Back at it

I know it's been a while since I've taken time to write on here, but I'm back. With football season already underway and hockey coming soon (training camp is only 9 days away), I figured now was as good as any to come back.


Throughout the last couple of weeks, pictures have surfaced of some NHL teams new third jerseys that will be worn this season. The most recent one to come out is the Carolina Hurricanes third jersey. When I first saw it, I honestly didn't know what to think of it. When I look at it, it reminds me of a youth hockey jersey. The black color definitely stands out when you look at it, and Puck Daddy makes a great point when he wonders aloud what Cam Ward will think of his defensemen wearing the same color as the puck. After reading what all the symbolism means, I can at least look at the jersey and understand why they made it the way they did. Speaking of the 'Canes, they recently made Eric Staal one of the highest paid players in the NHL. Staal signed a 7 year, $58 million contract extension that will pay him $8.25 million annually and keep him in a Hurricanes uniform until at least the 2015-2016 season. I believe the money was worth it, as long as the Hurricanes go out and spend more money to get more talent around him. Staal is a great start and I hope he can bounce back to averaging 100 points a season.

Great news coming out of Minnesota recently: Kurtis Foster, who broke his femur late last season, has been up and skating the past few days. This is good news for a guy who really didn't know how long it would take to recover. It was a pretty gruesome injury, and it's good to see Foster back on the ice.

Meanwhile, Assistant GM Tom Lynn and Ron Salcer, Marian Gaborik's agent, are in Los Angeles discussing contract options for the star winger. Gaborik, in the last year of his current contract, will probably demand a contract of at least 6 years at $8.5 million a year. As much money as it is, I believe the Wild need to spend it to keep a guy that has 50 goal potential. Gaborik set a new career best with 42 goals last season, including a 5 goal game against the New York Rangers. With Mikko Koivu, Brent Burns, and Nick Schultz all locked up, the Wild need to get Gaborik to re-sign so that they have a solid core going forward.



In week one of the NFL, injuries were the story. Tom Brady, the reigning MVP and quarterback of the New England Patriots, took a shot to the knee against the Chiefs and is out for the rest of the season with a MCL and ACL tear. Shawne Merriman, the sack machine for the San Diego Chargers, has decided to have season-ending surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee. Both injuries are a major blow to each team, with the Patriots coming off a season where they went to the Super Bowl and the Chargers entering a season where they hoped to reach a Super Bowl.

As much as I hate to talk about it, I suppose I should mention the Vikings/Packers game that went on Monday night. There were ups and downs for the Vikes, but overall they didn't have a good showing in a 24-19 loss. The day after the game, the local papers blasted Tarvaris Jackson for being inconsistent and reiterating that Jackson might only have this season left to prove he can be a reliable quarterback. After watching the entire game, I can only disagree with what the paper said about Tarvaris. Sure, his passing percentage was bad, and yeah, his passer rating was low, but overall I think he did great. He had pressure on him all night, and he did as well as I've seen anyone do with guys in his face. He consistently stayed calm and delivered his throw. His receivers dropped some, and Jackson made some bad throws, but they can't all be perfect. And on the ground, Tarvaris looked fantastic. He scrambled well and showed good poise when deciding whether to throw or run. It is unfortunate the Vikings couldn't pull out a win, but I'm confident that they will recover just fine. It is obvious Tarvaris is getting better, and seeing his progress against Green Bay makes me excited for what he will do this season.

Predictions for Week 2 of the NFL:

Tennessee over Cincinnati
Green Bay over Detroit (Although that is not the way I want it to turn out)
Kansas City over Oakland
New York Giants over St. Louis
Vikings OVER Indianapolis (I will never predict a loss for the Vikings)
New Orleans over Washington
Carolina over Chicago
Jacksonville over Buffalo
Seattle over San Francisco
Atlanta over Tampa Bay (Atlanta looked great week one against Detroit)
New England over New York Jets (Matt Cassel will fill in just fine for Brady)
Arizona over Miami
San Diego over Denver
Houston over Baltimore
Cleveland over Pittsburgh (This is my upset pick, if it is even considered an upset)
Dallas over Philadelphia (And for the sake of my fantasy team, I need Romo to throw at least 4 TDs)