Pig Poop

For those of you familiar with the Phonetic Alphabet, you will be able to decipher my post title.  For those of you oblivious to the meaning.  It matches our good friend STBF’s latest post entitled…”WHAT THE FUCK” or “WTF”.  Sometimes you just have to ax yo-self that very simple and much overused question.  It hits me several times a day.  At work, at home, watching the news, reading the sports page or listening to Sports Talk Radio.  I stop dead in my tracks and scratch myself while I either think, mumble or scream out loud…WHAT THE FUCK?

1.  Pittsburgh Penguins management has decided not to allow anyone with a Michigan mailing address the privledge of purchasing tickets to games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.  They have put a stipulation on ticket sales that allow for residents of New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Deleware and Maryland to buy tickets…but if you are from the FREAKING STATE that is HOME to your opponent, you may NOT buy a single ticket.

This irritates me further based on the number of Pennsylvanians in town over the weekend to attend games 1 and 2 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.  Most of them purchased their tickets online and made the drive.  They stayed in our hotels, ate in our restaurants, drank in our bars…OH WAIT A MINUTE. 

Okay Pennsylvania, I see that you are only trying to help our economy here in the S/E Michigan area.  You want us to stay home and watch the games in downtown bars and eat at the fine establishments to stimulate the economy in and around Detroit.  You’re just trying to help.  Now I understand.

2.  Staying on the Hockey topic.  What the Fuck is up with the Penguins?  I mean, great job and all, making it to the Cup Finals and breezing through the Eastern Conference.  You have had a great season and Crosby gets the girls in a frenzy.  SUPER!!!  So far, the Red Wings are a far better team than the Penguins and if they were smart, they would try to learn from them and soak in the experience.  

Unfortunately, the Penguins have reverted to goon-ism (Add that to the blogasaurus). That is when a hockey team realizes that they stand no chance beating the other team on the ice, so their only recourse is to try to eliminate the other team systematically with cheap shots and scrums after the whistle has blown.  Hell, they even went after Pavel Datsyuk and Hennrick Zetterburg who are both candidates for the Selke Trophy which is given out for sportsmanship. 

Be THANKFUL Pittsburgh, that Red Wing Coach Mike Babcock does not retaliate by sending Darren McCarty after Sidney Crosby.  Be thankful that the league didn’t suspend Gary Roberts for his antics in game 2 where he relentlessly went after Johan Franzen with late hits, punches to the head and stickwork.  Pittsburgh is going to lose the series.  The question is whether they will win with dignity or shame.

3.  Yet another Hockey WTF?  I know Sidney Crosby is a good goal scorer and I know that he is young and flashy.  I know that the collective population of Canada wants to soap this kids nut sack when he dips his teabag into the jacuzzi.  But what the fuck?  This kid is complaining that he is tired?  He has played a lot of hockey games and he is a bit fatigued?  Correct me if I’m wrong but this is the last series of the year for the NHL and Sid the Kid will have the next three months off to sleep.

I have not heard one complaint from Red Wing players about being a bit tired.  What’s more disturbing to me is that Detroit is an eastern time zone city playing in the Western Conference.  If anyone should be tired, it should be the Wings who played three rounds of Hockey traveling through three time zones.  The Penguins never left the East and played less games to get to the finals.

One last thing on this topic.  Crosby does not play on the penalty kill.  So he has additional time to “rest” while his teammates are continually taking stupid, bone head penalties.  Datsyuk and Zetterburg play on the penalty kill AND on the Power Play.  Why aren’t they complaining about being sleepy? 

Hey, Crosby is a great goal scorer…but he is NOT a great hockey player.  Freaking tired my ass.

4.  When I hear NBA, all I can say is what the fuck?  Don’t get me wrong…I LOVE BASKETBALL.  From the time that dad put up a hoop on the garage and we had to put extra lights in the driveway to play after dark…I have loved the game of basketball.  It’s a brilliant game and has evolved into a world wide sport.  Yet when it comes to the NBA…WTF?

I can no longer understand the game.  What is a foul?  What is traveling?  Can players hand check or can’t they?  What is charging compared to a block?  How many steps can a player take when driving to the basket?  Is it possible for a “superstar” to foul out of a basketball game?  Can a “superstar” push a referee and remain in the game without even receiving ONE TECHNICAL FOUL?  Hell, I blogged last year how Rasheed Wallace received a technical foul for laughing at Ilgauskus of the Cavs.  I remember Tim Duncan being ejected from a game for sitting on the bench after being “T’d” up last year.  Kevin Garnett pushes a ref and NOTHING?

Well…I’m lying when I say that I don’t understand.  It happened in a game against the Atlanta Hawks and the Hawks were pushing Boston.  The last thing they wanted was for Atlanta to win the series while one of their stars was sitting in the locker room.  Does the league want a Boston - LA Laker finals?  Does the Pope shit in the woods?  Is Yogi Bear a Catholic?

5.  Major League Baseball has been pretty boring and WTF?  Actually, I know the answer to that question.  Sportsfans, you are witnessing the “NON-STEROID” era of baseball and everyone must learn to adjust.

Gone are the days of 70 home runs and players being able to bunt the ball over the left field wall.  Batting averages, home runs, slugging are down.  Base on Balls and injuries are up.  Umpires have shrunk the strike zone to increase baserunners and scoring.  Baseball must adjust to the level playing field that has been created by removing performance enhancing drugs from the game.  It may take a few years and many players how relied on the quick recovery time from injury now have to rely on doctors, treatment and mother nature to heal. 

OH…and I’d rather see my Tigers finish in last place than to see Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens wearing the Old English D.

6.  NFL mini-camps are starting and WTF?  Why is there so much time off in football?  Here’s an idea that I heard or read somewhere else.  Reduce the number of exhibition games down to TWO.  Increase the number of regular season games to 18!!!  More meaningful football.

***I’m done here.  Please add your comments and tell me about the things that make you stop dead in your tracks and say…”WHAT THE FUCK?”