When I started a thread on The Wolverine board a few months back about how soccer is stupid, a bunch of people freaked out and basically said I'm just ignorant and I don't know anything about soccer, blah blah blah. So I figured, alright, the two best teams in the world are playing today, let me watch and see what all the fuss is about.
Still not a fan, still think a lot of aspects of it are stupid.
Don't get me wrong, I respect the hell out of the athletes. You obviously have to be in great shape and be very athletic to play at a high level in that sport. There were some great plays in that game: Henry's spinning run through traffic, Zidane's header that nearly won the thing, Italy's first goal off the corner, the shot off the direct kick that went perfectly over the wall and juuuuust missed the post. But over the course of a 120 minute game, IMO there needs to be more than just a handful of legitimately great plays.
So here are some thoughts on the game, and if you want to call me an ignorant American, go for it. But also understand that there probably aren't a lot of people that have watched more college soccer over the past 2 years than me. No it's not at the same level (or even close) but don't think for a second that I'm just some uninformed yahoo. I know enough about the game at this point to comment on it.
1) Under no circumstance should a game of that magnitude end in penalty kicks. You play what? 63 matches in the World Cup to decide who gets to the championship. You play 120 minutes in the championship. Then you decide the title based on a glorified guessing game? The goalie has no chance in those situations unless he either guesses correctly or the other guy screws up. Italy wins the World Championship because their guys put 5 shots into a huge goal and their goalie didn't even have to make a single save. It seems silly to me. If you insist on a shootout, perhaps backing the players up a few yards would equalize things a little bit? As it is now, they might as well have a shooter-tutor in front of the net and have each of the five players try to hit a different hole on it. Or as John Bacon put it on WTKA today, "It would be like having an extra point contest to decide the Super Bowl."
2) Sticking with my complaining about the OT format, I've always been a big fan of "Golden Goal". Is a thirty-minute overtime, played out even if someone scores, completely necessary? In OT, if someone scores, the game should be over right then. Hell, it essentially is anyway.
3) The diving is embarassing. This is the highest level the game can possibly be played at, and it seems that acting is just as important as dribbling. This, above everything else, is a reason that I will never be a soccer fan. Diving irks me (anyone who has seen my comments about Robbie Earl and Andrew Cogliano knows that) and a sport that heavily rewards it is a sport that I'm probably not watching. Was the France guy even touched on the foul that led to France's first goal? I thought he was, but after seeing the back camera's replay, I'm not so sure. Need a 2 minute rest? Just grab your shin.
I don't doubt that some of those guys were actually in pain--it's a surprisingly rough sport--but I think I counted at least 4 different times the stretcher was brought out onto the field during the game. Unnecessary. Especially since I don't think it was used once.
Henry was injured 30 seconds into the game. You know what it was? It was a PICK! I can't imagine what would've happened to him if Graham Brown every got ahold of him! He sat on the field for like 2 minutes, missed 30 seconds of time and came back in. Hell, when Headbutt McFrenchy hurt his shoulder they brought the damn stretcher out. GET UP AND WALK! It's your goddamn shoulder!
Overall, it was a good game that was decently entertaining. But being that this was the absolute best the sport had to offer, next time I'll probably just stick to watching my Nascar race. And if you tell me that is boring, I'm just going to call you an ignorant Yankee. So there!
Speaking of racing, allow me to indulge on three topics, before I get on to the Red Wings and Stevie Y.
1) Juan Pablo Montoya is coming back to America to race in Nextel Cup next year. Allow me to say, YES! I love Juan Montoya. IMO he immediately becomes the third best pure racecar driver in the series behind Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. He adds a Hispanic presence to the series, and Nascar will start the hype machine rolling based on him winning the Indy 500. Great driver, thrilled he's coming back.
2) ESPN reported today that Danica Patrick may be headed for Nascar as well. Big mistake. Big, big mistake. Even though they say those cars are easier to handle than IndyCars, I can't see that tiny little girl, physically fit as she may be, being able to handle 500 miles every week for 38 weeks. Frankly, I'm not even sure she's tall enough to drive one of those cars. Plus, she hasn't exactly torn up open-wheel. If she can't beat Ed Carpenter half the time, how is she going to compete with the likes of Casey Mears, let alone Tony Stewart? Stick to open-wheel, Danica.
Plus I'm not sure how the rednecks would take to having a foreigner (Montoya), a girl (Patrick), and a Japanese automaker (Toyota) all enter the series in the same year.
3) Matt Kenseth: I understand you're pissed at Jeff Gordon for spinning you. But if you think about it for 2 seconds, you should be thanking him. You didn't have the fuel to make it to the end anyway. If he didn't spin you, you would've run out of gas under green and lost at least a lap to the field, if not more. Instead of that 21st place finish, we'd be talking more like 37th. So shut your damn mouth. What goes around, comes around bitch. At least he likes the Packers.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Saturday, July 01, 2006
So Much For Options
Ken Holland is an absolute fool.
While the rest of the NHL was out improving their teams today, he resigned Osgood for 2 years. 2 years. So what happens if we land a starting goalie like he's said we need to, then Jim Howard blows up in the AHL this year like he will because he's awesome. What do you do for 2007-08? Why not sign Osgood to a one year deal if you absolutely have to have him back? We're just going to end up in a position where we either have to trade him or eat the salary again.
Now about that starter thing...Holland said earlier this week that he probably won't trade for a goalie because teams are asking an arm and a leg because "they know we need one". But that still left a few guys. Cue Huet resigning with Montreal, Roloson resigning with Edmonton, Gerber going to Ottawa.
So who does that leave on the UFA list? Legace, Hasek, Belfour, and Mike Dunham. Oh yeah, and David Aebischer. There would be egg all over Holland's face if he had to get Legace to come back. Dunham has had two horrible years in a row and he really can't be considered an option at this point. Aebischer is horrible. We don't need an Avs castoff thank you very much. That leaves two old guys. Of those, Belfour is oft-injured and coming off a horrible year for Toronto. Hasek is oft-injured but was still the best goalie in hockey before he was hurt.
It sounds crazy, I know. But what about tour #3 for Dominik Hasek in Detroit. Think about it. A 2 year deal for Osgood seems to indicate to me that they may only offer a 1 year deal to the guy they want to start. Belfour & Hasek would fit that category. That would then set up either Liv/Osgood or Howard/Osgood for 07-08.
If you're in a position where either Ed Belfour, Mike Dunham, Chris Osgood, Manny Legace or Dominik Hasek is going to be your starting goalie for the 06-07 season, why not take a swing for the fences with Dominik Hasek? Split time with Osgood for the regular season, try to keep him healthy, then let him take a run at it in the playoffs. Injuries shouldn't be a huge concern, because if they're so confident in Ozzie that they want to give him a 2 year deal (????????!!!!!!!!!) then they should be confident enough that he can carry the load should Hasek go down.
I didn't even consider him until today. But with options going by the wayside, it looks like good ole Kenny is backed into a corner once again if he doesn't want to trade for anyone. Hasek, not Belfour is the right choice for this team. If he decides to go the trade route, Biron and Giguere are the most realistic options unless Dallas puts Turco on the market. I believe Nabokov's no trade clause kicked in at midnight this morning. Not a lot of good options out there, so why not take a one year chance on a guy that when healthy can still be the best goalie in the league?
And strong work getting us painted into this corner. But at least we've got Ozzie!!!
While the rest of the NHL was out improving their teams today, he resigned Osgood for 2 years. 2 years. So what happens if we land a starting goalie like he's said we need to, then Jim Howard blows up in the AHL this year like he will because he's awesome. What do you do for 2007-08? Why not sign Osgood to a one year deal if you absolutely have to have him back? We're just going to end up in a position where we either have to trade him or eat the salary again.
Now about that starter thing...Holland said earlier this week that he probably won't trade for a goalie because teams are asking an arm and a leg because "they know we need one". But that still left a few guys. Cue Huet resigning with Montreal, Roloson resigning with Edmonton, Gerber going to Ottawa.
So who does that leave on the UFA list? Legace, Hasek, Belfour, and Mike Dunham. Oh yeah, and David Aebischer. There would be egg all over Holland's face if he had to get Legace to come back. Dunham has had two horrible years in a row and he really can't be considered an option at this point. Aebischer is horrible. We don't need an Avs castoff thank you very much. That leaves two old guys. Of those, Belfour is oft-injured and coming off a horrible year for Toronto. Hasek is oft-injured but was still the best goalie in hockey before he was hurt.
It sounds crazy, I know. But what about tour #3 for Dominik Hasek in Detroit. Think about it. A 2 year deal for Osgood seems to indicate to me that they may only offer a 1 year deal to the guy they want to start. Belfour & Hasek would fit that category. That would then set up either Liv/Osgood or Howard/Osgood for 07-08.
If you're in a position where either Ed Belfour, Mike Dunham, Chris Osgood, Manny Legace or Dominik Hasek is going to be your starting goalie for the 06-07 season, why not take a swing for the fences with Dominik Hasek? Split time with Osgood for the regular season, try to keep him healthy, then let him take a run at it in the playoffs. Injuries shouldn't be a huge concern, because if they're so confident in Ozzie that they want to give him a 2 year deal (????????!!!!!!!!!) then they should be confident enough that he can carry the load should Hasek go down.
I didn't even consider him until today. But with options going by the wayside, it looks like good ole Kenny is backed into a corner once again if he doesn't want to trade for anyone. Hasek, not Belfour is the right choice for this team. If he decides to go the trade route, Biron and Giguere are the most realistic options unless Dallas puts Turco on the market. I believe Nabokov's no trade clause kicked in at midnight this morning. Not a lot of good options out there, so why not take a one year chance on a guy that when healthy can still be the best goalie in the league?
And strong work getting us painted into this corner. But at least we've got Ozzie!!!
Friday, June 30, 2006
EDSBS Roundtable
I'm going to participate in this one because yes, I do like talking about myself. And I'm getting paid to do it. Gotta love blogging at work!
1. Education. List the region of the country you were born in, what universities you attended and at least one other you would have attended if your alma mater didn’t exist.
I was born in Henderson, KY. Let’s just call it Louisville. My degree is from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, to clarify to any Sparties who immediately reply “Dearborn doesn’t count!” to anyone who says they went to U of M. And either way you didn’t get in...) If I didn't get into Michigan, I probably would have gone to Oakland or something for a year and tried to transfer. I'm not really sure. Michigan is the only place I applied.
2. Sports Affiliations. List your top 10 favorite teams in all of sports in decending order. For instance, your alma mater’s football team may be number 1, but perhaps there is a professional team that squeezes in before you get to your alma mater’s lacrosse team.
1. Michigan Hockey
2. Green Bay Packers (though this is more like a 1A)
3. Bryan Herta
4. Michigan Football
5. Detroit Red Wings
6. Detroit Pistons (4-5-6 are all on the same plateau as well)
7. We’ll lump the rest of the racers I like in here… Tony Kanaan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon
8. Michigan Basketball
9. Michigan Non-Revenue sports
10. Louisville Cardinals Football and Basketball
and like Spinal Tap, this one goes to 11...
11. Texas Longhorns Football (thanks to the Rose Bowl story which I’ve told many a time)
3. Movies. List the movie you’ve watched the most, your favorite sports related movie, the movie you secretly love but don’t like to admit it (possibly a chick flick or b film), and the movie you were (or still are) most looking forward to from this summer’s season.
Most watched: It’d pretty much have to be either Swingers, Rounders, Frequency or Eurotrip
Fave sports movie: Miracle, Mystery Alaska, Rounders, The Mighty Ducks, Days of Thunder all could potentially make the cut depending on my mood. Driven did not.
Shame flick: Bring It On...Kirsten Dunst AND Eliza Dushku? Yes please.
I’m adding a category here…
Movie you hated that everyone else loved: Napoleon Dynamite. Absolutely the biggest waste of two hours and eight dollars ever. I laughed twice. Seriously.
Wedding Crashers is right up there as well. It was ok, but not nearly as funny as everyone seems to think...
4. Music. List your favorite band from middle school, high school, college and today. Also, as with the movies, include the song you secretly love but don’t like to admit. If Nickleback is involved in any of these responses, please give a detailed explanation as to why, god, why.
Middle school: The Rembrandts, Yeah Friends theme!!!
High school: Crowded House (yes the “Hey now, Hey now, Don’t Dream it’s Over” band) Still love em. There aren’t any singer/songwriters finer than Neil Finn.
College: Kasey Chambers
Shamelove song: “4ever” by The Veronicas. Actually, I own that cd and it’s one of my favorite albums I’ve bought this year. I can’t stop listening to it. Every song is just so damn catchy!
5. Books. Favorite book you’ve finished, worst book you’ve finished and the book you really should read but haven’t gotten around to it.
Favorite: The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver—Millions and millions of times better than the movie. Everything by Deaver is just gold. “Kill Me” by Stephen White, “Blue Ice” by John Bacon, and the entire Prey series by John Sandford are right there.
Worst: “The Obscene Diaries of a Michigan Fan”—too many leaps in logic, WAY too much hearsay. I pretty much thought I was buying mgoblog in book form. It just wasn’t what I expected.
Book we should read but haven’t: Probably that book about broadcasting that my girlfriend bought me. She’s gonna snap if I don’t read it soon. Too many good books all came out at the same time though! I have to get through those first!!
6. Travel. Favorite city you’ve ever been to and the one place you still must visit before you shuffle off this mortal coil.
Fave city: Toronto. I love everything about that place. And yet strangely, it’s Green Bay, Wisconsin that has me missing it.
City we need to go to: Sydney, Australia. I have to get down under at some point in my life. Preferably while Shane Nicholson, Kasey Chambers, the Finns, Mark Seymour, Dave Dobbyn, The Veronicas, Mick Thomas, Paul Kelly, The Whitlams, and The John Butler Trio are all touring...
7. What do you love most about college football in 20 words or less?
The years come and go, but Sparty’s still our bitch. Oh, and the renewed hope each summer.
1. Education. List the region of the country you were born in, what universities you attended and at least one other you would have attended if your alma mater didn’t exist.
I was born in Henderson, KY. Let’s just call it Louisville. My degree is from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, to clarify to any Sparties who immediately reply “Dearborn doesn’t count!” to anyone who says they went to U of M. And either way you didn’t get in...) If I didn't get into Michigan, I probably would have gone to Oakland or something for a year and tried to transfer. I'm not really sure. Michigan is the only place I applied.
2. Sports Affiliations. List your top 10 favorite teams in all of sports in decending order. For instance, your alma mater’s football team may be number 1, but perhaps there is a professional team that squeezes in before you get to your alma mater’s lacrosse team.
1. Michigan Hockey
2. Green Bay Packers (though this is more like a 1A)
3. Bryan Herta
4. Michigan Football
5. Detroit Red Wings
6. Detroit Pistons (4-5-6 are all on the same plateau as well)
7. We’ll lump the rest of the racers I like in here… Tony Kanaan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon
8. Michigan Basketball
9. Michigan Non-Revenue sports
10. Louisville Cardinals Football and Basketball
and like Spinal Tap, this one goes to 11...
11. Texas Longhorns Football (thanks to the Rose Bowl story which I’ve told many a time)
3. Movies. List the movie you’ve watched the most, your favorite sports related movie, the movie you secretly love but don’t like to admit it (possibly a chick flick or b film), and the movie you were (or still are) most looking forward to from this summer’s season.
Most watched: It’d pretty much have to be either Swingers, Rounders, Frequency or Eurotrip
Fave sports movie: Miracle, Mystery Alaska, Rounders, The Mighty Ducks, Days of Thunder all could potentially make the cut depending on my mood. Driven did not.
Shame flick: Bring It On...Kirsten Dunst AND Eliza Dushku? Yes please.
I’m adding a category here…
Movie you hated that everyone else loved: Napoleon Dynamite. Absolutely the biggest waste of two hours and eight dollars ever. I laughed twice. Seriously.
Wedding Crashers is right up there as well. It was ok, but not nearly as funny as everyone seems to think...
4. Music. List your favorite band from middle school, high school, college and today. Also, as with the movies, include the song you secretly love but don’t like to admit. If Nickleback is involved in any of these responses, please give a detailed explanation as to why, god, why.
Middle school: The Rembrandts, Yeah Friends theme!!!
High school: Crowded House (yes the “Hey now, Hey now, Don’t Dream it’s Over” band) Still love em. There aren’t any singer/songwriters finer than Neil Finn.
College: Kasey Chambers
Shamelove song: “4ever” by The Veronicas. Actually, I own that cd and it’s one of my favorite albums I’ve bought this year. I can’t stop listening to it. Every song is just so damn catchy!
5. Books. Favorite book you’ve finished, worst book you’ve finished and the book you really should read but haven’t gotten around to it.
Favorite: The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver—Millions and millions of times better than the movie. Everything by Deaver is just gold. “Kill Me” by Stephen White, “Blue Ice” by John Bacon, and the entire Prey series by John Sandford are right there.
Worst: “The Obscene Diaries of a Michigan Fan”—too many leaps in logic, WAY too much hearsay. I pretty much thought I was buying mgoblog in book form. It just wasn’t what I expected.
Book we should read but haven’t: Probably that book about broadcasting that my girlfriend bought me. She’s gonna snap if I don’t read it soon. Too many good books all came out at the same time though! I have to get through those first!!
6. Travel. Favorite city you’ve ever been to and the one place you still must visit before you shuffle off this mortal coil.
Fave city: Toronto. I love everything about that place. And yet strangely, it’s Green Bay, Wisconsin that has me missing it.
City we need to go to: Sydney, Australia. I have to get down under at some point in my life. Preferably while Shane Nicholson, Kasey Chambers, the Finns, Mark Seymour, Dave Dobbyn, The Veronicas, Mick Thomas, Paul Kelly, The Whitlams, and The John Butler Trio are all touring...
7. What do you love most about college football in 20 words or less?
The years come and go, but Sparty’s still our bitch. Oh, and the renewed hope each summer.
You Want to Tell Him or Should I???
First off, prayers going out this afternoon to Northwestern Football Coach Randy Walker's family and friends, and the entire Northwestern community. He passed away waaay too soon.
Next...I didn't realize that if I wanted to boost the number of hits on this site, all I had to do was make fun of a dorky little kid that happened to be wearing a PSU jersey and get Brian to link it. The three biggest days of hits this site has ever had all in a row, and frankly it's not close. Poor kid.
This is old news by now, but I can't resist commenting on U of M's new basketball recruit that Tommy Amaker offered a scholarship to without having ever seen him play. After committing, the kid had this to say:
Ummm....errr......well if he wants to play in front of 6,000-8,000 fans on Comcast Local, I guess we're the school for him. Does he think he committed to the Pistons?
I hate this time of year.....
Next...I didn't realize that if I wanted to boost the number of hits on this site, all I had to do was make fun of a dorky little kid that happened to be wearing a PSU jersey and get Brian to link it. The three biggest days of hits this site has ever had all in a row, and frankly it's not close. Poor kid.
This is old news by now, but I can't resist commenting on U of M's new basketball recruit that Tommy Amaker offered a scholarship to without having ever seen him play. After committing, the kid had this to say:
“Oh man, it’s crazy; this is something I’ve dreamed about ever since I picked up
a basketball,” he said. “To play in a packed house in front of 20,000 fans
screaming with every game on ESPN, it’s going to be incredible.”
Ummm....errr......well if he wants to play in front of 6,000-8,000 fans on Comcast Local, I guess we're the school for him. Does he think he committed to the Pistons?
I hate this time of year.....
Sunday, June 25, 2006
The Wings' Draft
It's hard for me to be overly critical when I haven't seen a single player that we took. But from reading different reviews of the draft, having seen the draft rankings, and looking at organizational needs, I have to bitch about a few things here.
First off, if there's one area where the Red Wings are lacking in prospects, it's on defense. Factor in that Lidstrom and Schneider are getting up there in years, Chelios is way beyond getting up there in years, and Fischer is completely done in all likelihood and it's evident there's going to be a huge need for defense in the coming years. So what do we do last night? Pass on Chris Summers, Nigel Williams, Jamie McBain, and Brian Strait. Because USA doesn't have a history of putting out defensemen or anything (I think they have something absurd like 14 of them in the NHL currently). And we pick one defenseman in the entire draft, with our last pick. And he's small. It does my heart good to know that in 3 years, our defense corps is going to consist of Brett Lebda, Derek Meech, Nik Kronwall, Kyle Quincey, and me. Way to plan ahead guys...because if there's one thing we're going to need more of, it's undersized centers! Because they've worked out so well for us in the playoffs.
They drafted a forward in the second round that was unranked by a lot of scouting services (but he's Swedish so he rules and I want to see him OMG Shirtless!!!), and was something like the 172nd ranked European skater by the report I read. And they took him in the second round? Even if you think the kid is potentially a player, isn't there something to be said for making value picks? Or have I just watched too much of the NFL draft?
Then they follow it up with a goalie in the third round that was also not among the 18 European goalies ranked by the NHL Scouting Services. Who did they pass up to get him? Joe Palmer. Because USA doesn't put out good goalies either. But again, he's Swedish so he's awesome.
I understand they've had a pretty good track record of pulling players out of Europe, but holy crap! Chances are, if the guy isn't ranked by the ISS, you don't need to go grabbing him in the 2nd or 3rd round.
I'm becoming very very scared of this upcoming season. From the looks of things, it seems that all this "Expect some big chances" talk was just that. Talk. Now we're hearing things like "If Shanny comes back, we're looking for a fourth line forward. And we need a defenseman but he's going to be more of a role player. And we need a goalie." But it appears they're dead set on bringing Osgood back for another year (could happen as early as tomorrow). Holland has also said that he wants both youngsters (Howard and Liv) in the AHL.
So it appears that we're looking at a Biron/Osgood combo that just might not be any better than what we had last year, with no major changes to the roster itself. How does that saying go? Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it? I'm not hitting the panic button just yet, but this weekend--between losing out on Luongo who we apparently never made an offer for, and having a disappointing draft--doesn't bode well for the future of this team. These are not encouraging signs I'm seeing....
First off, if there's one area where the Red Wings are lacking in prospects, it's on defense. Factor in that Lidstrom and Schneider are getting up there in years, Chelios is way beyond getting up there in years, and Fischer is completely done in all likelihood and it's evident there's going to be a huge need for defense in the coming years. So what do we do last night? Pass on Chris Summers, Nigel Williams, Jamie McBain, and Brian Strait. Because USA doesn't have a history of putting out defensemen or anything (I think they have something absurd like 14 of them in the NHL currently). And we pick one defenseman in the entire draft, with our last pick. And he's small. It does my heart good to know that in 3 years, our defense corps is going to consist of Brett Lebda, Derek Meech, Nik Kronwall, Kyle Quincey, and me. Way to plan ahead guys...because if there's one thing we're going to need more of, it's undersized centers! Because they've worked out so well for us in the playoffs.
They drafted a forward in the second round that was unranked by a lot of scouting services (but he's Swedish so he rules and I want to see him OMG Shirtless!!!), and was something like the 172nd ranked European skater by the report I read. And they took him in the second round? Even if you think the kid is potentially a player, isn't there something to be said for making value picks? Or have I just watched too much of the NFL draft?
Then they follow it up with a goalie in the third round that was also not among the 18 European goalies ranked by the NHL Scouting Services. Who did they pass up to get him? Joe Palmer. Because USA doesn't put out good goalies either. But again, he's Swedish so he's awesome.
I understand they've had a pretty good track record of pulling players out of Europe, but holy crap! Chances are, if the guy isn't ranked by the ISS, you don't need to go grabbing him in the 2nd or 3rd round.
I'm becoming very very scared of this upcoming season. From the looks of things, it seems that all this "Expect some big chances" talk was just that. Talk. Now we're hearing things like "If Shanny comes back, we're looking for a fourth line forward. And we need a defenseman but he's going to be more of a role player. And we need a goalie." But it appears they're dead set on bringing Osgood back for another year (could happen as early as tomorrow). Holland has also said that he wants both youngsters (Howard and Liv) in the AHL.
So it appears that we're looking at a Biron/Osgood combo that just might not be any better than what we had last year, with no major changes to the roster itself. How does that saying go? Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it? I'm not hitting the panic button just yet, but this weekend--between losing out on Luongo who we apparently never made an offer for, and having a disappointing draft--doesn't bode well for the future of this team. These are not encouraging signs I'm seeing....
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
We Are! Penn State!
I hope this kid is home schooled, because he's just done for....
The uhh....Star Wars kid is on line 2.
The uhh....Star Wars kid is on line 2.
This Doesn't Surprise Me
This....is ESPN. This....is a phone service that no one is buying. The Wall Street Journal reported today that fewer than 10,000 people have signed up for Mobile ESPN through the month of May (it launched in February). I'm pretty sure that works out to one person signed up per every three showings of the commercial. While ESPN may be surprised at the low numbers, I for one am not. As an obviously huge sports fan, I checked out the website to see how much this little flip-phone from heaven would cost me when my Cingular contract expires in a year or so. Right then, it became evident that no one in their right mind would sign up for this service.
Why you may ask? Because the cheapest plan they had was for something like $39.99 a month. For 200 anytime minutes--and by anytime minutes they mean night, weekend, everything. Because nights and weekends weren't free. The next level up was for 400 anytime minutes, which included free night and weekends. But it was $70 a month! Yeah I'm gonna go ahead and stick with the family plan....
In light of the fact that more people attend your average New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup parade than have signed up for Mobile ESPN, it looks like ESPN has lowered their prices on it. Now it's a much more reasonable $39.99 a month for 400 anytime minutes plus unlimited night and weekend.
Now, I'm not gonna lie. I'm back to thinking, "Hmmmmmm...."
In other news, it's a sad, sad day at the University of Michigan. The White M-Cards are officially no more.
Per an email I got today: "This e-mail is a reminder to faculty, staff, and students that if they are still carrying a "white" Mcard that these cards are no longer valid. The cardholder must go to an ID Issuing Station (locations can be found at www.mcard.umich.edu/stations.htm ) and have their card replaced with a "yellow" Mcard."
RIP White M-Card.
And Sidney? When you come to visit Michigan's campus in a couple weeks, no trying to talk Jack into going pro if the Hurricanes decide to trade him for Pittsburgh's #2 pick. Seriously, that's not cool. You've got Malkin now, just wait another year or three.
And prospective 2007 hockey recruit Jeff Petry has decided that he likes cows better than National Championships and has committed to Michigan State.
Why you may ask? Because the cheapest plan they had was for something like $39.99 a month. For 200 anytime minutes--and by anytime minutes they mean night, weekend, everything. Because nights and weekends weren't free. The next level up was for 400 anytime minutes, which included free night and weekends. But it was $70 a month! Yeah I'm gonna go ahead and stick with the family plan....
In light of the fact that more people attend your average New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup parade than have signed up for Mobile ESPN, it looks like ESPN has lowered their prices on it. Now it's a much more reasonable $39.99 a month for 400 anytime minutes plus unlimited night and weekend.
Now, I'm not gonna lie. I'm back to thinking, "Hmmmmmm...."
In other news, it's a sad, sad day at the University of Michigan. The White M-Cards are officially no more.
Per an email I got today: "This e-mail is a reminder to faculty, staff, and students that if they are still carrying a "white" Mcard that these cards are no longer valid. The cardholder must go to an ID Issuing Station (locations can be found at www.mcard.umich.edu/stations
RIP White M-Card.
And Sidney? When you come to visit Michigan's campus in a couple weeks, no trying to talk Jack into going pro if the Hurricanes decide to trade him for Pittsburgh's #2 pick. Seriously, that's not cool. You've got Malkin now, just wait another year or three.
And prospective 2007 hockey recruit Jeff Petry has decided that he likes cows better than National Championships and has committed to Michigan State.
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