How long until Rock fans get what they deserve and have Kloepfer fired for terrible management?
Based on Terry Sanderson, Derek Keenan and Ed Comeau, it should have happened some time already. That really, really scares me, if the ownership group believes that Mike Kloepfer is the guy to lead the team back to the promised land.
On another note, how sweet would a San Jose/Buffalo final be-actually getting a chance to physically see Colin Doyle perform his magic in the Queen City. Buffalo is close enough that maybe the Rock brain trust (excluding Kloepfer, he doesn't seem to use a brain if he has one) will take notice of what happened in December 2006. They can't ignore him forever in San Jose. Hardly any mention of him this year too in the 10 year celebration.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Jim Veltman: A True Legend
Despite all the crap that has gone on with the Rock this year, and like it or not, there has been crap. All the way from silly trades, poor drafting, dismal performance in some games...the year did not go as it should have. I think we all knew this team would not be very good, and we just chose not to admit it. But the one positive thing to take out of the first meaningless game in Roch history was what Jim Veltman has done for this team, lacrosse in Ontario and the city of Toronto.
Veltman established so many marks for loose balls (the season one was broken on Sunday by Geoff Snider, but Veltman didn't have the luxary of taking faceoffs and having them count as loose balls), put up a lot of good offensive seasons (if you average his stats over 16 games from earlier on, he would be up in the 80-90 point ranges in some), he won championships, and he was a class act. Leadership is hard to define, and even a good leader will have trouble carrying a bad lacrosse team, but Veltman is one of those rare people who had a knack to get more out of his teammates then they would by themselves.
We can only hope that Veltman's #32 will take to the rafters at the ACC, and that he will bring a new, fresh philosophy to the Rock's coaching, and what I hope one day, management team. You already know he has more capability to run the Rock than Kloepfer.
Veltman established so many marks for loose balls (the season one was broken on Sunday by Geoff Snider, but Veltman didn't have the luxary of taking faceoffs and having them count as loose balls), put up a lot of good offensive seasons (if you average his stats over 16 games from earlier on, he would be up in the 80-90 point ranges in some), he won championships, and he was a class act. Leadership is hard to define, and even a good leader will have trouble carrying a bad lacrosse team, but Veltman is one of those rare people who had a knack to get more out of his teammates then they would by themselves.
We can only hope that Veltman's #32 will take to the rafters at the ACC, and that he will bring a new, fresh philosophy to the Rock's coaching, and what I hope one day, management team. You already know he has more capability to run the Rock than Kloepfer.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The Dynasty is Done
After years of making the playoffs-the thrill of Kaleb Toth's game winning goal, squeaking it out in Albany, winning at Blue Cross, or dismantling the Sting at the ACC, the Rock will not live to see the 2nd season this year. Who's fault is that? Somebody behind me at the arena today said it was Bob Watson's fault-referring to him getting pulled in Buffalo (even though that was Poulin) and not winning any other games this year. We all know this is wrong. Watson was incredible and still deserves an MVP shot for keeping the Rock alive this year, but as we know Iannucci will get it. Other people say Blaine Manning. This is easy to refute, because, as anybody who saw a Rock game this year would know, Manning was often the only consistent scoring threat and was somebody who could have had 45 goals if not for posts. What about Lewis Ratcliff? The Rock never won a game with him in the lineup, and although he took some wildly questionable shots down the stretch, he was still better than most of the forwards (aside from Manning). Ryan Benesch? An alright player who I, and many others, have rightfully given the challenge of replacing Colin Doyle (2 G and 7 A vs Colorado on Saturday btw), but shouldn't be blamed entirely for the crappy season. Jim Veltman worked his tail off in his last year (more on that tomorrow), but just couldn't carry the team like before.
So the real onus for the 7-9 season (better than last year, but not good enough) falls on the wide, flabby shoulders of Mike Kloepfer. Kloepfer failed to properly rebuild a fine team from 2006, and has instead put together a team that has no future (no Veltman anymore, Watson getting old), and only Blaine Manning and possibly Lewis Ratcliff to build around. The team has traded away draft picks for marginal talent (Beirnes) and given playing time to questionable talents (Chris Stewart). If Kloepfer had properly set the team up for the future, I'd be willing to give him more time, but the truth is, this isn't Junior B, and building a contender is not something that should be trusted to this guy.
I'll vent more later, I am tired right now. Also, Jim Veltman tribute coming up.
So the real onus for the 7-9 season (better than last year, but not good enough) falls on the wide, flabby shoulders of Mike Kloepfer. Kloepfer failed to properly rebuild a fine team from 2006, and has instead put together a team that has no future (no Veltman anymore, Watson getting old), and only Blaine Manning and possibly Lewis Ratcliff to build around. The team has traded away draft picks for marginal talent (Beirnes) and given playing time to questionable talents (Chris Stewart). If Kloepfer had properly set the team up for the future, I'd be willing to give him more time, but the truth is, this isn't Junior B, and building a contender is not something that should be trusted to this guy.
I'll vent more later, I am tired right now. Also, Jim Veltman tribute coming up.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Sorry All
I apologize if I confused anyone to say Manning is scratched against Calgary tomorrow. It may be someone who was traded for a certain number 7 a couple of years ago. I guess we shall see tomorrow. I will stick by my original prediction and say that somehow, someway, there will be another Barrie Tornado grad in the lineup tomorrow. If Bob Watson doesn't play, it could get really, really ugly.
Sucks that Veltman's last year has to end like this.
Sucks that Veltman's last year has to end like this.
WOW
One word to describe the events of the past few days. WOW...
The Jimmy Veltman game is moved from next Saturday night to the Sunday afternoon. Good for me, because I wouldn't have been able to go on the Saturday, but there are so many people who got their tickets a while ago to see one of the few remaining links to Rock respectability play one last time. What the hell was the point in booking the date 6 months ago then? No point. The Craptors screwed the Rock, plain and simple. The announced crowd might be 17,000, but there probably won't be that many in the ACC. I will also feel bad for anybody who shows up at the ACC at about 6:00 on the Saturday, and gets to see Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis celebrating after handing the Raptors another playoff loss, when those people just wanted one last look at a true legend.
Thanks MLSE, but more importantly, a big thank you to the Toronto Rock for accommodating their request. Thank you for screwing all of your long time supporters who won't be able to make it to the game now. You guys are all class. Sarcasm should be noted.
Another rumour has Blaine Manning out of the lineup on Saturday. This guy is having an awesome season and was the main source of offence against Chicago last Saturday. He was unlucky, and nothing more. Anybody want a guess at who will be in the lineup for him against Calgary? 20$ says Troy Heaselgrave gets the call. If not him, then Rick Acorn. If not him, then Cory Kloepfer. Somebody from Barrie seems like a safe root to go. No way Manning should be out of the lineup. I wonder who called the shot on that one?
If a Buffalo reader of the blog could fill me in on Bandits seasons tickets details, I would really appreciate it.
The Jimmy Veltman game is moved from next Saturday night to the Sunday afternoon. Good for me, because I wouldn't have been able to go on the Saturday, but there are so many people who got their tickets a while ago to see one of the few remaining links to Rock respectability play one last time. What the hell was the point in booking the date 6 months ago then? No point. The Craptors screwed the Rock, plain and simple. The announced crowd might be 17,000, but there probably won't be that many in the ACC. I will also feel bad for anybody who shows up at the ACC at about 6:00 on the Saturday, and gets to see Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis celebrating after handing the Raptors another playoff loss, when those people just wanted one last look at a true legend.
Thanks MLSE, but more importantly, a big thank you to the Toronto Rock for accommodating their request. Thank you for screwing all of your long time supporters who won't be able to make it to the game now. You guys are all class. Sarcasm should be noted.
Another rumour has Blaine Manning out of the lineup on Saturday. This guy is having an awesome season and was the main source of offence against Chicago last Saturday. He was unlucky, and nothing more. Anybody want a guess at who will be in the lineup for him against Calgary? 20$ says Troy Heaselgrave gets the call. If not him, then Rick Acorn. If not him, then Cory Kloepfer. Somebody from Barrie seems like a safe root to go. No way Manning should be out of the lineup. I wonder who called the shot on that one?
If a Buffalo reader of the blog could fill me in on Bandits seasons tickets details, I would really appreciate it.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Weekend Update
Lack of posts lately, but here is the recap from Chicago on Saturday.
The team actually scored a lot of goals. However, in order for the Rock to win, the goaltending has to be outstanding. Mike Poulin was OK Saturday, but not at Bob Watson's level. Is it Mike Kloepfer's fault for having Watson injured during the game? No, its not. It is his fault that he couldn't get Glenn Clark a good backup goalie to have just in case that Watson may be out at some point. Anybody who watched, listened to, or pointstreaked the game at HSBC Arena would know.
Back to the goals. It was great to see some offence, but there were a ton of missed opportunities. I counted about 5 posts. Somebody correct me if I am wrong. Matt Roik was good, but there was also a certain luck factor involved. Also, when we needed a big goal with about a minute left to give us a win, we had nobody. Remember a couple of years ago against Philadelphia, when Colin Doyle put the team on his back and took them on an amazing comeback? I know that players who score more in normal situations also score more in "pressure situations", but Doyle scored way more. He is missed not only for his usual production, but for those big goals he scores. Thanks Mike.
It sucked too that Brad Self came back in hockey just in time to try to put us out the of playoffs.
Having said that, there is still a chance. The Rock need some help. Calgary is winnable, but Philly will be a challenge. Hopefully the team comes out motivated for that one. I'm sure they don't need to know it could be Jim Veltman's last game ever.
The team actually scored a lot of goals. However, in order for the Rock to win, the goaltending has to be outstanding. Mike Poulin was OK Saturday, but not at Bob Watson's level. Is it Mike Kloepfer's fault for having Watson injured during the game? No, its not. It is his fault that he couldn't get Glenn Clark a good backup goalie to have just in case that Watson may be out at some point. Anybody who watched, listened to, or pointstreaked the game at HSBC Arena would know.
Back to the goals. It was great to see some offence, but there were a ton of missed opportunities. I counted about 5 posts. Somebody correct me if I am wrong. Matt Roik was good, but there was also a certain luck factor involved. Also, when we needed a big goal with about a minute left to give us a win, we had nobody. Remember a couple of years ago against Philadelphia, when Colin Doyle put the team on his back and took them on an amazing comeback? I know that players who score more in normal situations also score more in "pressure situations", but Doyle scored way more. He is missed not only for his usual production, but for those big goals he scores. Thanks Mike.
It sucked too that Brad Self came back in hockey just in time to try to put us out the of playoffs.
Having said that, there is still a chance. The Rock need some help. Calgary is winnable, but Philly will be a challenge. Hopefully the team comes out motivated for that one. I'm sure they don't need to know it could be Jim Veltman's last game ever.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Kloepfer at It Again
Did Anybody see the interview from the National Post with Mike Kloepfer reagarding Greg Van Sickle's firing? It seems its everybody's fault but his.
“We believe in the personnel that we have,” said Kloepfer. “We have very good forwards. These guys are professionals. They have a collective responsibility to create those scoring chances and to finish when they get them.”
You had a better offence before you dismantled it a couple seasons ago. Every player in the league is a professional, they are all getting paid to play lacrosse. You have a collective responsibility to make good decisions for a highly successful lacrosse team. You are an idiot
The Toronto Rock will not hire an offensive coach to replace Greg Van Sickle, who was fired Monday after a pair of crucial weekend losses to Rochester and Philadelphia.
Sounds like a good plan. The offence wasn't producing so a change needed to be made, right? Wait a minute, before the Rochester game the Rock posted back to back 14 goal games
In in an interview with the National Post, general manager Mike Kloepfer said the team will instead hand responsibility for the offence over to head coach Glenn Clark as Toronto tries to stay in playoff position with only three games remaining on the regular-season schedule.
He is officially the GM now? That sounds promising. That's great that Clark will be running it too. He has so much experience running offences in the NLL
“We feel it will be best to have Glenn work directly with the forwards,” said Kloepfer.
Why is the Mike? Going to give the fans a reason? No...just going to say its best, just like all your other moves.
Kloepfer said the decision to dismiss Van Sickle was difficult but necessary after Toronto’s offence appeared out of sync on the weekend, despite the trade-deadline acquisition of sniper Lewis Ratcliff.
Why was out of sync? Possibly because their best passer and a guy who has been working with the offence all season was dealt just as the team was coming around.
The Rock’s offence has sputtered most of the season and is averaging only 10.3 goals a game. Only the 4-7 Edmonton Rush score fewer goals in the 12-team league.
Except when they started to actually score before the Ratcliff trade. They were doing quite fine then.
“We just weren’t getting the production we needed from our offence,” said Kloepfer. “Sometimes nothing improves without having to make a difficult decision.”
You actually were on Easter weekend. I guess you didn't bother to check that Mike. You know what else might improve the team? You stepping down you fat piece of shit.
Toronto had a chance to move into first place heading into last weekend’s pair of games. But losses in both dropped the 7-6 Rock back into fourth place, only a half-game ahead of the fifth-place New York Titans. Only the top four finishers in each division qualify for the NLL playoffs.
“That’s the nature of the National Lacrosse League,” said Kloepfer. “There’s so much parity now. One weekend you’re playing for first place and the next weekend you’re fighting for a playoff spot … We need to take the next three games very seriously.”
One weekend you are smoking an upcoming Edmonton team and getting a relatively easy win over a very tough Buffalo squad. Then your best playmaker is dealt, and the offence sputters. I can almost guarantee they would have put up more of a fight against Rochester if Sanderson were still there.
Kloepfer would not comment on specifics when asked how the team will try to boost scoring heading into Saturday’s home game against the 4-7 Chicago Shamrox.
“We believe in the personnel that we have,” said Kloepfer. “We have very good forwards. These guys are professionals. They have a collective responsibility to create those scoring chances and to finish when they get them.”
You had a better offence before you dismantled it a couple seasons ago. Every player in the league is a professional, they are all getting paid to play lacrosse. You have a collective responsibility to make good decisions for a highly successful lacrosse team. You are an idiot
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Clark to Run Offence
OK. I loved Glenn Clark as a player. He shut down the opposing offence more often then not, scored some goals, got some loose balls and had an intangible factor of +3.7 (for being a teacher, for being Canadian, but loses some points for being kind of tall and not stout).
But why the hell is he running the offence? The guy played defence for most of his career. I am not saying that defencemen don't know the offensive side of the ball, but lets be honest, at this point in the season, there is not time for Clark to implement new systems. Even with Ratcliff and the Rock's shitty performance this past weekend. Will Bob Watson have to hold Chicago to 3 goals for the win on Saturday?
The only positive out of this is that Mike Kloepfer didn't make himself offensive coordinator. That would have been a huge fucking disaster. Not only would the Rock's offence struggle to score even more, the structural integrity of the ACC's home bench would be compromised.
Sorry for the lack posts. The guys on NLL Insider have been reasonable this week. I have also been quite busy. More to come in the next few days.
*Note: intangible factor completely made up
But why the hell is he running the offence? The guy played defence for most of his career. I am not saying that defencemen don't know the offensive side of the ball, but lets be honest, at this point in the season, there is not time for Clark to implement new systems. Even with Ratcliff and the Rock's shitty performance this past weekend. Will Bob Watson have to hold Chicago to 3 goals for the win on Saturday?
The only positive out of this is that Mike Kloepfer didn't make himself offensive coordinator. That would have been a huge fucking disaster. Not only would the Rock's offence struggle to score even more, the structural integrity of the ACC's home bench would be compromised.
Sorry for the lack posts. The guys on NLL Insider have been reasonable this week. I have also been quite busy. More to come in the next few days.
*Note: intangible factor completely made up
Monday, April 7, 2008
Thoughts on the Weekend
I analyzed the stats, I thought that the Ratcliff trade might have been good, but a combination of an out of sync Rock offence and a solid game from Pat O'Toole did the Rock in.
Ratcliff played OK, but he looked lost out there at times, and made a couple of terrible passes to the far side to Manning and Wilson. I didn't see the game last night in Philadelphia, but I can only assume that it was better. He (Ratcliff) has to get fucking better or this team will be on the outside looking in.
I know Sanderson didn't do too well in Calgary, but the offence was clicking with him in Buffalo and against Edmonton right before the trade. If the team fails to reach double digits against Chicago then there needs to be more changes coming.
Greg Van Sickle was let go. Looking back at NLL.com it is hard to tell if he was a Kloepfer hire, but I have to believe he was responsible for the move, trying to take blame off of himself and transferring it the coaching staff. Sorry Mike, but you're the one that tore apart one of the greatest offensive teams ever assembled in the league. We could still have Josh Sanderson and Colin Doyle, but instead we are stuck with Ryan Benesch and Lewis Ratcliff. Which two would you rather have? I'll give you a hint, their names rhyme with Manderson and Foyle. Figure it out yet?
All I can say is if the Rock do manage to get into the playoffs, and make no mistake, it is going to be a challenge, then all the credit can go to Bob Watson. Watson deserved to win Saturday, and from what I heard deserved one on Sunday as well. Iannucci may break Gait's record, but if Watson wasn't in net for Toronto this year, I would really, really hate to see where the Rock would be at. I'm assuming below Chicago.
All in all, it was a shitty weekend. Does anybody else get pissed off seeing Kloepfer sitting (or waddling) near the bench around each warmup smiling in that ridiculous leather jacket, presumably admiring the destruction he has done to tear apart a great dynasty? Seeing the tribute to Les Bartley on Saturday before the 2nd half, one of the greatest lacrosse architechts of all time, made me sad. Sad that we have to put up with this guy running our time after so many years of sound decisions from Bartley and then from Terry Sanderson. If Mike Kloepfer isn't fired after this season, something is seriously, seriously wrong.
Ratcliff played OK, but he looked lost out there at times, and made a couple of terrible passes to the far side to Manning and Wilson. I didn't see the game last night in Philadelphia, but I can only assume that it was better. He (Ratcliff) has to get fucking better or this team will be on the outside looking in.
I know Sanderson didn't do too well in Calgary, but the offence was clicking with him in Buffalo and against Edmonton right before the trade. If the team fails to reach double digits against Chicago then there needs to be more changes coming.
Greg Van Sickle was let go. Looking back at NLL.com it is hard to tell if he was a Kloepfer hire, but I have to believe he was responsible for the move, trying to take blame off of himself and transferring it the coaching staff. Sorry Mike, but you're the one that tore apart one of the greatest offensive teams ever assembled in the league. We could still have Josh Sanderson and Colin Doyle, but instead we are stuck with Ryan Benesch and Lewis Ratcliff. Which two would you rather have? I'll give you a hint, their names rhyme with Manderson and Foyle. Figure it out yet?
All I can say is if the Rock do manage to get into the playoffs, and make no mistake, it is going to be a challenge, then all the credit can go to Bob Watson. Watson deserved to win Saturday, and from what I heard deserved one on Sunday as well. Iannucci may break Gait's record, but if Watson wasn't in net for Toronto this year, I would really, really hate to see where the Rock would be at. I'm assuming below Chicago.
All in all, it was a shitty weekend. Does anybody else get pissed off seeing Kloepfer sitting (or waddling) near the bench around each warmup smiling in that ridiculous leather jacket, presumably admiring the destruction he has done to tear apart a great dynasty? Seeing the tribute to Les Bartley on Saturday before the 2nd half, one of the greatest lacrosse architechts of all time, made me sad. Sad that we have to put up with this guy running our time after so many years of sound decisions from Bartley and then from Terry Sanderson. If Mike Kloepfer isn't fired after this season, something is seriously, seriously wrong.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
On A Serious Note
Saturday night at the ACC is the annual charity jersey auction for the Rock. I can't outbid those people who put up $3,000 for a Jim Veltman jersey but Les's Fund is a great cause, and try to support it in whatever way possible.
Now back to your regular scheduled programming.
Now back to your regular scheduled programming.
Fake Kloepfer Interview
Imagine this: here I am, talking to Mike Kloepfer before the one of the biggest games of the year Saturday...
Fire Mike Kloepfer: So Mike, what is going to be the key to the win tonight?
Mike Kloepfer: Obviously, the key will be to score more goals than the other team.
FMK: I see. So you mean the key to the game is winning, right?
MK: Winning is usually a byproduct of scoring more goals. The real key is outworking them.
FMK: But you just said that scoring more goals is the key, which means you want to win I guess. Define outworking them.
MK: Outworking them. You know guys like Jay Winder and Derek Suddons have to show up, they are our big game players.
FMK: By showing up, you mean being at the ACC for 7:00 PM tonight, right?
MK: No, just showing up wanting to win.
FMK: So Blaine Manning and Peter Lough don't want to win?
MK: Correct, Winder and Suddons are the oil that makes our engine run.
FMK (Getting sick of cliches): So it is more important to the success of the Rock to have Suddons and Winder have great games than Manning or Lough?
MK: Yes, they will be the main factor should we pull out a win tonight.
FMK: Alright, what about stopping John Grant Jr?
MK: He is obviously a component of their team, but I'd be more concerned with guys like Pat Cougevan and Jack Reid?
FMK: You mean guys that have 4 combined points as opposed to Grant's 73?
MK: Yes, know you're getting it. Those guys are the yeast that make's Rochester's bread.
FMK (Finally figuring out why Toronto is 0-4 against Rochester since Kloepfer became DLO): Alright Mike, thanks for the time.
Fire Mike Kloepfer: So Mike, what is going to be the key to the win tonight?
Mike Kloepfer: Obviously, the key will be to score more goals than the other team.
FMK: I see. So you mean the key to the game is winning, right?
MK: Winning is usually a byproduct of scoring more goals. The real key is outworking them.
FMK: But you just said that scoring more goals is the key, which means you want to win I guess. Define outworking them.
MK: Outworking them. You know guys like Jay Winder and Derek Suddons have to show up, they are our big game players.
FMK: By showing up, you mean being at the ACC for 7:00 PM tonight, right?
MK: No, just showing up wanting to win.
FMK: So Blaine Manning and Peter Lough don't want to win?
MK: Correct, Winder and Suddons are the oil that makes our engine run.
FMK (Getting sick of cliches): So it is more important to the success of the Rock to have Suddons and Winder have great games than Manning or Lough?
MK: Yes, they will be the main factor should we pull out a win tonight.
FMK: Alright, what about stopping John Grant Jr?
MK: He is obviously a component of their team, but I'd be more concerned with guys like Pat Cougevan and Jack Reid?
FMK: You mean guys that have 4 combined points as opposed to Grant's 73?
MK: Yes, know you're getting it. Those guys are the yeast that make's Rochester's bread.
FMK (Finally figuring out why Toronto is 0-4 against Rochester since Kloepfer became DLO): Alright Mike, thanks for the time.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Tutka with his top 20
Here is some analysis from Paul Tutka's top 20 rankings, with the first being on John Tavares:
Will JT have enough left in the tank to make a run past either guy above
him? Been there, done that and still had time to teach his kids about
fractions. He’s still that good.
OK. I get sick when I read these articles about NLL players and how their day jobs somehow make them better at their sport, as having time to teach kids about fractions does not make him good. Blaine Manning is fucking awesome because he can analyze the hell out of a bond transaction. Chris Gill was an amazing goal scorer because he puts out fires and saves people from burning buildings. Their day jobs have no bearing on how good he is on the floor. It makes for an interesting article, but not when analyzing performance.
This is why Tavares is awesome this year:
22 G, 67 PTS, a decent 17.2 shooting %, and a solid 13.9% goal contribution
Now on to Ryan Cousins:
Cousins is still playing solid ball, but just isn’t getting the same kinda
effort outta the boys at the other end of the court, which is affecting the
scoreboard.
As I said a couple of posts ago regarding Jordan Hall, team performance shouldn't have any bearing on these rankings. Cousins is still playing awesome. What Andy Secore did on Saturday should have no effect on where Cousins is ranked. The rest of the team's performance is irrelevant.
Finally, Matt Vinc
Like I said the other week, Vino is definitely a lot of people’s dark horse
pick for tender of the year, and if New York keeps piling up the results,
will be hard to deny him the nod.
If anybody picks Matt Vinc as goalie of the year, I will actually cry. Matt Vinc is a decent goalie, but unless Bob Watson has a monumental collapse over the final few weeks, then Watson is the goalie of the year.
Lets just look at the numbers:
Watson: 9.93 GAA, .790 SVP
Vinc: 12.34 GAA, .765 SVP
Also, there are a number of guys in between them. If somebody wants to use wins as a barometer, Watson has him beat there too, 7-5.
That is all for now. That website is starting to frustrate me.
Will JT have enough left in the tank to make a run past either guy above
him? Been there, done that and still had time to teach his kids about
fractions. He’s still that good.
OK. I get sick when I read these articles about NLL players and how their day jobs somehow make them better at their sport, as having time to teach kids about fractions does not make him good. Blaine Manning is fucking awesome because he can analyze the hell out of a bond transaction. Chris Gill was an amazing goal scorer because he puts out fires and saves people from burning buildings. Their day jobs have no bearing on how good he is on the floor. It makes for an interesting article, but not when analyzing performance.
This is why Tavares is awesome this year:
22 G, 67 PTS, a decent 17.2 shooting %, and a solid 13.9% goal contribution
Now on to Ryan Cousins:
Cousins is still playing solid ball, but just isn’t getting the same kinda
effort outta the boys at the other end of the court, which is affecting the
scoreboard.
As I said a couple of posts ago regarding Jordan Hall, team performance shouldn't have any bearing on these rankings. Cousins is still playing awesome. What Andy Secore did on Saturday should have no effect on where Cousins is ranked. The rest of the team's performance is irrelevant.
Finally, Matt Vinc
Like I said the other week, Vino is definitely a lot of people’s dark horse
pick for tender of the year, and if New York keeps piling up the results,
will be hard to deny him the nod.
If anybody picks Matt Vinc as goalie of the year, I will actually cry. Matt Vinc is a decent goalie, but unless Bob Watson has a monumental collapse over the final few weeks, then Watson is the goalie of the year.
Lets just look at the numbers:
Watson: 9.93 GAA, .790 SVP
Vinc: 12.34 GAA, .765 SVP
Also, there are a number of guys in between them. If somebody wants to use wins as a barometer, Watson has him beat there too, 7-5.
That is all for now. That website is starting to frustrate me.
Why Rochester Won: Osburn Style
Chris Osburn on NLL Insider:
This has been an up and down season for the defending champs. After two straight losses to league basement dwellers Chicago and Edmonton, it appeared that Rochester had nothing left.
Now the first part I agree with, it has been an up and down season for Rochester. What gets me is him saying they had nothing left when they boast one of the most incredible players ever: a guy who easily scores about 100 points a year and a guy who increased the production of every player on the team. This guy scores 8 points and has 13 loose balls on Saturday. Any team in this league would have a chance with John Grant playing offence for them.
Those losses to the basement dwellers were each by 1 goal. Other close games this year for Rochester: a 15-14 loss to Philadelphia and a 18-17 loss to Minnesota.
Just a couple more goals throughout the course of the year, and the Knighthawks are a 9-2 team.
This has been an up and down season for the defending champs. After two straight losses to league basement dwellers Chicago and Edmonton, it appeared that Rochester had nothing left.
Now the first part I agree with, it has been an up and down season for Rochester. What gets me is him saying they had nothing left when they boast one of the most incredible players ever: a guy who easily scores about 100 points a year and a guy who increased the production of every player on the team. This guy scores 8 points and has 13 loose balls on Saturday. Any team in this league would have a chance with John Grant playing offence for them.
Those losses to the basement dwellers were each by 1 goal. Other close games this year for Rochester: a 15-14 loss to Philadelphia and a 18-17 loss to Minnesota.
Just a couple more goals throughout the course of the year, and the Knighthawks are a 9-2 team.
Kojima on Hall
This is what Steve Kojima said in his weekly top rookie rankings about Jordan Hall:
"1 (1) Jordan Hall, New York – The thing about Hall and the Titans is they keep improving. Jordan had seven points in New York’s last win and is No. 18 overall in league points. Huge game this weekend at Minnesota."
The thing about picking a top rookie is that it should have little to no bearing on how the team is doing. The thing is I don't care if the Titans win when judging Hall's performance. The thing is if he had 17 points in a 20-17 loss would Kojima write this? He shouldn't, but he probably would.
*Notice how many times I use the phrase "the thing". Doesn't it get annoying? Isn't "the thing" about Hall is that he 25.3% shooting percentage and has scored 13.8% of New York's goals?
This would be a much better opening sentence, and one that a normal lacrosse analyst might write:
Jordan Hall continues to improve at all facets of his game, increasing his points per game average and contributing significantly on the power play.
Not much for now, more later hopefully.
"1 (1) Jordan Hall, New York – The thing about Hall and the Titans is they keep improving. Jordan had seven points in New York’s last win and is No. 18 overall in league points. Huge game this weekend at Minnesota."
The thing about picking a top rookie is that it should have little to no bearing on how the team is doing. The thing is I don't care if the Titans win when judging Hall's performance. The thing is if he had 17 points in a 20-17 loss would Kojima write this? He shouldn't, but he probably would.
*Notice how many times I use the phrase "the thing". Doesn't it get annoying? Isn't "the thing" about Hall is that he 25.3% shooting percentage and has scored 13.8% of New York's goals?
This would be a much better opening sentence, and one that a normal lacrosse analyst might write:
Jordan Hall continues to improve at all facets of his game, increasing his points per game average and contributing significantly on the power play.
Not much for now, more later hopefully.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Wiles Out
Luke Wiles is out pretty much until May. If this had happened about a week and a half ago, I am pretty sure Mike Kloepfer would have traded Josh Sanderson back to San Jose for him.
I could see this quote coming into the papers had that happened:
"Although we are 7-4 and riding an incredibly amazing goaltending season from a goalie in his late 30s with not many good years left, we feel it was important to get somebody for the future. Although it will be tough to replace Josh Sanderson's 54 points, we believe that having Luke Wiles experience with Barrie Lakeshores hanging around the team in practice will be enough to push us over the top."
Of course that never happened. But that seems like a typical Kloepfer trade.
I could see this quote coming into the papers had that happened:
"Although we are 7-4 and riding an incredibly amazing goaltending season from a goalie in his late 30s with not many good years left, we feel it was important to get somebody for the future. Although it will be tough to replace Josh Sanderson's 54 points, we believe that having Luke Wiles experience with Barrie Lakeshores hanging around the team in practice will be enough to push us over the top."
Of course that never happened. But that seems like a typical Kloepfer trade.
Jacobs Carrying The Whole Bottom Half of the NLL
This is from Paul Tutka's latest thumbs up/thumbs down for the past weekend:
"Everything that could go wrong for the teams that are favored is definitely goin’ a$$ backwards wrong for ‘em, while Cody Jacobs is shootin’ the friggin’ lights out and givin’ the bottom feeders hope?!?!?"
OK, every year, there are upsets in the NLL. Nobody can say with 100% certainty that team A will beat team B in a game because team A is 10-0 and team B is 0-10. There is a chance, no matter how small, that in a small sample size of 1 game, that anything can happen.
Cody Jacobs is apparently the new hope for all of the league's mediocre teams. You hear that Bob Hamley? Cody Jacobs is the reason you might make the playoffs.
Cody Jacobs has never been a bad player. He scored something like 69 goals in one year of junior B. That is ridiculous. Last year, his first year of playing anything above the junior level, he shot 15.9% in the NLL. Some guys within 1% of his percentage last year? Gary Rosyski, Dan Stroup, Tracey Keluskey, Ryan Powell, Josh Sanderson, Jim Quinlan, Kelly Hall. Most of those guys have been all-stars. Sanderson scored 6 goals this year against Minnesota. Why is it so incredible that he scored 6 goals in a game? That is not that unlikely in the small sample of one game. If he can average that over the course of the year, then that is incredible.
"Everything that could go wrong for the teams that are favored is definitely goin’ a$$ backwards wrong for ‘em, while Cody Jacobs is shootin’ the friggin’ lights out and givin’ the bottom feeders hope?!?!?"
OK, every year, there are upsets in the NLL. Nobody can say with 100% certainty that team A will beat team B in a game because team A is 10-0 and team B is 0-10. There is a chance, no matter how small, that in a small sample size of 1 game, that anything can happen.
Cody Jacobs is apparently the new hope for all of the league's mediocre teams. You hear that Bob Hamley? Cody Jacobs is the reason you might make the playoffs.
Cody Jacobs has never been a bad player. He scored something like 69 goals in one year of junior B. That is ridiculous. Last year, his first year of playing anything above the junior level, he shot 15.9% in the NLL. Some guys within 1% of his percentage last year? Gary Rosyski, Dan Stroup, Tracey Keluskey, Ryan Powell, Josh Sanderson, Jim Quinlan, Kelly Hall. Most of those guys have been all-stars. Sanderson scored 6 goals this year against Minnesota. Why is it so incredible that he scored 6 goals in a game? That is not that unlikely in the small sample of one game. If he can average that over the course of the year, then that is incredible.
Ratcliff with Kloepfer
I was just thinking about what went on after the blockbuster trade happened about a week ago.
The following takes place at 3:00 AM Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 26th, 2008
Mike Kloepfer is sitting in his living room, eating donuts and watching reruns of Trailer Park Boys proudly admiring the leather jacket he has worn for 5 straight years without once removing it.
He picks up the phone, and dials is newest acquisition, Lewis Ratcliff.
Kloepfer (on the phone with the Ratcliff residence): Hello, can I speak with Lewis?
Ratcliff: It's midnight. Who the hell is this?
Kloepfer: C'mon Lew, its me, Mike Kloepfer.
Ratcliff: Mike Klomper? Buddy look, I don't have time for this now. I have to be at the gym at 6:00 AM tomorrow.
Kloepfer: Not Klomper, Kloepfer.
Ratcliff: Yeah so? Why the hell are you calling me? Who the hell are you?
Kloepfer: I'm the director of lacrosse operations for the Toronto Rock.
Ratcliff: Oh, the guy who traded for me today.
Kloepfer: Yeah, thats me. Listen, I got some suggestions about your game when you play with us in a couple of weeks.
Ratcliff: Can this wait until tomorrow? I am really, really tired...
Kloepfer, interrupting him: I think when you come here, we are going to try to change your role around a little bit.
Ratcliff: What?
Kloepfer: I want you to make sure Ryan Benesch gets the ball on every single play, I don't care if you are wide open, or if another guy is open, but I want you to get Benesch the ball on every play, no matter what.
Ratcliff, suddenly becoming more alert: You want me to pass the ball when I'm wide open?
Kloepfer: I know it seems odd, but you are really being brought in here to kick start Benesch. If he goes, then the team goes.
Ratcliff, wondering about guys like Blaine Manning and Aaron Wilson making his new team go: So if Ryan Benesch is on the floor, he gets the ball?
Kloepfer: Yes, exactly! Thats why we brought you in. To make sure Benesch gets the ball every possession.
Ratcliff (questioning him): You said in an article in the Globe or something today that I was going to be a big part of the offence.
Kloepfer: That was a cover. Sanderson wasn't getting Benesch the ball enough and that is why we traded him.
Ratcliff: You know I scored 50 goals last year. Benesch has like 11 this year. I have more than double that.
Kloepfer: Stats don't matter to me, they are hogwash. I don't use objective player evaluation measures like statistics and skill level. The only thing that matters is if you played for Barrie at some point in your life or not. You have never played for Barrie, Lewis. I brought in Benesch to lead this team, and you are just going to come along for the ride. Aren't you excited to be part of the Rock?
Ratcliff (with sarcasm oozing in his voice, while realizing Benesch never played for Barrie): Sure Mike! I can't fucking wait!
Kloepfer: Great, I'll see you at practice in a couple of weeks.
Ratcliff proceeds to hang up the phone.
The next day, after doing some research, he found out that Mike Kloepfer got to where he is today by being the owners of some lacrosse teams in Barrie. That is all he has done to run the most successful lacrosse team of the last decade.
Ratcliff suddenly begins dreaming about playing for Kurt Silcott again.
The following takes place at 3:00 AM Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 26th, 2008
Mike Kloepfer is sitting in his living room, eating donuts and watching reruns of Trailer Park Boys proudly admiring the leather jacket he has worn for 5 straight years without once removing it.
He picks up the phone, and dials is newest acquisition, Lewis Ratcliff.
Kloepfer (on the phone with the Ratcliff residence): Hello, can I speak with Lewis?
Ratcliff: It's midnight. Who the hell is this?
Kloepfer: C'mon Lew, its me, Mike Kloepfer.
Ratcliff: Mike Klomper? Buddy look, I don't have time for this now. I have to be at the gym at 6:00 AM tomorrow.
Kloepfer: Not Klomper, Kloepfer.
Ratcliff: Yeah so? Why the hell are you calling me? Who the hell are you?
Kloepfer: I'm the director of lacrosse operations for the Toronto Rock.
Ratcliff: Oh, the guy who traded for me today.
Kloepfer: Yeah, thats me. Listen, I got some suggestions about your game when you play with us in a couple of weeks.
Ratcliff: Can this wait until tomorrow? I am really, really tired...
Kloepfer, interrupting him: I think when you come here, we are going to try to change your role around a little bit.
Ratcliff: What?
Kloepfer: I want you to make sure Ryan Benesch gets the ball on every single play, I don't care if you are wide open, or if another guy is open, but I want you to get Benesch the ball on every play, no matter what.
Ratcliff, suddenly becoming more alert: You want me to pass the ball when I'm wide open?
Kloepfer: I know it seems odd, but you are really being brought in here to kick start Benesch. If he goes, then the team goes.
Ratcliff, wondering about guys like Blaine Manning and Aaron Wilson making his new team go: So if Ryan Benesch is on the floor, he gets the ball?
Kloepfer: Yes, exactly! Thats why we brought you in. To make sure Benesch gets the ball every possession.
Ratcliff (questioning him): You said in an article in the Globe or something today that I was going to be a big part of the offence.
Kloepfer: That was a cover. Sanderson wasn't getting Benesch the ball enough and that is why we traded him.
Ratcliff: You know I scored 50 goals last year. Benesch has like 11 this year. I have more than double that.
Kloepfer: Stats don't matter to me, they are hogwash. I don't use objective player evaluation measures like statistics and skill level. The only thing that matters is if you played for Barrie at some point in your life or not. You have never played for Barrie, Lewis. I brought in Benesch to lead this team, and you are just going to come along for the ride. Aren't you excited to be part of the Rock?
Ratcliff (with sarcasm oozing in his voice, while realizing Benesch never played for Barrie): Sure Mike! I can't fucking wait!
Kloepfer: Great, I'll see you at practice in a couple of weeks.
Ratcliff proceeds to hang up the phone.
The next day, after doing some research, he found out that Mike Kloepfer got to where he is today by being the owners of some lacrosse teams in Barrie. That is all he has done to run the most successful lacrosse team of the last decade.
Ratcliff suddenly begins dreaming about playing for Kurt Silcott again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)