Hockey Virgins Shoot...And Score!

Show down Number One


Here it is folks, the moment we all have been waiting for...Ok, maybe not all of us...
Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby meet for the first time Tuesday night when the Penguins play your Nation's Capitals in Pittsburgh. Now, finally we can decide once and for all which rookie phenom is better. Haha. Just kidding. I know that that won't be decided for years, when we can look back on their careers as a whole. But that shouldn't diminish Tuesday's match-up. This should be the first of many match-ups over the next few years. These two rookies are the future of the league; the new torch bearers of the NHL, if they can live up to their potential. This could be an exciting new era in the bitter rivalry between these two teams. If you want my opinion, I would highly suggest that you check the game out. You are in for a show...And you just might be surprised. Sir Sidney against "The Big O". For the first time.


Feels Like the First Time

I went to the Caps game last Tuesday with a group of friends. Two of them had never been to a hockey game. The only things that they really knew about the sport was what they had read in my persistent e-mails and that Alexander Ovechkin was on his way to being a great player. Alexander the Great did not disappoint. "The Big O" scored a high-light reel goal with just over a minute left in regulation to tie the game. The Caps won--that's right, you know what I'm going to say--when Alex scored the only goal in the shootout, beating goalie Sean Burke and defending Stanley Cup champion and division rival Tampa Bay Lightning. The Caps came back after being down 3-1, and all of us were having a blast!
What a great game to see your first time out to the rink! My friends asked lots of questions, understood what was going on and they got caught up in the excitement. Thank god it wasn't a 8-1 blowout like that Flyers game the other week. I would have had a lot of explaining to do.

Today's List:

Actually, just one today, everyone. In keeping with our "First Time Theme", this is for Norv Turner:

Thanks for finally winning the big one in FedexField, old buddy. Great timing.

(Why does he always look constipated?)



Baseball Update

I read in the Washington Post on Monday that rising stadium costs will force the city to cut infrastructure costs in order to build the Nationals new baseball stadium. In short, I'm guessing, that means that the stadium will be built, but there won't be any roads, or sidewalks or buses, etc. built or improved in and around the stadium area. Most may see this as a serious setback in breaking ground next year. Some may begin to worry that this is a deal breaker and the team may leave if this all isn't finalized by baseball's dead-line of December 31st. Fear not, baseball fans. I have the solution.
In an offer from a german bank made during the District's search for outside funding to ease the financial burden on the city last winter, a german bank offered to front money to the city and in return, they would collect all parking revenues in and around the stadium. The city council said no and the District is footing the whole bill.
Here is my idea...Have the Germans pay for the infrastructure costs and give them a percentage of the parking profits that roll in when the stadium is finished. Sound familiar? The Germans offered possibly more than $200 million for those parking revenues. Infrastructure costs being cut don't equal that much. They lend less money, you pay them back in a shorter time; you cover all costs to the stadium, they still get a return on their investment. You guys figure out what percentage of revenues gets divided where. Let us Nationals Fans enjoy our new team, not worry that they might leave once again. We've had enough of that already.

Quote of the Day

"Do...or do not. There is no try."

Yoda, Empire Strikes Back