UMFan83

Luongo is giving up enough rebounds to make me feel ok about our chances.

http://atdhe.net/ has at least 1 working feed that I've seen.

That's great for the Hawks

Dammit we've been just a second or an inch away from scoring like 6 different times so far.

Damn, some fantastic chances so far. Looks like we have good Lu tonight...although usually all it takes is one to squeak by him...

Dammit, fantastic save for Luongo. Chicago looked really good in the zone there.

I think he will say something like "I don't have any answers for you. What can I say? Ask someone else."

Yeah we have 5 hitters hitting well, 1 thats hitting near career norms, 2 sucking really badly, and a pitcher.

Hawks and Canucks are it tonight. Yeah Hawks are the only NHL game tonight. It's on VS and CSN, though for out of town people like me I assume CSN will be blacked out again. I wonder if VS will do a separate announcer team then. Or just cut in on the CSN broadcast. I believe I've seen it both ways. I have to assume it will be a VS crew. I feel like it's been that way all throughout. VS only has 1 announcer team I'm pretty sure. Or if they have 2, they don't use them both all the time because they have shown feeds of CSN games throughout the playoffs, particularly on Sharks games I've noticed. I think it's just because VS. only shows one game at a time so if there is a game that starts at 6 on VS, and another game at 7 VS doesnt show the game, but will show the CSN feed at the end of the 6pm game. Does that make sense?

It's voicing frustration. There's not really meant to be a positive effect. So whats the point then? It makes you feel better inside? I'm not saying everyone should be "that's ok do better tomorrow!", but booing as constantly as our fans do does nothing to help the team do better at all. If you want to voice frustration, don't show up at the game. That is a billion times more likely to do something to better the team. Then why are you whining about this, when there was a problem with effort. The ball was a few feet away, and he didn't go get it. That didn't take much effort, but he didn't even offer that. As I said below, theres a difference between a 10 year vet doing that and a 20 year old rookie who has played 4 games above AA ball in his career and is probably full of nerves. That's my opinion. As I said, if you feel you must boo then whatever I'm not going to stop you, I just think it's dumb. I don't know how what this difference is that you are trying to pretend exists, but it was a lazy play. And personally I don't boo. I'm not a fan of booing. But in a world where booing is a completely acceptable form of showing frustration, especially for lazy play, there's nothing wrong with fans booing that. Agree to disagree. You aren't going to change my opinion and I'm not going to change yours. It's allowed to happen.

It's voicing frustration. There's not really meant to be a positive effect. So whats the point then? It makes you feel better inside? I'm not saying everyone should be "that's ok do better tomorrow!", but booing as constantly as our fans do does nothing to help the team do better at all. If you want to voice frustration, don't show up at the game. That is a billion times more likely to do something to better the team. Then why are you whining about this, when there was a problem with effort. The ball was a few feet away, and he didn't go get it. That didn't take much effort, but he didn't even offer that. As I said below, theres a difference between a 10 year vet doing that and a 20 year old rookie who has played 4 games above AA ball in his career and is probably full of nerves. That's my opinion. As I said, if you feel you must boo then whatever I'm not going to stop you, I just think it's dumb.

I just don't understand the positive effect of booing in many situations. Does it make the player play better? Is Soriano going to try to focus harder to not strike out the next time he's up with the bases loaded? Is John Grabow going to throw better pitches because of booing? Does it make the fan feel better to blow off steam with a nice hearty boo? You can do it if you want, whatever, I'm not saying you can't, I just can't see how it makes the team better or make the person booing feel better. It must though because the booing keeps getting worse at Wrigley The only booing that I think is justified is when its an issue of effort. Soriano stares at a fly ball off the wall and gets thrown out at 2nd, that's worth a boo. When a player boots a ground ball not so much. I have turned my opinion slightly on Castro getting boo'ed. I still don't think he should have been, but at the heat of the moment I can see why they did, because it is as I admitted inexcusible for Ramirez to take 2nd there. I just wish we hadn't on his first home game when he was clearly pissed off at himself for making another error and lost his focus for a minute. If he was a 10 year veteran, I'd be livid. But a 20 year old rookie playing in his 4th MLB game, probably not. He'll get enough crap from Lou and his teammates, he doesn't need to have shaken confidence performing in front of 40,000 booing fans.

Bynum got savaged by the boo-birds that game, including when he came up to the plate. Castro got some after his 3rd error, and it was one that resulted from just piss-poor baseball. He didn't get anything when he came up to bat after that. I know he did, I was at that game. It just wasn't as bad as it sounded like Castro got it judging upon hearing the replay. Not exactly scientific I know, especially because the Cubs were 2 months away from any sort of meaningful baseball, and the stadium was less than full.

Man, in my mind I thought Manitoba was where Saskatchewan was and vice versa. I thought Winnipeg was over the Dakotas and still relatively close to Calgary and Edmonton, but Calgary is actually about as close to Winnipeg as Chicago is (~850 miles), and 450 miles from the next closest team, Minneapolis. That said in today's world, it doesn't matter as much as it used to. kujay, why do you want a team in Hartford again? It was one of the worst drawing teams in the NHL back in the early 90's and is within 100 miles of 4 other teams.

Yeah of course the rabid fan base totally helps, but if you are a major Winnipeg or Canadian corporation, how much money are you going to invest to advertise when your reach is only 700k people? I'm not saying it can't work. I believe it can. I'm just saying that this is the real major hurdle that keeps cities like Winnipeg from getting NHL teams in the past. That is why, with half of Canada starving for a pro team near by, the most viable option for years has been to have a team play 50 miles from Toronto.

Which equals 700,000 rabid hockey fans. And I 100% agree with UM. More Canadian teams is good for the NHL. Yes, there are presumably 100% rabid fans, but it's still an extremely small metro area to support a team. People have talked about the struggles that Edmonton and Calgary have had keeping up with the big boys, and Winnipeg is considerably smaller than both of those cities, and not growing nearly as fast. It's also completely isolated, nowhere near the three BC teams, and more than 450 miles from Minneapolis. I am a big fan of NHL teams being in Canada, and I always enjoy seeing Canadian teams in the playoffs. But Winnipeg seems like a difficult place to put a team right now. I understand what you're saying, but population isn't the key. Look at Atlanta or Miami. Millions of people, and nobody there gives a [expletive] about hockey. I'll bet if you looked at the actual potential fan bases for hockey in those cities (and admittedly I have no idea how you would calculate that), it would be less than 700,000. In today's professional sports, it's not necessarily the number of rabid fans as much as it is the number of corporate businesses that are local and willing to support said team with advertising, sponsorships and purchases of luxury boxes. That's where the money is, and that's what any market needs to have it's team survive there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_corporations_based_in_Winnipeg ^ That is what is going to likely determine Winnipeg's viability more than how many rabid hockey fans they have.

They booed after he stood around watching the ball that allowed Hanley to go to 2nd. I don't see anything pathetic about it. It wasn't a misplay. It was laziness. I realize that but it's his first ever game at home, and he's supposed to be a highly touted prospect, and you are already booing him? Freddie Bynum making 4 errors in 3 innings back in 2006 didn't get as bad of boos as I heard on Sportsnight last night. I don't think it was pure laziness either. I think he was dropping his head in disgust for his own play. Not saying its right because you should always be attentive and its never ok for Hanley to take 2nd. But I just feel like we are booing way too early and often these days and often times it makes us look stupid. They didn't boo him for making an error, they booed him when he acted like a lazy idiot and gave up a base. There's nothing stupid about booing that play. It was really bad. I don't think he was being lazy, just inattentive. No excuse for it, but he's a young player that got down on himself for having an awful game and made a stupid play. I don't think he was like 'eh I'm going to take my time because nothing bad will happen", it was more like 'dammit why did I do that again, I am playing so poorly, why are they booi- oh crap' Doesn't make it ok IMO to boo him in his first game at home. I mean whatever if you want to boo fine, but why do we have to alienate all of our players from the fans? He knows he made a bad play, Lou and/or his teammates are going to talk to him about it. The worst thing to do is mess with his confidence and have him stressing that he's going to be booed like crazy if he messes up. Agree to disagree.

I'm pro-American anti-Canada in most aspects (lol), but with regards to the NHL getting more teams in Canada, I am all for it. I think they deserve more than the 6 they have right now, and I always liked Winnipeg as an NHL city.

They booed after he stood around watching the ball that allowed Hanley to go to 2nd. I don't see anything pathetic about it. It wasn't a misplay. It was laziness. I realize that but it's his first ever game at home, and he's supposed to be a highly touted prospect, and you are already booing him? Freddie Bynum making 4 errors in 3 innings back in 2006 didn't get as bad of boos as I heard on Sportsnight last night. I don't think it was pure laziness either. I think he was dropping his head in disgust for his own play. Not saying its right because you should always be attentive and its never ok for Hanley to take 2nd. But I just feel like we are booing way too early and often these days and often times it makes us look stupid.

Hope he's OK. It's one of those things that evoke immediate empathy, even from fans of the opposition :) I wouldn't be heartbroken if he doesn't play, but yeah, I hope the dude's business is in order. I agree that the first goal in this one will be huge. I don't see the Hawks as a particularly fragile team, and I don't think the intensity of playing this game on the road will intimidate them. But I'd still breathe a lot easier if they get that first goal. They have showed a lot more resiliency in the playoffs but this is still the team that would have a 3-0 lead in a game and give up a goal and watch the floodgates open.

Hope he's OK. It's one of those things that evoke immediate empathy, even from fans of the opposition :) OK enough to not be in pain, but not ok enough to play :)

I am reading the game story for tonights game, and it talks quite a bit about booing Castro after his errors tonight. Is this true? If so that is the most pathetic thing I've ever heard about our fans in my life. Booing a rookie playing his 4th game in the bigs? Geez there are a lot better targets for booing than Starlin Castro.

1) Signing with the Cubs 2) Staying at Soriano's place last night 3) Asking Lou if he should bunt in the 6th inning of tonight's game

What? It's not like he'd be banished there forever. He's not some fragile little flower blissfully unaware of how bad he is this season. You can't keep a hitter THAT bad in the middle of your lineup. Why not? Does it even really matter? I just think 6 weeks is way too early to be dropping him that far in the lineup. Hit him 6th fine, but 8th is just ridiculous IMO. Edit: Although I guess I remember Torre doing that to ARod in a playoff game once, so maybe I'm overreacting. My point is that it's generally an overreaction. I agree it's testing my patience for him to slump this wrong, but he's obviously got a track record that suggests he'll never snap out of it. It's not like he just randomly got horrible over the offseason. He's too young to be declining at a rapid pace, so he's either hurt or he's in a really bad slump that he'll likely be out of soon.

Too much overreaction. Ramirez 8th? What a slap in the face to probably our best overall hitter over the last 6 years. And now he has 5-6 bad weeks and he hits 8th or is benched? He's too young to be finished so all you can do is wait for him to snap out of it and ask him if he's hurt for some reason. Also, as some have said, Lou doesn't need to get fired. There is no point. I agree he's making bad decisions, and I too am sick of his "what can i do?"/"go ask the hitters" responses in every postgame loss. But firing him accomplishes nothing. This team isn't good enough where shaking up the team with a new manager is going to do anything. Let him ride out the season, and send him of in the sunset amicably.