Tampa Bay’s Stanley Cup triumph mired in controversy

June 17th, 2011 by admin No comments »

It was a great night for all the fans of the hockey team in the St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay area. A franchise mired in a history of NHL poverty and lowball high jinks is now sitting on top of the hockey world.

The Tampa Bay Lightning prevailed over the Calgary Flames in Game 6 in double OT, and once again in Game 7 to win Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Wow, I can remember when the Lightning’s best players were Michelle Petite and Shawn Burr. Now, they have two of the best players in the NHL in Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis.

Tampa even once tried to sign Michael Renberg on the back of napkin.  Since Bill Davison took up ownership of the team, he has worked wonders, and I said it first over a year ago.

Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup, but not without a little controversy.

Martin Gelinas’ shot late in the third period of Game 6 passed the goal line by about six inches and yet was discounted. It would have given the Flames a 3-2 lead and if they could’ve hung on then they’d be 2003-04 Stanley Cup Champs.

Gelinas goal is bigger than Brett Hull’s Stanley Cup winning goal in 1999 for Dallas when he was illegally in the crease, which was illegal in those days. Why? Because the rule was highly hypocritical at the time and if his skate had been out of the crease by about half a foot, Dominic Hasek still wouldn’t have stopped the shot.

The shot seemed to pass the goal line by about six inches or so before Lightning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin kicked it out after it bounced off Gelinas skate. Had it counted, it would have been Gelinas’s fourth series ending goal of the playoffs, which has earned him the nickname the “Eliminator.”

So there should be asterisk or we should all just know that Tampa’s victory was sort of a sham of sorts. Sort of similar to Nebraska’s winning a share of the 1997 National Championship beating Missouri by using an illegal bicycle kick of a Scott Frost pass. » Read more: Tampa Bay’s Stanley Cup triumph mired in controversy

Hockey Team Names

June 16th, 2011 by admin No comments »

Hockey is one of the few team sports that has varied forms. It can be played on a field, on ice, wearing roller skates and of course, on the streets. A popular sport that is played almost all over the world, the field form of hockey was introduced at the Olympics in 1908. If you belong to a hockey team that has either been just formed or is in the process of relaunching itself, then you may be on the lookout for hockey team names. In this article, we’ll give you some tips on choosing hockey team names and some team name suggestions.

Choosing Hockey Team Names
A team’s name is probably the second most important feature of any sport, the first being the sport itself, obviously. This is so because it is important to have an identification for the team. Without a unifying team name, you will have individual players who will stand out and have a huge fan following but it may become difficult to ensure support for the team as a whole. Can you imagine a situation where your supporters and cheerleaders are stuck because they don’t have a name to call out? Here are some tips to help you select good hockey team names.

  • The name of a team often depends on the sport being played and the cultural background of the place the team belongs to. This will help garner attention to the team.
  • Ensure that all the team members agree on the name for the team. You don’t want the team’s name to be a reason for discord among team members.
  • If you want to choose a funny name for your team, be careful that while it evokes a smile, it does not make a mockery of the team. Read more on funny team names.
  • You can also name your team according to the techniques of the game, the geographical location that your team belongs, or some fantastical creature whose prowess impresses you.

Once you have zeroed in on a few hockey team names, you can also ask your supporters to send in their top choices from the selection and then make a final decision. » Read more: Hockey Team Names