When Jack was at the All-Star Festivities for the Young Stars game, he approached All-Star defenseman Dion Phaneuf of the Calgary Flames.
Jack introduced himself.
"Hi, I am Jack Johnson, I play for the Los Angeles Kings"
Phaneuf paused, looked at Jack for a moment, and shook his head.
"What? What are you talking about? I know who the fuck you are. You're going to be my d-partner in this game in like 2 years!"
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Red Wings Struggling/Trade Deadline/Other
The Detroit Red Wings losing FOUR GAMES IN A ROW!!?!?!!?
It must be time to trade Zetterberg.
This little slump will pass very soon, but in the meantime it provides an excellent opportunity for Ken Holland to start thinking about the roster tweak that we ALL know he is going to make at the trade deadline. There is a reason he saved salary cap space during the off-season.
Holland knew this team was good enough to win as is. Now the question is whether or not they are good enough to win the ultimate prize. Considering it is essentially the same group as last year (Rafalski and Schneider cancel each other out), one could argue against the pro-side. The Ducks look like the team to beat in the playoffs, regardless of regular season record.
The Red Wings must make a move of some sort. They have the cap space. Why not bring back Sergei Fedorov's expiring contract and see what playing on a winner again does for his well-discussed lack of motivation. I cannot imagine the Blue Jackets asking for much more than a 2nd round pick for the guy.
Mats Sundin is probably a pipedream, but that would obviously be the ideal situation.
How about Rob Blake? The team is not starved for defense, but can you ever have enough quality d-men? The Wings barely lost to the Ducks in the Western Conference Finals despite playing without two of their top four defensemen (Kronwall and Schneider). Blake would be a nice addition on this team of veterans.
I just have a feeling about Blake ending up in the winged wheel. Maybe it is because I have rooted for the guy since early childhood. Wishful thinking can cloud judgment. I still say it is going to happen, and it will not take a king's ransom (no pun intended) to get it done.
Speaking of LA, I loved checking the Kings' boxscore and seeing Jack with a 10 minute misconduct. People that watched the game had no idea what happened: my Dad was clueless, there was no mention in the game recap. Everybody assumed that he was ripping the referee to shreds and they finally had enough.
Not the case at all.
Jack was messing around with the puck during a stoppage and accidentally flipped the puck into the crowd. It grazed a fan in attendance (causing no injury, the fan waved and appreciated the free souvenir). The referee took exception, and issued the 10 minute misconduct.
And with that, new meaning has been given to the term, "rookie mistake".
It must be time to trade Zetterberg.
This little slump will pass very soon, but in the meantime it provides an excellent opportunity for Ken Holland to start thinking about the roster tweak that we ALL know he is going to make at the trade deadline. There is a reason he saved salary cap space during the off-season.
Holland knew this team was good enough to win as is. Now the question is whether or not they are good enough to win the ultimate prize. Considering it is essentially the same group as last year (Rafalski and Schneider cancel each other out), one could argue against the pro-side. The Ducks look like the team to beat in the playoffs, regardless of regular season record.
The Red Wings must make a move of some sort. They have the cap space. Why not bring back Sergei Fedorov's expiring contract and see what playing on a winner again does for his well-discussed lack of motivation. I cannot imagine the Blue Jackets asking for much more than a 2nd round pick for the guy.
Mats Sundin is probably a pipedream, but that would obviously be the ideal situation.
How about Rob Blake? The team is not starved for defense, but can you ever have enough quality d-men? The Wings barely lost to the Ducks in the Western Conference Finals despite playing without two of their top four defensemen (Kronwall and Schneider). Blake would be a nice addition on this team of veterans.
I just have a feeling about Blake ending up in the winged wheel. Maybe it is because I have rooted for the guy since early childhood. Wishful thinking can cloud judgment. I still say it is going to happen, and it will not take a king's ransom (no pun intended) to get it done.
Speaking of LA, I loved checking the Kings' boxscore and seeing Jack with a 10 minute misconduct. People that watched the game had no idea what happened: my Dad was clueless, there was no mention in the game recap. Everybody assumed that he was ripping the referee to shreds and they finally had enough.
Not the case at all.
Jack was messing around with the puck during a stoppage and accidentally flipped the puck into the crowd. It grazed a fan in attendance (causing no injury, the fan waved and appreciated the free souvenir). The referee took exception, and issued the 10 minute misconduct.
And with that, new meaning has been given to the term, "rookie mistake".
Friday, February 1, 2008
Kings Playing Well
In my years as a sports fan, I have often heard people root against their team in the hopes of earning a better draft pick. While I understand the problem of missing out on a superior prospect for no reason, one must consider the overall health of the organization.
Jack Johnson said it best a couple of days ago. When asked if the Kings' struggles this season were part of the growth of a winning team, he shot down the notion. His message was clear: "Losing stinks". It is something that a true competitor will never grow accustomed to.
Losing is not productive for an organization. A better draft pick is nice, but the culture developed by losing creates a trend that is very difficult to reverse. There is a reason why certain teams are almost always near the bottom (Kings, Panthers), while a precious few are good year in and year out (Detroit, Ottawa). It is the culture surrounding those teams.
When a player throws on a Red Wing sweater, they become better. Not only because of the talent around them, but because of the tradition and expectations created by a long history of winning. This element is not impossible for an organization to create. Any team, if run the right way, can reach sustained success.
While I cannot speak for every player on the Kings, it seems common sense that these guys have enjoyed their recent wave of (relative) success. OK, so Los Angeles is not setting the league on fire. Still, it is undeniable that the team has played much better recently. It is a healthy trend as the goal for next season becomes a playoff birth.
The sooner this team starts to win consistently, the better. It seems like common sense. A quick survey of Kings fans rooting against the team in the hopes of landing Steve Stamkos says otherwise.
Jack Johnson said it best a couple of days ago. When asked if the Kings' struggles this season were part of the growth of a winning team, he shot down the notion. His message was clear: "Losing stinks". It is something that a true competitor will never grow accustomed to.
Losing is not productive for an organization. A better draft pick is nice, but the culture developed by losing creates a trend that is very difficult to reverse. There is a reason why certain teams are almost always near the bottom (Kings, Panthers), while a precious few are good year in and year out (Detroit, Ottawa). It is the culture surrounding those teams.
When a player throws on a Red Wing sweater, they become better. Not only because of the talent around them, but because of the tradition and expectations created by a long history of winning. This element is not impossible for an organization to create. Any team, if run the right way, can reach sustained success.
While I cannot speak for every player on the Kings, it seems common sense that these guys have enjoyed their recent wave of (relative) success. OK, so Los Angeles is not setting the league on fire. Still, it is undeniable that the team has played much better recently. It is a healthy trend as the goal for next season becomes a playoff birth.
The sooner this team starts to win consistently, the better. It seems like common sense. A quick survey of Kings fans rooting against the team in the hopes of landing Steve Stamkos says otherwise.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
All-Star Break
I have not written in quite some time. For this I apologize. It is time now to get back into the swing of things.
Well, the Kings have made me look stupid. I thought for sure this group was going to contend for, and ultimately win, the 8th seed in the Western Conference. While the season is only about half over, there is a slim to none chance that my prediction will come to fruition. The Kings are wallowing in last place. Even though the expectations were not that high, no one in the organization envisioned being at the bottom of the standings.
In terms of pure talent, there is no chance that the Kings are the worst team. There are many good players on this roster. The future still does look bright.
It is interesting being a fan of both the Kings and Red Wings. On one hand I have a team that is so far ahead in the West that they barely need to try anymore. On the other hand, I have a team in dead last struggling to put together any type of positive streak of games. That said, I am still pulling for Los Angeles. This season has been a bit of a disappointment, but as long as the plan to stay young and develop within works in the end, it will all have been worth it.
Many people have written me asking why I no longer post at the website Let's Go Kings. I think I wore out my welcome there. People perceive me a certain way and no matter how inaccurate the portrayal may be, sometimes you just cannot change minds. I think my presence there was ultimately a success when you consider the original motivation. Eventually, it just became time to move on. I envisioned it being a permanent, player-fan interaction.
That aside, I am excited for the 2nd half of the season. I have been able to watch many of Jack's games, and I have truly enjoyed watching him out there. The one good thing about the Kings missing the playoffs (most likely) is that he and I will be able to attend the Wings' run to the Cup. It is always a good time.
Well, the Kings have made me look stupid. I thought for sure this group was going to contend for, and ultimately win, the 8th seed in the Western Conference. While the season is only about half over, there is a slim to none chance that my prediction will come to fruition. The Kings are wallowing in last place. Even though the expectations were not that high, no one in the organization envisioned being at the bottom of the standings.
In terms of pure talent, there is no chance that the Kings are the worst team. There are many good players on this roster. The future still does look bright.
It is interesting being a fan of both the Kings and Red Wings. On one hand I have a team that is so far ahead in the West that they barely need to try anymore. On the other hand, I have a team in dead last struggling to put together any type of positive streak of games. That said, I am still pulling for Los Angeles. This season has been a bit of a disappointment, but as long as the plan to stay young and develop within works in the end, it will all have been worth it.
Many people have written me asking why I no longer post at the website Let's Go Kings. I think I wore out my welcome there. People perceive me a certain way and no matter how inaccurate the portrayal may be, sometimes you just cannot change minds. I think my presence there was ultimately a success when you consider the original motivation. Eventually, it just became time to move on. I envisioned it being a permanent, player-fan interaction.
That aside, I am excited for the 2nd half of the season. I have been able to watch many of Jack's games, and I have truly enjoyed watching him out there. The one good thing about the Kings missing the playoffs (most likely) is that he and I will be able to attend the Wings' run to the Cup. It is always a good time.
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