(Get) A Sporting Life

Oh those poor, poor picked upon Detroit Red Wings fan.... they have it so fucking tough . In the aftermath of losing a game in OT while two players were forced it sit because they violated NHL rules for lying about "injuries" that would magically keep them from skating in the ice dancing exhibition that is the NHL All Star game but would allow them to play for real the moment the season started back up, we are all treated with this whine: Even if the Red Wings won 8-0 instead of losing 3-2 in OT, the dislike and possibly out-and-out hatred pointed in Gary Bettman's direction would have reached firestorm status. Given that the Wings lost the services of Henrik Zetterberg and were able to eke out a point without their top two forwards, top defenceman, their rock-steady second-pair defenceman (Brad Stuart), but lost thanks to a series of bizarre bounces and some penalty calls that will spout new conspiracy theories, given all the "hugging" that was going on...This...

Goon alert ! The St. Louis Blues on Tuesday claimed left wing David Koci on waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Koci, 27, played in one game with Tampa Bay this season, posting four penalty minutes. The 6-6, 238-pounder has skated in 28 career NHL contests, recording 160 penalty minutes. This guy hasn't scored a goal in organized hockey since the 2004-05 season of the AHL. Koci strikes me as an affront to the hockey skills of DJ King whom he is supposed to replace, I think. Either that or we picked this guy up so he can beat the crap out of Henrik Zetterberg on Wednesday and get banned for life. Hmmm... In any event, I cannot imagine Koci will be a Blue long.

Remember when I said the NHL was starting to call the game by the book? Well, you can scratch that, as the Goebbels and Himmler of officiating crews is making a mockery of the game tonight. This is what happens when you let bunch of no talent hacks make up the rancid cream of your officiating crews. They could never actually play the game with any skill themselves so they resent it when they see it on the ice. Therefore a negative defensive team like the fucking Red Wings is favored over the skilled Penguins. The result is hockey that is boring as pig shit. These refs are nothing but a bunch of cocksuckers. (I know, I know...thats from baseball movie...but it seemed to fit.) ADDING: The refs are also gonna have to decide if Franzen is a hockey player or a goddam china doll. I'm betting they decide he's a china doll. And since when did Chris Osgood become such a flopper? There seems to be something about wearing a Detroit uniform that makes you a pussy.

Through one period of Game One of the Stanley Cup finals and the refs are not allowing the Red Wings to interfere off the puck, trip the goaltender, or hold Penguins up after they dump the puck in. In other words, they are actually calling the game as the rulebook says they should. Miracles do happen.