Halftime Beard Bonanza

Welcome to the B-W Blogway Super Bowl halftime show! So far The Pack has capitalized on turnovers and miscues by Ben Roethlisberger. The touchdown before the end of the half was a glimmer of hope, but the Steelers need to weave more consistent offense possessions into a nice touchdown scarf. Big Ben needs to go into the locker room, rub Brett Keisel's beard for good luck, listen to some Gamma wave binaural beats, and then come out and actually play some decent football. Now, let's resume where we left off last week in honoring beards of sport.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a basketball legend. Abdul-Jabbar was a towering 7'2'' tall, but that wasn't even his most impressive physical characteristic. Throughout his 20 year career in the NBA, Abdul-Jabbar would grow a beard when in need of a emotional boost. Abdul-Jabbar is credited with making the "Sky Hook" popular. Opponents frequently trembled in fear as Abdul-Jabbar, powered by his beard, would thrust upward upward during the Sky Hook launch sequence. Lew Alcindor (Abdul-Jabbar's birth name, in 1971 he changed it) had an 88-2 record and won three NCAA championships while playing at UCLA. After college Kareem went on to play in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. Abdul-Jabbar closed out his beard-of-fame career by leading the NBA in points scored, winning six NBA titles, and six NBA regular season MVP awards.

Scott Niedermayer was a superstar for 19 years NHL. Niedermayer has won 4 Stanely Cups, 2 Olympic golds, 1 World Championship gold, 1 World Cup gold, and 1 World Junior Championship gold. Niedermayer utilized playoff beards to lead his Devils and Ducks teammates to the promised land. Recently, Scott has lost his way and decided to go beardless and actively support PETA. Scott if you read this, please watch 1972 classic film Jeremiah Johnson and learn how to hunt some "Grizz."

Brett Keisel is a vital part of the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line and has two Super Bowl rings to show for it. Even at the age of seven, Keisel sported a fine beard and was a force to be reckoned with on the football field. On a recent trip to the Mediterranean, Keisel was frequently mistaken for the Greek god of the forge, Hephaestus. Even though he is not a true blacksmith, Keisel has forged a bond of brotherhood with his teammates and Pittsburgh fans. Brett truly deserves the NFL's first annual Most Valuable Beard award.

Brett Keisel, age 7.

Finally, if you've finished reading before the end of halftime, I suggest you check out this documentary done on Brett Keisel's behemoth beard here.

Other strictly non-athletic inspiring beards:

Richard Stallman

Georg Friedrich Bernhard Riemann

Gimli son of Glóin

Rubeus Hagrid

Super Beard 2011

Greetings! Welcome to post one of this two part Super Sunday blog extravaganza. Many have chosen their predicted winning team in tonight's 6:30 match up, and now I will do the same. My prediction will be obtained in a manner most sports writers are unfamiliar with: I will use science - I will strictly athletically interpret the beards.

As you know from last week's FEAR THE BEARD post, Ben Roethlisberger is a beard master, a force feared throughout the NFL. Ben has cultivated his facial growth throughout the season and will unleash it's full power against The Pack tonight. We all know Big Ben brings a certain greatness to the pitch - will it be enough to offset the team whose very essence is Greatness?

Awesome: (Adjective) The first word that comes to mind when looking at Ben's beard.

Let's switch gears to Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers. This post-season, Rodgers grew a mighty monument to his testosterone. With this power, Rodgers was able to lead The Pack into the playoffs as the NFC's last wildcard team. Aaron clearly aspired for nothing less than a Super Bowl appearance: easily defeating the Eagles, Falcons, and Bears, all while not exerting his full power. With these wins, I surely thought that Rodgers would triumph over the Steelers in tonight's game. It seems Rodgers has gone and done something rather foolish: he removed the source of all his powers - he shaved his beard. Will the rest of the Packers be able to combine their beards to throw down the Steel Curtain?

Reporter: Aaron, why did you shave your beard?
Rodgers: I don't think I can handle the pressures that come with a Super Bowl victory.
Reporter: Are you saying you want to lose?
Rodgers: Yes.

Unfortunately for Packers fans, the beard of Brett Keisel outweighs the entire collection of Green Bay beards. Brett "The Kraken" Keisel, unleased the full power of his beard this season and I don't think anything or anyone will be able to stop it. That's it, there is nothing more to say.

Aaron Rodgers' reaction upon seeing Keisel's beard: We can't repel Beard-Power of that magnitude!!!

I did mention that this is post #1 in a two post series today, so now I'll say this: I dislike peas. Given my fiery hatred of the vegetable, there is no way that I will be watching this year's Super Bowl Halftime Show. I know most of you are probably thinking the same thing, so when the seconds expire on the second quarter check back to the B-W Blogway for some halftime entertainment.

In other news, my lawyers are in talks with the CC Times, regarding Patrick Stoetzer's intellectual theft of my previous post.

Sunday Night’s Big Game: Get your pizza, beer, chips & dip ready

On Sunday night, February 6, 2011, we get to sit back, relax, and enjoy one helluva game. Many may have been looking forward to this matchup for awhile now and finally the time has come. The Wizards take on the Atlanta Hawks Sunday night in perhaps one of the most pivotal matchups at the Verizon Center since January 22nd when the Wiz knocked off the Eastern Conference leaders, the Boston Celtics. The Hawks are currently in 2nd place in the Southeast Division right behind the Heat led by the 3 headed monster. The Wiz currently are in last place in the Southeast division. But, all is not lost. This is a home game!

The wizards have an outstanding 13-11 record at home this year. Give credit to the Wiz, for given the home team crowd a win more than 50% of the time (52%). Keep in mind this is better than the Orioles last year getting a win at home around 46% of the time. And yes the O’s are making some moves which have us on the edge of our seat so they might improve this statistic. However let’s get back to the big game and not leave the Wiz off the chopping block and get to the heat of the matter. The Wiz are an astounding 0-25 at away games. Now, it’s never easier to win in a foreign environment then behind a home crowd, but 0-25 comes from more than just a lack of a home-court advantage. However hope is near for an away game win.

On Wednesday, February 13th, the Wiz have a battle set against a struggling Cleveland team at Cleveland. I’m a statistics guy and if we go on the sample of 25 away games then we might conclude that the Wiz have no chance of winning an away game. But add in the statistic that the Cavaliers have lost 23 games in a row and they have not won a game since December makes any statistical model go bonkers over who will win Wednesday’s game. Either the Wizards end their 25 away game losing streak or the Cavaliers end their 23 game overall losing streak. Folks, a lot is on the line.

In reality, I don’t follow the Wizards, I simply pulled some stats and looked at their schedule on CBSSports.com, but this is a Strictly Athletic blog site named B-W blogway in honor of the Baltimore-Washington sports teams and if I’m not mistaken the Wizards play in Washington so I will aim to cover them from time to time on this blog site.

Many of you will be watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, but remember if that remote is within your clutches – the Wiz game is just a few down clicks away on CSN (Comcast Sports Network).

Strictly Stands for Athletic Greatness

Despite a compelling argument made by my B-W Blogway colleague, BalTimore Bisk in support of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I will be rooting for the Green Bay Packers this Sunday. My rationale is simple: the Packers are not the Steelers. Therefore, I am hoping Aaron Rodgers breaks some Super Bowl Records and Clay Matthews breaks Big Ben's nose (word on the street is Haloti Ngata gave him a few tips). I'll also receive some satisfaction that the pissant that was sitting next to me at the Ravens vs. Steelers playoff game a few weeks ago, whose Terrible Towel was repeatedly waved far too close to my face, will be crying himself to sleep. I think you should be rooting for the Packers as well for these reasons, but also because of the unique and feel-good nature of the Packers franchise. I invite you to join the 112,120 individuals who will be cheering especially hard for the Packers on Sunday. These individuals I am referring to are the owners of the Green Bay Packers. Unlike every other NFL team, the Packers are publicly-owned.

The history and establishment of the Packers as a publicly-owned franchise is quite interesting, so let me ramble for a moment or two here. Earl L. 'Curly' Lambeau, born in Green Bay in 1898, was a star high school football player and went onto Notre Dame in 1918. An illness kept Lambeau home from college after his freshman year (the Irish coach at the time was Knute Rockne by the way), and he began working at the Indian Packing Company, a meat-packing plant in Green Bay. Lambeau missed playing football, so in the summer of 1919 he helped organize a local team and convinced his employer to put up money for uniforms and equipment. For its first two seasons, the team played games against other teams from small towns in Wisconsin and Michigan. In 1921, Lambeau convinced the Indian Packing Company to put up $50 to buy the Packers a franchise in the newly formed American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football League). With increased competition in the APFA, recruiting talent outside of Green Bay was necessary to stay competitive. Thus in 1923, a group of five area businessmen got together and launched the Green Bay Football Corporation, a nonprofit entity to provide financial backing for the team. Shares of stock sold for $5 each and paid no dividends. Purchasers were obligated to buy at least six season tickets. The corporation had a five-member executive committee and 15 elected directors. As a nonprofit, the corporation was tax-exempt, and all profits were to go to the American Legion. The organization had financial difficulties during the Depression and was placed into receivership, later to emerge as the Green Bay Packers, Inc.

Current shareholders own stock that produce no dividends, and all profits are now contributed to the Green Bay Packers Foundation, which makes donations to many charities and institutions throughout Wisconsin. The team is currently run by a seven-member Executive Committee, elected from a 45-member board of directors. The 4,750,937 shares have voting rights, the stock cannot appreciate in value (though private sales often exceed the face value of the stock), and stock ownership brings no season ticket privileges. No shareholder may own over 200,000 shares, a safeguard to ensure that no individual can assume control of the club. This ownership structure is in direct violation of current NFL by-laws, which stipulate a limit of 32 owners of one team and one of those owners having a minimum 30% stake. However, the Packers were grandfathered when the NFL's current ownership policy was established in the 1980s, and are thus exempt. In addition, the Packers are the only NFL team that publicly releases its Income Statement. http://joe.bowman.net/Statement.htm

I don't think this ownership structure could work on a large scale basis, but it works in Green Bay. You need absolutely die-hard fans that are basically willing to dig into their own pocket when needed. This die-hardiness was proven in 1997 when the Packers had a stock offering of shares at $200 apiece to pay for stadium improvements and establish an endowment for future renovations. The offering raised over $20 million. The opening page of the information sheet laid things out quite clearly: ''It is virtually impossible for anyone to realize a profit on a purchase of common stock or even to recoup the amount initially paid to acquire such common stock.'' However, this structure would have served Baltimore well in preventing the Baltimore Colts exodus to Indianapolis and right now it sounds like a far better option than the Peter Angelos-owned Baltimore Orioles. It would also legitimize statements that imply that some random guy actually is a member of the Ravens...."We just can't seem to beat Pittsburgh when it really counts."

How can you not cheer for a team that donates millions of dollars to charities each year, is named after a meat-packing plant and is NOT the Steelers.

Go Pack Go!!!

Lacking Leadership

Two quick points...

1) The Terps are lacking leadership.

You can't blame this on anyone in particular. Maryland's seniors, Bowie and Tucker, are role players and losing a player like Greivis Vasquez is going to leave any team yearning for someone to step up. The squad's best players are underclassmen, and expecting them to carry the team in both the box score and in the locker room is a little much. The Terps will continue to show flashes of greatness this year, but without a leader on the court, they will be hard pressed to put together a solid 40 minutes night in and night out, especially in must-win games, like this evening's Duke game.

2) We might have an open blogger position for Thursdays, stay tuned.

Stands for Greatness

Cup or Bust

Tonight starts the latter half of the season for the Washington Capitals. It is fitting their journey will begin with the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season, the Montreal Canadians. Most Caps fans are concerned about their beloved team’s playoff run. With 31 games remaining from their 82 game schedule they are currently sitting in the number 5 seed, matched up against their rivals, Pittsburgh. (And in recent history we all know the outcome from this rivalry). They appear to be a shell of last year’s team; their goals per game are down more then a goal from last year, 3.82 to 2.71 and they are only on pace for 101 points, which would be 20 less then last year’s 121. These staggering differences in numbers would have any Washingtonian worried about their only team that has a legitimate chance of winning a championship for this city.

However, there are some significant numbers that are playing into the favor of the Capitals this season. The two biggest numbers to me are their goals against per game and the goals against average by their goalies. Last season the Caps ranked 16^th in the league in GA/G with a 2.77. Furthermore, out of the 16 teams that made the playoffs the Caps ranked 14^th in GA/G. This season they rank 7^th with a 2.45. Similarly last season Jose Theodore posted the leagues worse GAA, 2.81. This season Semyon Varlamov is posting the leagues 4^th best GAA, 2.16. To me these are playoff caliber numbers the Capitals have been missing the past few seasons.

In hockey the second half of the season turns more defensive minded as teams gear up to make the grueling playoff run. Generally fewer goals are scored and big moves are made at the trade deadline in attempts to sure up weak points. If this Capitals team’s defense continues to improve through the rest of the season, as is projected, they could have a real shot of drinking the heavenly nectar from Lord Stanley’s Cup.

The bigger concern for this season’s playoff run appears to be more about the offensive then the defensive. Ovie is not on pace to break any records this season, and the rest of the marquee players are all but nonexistent. This offensive sacrifice, no matter how much the fans hate it, is what is allowing the defense to be better. This team is playing a different style of hockey then they were last season. This time last season, Semin was curl and dragging around the league, and Green was constantly pushing up and scoring point blank wristers. Now, this team is playing a more compact, less open ice, style of hockey. This style of hockey does not allow for the offensive genius minds to thrive as much, but it does allow for everyone to get back on defense and cut down on odd man rushes and easy goals for the opponent. They have switched to a similar style of hockey that Montreal used against them last season in the playoffs.

The other piece of the equation that I believe will help the Caps is a big name trade by the deadline. Alexander Semin just signed another one-year deal worth $6.7 million, which put him on the same monetary level as Backstrom, except it is at 1/10 the length of the contract. According to GM GM (General Manager George McPhee) “This is what makes him comfortable. We can do one-year deals for the next ten years if he wishes.” With this contract extension the Caps top three players (Ovie, Backs, and Semin) are making a cool $25 million combined. It is the highest trio in the NHL to date. This is not economically sustainable. If they did not give him a contract extension the Capital would lose him to free agency at the end of the season. Likewise, if they would of traded him by the deadline then his value decreases because of his soon to be free agency situation. However, now that he will not be a free agent at the end of the season, this is the best time to sell. The Capitals could desperately use a second line center, and trading away a big name like Alexander Semin could catch you an all star caliber player. Heres looking at your Brad Richards. Richards (30) could bring the same veteran leadership that Fedorov brought the Caps two years ago in the playoffs. Richards is currently number 3 in the league in assists and number 6 in overall points. He is on pace for a career year and is just the type of player this new Capitals team could use.

Fear not Caps fans, this team will make some noise heading into the play offs this season. The defense is much improved from last year, and it still has all the offensive talent as last year. I believe trading Semin for a player like Richards could make the difference in the playoffs.

C-A-P-S CAPS CAPS CAPS!!