Cubs and Braves...Opening Day

What song would you want playing when you are introduced? It doesn't matter what you are introduced for, what would you want playing? I will explain why I am asking this question a little later, but let's just say that I am still stunned by some things that happened at the Braves game last night....

I should mention that I am kind of a sports junkie. Maybe more of a competition junkie. I will watch just about anything if it will guarantee to finish with a winner and a loser. This probably explains why I don't watch a lot of hockey, and why I think soccer is only for girls. Or boys who can't make the football team. By the way, for those of you who know Hopps, you also know that was a direct shot at him.

My favorite sports are football, then baseball. And there are few events that I love more than Opening Day. So, yesterday I plopped down in front of the television to watch my beloved Cubbies home opener against the Brewers, then went to Turner Field to watch the Braves open against the Pirates. A great day all around despite heartbreaking losses by both home teams.

Here are a couple of thoughts on the two games:

I am really happy with the Cubs this year. Yeah, I know that 2008 MVP, Kosuke Fukudome was 3 for 3 with a double, a homerun and a walk, while the rest of the team was 2 for 31. And, I know that Kerry Wood and Bob Howry did not look great in there opening stints. No matter, I like this lineup, I really like the pitching, and I am expecting really nice things from this team. I am going to stop talking about this game now since I don't want to be too optimistic before the Cubs have their first win.

Onto the Braves.

The Atlanta Braves are now 0 and 2 and if the season keeps up like this we will be admitting Gondee from Talking Chop into a mental institution by the beginning of May. On Opening Day in Washington, DC, the Braves got a gem from Tim Hudson and lost on a heartbreaking walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 9th.

Last night was just sureal! The Pirates squandered a 5 run lead in the 9th inning, which included a routine pop-up that was allowed to drop between the left fielder and center fielder that scored the tying runs. Then in the top of the 12th, the Pirates get a 3-run homerun only to nearly squander the lead again. Braves catcher Brian McCann called it the craziest game he has ever been a part of. It is certainly one of the craziest games I have seen in person.

With that, here are the things that caught my eye last night during the pomp and circumstance of opening day:

1. Braves relief pitcher, Peter Moylan was introduced last night to "Down Under," by Men At Work. Seriously, is this the music you really want to be introduced to? Does this inspire anything? I can't imagine that it does. Of course, this got me to thinking what song I would want to be introduced to. I came up with....wait for it....Jay Z and "Show Me What You Got"
2. Okay, time out for trivia. Who is the winningest pitcher to ever play in the Braves organization? We will come back to this, but his number is NOT retired by the Braves!
3. Time out for trivia, part II. How many dffferent names have the Atlanta Braves had in their history? How about nine. That right, nine different team names since the organization started playing baseball in 1871 as the Boston Redstockings. I am not going to lie, I was dumbfounded by this.

The answer to the first question is Cy Young. Yeah, that Cy Young. He actually won game 511 as a Boston Rustler in 1911. Just some information that I found fascinating last night.

Reason #1 We Hate American Hockey Fans

The readers of this blog may wonder why I actually went through the (admittedly minimal) time and effort of my last post. Well, first it was actually a legitimate post critiquing the NHL. Second, it was pretty much a set up for this post.

While hanging with my boy Alvaro having some wings and beer and watching the Maryland-Duke basketball game, we noticed that the NHL All-Star game was actually on one of the televisions in the sports bar. A kid next to me, already having quenched most of his thirst this evening, starts talking to us about the hockey game. Apparently, this kid (around 25 but acting 16) played hockey somewhere in Ohio where his family is "known in the local hockey community". He played some small college club hockey, and still plays in some adult club leagues now (and yes, they do have hockey leagues in Florida). He also made it known that he was a dual citizen - United States and Switzerland. I guess if war ever broke out in the Vatican he could claim U.S. status rather than having to guard the Pope.

Anyway, Alvaro has a theory as to why hockey is not very popular in the U.S, because most of the great players are not American. Swiss Miss then proceeds to tell us why this is. "Because the way the bigger American players are taught to play has been legislated out of the league. Things like clutching-and-grabbing aren't allowed, so the Americans that grew up playing clutch-and-grab defense cannot make it to the professional level. However, the Europeans grow up playing a wide open style of hockey, which is being rewarded by the NHL." Now, Swiss Miss may be right, but he was indignant about it. Almost as if he wanted to say, "How dare the NHL keep less skilled players from bullying those that actually have more speed and talent." Like each sport doesn't try to showcase those players that actually have talent and skill over those less talented (the Pat Riley era Knicks notwithstanding). What a dope. This guy probably likes soccer's offside rule as well. The reason we hate hockey fans like this guy is:

THEY ACTUALLY THINK THEIR FAVORITE SPORT IS RELEVANT!

The NHL All-Star game was showing on one television out of 80 in this bar. ONE! The people were watching the Duke-Maryland basketball game (which by the way, if you haven't seen Bambale Osby play - make sure you catch him).

If the NHL is ever going to be popular in the United States it needs to: (1) Play on a real network; (2) reward the most skilled players - or at least not hinder the most skilled players; (3) find somehow for the true athleticism of the players to be showcased through the television camera; and (4) have hockey fans like Swiss Miss shut their traps until they actually know about what they are talking.