Stormwatch: Behind the Springfield Blizzard

In December of 2010, just months after Sports Talk came to be, I had this great idea to start a floor hockey team with our campus intramurals department for which I was already refereeing. However we didn't get of the ground due to lack of commitment so I couldn't form the team. Fast forward 11 months. Having now gotten used to campus goings-on in terms of knowing who was involved in what, I changed focus to a sport I knew and well - soccer, of the indoor variety. This was easier than the traditional outdoor game for purely one reason - smaller roster size.

As I began the preparations for this new franchise, I immediately knew I had to reach out to varsity players from both the men's and women's varsity/jv teams as we were allowed two for each team entered - I established a men's an co-recreational branch. It wasn't until we had a full roster for at least one of the two for me to put together the team identity. As I also prefer for fantasy teams, my teams get real names with real locations and nicknames, though in soccer there is more lenience, but it took the American route on that. I wanted a team that had a distinguishable name and colors. I tried to go with what was not used often or recently - the old professional indoor soccer teams were good for that. ultimately I decided to go with memories of my childhood.

The Buffalo Blizzard played in the National Professional Soccer League's second indoor incarnation from 1992-2001 (the current NPSL is an outdoor league in America's fourth tier of soccer, including FC Buffalo). Their purple, white, and blue were distinctive enough to inspire the beginnings of the Springfield Blizzard. Other finalists included Ambush (teal/turquoise/aqua and white), Crunch (purple, yellow, green), Shamrox (green, yellow, black), Soul (sky blue, black, white), and ThunderHawks (yellow, blue, white). Quickly this became a Sports Talk affair after Barry had joined the roster with frequent guest Chuck Lane also listed. The men's team over three years and six seasons would go on to finish 1-15, with the co-rec going 5-11 as well as winning their Fall 2012 season division though being upset in their first playoff appearance due to a short non-existent bench with a lack of substitutions and also lost the following fall's opening playoff round.

None of the players have gone on to play organized soccer beyond recreational league until I joind Erie County FC of the Buffalo District Soccer League's Third Division (six of six levels) which is recognized by the United States Soccer Federation as a Semi-Professional League. This despite the potential of the varsity players that filtered in over the seasons. The demise of the club was actually ahead of schedule, while the team would have only lost Barry for the upcoming season, I came to a point where class scheduling complications were preventing me to succeed academically that I made the decision to transfer to Medaille College going forward after I was offered managerial duties for Medaille Mavericks men's and women's soccer.

While I would have loved to stay at Springfield, my frustration with administrative mishaps outweighed my desire to continue attending. While it did not impact heavily Sports Talk, my departure was no less difficult. It was planned to include another WSCB talent (Billy Peterson, Conor Getz, and Luke Brown all in consideration for Barry's vacancy) assuming my continuation for the Fall of 2014. As for the Springfield Blizzard, well, perhaps a new dawn someday from the ashes of a phoenix.

Regards
-Ricky

A Loonie For Your Thoughs

Thirty years ago, today - the day before Canada Day (speaking of, check back tomorrow!) - The one dollar coin in Canada was first minted. This created a two year window between 1987 and 1989 where both a one dollar bill and coin overlapped. Now, they are practically a staple of daily life.

All because of a request by hockey's greatest player who knew a gentleman on the ice-making crew for the Salt Lake Winter Olympics in 2002 from the then-Skyreach Centre in Edmonton. Once the "Lucky Loonie" (now in Hockey's hall in Toronto) helped win both the women regain their crown from the US and the men win to end a fifty year gold drought, it's popularity went from mixed reviews to everybody's buddy. But what if it were simply a ten-cent coin, there might not be such an enthusiasm but it almost happened until it was replaced by the loonie upon the dime being lost when the ice-making process was in progress.

But in design, it is a hendecagon in technicality that almost had a different design on the back, one of a voyageur boat with two rowers. This is being minted for the very first time as a part of the thirtieth anniversary celebration of the loonie. In association with tomorrow's festivities, one can even find a "glow-in-the-dark"  Canada 150 loonie for purchase. All of this, though expensive for the non-coin collector, can be found through the Canadian mint.

Once again, sports are the real ties that bind.

-Ricky

Six-On-Six: The Drama to End All Dramas

Last night, I witnessed on live stream something I have never seen before in that magnitude of an event. Enter Game 2 of the NLL Champions Cup Final, 15 seconds to play. The Georgia Swarm, up 1-0 in a best of three, have their goalie pulled to try and tie the game trailing 14-13 to the game host Saskatchewan Rush with possession after a timeout, when at the next few moments the ball is forcibly turned over. Saskatchewan immediately calls timeout when the player with the ball is double teamed at 9 seconds. As Rush head coach Derek Keenan has been known to do, they pull their goalie to make sure Georgia does not double team the ball with the Swarm being a man up. Nine seconds, left, no goalies on the floor. But Saskatchewan still has the ball. "If he does that here now, the fans in here are going to have a heart attack...he's doing it...great play but they gotta execute," said Brian Shanahan in real time during the broadcast. What happened next will live in infamy forever...

Yes, you saw it. The Rush turn it over off the restart, with an incredible save from a runner then the goal then the Swarm winner in overtime. If you decided to not watch and just read this, watch it because you’d have to see it to believe it. One of the biggest moment’s right up there with Kaleb Toth in 1999, and others. You have to feel for those fans in Minnesota that had their team taken away unjustly. It has reminiscence of the Nordiques in the NHL leaving for Colorado. But this is for the Hive. The only thing is: it should've happened while they were still in Minnesota.

-Ricky

2017 NLL Week 10 Preview

Picks:
Top Attractions:

Calgary Roughnecks (3-5) @ Colorado Mammoth (6-4)
Time: Fri 3 MAR 2017 9:30p, Pepsi Center
Line: Colorado -1.5
The Scoop: It's disappointing the position Calgary is in. It would be nice to see them get back on track. Then again, Colorado had one of those skids. But they seem to have relatively recovered. And furthermore, the Jones/Greer trade seems to be showing that the trade was even with the latter cooling off and the former helping the Rush past the Mammoth's opponents last week.
Outlook: Saskatchewan by 1

Saskatchewan Rush (6-2) @ Vancouver Stealth (3-6)
Time: Sat 4 MAR 2017 11p, Langley Events Centre
Line: Saskatchewan -2.5
The Scoop: Vancouver is a franchise I will no longer understand./ Since they left San Jose, I don't recognize the shape they've taken. And their attendance isn't helping either. Call the Rush my West lock now. I just can't see them losing unless they get Georgia in the final (barring their season openers against each other).
Outlook: Georgia by 2.

Best of the Rest:

Rochester Knighthawks (2-6) @ Buffalo Bandits (3-3)
Time: Fri 3 MAR 2017 7:30p, KeyBank Center
Line: Buffalo -2.5
The Scoop: The Bandits have finally found something to work with. their recent transactions are paying immediate dividends and I think I'm the only one that had Saunders coming to the 716 before Deitrich wanted him. Rochester got the benefit of the doubt with Vancouver, but that doesn't say very much at all. They can beat Buffalo, but it will be the following afternoon before this game.
Outlook: Buffalo by 3.

Buffalo Bandits (2-3) @ Rochester Knighthawks (3-6)
Time: Sat 4 MAR 2017 1p, Connors and Ferris Field @ Blue Cross Arena
Line: Rochester -1.5
The Scoop: The second half of this weekend's installments of the Thruway rivalry will be interesting given the start time of this game: 1pm. That's likely less than 12 hours some of the players got sleep. Not to mention both teams have to travel to Rochester between the end of the previous night and the morning of this game.
Outlook: Rochester by 1.

Georgia Swarm (5-2) @ Calgary Roughnecks (3-5)
Time: Sat 25 FEB 2017 9:30p, Scotiabank Saddledome
Line: Georgia -2.5
The Scoop: Calgary is falling to pieces while Georgia has experienced a hiccup then a scare before getting back to true form. Calgary will not have the benefit of rest after playing in Colorado the previous evening. Georgia will look to continue steamrolling through anything and everything in their path. Calgary with a loss will be looking similar to the team that hit the floor last season.
Outlook: Georgia by 3.

Dog of the Day:

New England Black Wolves (3-6) @ Toronto Rock (5-3)
Time: Sun 26 FEB 2017 1p, Air Canada Centre
Line: Toronto -2.5
The Scoop: This game feels like a dud to me. I don't wan't to put too much thought into it so I won't. However, this is still a divisional game, so anything could theoretically happen. I'll leave it at that.
Outlook: Rock by 3.

*All times Eastern.

Oh, What a Feeling

History was made on consecutive nights in Western New York high school basketball. Dominick Welch of Cheektowaga surpassed Burgard of Buffalo's Richie Campbell as the all time leading scorer locally.Buffalo's South Park Sparks were the opponent for the Warriors of Cheektowaga, and the record seemed more important than the win. However, following the 25th and record breaking points early in the third quarter, the Warriors overcame a double-digit deficit, but would not lead by more than two before falling back to double digits with four minutes and change in the Section VI Class A2 semifinal. Welch would finish with 45, well over the requirement to top with 2376 in total on his career.

The following night, more heroics. The Monsignor Martin High School Athletic Association finals were held as a separated event for a third season in a row after the class A and B teams perviously contested the tournament together despite separated during the regular season for scheduling purposes. St. Mary’s had just won the club hockey final ahead of states and a move to federation play for 2018 but something that has never been achieved on hardwood had an opportunity arise again to win the Manhattan Cup playoffs. Many close calls have come, most notably 2012 against Canisius's Crusaders and 2015 against the Vikings from the Nichols School, albeit the latter as a result of splitting the large schools from the small making sense as to state catholic qualification.

That, on the other hand has been done plenty of times at least recently, the first of which came in 2009 when St. Mary's, Cardnial O'Hara, and Niagara Catholic made second round exits. The latter two had a play-in game as the regular season record of St. Mary's was superior. The winner at O'Hara would play at Canisius College's Koessler Athletic Center. Though it appeared that O'Hara's Hawks would soar to victory, a day later it was announced a transfer had illegally participated in a number of games and thanks to an oversight by former St. Mary's athletic director Angelo P. Sciandra III, the school forfeited their chance to play the Lancers to the Patriots from Niagara Catholic. While the Lancers struggled throughout, they did defeat a stingy NC team for their first qualification in ten seasons to the state catholic tournament. They would go on to defeat the now-defunct Blessed Sacrament-St. Gabriel Cardnials from the Catholic High School Athleticc Association of the New York City greater metropolitan area at Fordham University’s Rose Hill Gymnasium.

While there are other Catholic schools in New York state, they compete with the other public schools and thus, two Catholic schools can play at the state federation tournament as St. Marys did in 2009 against Rochester’s Bishop Kearney Knights. As has been the case in the 2000s decade, the second quarter was the achilles heel as the Knights downed St. Mary’s but lost to Collegiate Prep’s Dutchmen. The following year, SMH was the only team to reach the second round having lost to the Crusaders in MMAA play having won every quarter except being trounced in the second quarter. Canisius then went on to lose to the Vikings, who as the best team in WNY secured the right to host the CHSAA’s Salesian Eagles for a second consecutive state catholic title. But history would repeat itself as the second quarter again would bite the Lancers this time against eventual state fed champ Collegiate Prep.

Coming into the evening hours at Koessler, St. Mary’s had the best regular season record in the Msgr. Martin B Division and won their opening playoff fixture. Now it was time to face a familiar foe for the title. Nichols was the opponent and the two sides met twice as per the B Division schedule. The first of those was at Nichols’ Gerard Gymnasium on January 13, which I was asked to fill in as the Vikings public address (it was a little akward) shortly upon my arrival with the intent just to watch the game. The Lancers took one on the road 50-43 in a tight affair the whole way. The return leg the following month on the 16th saw a Lancers 53-42 home win. It would be tough to win three straight against any team, much less against Nichols who in the past decade has had their number in big games.

While there was a lot of back and forth in the opening fram, the final portion of it saw Nichols go on a 10-0 run that extended into the next session. Following a few exchanges, Nichols widened their lead to double digits as a familiar tone began to set in among the St. Mary’s contingent - the second quarter. While SMH managed to chip away at that following the half time interval, Matt Cieszki managed to provide their first lead of the half before sinking a three a bit before the buzzer. By bolstering up their defense in the second half, the Lancers exercised their demons and for the first time in their history and that of the tournament which dates back to 1948, went on to claim their first Manhattan Cup by a final score of 64-61.

In that late 2000s, I was a part of what started my path as an athletic administrator. To pick up basketball and my enhanced knowledge of the sport with that particular group of individuals was something that inspired me to use that as a tool to speak to others regarding "silent partners" as I was. And while being appreciated for my effort, I appreciated have those opportunities to pick up a new trade of sorts and living life through a somewhat new lens. As much as I gained from it all and now being also removed from my time with Barry and Springfield College. My high school years are my most cherished cumulative time period memories. If I had the opportunity to relive them, I would all over again. Springfield was great, but that one spring morning in 2007 when I was introduced to my key to life epitomized all of those experiences that would follow both in high school and my undergrad. So every time I come back for events, I get that same euphoria for one more time. And with luck, I’ll be able to do that over and over and over again.

2017 Curling Preview: The Tim Hortons Brier (Part I)

Ah, a tradition like no other - The Brier! Let's look at the teams and what we're looking at. But only the Pre-qualifying tournament right now. The first place team will have three draws that on Saturday, with the evening spot for Draw 12 against Glenn Howard's Ontario. More about them and the field by the evening hours (after 12pm, based on how the pre-final plays out in pre-qual).

NS:

Club - Halifax CC; Skip - Jamie Murphy, Third - Jordan Pinder, Second - Scott Saccary, Lead - Phil Crowell, Alternate - Alan Darragh

NU:

Club - Iqaluit CC; Skip - Jim Nix, Third - Edmund MacDonald, Second - Greg Howard, Lead - Darryl McGrath, Alternate - Howard Fick

PEI:

Club - Charlottetown CC; Skip - Eddie MacKenzie, Third - Sean Ledgerwood, Second - Matt Nabuurs, Lead - Robbie Doherty, Alternate - Philip Gorveatt

YT:

Club - Whitehorse CC; Fourth - Jon Solberg,  Skip - Craig Kochan, Second - Ray Mikkelsen, Lead - Darrin Fredrickson, Alternate - Wade Scoffin 

I'm pegging Nova Scotia to qualify, beating either Yukon Territory or Prince Edward Island regardless of who finishes 2nd and 3rd. Even though Solberg has a ranked team this season, MacKenzie won 5 draws the last time they qualified for the Brier. But Murphy's Nova Scotia is by and large the team to beat. You can watch any of the Brier on ESPN 3 in the US or on your Amazon FireStick. In Canada, it will be across the networks of TSN (indubitably). Just like the Scotties, I'll be watching...

2017 Week 9 Rankings

Banditland is still a house of horrors for Toronto who have not won in Buffalo since 2013. Toronto as a result didn't help themselves gain ground on Georgia atop the East. Colorado defeated the Black Wolves on Sunday, but only to keep pace with a Saskatchewan overtime win against the Roughnecks at home.

Power Rankings:

1. That Jones/Greer trade finally paying noticeable dividends. (1)
2. Rest well deserved here, especially after Toronto loss. (2)
3. Tough loss, but should be a lock for the postseason. (3)
4. Greer has done them well, but still missing Jonesy a little, I think/ (5)
5. Keep on rockin' in the free world Banditland... (6)
6. Should be second best only to Georgia in the division. (4)
7. Makes it seem like almost anyone can beat the Stealth. (9)
8. To answer last week's question, I think so... (8)
9. Lost to a team that got doubled-up by Saskatchewan twice - even if KHawks always lose to Rush. (7)

Pick Recap:
Toronto @ Buffalo
Calgary @ Saskatchewan
Rochester @ Vancouver
Colorado @ New England

     Season Total: 25-13 .658 (3-1)

Below are the totals of Ricky and the four NLL staffers Tyson Geick, Mia Gordon, Andy McNamara, and Brian Shanahan, beginning with Week 3's games.

Team                 Wins      Losses     GB

1. Ricky                   23              9           --
2. Shanny                18             14            5
3. Mia                      18             14            5
4. Tyson                  18              14            5
5. Andy                   17              15            6

*Shanny does not have BUF/TOR pick listed.

UNDERLINE indicates pick.
ITALICS indicates winner.

2017 NLL Week 9 Preview

Picks:
Top Attractions:
Calgary Roughnecks (3-4) @ Saskatchewan Rush (5-2)
Time: Sat 25 FEB 2017 8:30p, SaskTel Centre
Line: Saskatchewan -2.5
The Scoop: The former Battle of Alberta is still holding true to it's shenanigans, well beyond the move from Edmonton to Saskatchewan. But the Rush are on the up and Calgary not. By far and large, this is the game of the week. I'm going to leave the game to do my talking for this one.
Outlook: Saskatchewan by 1

Best of the Rest:
Toronto Rock (5-2) @ Buffalo Bandits (2-3)
Time: Sat 25 FEB 2017 7:30p, KeyBank Center
Line: Toronto -2.5
The Scoop: The Bandits have finally picked up their second win. Toronto has not won in Buffalo since 2013 trying to buck the trend. This will be the first of two home games in six days before the second half of a home-and-home with Rochester. The Rock will want to keep pace with Georgia for top spot in the East. But a loss could start a downward spiral based on their forthcoming schedule.
Outlook: Buffalo by 1.

Rochester Knighthawks (2-6) @ Vancouver Stealth (3-5)
Time: Sat 25 FEB 2017 10p, Langley Events Centre
Line: Rochester -2.5
The Scoop: Vancouver patiently waited for it's chance to get another win since opening day. They took it. Now Rochester needed to rebound after their second crushing loss to Saskatchewan. This would be the easiest test for them to do so. If the travel doesn't bother the KHawks, this is doable, but Vancouver are rebounding after a Family Day win.
Outlook: Vancouver by 1.

Dog of the Day:
Colorado Mammoth (4-4) @ New England Black Wolves (3-5)
Time: Sun 26 FEB 2017 1p, Mohegan Sun Arena
Line: Colorado -2.5
The Scoop: Despite the scoreline between these two the last time out, I'm not expecting much from this. Despite their struggles, Colorado is still Colorado. New England on the other hand, has been living too close for comfort. They cant catch that twice against the Mammoth - even if it is at home. But the Black Wolves have seen an attendance increase to over 10K. They're the key to the home team's success.
Outlook: Mammoth by 4.

*All times Eastern.

2017 Week 8 Rankings

The Rush continue their hot streak as we are nearing the halfway point of the season. Following next weeks rankings, I will have a mid season report card for each team. Have fun figuring this one out - lots of moving parts throughout the weekend. I'm partially having difficulty with it all myself.

Power Rankings:

1. "I'm on fiiiiiire!" -Kasabian (1)
2. "These guys are good - scary good!" -Rick Jeanneret. (2)
3. To rock, or not to rock - that was the question; still not answered. (3)
4. They've started to get results, but that needs to continue. (5)
5. May have just given Saskatchewan the division... (4)
6. A split and changes, sounds like a wake-up call to me... (7)
7. This team can still get a playoff birth after that win - I don't believe that, but the win was genuine. (8)
8. What happened to this team over the past week, did Saskatchewan burn them out? (6)
9. And I thought the Bandits were bad in the East, silly me. (9)

Pick Recap:
Georgia @ Toronto
New England @ Buffalo
Toronto @ Rochester
Colorado @ Saskatchewan
Vancouver @ Calgary
Buffalo @ New England
Rochester @ Georgia
     Season Total: 22-12 .647 (5-2)

Below are the totals of Ricky and the four NLL staffers Tyson Geick, Mia Gordon, Andy McNamara, and Brian Shanahan, beginning with Week 3's games.

Team                 Wins      Losses     GB

1. Ricky                   20              8           --
2. Mia                      17             11            3
3. Shanny                17             11            3
4. Tyson                  16              12            4
5. Andy                   14              14            5

UNDERLINE indicates pick.
ITALICS indicates winner.

2017 NLL Week 8 Preview

Picks:
Top Attractions:

Colorado Mammoth (4-3) @ Saskatchewan Rush (4-2)
Time: Sat 18 FEB 2017 8:30p, SaskTel Centre
Line: Saskatchewan -1.5
The Scoop: This top of the division tilt could start to separate the pack as the Rush did with Calgary in recent weeks. Plus, every time Colorado comes to play, they don't get any momentum going in the standings. This all while the Rush have not lost since their second game.
Outlook: Rush by 2.

Georgia Swarm (5-1) @ Toronto Rock (4-1)
Time: Fri 17 FEB 2017 7:30p, Air Canada Centre
Line: Georgia -1.5
The Scoop: This one would indicate that Georgia will win based on their last meeting this season, despite being in TO this go around. Both teams will be busy next week and neither will be willing to drop a beat against eachother
Outlook: Swarm in OT.

Best of the Rest:

New England Black Wolves (2-4) @ Buffalo Bandits (1-4)
Time: Fri 17 FEB 2017 7:30p, KeyBank Center
Line: New England -1.5
The Scoop: A storm is a brewin' in Buffalo. Changes will be made by the end of the weekend next week in the 716. Bob Hamley is the notable coaching name on the market while the team would need to make trades to acquire players. New England may be able to sit back and relax if the games start like the rest for the bandits.
Outlook: Buffalo by 1.

Toronto Rock (4-1) @ Rochester Knighthawks (2-4)
Time: Sat 11 FEB 2017 7:30 p, Connors and Ferris Field at Blue Cross Arena
Line: Toronto -2.5
The Scoop: Toronto will be tired against a very good Georgia team and Rochester had ought to pounce on the opportunity. Especially when said Swarm team will be the Knighthawks opponent the following day. Pivotal weekend in the East, mostly because of the Rock.
Outlook: Ro-cha-cha by 1.

Vancouver Stealth (2-5) @ Calgary Roughnecks (3-3)
Time: Sat 18 FEB 2017 9p, Scotiabank Saddledome
Line: Calgary -1.5
The Scoop: The Necks have to get this win after falling to third in the division. A loss will put them last by way of the season series despite their winning percentage. Vancouver has show that they can score, heck their Fifteen against the Bandits last month wasn't enough, but they do have it in them.
Outlook: Riggers by 1.

Buffalo Bandits (1-4) @ New England Black Wolves (2-4)
Time: Sun 19 FEB 2017 1p, Mohegan Sun Arena
Line: New England -2.5
The Scoop: The loser of the Friday game will get a quick shot at redemption. This for the Bandits could be what they need - a weekend sweep, or at least winning this game. The Black Wolves have seen tremendous dividends from former Bandit Chad Culp. But they will need to counter by silencing former Knighthawk Brad Self.
Outlook: Buffalo by 1.

Dog of the Day:

Rochester Knighthawks (2-4) @ Georgia Swarm (5-1)
Time: Sun 12 FEB 2017 6p, Harrah's Cherokee Casino Field at Infinite Energy Arena
Line: Georgia -3.5
The Scoop: Georgia is no Saskatchewan, but they are another difficult opponent for Rochester. The KHawks must win not only to keep with the Swarm and Toronto, but to not let New England and Buffalo catch up. The Swarm though a little tired from Toronto, will have the solace of finishing the weekend at home.
Outlook: Georgia by 4.

*All times Eastern.

2017 NLL Week 7 Rankings

Saskatchewan continues to dominate the Knighthawks. Though it isn't recognized by the league, I wonder if that extends to the Ottawa Rebel and Syracuse Smash, whose assets were picked up by the Rush. But how did the Stealth let this one slip away and it was another tight game in consecutive weeks for the Black Wolves - surely a result will come their way eventually.

Power Rankings:

1. Almost doubled up KHawks again, but in Rochester! (1)
2. It's hard to replicate success against the same team in the same building. (2)
3. Old times appear to be alive and well in the Six indeed. (3)
4. Lucky to escape with the W on the road given that it's "only Vancouver." (5)
5. Bowling for dollars;  the worse of the "native casino-sponsored arena" teams. (6)
6. What happened to this team over the past week, did Saskatchewan burn them out? (4)
7. They'll get a chance to redeem themselves against New England at home. (8)
8. Window of opportunity missed to get out of their losing funk. Can't keep relocating... (9)
9. Between the two, we know which is the far superior (if it wasn't clear last season). (7)

Pick Recap:
New England @ Georgia
Saskatchewan @ Rochester
Toronto @ Calgary
Colorado @ Vancouver
     Season Total: 17-10 .630 (3-1)

Below are the totals of Ricky and the four NLL staffers Tyson Geick, Mia Gordon, Andy McNamara, and Brian Shanahan, beginning with Week 3's games.

Team                 Wins      Losses     GB

1. Ricky                   15              6           --
2. Mia                      14              7            1
3. Shanny                14             7            1
4. Tyson                  13              8            2
5. Andy                   12              9            3

UNDERLINE indicates pick.
ITALICS indicates winner.

Mike Ilitch

This weekend, it is with great sadness that we discover the passing of Mike Ilitch. "Uncle Ilitch" (transliterated from Macedonian) as he was known by the community of his heritage, was a pioneer for pizza and sports - a combination that at least turns people away from their personal and public problems for a portion of their day and for making the people of his descent a way to succeed. We have made our own patch for him, as it is for internal fantasy sports purposes, but also to be left here.

-Ricky

2017 NLL Week 7 Preview

Last Week:
2-2; 4-0 against the spread; 1-0 best bet

Picks:
Top Attraction:

Toronto Rock (3-1) @ Calgary Roughnecks (3-2)
Time: Sun 12 FEB 2017 4p, Scotiabank Saddledome
Line: Toronto -2.5
The Scoop: This could shape up to be like one of the opening day meetings between these two. By far the best rivalry of the Canadian teams in the NLL, also featuring the two most dominant. Despite their loss to Saskatchewan, they were in that game until the dying embers where they began to run out of steam. Toronto meanwhile was actually to-to-toe with Buffalo after the Bandits pulled Cosmo in favor of DiRuscio. Bryan Hickey got the offense Toronto needs from him after a so-so start to the year. This game is a push but someone has to win.
Outlook: Riggers in OT.

Best of the Rest:

Saskatchewan Rush (3-2) @ Rochester Knighthawks (2-3)
Time: Sat 11 FEB 2017 7:30 p, Connors and Ferris Field at Blue Cross Arena
Line: Saskatchewan -3.5
The Scoop: Rochester can't be too down on themselves for losing last week. But they can return the favor to double up the Rush at home this Saturday. If they can stick it to Toronto immediately after that loss, they can do it to their guests. Speaking of, Saskatchewan started a three game winning streak that game to both break an 0-2 start to the season, but also get them quickly back into the race for the West. The Adam Jones thing didn't seem to be working out having lost Zack Greer in that deal, a Rush rafter number someday perhaps, but have steadied the course.
Outlook: Rush by 3.

New England Black Wolves (2-3) @ Georgia Swarm (4-1)
Time: Sat 11 FEB 2017 7:05p, Harrah's Cherokee Casino Field at Infinite Energy Arena
Line: Georgia -2.5
The Scoop: New England is looking for blood after Georgia humiliated them in their last meeting, which was in this building. However they did squeak out with another overtime home winner, which isn't enough to convince me that they're contenders by a long shot. That doesn't mean they can't beat Georgia, whose undefeated run to open the season vanquished at the hands of the Mammoth by four goals. It certainly wasn't for a lack of effort, I mean look at the West - three teams have three wins.
Outlook: Georgia by 3.

Dog of the Day:

Colorado Mammoth (3-3) @ Vancouver Stealth (2-4)
Time: Sun 12 FEB 2017 10p, Langley Events Centre
Line: Colorado -3.5
The Scoop: To think this might be finally Vancouver's year again. That lasted all of two games and their opening weekend. There's so much talent on this team that it continues to baffle me how their play is so poor. The Mammoth are holding a grudge and broke a winning streak. The Stealth torched them that week at the Pepsi Center. Another bad element to mix into the formula. This spells Ring of Fire all over it. I don't know what else Vancouver can do to get their old mojo back or to shake things up. I really don't.
Outlook: Mammoth by 4. - best bet

*All times Eastern.

2017 NLL Week 6 Rankings

Let me tell you about my encounter with the Rock mascot Iggy... Iggy approached me since I had an aisle seat and took my hat off. I retaliated by taking off his since it was country night. I then offered a hand shake, which despite pleas from the ACC pa guy, he didn't and I shook his hand for him. Meh, better than other instances I've heard of. He also lost a thunderstix sword fight to Rax at the All-Star Game last time around.

Power Rankings:

1. Pulled away when it mattered most and followed-up on the pre-season brawl. (2)
2. Even in the loss to a respectable team, I feel bad for the fans in Minnesota. (1)
3. Had field day in the 1st quarter and some, but almost even after Buffalo goalie change. (4)
4. Can't fault them for getting tired a tad, but this still is their primary opposition. (3)
5. Solid win against an impressive team: now can they do that within the division? (5)
6. The most confusing team in this league - won't matter if they keep stringing results. (6)
7. Jamieson absence really hurting them right now. (7)
8. The first quarter is the problem quarter; start DiRuscio again. (8)
9. No words, just no words. What's left for the rest of the year? (9)

Pick Recap:
Buffalo @ Toronto
Rochester @ New England
Saskatchewan @ Calgary
Georgia @ Colorado
     Season Total: 14-9 .609 (2-2)

Below are the totals of Ricky and the four NLL staffers Tyson Geick, Mia Gordon, Andy McNamara, and Brian Shanahan, beginning with Week 3's games.

Team                 Wins      Losses     GB

1. Ricky               12              5           --
2. Shanny            12              5            --
3. Mia                  11              6            1
4. Andy                9               8            3
5. Tyson              9               8            3

UNDERLINE indicates pick.
ITALICS indicates winner.

2017 NLL Week 6 Preview

Last Week:
5-0; 2-3 against the spread; 1-0 best bet

Picks:
Top Attraction:

Calgary Roughnecks (3-1) @ Saskatchewan Rush (2-2)
Time: Sat 4 FEB 2017 9p, SaskTel Centre
Line: Calgary -1.5
The Scoop: If this were in Calgary would’ve been slightly less interesting as the Necks are unbeaten at on the road and the Rush the same at the SaskTel so far. But a win for Saskatchewan will keep this race tight for a little while longer. And of course, it was these two that got into it during the preseason leading to those suspensions. It is good for Riggers fans to see the team performing well after last season’s struggles. Saskatchewan has found their groove after starting 0-2.
Outlook: Rush by 2.

Best of the Rest:

Buffalo Bandits (1-3) @ Toronto Rock (2-1)
Time: Fri 3 FEB 2017 7:30 p, Air Canada Centre
Line: Toronto -1.5
The Scoop: Both teams are looking for a win, especially Buffalo who have just one through four games (Vancouver at home). This QEW rivalry reconvenes for the 50th time in the regular season (55th overall) and 23rd in TO (27 including the playoffs tied at 2 each) with the Rock leading 27-22 and 13-10 respectively.
Outlook: Rock by 3. - best bet

Georgia Swarm (4-0) @ Colorado Mammoth (2-3)
Time: Sat 4 FEB 2017 9p, Pepsi Center
Line: Colorado -1.5
The Scoop: Georgia can be summarized by two words: lights out. Colorado in three: slightly missing Jones. While Zack Greer has been producing, Adam Jones was an integral piece of the Mammoth offense, though he isn't completely nestled in north of the border yet. The three of the Thompsons that are with the Swarm are completing each others' passes before they even release the ball - imagine if all four brothers played on the same team. No thanks.
Outlook: Stingers by 3.

Dog of the Day:

Rochester Knighthawks (2-2) @ New England Black Wolves (1-3)
Time: Fri 3 FEB 2017 7:30p, Pepsi Center
Line: Rochester -2.5
The Scoop: Both sides look to increase their respective winning streaks to two games after defeating divisional opponents. However, the news coming out of this week is that the KHawks have lost Cody Jamieson for the remainder of the season to ACL surgery - not the first time he has had an injury cost significant playing time for him. It took New England home field to wake up their mojo, but after some close results, this team has improved every week.
Outlook: Rochester by 1.

*All times Eastern.

Unstapled

We all know that the World Cup of Hockey was the last thing the NHL needed. Now, teams have random "bye weeks" that make scoreboard watching rather difficult. But for now, let's take a look at where we stand from the All-Star break.

The east is less troublesome so I'll start there. Ottawa and Toronto have the least amount of games played to this point in their division, so it seems they will join Montreal as locks for the Atlantic. The Metro on the other hand is too close to call, but I will have to provide something. Let's take a look at the West in which event, is even more too close to call. At least in the Pacific. With three games in hand over the Blackhawks, I'm giving Minnesota the Central. But I'll say Washington gets the President's Trophy.

Let's make some looks here. If you had asked me 6-9 games ago, the playoff picture for me looks totally different. but, I'll give Ottawa the benefit of the doubt as the Atlantic leader. I've been expecting to see Boston drop for someone (now Toronto). I only expected three Atlantic teams since the preseason. It all comes down to who wins between the Rangers and Pittsburgh in my scenario. If Chicago doesn't do well, Nashville will be my pick in the West, but they wouldn't beat the Penguins and the Canadian teams have that "Canadian curse" in the finals. All subjective, of course. I'll leave it at that.

2017 NLL Week 5 Rankings

Looking forward to going to the game in Toronto. I figure last week may have been the last of the weak spreads for these games. I'm looking more forward than back this time as three of the four games have significant value in some form. Georgia is still the team to beat and now have to show that they are a playoff caliber team.

Power Rankings:

1. The Arlottas may have finally done something right; now can they be more than one-and-done? (1)
2. This team is starting to heat up, and that's bad news for everyone else. (2)
3. Not missing Poulin after all; But we all knew one of them was bound to go sooner rather than later. (6)
4. Buffalo is a must win, especially with Bandits struggles; have played well without Hickey so far. (3)
5. Needed to at least split the home-and-home; they;ll be chasing for a little bit. (4)
6. The monkey's off their back, but beware another result like the one at BCA. (6)
7. Starting to become large and in-charge now that the have healthy vets back. (8)
8. Still too much goal trading by giving leads back, probably will be their theme of the season (transition). (5)
9. To think there might be hope, well... there still is... sort of. (9)

Pick Recap:
Vancouver @ Saskatchewan
Rochester @ Toronto
Buffalo @ New England
Colorado @ Calgary
Georgia @ Vancouver

     Season Total: 12-7, .632 (5-0)

Below are the totals of Ricky and the four NLL staffers Tyson Geick, Mia Gordon, Andy McNamara, and Brian Shanahan, beginning with Week 3's games.

Team                 Wins      Losses     GB

1. Ricky             10               3          --
2. Shanny             9               4            1 
3. Mia                   9               4            1  
4. Andy                7               6            3
5. Tyson              7               6            3

UNDERLINE indicates pick.
ITALICS indicates winner.