SouthernWingsFan

They do play Saturday () in Dallas. I'll be taking a short plane ride Saturday morning and be in attendance there. Anyways, have fun Mikeal!

Forgive my ignorance and lack of knowledge, but in this case can Meech be claimed off waivers then? Do the Wings, at least this season, have to even worry about him and waivers at all (regardless of how good or bad he is playing or how good/bad people might perceive him to be)?

Michigan bowl game on the same day hurts the rating a little bit. However this doesn't take anything away from Detroit and Michigan being a major hockey market, so this is nothing to cry over spilled milk about. But if markets that are probably perceived to not be as well-known in Sacramento and Las Vegas yielding high ratings, there's nothing wrong with that at all, means it might get more people interested in the game.

Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing

While a tough dude never hurts (and the Wings have one), the Wings makeup right now is much like last season. They won't physically dominate another team, but they bust their butts off and do not back down from anybody and are not afraid to match teams for hits, even though they might not "initiate". Getting a "tougher guy" won't change this mentality.

Was that pass (YES SAMUELSSON DOES PASS) he made OVER a Dallas player's stick for a slick one-timer attempt by Kronwall (which was inches close to being a goal) infuriating or awful? EDIT: Recognize and mention the good with the bad is all some of us are asking. I don't think that is too hard of a request.

While he has underperofrmed a bit this season, it's not like Drake has done anything drastic to cost the Wings games. Not playing as much due to health/not being as good might have something to do with it obviously, but we didn't sign him to be a superstar. Low-risk signing for minimal money, he was pretty much going to be a 3rd-4th liner all along. Do I wish he was performing a bit more? Of course, but I don't mind him in there.

Quick and to the point, but enough of a wonderful analysis where you point out his flaws AND some of his strengths. I don't think he's all that bad on the PP point, but other than that I pretty much spot on agree with your other brief points. Now I'm not Samuelsson's #1 fanboy or public relations representative. And I apologize for sounding like a condescending little jerk toward members in the Samuelsson threads. He had a bad game last night where his flaws definitely were more on display than his weaknesses, and a few other games this season, but I'm sorry, to say he is completely useless and is a f**k up is so over the top and obnoxious. If he was so useless, he wouldn't be playing with Detroit or in the NHL. All of us need to get a grip on the extreme Samuelsson talk, the ones who obnoxiously overreact to him without bringing up any of his strengths, AND the ones such as myself who feel the need to come to his defense when he is getting reamed ridiculously.

2.4 rating, when recent ratings for Cup finals have struggled to hit around 1? And also that it was the most viewed hockey game since the 90s when hockey was more popular? I'd definitely say so.

The older (or younger I guess) Avery who did nothing but yap and bring just himself to the penalty box more often than not? No. Current Avery with somewhat of a respecctable scoring touch on him? Perhaps I'd take him back. I did hate him a good bit when he was first with Los Angeles but got past that, at least for me personally. It's like just loathing people for the sake of it or because they play for a different team (i.e. Iginla, Pronger, etc.). Personal hates just seem sily to me now as I get older (and hopefully wiser). So I'd be willing to sacrafice personal feelings and be open to bringing him back on the surface, but a small part of me would be biting my tongue due to the blowing a gasket/controversy factor, which has been popular with Avery in the past. That being said though, I think he's all but happy in with the Rangers and unless he just flat out stinks up the joint, I thnk he's there for the next few seasons.

Me and my nephew trying stuff on at the NHL Store in New York. Me and my nephew chilling out with Elmo.

The Isley Brothers - Twist and Shout THE original Twist and Shout in 1962, Beatles did a remake of this song in 1964. Both bands made great versions.

Saying somebody is a f**k up and blows when that person is performing neither great nor overly terrible is overreacting. Hating somebody is being overly dramatic. He had a bad game last night. You people need to relax.

No I am not a moderator, and nobody died.

The fan in me would love such a doubleheader and it sounds great in theory, but there were so many delays (both on purpose and unintentional due to the weather) that it would take forever for these games to end. If the goal is to increase viewership on TV with these outdoor games, I'm kinda against a doubleheader.

I realize it crystal clear, but sometimes no debate and no arguing/bitching/whining is much more fun (espeically here when it's obvious both conferences has good teams). And it gives people a lot less heartburn and let's people live a lot longer as well, at least for me. This is one of those instances.

ALL OF US need to let go of this SEC/Big 10 comparison bulls**t. And no, I'm not just saying that because I'm a big LSU fan and live in an area of SEC schools. I'm sick and tired of die-hard alums and fans of SEC schools saying how great they are and humping the legs of their teams, and I'm tired of seeing Big 10 fans whine about getting no respect. Each conference has great teams, and I'm leaving it at that. It can really be that simple.

No real game analysis from me or anything like that but... Pretty brutal scheduling this outdoor game for this day, in terms of a competitive standpoint with the myriad of college football bowl games to get casual viewers. However, if the casual viewer tuned into chunks of this game, he/she got their time's worth for an exciting and complete hockey game, to at least understand some of the rules and concepts going in to determining a game's outcome, as well as to see how cool of a game this is. The casual fan also saw the downfalls of an outdoor game with the major delays, but I don't think that will be a major deterrant on the exciting action he/she saw and how great of a fan atmosphere it was. While I'm not encouraging outdoor games in such a setting to be a regular activity with the many delays that were experienced, I'd definitely be all for it once or twice a year in different venues.

And I'm telling it like it is as well. You are being overly dramatic.

That is a lot of "what if" scenarios there. This isn't last year...

I capisce, and don't get me wrong, he wasn't good last night, I'm far from denial there. But many of the Wings were bad last night as well. I'm just one who rarely overreacts or underreacts to most anything with sports or work or personal life, most especially sports watching when I have little/no control over the outcome. For the most part I'm just quiet and emotionless. I do care though despite me not showing it that much. I certainly expect it after a loss, but if there's one thing I cannot stand, it's overreactions to losses and scapegoats. I basically don't like it because I used to act this way when I have no control over it, and (at least to me) there's more important things in life and greater tragedies than a Red Wings loss (or loss to any team) or somebody stinking up the joint in a game. I don't live/die by the Red Wings even though I rarely miss and enjoy watching games, there's more to life than them, or complaining about Lilja or Samuelsson or 'tenders, or whining about annoucers that we have no control over, or why Barry Melrose doesn't like the Wings as much when he won't change, and so forth. But I am starting to digress so I will end here...

Yes it is overly dramatic. Plain and simple.

F**k up? That's pretty overly dramatic there.

Worthless? Don't be so dramatic. If he's so worthless, who do we get for him then? What's a realistic trade scenario, because you, I or anybody else can say that a player is worthless after a loss when we are emotionally not happy and not thinking straight.

And you'd think it would be this easy to figure out.