SB Nation User Blog: clark4calder

Impromptu PPPub Night - Saturday Nov 15? I find myself with a free evening this Saturday. I was...

clark4calder — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:24:56 -0000

Impromptu PPPub Night - Saturday Nov 15?

I find myself with a free evening this Saturday. I was thinking of retiring to a downtown TO (or somewhere subway-accessible) pub to watch the Leafs take on Fat Welly and the Vancouver Canucks.

Anyone up for it? Nothing crazy, just some beers and the Leafs. And possibly nachos.

Location TBD, based on attendee list.

The legend continues...this time with shaved head! He was awesome in American History X.

clark4calder — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:09:45 -0000

The legend continues...this time with shaved head! He was awesome in American History X.

The legend of Ian White's stache began on this day, November 2, 2008

clark4calder — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:56:34 -0000

The legend of Ian White's stache began on this day, November 2, 2008

Mats staying put

clark4calder — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:20:58 -0000

According to Mr. Berger, Mats Sundin has declined to waive his no-trade clause and will be remaining with the Leafs. Let the inanity begin...

According to a Berger report on Eklund's site (yes, I was there, and yes, I feel a little dirty), Mats is staying put. Reading some of the comments on that site, there is a fairly even split of people applauding him for his loyalty and people excoriating him for being selfish.

I will throw my hat into the ring and congratulate Mats for doing what was right for him. Anyone choosing to question his competitiveness or will to win is just plain wrong. Watch him play just once and you'll see a fierce competitor. When some of his teammates are coasting, he's backchecking and driving the net and hitting. He's done everything asked of him for this franchise, and with a few exceptions, has not had much help on the ice.

It is not, as some will say, his job as captain to sacrifice himself for the future. He didn't offer the restrictive contracts to Tucker, Blake and Kubina. He didn't trade Tuukka Rask for Andrew Raycroft. And now that Ferguson is gone, his mistakes are not Mats' to fix.

Sundin may have fetched a nice package of prospects and picks, none of which would have guaranteed any future success for the Leafs. But now we get something else - something perhaps far more valuable. For the first time in nearly 40 years, we get to see a truly great Leaf captain retire as a Leaf captain. Gilmour and Clark came back, but it wasn't the same, having watch them wear other jerseys (Gilmour as a Hab? Clark as a Red Wing? Ugh). Whether Mats retires after this season, or decides to play one or two more years, he will retire as the Captain of the Maple Leafs. If we can't have a Cup, then I'll take seeing Mats take his bows in blue and white.

Berger, Cox (hey Damien - I forget...when was the last time the Leafs won the Cup? Prey, please tell me...) and their ilk can call me a sheep and ridicule my unconditional reverence. But damn it, this team is in my blood, Mats is our captain and after decades of seeing captains leave unceremoniously, we'll get to celebrate his great career properly.

Long time reader, first time...diarist?

clark4calder — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 03:04:19 -0000

I have a theory that I'd like to share. It's controversial, earth-shattering and I guarantee you that the mittenstringers won't talk about it. Read the new guy...

I'm new here. I've been reading PPP for a couple of months now, and finally had to speak out.

My thanks to PPP for providing a forum for those of us who have previously not had a voice. I've been enjoying blogs like this, Coxbloc and Bitterleaf immensely. I visit daily and find myself disappointed when the main contributors don't write daily. I want more, people!

So check this out. I'm watching LeafsTV tonight. And who should appear on my screen, next to the enchanting Andi Petrillo? None other than Rob Cimetta. 6-goal-scoring, German league-playing, Gord Stellick-looking Robbie motherf-ing Cimetta. Where did they find him??

This got my brain working (it takes a lot). I have a theory. I'll call it :"the theory of diminishing commentators".

LeafsTV (according to the very reliable source that is my memory) have employed 4 ex-Leafs as studio commentators: Rick Vaive, Mark Osborne, Bob McGill and now Robbie C. Each of their Leaf careers is shorter than their predecessor's (and yes, I know that Osborne and McGill still do work for LTV - I'm just making the call that this is the order in which they started working for the mouthpiece - feel free to call me on this).

The stats:

Rick "Squid" Vaive - 534 Leaf GP
Mark "Ozzie" Osborne - 426 GP
Bob "Big Daddy": McGill - 317 GP
Rob "Big Ragu" Cimetta - 49 GP

The numbers speak for themselves. There's something going on here. A definite, undeniable trend. I'm no math genius, but I think this means that the next commentator will be...wait for it...Rod Willard. He played 1 game for the Leafs in 82-83 (an aside: maybe I'm retroactively remembering this, but I think I remember the game - it was against Philly and he had no name on the back of his jersey because the Leafs used to think so little of their callups that they wouldn't even make Gunner Kinnear put his smoke down to sew a few letters on...but, I regress).

I think this should start the fireworks a-flyin'. Deal with it.

Glad to be here!

C4C

P.S. - The Capitals are quite a boardy team, aren't they??