This episode covers the return of the NHL, the MLB playoffs and we debate who is the greatest hockey player of all time.

As always, feedback is appreciated.

This podcast is available for download through iTunes and Zune Marketplace.

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On Thursday Coyotes' fans finally got the news they've been waiting for all summer, that Wayne Gretzky was no longer their coach. For a very small group of human beings who have been through hell this year, this was a welcome piece of good news.

Gretzky posted a record of 143-161-24 in his four seasons behind the bench in Phoenix and only proved to be another example in the argument that extraordinary talent on the ice/field does not equate to talent behind the bench. Those who have the ability to see the game on a different level than others often have problems relating to the average player. Meanwhile if one looks at the best coaches/managers currently in sports they were all usually middle of the road players, but have a strong understanding of the game and can teach it to others.

Gretzky became the coach of the Canadian Men's National Team before the 2002 winter olympics and led them to a gold medal. He then became the part-owner of the team and was picked to coach the team before the 2005-06 season. There has always been a part of me who believed that this was nothing more than a publicity stunt for Gretzky's team, and like most stunts like this, went terribly wrong.

The Coyotes meanwhile face a time of turmoil and what I can only hope is the rebirth of hockey in Phoenix. (Yes, there was a time when the Yotes could pack the house) I honestly can't help but thinking that Gretzky is somewhat responsible for the dilemma in Phoenix right now. I'm not claiming his fault is to an extreme extent, but that he slightly played a part in the problems this franchise currently faces. It can be debated the talent the Coyotes actually had in terms of prospects, but with a coach like Gretzky behind the bench, they failed to develop because of his inability to relate. This led to four seasons in which they didn't see the playoffs and the fans stopped showing up. It's not all his fault, nor is the majority of it his, but one must question if he did play some part.

The Coyotes have since brought in former Dallas Stars coach, Dave Tippett. In Tippett's 6 seasons in Dallas, he led the Stars to five playoff appearances and posted a record of 271-156-28-37.

My hope is that new coach Dave Tippett can turn this franchise's fortunes around and the fans return. As much as I hate Gary Bettman, he's been somewhat accurate about building up fan bases in new, untouched markets. In almost all the Southeastern Division cities, participation youth leagues has risen dramatically and the key to a fan base is the youth. I honestly believe that Phoenix can be a viable hockey market, it just will take some time to develop. That and keeping Jim Basille's grubby hands away from the team.

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When most people think the Durham Bulls, they think of the movie Bull Durham and a very famous sign.

In July I was fortunate enough to take in two games at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Let's just say while I had some high hopes for this stadium, some design flaws hindered my visit.

Stadium Design: Overall flow of the stadium, architecture and unique parts of the stadium.

Let's put DBAP in context. The stadium was built in by Populous in the midst of the modern-retro movement in stadium design. Almost every stadium I've set foot in that has been designed by Populous I have been happy with the overall flow of the stadium. This stadium is a testament to ideas that seemed awesome on paper, but really didn't work out too well in execution.

That's not to say this is the worst stadium ever designed, but there are some flaws which did hamper my experience. First off, the concourses are too small. I got to experience this stadium at about 2/3 capacity and at less than half capacity, in both occurrences it seemed that if there was any line it took up over half the concourse and severely limited movement. It should also be added that these lines snaked and were not just straight back, which hopefully will allow the reader to understand just how narrow these concourses are.

Concourse size is always a big deal to me because it really affects the flow of the stadium and ease of moving around.

Another feature of the stadium that created a maneuverability issue was the single staircase that led to the outfield. In order to get to outfield seats, one has to climb a staircase to get there. This wouldn't be a major issue except for the fact that with the lines taking up most of the concourse and the width of the stairs, there creates significant congestion with any large crowd.

Once you get to the outfield, a person will get to look at the lovely "Blue Monster" in left field. Sadly, that's all you'll get to do as you cannot go witness the view because it's a fenced-in picnic area. It's a negative, but not one that makes me look down on the stadium for. Rather, just something I would have enjoyed.

Finally, the entrance seems a bit problematic. Once you enter (which I believe is the only gate for non-STH), the patron must decide between one of two escalators to actually get up to the concourse. When I went, this was hellish for both entry and exit. Too many people, not enough room.

Despite its flaws, it is a nicely constructed and once must understand this ballpark is basically packed inside of a city block. I shall bestow on this park's design a 2 out of 5 Yeahhhhh Boyeeees.

Game Experience: The experience of enjoying a game at the stadium.

Overall I would describe the game experience at The DBAP as average. Not really much to say here. Although I must add the excitement that comes from watching the Bull's eyes glow with smoke coming out of its nose and the tail moving up and down after a Bulls' home run or win makes up for a lack of stirring events during the game.

The "Hit Bull, Win Steak" sign alone pulls this up to a 4.

Concessions: Overall pricing and convenience of ballpark concessions.

The pricing at this park was insane. I was paying more here that I did at some of the MLB parks I've been to. This is understandable though, the surrounding Triangle Area is a rather high income region of the country, and the prices are gauged toward their spending dollars. Sadly, for a person not from this area like myself I'm stuck paying the high prices.

Another problem I had was how long it seemed to take all of the concession stands. I don't expect breakneck speed, but I was confused why it took me almost an inning and a half to get through a 5 person line. I thought this may have been a one time thing, but the next night I decided to try the concessions again the result was almost exactly the same.

Finally, a major problem I experienced was in the outfield. There is only one full concession stand in the outfield section of the ballpark and it's a Chick-fil-a stand. For those unfamiliar with the business practices of this company, they are closed on Sundays with no exceptions. Unfortunately for me I had the misfortune of sitting in direct sunlight, in the outfield, on a Sunday, in July. This combination was horrible as the only option one has is to go back down the stairs into the main concourse and stand in line. Chick-fil-a is a great option in a stadium, just not a good idea to occupy the ONLY stand for a large portion of the ballpark.

One positive was the team store at the entrance to the park. It had a fantastic selection complete with the greatest souvenir anyone would ever get.

High prices and bad stand placement detract from the score. 2 Yeahhhh Boyeees.

View: View of game play from the seats, along with scenery surrounding the stadium.

I've been going to baseball stadiums my entire life, from Single A to MLB ballparks. I have never seen dead grass on a field...ever. The grass was riddled with dead patches and divots. This honestly was the worst field I've ever seen in a professional baseball stadium.

As for the view from the seats, there doesn't seem to be a bad place to sit in the entire stadium. Every seat has a nice vantage point. Even the standing room above the outfield seats provides a nice view of the field.

The DBAP is built in the middle of the Tobacco District in downtown Durham. It's surrounded by buildings and there's a nice view of the city from the stands down the lines.

The field is the only problem I had with what is otherwise a stadium that is very pleasing on the eyes. 3 Yeahhh Boyees.

Personality: Does the stadium have it's own unique personality and does it capture the personality of the city/team it represents.

Durham Bulls Athletic Park definitely has its own personality. When I think of Durham, I think of tobacco. It's fitting that the stadium is built in the historic Tobacco District, complete with a view of the Lucky Strike Cigarettes water tower from the field.

The concourses are decorated with signs and banners proclaiming the proud heritage of baseball in the Triangle. The scoreboard in Right is hand operated. Downtown Durham is in full view from the park and nothing says minor league personality like this.

For a stadium brimming with personality I must award it a 5.

The Durham Bulls Athletic Park is a great place to see a game, the problem is just getting to your seat, especially if you decide you want something to eat/drink. Final score: 16 out of 25.

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I know we have taken down the most recent episode of our podcast and we apologize for those of you who have wanted to listen to that episode. To be 100% honest we ran into some problems with what version was uploaded, followed by successive failed attempts to upload the newest version.

Since the podcast is biweekly, we've decided to just forgo that episode and return with a new episode a week from tomorrow. We're going to do a sort of podcast re-boot with some changes to the format that we think will make for a much more entertaining podcast. Your feedback is always welcomed and it will only help us improve.

Sorry again for the lack of a new episode.

Sincerely,
Nate and Peter

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I hate to feed fans of the Oakland Raiders anything. This is a franchise whose fanbase is already convinced that there's some mass conspiracy in the NFL officiating booths to screw the Raiders over every game. Why? I don't know. What reason would NFL refs have to hate the Raiders? Did Al Davis just take a dump in all of their hats one day? Regardless, there's this perception of the Raiders not actually being a bad team, but getting screwed by the refs every week.

That said, I don't see how Murphy didn't catch that ball

Even as I listen to Mike Pereira explain why it was an incompletion, I don't get it. Not the rule. I get the rule. I just don't get how Murphy didn't do everything Pereira says he has to.

The way that play looked to me, Murphy caught the ball, got both feet down, and THEN started to go to the ground. He wasn't in the act of going to the ground when the catch itself was made. He caught the ball, got the feet down, then got taken to the ground. The TD would and should have occured before his falling happened.

Even given the rest, after he hit the ground, here's the sequence of the play as I see it:

1. Murphy hits the ground.
2. The ball jiggles a little bit.
3. The ball jiggles a little more.
4. As Murphy starts to get up, he lets go of the ball.

It's entirely possible I'm wrong here. The NFL has access to several different views that we as TV viewers do not. Maybe one of those views had conclusive evidence to overturn the play.

Even in that case, however, this is entirely too complicated of a process. To quote former Raiders coach and retired broadcaster John Madden, "I remember when a catch was a catch."

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Pacers co-owner, Mel Simon has died today at age 82. He had been co-owner of the Indiana Pacers with his brother Herb.

I personally would like to take this moment to that Herb for all he did for my beloved city of Indianapolis.

It was Herb with his brother Mel who saved the Pacers from leaving town in 1983 with a last minute purchase of the team. Up until that moment it appeared as though the team leaving was a forgone conclusion. If not for their efforts, the city of Indianapolis would be drastically different. Had the Pacers left, it's pretty safe to assume that we would have never got the Colts. In the mid-Ninety's they helped in a downtown revitalization effort that brought new life to a previously depressed city/downtown district. Their company, Simon Property Group, has given jobs to many in the Central Indiana area and they have always spoken highly of the city. Even now as the financial situation of the team doesn't look so great, Mel and his brother have vowed to keep the team in Indianapolis.

So thank you Mel for all you did for a city and a team I both deeply love. You shall be missed.

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NOTE: Sorry about the delay, we've been having some technical difficulties today. Due to this, we're unable to stream the podcast directly on the blog for this episode.


UPDATE: We're having additional difficulties, so in the meantime we've taken it down.


This week, we discuss Nate's NFL predictions, take a look back at our baseball predictions and how they stack up to real life, along with the upcoming NHL season. We also introduce a new segment.

As always, feedback is appreciated.

And for those of you who would like to subscribe, the RSS feed is here.

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What a weekend to be a fan of one of the major football teams in Ohio.

Ohio State seems to almost come away with a victory no one believed they could pull off, and then USC reminded everyone why it wasn't possible in the first place.

The Bengals appear like their going to win a game that they were ACTUALLY EXPECTED TO WIN, I know hard to believe, and then Brandon Stokley makes a catch which is being referred to as a miracle.

Finally of course the Browns were...umm...well...the Browns.

Ohio, as a person who studies religion I must ask, have you guys stopped and considered the likelihood that you may have pissed off God somewhere or that He may not even like you? I mean it's not that much of a stretch, anyone who has driven through the state can tell God stopped making it and moved on to something else about midway through.

Seriously, Cleveland, you guys must have really done something wrong. Perhaps it's because you let a body of water catch on fire, or better yet, because THIS IS STILL SOMEHOW BEING USED AS YOUR TEAM'S MASCOT!

Meanwhile on Monday Night Football, the Buffalo Bills couldn't hold off divine intervention and blew a solid lead late in the game. This should probably be attributed to the fact the man upstairs apparently loves Boston more than everywhere else, but just in case I think Buffalo should take preventative measures before they're hit by some kind of plague. Although, I'm sure it wouldn't be any worse than the one they imposed on themselves. Kudos on trying to erase that mistake from your history.

For your penance Ohio and Buffalo, throw 3 Hail Marys and get rid of those shitty logos. Also work on making those shit stains you call cities, not suck.

p.s.- I'm probably going to Hell.

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Yesterday Michael Jordan was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame. I could regale you with stats or recap fantastic performances that he had, but instead I'd prefer to just tell some stories about Michael Jordan and how his career effected my life.

When I was a little kid I grew up in the Chicagoland area on the Indiana side of the border. Like any boy, or full-grown adult male, at the time, I loved Michael Jordan. He was Chicago sports. I had the jerseys, the pre game rituals memorized and when I dunked on my little basketball hoop it was always with the tongue out. I remember staying up late with my father to watch him play or special nights when my dad would take me to see him play in person.

I was always amazed by his play and I frequently as a child tried to mimic him, but that all started to change when I realized that Indiana had a team of their own. Although I was closer to Chicago, the fact I was from Indiana made me want to cheer for the Pacers. Michael went from being the hero to the enemy. I would always argue with my father over who was better, Reggie Miller or Michael Jordan. I understand now why he would always get frustrated, but that argument is chalked up to my belief that you should never give up on your own players. Your guy is always better than theirs, regardless of facts. I've let up on that a little bit since then, but I digress.

When Jordan retired for the first time I was honestly shocked, I thought it was way too early for him to be seeking an exit from the game. Yet part of me was excited because I thought a Pacers' championship was right around the corner. Prior to the 1994-95 NBA season my father and I were looking at Pacers' games that we could attend. Just because we always honored the connection between where I currently lived and a city I used to call home, we decided to buy tickets to the March 19th game against the Chicago Bulls. Just a few months later we found out how lucky we were, for this was the day that Michael Jordan returned to basketball. I honestly don't remember a lot from this game, but here's what I do remember:

-In the elevator on the way to the game a man who found out we were attending the game offered my father $1000 for the tickets with no knowledge of where the seats were. My dad politely refused. His story to this day is that he valued my happiness over the money.

-My father and I spent a large portion of the pre game discussing what Jordan's uni number would be, we found out at the time of introductions that it was 45.

-The Pacers won, which I used to "pad" my argument that Reggie Miller was a better player.

I saw the majority of what I remember from Jordan's career from the perspective of a Pacers' fan. Yet my view was always different than other fans because I had lived on both sides of the fence, as a Jordan lover and as a Jordan hater.

When the Bulls went 72-10 during the 1995-95 season, I always reminded the Bulls fans near me that the Pacers were the only team to beat them twice.

My strongest memory involving Michael Jordan is the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals. This was the year that the Pacers pushed the Bulls to seven games and at points, held the lead over them. I will always remember that seventh game. It was one of the best games I've ever watched. This isn't due to the fact that it was pretty to watch, in fact, quite the contrary. It was wonderful to watch because it was such a battle. I cannot think of many other games I have watched that were as emotional as that game 7.

So in the end, thank you Michael Jordan. Thank you for being a boy's hero and villain. And to all who claim that he's full of himself or that he only focuses on himself, that's what most who want to succeed on a high level have to do. Jordan has been/was always a competitor who only wanted one thing...to win. As a sports fan could you want anything more from a player? Not I good sirs, not I.

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So after all the build up it's finally here.

I of course am writing about the the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy auction. Since this blog is American and based in the hockey void known as Indianapolis I thought I'd post a few articles to catch you up to speed on the situation.

The hearing will stretch from tomorrow into Friday and by 7pm on the 11th we will know who are the owners of the Coyotes. We'll keep you posted as we find out more about this, meanwhile I suggest using the return of the NFL season to distract you in this difficult time.

An explanation of what will occur during the auction.

Puck Daddy post on recent developments involving the bids for the team.

Another Puck Daddy post reflecting on the plight of Coyotes fans (Yes, they exist).

An article detailing Research-in-Motion CEO Jim Balsillie's bid.

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I should be back later today with a larger post, but just some news I wanted to pass along to everyone.

-Our friends at Piradical Productions have opened up a sports board on their forums and Nate and I are Admin'ing it up. If you're interested in discussing sports with us on there we'd love to hear from you, especially if you're a web forum junkie like me and love carrying on discussing.

Also if you enjoy Cooking, Movies, Punk Rock and/or Lolcats, then you'll enjoy all of the other sections on the forum as well.

-We're still looking for people to play in our fantasy hockey league. If you're interested just send your email to us via the comments, Twitter or email.

-While I'm on the topic of hockey, if anyone is planning on buying NHL 10 for the PS3 on September 15th and is looking for an EASHL team to join, let me know.

-Finally, because we've heard some people asking about it, we do have a web store if you'd like to purchase a shirt with our logo on it. I'm not sure why you would, but I guess if you like wearing shirts with the logo of obscure sports blogs, then you'll love it.

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The deadline for NFL coaches to announce their final cut list was yesterday, and I've now had time to peruse the list of each team's cuts. Most were routine cuts - players that were on the bubble and knew it, and just couldn't quite make it. However, there were some pretty big shockers, which is what I'm going to go over today.

Zach Thomas and Bernard Pollard - Kansas City Chiefs

Thomas' presence shouldn't actually be shocking. He's an old guy who's clearly lost a step at his point, and his production has dropped off a cliff in the last few years. It's entirely plausible that younger LBs would be better than him. However, there's always that part of me that remembers Thomas as one of the league's scariest linebackers. Seeing his name on a cut list feels a little surreal.

Pollard was more of a surprise to me. I'm not even going to touch the obvious Tom Brady jokes, but Pollard was actually a pretty good safety. I'm surprised the Chiefs couldn't get any kind of draft picks from him, and I'm surprised they felt he wasn't good enough to play.

Corey Ivy - Cleveland Browns

I'm not so sure a team as thin at CB as the Browns should be cutting a solid contributor like Ivy. At the very least, he could play the nickel/dime role pretty well.

Dominic Rhodes - Buffalo Bills

Rhodes was brought in to come off the bench and spell Marshawn Lynch - a role he's handled well throughout his career. Fred Jackson elminates that need a little bit, but I would think the Bills would want to have Rhodes as an option as well. What was a strong backfield now looks mediocre with the absence of Rhodes.

Isaac Redman - Pittsburgh Steelers

Redman was an undrafted free agent who emerged as a big-time goal line presence in preseason. His cut isn't overwhelmingly shocking, as Frank Summers was drafted as a goal line back as well and can also play FB and TE, as well as looking impressive on special teams. However, Redman was much more productive at being a goal line back than Summers was this preseason.

He's eligible for the practice squad, and I can't imagine the Steelers not at least putting him there.

Brian Brohm - Green Bay Packers

It's not that he played well enough to make the roster, but how often does a team really cut its second-round pick? Brohm has a chance at being a productive player in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers has proven more than capable as a starter, but I think Brohm would make a better backup than Matt Flynn.

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If you pay any attention to college football or watch ESPN or follow sports and do not live in a dark void where sports information can never reach your sad existence, you know about the events that occurred last night after Boise State's 19-8 shellacking of Oregon.

Well just in case you do happen to inhabit that void (seriously, ESPN shows the clip every 15 minutes!) here's the video:

Let's just recap a few things really fast.

1. It was sportsmanship night and both teams shook hands before the game. (Dear god, I'm choking on the irony.)

2. Blount has been the team's spokesman. He's been the one saying they were going to get revenge for last season's defeat in Eugene.

3. That punch was perfect. He didn't even rear back and he TKO'd Byron Hout. That's some serious punching power. Hopefully he'll go pro and move on to baby punching.

4. Byron Hout's instigative words led to his own demise.

I'd like to focus on that last one for a second. Everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that Byron Hout was the one who started all of this. Sure it wasn't the physical violence, but his words were still violent in and of themselves.

Does it make any sense to talk shit to a guy whose team has just been blown out and is still pissed about when your team beat him last season as well? No.

Does it make sense to respond by hitting said dude in the face? No.

It's obvious no one was thinking here. There will be suspensions, but it should be for both parties, not just for Blount. Sadly, it results in a season long suspension for Blount and Hout will look like the innocent victim after acting like a complete jackass.

My final thought: How fucking satisfing was it to watch Blount just that smirk off of Hout's fucking face? I seriously saw that replay about 20 times this morning and every time I saw it I smiled. You're lying to yourself if you didn't feel just a little bit better watching that smile disappear as he fell to the ground. I mean, how many times have you wanted to do the exact same thing to someone who did that to you? I'm not saying one should punch the person, but I'm really enjoying living vicariously through him. Finally in response your question Jules, yes, yes Hout did look like a bitch. He also acted like one too, along with being punched and falling to the ground like one.*

A special note to Blount: Since you're done playing football this season, you're more than welcome to come help us out on this blog and educate the people on the finer points of jackass punching.

*- Bitch is being used to describe a complete jackass who is a whiny asshole. One can also just simply look like a bitch (See: J.J. Redick) It is not to be conveyed as a derogatory term towards women.

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Click here to download this week's episode.

Peter goes it alone this episode and gives a preview of the upcoming NFL season, along with the situation surrounding the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy auction.

As always, feedback is appreciated.

And for those of you who would like to subscribe, the RSS feed is here.

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