betterREDthandead

1. Yzerman 2. Lidstrom 3. Fedorov 4. Shanahan 5. Osgood 6. Holmstrom 7. Larionov 8. McCarty 9. Datsyuk 10. Draper Now I will go back and read the thread, now that I've given my list. I see this as more of a lifetime achievement thing, so, more points for making a long-term contribution (Draper) than for being a superstar for a few more recent years in the short-term (Hasek, Zetterberg.) The three that just missed the cut were Zetterberg, Maltby, and Kozlov.

VERY exciting news. Going to be a terrific showcase for the NHL. I really hope the league makes the Winter Classic a yearly thing. No more than once a year, to keep the novelty, but it's an absolutely perfect attention-grabber for the league.

Losing in the Finals would suck. Hard. But most teams would LOVE to be able to say they lost in the Finals.

I've played Yahoo fantasy hockey for 8 years now, minus the lockout. I'm part of an excellent keeper league that's used Yahoo for the last 7.

Which they wouldn't have done if he could ever make up his mind. For two or three years now, maybe even longer, we've gone through this question with Favre: will he retire, or won't he? And each year all he ever had to was say, "Look fellas, I still want to play football." Instead every year he waffles. Can you blame the organization for getting tired of it? The draft is too important to be in a position of not knowing what your marquee player is gonna do. I doubt the Packers pressured him to retire. It wouldn't completely surprise me if that were so, but I doubt it. But I absolutely believe the Packers pressured him to make up his mind.

Wait, what? right back atcha. You can't claim that the depth chart would consist of one guy and then call Rodgers-Brohm-Flynn "pretty solid." Look at it this way: If Favre retires in March and then doesn't come back, your starting quarterback is Aaron Rodgers and you have a rookie backing him up. If Favre comes back in March then calls it quits just before preseason, your starting quarterback is Aaron Rodgers and you have a rookie backing him up. And then you probably run out and get someone like Chris Simms, who is not a bad insurance policy. So you're set. This way, Favre does wrong by every single quarterback on the roster and causes a media circus besides.

I disagree that this is similar to Barry Sanders. Barry's timing was lousy, but there was never any ambiguity. Any rumors of his return were purely a media invention. Barry made up his mind and that was that. Other than having to suddenly replace a legend, the Lions were not in a tough spot. Not the way the Packers are now, with having made other arrangements, promises to certain guys (Rodgers), etc. The Packers have been under this cloud of "what's Brett gonna do?" for the past several years as Favre has had all kinds of trouble making up his mind. Now it's even worse. I think the Packers are far more in the lurch than the Lions were, because Lions fans were never forced to choose sides between the legend and the team.

You're absolutely right. Sammy + Hudler is the accepted and LGW-approved package set aside for trading for Joe Thornton. Though we might have to sweeten the deal with a pick. Maybe a third rounder.

And I wouldn't automatically hand a spot to guys like, say, Maltby either. I could easily see Kopecky and Helm both winning spots by beating out Maltby.

I seem to remember him and Scotty clashing over ice time, among other issues, during the 95-96 season and it coming to a head in the 96 playoffs. I think he might even have been benched, I'm not sure, but I think he was. I would say he never did live up to expectations. He was always a very good secondary-scorer type, but he was a very high draft pick and looked like a man amongst boys in the lower levels. Could have been a Joe Thornton-type, and Scotty didn't want secondary scoring from him. So the Wings traded him for the player they wanted him to be: Shanahan.

No, he played a full season that year. It was the year after he was drafted that he got hurt and missed the final third of the season. I can't WAIT to see how Emmerton does in GR. He and Mursak are both going to break onto the AHL scene this year and it should be interesting. Holland's praising his two-way play - sounds exactly like the Wings' sort of player.

Underachiever. Whiner. Scotty had a way of knowing what a player's potential was and demanded it out of him, especially if they had the chance to be extra-special. Stevie responded. Sergei responded. Primeau pouted. I was glad to see his ass shipped out of town, and it was one of the best trades the Wings have EVER made.

I always drink 2%. Always. It's all about what you grew up with. People who grew up drinking skim think everything else is pure cream. Me, I won't touch skim and I avoid whole milk if at all possible. Skim may as well be water, and whole milk is too rich. I'm so used to 2%, I can even tell just by looking when skim is coming out of the dispenser that's labeled 2% (at college dining halls for example.)

can't believe they're finally tearing down the old stadium. Every time they tear down a section of it, they tear down a piece of memory lane.... - the center field bleachers where our baseball team took a team trip to see a game, and there was nobody there but us - same section only in the halls, where my baseball camp instructor took us to meet Cecil Fielder - first base side where I saw my first ballgame - third base side upper deck where I saw Nolan Ryan pitch and so much more..... With any luck, Ernie Harwell's group will be successful in raising the money they need to save the dugout-to-dugout section. And I'm positively thrilled that the city will save the field, flagpole, and foul poles.

I've just had an epiphany. Which sucks, because it means cutting back on THE staple of my diet. Milk. According to the chart there's 2080 calories in a gallon, and I usually burn through over 2 gallons a week. Last summer I hardly drank any milk at all because the Navy has this awful dehydrated stuff which doesn't spoil. Mainly (I say) because it already tastes terrible and can't get any worse. I bet there's a connection to be made here. If I can drop back to just a gallon a week and drink more water instead, hell that's over 500 calories a day right there. I'm just never gonna be able to get into counting every single calorie....I like food too much. But I think the new workout routine I'm doing is much better than the old one. So hopefully by the end of the month I'll finally see some results on the scale.

There was no contract.

Let me put it this way: as a Lions fan, I hope Rodgers can be bought like that. Personally that's how I'd feel: bought. For the Packers' sake, actually playing, especially when promised the chance, should be at least equally as important as the money. Sure, there's not even a snowball's chance that Rodgers will be as good as Favre. But you'll have Rodgers for longer. Personally I admire Thompson's move yesterday: Yes, Brett, you can come back and hold the clipboard. That takes cojones.

Then why didn't you say so in the first place?

I don't think it seals his fate at all. I'm not arguing that Schneider is staying in Anaheim....it's just that I don't think signing a #6 guy like Montador changes anything.

I think I'd be a little insulted if I were Rodgers, even with the bonus. It'd feel like hush money: "OK kid, I know it was gonna be your time, but the big man's back, so here's some extra cash, and oh by the way we'd appreciate it if you wouldn't really make any waves, alrighty?" It's a tough situation for the Packers. Very tough. You bring Favre back, Rodgers probably gets pissed. He's been patient. Could make for some rough times in the locker room. You release him and he goes to another team and beats the Packers, that makes for a PR disaster. I'm really getting tired of Favre's antics to be honest. It was the same way with Roger Clemens. Look, don't "retire" if you've still got the drive to play. Be honest with yourself. It smacks of attention-whoring and selfishness. At the same time, though, I'm a Lions fan, and watching the Packers squirm is loads and loads of fun.

Well, let's go ahead and shut down the board then. No point in discussing who we oughta trade or sign or who should play where or what contract anyone deserves, or anything more interesting than YAY TEAM! Since it's up to the management and not us.

Favre is really reaching attention ***** territory.

Precisely why 30 shouldn't be retired. And again: If you have to "build a case" then there is no case at all. Should be screamingly obvious.

The teammates idea is because of winning the Stanley Cup - it really boosts the odds of getting your name up there. Naturally, the greatest players from dominant eras get their numbers retired.

Steve Montador is a threat to Schneider? That's like, holy crap we traded for Cory Cross....Kronwall's days are numbered!