“Are you drunk?”

“…Kind of.”

“Damn it, Darrow. Well, just go stand in front and don’t do anything stupid.”

To be fair, it was my roommates 21st birthday the night before, and even though we had practice at 6 a.m. the next morning, I wasn’t going to not go out. I got back to the dorm at 3 a.m. and knew if I fell asleep there wasn’t a chance I was going to wake up, so I just decided to watch some Netflix then head to practice reeking of the Junction.

It was what it was, it was the culture we created at the time. Showing up to practice or games hungover was the norm.

For those of you who don’t know the short version of my story, it goes like this:

I showed up on Ohio University’s campus in 2009 with every intention of playing division one club hockey. I turned down D3 NCAA offers to be there. The school was perfect and I wanted to contend for a national title. I got to campus, bragged for a week to everyone about how I was going to play hockey (like during those ice breakers on the first day of class), got cut, then had to seemingly live the next four years of my life with my tail tucked between my legs.

When news got out to the other programs that had recruited me, a few of them tried to get me to transfer, and I almost did. But, I was determined to work all year on my game and redeem myself sophomore year.

Tryouts sophomore year came about and I had, in my mind, the perfect week. I scored goals, played physical, and even grew my hair out so that I could add a little flavor to match my atrocious red equipment from juniors. But it was the same story.

I was told that I hadn’t made the top five centers and that I was being cut… again.

“Coach, I play wing.”

At the time, I felt like my life was over and that the last 16 or so years of work on the ice was worthless, but looking back it was the best thing to ever happen to me.

Lucky for me, two former division one guys had decided they were going to start up a division two program. And my first thought was “perfect, now I can prove myself.”

I thought that the D2 team was going to be used as a farm system for the D1 team. If someone gets hurt, which happens all the time, they would call one of us up to fill the void. Turns out, that wasn’t the case at all, and it honestly makes sense looking back.

The D1 team had their identity. They had been on campus for decades and they were damn good every year. They were fast, tough, dominant, and albeit being a club sport, one of the most supported organizations on campus.

We, as the new D2 team, had to find our own identity. We decided we were going to be the most fun team on campus.

For the first two years, we were a bunch of borderline alcoholics who just happened to play hockey on weekends. For me, the earliest days of the program were embarrassing at times.

Our original roster was put together by attending a meeting. No joke, that was the original tryout. You walked into the conference room upstairs at Bird Arena and signed a few sheets of paper, obliged to pay the amount for the year, then showed up at practice the next day.

I will never forget the first day of practice. There I was, a former two-time first team All-State selection in high school, captain of my Junior A Tier-III team, now skating with kids who couldn’t make prep JV.

“What the hell are we even doing?”

Don’t get me wrong, there was still talent sprinkled throughout our lineup. But the first year, it was really thin.

Nick Frasse and Sean Roach started the team, and I wonder what was going through their minds as we practiced for those first few weeks. I wonder if they saw the potential of the program, or if they thought they bit off more than they could chew. Both had played D1 before, and now they were stuck with this.

We actually had a pretty good inaugural season. We went 13-8-2, and the core members of our team all became really tight. Frasse and Roach installed a lot of traditions that I believe are still in place today, we had 128 N Congress – the hockey house – and by years end, it really felt like a team.

As I mentioned, we had to create our own identity as a program, and that first year we did so many ridiculous things. Over the top celebrations were a staple. In the last game of the year against West Virginia, we scored on the power play, and four of the guys all huddled by the net while Jarrod Carley put his glove on the end of his stick and pretended to take a group photo. Classic.

After another PP goal, Frasse grabbed me by the back of the pants and threw me down the ice like a curling stone while K.C. Fraize used his stick as a sweeper.

We were, by no stretch, over the top ridiculous. And it was the most fun I had ever had playing hockey.

My entire life, hockey was a top priority, and I always loved the game, but there was always a serious stipulation behind every game. Playing D2, I realized I could finally relax and actually enjoy playing the game I loved.

But at times, we got a little too relaxed.

When my junior year rolled around we had finally organized a real, on-ice tryout for the second season of our program. We had a new coach, former D1 captain Phil Oberlin, and he inherited a bunch of guys who he was used to seeing trash the bar he managed.

Little by little, we were doing things that began legitimizing us as a program. We joined the TSCHL, which has since grown into a hell of a league, and finally began to develop a few rivals.

However, we also continued our ridiculous ways and refused to set boundaries on going out before games and practices. Our homecoming game against Eastern Kentucky my junior year was one of the most ridiculous hockey games I’ve ever been a part of.

After winning 17-1 on Friday night, I drank until about 4 a.m., with some of the guys (only the ones 21 and older of course) keeping it going until 7 or 8 in the morning. I went back to sleep, knowing we had a game at 11 a.m. on Saturday, but was woken by my roommate and his older sister who was visiting to go to Broney’s at 6 a.m. for champagne slushies.

Running off about 90 minutes of sleep from a six-hour bender, we stayed and drank there for three hours before I told them I had to go the rink. As I stumbled down Court St., I was dragged into The Crystal by one of the bartenders and we took a lunch box, before I finally made it to Bird Arena. I could barely stand, yet alone skate.

I looked around the room and realized I wasn’t alone. I took one shift, tried to take a slap shot from the point, got too dizzy when I raised my stick back, fell over, and then benched myself for the rest of the game. Only our freshman and sophomores played that game, and we still won 9-1.

Now, this article isn’t about my alcoholic tendencies and the cancer I probably was to our program by encouraging this type of behavior. It’s the fact that it was acceptable. We had made it and deemed it okay. And this was only five years ago.

Deep down, we knew we were never going to be a legitimate contender for a national title behaving this way, but we were having the time of our lives.

I just want to keep saying, this was the most fun I ever had playing hockey.

Heading into my senior year, and the third year of our program, we were really starting to make strides. We had talented players from top to bottom, and were one of the best teams in our league.

I, being the idiot that I was, showed up to the first two tryouts a mess. I was one of the leading scorers the two years prior and took that for granted.

I was probably the worst player on the ice for those first two days.

Jordan Frasse, Nick Frasse’s younger brother, told me the story about how he was a freshman and he saw how terrible I was those first two sessions and he looked at his brother on the bench and asked him, “This guy… scores goals? He’s awful.”

Before the third tryout, Coach Phil pulled me aside and told me that I wasn’t invincible, and that if I didn’t start taking this seriously, he was going to cut me.

It was later this year that the guys and Coach Phil started to try implementing the idea that maybe going out every night before games wasn’t the best idea, but we broke that rule weekly. We were there to have fun first and contend second – that was the atmosphere we created.

I remember trying out for the D1 team and the tryouts extend into the first weekend of the school year. The purpose is to have the players not go out and remain focused on the task at hand. It’s a test of will. It was hard to watch all your roommates go out and have a great time while you stayed in the dorm, but it was worth it if you made the team.

We tried adding Saturday and Sunday to our tryout schedule senior year and it was hilarious. The vets all went out the night before, and I remember walking into the locker room and half of us being keeled over and lying on the floor.

But the new guys abided. They stayed in. They showed up wanting to make the team. I remember thinking that morning that maybe this was the start of something. Maybe one day this would be the norm.

Senior year came and went, and so did our first full graduating class. We lost Frasse and Roach, and I was somehow voted the second captain of the program.

My final year playing D2 started disastrous. We began the year something like 0-7-2 and I had two game misconducts in the first nine games. Pretty solid leadership on my end.

This was really the year that there was tension on whether or not we should go out before games. The three years prior, we were still winning. We’d go out on Friday night, then win on Saturday afternoon.

Now that we had created a legitimate schedule, and were playing teams like Miami (OH) and Bowling Green, as opposed to the EKU’s and Wright State’s, our bad habits began to show. We just couldn’t get away with it anymore.

I remember all the seniors sat down and we went over a new policy. I’m pretty sure I was the only one of the six seniors who wanted to allow us to still go out before games. We came to a compromise – you can go out, but no getting over the top drunk.

It was clear that I may have been the one holding us back from getting over a particular hump, but I was selfish, and wanted to keep doing things the way we had in years prior.

We rattled off like 10 or 11 straight wins after our 0-7-2 start, and really began to show that we had the talent to belong. The culture of the team was also changing.

Coach Phil was recruiting players, and not just getting bodies, he was getting us legitimate talent. We had freshman who were quickly becoming our best players. They came into the program wanting to win first, and party second, a complete opposite philosophy of what we had been using.

It was clear to me that the program was headed in the right direction. I knew that I was probably negatively affecting the locker room in terms of wanting to enjoy my last year of college, and putting that above winning hockey games.

But this was the most fun I had ever had playing hockey in my life. Our team was so tight knit, and I wasn’t ready to give up race poker.

I knew that once all of the founding players were gone, it would be a completely different program. I knew that Coach Phil needed to get our booze-filled habits away from the new players.

I just never thought it would happen so fast, and I’ve never been so happy it did.

Two weeks ago, I sat on my couch with my six-month-old son and watched as my former team defeated Toledo (who we were I believe 0-8-1 against when I was in school) to advance to the National Tournament for the first time in our program’s history.

All I could do was sit there and mumble “unbelievable.” I must have said it a dozen times.

Only three years removed from my captaincy, Coach Phil and the leaders in the locker room completely transformed this team and made them an absolute force in the D2 club hockey world.

Looking at the roster, there are ten guys left who were freshman or sophomores when I was in my final year with the team. A lot of them know what it used to be like. And I can’t imagine what it was like to be a part of the transformation.

As far as I know, Coach Phil and his younger brother Patrick have this team as tight as ever. I can see on Snapchat the ways they spend their time together on the nights before games, and it’s not taking frozen fours at 1:30 a.m.

The D1 program at OU is one of the best, if not the best, programs in the country. They cast a huge shadow over the D2 program. We would joke about it, but it was tough watching the 1,000+ person crowd for the D1 game dissipate into the street as we took the ice. A few people would stand around and look at us and be like “wait, who are these guys?”

We would stand in the tunnel and pretend to be commentators to help ease the pain of watching every single fan leave.

“And the D2 Bobkittens take the ice to a sold-out Bird Arena crowd!”

But now the D2 team has earned, at the very least, a top-16 finish in the nation.

As an alum, the entire reason for this article is to just say how proud I am of all of you. And while I know the crowds aren’t large, and the recognition is hardly there, your alumni is so damn proud of you guys.

You guys have all made a sacrifice that I wasn’t willing to make when I had the opportunity, and I’m so damn proud that it’s paying off for everyone in that locker room.

I don’t regret any part of my four years playing D2, and I think I speak for every one of my former teammates when I say that, but I also know that there were guys in the locker room who would have given everything to play in the national tournament.

Watching you guys defeat Toledo was one of the greatest moments I have ever witnessed. I felt a part of it, even though I was hundreds of miles away.

What the players and coaches have done to transform our program into a contender for the national title in such a short amount of time is nothing short of unbelievable.

I went to OU wanting to contend for a national title. It’s why I went there. Sure, my path strayed off the straight and narrow, but watching the program I was a part of for four years actually have a shot at doing so is unreal.

Soak this weekend in boys, we will all be watching. And win or lose, we will always be proud.

The biggest story in the hockey world today is that the NHL is currently locked out until a new bargaining agreement, which expired on September 15th, can be agreed upon by the NHLPA and the league. What people are not talking about, is the trickle down effect it has had on the Ohio University Division-Two Club Hockey Team, who have decided to lockout the upcoming season unless a new bargaining agreement with the ACHA can be made.

The D-2 Bobcats, who of course play in the prestigious Southeastern Midwest Lakeside Jurisdiction Hockey League, or SEMWLSJHL, have refused to touch the ice after the Gatorade vending machine in their home arena’s lobby was changed from $1.25 to $1.75.

8th-year Captain Nicholas Frasse had this to say on the situation, “People don’t think $.50 is a big deal, but do you have any idea how expensive it is to park under Baker?” He would continue to say, “This was just the last straw, they are making us decide between parking in a metered spot, and getting our daily electrolytes.”

The Bobcats, who had their inaugural season in 2010, have made great strides in the last few years. For example, their first tryout consisted of attending a rigorous meeting where Graduate Student and Head Coach at the time Matt Staehely had to make sure the players showed full commitment.

“I made them sign their names on a sheet of paper and be at most of the practices on time,” Staehely noted on the grueling first season.

Since then, The D-2 heroes from Ohio University have instated former Mr. OU, former manager of The Junction, and former Division 1 Club standout Phil Oberlin to take over the reigns, and things have escalated ever since.

“Our tryout consists of them scrimmaging now,” Oberlin said, “we figured it would be easier to judge their talent if we actually saw how good they were at the game.”

Last year, the D-2 “Bobkittens” finished an impressive third place in the SEMWLSJHL, and watched as attendance for home games skyrocketed. During a Friday Night game against West Virginia, there were over 50 people in the stands to watch them warm-up. Most of them however, were simply trying to leave the rink after attending the D1 game, but overcrowding helped the D2 team win over some fans.

“That’s who those guys were?” said 47-year-old Ron Thomas, an Athens resident for the last ten years, “I thought they were an intramural team or something.”

After making these strides, the Division 2 Club Hockey team decided that they would not continue to play until the ACHA and SEMWLSJHL agreed to renegotiate their bargaining agreement. Some of the matters at hand are:

• The amount of pucks to practice with be raised from 25 to 35.
• Each player shall receive their own spot in the cage for their equipment.
• A paid trainer, preferably an undergrad female, attend at least one of every four practices.
• The ice to be zamboni’d before every practice, not just went the staff feels like it.
• The Gatorade Vending Machine in the lobby of Bird Arena to be reduced from $1.75 to $1.25.

This lockout could be long and devious, and the players have decided to stand by their teammates as they demand more from the leagues in which they contribute so much.

“We put dozens of people into the stands every year who don’t pay a dime to watch us play,” former football player turned hockey player in college Tyler Smith said, “imagine all the money we are generating for them just through that!”

One thing is for sure, the amount of people that will be affected by these lockouts could easily climb into double digits, but the players know they deserve better, and as the Beastie Boys once said, they will fight for their right to party.

The ACHA and SEMWLSJHL were both unavailable for comment, as neither knew this was even happening.

OU students and alumni everywhere, here is the e-mail that was sent out to every parent of an OU student regarding Palmerfest:

“Dear OHIO Parents and Families,

The purpose of my message is to seek your help in sending a clear message to students, reinforcing the importance of smart, civil, safe behaviors. My request parallels that of Ryan Lombardi, our Dean of Students, who has made you aware of the unauthorized multi-house parties in Athens that have historically occurred in off-campus neighborhoods each spring.

On Saturday, April 28th, a number of Ohio University students and their guests engaged in dangerous and illegal behaviors, which have been widely reported in newspapers and on websites. This media coverage has “opened a window” to Ohio University and the Athens community, revealing images that are offensive, frightening, and embarrassing to our students, our distinguished alumni, our local community, and the parents and families of OHIO students and graduates.

We are better than this!  People that live in the Athens community, whether for just a few years or for a lifetime, reject these behaviors and their distortion of what our community is about.  The City of Athens and Ohio University join with your students and their friends and neighbors in condemning this behavior, which posed life-threatening risks and harmed our community.

Last week, our Student Senate issued a resolution condemning these dangerous behaviors.  The Senate resolution supports the stance of the overwhelming majority of our students, faculty, and staff who find this type of behavior destructive to the culture of Ohio University and the relationship that binds the University and the City of Athens.

We have scheduled a Town Hall Meeting for 5 pm this Wednesday, May 9, 2012, at the West Portico of Memorial Auditorium, on the College Green.  Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl and I have invited all community members, including students, to attend.  We will be joined by other University and City leaders to discuss these serious issues and answer questions. Please encourage your son or daughter to attend.

Ohio University, the City of Athens, our students – your sons and daughters – are better than this and we must show it.

Cordially,

Roderick J. McDavis

President

Ohio University”

If you are like me, this e-mail was not only unnecessary, but ridiculous. We can not sit back and have our University’s president degrade us like this, share your voice! I have e-mailed him my response, and here is what it reads:

Once again, with all due respect,

Shane Darrow
SD195408@ohio.edu
President – Pi Kappa Phi: Theta Chi Chapter

After last nights loss to UNC, my phone exploded. People ranging from Florida to California to my hometown city of Traverse City, Michigan were blowing me up (humble brag) congratulating us on our run in this years NCAA tournament. As a journalist, it is absolutely impossible to describe word for word what makes being a bobcat so great, but let me give it my finest efforts. All of my friends are business majors, and this is simply what my role is throughout this unreal city. So let me attempt to put a smile on all of bobcat nation.

OU? Oh yeah.

1. Athens, Ohio is home.

Everybody else I’ve ever talked to that doesn’t go here, describes their home as where they grew up, and where their parents are. Not here. People at OU describe going home as going back to Athens. I’ve seen hundreds of tweets (@VincentVanFlow) from winter and summer breaks that explain how badly they want to go back home. When I visit other schools, I miss how homey this city really is. From north campus to south campus its a 15 minute walk if you aren’t in shape. Where I am currently sitting writing this, I could come back in 5 minutes with Chinese food for under five dollars. The atmosphere here never seems real. The only time people even argue here is when Crystal gets out of line and the argument over whether Sigma Pi is better than Pike erupts (rush Pi Kappa Phi). There is no doubting that every person who goes to this school is in their most comfortable state when they drive in off the interstate and see that stadium: Peden Stadium. That is when you know you are here. Of course, you have only gone to one football game, and thats because it was on ESPN 2 and you left after the first half because you lost your buzz, but it’s still the landmark that puts that OU smile on your face.

2. Our unreal excuses to party.

Okay, so I understand that whether it’s TGIF or Saturday, almost every college throws their ragers. But here? We take any excuse and find a way to make it into an uptown fiesta. Green beer day is a perfect example. This day party was thrown on a Wednesday more than a week before St. Patty’s day. Our entire campus went uptown to get sloshed because the beer was simply dyed a different color. After we lost last night, I died a little inside. I was ready for the biggest riot this town had ever seen, but what I witnessed had me cheesing. Everyone was just so damn proud. We are a school that knows we aren’t known for our athletics, yet everyone pulled together and toasted to the most improbable run that no one outside of these borders could have predicted. We had faith in DJ, we had faith in Offutt, but most of all – we had faith in this school, and this city. Coach Groce I beg you, don’t leave us!

3. Nightlife.

Where else do you find over 20 bars in two blocks? Whatever clique you desire to be around, there is a designated spot that was created to fulfill those needs. There’s a hockey bar, rugby bar, football bar, basketball bar, greek bar, etc. If you wake up and say, “hey, I want to go get down with DJ Cooper (I’m shouting you out all day my dude)” I can tell you exactly where to find him. But it doesn’t end uptown. Spring corner is upon us, and while most college students are losing it about how they lost their internship due to a tweet (oh shit, that was just me), Ohio U is ready for the greatest ten weeks a college student can ask for. Gorgeous weather, beautiful women, bowling class, and the fests. Oh the fests. Our school is known for Halloween, and that is a proven fact, but ask any OU student what is the best part of the school year, and they will tell you the fests. On Halloween, we get hundreds of jagoffs who come and disrespect our campus. Yes, there are hundreds of arrests every year on that glorious day in late October, but usually only about 30% are OU students. The fests are our time, and when people visit then, they tend to respect our campus. Well, except for when we set shit on fire, but hey, if Manny can be Manny by intercepting a throw to the cut-off man… than that’s just OU students being OU students. We have two mindsets: class and partying. But definitely not in that order.

4. We actually have really good academics here

I have been focusing on solely the point of our abilities to party, and to all of the corporate folk out there that probably didn’t make it to this point in the article because you have already thrown my transcript out the window, I apologize. But to all you yinzers out there that continued to read on, may God bless you today. The schools of journalism, business, and aviation are all unbelievably prestigious. You don’t believe me? Watch your roommate go through the 8 am cluster, and then show a little more respect. The only phrase I hear more here than “I have to go meet with my group” is “I’m going uptown.” Our aviation school, while I know there aren’t many in the United States, is one of the greatest. It has been around since 1939, and has produced an absurd amount of commercial pilots. So next time you are sitting in row 35 and look out your window for a nice view and see the engine, realize that there is a chance that the man who has your life in his hands studied at Ohio University. Now I don’t want to toot my own horn since I’m in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, but by checking a few websites, were on average ranked the fifth best journalism school in the entire country.

All I’m saying President Roderick J. McDavis is that if you look beyond all the aspects that our school is “known for,” you will see an academic program that is eventually set up for us to succeed. But considering I’m a hard six male in the journalism school, I’ll practice right now what I’ll probably be saying after I graduate. “Do you want fries with that?”

5. The People

This one is unbelievably hard to explain. Well, no it’s not. I’m just imagining the look on the peoples faces who don’t go here that are thinking to themselves “I bet the people here are better.” Hear me out though sweetheart. I live 600 miles away from here, I came here knowing absolutely no one. Yet the people of this school embraced me immediately as one of their own. How many times have you walked into a party and didn’t know a soul, and then got asked who you knew in the party, you said nobody, and they kicked you out? Well if you go to OU the answer there is zero. How many times have you walked into a kegger and paid to drink? If you go to OU the answer there is zero. It’s a respect thing. When you are a freshman and sophomore, you drink for free, unless you are helping to throw the party, in which case you chip in for the beverages. In return, when you are a junior and senior, you buy and let the underclassman drink for free. It’s a system that I have never seen at any other school. Everything is based on respect, and the students that go to The Ohio University understand that as they progress through their years of paradise. If you are visiting, you will never feel more accepted anywhere else but here. And if you go here, your character rises immensely.

…….

……..

…….

…..

Bobcat nation: I salute you. Once again: OU? Oh yeah.

As some of you may know, after an incident occurred on Twitter, I was suspended for 30 days from Bleacher Report; however, I still want to keep writing until it is lifted on March 30th. I have already apologized to Bleacher Report for the incident and I want to apologize to all of my readers as well. All of you have been very supportive of my articles and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it, it really does mean a lot.

Now lets get to business. With almost every team in the NHL having around 10 games left in the regular season, I felt it only fitting to rank the ten teams with the best shot at winning the Stanley Cup. Lets get to it!

Dark Horse Sleeper: Winnipeg Jets

Okay this might be a bit of a stretch but hear me out here. The Jets currently sit three points out of the 8th and final seed in the Western Conference, but only five points out of the division lead. It is completely realistic that the Jets could surpass the Capitals and Panthers and gain the number three seed in the West. Blake Wheeler is having a career season (58 points in 68 games) and if the Jets were to win the conference and get a series, and possibly more with home-ice advantage, it’s not impossible to believe that a team that was so bad a year ago that they were relocated could make some noise in the playoffs.

10. Chicago Blackhawks

The Stanley Cup champions from two years ago have yet to find the rhythm that had them raising Lord Stanley’s cup in 2010. Shaky goaltending and an inability to win on the road have been two issues that have followed Chicago all season. Corey Crawford has yet to really shine since taking over the starting job, and his .901 save percentage is good enough for 40th among NHL goaltenders. The plus side here is that the Blackhawks have the experience and the star power to make a legitimate run at another title. Guys like Marian Hossa, Johnny Toews, Patrick Kane, and Patrick Sharp have all been there before and know what it takes to win it all. The biggest problem is that with a road record of 14-18-3 it is going to be very tough for the Hawks to win multiple series where they don’t have home-ice advantage. If Crawford continues to under-perform, the Windy City will be on the golf course in a hurry.

9. Dallas Stars

The Stars currently sit in front of the Pacific Division and have been on an absolute tear lately, going 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. Dallas has been led by 26-year-old Loui Eriksson, who is averaging just under one point a game. They have also had stellar goaltending as of late by Kari Lehtonen, whose .925 save percentage is good enough for 7th best in the entire NHL. If this team continues to streak as the playoffs approach, they could really make some noise. The problem with the Stars is that their lack of experience and inability to bury the puck could lead to their ultimate demise. Their 188 goals for this season is only the 7th highest in the Western Conference.

8. Nashville Predators

Although they sit behind the Stars in the standings, Nashville has six more points (I hate the way the seeding works in the NHL). The entire fate of the Preds rests on the shoulders of their 29-year-old goaltender from Kempele, Finland. Pekka Renne has been unreal this year, his 39 wins are the highest in the league and he also leads the league in shots against and total saves. Nashville is probably not going to have one series with home ice advantage but is a very good road team, they’re 18-13-2 away from the Sommet Center. Players like Martin Erat and David Legwand will need to produce some scoring in the playoffs in order for them to make a solid run but if Renne continues to flash the pads the way he has all season, Nashville becomes a legitimate contender.

7. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers are a team that have been streaky all year, but look to be heading in the right direction as the playoffs draw close. The Flyers have won 7 of their last 10 games and currently sit 5th in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers have a star player in Claude Giroux and that is absolutely crucial when it comes to making a deep playoff run. They also have been one of the best road teams in the NHL this year, which will be substantial considering that, like the teams behind them on this list, they will probably not get a series with home ice. Their 22 wins on the road this season are the most in the Eastern Conference, and tied with Vancouver for the most in the entire NHL. The issue with the Flyers is that they have had goaltending issues all year, and although Ilya Bryzgalov has 28 wins this season, his 2.53 goals against average is ranked 23rd among all netminders.

6. Boston Bruins

The season ending injury to Tukkaa Rask might be the main reason why the defending champs fail to make a serious run at the cup this year. Sure, he’s only the backup goalie; however, Tim Thomas will have to play the remaining games of the season to make sure the Bruins stay atop the Northeast Division, which they currently are only ahead of the Ottawa Senators by one point. But with two less games played than the Sens and the rising star power of Tyler Seguin, the Bruins shouldn’t have a problem winning that division. Their strongest point is that they lead the entire NHL in goal differential this season, with a +53 rating, but having Marty Turco as their backup goaltender is going to cause all kinds of issues. Turco has only started one game since signing with the Bruins, and he was pulled after allowing 3 goals on 6 shots. If anything were to happen to Thomas, they’re done, it’s that simple. Best case scenario is a tired Tim Thomas will have to win 16 playoff games to bring home the cup. And at the age of 37, that might be asking a little too much.

5. Detroit Red Wings

A team that once looked like it was by far the best team in the NHL just a month ago has gone way downhill in the past couple weeks. In their last 10 games, the Wings are 3-6-1, and have lost 5 of their last 6. They are yet to win a road game in the month of March and have lost their last two games to the L.A Kings and Anaheim Ducks by a combined score of 9-2. The scariest part for Detroit is that unless they find a way to move ahead of St. Louis in their division (they are currently 7 points back), they will have home-ice for at best the first round and that’s it (unless two out of the top three seeds in the West are upset in the first round). Out of their 44 wins, only 16 of them have been away from Joe Louis Arena, and past years will show that you have to be able to win on the road to bring home the cup. The amount of star power in Detroit is incredible, with guys like Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterburg and Nicklas Lindstrom, the Wings definitely have the talent to win it all. But whether or not Jimmy Howard will be able to carry them all the way through the playoffs is yet to be seen. Howard is 108-51-28 in his regular season career for Detroit, but just 12-11 in the playoffs.

4. Vancouver Canucks

No surprise that the Canucks are going to be one of the favorites once again to win the Stanley Cup. After being a game away from winning the cup last year, Vancouver picked up right where they left off this season. The Canucks have all of the components that make a Stanley Cup winning team: experience, star power, and goaltending; however, they lack depth in scoring. Outside of the Sedin twins, only three players have 40 or more points this season. They are definitely a serious contender this year, but by no means the favorite. They also still lack the toughness that it will take to win the whole sha-bang-a-bang. The Bruins wore them down in the Finals last year, and their inability to handle gritty play is something that has haunted them in the past and will continue to haunt them as the playoffs approach. I do like that General Manager Mike Gillis traded Cody Hodgson to the Buffalo Sabres for 6’4” power-forward Zack Kassian and Samuel Pahlsson to try and fill this void, but I don’t think it will be enough to turn the tide. I also think that they may regret giving up Hodgson, who was a surprising scoring threat this season – when he was traded he had 33 points in 63 games. They are definitely a serious contender this year, but by no means the favorite.

3. St Louis Blues

I know. They have been a great story and currently have the best record in the entire NHL and have only allowed an absurd 139 goals this year (1.95 goals per game); however, there are so many red flags that come up for the Blues. The first one is their ability to score, or lack there of. They only have 186 goals for this year. To put that into perspective, the Edmonton Oilers, who are currently in 14th place in the Western Conference, have 185. David Backus and T.J. Oshie are tied for the team lead in points with 48, which is good enough for 67th place in the NHL. I know the old saying – defense wins championships, and that case can be proven when you look at how the Boston Bruins won the cup last year. But that same Bruins team still had four players that had more than 50 points in the regular season, and the Blues are probably only going to have two. The other is youth and lack of experience – outside of Jamie Langenbrunner and Jason Arnott, there is very little playoff experience on the roster. The player that will determine how far the Blues go is David Perron. After missing more than a year due to concussion like symptoms, Perron has been great. He has 35 points in 46 games and if he can get hot come playoff time, there is no reason why the Blues can not win the cup. The other thing that gives the Blues an advantage heading into the playoffs is that they will probably have home ice throughout the playoffs… they’re 28-4-4 at home this year.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins

The return of Sidney Crosby is absolutely huge. A team that has the second most points in the Eastern Conference, and is currently riding a 9-game winning streak, just added arguably the best player in the world to their roster. If Crosby can stay healthy for the rest of the season, and play at the level he was at before his concussion-like symptoms returned for the second time, the Penguins are without a doubt the favorite to win it all. There are countless pros when looking at Pittsburgh: Evgeni Malkin is leading the league in scoring with 84 points, James Neal has set career highs in goals and assists and has proven that he is a legitimate scoring threat, Marc-Andre Fleury has been phenominal with a record of 37-14-6, they have the 5th best powerplay percentage (19.7%) as well as the second best penalty kill percentage (89.4%), and are tied for third in the NHL for the most goals for (219). So how can they not be the favorites as of right now? Well, they’re an average team on the road, just 18-13-3 this year, and the only team that has been playing better hockey than them this season just so happens to be in the same division…

1. New York Rangers

How fitting that the first game in which Sidney Crosby will play since December 5th happens to be against the Eastern Conference leading New York Rangers. They are currently 44-18-7 and would have an even better record if they weren’t 3-7 in overtimes and shootouts. Every aspect is accounted for. Scoring? Check. Goaltending? Check. Experience? Check. Star Power? Check. On paper the Rangers are scary good, but this has been the case for many years and they’ve failed to win the Stanley Cup. They are in my mind without a doubt the favorite heading into the playoffs, but by no means a lock to win it all. The one thing that worries me about the Rangers? Their powerplay percentage is only 14.6%, which is the worst in the Eastern Conference, and the 3rd worst percentage in the entire NHL. Special teams is huge in the playoffs. They have a great penalty kill, but if they can’t find a way to bury the puck on the man advantage they could find themselves in some trouble.

A crazy playoff scenario? If the standings stay the way they are at leagues end, and the 1-4 seeds in the Eastern Conference all win their first round series, the Rangers would play the Penguins in the second round. One of arguably the two best teams in the entire NHL heading into the playoffs would be eliminated before the conference finals.

What do you guys think? Do you agree or disagree?

Merry Christmas! Today is a day where we should all be thankful for our friends and families. It’s a day where we shove our faces at Christmas dinner and have the exact same conversation about what were doing with our lives about 15 times with different relatives. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to attend a Christmas party and have that conversation another 30 times. But I want to focus on something that makes us all happy, watching athletes we hate get beaten. The Bills 40-14 destruction of Tim Tebow and the Broncos yesterday prompted me to lay out a feast of hatred for my readers. Enjoy.

Honorable Mentions:

Tim Tebow, Albert Haynesworth, Alex Ovechkin, Sean Avery, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Kurt Busch, Alex Burrows, Cristiano Ronaldo.

10. Ron Artest … I’m Sorry: Metta World Peace (Los Angeles Lakers)

Talk about a class act, Artest apparently changed his name to Metta World Peace in order to help “inspire the youth.” Coming from the guy who jumped in the stands at the Palace in Detroit and started one of the biggest brawls in sports ever, and coming from a guy who thanked his psychiatrist after winning the NBA championship a few years ago, I find this hard to believe. There is never an excuse to attack fans, unless you’re Mike Milbury (the Boston Bruins shoe incident from 1979)… because that was just hysterical. A main reason why Artest is an athlete you love to hate is because he just lives in his own little world, and has absolutely no sense of reality, or respect.

9. Chad OchoCinco (New England Patriots)

Another guy who decided to change his last name for no particular reason at all, OchoCinco has been a player that sports fans have loved to hate for years. OchoCinco is one of the arrogant athletes who hit his prime for about a season but his mouth never stopped running. His over the top press conferences, ridiculous touchdown celebrations, and outrageous reality show moments are just the tip of the iceberg on why fans love to hate him. The fact that he is in New England now, a team hated pretty much every where except Massachusetts, doesn’t help his like-ability at all.

8. Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)

This one hurts to write because as most of you know I am an enormous Penguins fan, and if I wasn’t this name might be higher on this list. There are many components to why Sid is hated, and I understand all of them. The first is the fact that he is without a doubt the best player in the world, and with great talent comes great skepticism. But that’s not enough to make this list, Crosby dives, he whines, he pouts, he can’t grow facial hair, and he put a javelin in the hearts of Americans by scoring on us in overtime of the Olympic Final in 2010. Now the fact that he has been out indefinitely twice due to multiple concussions, his toughness is being questioned by even his own beloved fans.

7. Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers)

One of the cockiest athletes in America, Rivers is another guy who is unbelievably unprofessional when it comes to making big plays. Talking trash to players is one thing, but Rivers has been caught multiple times talking trash to opposing coaches, which is highly frowned upon at any level. For a guy who has never won a ring, and never really came close for that matter, it’s enjoyable as a sports fan to watch such a cocky athlete continuously go downhill. The fact that the Chargers are 7-8 this year has even the public in San Diego whether or not he should stay or go.

6. Phil Mickelson/Tiger Woods (PGA Tour)

It is tough to say who golf fans love to hate more when it’s between Tiger and Phil. If you aren’t a huge follower of the sport you might wonder why someone could hate the pudgy, lovable lefty. Well, let me clear that up for you. Mickelson is known around tour for having almost zero respect for any other player that he tees up with. He is also notorious for his outrageous sports betting that he checks on his smart phone throughout rounds, and gives off that arrogant presence that isn’t really acceptable in a gentleman’s sport like golf. Take in mind that Woods is still heavily loved by fans, and Mickelson used to be his biggest threat to take away tournament victories from him, and you find a guy that a lot of fans love to watch hit the ball in the lake. Oh, and the fact that lefty’s wife is a bombshell doesn’t help his case. Tiger on the other hand… well do I even need to explain myself? He committed a disgusting amount of adultery and it cost him his wife, his image, multiple endorsements, and tens of millions of dollars. It always is Team Phil or Team Tiger. Pick your side.

5. Michael Vick (Philadelphia Eagles)

The guy got convicted of dog fighting… come on. He might be one of the most electrifying players in the game today, but he is also someone who at one point in time was the most screwed up loyally. Drive drunk and kill a man? America forgets, just ask Donte Stallworth. But kill a bunch of innocent dogs, now that’s just isn’t American.

4. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers)

When you think of crimes that are worse than holding your own dog fighting ring, only a few come to mind, one of those being

rape. On the field, Roethlisberger is one of the toughest, and most feared quarterbacks by opposing defenses. In nightclubs, I’m pretty sure he is equally feared by opposing bachelorettes. Roethlisberger has never spent a night behind bars, yet he has been convicted of sexual assualt twice. Outside of Pittsburgh, he is the NFL player that sports fans love to hate the most.

3. Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)

If there is anything that Kobe has taught us, it’s if you ever get caught cheating on your wife, while being accused of rape at the same time, just buy your wife a $4 million diamond ring and you’ll be fine. Don’t have that kind of money? Tough luck bud, and enjoy your time behind bars. On the court, Kobe is looked at as a ball hog and a guy whose selfish mistakes can cost his team victories, although he is still one of, if not the best player in the league right now. But no one likes a rapist, which is why Kobe is hated with immense passion throughout the United States.

2. Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees)

First off, he’s a Yankee, and they’re only loved by people that are from a certain part of New York, because pretty much the rest of the world hates that money pumping franchise to death. Then take into account the fact that he used steroids, which in my mind should have much more severe punishments for infringements, then take into account that he has dated the likes of Cameron Diaz, Elaine Spottswood, and Kate Hudson (just to name a few). Finally, understand that a man who was found guilty of cheating (by taking steroids) in America’s past time gets paid $32,000,000 a year… if you didn’t hate him before, you should now. Oh, and he only hit .276 last year and only played in 99 games, which means he got paid $323,232 per game.

1. Lebron James (Clev… I mean Miami Heat)

I could write a novel on why this guy is hated. I’ve seen first hand what he did to Cleveland fans when he left, and I think that people from outside of the state of Ohio don’t really understand it to the fullest extent. Cleveland has perhaps the most passionate fan base in America, yet their sports teams continuously fail them every year. Cleveland hasn’t won a major sports title since 1964, and that was before the Super Bowl era. Put that into context, there are 47 year old Cleveland natives who haven’t lived to watch their beloved city win a championship in any major sport. Lebron was supposed to fix that. Lebron said he would fix that. “I won’t stop until I bring a championship to Cleveland,” he said. Take into consideration that he is from Akron! Lebron KNOWS the pain that the state of Ohio and the city of Cleveland have had to endure and yet he still left. But he didn’t just leave. He had a one-hour special on ESPN to announce his cowardly exit. He joined the likes of Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to win “not 4, not 5, not 6” NBA championships. Lebron James is an egotistically selfish coward, which is why the entire sports world loves to hate him.

Start Em:

Michael Turner (RB, Atlanta Falcons) – Turner has been a frustrating case for fantasy owners this season, and last week was more of the same. He only rushed for 44 yards on 14 carries against the Texans, but this week there is hope. His groin should be fine by Sunday, and he faces a Carolina run defense that he torched in week 6, where he rushed for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Maurice Morris (RB, Detroit Lions) – Even with Kevin Smith named the starter last week, Morris still put up decent fantasy numbers after Smith left the game when he re-injured his ankle. Morris is a duel threat, and is a solid flex play this week, especially in PPR leagues.

LaGarrette Blount (RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – It is tough to put someone in the lineup who only had 18 yards rushing last week and averaged under 2 yards per carry, but Blount hasn’t been completely at fault for the weeks where his production has lacked. In the games that Tampa competes, Blount tends to do quite well, and they shouldn’t have an issue staying in with the Jaguars this week.

Matt Hasselbeck (QB, Tennessee Titans) – In week 12, Eli Manning threw for over 400 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Saints. Last week, Matt Stafford threw for over 400 yards and had 1 touchdown against the Saints. Expect at least 300 yards and a few touchdowns from Hasselbeck this week against the same defense that has been crushed in garbage time.

Carson Palmer (QB, Oakland Raiders) – Pretty similar logic here, Green Bay will slaughter the Raiders, leaving plenty of room for Palmer to throw for yards and touchdowns that will matter to fantasy owners, but have zero effect on the actual game.

Nate Burleson (WR, Detroit Lions) – He would have had over 150 yards receiving last week had he not been flagged for offense pass interference twice. He still managed just under 100 yards,and he is as solid a WR2 as they come.

Jeremy Maclin (WR, Philadelphia Eagles) – He is expected to return from injury this week, and with Vick expected to return at QB, the two should pick up right where they left off. Hopefully he is the spark plug that the Eagles need to give them some optimism as the year winds down.

Torrey Smith (WR, Baltimore Ravens) – There is nobody in the Colts secondary that can come close to matching the outside speed of Torrey Smith. Expect Ray Rice to have the biggest day out of anyone in fantasy this week, but Smith should be able to burn Indy for a couple big plays.

Kellen Winslow (TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – He has 18 catches in the last 3 weeks, and the Jaguars give up more points to opposing tight ends than any other team in the NFL.

Jacob Tamme (TE, Indianapolis Colts) – It’s last year all over again, with Dallas Clark out look for Tamme to step in and become a top ten fantasy TE from here on out.

Tampa Bay D/ST – Currently ranked the 28th best fantasy defense, they are a huge sleeper this week against a Jaguar defense that is as one dimensional as they come. If they can shut down Jones-Drew, they will definitely be a top 10 defense this week, and possibly even higher.

Sit Em:

Ben Roethlisberger (QB, Pittsburgh Steelers) – Big Ben has been a top 10 QB all season, but facing a Cleveland Browns defense that allows the fewest points to opposing quarterbacks should shy you away from this matchup.

Mark Sanchez (QB, New York Jets) – Sanchez has only 345 yards passing in his last two games and now is going to see the 11th ranked Kansas City defense. This game will be low scoring, and the Jets will rely heavily on their run game. Don’t expect much from Sanchez.

Jonathon Stewart (RB, Carolina Panthers) – Don’t get too excited about his 80 yards and a touchdown last week. I don’t want to say it was a fluke… but it was a fluke. Leave him on your bench, and enjoy watching him struggle against the Falcons 5th ranked run defense.

Frank Gore (RB, San Francisco 49ers) – I know it is hard to bench a running back that is currently in the top 15 on the year in fantasy points for running backs, but look at his last three games. Gore is only averaging 66 yards per game on the ground in the last three weeks, and he hasn’t had a rushing touchdown since week 8.

Rashard Mendenhall (RB, Pittsburgh Steelers) – Remember how I said that he has to score a touchdown to even be relevant? Well the Browns have only given up 10 all year, so depending on him scoring is a bit of a risk, especially with Isaac Redman getting the goalline touches.

Johnny Knox (WR, Chicago Bears) – The matchup is really good on paper, but the problem is that the Broncos have such long drives, the Bears offense will barely see the field. Knox will need to break a long catch in order to make him start in your lineup, and frankly I think that’s asking a little too much out of him without Jay Cutler under center.

Mike Wallace (WR, Pittsburgh Steelers) – *See Ben Roethlisberger*

Laurent Robinson (WR, Dallas Cowboys) – He had a great run, but Robinson is now hobbled by a shoulder injury, and with Miles Austin expected to return this week, expect Robinson’s output to go downward quickly.

Demaryius Thomas (WR, Denver Broncos) – He is a one hit wonder, and the secondary he played last week was atrocious. The Bears defense will do a much better job containing Tebow, and will make sure that Thomas doesn’t find 10 yard gaps with no one around to cover him.

Aaron Hernandez (TE, New England Patriots) – The sixth highest projected tight end on ESPN won’t have even a top 10 day on Sunday. He hasn’t scored a touchdown since week 9, and with Gronkowski the main target in that offense, it’s hard to ask much more out of Hernandez.

Detroit Lions D/ST – Without Ndamukong Suh in the lineup, this defense is not even close to as dynamic as they were earlier in the year. There are far better options this week, even though they are facing a beat up Minnesota Vikings squad.

Dream Team:

QB 1 – Aaron Rodgers

QB 2 – Matt Stafford

RB1 – Ray Rice

RB 2 – Maurice Jones-Drew

WR 1 – Calvin Johnson

WR 2 – Percy Harvin

WR 3 – Wes Welker

RB/WR 1 – Michael Turner

RB/WR 2 – Arian Foster

RB/WR 3 – Victor Cruz

TE – Rob Gronkowski

D/ST – San Francisco 49ers

K – David Akers