Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Thursday, 28 March 2013
The Jarome Iginla trade
I'm not sure if this is actually how I feel, or if this is the result of my brain spending all night desperately trying to rationalize what just happened.
Phew.
Okay. Let's do this.
First, let's identify downfalls of the Flames organization over the past few seasons. They have no big centers and their prospects either have little skill and skating ability, or are very very very small. At the NHL level, they have not had a true "grind line" since 2009 instead filling the third line with 2nd line tweeners. The fourth line has been a random collection of goons, and usually can't see more than 5 minutes a night for risk of them letting in too many goals.
The Boston deal? That deal made me mad. A depth defenceman and an undersized russian with skating problems. Make no mistake, of all the pieces Calgary potentially had coming back Khokhlachev was the best, or at least had the most potential. That said, he reads like the stereotype of russians that don't make it in the NHL, so that is a huge question mark. Unfortunately, the KHL factor is a very real consideration now. Perhaps the biggest flaw with Khokhlachev is that the Flames already have him, he's just named Paul Byron. Another undersized skilled centre won't really help the organization. The real piss off was the conditional 1st rounder. For the return to be based on whether or not a player likes an organization is an unreasonable risk. That deal was basically Bartkowski and future considerations, which is very frustrating.
The Pittsburgh deal is the better deal. The Flames get a first rounder, likely late, and effectively replacing their 2nd in this draft. Okay. A guaranteed pick. Good, we need those. Now, what do the two prospects project to? First, worth noting that before joining the Flames as Assistant General Manager John Weisbrod was the head of scouting for the Boston Bruins. He spent a looot of time scouting the American college ranks. Also, during the lock out most scouts watched a ton of college hockey. If Weisbrod says these guys are good, I'm inclined to trust him. What do these players bring to the Flames? Size. Skating ability. They project as max 2nd liners, likely 3rd liners. Having shut-down players who can skate is a very desperate need for the Flames organization. They get those in this deal.
Would I have preferred Derrick Pouliot? Absolutely. But clearly the Flames are intended to do this rebuild the right way. I.E. Not just putting the sexy name into the lineup and waiting for results. Instead they're acquiring players who will play a role. More Ottawa style than Edmonton style. And I like this. Ottawa's rebuild is basically my gold standard for how you do a rebuild.
Farewell, Iggy. You were the best thing to happen to this city since oil.
Phew.
Okay. Let's do this.
First, let's identify downfalls of the Flames organization over the past few seasons. They have no big centers and their prospects either have little skill and skating ability, or are very very very small. At the NHL level, they have not had a true "grind line" since 2009 instead filling the third line with 2nd line tweeners. The fourth line has been a random collection of goons, and usually can't see more than 5 minutes a night for risk of them letting in too many goals.
The Boston deal? That deal made me mad. A depth defenceman and an undersized russian with skating problems. Make no mistake, of all the pieces Calgary potentially had coming back Khokhlachev was the best, or at least had the most potential. That said, he reads like the stereotype of russians that don't make it in the NHL, so that is a huge question mark. Unfortunately, the KHL factor is a very real consideration now. Perhaps the biggest flaw with Khokhlachev is that the Flames already have him, he's just named Paul Byron. Another undersized skilled centre won't really help the organization. The real piss off was the conditional 1st rounder. For the return to be based on whether or not a player likes an organization is an unreasonable risk. That deal was basically Bartkowski and future considerations, which is very frustrating.
The Pittsburgh deal is the better deal. The Flames get a first rounder, likely late, and effectively replacing their 2nd in this draft. Okay. A guaranteed pick. Good, we need those. Now, what do the two prospects project to? First, worth noting that before joining the Flames as Assistant General Manager John Weisbrod was the head of scouting for the Boston Bruins. He spent a looot of time scouting the American college ranks. Also, during the lock out most scouts watched a ton of college hockey. If Weisbrod says these guys are good, I'm inclined to trust him. What do these players bring to the Flames? Size. Skating ability. They project as max 2nd liners, likely 3rd liners. Having shut-down players who can skate is a very desperate need for the Flames organization. They get those in this deal.
Would I have preferred Derrick Pouliot? Absolutely. But clearly the Flames are intended to do this rebuild the right way. I.E. Not just putting the sexy name into the lineup and waiting for results. Instead they're acquiring players who will play a role. More Ottawa style than Edmonton style. And I like this. Ottawa's rebuild is basically my gold standard for how you do a rebuild.
Farewell, Iggy. You were the best thing to happen to this city since oil.
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
On Video Games...
My video game docket is, at the moment, the fullest it has been in almost five years.
The PS3 is currently loaded up with Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. Yes, I'm playing through it again, because I need more Optimus Prime in my life. Currently warming up in the dugout is Dishonored, a game that I put two hours into and just ran out of time to play. Behind THAT is the last ~1.5 hours of Assassin's Creed III, a game that I really really REALLY liked, and is currently standing in the way of me playing through the Zone of the Enders remake.
Also worth noting? I'm planning on buying Bioshock Infinite today. So...goodness. Looks like I might need to call in sick a couple times. That is a lot of video game I need to get through.
I just want to mention one of the things which stuns me the most about Fall of Cybertron. In my previous post about how the ratings system appears to be broken I briefly touched on this, and I feel like it deserves mention again. Fall of Cybertron might be the best adaptation of external source material I have ever had the pleasure to play. What is persistently astounding to me is how everything in this game is covered in a glossy sheen of childlike excitement for everything you do. The progression of the plot reads like something a five year old would come up with while playing with his toys.
Need to get to the gates to help defend them, now we need to get the neutron cannons online, oh now we're shooting at tanks, now the cannons have become Metroplex, now our city-size robot is fucking shit up. In addition, the design of everything in this game is done with an absurd level of scale. City size guns are a thing, which is AWESOME. You enter ancient structures with kilometer high ceilings, look out upon endlessly built-up robot city, you have god damn Metroplex as something akin to a summon.
Randomly, Optimus yells out things like "Liberty is the right of all sentient beings," like some kind of house sized Robo-Lincoln. Seriously, everything about this game is like your inner five year old was given an insane budget and asked to make a Transformers movie that didn't suck. You really really need to check this game out.
The PS3 is currently loaded up with Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. Yes, I'm playing through it again, because I need more Optimus Prime in my life. Currently warming up in the dugout is Dishonored, a game that I put two hours into and just ran out of time to play. Behind THAT is the last ~1.5 hours of Assassin's Creed III, a game that I really really REALLY liked, and is currently standing in the way of me playing through the Zone of the Enders remake.
Also worth noting? I'm planning on buying Bioshock Infinite today. So...goodness. Looks like I might need to call in sick a couple times. That is a lot of video game I need to get through.
I just want to mention one of the things which stuns me the most about Fall of Cybertron. In my previous post about how the ratings system appears to be broken I briefly touched on this, and I feel like it deserves mention again. Fall of Cybertron might be the best adaptation of external source material I have ever had the pleasure to play. What is persistently astounding to me is how everything in this game is covered in a glossy sheen of childlike excitement for everything you do. The progression of the plot reads like something a five year old would come up with while playing with his toys.
Need to get to the gates to help defend them, now we need to get the neutron cannons online, oh now we're shooting at tanks, now the cannons have become Metroplex, now our city-size robot is fucking shit up. In addition, the design of everything in this game is done with an absurd level of scale. City size guns are a thing, which is AWESOME. You enter ancient structures with kilometer high ceilings, look out upon endlessly built-up robot city, you have god damn Metroplex as something akin to a summon.
Randomly, Optimus yells out things like "Liberty is the right of all sentient beings," like some kind of house sized Robo-Lincoln. Seriously, everything about this game is like your inner five year old was given an insane budget and asked to make a Transformers movie that didn't suck. You really really need to check this game out.
Thursday, 14 March 2013
And now we make the jiu jitsu
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is hard. It is punishingly, ball bustingly, verge of tears hard.
That said, I'm probably not going to stop anytime soon. The interesting thing about BJJ is that the reason it is so hard is also the reason it is so effective, and perhaps why the best in the world are so much better than the rest of the world.
The thing with grappling is that you can go balls-out, 100%, with no mercy. You can try out new things, you can look for new techniques and you don't get your head caved in. Consequently, when you're starting you get absolutely slaughtered. During this slaughter, you try out ways to fight back. You last a couple more seconds. You do that again and last a couple more seconds. After you last a few more seconds you try out something else, and see if it works. You learn to how your body can move in ways you never knew, how to feel when you're in danger.
I can't think of many other things where you learn by failure. It seems to be such an effective way to learn, difficulty aside, that it makes me wonder why this method has not been adopted in more areas.
Sidebar: GSP Diaz. Holy shit that is gonna' be cray cray.
That said, I'm probably not going to stop anytime soon. The interesting thing about BJJ is that the reason it is so hard is also the reason it is so effective, and perhaps why the best in the world are so much better than the rest of the world.
The thing with grappling is that you can go balls-out, 100%, with no mercy. You can try out new things, you can look for new techniques and you don't get your head caved in. Consequently, when you're starting you get absolutely slaughtered. During this slaughter, you try out ways to fight back. You last a couple more seconds. You do that again and last a couple more seconds. After you last a few more seconds you try out something else, and see if it works. You learn to how your body can move in ways you never knew, how to feel when you're in danger.
I can't think of many other things where you learn by failure. It seems to be such an effective way to learn, difficulty aside, that it makes me wonder why this method has not been adopted in more areas.
Sidebar: GSP Diaz. Holy shit that is gonna' be cray cray.
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
when did radio get good?
I'm experiencing an interesting change of opinion about a great many things over the past few years. Fart jokes became lazy and unfunny, the non-fiction section became compelling, The Bay is a store I frequent and radio became a form of media I enjoy.
For most of my life the radio was that thing you listened to exclusively in the car. It was there, and you listened to it to get your fill of crappy pop music because that was just the only option available. Then I discovered CBC radio two. It provided me interesting, atypical music with a maple leaf emblazonned on every possivle surface. What I had not expected, however, was that RadioTwo is the gateway drug to RadioOne.
Let's examine the audacity of RadioOne for a moment. Commercial free, relatively unbiased talk radio, dealing almost exclusively in issues of national interest, supplemented by region specific content in two languages. That is a ridiculous thing to exist, and I love that it does. Jian Ghomeshi is the first hit RadioOne gives you, promising that the first one is free. Then you wake up in a cold sweat, queuing up missed episodes of Alberta at Noon while listening to Blue Sky, and you realize you're just another canadian content junkie. If CBC would just release a RadioOne app for Android I would rarely not be listening to something not-CBC.
Sadly the rabbit hole goes deeper. First I found NPR. This was my gateway to podcasts, and there was no going back. Podcasts, man. Podcasts are the hardcore variety of talk radio, the bath salts if you will. Currently I'm mainlining Freakonomics, with Jay&Dan waiting in the wings.
Was radio always this good and I'm only now growing up? Or are we experiencing a radio revival, an air wave rennaisance? More importantly, do I care and where can I find a podcast discussing that very subject?
For most of my life the radio was that thing you listened to exclusively in the car. It was there, and you listened to it to get your fill of crappy pop music because that was just the only option available. Then I discovered CBC radio two. It provided me interesting, atypical music with a maple leaf emblazonned on every possivle surface. What I had not expected, however, was that RadioTwo is the gateway drug to RadioOne.
Let's examine the audacity of RadioOne for a moment. Commercial free, relatively unbiased talk radio, dealing almost exclusively in issues of national interest, supplemented by region specific content in two languages. That is a ridiculous thing to exist, and I love that it does. Jian Ghomeshi is the first hit RadioOne gives you, promising that the first one is free. Then you wake up in a cold sweat, queuing up missed episodes of Alberta at Noon while listening to Blue Sky, and you realize you're just another canadian content junkie. If CBC would just release a RadioOne app for Android I would rarely not be listening to something not-CBC.
Sadly the rabbit hole goes deeper. First I found NPR. This was my gateway to podcasts, and there was no going back. Podcasts, man. Podcasts are the hardcore variety of talk radio, the bath salts if you will. Currently I'm mainlining Freakonomics, with Jay&Dan waiting in the wings.
Was radio always this good and I'm only now growing up? Or are we experiencing a radio revival, an air wave rennaisance? More importantly, do I care and where can I find a podcast discussing that very subject?
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Being judgemental...
There's no way around it, I'm a pretty judgemental guy.
How you dress, how you speak, your build and your company are things I'm most likely to judge you by. Spiked hair, over-developed biceps, small legs and accompanied by either a friend of a similar profile, or a comically skinny friend who is vaguely annoying? I'm going to assume you're a douchebag. Dressed to the nines, unwilling to maintain eye contact or relax your posture, probably with a watch prominently displayed? I'm going to assume you're a douchebag. Perpetually annoyed by everything about every situation you're in? I'm going to assume you're a douchebag.
You can see how this is becoming a problem for me. My social life is extremely limited at the moment, consisting of my two roommates whom I see sometimes, and the folks at my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school, with whom I don't converse because we're too busy trying to kill each other. When I do actually meet someone new, it seems like I start scanning for flaws in people, reasons why I could not hold a conversation with them for more than the requisite 5 minutes. The big one seems to be that I cannot stand people with a status obsession. You know the ones. The ones that need to be better than you. Bigger, stronger or wealthier, more successful, or "clearly" knows how everything could be better.
Here's the problem I have: I'm a competitive person. Unhealthily so. I've gotten it more or less "under wraps" nowadays, but every time I feel this disdain rising up for these people I find myself wondering the same question; Is the problem that they are awful people? Or am I the awful person here? Is it that they are obsessed with superiority to others or is that me?
Let us ponder this.
I mean, I like to think the number of genuine friendships I have serves as proof and a check on my ego, but I can never really be sure.
Anyway, lunch time.
How you dress, how you speak, your build and your company are things I'm most likely to judge you by. Spiked hair, over-developed biceps, small legs and accompanied by either a friend of a similar profile, or a comically skinny friend who is vaguely annoying? I'm going to assume you're a douchebag. Dressed to the nines, unwilling to maintain eye contact or relax your posture, probably with a watch prominently displayed? I'm going to assume you're a douchebag. Perpetually annoyed by everything about every situation you're in? I'm going to assume you're a douchebag.
You can see how this is becoming a problem for me. My social life is extremely limited at the moment, consisting of my two roommates whom I see sometimes, and the folks at my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school, with whom I don't converse because we're too busy trying to kill each other. When I do actually meet someone new, it seems like I start scanning for flaws in people, reasons why I could not hold a conversation with them for more than the requisite 5 minutes. The big one seems to be that I cannot stand people with a status obsession. You know the ones. The ones that need to be better than you. Bigger, stronger or wealthier, more successful, or "clearly" knows how everything could be better.
Here's the problem I have: I'm a competitive person. Unhealthily so. I've gotten it more or less "under wraps" nowadays, but every time I feel this disdain rising up for these people I find myself wondering the same question; Is the problem that they are awful people? Or am I the awful person here? Is it that they are obsessed with superiority to others or is that me?
Let us ponder this.
I mean, I like to think the number of genuine friendships I have serves as proof and a check on my ego, but I can never really be sure.
Anyway, lunch time.
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Boxing's new global landscape
Side note: I got a Kobo Arc. Shit's awesome.
I'm a boxing fan. I've watched boxing for a long time, since I was in my early teens. I also watch MMA, but as a general rule I watch boxing more than I watch MMA. Actually, I probably watch straight grappling (ADCC, IBJJF, IJF, NAGA, etc) more than I watch MMA. There's something about watching guys who are unbelievable at one thing that is more spectacular than guys who are really really good at a bunch of things. I would go so far as to say that your average professional boxer is better at boxing than your average MMA fighter is at "MMA." As much as that exists as a concept. I'm not trying to go into the philosophy of MMA as a standalone art, so I'll just jump away from that.
This past little while has been kinda' rough for me as a fan. My favourite fighter was Miguel Cotto, followed very closely by Sergio Martinez then Bernard Hopkins and Pacquiao. Cotto fought Austin Trout, favoured by a very large margin but in the end the big man proved to be better than advertised and too much for Cotto. Okay, Cotto lost. It happens, it is not the end of the world. There's no shame in losing to Mayweather, Pacquiao and a hungry up-n-comer, it happens to everyone. What worries me is the possibility that Cotto is going to head down the Mosley route, where he's using as a standard that younger, hungrier fighters are measured against. Mosley was an awesome fighter, but as soon as his speed started to wane he got used as a way to sort out divisions more than a contender. Watching him get murder-balled by Canelo was not a fun thing to watch, and I really don't want to see that happen to Cotto. Clearly he still has lots of gas in the tank, and I truly believe he wanted the Trout fight because he knew Trout was better than the popular media expected. Puerto Rico still loves the guy, MSG loves the guy, he's going to go and mess up some poor schmuck and all will be right.
Which takes me to Pacquiao. That fight was looking like another classic in the making, Pac-Man was back and he looked hungry, he had that look like he was going to beat Marquez to death just to remind everyone who the top dog was. Then that counter right landed. Look, let's take nothing away from Marquez here. Marquez is one of if not the most intelligent boxer alive. If there was ever anyone who has the determination and dedication to get into the best shape of their life this late in their career, it is JMM. BUT, I'm not saying he was on steroids but he was on steroids. I really want to see what Pac is going to do next, if he'll just do the fifth fight or if he'll go take down Bradley or if he'll wipe out some other poor soul. Pac should be fine, no worries here.
So. Martinez. Just named athlete of the year in Argentina. Over Lionel Messi. Now, I have never been to Argentina. The closest I have ever been would be Arizona. I am not an expert on Latin American culture, or the intricacies of how the public assigns praise, but I'm pretty sure that a boxer being named a bigger deal than a soccer player is kind of huge. Especially if that soccer player is frickin' Lionel Messi. To be fair, for 11 1/2 rounds Martinez messed up a much bigger man and messed him up bad. And then for half a round my heart just stopped beating. It was crazy, but Martinez grabbed ahold of his giant brass balls and fought his way through a very bad situation. Given that he was fighting a guy who had a solid 20 pounds on him, and had his hands down for pretty much the entire fight, I'd say that it was a dominant win. His style is fun to watch, he's got serious power in both hands and he's charismatic as hell. While other champions have 25 man entourages around them and use the mic as a chance to "grow their brand" Martinez remains cool as hell, and a real class act in a sport noted for barbarism.
This kind of takes me to my point. There's been a lot made about the death of boxing, how no one cares about boxing anymore, how MMA has killed boxing, etc. When Pacquiao went down face first, I read so many news stories proclaiming that with him died the last best hope for boxing to ever regain popularity. This came on the heels of Seth Mitchell getting beat up. I understand that the heavyweight division defines boxing, but to be frank we haven't seen a "skill" heavyweight since Tyson. The current heavyweight mantra is "float like a mack truck, sting like a mack truck." In terms of skill, excitement and art, it has been a small man's sport for a while. If Seth Mitchell had become the next big thing, that would have been super. He still might, for gawd's sake it is one loss. But the focus on needing an American Heavyweight to "save" the sport is getting profoundly unfair to the other leaders of the sport.
More and more, I'm realizing that boxing is going to be just fine, and that boxing IS doing just fine. It just takes a slight readjustment of how I view "success." America doesn't care about boxing. Canada never did. That's okay. Latin America is craaaazy enthusiastic about boxing, Europe is getting back into it, and Asia is now coming on board. Their money is just as good as anyone else's. Maybe boxing is playing second fiddle to other combat sports in the USA, but it is still very popular throughout the rest of the planet. I'm a boxing fan in Canada, which means that I'm like a hockey fan in Finland. It's not the most popular sport around me, the highest level is usually contested on the other side of the world, but it's okay because it's still fun to watch. Boxing is going to be okay.
I mean, it would okay quicker if we didn't have the WBC, WBO, IBF, etc etc etc handing out a million belts a year in a zillion weight classes, but it'll be fine nonetheless.
I'm a boxing fan. I've watched boxing for a long time, since I was in my early teens. I also watch MMA, but as a general rule I watch boxing more than I watch MMA. Actually, I probably watch straight grappling (ADCC, IBJJF, IJF, NAGA, etc) more than I watch MMA. There's something about watching guys who are unbelievable at one thing that is more spectacular than guys who are really really good at a bunch of things. I would go so far as to say that your average professional boxer is better at boxing than your average MMA fighter is at "MMA." As much as that exists as a concept. I'm not trying to go into the philosophy of MMA as a standalone art, so I'll just jump away from that.
This past little while has been kinda' rough for me as a fan. My favourite fighter was Miguel Cotto, followed very closely by Sergio Martinez then Bernard Hopkins and Pacquiao. Cotto fought Austin Trout, favoured by a very large margin but in the end the big man proved to be better than advertised and too much for Cotto. Okay, Cotto lost. It happens, it is not the end of the world. There's no shame in losing to Mayweather, Pacquiao and a hungry up-n-comer, it happens to everyone. What worries me is the possibility that Cotto is going to head down the Mosley route, where he's using as a standard that younger, hungrier fighters are measured against. Mosley was an awesome fighter, but as soon as his speed started to wane he got used as a way to sort out divisions more than a contender. Watching him get murder-balled by Canelo was not a fun thing to watch, and I really don't want to see that happen to Cotto. Clearly he still has lots of gas in the tank, and I truly believe he wanted the Trout fight because he knew Trout was better than the popular media expected. Puerto Rico still loves the guy, MSG loves the guy, he's going to go and mess up some poor schmuck and all will be right.
 |
| Austin Trout: Actually a pretty cool guy when he's not ruining my day. |
 |
| Seriously, he's going to use the next guy as a reminder. |
 |
| Also kind of man-pretty. |
More and more, I'm realizing that boxing is going to be just fine, and that boxing IS doing just fine. It just takes a slight readjustment of how I view "success." America doesn't care about boxing. Canada never did. That's okay. Latin America is craaaazy enthusiastic about boxing, Europe is getting back into it, and Asia is now coming on board. Their money is just as good as anyone else's. Maybe boxing is playing second fiddle to other combat sports in the USA, but it is still very popular throughout the rest of the planet. I'm a boxing fan in Canada, which means that I'm like a hockey fan in Finland. It's not the most popular sport around me, the highest level is usually contested on the other side of the world, but it's okay because it's still fun to watch. Boxing is going to be okay.
I mean, it would okay quicker if we didn't have the WBC, WBO, IBF, etc etc etc handing out a million belts a year in a zillion weight classes, but it'll be fine nonetheless.
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