22:45:00.000-05:00

As we feared

I was hoping it wasn't so....
St. Paul Pioneer Press | 01/22/2005 | NHL season over, players say

I must add that normally sleepy downtown St. Paul is really dreary now. It would appear that this is a minor blip in most metro areas. St. Paul is definitely not one of them. The honeymoon with the Wild wasn't over yet. I've begun to wonder where our junior (and former St. Paul mayor) senator is on this? He has been totally silent, after campaigning on "bringing the NHL back to Minnesota".

Fumble Play

2005-01-16T14:18:00.000-05:00

Since the NHL is on sabbatical, we'll pick up with the NFL.

In today's Vikes - Eagles game, the Eagles scored a TD in the 2nd quarter on what your scribe has long held is a downed play. Here's what the rule should be:

the offense may advance a fumble only if recovered or returned from behind the spot of the fumble.

The touchdown was scored on a 4 yard fumble into the endzone. The current rule makes an exception for the last two minutes of a half or game, or if the fumbler is the quarterback. This makes sense? Where is the law of continuity on that one?

Chris Collingsworth, one of the game commentators, who's been around a while said he's never seen anything like that in his years in the NFL. Evidently, he missed quarterbacks of the guile of Ken Stabler and Fran Tarkenton, for whom the rule was qualified and further qualified. The purpose of the rule is to cover such deception first practiced by Stabler, when on a 4th and goal from the 10-11 yd line, late in a Monday night game, was in the process of being sacked. He didn't have a pass, and, as I recall was practically all wrapped up, including his throwing arm. He was able to "fumble" the ball in the direction of the goal line. I believe it was Dave Casper, an end/receiver was just over the goal His recovery was scored as the winning touchdown. It was an obvious maneuver on Stabler's part, so they changed the rule to deny yardage on a fumble by the quarterback or during the last two minutes.

Fran Tarkenton's innovation in these situations, at the end of a scramble, regardless of the yard line, and while going out of bounds, would lunge forward, hold the ball out, and impart a spin to the ball, pitch it forward, so that when it hit, it would go out of bounds. I don't know if the rules committee has marginalized this play, but again, the goal line was the exception. Tarkenton would gain the spot where the ball went out of bounds, unless it had crossed the goal. Then they would spot the ball on the 1 yard line!

What's wrong with giving the offensive team no more credit than they earned by advancing the ball? No exceptions for player or game situation.

In case you're scratching your head, think about it. In the case of today's Mitchell touchdown, he recovered the ball in the end zone. Where did his teammate fumble? On the 4 yd line. OK, then that's the spot. Supposing Mitchell had recovered on the 5 and run it in? Good. That's a touchdown.

This change is no more difficult to enforce than the rules surrounding a lateral. In fact, it treats a fumble as an attempted lateral. It completely factors out the players intention. And while we're at it, you could remove the penalty for a forward lateral. Just call it a recovered fumble, ball dead at the spot of the "fumble".

Last NHL caliber Hockey Game....

2004-09-15T13:48:00.000-04:00

While I did not take in any of the World Cup games in St. Paul, it is now clear that it was the last NHL caliber games that will be played in North America for sometime. The report on the radio this morning predicted the lockout to last from several months to a few years. It would appear that the only stat on Statboni will be the running count of lockout days.....Predictions anyone?

Different Ranking in the East

2004-02-22T08:39:00.000-05:00

Today's Eastern Conference rankings are an example of where the StatBoni differs from the NHL. Where the NHL has

Toronto, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, and Ottawa,

based on "games in hand", W-L, or PPG, StatBoni shows

Ottawa, Phildelphia, Tampa Bay, and Toronto.

Noting that Philadelphia and Toronto both have 80 points, but Ottawa has a game in hand with Toronto, and two with Philadelphia. Interestingly, the PPG metric is the better discriminator here, since W-L has Toronto and Ottawa tied. Hats off to Chipazzo for the PPG ranking idea!

Unofficial Standings

2004-02-21T12:41:00.000-05:00

East:
1. Toronto
2. Philadelphia
3. Tampa Bay
4. Ottawa
5. Boston
6. New Jersey
7. NY Islanders
8. Montreal

Tentative 1st Round:
Toronto - Montreal
Philadelphia - Isles
Tampa Bay - NJ
Ottawa - Boston

StatBoni agrees with the NHL today!

West:
1. Detroit
2. Colorado
3. San Jose
4. Vancouver
5. Calgary
6. Nashville *
7. Dallas *
8. St Louis
* Differ with the NHL
First Round pairings:
Detroit - St Louis
Colorado - Dallas *
San Jose - Nashville *
Vancouver - Calgary

Down at Center Ice

2004-02-19T16:48:00.000-05:00

From a letter to friend Bill A.

And, as to "StatBoni" itself, my "man on the inside", Chip tells me there
are other plans afoot to _fix_ the ranking system: e.g.


   regulation win       = 3

    ot win              = 2

    ot tie, loss        = 1

What they (the NHL) are trying to do is break the hold that "The Trap",
a defensive strategy employed at center ice has on the game. Since the
NJ Devils won the Cup in '95 with this style, the scores have been going
down, and according to league managment, so is fan interest. An "obvious"
solution is to make the rink wider and deeper, making it harder to
employ some of the tactics. But this solution digs into the big revenue seats.
First blush; some people have figured out that if you increase the rink area
you increase the perimeter, _and_ the number of seats at rink-side. Big
problem, is that many/most of the big revenue teams (read MSG, NY Rangers)
are in buildings that all you can do is take out seats from sold-out
performances. Why would you do that?

So that is the nature of the current impasse. Other tinkering is about
to happen: the goal tender can't go behind the net to play the puck.

< DIG >

This idea is so lame, if the NHL ruling were applied to chess, it would
be equivalent to saying "The King may move, but not capture!" You'd
have to change the name of the game from Chess to something like
"Neutered", or "Queens".

< /DIG >

Almost On Line

2004-02-13T14:41:00.000-05:00

Ok, you tryschediciphobians (check the spelling on that, Clyde), your StatBoni Editor is taking off the weekend. So ..., the hoped-for repair is not yet complete. What you see here is Friday afternoon's standings. The _plan_ is to make them "up-to-the-minute", not requiring you editor's manual intervention. Becuase of some as-yet-undected differences in the development and on-line versions of my publishing software, we publish by a "batch" process, vs an on-line publication. With an on-line publication, you'd see identical stats on NHL.com and StatBoni, as we'd be looking at their live data. While closer to the goal, the bisquit ain't in the basket yet. Stay tuned!!

2004-02-12T20:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the StatBoni Room.

This 'blog is dedicated to the simple proposition the National Hockey League could use a better ranking system. While total points is useful, it under-represents the well-appreciated "games in hand" for the team with more to play and ground to make up. The associated web page and mailing list make it easy for you to participate.

Join the Fun. Shake up the NHL (as if it needs more trouble right now!)