|
|
By Bryan Berg  August 27, 2009, at 9:32 pm  I’d apologize for the lack of updates lately if there was anything going on that was actually worth reporting. Sadly, that isn’t the case. We’re doing what we can, but we won’t resort to filler. Thankfully, the Islanders sent me (and everyone else on their mailing list) a survey about their game operations. It’s not news, but it’s something.
Now, I could just fill this out and send it in. But that’s no fun. Besides, these things are actually fairly serious issues to me. If I’m going to pay for tickets to ten Islanders games and watch them lose each time, the least they could do is provide a solid environment to watch a hockey game. They’re pretty hit-or-miss in that area. With that in mind, below are my results to this survey. I’m sure it will accomplish very little, but it’s worth a try.
All questions are of the “1-to-5, 1 being very dissatisfied, 5 being very satisfied” variety.
1. The music played at Islanders games, such as warm-up music, songs on whistles, audio prompts, and pump-up songs:
- Dissatisfied. Holy crap. Have the Islanders introduced even one new song over the last five years? I’m not counting emo, either. Listen to the PA during a Penguins home game. You hear Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. Old, sure, but it’s got an edge to it and it’s appropriate for an edgy game. Meanwhile, the selections at the Coliseum are as generic as they come. If you want fans to be excited about the upcoming play, you need to help them keep their energy level intact.
- Neutral. It’s a nice touch. I kind of like the National Anthem with the organ and no singer. But if I never hear the Family Guy theme on the Coliseum organ again, it’ll be too soon.
- Very Dissatisfied. The noise meter is annoying enough. Hearing it five times a game is unbearable.
- Dissatisfied. This is one very untapped area at Islanders games. How about some highlights from other games during intermissions?
- Very Satisfied. I can’t wait to do the Human Puck Shoot with my daughter one day.
- Satisfied. Mindless fun is always good. Though it’d be nice if they showed texts with more substance than “what up. hollaaaaa”.
- Satisfied. Everyone’s going to nitpick when the team is losing. But the Islanders do provide something for everybody and that should be commended. As the team rebuilds and forms a new identity, I would like to see the Islanders game entertainment experience change to fit the team’s identity. From the music played between whistles to the videos played on the scoreboard, the presentation should fit the Islanders.
***
At the bottom of the survey, there was an area for miscellaneous comments. Of course, I used that space to gush about the Coliseum pretzel twists and suggest the Islanders hold an “All You Can Eat” night.
Surveys like these might not accomplish very much, but they probably do more than give us the impression that the Islanders care what we think. We’re an important part of this rebuild; the least the Islanders could do is cater to our suggestions while shelling out considerable cash to watch a mediocre (at best) team. It’s not just about hearing Slayer between faceoffs, it’s about helping our team become better in every way. A better game experience gives the Islanders more of a home ice advantage, which results in more wins.
We’ll see how these surveys end up influencing the Islanders game operations in 2009-10. But I have a feeling I shouldn’t wait up on “All You Can Eat” night.
By Jason Comack August 27, 2009, at 2:03 pm From Rotoworld via the Boston Globe
Since being acquired via trade from the Raiders, Derrick Burgess has yet to practice at outside linebacker. The Patriots are using more of a 4-3 defense, employing Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork at the tackles, with Ty Warren and Burgess on the ends. Adalius Thomas would likely play strong-side linebacker, with Gary Guyton at weak side and Jerod Mayo in the middle.
The addition of Burgess seemed like a square peg in a round hole at the time. Why convert a dominant 4-3 end to an OLB when he doesn’t have the physical tools to play that spot? The Pats have a ton of depth on defense and the flexibility to play either a 3-4 or 4-3. If they move to a 4-3 it would allow Richard Seymour to rush the passer more. Remember although Seymour has been a 3-4 DE has the size to play defensive tackle at 6′6 and 310 pounds. Ty Warren and Wilfork would be stout against the run in a 4-3 and help Burgess get more one on one match-ups. That’s a fierce looking D-Line. For a long time the Pats weakness has been linebacker and right now they have two sure things in Mayo and Thomas but after that there are question marks. A move to 4-3 better maximizes their defensive potential.
As a side note, if the Pats offense is as good as I think it’ll be they will be often be ahead in games forcing teams to throw more. A nickle look, to defend against the pass, with Warren, Seymour, Wilfork, Burgess, Mayo, Thomas, Springs, Meriweather, Sanders, Bodden, and either Chung/Butler/Wheatley might end up playing a lot more often then you think.
By Anthony De Franco August 27, 2009, at 12:00 pm Brandon “The Truth” Vera takes on Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 102 in what is one of the more interesting fights on the card. Both can strike, and both have some jiu-jitsu, but it should primarily be a stand up war. Vera is came down from Heavyweight and is 2-1, with his only loss coming to Keith Jardine, who is also fighting on this card. Here’s his shirt, which is brought to you by a relatively unknown company.
Jaco is a new company making all kinds of fight gear. The shirt is based around Vera’s pride in being from the Philippines and features the Filipino coat of arms. My only problem with shirts with flags of countries on them is that it limits the number of people who can buy them. For example, how many non-Filipino people are going to buy this shirt? I, as an Italian-American, would look like an idiot wearing this shirt.
It’s a cool shirt though and it costs 34.99.
By Alex Goldberg August 27, 2009, at 10:49 am Sorry, but comments are closed The 3rdstringsafety has recently entered a partnership with betus.com and we will occasionally be posting articles from them. This is the second of two to be posted today.
The St. Louis Rams have a quarterback who has been to the Pro Bowl in Marc Bulger, not to mention one of the most talented running backs in the NFL in Steven Jackson. Yet they have a 5-27 straight-up record over the last two years (11-21 ATS), which demonstrates the importance of strength on the interior line.
This season it’s a new regime and a new offensive system, but Jackson is still the cornerstone. Will it work for them?
First, let’s take a look at the numbers:
BetUS online sports gambling Odds
To Win NFC West
Arizona Cardinals +140
San Francisco 49ers +225
Seattle Seahawks +210
ST LOUIS RAMS +1100
To Win Super Bowl: +12500
To Win NFC title: +5000
To Reach Conference title game: +2500
Over 5.5 wins -150
Under 5.5 wins +120
The Rams have pretty much become a disaster area. I don’t even want to show you what I wrote about them last season, but in summary, I felt that if a couple of things fell into place, they might be able to contend for a wild card spot. That obviously didn’t happen.
What they did instead was finish 2-14 (6-10 ATS), fire coach Scott Linehan, who didn’t have any answers, and hire former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who will probably place an extra burden on the Rams’ best player.
Of course, that is Steven Jackson, who ran for 1043 yards and caught 40 passes last year, which would be impressive for some running backs but a far cry from his 2334 combined rushing/receiving yards in 2006. The new Rams’ staff hopes that he can get closer to those numbers; in fact, they’re counting on it.
The plan is to install a West Coast offense, which will accentuate Jackson’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and spread the defense out so as to open up running lanes for him to exploit. What new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s system will also do is afford Marc Bulger the opportunity to get rid of the ball faster. Bulger is a very capable quarterback, truth be told; his best year was in 2006, when he had 24 TD’s, just nine INT’s and 4301 yards. He has just been massacred with the offensive line he’s been given, suffering 124 sacks over the last three seasons. That takes its toll. Jason Smith of Baylor was taken #2 overall in the draft, and he will be Bulger’s right tackle, while Alex Barron goes to the left side, replacing Orlando Pace.
What happens if and when Jackson gets hurt (he’s missed four games each of the last two years) is a question. The Rams have Antonio Pittman in reserve. Oh well. At least there is a pretty good blocking back in newly-acquired Mike Karney.
The receivers have promise. Donnie Avery (53 catches last year) will get better in his second season, as will Keenan Burton, who was drafted two rounds after Avery and got limited touches last year. Laurent Robinson, who had 437 yards for Atlanta in 2007 but was pretty much frozen out by Mike Smith last year, gets a chance to be a starter, as does Ronald Curry, formerly a member of Oakland’s rotation. Randy McMichael adds a veteran presence at tight end, and may finally be used the way he is supposed to in this West Coast offense, but the Rams are going to be looking for people to develop quickly.
This defense needed a makeover. St. Louis finished 28th in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed, and gave up 81 more first downs than they attained.
Defense is Spagnuolo’s thing, and he has selected Ken Flajole, the former linebacker coach for Carolina, as his new coordinator. These guys like to get out after the passer. Were they reasonably impressed with Chris Long, who they spent a #2 overall draft pick on, but produced only 40 tackles and four sacks? I don’t know, but if he doesn’t step things up considerably, St. Louis may be looking more and more to James Hall, his backup, for a pass rush. There is some upside at the defensive tackle position with Clifton Ryan and Adam Carriker both entering their third season and ready to make a move.
Rookie James Laurenaitis of Ohio State, who slipped into the second round of the draft and may have trouble adjusting to the NFL, is probably going to be handed the middle linebacker job, which sends Will Witherspoon back to an outside linebacker spot. Last year’s leading tackler, Pisa Tinoisamoa, was released.
The Rams’ secondary gave up 8.3 yards per passing attempt, second worst in the NFL to the winless Lions. Spagnuolo reached out and got safety James Butler, who worked under him with the Giants. Cornerbacks Tye Hill and Jonathan Wade are not sparkling in coverage, although Ronald Bartell can be a fixture in this defensive backfield. The standout here is Oshiomogho Atogwe, who had 77 solo tackles and five interceptions from his free safety position last season. A pass rush would help this unit.
This won’t be an easy job for Spagnuolo and his staff. It’s a rebuilding job for sure, and there exists some doubt that there are enough good players on defense, or enough strength on the offensive line, to help things come together. Bulger’s performance should improve, but he’s got receivers to break in. For a team that has won five games over the last two seasons, incremental gains are the most reasonable things to expect. It’s not an overnight thing, and if I can get +120 in the BetUS NFL odds for a win total under 5.5, I’ll take it.
By Alex Goldberg August 27, 2009, at 10:47 am Sorry, but comments are closed The 3rdstringsafety has recently entered a partnership with betus.com and we will occasionally be posting articles from them. This is the first of two to be posted today.
Don’t you just LOVE matrimonial matches made in narcissistic heaven? For instance, take the union between Brock Lesnar, your new undisputed UFC heavyweight champion (I don’t know why there would have been a dispute in the first place, since one entity controlled the whole thing, but that’s another story), whose core marketing strategy involves flipping the bird to everyone within eyesight and bad-mouthing everyone and everything within earshot (Paul Malignaggi took lessons, if you saw the fights last weekend) and Rena Mero, a name you may not know because she’s had a bit of a branding c**kblock, having to begrudgingly shed that “Sable” label.
That doesn’t keep a good girl down, though. Consider the savvy of Rena, who once sued someone (Vince McMahon) because she didn’t want to take her clothes off for cheap exploitation, only to use that particular “controversy,” in effect, as a publicity boost so that she could take her clothes off for someone else, for more money and more of an audience. Hey, Paris Hilton ain’t got nothin’ on this babe. She’s got enough smarts and survival instincts (you can insert “love and compassion” here if you’re part of her fan club) that she was able to dump a wrestler on his way out and pushing 50 and take up with a guy ten years younger who was on his way to crossover success in the UFC, and now she is the First Lady of mixed martial arts, beating out noted thespian Jenna Jameson in what is a close call.
Lesnar, a walking, talking advertisement for performance-enhancing substances who is now listed at BetUS as a +175 MMA betting underdog should he ever face Fedor Emilianenko in MMA competition (I trust that is either in a ring, cage, octagon or with those musical chairs that break over your head in the WWE), owns a clothing line named “Death Clutch.”
Brock Lesnar’s wife was born Rena Greek. That’s almost too good to be true. Lesnar himself wore #69 in his brief stint in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings five years ago. She got engaged to Mero at about that time. How subliminal. How subtle.
Lesnar, after his UFC 100 win over Frank Mir, said, “Hell, I may even get on top of my wife tonight.”
Wait a minute guy, you’re going a little bit too far with that (or maybe the problem is that YOU’RE going too far and we aren’t. I’m so confused). I don’t know, maybe Joe Louis or Rocky Marciano said that a time or two. Nevertheless, I reminisce about those days of better behavior, like when he was talking about woofing a Miller Light while standing on top of that Bud Light logo in the middle of the Octagon.
He’s talking about the REAL wife, right? Not the “common law” wife, not the “ring persona” wife, not the TV wife? Man, I realize this is all short-term stuff, but how about a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T out there in shallow-land?
I doubt she’s sweating it.
Certainly Ms. Mero (or Mrs. Lesnar) knows all about shock value and cheap publicity. Do you remember when Mero, then known as “Sable,” filed a $110 million lawsuit against the WWF (as it was known at the time), which claimed “sexual harassment” because they wanted her to go topless? If I’m not mistaken, didn’t she pose for a Playboy layout just a few months after that suit was filed? Then didn’t she do it again? And again? During an interview, she admitted that she had been negotiating with Playboy for two years leading up to that first pictorial. I guess as far as lawsuits are concerned, it’s all in the timing.
Erin Andrews of ESPN (that’s her name, right?), who is currently in her 14th minute of fame (tick, tick, tick, tick), is ripping a page from that book – extremely offended that someone looked at her through a hotel keyhole, or something, exploiting her as some kind of sex kitten on YouTube and whatnot, while at the same time negotiating for a couple of sexy, suggestive layouts with well-muscled athletes all around. And I’m sure the offers continue to pour in….for now. Hey Erin, might as well take ‘em. As soon as they find another 5′10″ vixen happy to sell herself, they’ll stop coming.
The thing with Lesnar, which may have started when they were wrestling together (figuratively speaking, I think) in the New Japan promotion while she was still married to Marc Mero, has already survived a breakup of sorts, but marriage (legal or otherwise) ensued.
Poor Mark. He was probably so heart-broken and desperate for attention that he was reduced to taking the opportunity to trash the wrestling business in the wake of the Chris Benoit tragedy, but I haven’t heard much from him since. Have you?
Meanwhile, I’ve got to hand it to Lesnar. There hasn’t been one domestic violence incident, or at least one that I’ve heard about, and that may be a little surprising for a guy who has an affinity for names like “Death Clutch.”
Of course, the night is young, as they say. The thing about ‘roid rage is that it could potentially transform something from a narcissistic heaven to a narcissistic hell. Keep an eye on BetUS for sports gambling opportunities and another on TMZ.
I do keep seeing rumors of a sex tape that’s been stolen, and that might be the next logical “branding” step, but this G.I. Joe/Barbie combo would be too smart not to get some residuals off an extravaganza like that. Breeding seems to be on the agenda. Or haven’t you heard? There is now a child, and wouldn’t you know – they’ve named him “Turk.”
So I guess they’re grooming him for the “squared circle” already.
By Anthony De Franco August 27, 2009, at 10:00 am With the recent announcement that Shane Carwin is taking on Brock Lesnar at UFC 106, people have been searching Carwin’s name across the internet in an attempt to figure out anything they can about the big man that can beat Brock Lesnar.
Well, Warrior International is taking advantage of his new found popularity by making a special shirt just for Carwin.
It goes back to the old, simple style that Affliction started many years ago when they started by putting what was essentially tatoo art on t-shirts. That being said, you’ll want to get one now so you can say you were ahead of the curve when Carwin beats Lesnar.
It’s available Warrior’s website, and will cost you just 24.99.
|
|
Tags: 
