What's Bruin? The Home Stretch Edition

By Jim Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The Boston Bruins have had a fantastic season thus far. With 9 games remaining in the regular season, they are not just playing to hold on for the #1 seed in the East and home ice advantage. Yes, that is hugely important, but what matters more is not having to face the New Jersey Devils or the Washington Capitols until the conference finals.

The Bruins currently have a 5 point lead over both teams which is not a comfortable lead with only 9 games left. The Bruins and Devils have played the same amount of games, but the Capitols have played 2 more games than both teams. Washington is finishing the season very strong as they've won 14 points going 6-2-2 over the past 10 games. Washington also has the easiest remaining schedule of the three teams.

While Washington may be the Bruins biggest threat to overtake them in the standings, the New Jersey Devils are the team I would fear the most in the playoffs. The Devils have Marty Brodeur back healthy for the playoffs, an amazing defense, and finally have some bonafide scorers in Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner and Patrik Elias.

Despite that, I fully expect the Boston Bruins to enter the playoffs as the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They had an inspired win last Sunday against the Devils, nearly a week of of rest since that game, and are relatively healthy at this point. I wouldn't be too worried about Phil Kessel missing a few games this weekend. If the playoffs started today, they would face off against the hated Montreal Canadians. Many people may look back to the last time they've faced off in the first round of the playoffs, and be a little worried. This team is too gritty and too hard working to fall in the first round.

If the Bruins can secure the #1 seed, then anything short of making the Conference Finals is a disappointment in my opinion.

Please check back for much more hockey coverage as the season wraps up, we all start to grow our playoff beards and get ready to hoist the Stanley Cup!

Defending champions still dangerous

By Chad Garner
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Can the Celtics repeat?
After beating the L.A. Lakers in last year's NBA Finals, it seemed like it was a very good possibility if, and only if, the Celtics could avoid injury.
Well, the dreaded injury bug has struck in Beantown and struck real hard.
Who hasn't been hurt for the Celtics this season? These guys sure know how to dress since we've seen them in street clothes on the bench for much of the season.
While Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins and Tony Allen have all missed time, there's no bigger blow to a team than when the heart and soul of your club misses significant time.
It happened to the Celtics with Kevin Garnett going down with a knee injury. He missed 13 games, and is just starting to work his way back into the lineup. In four games since his return, Garnett has scored only 10-10-12-4 points, while averaging around 14-16 minutes per game.
Those stats are nothing to brag about, but the key is he's back and trying to get as close to 100 percent as possible before the start of the playoffs sometime in late April.
No need to push the limits big fella, we need you primed and ready for the playoffs.
Boston needs Garnett. Not for one second does any Celtiics fan think they can repeat without the complete package Garnett. His play and his leadership and intensity were missed greatly. Defensive production was down and so was scoring.
Boston is only 5-5 in its last 10 games, and lost to Orlando on Wednesday, 84-82, to drop to 3rd in the Eastern Conference standings.
But championships aren't won in March or during the regular season.
Cleveland sits in first, followed by Orlando and Boston. Don't forget about the Lakers in the Western Conference. They all can take down the Celtics in the playoffs.
But with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen (so much for being washed up, huh!), Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Eddie House, Leon Powe, Glen Davis and Stephon Marbury ... oh, I forgot the Great White Hope Brian Scalabrine ... the Celtics, if healthy, can do this.
Yes, they are the hunted this year, but nothing really rattles this veteran group -- Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen wouldn't let it anyway.
I like how everyone is talking about Cleveland, Orlando and the Lakers as the next champion.
Go ahead and bury the Celtics, I'm not.
Here's to good health and hopefully another championship banner!

NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament Preview - Go BU!

By Jim Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

There is more than one Sweet Sixteen happening this weekend. Yes, I am talking about the NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament, and I totally agree when my cousin, and loyal FFS reader, said "In my opinion, playoff hockey, college or pro, is the most exciting time of the year in all sports". As I sit down to right this, I need to keep reminding myself to be as unbiased as possible. To be honest, I have a huge routing interest in the tournament. I am an employee of the Agganis Arena at Boston University, home to the #1 ranked BU Terrier men's hockey team, and have watched them play over half of their games this season. With that being said, allow me to provide some analysis as I give you a tour through the four regionals being held in Minneapolis, Grand Rapids, Bridgeport and Manchester.

Minneapolis: Miami vs. Denver/Princeton vs. Minn.-Duluth

Regional final: Minnesota-Duluth vs. Denver
Winner: Denver

Grand Rapids: Bemidji State vs. Notre Dame/Cornell vs. Northeastern

Regional final: Notre Dame vs. Northeastern
Winner: Notre Dame

Bridgeport: Air Force vs. Michigan/Vermont vs. Yale

Regional final: Yale vs. Michigan

Manchester: Ohio State vs. Boston University/North Dakota vs. New Hampshire

Regional final: North Dakota vs. Boston University

Frozen Four: Michigan vs. Boston University/Denver Notre Dame

NCAA final: Notre Dame vs. Boston University
NCAA Champion: Please read on

The 2009 tournament is once again filled with great teams from around the company. 7 of the 10 Hobey Baker Finalists are a part of the NCAA Tournament, so there's a great chance the winner will already be in attendance when the award is announced the Saturday in between rounds. Just in case you didn't realize it, I do have all four #1 seeds advancing to the Frozen Four.

Even though UMD comes in a little hotter than Denver, it's my opinion they will not be able to handle the considerable firepower of Denver. Denver has 7 players with at least 10 goals. While I believe Northeastern will make it to the regional finals, they have not been playing well enough to handle Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have been a force all season. They have a phenomenal defense that should easily handle the Huskies. Northeastern has had trouble from behind all season long and will have serious trouble playing from behind. Air force has been playing fantastic, but have drawn Michigan in the opener. That is unfortunate for them, and should prove a much tougher game for the Wolverines than the regional final against Vermont or Yale.

The final region, and the most interesting to me should is in Manchester. Despite the fact that BU holds the #1 overall seed in the tournament, they reside in the toughest of the 4 regions. I have put my BU love aside for this one, and truly believe that. Ohio State is no slouch, as they now reside at #14 in the country. The Terriers do have a stacked team. The lead the nation in scoring, with 180 goals, have a solid defense, and have a freshman goalie that is 25-2-3 on the season. Not bad for the guy most people thought was the backup goalie to fellow freshman Grant Rollheiser.

The key to BU winning the NCAA this year is scoring early and establishing the lead. They have lost only 1 game when leading after the 1st period, and are undefeated when leading after 2. That is phenomenal! They don't have a bad record, 3-4-1, when they trail after the 2nd period so even if they're down, it doesn't mean they're out.

Well, I've tried to be as objective as possible, but my prediction still stands. The BU Terriers will win the 2009 NCAA Men's Hockey Championship.

Make sure to check back in two weeks for the preview leading up to the actual Frozen Four down in Washington DC!

Holy Cross baseball pulls off big upset against powerful Boston College

By Chad Garner
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
WORCESTER -- I couldn't believe my eyes.
I had just watched the Holy Cross baseball team play sloppy baseball while not getting much pitching or hitting at all in a loss to Yale on Saturday, but the Crusaders looked like a totally different team on Wednesday night in Worcester at Fitton Field.
With powerful Boston College in town, the only people who thought Holy Cross had a chance to win were wearing purple (well, I'm willing to bet many of those fans didn't think they stood a chance, either).
But that's the beauty of sports -- anything can happen on any given day.
Guess what, Holy Cross pulled off an amazing upset win, 8-2.
Holy Cross entered with a 5-14 record, while the Eagles were 14-6 with impressive wins on their resume. Boston College took 2 of 3 from Florida State in Tallahassee and 2 of 3 at Maryland. Needless to say, they're legit.
Boston College has owned Holy Cross over the years -- the Crusaders hadn't won since 1994.
There were several lessons to be learned: never take an opponent lightly, have confidence and always believe you can win even if you don't, and lay it all on the line and play hard each and every inning.
What an upset!

Let Gonzalez play for a winner

By Chad Garner
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Tony Gonzalez is a great football player.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end will go down as one of the best tight ends in NFL history when he's retired, but something's missing in his career -- a Super Bowl ring and another sniff at the playoffs.
Gonzalez is 33 years old and he doesn't have many good years left on those worn down tires.
He's done anything and everything for the Kansas City organization since he was drafted out of California in 1997. This guy's had four 1,000-yard seasons as a tight end.
Yes, a tight end.
He also hauled in a 102 passes in 2004 ... remember, this is a tight end.
No doubt about it, his production is more like a wide receiver.
Gonzalez is still getting it done on the field, too. He had 96 catches for 1,058 yards and 10 TDs last season for the hapless 2-14 Chiefs.
Changes are on the way in Kansas City with new GM Scott Pioli and head coach Todd Haley, but how long will it take for the Chiefs to become a playoff team?
Gonzalez probably doesn't have that much time left in his career.
He wants to be traded, but he's not demanding one. That's the way Tony Gonzalez is. He wants the Chiefs to get a good deal before they trade him, but he wants a shot at winning a title. He knows KC isn't the place to do that.
So what should KC do?
He's a fan favorite in KC, but with new leadership comes change.
Why can't KC show Gonzalez the same respect that Gonzalez has shown the organization for the last 12 years?
See if you cant' snag a second-rounder for Gonzalez, or a third at the worst.
This guy deserves a change of scenery and a chance to be a part of a winner.
You know when he's inducted into the Hall of Fame he's going in as a Chief, anyway.
What more can he do to help the Chiefs become a playoff-caliber team? He's not a QB and he's not a defensive player, all he does is catch passes and blocked when asked to.
Set Gonzalez free, it's the right thing to do.
I know he's property of the Chiefs and he's under contract, but sometimes doing the right thing is the only thing to do.
Start over Chiefs and let Gonzalez start over.
He's earned that right!

Curt Schilling: Hall of Fame or not?

By Jim Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Curt Schilling was a very good major league pitcher. He was even better in the post season, as you can see from his numbers: 11-2, 2.23 ERA and 4 complete games. Tremendous, amazing and big game pitcher are all ways to describe Curt Schilling's playoff career. If there was a Hall of Fame for the playoffs, then Curt Schilling would be a unanimous, first ballot Hall of Famer. There is just one problem. There is no playoff hall of fame. You need to take into account a player's entire career, including regular and post season.


Schilling's career numbers are very good. His 216-146 record, 3.46 ERA, 3,116 strikeouts are all impressive. If you take a closer look at his 162 game average, a 14-9 record, 3.46 ERA and 210 strikeouts don't exactly shout Hall of Famer. Yes, his 3,116 strikeouts put him 20th overall, but how many of those came against an opposing pitcher. I'm a huge National League fan, so I am not trying to bag on the NL, but some concessions need to be made when someone plays 13 1/2 years in the NL.

www.baseball-reference.com is one of my favorite websites. I often go there for stats that aren't burned into my brain. If you look at Curt's page, which the link above will take you directly to, there is a list of comparable pitchers. That list is below.

1. Kevin Brown
2. Bob Welch
3. Orel Hershiser
4. Freddie Fitzsimmons
5. Milt Pappas
   
6. Don Drysdale
   
7. Dazzy Vance
   
8. Jim Perry
9. Catfish Hunter
   

Only three of that list are hall of famers (Don Drysdale, Catfish Hunter, Dazzy Vance). While John Smoltz will be a hall of famer, he's also a far superior pitcher in my estimation. The rest really shouldn't even be in the discussion.

I appreciate all he's done in the game considering the era he's played in. He's had to go up against the likes of Barry Bonds, Mark Maguire, Sammy Sosa, etc. That is not an easy thing to do. Is he one of the best playoff competitors of all time? Yes, but Reggie Jackson also had a great regular season career. Kirk Gibson didn't make the Hall of Fame for his World Series home run, and neither did Joe Carter.

Living in the Boston area, many people may say that I am just writing this to make a splash. While I might not be a Red Sox fan, I am also not a Red Sox Hater or Yankees fan. To be perfectly honest, I like Curt Schilling. I may not agree with some of his personal views, but enjoy listening to him speak on the radio. I just happen to be very conservative when it comes to the Baseball Hall of Fame. I am the person who thinks Cal Ripken shouldn't be in there either, but that is a discussion for another time.

McDaniels, are you a man or a mouse?

By Chad Garner
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Are you kidding me?
New Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels is now saying that cry baby Jay Cutler is his quarterback.
For now.
But for how long?
McDaniels don't you wish you were back in New England with the protection of guru Bill Belichick?
Joshy boy, it's your chance to put a stamp on this team right away.
We know Cutler isn't your boy and you wanted one-year-wonder Matt Cassel to be your quarterback, but Uncle Bill wanted you to earn your keep so he traded him to the Chiefs and good friend Scott Pioli.
Now it's your move rookie!
Lets see, I think it's a no-brainer, you need to kick Cutler to the curb and develop your own guy.
Why don't you come out and just be honest -- you like Cutler's arm (he can make every tough NFL throw) but you don't like his decision-making and his inability to read a defense. But most importantly, you don't like his attitude. He's shown he's not a leader. Chalk it up to youth, but it appears from a distance that Cutler is about himself and his stats. Maybe he's a great locker room guy, but on the field his leadership qualities don't come though.
Big deal, he threw for over 4,000 yards. Denver always seemed to trail in games and Cutler's stats were inflated because he had to throw just about every down to try to get back into the game. He's a fantasy producer, but in real football he's a mediocre quarterback with a bad attitude.
Do it Josh, cut bait.
Cutler's bashed the organization (isn't he suppose to be the franchise?), and basically called you a liar. People are laughing at you Josh, we're all laughing at you!
You better trade him before or during the draft or you'll forever be labeled as a pushover.
Your credibility as a head coach is being questioned. You're better than that. Everyone in New England realized you had a great football mind, but perhaps you're in over your head as a head coach?
Maybe you've got us all fooled and have a plan to trade him?
I hope so.
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but don't take the banana in the tailpipe.
Do the right thing -- the only thing -- ship Cutler to Detroit so he can get his head beat in like he did back in college.
But you better not trade him to the Jets.
Bill taught you better than that!