Quick thoughts
Gettin ready to pack for a weekend with the family in Virginia, so here are a couple quick nuggets:
*Japan is pretty much gone from the picture for this upcoming year barring a last minute massive change of heart...which has happened before...in the last week. So a change could come. For now, DC and a law job or bust.
*Unloading packages from a truck actually has some advantages, believe it or not. One of them is not, however, leaving work feeling fresh. It is not the heat or exercise that gets to one, but the massive bruises from battling trucks full of packages that do their best to not cooperate with the poor saps working there such as myself. Every night upon my return home it looks like I have been fighting a small war, and losing. Ah well, some say such scars supplement one's appeal. We'll see about that.
*The Panthers were crowned champions of the Sportscenter Ultimate Depth Chart "it's July and we're bored and have nothing else to talk about" marathon by ESPN. So for the second straight year, this team will be getting hyped and talked about by the prognosticators (SI, and myself, picked us to win it all last year). Could happen, we're probably a more talented team than last year. Of course, last year we had a cake road schedule that made the NFC-best 6-2 road mark a reality. This year's road sched? Playoff team Washington, improved Philadelphia, playoff team Cincinnati, improved Baltimore, +.500 Minnesota, division champs Tampa, Vick and the Falcons and Reggie Bush and the Saints. A 6-2 mark or better against that lineup is all but an impossibility. It will be said again, if the Panthers want to live up to the hype this time around, THEY MUST DOMINATE THE VAULT. Particularly when the Steelers and Cowboys, and their legions of fans, come calling.
*I'm a little worried the Hurricanes are all but keeping the same roster that took the ice in 2005-2006. Management did the same thing after the '02 cup run, and in '03 we were the worst team in the league. Would have loved to see one more goal scoring forward (Anson Carter? Sergei Samsonov?) with Cullen/Weight/Recchi jumping ship, but can understand the salary squeeze. If it's signing one of those guys or giving Cam Ward a massive extension next year, I'll take the latter. And you gotta love the commitment Staal/Williams/Cole have shown in signing long-term deals to stay in Raleigh. If nothing else, the Cup has propelled the 'Canes from the league's lower-echelon to its top 10 or 15 in terms of how the team is thought of by fans, the media and (most importantly) the players.
*World Cup Final Sunday, Italy vs. France. Tournament dominated by defense, so no surprise that the world's two most historically stingy defenses are meeting up to decide it up. Italy seems to be the clear favorite: slightly better defense, much better offensive depth and a MUCH, MUCH better goaltender in Buffon vs. Barthez (also, is it just me, or does Buffon look just like the villain from Red Eye? especially with the red pajamas he wears, for some reason). France has the starpower in ZZ and Henry, which has led me to question my initial thought of an Azzurrii blowout, but the guess here is Italy neutralizes the stars, gets an early goal and then tacks on a late capper to allow Rome to party like it's 1982. Interesting side nugget: the teams will meet in just 2 months, on September 7th in France in Euro 2008 qualification, since they are in the same group. And on that note, go Ireland! (who is in a different group, thankfully)
That's it.
*Japan is pretty much gone from the picture for this upcoming year barring a last minute massive change of heart...which has happened before...in the last week. So a change could come. For now, DC and a law job or bust.
*Unloading packages from a truck actually has some advantages, believe it or not. One of them is not, however, leaving work feeling fresh. It is not the heat or exercise that gets to one, but the massive bruises from battling trucks full of packages that do their best to not cooperate with the poor saps working there such as myself. Every night upon my return home it looks like I have been fighting a small war, and losing. Ah well, some say such scars supplement one's appeal. We'll see about that.
*The Panthers were crowned champions of the Sportscenter Ultimate Depth Chart "it's July and we're bored and have nothing else to talk about" marathon by ESPN. So for the second straight year, this team will be getting hyped and talked about by the prognosticators (SI, and myself, picked us to win it all last year). Could happen, we're probably a more talented team than last year. Of course, last year we had a cake road schedule that made the NFC-best 6-2 road mark a reality. This year's road sched? Playoff team Washington, improved Philadelphia, playoff team Cincinnati, improved Baltimore, +.500 Minnesota, division champs Tampa, Vick and the Falcons and Reggie Bush and the Saints. A 6-2 mark or better against that lineup is all but an impossibility. It will be said again, if the Panthers want to live up to the hype this time around, THEY MUST DOMINATE THE VAULT. Particularly when the Steelers and Cowboys, and their legions of fans, come calling.
*I'm a little worried the Hurricanes are all but keeping the same roster that took the ice in 2005-2006. Management did the same thing after the '02 cup run, and in '03 we were the worst team in the league. Would have loved to see one more goal scoring forward (Anson Carter? Sergei Samsonov?) with Cullen/Weight/Recchi jumping ship, but can understand the salary squeeze. If it's signing one of those guys or giving Cam Ward a massive extension next year, I'll take the latter. And you gotta love the commitment Staal/Williams/Cole have shown in signing long-term deals to stay in Raleigh. If nothing else, the Cup has propelled the 'Canes from the league's lower-echelon to its top 10 or 15 in terms of how the team is thought of by fans, the media and (most importantly) the players.
*World Cup Final Sunday, Italy vs. France. Tournament dominated by defense, so no surprise that the world's two most historically stingy defenses are meeting up to decide it up. Italy seems to be the clear favorite: slightly better defense, much better offensive depth and a MUCH, MUCH better goaltender in Buffon vs. Barthez (also, is it just me, or does Buffon look just like the villain from Red Eye? especially with the red pajamas he wears, for some reason). France has the starpower in ZZ and Henry, which has led me to question my initial thought of an Azzurrii blowout, but the guess here is Italy neutralizes the stars, gets an early goal and then tacks on a late capper to allow Rome to party like it's 1982. Interesting side nugget: the teams will meet in just 2 months, on September 7th in France in Euro 2008 qualification, since they are in the same group. And on that note, go Ireland! (who is in a different group, thankfully)
That's it.
posted by Coop at 9:42 PM
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