"Crispy defense wins games." --F.P. Santangelo

Hey, look! Matt Cain won a game! It finally happened, even though he had some issues, but the team played well overall, and the bullpen did a good job to finish it off, so...yay!

Unrelated note: It was really funny hearing the seagulls during the postgame wrap.

Somewhat related note: Zito to the bullpen - your thoughts? My initial thought was that this was a worse demotion than sending him down to the minors since I don't know how much pitching he'll be doing here...but maybe doing that would make the Giants look worse? I don't know.

JR's Karma Is Huge

Sorry. I blame this headline on the in-game Love Guru promos.

If you didn't see the Versus telecast of Game 7 of the Flames-Sharks series (or On the Fly later that night), then you probably missed this Jeremy Roenick postgame interview, so I'd like to share it with you here. The timing in the beginning just about killed me.

NHL Round 2 Playoff Scenarios + Predictions

(Note: The following is mostly a repeat of yesterday's LJ post updated to include today's events.)

I went back and forth on whether to get tickets to Game 7. I ended up deciding that I should go. I will cheer this team on to the bitter end if it comes to that--hell, that's why I went to Game 5. So once the clock struck 10 today, I did my thing. I will be there with (virtual) bells on as well as my jersey bearing the name and number of a player who has had a craptastic time lately--let us not speak of this last game--so perhaps my support will help. (Pfffff.) Anyway, the game should be interesting, to say the least. I have no freaking idea how it's going to go. "Momentum" has meant jackfruit in this series.
The following video has been posted somewhere by me after each Sharks' playoff loss, so it was time I did so here. This sketch from Late Night with Conan O'Brien originally aired the evening after Game 1. I share it with you because of the ending.



Go Sharks. Now, on with the second round possibilities! Bear in mind that I only slightly know what I'm discussing here, so don't take it seriously...not that I think anyone would. Also, since I obviously watch Western games more, there will be more mindless babbling for that conference than for the East.


The Campbell Cup Hunt

Detroit vs. Colorado: I seriously shouldn't be thinking of this as the "old man series"; I know that both teams have some younger stars, and that Colorado is probably a younger team than I think. But I think of Forsberg, and Hasek, and...yeah. Anyway, even with Theodore playing the way he is, I'm not all that high on the Avs. Now that Osgood is in goal, I see Detroit getting through at least one more round. Red Wings in six.

Detroit vs. Calgary: I have this feeling that should Calgary make it out of the first round, some of the Flames' play will take a nosedive here (i.e. former Sharks). Whether or not that feeling is there because I just plain don't like the Flames is debatable. I also think that they might try to get away with funny stuff and fail because they're playing Detroit. As I said before, I feel Osgood will be strong, and depending on how Kipper is this particular week, this could even be a short series. Red Wings in six.

San Jose vs. Dallas: Pacific Division Smackdown. I seriously want this matchup to happen. (Forget for a second that it's the only possible matchup involving the Sharks. Thank you.) I don't think the series would be quite as crazy as that last regular-season game, but one never knows. (I initially wrote here that the two teams hadn't faced each other in the playoffs, but it has happened twice...apparently I was successful at wiping those series from my memory, because they didn't go so well.) Sharks in seven.

Dallas vs. Colorado: I don't know how the season series went here, but I've already mentioned my feelings on the Avs. Dallas should fare better than the Wild, at any rate. Stars in seven.


The Prince of Wales Trophy Hunt

Montreal vs. New York: I somehow see the Habs having a slightly easier time in this round than the last. Why? No idea. It's not like the Rangers suck. But I can't stand Jagr's smiling mug, so Canadiens in six.
Montreal vs. Philadelphia: I love me some Marty Biron, but...once again, Canadiens in six.
Pittsburgh vs. Washington: I'd love for the Caps to win here, but one man can only take a team so far. Penguins in six.
Pittsburgh vs. New York: Rangers in six. Yeah, that's right, I said it. And I don't even like the Rangers.

Fun with Advertisements

I went looking for a disturbing commercial to share and see if others also found it disturbing (you know that one for some shave gel where these rocketeering chicks representing "scent" fly up a dude's nose? yeah, that one). I haven't found it yet, but I came across this site, whose URL I first read as "Irate Ads" but then quickly realized was "I Rate Ads". :P I enjoyed what I saw, so I'll probably visit regularly. I'd like to share this one with you:

Lululemon Athletica — The Mansy

Did you look?

...Done? Okay. As soon as I saw that it was available April 1 I knew it was a joke, but it was a good one.

Ladies & Gentlemen, YOUR San Jose Sharks!

So...what happened here? Did Semenov show up at the last minute? Could they not move everyone in that row over a little more? Asymmetry bugs me in these kinds of group pictures, so it's no wonder that I noticed this right off the bat. But whatever. Go Sharks.