The Critic

QUOTE(MinnesotaSoxFan @ Dec 18, 2006 -> 09:11 PM) It's cryme tyme! WITH GWB! You can't possibly be happy about that horrible skit, can you? That was absolutely awful.

Hasn't Santana made enough money to retire yet?

I've enjoyed watching Karl Stewart play since he was with the Wolves. He's one of those "heart and guts" kind of players who catch your eye with his hustle and "never quit" style of play. I've also really enjoyed Jeff Hamilton's style, too. Nice to see him putting some pucks in the net.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 17, 2006 -> 11:26 AM) Wow, I am shocked he would want to come here for this little playing time. Any details on the contract? All I've seen so far is that it's a two-year deal, but that's per The Score, and I'll wait for more credible sources before I'm officially happy about it.

I like it. As some have mentioned here before, AJ seemed to wear down just a bit in the 2nd half last year. A few days off, especially during the summer heat, can only help.

QUOTE(NUKE @ Dec 17, 2006 -> 02:30 AM) Get a few shots in her and anythings possible. Yeah, but then YOU'LL need a few shots afterward....at the clinic....

QUOTE(LowerCaseRepublican @ Dec 16, 2006 -> 07:31 PM) Remember when the E let Cornette have his "opinion" videos in the mid/late 90's with such gems as "Hulk Hogan, you're a household term. But so is garbage and that stinks when it gets old too." Those opinion segments were the most effective weapon against WCW at the time, I thought, because they were REAL opinions, not goofy skits or phony challenges. Plus, they reflected what many fans were thinking as well. That segment ended too soon, I think because Vince didn't want to burn TOO many bridges, just in case...

QUOTE(SoxFan562004 @ Dec 16, 2006 -> 04:29 PM) classic. That clip reminded me 2 things. 1. Cornette (sp?) is great. There's a tape of him and some other wrestlers at a drive-thru after a show somewhere, and since they had such a large order the place thought it was a joke, so they were waiting there forever. When Cornette found out what was going on he completely lost it. 2. When Austin had his neck surgery and they brought him back after a long time at a live event, he had such a HUGE beer belly, it was comical watching him trying to get into the ring (Yes, I understand he had a major surgery and couldn't work out or anything for months, and basically all he did was sit around and drink beer, but the visual of his comeback is parody-like) Jim Cornette is fantastic. He's being wasted as TNA's "general manager" or whatever he is. They should pay QVC to take Don West back and place Cornette in that chair permanently, since managers are a dying breed. It was SO nice to have Angle take out West last week on iMPACT! so Cornette could get some mic time. There are a bunch of Cornette shoot videos on YouTube. He's always been one of my favorites. And that tape you're talking about is hilarious - Cornette + hunger + anger = comedy gold!

WE CAN'T LIKE THIS DEAL!!! SISCO IS AN EX-CUB!!!! I'll miss Gload's bat off the bench, but if Podsednik and Anderson can improve this season (and I believe.....hope....they can), then Mackowiak should replace Gload as the primary LH bench bat. The Sox needed another lefty arm in the pen and Sisco has a lot of upside. I like the deal.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 15, 2006 -> 09:14 AM) That's all right we all know the inner(a-hole) you Oh, absolutely! I always thought I was 100% heartless douchebag, but then I met my wife and that dialed me down to like 75%, and now the kid has me at 50% heartless douchebag and 50% whimpering sissy. Good thing I still hate animals, any other driver on MY road, and the Yankees.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Dec 15, 2006 -> 08:34 AM) in other words... "I hate them but my bratty kid likes them and my nagging wife made me go to home depot to pick three up, and I spent 4 hours of my day off wrestling with the foot pump and my dog that can't stop humping my leg" we feel your pain...unspoken or otherwise Couldn't be further from the truth. QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Dec 14, 2006 -> 08:48 PM) OH MY GOD!!! IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!!! CRITIC HAS A TEENY WEENY BIT OF CHRISTMAS CHEER IN THAT HEART OF HIS THAT IS TWO SIZES TOO SMALL!!! LOL Yeah, I have to admit it....I do enjoy watching my kid enjoy the Christmas season. I know it's going to ruin my rep as The Man With No Soul, but when it comes to the kid I'm way softer than I ever expected to be.

QUOTE(thedoctor @ Dec 14, 2006 -> 08:28 PM) i hear ya. on more than one occasion my daughter has said, "daddy, daddy, look at that, can we get one?" i'll usually pause, summon up my best dad voice and say, "too expensive. i'll buy you a car." HAHAHA, excellent! And don't get me wrong, just because I'm okay with them doesn't mean I'm BUYING any!!! LOL!!

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Dec 14, 2006 -> 03:51 PM) I see your point Critic. I guess i'm just used to sitting upstairs because i grew up at the Chicago Stadium with season tickets in the 2nd balcony. I realize it's not the 300 level height, but I am so used to watching hockey from up top. And yeah, i've also played the game my whole life, etc. However, with the current attendance at he UC, you usually can hear the nuances of the game from the 300 level! LOL. LOL, how true!!! I also had 2nd balcony season tix at the Stadium, but no place can replicate that experience. Fond, fond memories.

My daughter loves them, and since the whole Christmas thing is way more about her than it is about me, I'm okay with them.

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 10:55 PM) There's absolutely nothing wrong in sitting in the 300 level at the UC. Perfect view of everything going on, and no it's not too far away from the play. I personally don't like the 100 level, unless i'm at the top of it. You're also not 6 years old with no prior knowledge of hockey. My daughter is, and she'd be bored with 300 level seats. I've seen the difference in her reaction when I took her to Sox games in the lower deck and then the upper deck. She wants to be closer to the action, and I feel that's true for many kids. Also, with hockey more than any other sport, the closer you are the more you feel and hear the nuances of the game, and that's a major part of the attraction for me. I've taken my nephews to the cheap seats at the UC before, and the response I got was that they felt too far away. They asked to leave early in the 3rd period, but that suggests to me that maybe they WERE paying attention to the Hawks....

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 01:28 PM) I've read on various occassions that attendance isn't any better, but it's about the same or a little worse. I Googled it, just to see if I could find a recent article stating as much: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...orts/columnists Attendance is 1% worse right now than it was prior to the lockout; however, revenues are greater thanks to ridiculous ticket prices. I bolded what I believe is the #1 reason why more kids don't get into hockey. You can't take your kids to many games with the price structure most NHL teams have, unless you want to sit way up in the bleeds, and at that point you may as well just watch it on TV.

QUOTE(Brian @ Nov 11, 2006 -> 10:49 PM) Humina humina humina SHE GONE! WWE released Amy Zidian (sp?) today. Sorry, Brian....

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 04:33 PM) The people who care about hockey know about versus and what channel it is. I'm sure they would have made a better deal with a 'bigger' name network if it was possible. I'm assuming this was their best option, unless i'm shown documentation proving otherwise. NHL has been there for two years, if you don't know that, then you don't care about the sport at all, and putting it on ESPN wouldn't suddenly make anyone care that much more. One of the big problems with hockey is the fact that it's a complex game that not many people understand, or want to take the time to understand. Football, baseball, and basketball are all much easier games to understand. Oh, and the NFL has the gambling aspect driving the ratings up big time. That, and it doesn't translate to TV as well as other sports. Their cancellation of an entire season cost them their ESPN gig. They had to take whatever deal any network would give them, or else run their season like self-produced infomercials (you know, like the Blackhawks' radio deal). Being on ESPN at least would give some people the opportunity to happen across hockey. Hoping your provider carries The Outdoor Vs Network, and searching it out in the upper numbers of your channel guide, is only something die-hards would do. You're preaching to the choir at that point. I don't think hockey is THAT much harder to understand, it's just that it's not as ingrained in people's minds as other sports. At its core, it's a pretty straightforward game. Every sport has its intricacies, and the more you watch, the more you're going to learn it. I think the "you don't get it" thing is similar to soccer fans' defense of their game. I agree 100% about the gambling aspect and the game not coming across as well on TV.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 04:54 PM) I respect those who watch the NHL and I agree that at times it can even be decent to watch, but the reason that it's not covered is that probably 98% of America does not give a s*** about the sport. I think that pretty much sums it up. Why would ESPN put resources in something that most people won't watch when they can carry the NFL, MLB, NBA, College Hoops, etc...It doesn't make any sense from their perspective. They're in it to roll in those advertising dollars, not please a small portion of the population. As far as their lack of coverage on Sportscenter specifically, I see Barry Melrose on there a couple of times a week. I'd be happy if I was a NHL fan that he wasn't kicked off the air for horrible grooming habits. Gary Oldman + bad grooming habits = Barry Melrose.

QUOTE(Queen Prawn @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 12:29 PM) It also doesn't help that some providers (mine being one of them) doesn't carry OLN/Versus either. Yeah, I meant to mention that as well. The NHL signs a weak deal with a rinky-dink "network" and then raises eyebrows when the ratings blow.

I just give 'em the "quick click". Don't even listen to a word of the spiel.

I like how they tried to play off that it has nothing to do with the NHL being on Versus. No one knows WHAT Versus is, much less where to find it. The NHL does no marketing to let anyone know that OLN is now Vs. and yet they're surprised when their ratings are lower than women's college basketball. The most unfortunate thing for hockey is that the game really is so much better in person. See a few games in person and you fall in love with the sport. Unfortunately, the NHL is pricing people away from that option.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Dec 11, 2006 -> 12:27 PM) Going to Raw tonight. That Cena vs AAE match should be a classic. And what WILL those DX scamps do next???

I was going to reply sooner, but my computer just won't shut up.... The only successful advertising for me is an ad that shows me something for sale that I didn't know about already. The content of the ad never sways me in a positive way - it can only prevent me from buying their product if the ad is too stupid or insulting.

Regal, Taylor and Finlay are all solid workers, and I find myself interested in their matches. I happen to like matches where they're not all flying around like mosquitoes for the entire time. My vote for Most Predictable Moment In A Pay Per View, 2006 Edition goes to Joe choking out Angle. Couldn't see that one coming......