Mittenstringers Distracted By Shiny Objects
So, the Leafs have won back-to-back games, and according to Berger and Shoalts, all is basically well with the team. The pressure is off, at least for a time.
WTF?
Not to pick on these gentlemen in particular (they are right about the lower boil), but these same people, a week ago, were calling for the organization to be gutted: JFJ fired, Maurice fired, Peddie gone, Sundin traded, etc. Now the pressure is off? Any team can win two straight games over an 82-game season at any time (except the Leafs home-and-home with Buffalo). If you thought that the organization needs to be blown up, nothing over the last couple games should have changed your opinion on that. If you really believed the organization was fundamentally broken, it should take a lot more than beating the Thrashers and Penguins to convince you otherwise. That's the difference between thinking hockey through and coming to a reasoned analysis vs going to the game, drinking a big Sprite and yelling along with all the sparkly lights on the Jumbo-Tron. You might expect this out of fans - this kind of irrational rollercoaster is a big part of the experience- but from people who are paid to analyze the team? Say it with me, gents: small sample size. Of course, couple losses in a row will set the mittenstringers frothing again, and we'll be back where we started: thundering denunciations, baseless innuendo, and Make-A-Wish on the penalty kill. We should take advantage of this brief lull and start a pool - who will be the next mittenstringer to bust out the "1967"? You know it won't be long...
UPDATE! Kudos for Cox for pissing in everyone's cornflakes... the pool is still open, however!
WTF?
Not to pick on these gentlemen in particular (they are right about the lower boil), but these same people, a week ago, were calling for the organization to be gutted: JFJ fired, Maurice fired, Peddie gone, Sundin traded, etc. Now the pressure is off? Any team can win two straight games over an 82-game season at any time (except the Leafs home-and-home with Buffalo). If you thought that the organization needs to be blown up, nothing over the last couple games should have changed your opinion on that. If you really believed the organization was fundamentally broken, it should take a lot more than beating the Thrashers and Penguins to convince you otherwise. That's the difference between thinking hockey through and coming to a reasoned analysis vs going to the game, drinking a big Sprite and yelling along with all the sparkly lights on the Jumbo-Tron. You might expect this out of fans - this kind of irrational rollercoaster is a big part of the experience- but from people who are paid to analyze the team? Say it with me, gents: small sample size. Of course, couple losses in a row will set the mittenstringers frothing again, and we'll be back where we started: thundering denunciations, baseless innuendo, and Make-A-Wish on the penalty kill. We should take advantage of this brief lull and start a pool - who will be the next mittenstringer to bust out the "1967"? You know it won't be long...
UPDATE! Kudos for Cox for pissing in everyone's cornflakes... the pool is still open, however!
That's hardly a fair pool. It'll be Cox the morning after the Leafs next bad loss. It's like a form of written Tourette's.
I've got Berger in the 1967 pool. DC Talk is the favourite, but I think Howie will bust it out within the next 10 days.
I'll put my money on David "Dark Horse" Shoalts.
What is the prize?
I think the prize should be that the two non-winners have to send a not-obviously-sarcastic *complimentary* e-mail to the first mittenstringer to bust out either "1967" or "40 years." Something like "Howard, I have always loved your work. Your hard-hitting style makes me feel grateful that somebody out there is taking on the MLSE and its smug, ivory-tower ways."
Meanwhile, Godd and Kim -- you got a shout-out from Jeff Blair in his Globe blog just now. Seriously, you did.
Varry- great idea. Makes me glad I haven't posted my choice! (I wanted WCH).
Thanks also for passing on the Blair link, that made my day. Tremendous.