April Fools Comes Early!

I admit, I got sucked into the hype.

I did something I never do, and tuned in to 1380 in the Prospectmobile on my way home from Edwardsville, foregoing the home-burned CD with new stuff from the Eagles and “Alice Cooper Goes To Hell,” just to hear something — anything — about this so-called “big story.”

Jesus, I even sat through an hour of Carriker pontificating about what he thinks the Rams should do in the draft on the way home, and didn’t even hear Strickland’s “big story” before I got home…

BTW, let me go on record here as saying that I think the Blues have two chances of signing Forsberg… slim and none, and slim just left town.

And I’d trade Backman AND Jackman before Walker. Walker’s no Bobby Orr, but then, who is? I like the guy; call me crazy.

B.

I question whether the hysteria much to do with the current excitement around what JD and Pleau have started to build. This town has always seemed to pay more attention to the trade deadline than it pays to the Blues’ actual play. I remember people waiting with baited breath every time Ron Caron would say “The meat is on the burner!”

Matt Walker wants to play. He’s no longer the 6th defenseman who does more with his gloves off than on. He’s not very talented, but he plays simple, effective defense, make the quick, safe play, don’t overhandle the puck, and don’t think too much. That’s why he wants to be traded.

I don’t think that the Blues can get a lot for him; he’s a reliable 6th defenseman, but not much more. Also, they need him for the Anaheim’s and Columbus’ of the league, teams with multiple chuckleheads who wouldn’t think twice about running our small guys during the playoff push. So, Matt, I don’t see your situation changing unless someone overpays for you.

You have to learn to ignore the “buzz” that gets created on that forum. First of all, everything is turned into a big game of telephone. By the time someone has posted about what someone else said on another forum, which that person claims to have heard on the radio, it barely resembles the original statement.

Also, that forum has an outright fraud on there, pretending to be a Blues flavored Eklund. I know for a fact he is pulling their legs for fun, but it continues to get lapped up. Amazing really. However, when you have individuals who over-obsess over something, believe themselves to be information starved, and spend an entire workday living and dying on message board, that’s what happens.

By the way, great image. The looks of Bernie, and the vice of Kermit.

voice of Kermit dammit!

I have breaking news. I just farted. More news when it comes available. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

this just in: sun will rise tomorrow in the east, possibly set in the west,

more inforamtion when it becomes available

Yet another reason to pay absolutely no attention to Strickland.

That’s why I only visit GameTime.com. Nobody says crazy things here. ;-)

Hey, Particle! We don’t much appreciate satirical comments like that here at Game Time.

And why oh why isn’t this post labeled under the “Douchebags” gathegory?

What an awesome afternoon that was. That shit storm of “I know more than you” was amazing. I said it yesterday and probably a few times before that, but it never ceases to amaze me how tough people are while they post something on the interwebnet thingy. I would bet 98% have never even skated a shift in an actual organized game in their life. Fools.

eh what amases me is the vilionent protection of rumors by the people who think they created them on the internet.

dude, you can’t own a rumor….

when you actually do stuff like journalism and get two sources and verify, etc, ok then protect it and get mad about people “stealing” but rumors?

wow

i know own the following statements cos i typed them first. do none of you steal them!!!

detroit wants bryce for picks

the blues will get the habs ryder for, oh, um, kt

a democrat will win the presidental election

walker will get less playing time than his near zero time

the writers strike will eventually end and there will be much rejoicing

jd will say something neutral about what the blues are going to do right up to the point where he dumps 10 older and unsigned players

ears might get another start this year- but dont hold me to that

one of my trivia answers will be wrong

one of my trivia answers will be right

britney will clean up and get here life together- sadly she will be 63 when this happens and down to three acctive brain nuerons and here body will contain more silicone than white blood cells

opportunity will knock

thursday will be a good day to start a new financial investment

red is the new black

someone will win american idol after a deserving contestent is voted off in a suspicious manner

the next world catasophe will produce a corresponding nostradomous quatrain

And Scott Rolen and Tony LaRussa share man time together

Hockeybuzz is bad for your brain. It’s like a horoscope—for entertainment purposes only. And it’s not even that entertaining.

I’m trying to not throw up on my desk right now – Mr. Roboto has been named our Captain? Freakin’ great, now that cements they have no interest in shopping his half ass in the market….This is a disgrace to those before him – I’d rather have the rotating A’s. Curious – since they have again name Jax as a permanent A are they thinking he is staying??
I’d feel more proud to have Jammer wearing my C – at least he steps up in the game even if he gets pounded on the ice. Who the hell listens to EB?

hockeybuzz may not be good for you, but this headline got my attention “Brewer named Blues Captain”. oh snap… the message boards on those other sites will be OUT OF CONTROL.

don’t worry, matt walker has been named blues’ tenille

i can’t wait to see their duet of “muskrat love”

The way I look at it, as captain Brewer now needs to keep his play at a high level, and probably get a bit more physical. Has to set the example now, right?

Brewer bashing is so 2007. He’s playing well and he’s playing a ton. Nobody gets more ice time other than Manny. Anybody who thought they would even consider trading Brewer right now is living in fantasy land.

I’m no a Brew-hater, but how come HE hasn’t had to get a different perspective on things [from the pressbox] like all the others. He’s had his poor outings, too.
Is he?
Teacher’s Pet!!!

i agree that brewer’s been playing better, although not as well as he could. i notice i haven’t been using the phrase “dammit, brewer” as often.

knowing strickland’s “ties” to the team and in light of this quote from a couple days ago… “The Blues held a players only meeting this morning after practice on the ice. Bryce Salvador and Eric Brewer did most of the talking,” i wasn’t totally shocked when i read that he was named captain. the groundwork for viewing brewer as a leader was actively being laid down by strickland. i just hope brewer can continue to elevate his game and maybe show a little passion for the team that is now “his team.”

Eric Brewer… I think the reason that the guy never got sat down is that he’s one of those with fragile confidence, and AM handles him differently because he knows he needs a healthy, confident Brewer. Brewer does, in fact, skate surprisingly well and strongly when he makes up his mind. Still doesn’t change directions well, but that’s why he’s not a #1 defenseman.

I’m not defending his fragile confidence-frankly, I think that as a highly-paid professional athlete, you should be able to deal with the mental demands associated with the game. Maybe the “C” will bolster his play; we haven’t seen the same Eric Brewer that was in the Olympics except for a few games last year.

As far as asking the defensemen to hit someone in the corners, AM’s scheme is almost the same as Quenneville’s. He wants his defensemen in the passing and shooting lanes near the net, not chasing some skater to paste them against the boards. I bet that’s one of the things that AM is real anal about, and can earn you a trip to the press box even if you wind being +3 or 4 for the game. Frankly, other than EJ, and maybe Salvador, our defensemen don’t have enough speed to recover from pasting someone on the boards to get back into the lanes.

Sometimes this leads to hesitation, because there are times when I’m sure every instinct in someone’s body is to cream the forward against the boards, but they know that AM will dissect the tape and say, “at 12:32 of the second period, you left your position to hit Toews, and being out of your position could have created a scoring chance. Backman’s gonna play the next game because he deserves a chance to play.”

Just my $.02

For all the Brewer-bashing this year (some deserved), I am fine with this move. It solidifies the team under one player, it gives that one player more responsibility and more confidence, and furthermore, with the ‘C,’ the guys should have a seemingly calm middleman to voice any concerns they may have to Murray.

On a related note, why so much love for giving Mayers the “C-note?” Sure he’s got grit and hustle, but so does the dog that chases down a long-throw frisbee and then just stares at it laying in the grass. A guy who rushes down the ice to prevent an icing, then immediately gives it up does not a captain make, my friends. Nor does the same guy, given an odd-man rush and a need to put a puck on net for a rebound, earn a “c” when he consistently misfires, most of the time embarassingly so. Just adding the two pennies in my pocket. Let’s buy a piece of Double Bubble!

well on his blog yesterday i wrote in response that it’s a little early for april fools’ day because cleary wants big money and matt “how do you guys skate without pushing chairs in front of you” walker asked to be traded.

as i said before, i talked this guy up last year and defended him because he appeared to improving on his skating and his decision making was good and he was tough…and…well he’s been the biggest disappointment of the year for me.

i find it laughable he’d ask to be traded. i think right now he belongs in the ahl. he’s been horrible, even when he gets three or four games in a row. his skating has worstened, his decision making left him. the slowest guys on the other team blow by him.

at his best he’s a spare part you throw in because of an injury to a player while you wait for a kid to come up and play or some guy’s sick for a game or two. and he makes a great pilon in practice.

at his worst—well his head’s turned backward watching yet another guy skate past him.

the four biggest disappointments of this team this year in order:
1)matt wlaker
2)jay mcclement
3)keith tkachoke
4)barret jackman

If it takes wearing a freakin’ letter for him to play better – then shame on him!!! I actually see this back firing on him, he’ll be too concerned about stepping up and trip over his skates more than now. What kills me is he get’s the C but I seriously don’t remember him wearing the A at all this year except maybe one game.
I don’t care if he’s not Pronger – thank god – but the stupid, retarded crap he does game in & out is not Captain worthy, nor worthy of 30 mintues a game. If he hasn’t figured out he’s not fast enough to pinch in and get back to defend when the puck circles back out then QUIT it – if you don’t know which side of the ice you are suppossed to defend LEARN it and quit blocking Emmanuel’s site line, you have 8 inches on the man! I thank the hockey gods Bryce has been by his side to fix some of the half-assedness of Mr. Roboto. If Bryce gets traded, I think even Mr. Dafoe will see the “real” EB.

And enough of the he was on team Canada and won a gold medal – so was Theo Fleury, Eric “Head case” Lindros and CUJO who cares? That was also 2002 it’s 2008 now – I don’t think he’s that much improved in 6 years.

also i’m dreaming of getting devin setagucchi for like keith tkachoke and maybe jackman or slavador if it’s necessary to throw one of those bums in as well.

of course we problably need some centermen since pleau and the management believe centermen coming into the nhl should play the wing. so…um has wendy pleau recovered enough yet so we can fire this schmuck?

FrankenBrewer as captain…it’ll be a graveyard smash!

Chris D, Stempy doesn’t make your top 4? I didn’t expect tons from Walt, but Stempy I thought would have a great year. I’m still hoping he figures it out and gets hot.

well mr. particle he would be number five because he’s played well most night, but not so much as of late.

his numbers are down a bit but earlier in the year he was mainly just unlucky. i thought he’d tip in 30 this year as well, but there are few factors that have kept him from this. let’s look closer shall we?

1) earlier in the year the kids line was used as shut down line where backes was told to not worry about scoring but forechecking and shutting down the best lines.

2) some of the line combinations and that mostly concerning jay mcclement. jay while at times showing patches of brilliance has play substandard from his first two years and as his set up abilities have trickled so has lee’s goal scoring stats. lee is an effective player but at this point he’s a solid third liner. mcclement on the other hand is looking more and more like a fourth liner.

when the blues decide to start injecting more of the talent they have into the line up i think lee will become an important factor.

also benefitting from a harsher judgement is the fair signing amount lee took without pushing for more money and using rfa leverage and what not. now because brewer wanted so much i have to continue to point out he is overpaid because he is not offensive.

I think that by most accounts, Brewer played extremely well in the Olympics in 2002, and that is the level at which he established his ceiling. Maybe he played over his head back then, and so it’s a false ceiling but for better or worse, that is where his NHL value was established. He’d still be Edmonton’s problem if fire-sale Bill Laurie hadn’t decided to let the team’s most valuable asset go just to save short-term money. “Making the team more palatable for a buyer” my ass.

As far as the “C” making him raise his level of play, the pragmatist in me says “Anything to make him play better.” The fan in me says, “Why should it make a difference? He’s being paid to to be an anchor defenseman, and he’s supposed to have the talent to do it, so why should it make such a difference in his play? He’s a professional, dammit.”

Duke: sometimes the captaincy goes to the player with the most heart, not the most talent. Personally, I think that the “C” should be a players’ decision, not the coach’s, at least not alone. We can only hope that the team had some input to this decision.