Alive and Kicking

Just a reminder that the Nation is down, but not out.

We've added a new member (check out his new home blog here), and with a little luck, may bring you more nation goodness in the near future.

In the meantime, check us out at our respective blogs located on the right.

The Curse Rears Its Ugly Head

So far in 2003, its victims include Atlanta superstars Mike Vick and Dany Heatley.

So here I sit, on the cusp of baseball season, praying for a hiccup in this tainted pattern.

A Coaching "Q"uandary

Why?

I'm sorry, but a change for the sake of change, or to light a fire under a team is one thing, but to fire Joel Quennville, one of the elite coaches in the league for that same reason...

That's just poor judgement.

In the linked article, Bill Clement writes:

"I expect Quenneville to set a record for the shortest time in the unemployment line. He's an excellent coach, tactically and philosophically. He faced challenges this season, including less-than-stellar goaltending and injuries to key players."

If Clement gets it, why can't the Blues? I know someone needs to be held responsible when a team isn't playing up to its capabilities, but the buck shouldn't stop at Quennville.

Lang-dora's Box

There's a new number 20 sweater skating around for the Mighty Detroit Red Wings...and no, Luc Robitaille isn't bringing his garbage goal ass back to Motown.

Instead, The Wings are bringing in the man tied for the Ross Trophy race, Robert Lang.

Yes, Detroit was the latest team to cash in on the Washington Capitals firesale, after Ottawa acquired Peter Bondra a few weeks back.

Can this team get any better? With Hatcher due back soon, along with everyone else getting healthy, the Wings are looking pretty tough once again.

Plus, they picked up Lang and only gave up LW Tomas Fleishmann, a first round pick in 2004, and a 3rd round pick in 2006.
Even if Lang leaves after this year, it's a nice deal for the boys in red.

New Addition

I've modified the Header above to inform you, dear reader, that the greatest fantasy baseball team of all time calls this humble page home.

Welcome & Buen Suerte to The League Champions!

End of An Era

The Rasheed Wallace era in Atlanta has come to a close...and what a ride it was.

I guess I can cancel that order for my Hawks' Wallace #36.

By the way, I venture to think that Larry Brown is the only guy in Detroit that's a fan of Rasheed, but if it can bring the title back to Motown, I guess that's what matters most.


If nothing else, Team Wallace should be interesting to watch.

Big Blue

I know this isn't sports related, but I can't help it...plus, in my opinion, this is a forum for all things interesting...we don't judge here at Da Nation.

With that in mind, Weezer's Blue Deluxe Album and =W= DVD (sold separately)are only a little over a month away from their release date and my meaty paws.

OK, I've now exceeded the geek quota for the distant future so I'll shut up now.

The Disappearing Dominator

Seriously, was there anyone... ANYONE... who thought the return of Dominick Hasek was a good idea? I honestly can't think of any. In fact, I remember talking with Crackhouse Nicki's dad before the season even began. Skip, a life-long goalie and Red Wings fan said "I'm not going to watch a single game this year if 'the flopper' is coming back."

Good call, Skip. Good call. Turns out, if he'd decided not to watch all of the games that the so-called "Dominator" played, he would only have missed 14 games.

If you're not up-to-speed on Hasek's peculiarities, take a peek at this article. It summarizes the situation quite nicely.

Oh, and to make matters worse, Curtis Joseph (who is, in my opinion, a saint) sprained his ankle in tonight's game. Thank God for Manny Legace, the best backup's backup in the biz.

New Fish in Town

I hope that everyone in the Nation will join me in welcoming the newest incarnation of baseball calling Golden Park its home along the banks of the Chattahoochee River.

Your Fighting Columbus Catfish.

This newest mascot, look and logo are a nice alternative to the South Georgia Waves of yore. COD Nation should have a nice copy of the logo for the website in the upcoming days as soon as Tech Support can obtain one.

In a Related Story...

Jumping The Gun

...The Catfish era got off to a choppy start as the logo was seen in the paper on Golden Park's front gates a full 4 days before its official "unveiling" held yesterday afternoon.

One Sportslady was present for the "festivities", which consisted of the media and assorted others for modest press conference. I was kinda hoping for a sneak peek at the uniforms and hats of the new team, but a picture was the best thing the front office could muster.

It is the hope of your author that in exchange for a little pub on this forum that a little free swag may be headed our way.

We'll keep you posted on any further developments...

Jump The Hawk

OK...can someone tell me when the Atlanta Hawks hired Ted McGinley as their GM/Owner/Assasin?

Can a franchise do any more to suffocate its fan base? Maybe trade away their best player for a thug with no discernable value...

Oh, wait, never mind.

The Old Get Older

Wow, I thought it was pretty bad when Big Al was playing with the team...instead we grab a 37 year-old blueliner from Philly.

So much for a youth movement...

You Can The Cretin Out of Miami...

It seems that our little blue chip buffoon we posted about a few weeks ago has a bit of a criminal history.

A shocker, I know, but the Miami Hurricanes are claiming that they had no prior knowledge of these complaints or his probation on felony burglary charges in 2002.

I know that this is out of character for the Hurricanes, but our buddy Mr. Williams?

He's above this sort of thing. I'm sure he'll come out on top.

We're with you, Willie.

Avalanche of Sarcasm

Boos and debris rained down on the ice. This wasn't the ending Colorado's fans wanted in a matchup of the NHL's two best teams and biggest rivals.

The only thing better than a Colorado loss:
Seeing the wonderful sportsmanship of their fans as they blow a 2-0 lead early on and lose in OT.

Boo hoo!

In Other News...

The Blues finally won a game.

Yea!

King of the World

The author would like to take this time to blatantly gloat about his win in the 2004 NFL Elimination Pool thanks to the Patriots victory Sunday night.

Congrats on a great pool season and, not unlike a fine wine, it will only continue to get better with age.

Adventures of a Blue-Chip Nothing

Ever wonder what it's like to be a complete idiot, and have a university, its coaches, players, and co-eds, and the city bow to your every whim?

If so, then join our young Miami superstar Willie Williams as he shares his recruiting trip experiences with the Miami Herald of a few of his school visits.
They are as follows [Please read in sequence]:

Trip No. 1: Florida State

Trip No. 2: Auburn

Trip No. 3: Miami

It seems that the (Mentally) Meek truly shall inherit the earth.

Source

All in the Timing

As I've mentioned on my blog, my mom is coming in town on Wednesday. Well, right after she made the reservations, I made a realization... that's the same night that the Thrashers are playing Cory's favorite team, the Blues, at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

Now, an "airport run" is usually one of the most heinous chores imaginable (when I lived in Missouri, it was nearly 3 hours to the nearest major airport. One Way). But an airport run with a hockey game as it's reward... well, that's not too shabby. Even if it means I'll have to spend half the night explaining what "icing" is to my mother.

So, we procured tickets, and Cory and I have been pretty excited about the plan. We got to see the Blues play the Thrashers last year, too... and the result wasn't too favorable for St. Louis.

This morning, I woke up and checked my email (ok, who am I kidding. It was afternoon. I don't do mornings if I can help it). Lo and Behold, I received an email that said Dany Heatley will return to the Thrashers on Wednesday!!!!

Yahoo!!!!!

Lace 'Em Up

Ok, so I know this is a sports blog, and not a political blog, but I thought that this deserved our attention:
Kerry Takes to Ice With Hockey Greats in New Hampshire.

I haven't seen the video yet, but apparently ol' JK has the moves on the frozen pond. Cory said he did a pretty sweet deke and scored a goal. Not too shabby.

Now, I haven't picked a "favorite" candidate of the Dems yet... But John Kerry seems to be pulling for my vote. Too bad his bio says he enjoys hunting.

Sign of the Apocalypse

Brace yourself, dear reader.

The betting capital of the world has listed the Royals as a 20-1 favorite to win the World Series.

Finally, I can put down the revolver. Sweet release is just over the horizon.

Mets Win, Mets Win

Even if the Mets can't win a game on the diamond, there ARE winning in the courtroom: the right to the "Met" name in Europe.
The chief London weather office, "The Met" lost their fight to block the New York National League Baseball Club of the same name.

Which begs the question: Can this British band of meteorologists beat the Detroit Tigers?

Not that I would ask said question...I have too much respect for the Motor City Kitties and their great fans.

The Game Waaaay Before the Game

Trying to pick your Super Bowl wager? Consider this... the folks at whatifsports.com have simulated Super Bowl XXXVII, and the upstart Carolina Panthers are the virtual champions!

Box Score

Taking It Way Too Far

What the hell is this??? Why the hell is the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" now producing a webpage about Entertainment News?

Do I go to E! to find out if the Red Wings won? Hell, no. So why should I go to ESPN.com for all the late-breaking J-Lo and Jessica Simpson news?

I shouldn't. And I won't.

So join with me, my brothers and sisters, and boycott "Page 3!"

Royal Signing

Outfielder Carlos Beltran and the Kansas City Royals agreed Tuesday to a $9 million, one-year contract.

So...any bets on how long before Carlos is traded this year?

Anyone?

Meet the New Boss....Same as The Old Boss

What took them so !@##* long? The news everyone heard on Saturday was finally confirmed today with the hiring of former Chiefs head coach Gunther Cunningham as their new Defensive Coordinator.

Say goodbye to the "32" Defense: The "KC Strip" Defense is back.

You know, for a team that didn't interview anyone but 2 in-house assistants and Cunningham, it sure did play out much more dramatically.

The funniest thing I heard about the press conference today is Gunther sizing up his new Weak side Linebacker Scott Fujita, getting right in his face and saying, "Ooooh, you're a big one, aint cha?

Priceless.

Say what you will about Gun...he's a !@#$@!% riot.

Got Your Number

When I spotted this article tonight, I was pretty excited. I'm always interested in why athletes picked particular uniform numbers. But they left out some glaring examples.

They mentioned that Mario Lemieux picked #66 to pay tribute to Wayne Gretzky (#99), and then said that the "great one" picked #99 in honor of Gordie Howe (#9). But the way I've understood it since I was in high school was that Gretzky picked #99 because he'd signed with the Oilers through the year 1999.

And for God's sake, how could they leave out the greatest name/number combination in hockey? Steve Heinze. Number 57. That's right... he's Heinze 57.

Our Long National Nightmare is Over

Today, the Chiefs are expected to announce the hiring of Gunther Cunningham as their new Defensive Coordinator. This on the heels of pretty much everyone knowing so on Saturday, but per the usual, the "official" announcement had yet to be made to the public.

Strange indeed, but even stranger is the fact that Kansas City is hiring back the same guy that was given his walking papers just three years previous....and that was even handled badly. Cunningham found out about his firing over the Internet. (Where does that kind of inter-office communication sound familiar?)

At any rate, the fans have spoken and the overwhelming majority are estactic to have "Gun" back where he belongs: firing up the sidelines and resurrecting a once proud defense from the depths of the dreaded "32".

I send along my best wishes to Gunther, as he has quite a job on his hands, and very little time to do it.

But if anyone can do it, Gun can.

Prince Albert Breaks His Silence

The Cards' resident stud Albert Pujols is apparently fed up with the shaft he's received from the Cards despite his historic and record-breaking start to a promising career.

My Take: Good for Albert.

After putting up ridiculous numbers his first 3 years, it's time the Cards locked him up in a long term deal. I know the money's tight, but all they're getting from these record one-year arbitration awards is a disgruntled Pujols.

It seems to me it would take a great deal to make Albert mad.

To Walt Jocketty: Let's leave that job to NL pitchers.

The Gun's Back

Chief Fans finally got their man back where he belongs. I think it's safe to say that the 04 Chiefs D will be significantly improved over 03.

Of course, there's nowhere to go but up.

Saunders Staying

Thank God the Chiefs retained Al. I wish him the best in any head coaching position we would get, but the Raiders? That would truly be unforgivable.

Let The Games Begin

Welcome to COD Nation...A soapbox for me and my friends about the teams and sports we love.
It is my sincere hope that this blog will continue to grow.

So, come on in, fellow fans, the blogging's fine.