Bob Smizik Hates You Because Someone Else Booed Jaromir Jagr

(tiniest. picture. ever.)

Shame on Bob Smizik.

As seen in today's MPotD links, The Pensblog called out Bob Smizik for, well, calling out all Pittsburgh fans. Unfairly, I might add.

Just listen to this logic:


In Pittsburgh, they regularly and vociferously boo the second-greatest hockey player to perform for the beloved home team.

In Pittsburgh, they boo the kid third baseman who had put up Roberto Clemente-type numbers until he was mysteriously traded.

...

And now these people are rubbing their hands in glee with anticipation of Feb. 8, when they can show the world the depth of the Pittsburgh knucklehead population. That's when the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings make their only appearance at Mellon Arena in the 2008-09 regular season. The knuckleheads aren't excited about a chance for the Penguins to get some measure of revenge for their loss in the Cup final. No, what they can't wait for is the chance to rain down boos on Marian Hossa.


The dreaded "They" and "These people." Really? Let's look at this rationally. Many Pittsburgh fans boo Jaromir Jagr. I am a Pittsburgh fan. By Smizik's math, I boo Jaromir Jagr, am wetting my pants about the possibility of booing Marina Hossa and I'm a knucklehead for my antics.

Filler newspaper articles like these absolutely kill me. The blogosphere catches way too much flak for irrelevant stories, made up rumors and downright mean pieces. We (yes, I'll speak for more than just myself) get yelled at by the Bissingers, put down by mainstream media outlets and are generally kicked around by anyone with a beef. What mystifies me is how mainstream media outlets allow articles to be published with little to no research. Why didn't Smizik go out on the street and grab a couple Penguins fans to see if his assumptions were true? Is he above that? Does he have that much of a thumb on the Pittsburgh landscape that his assertions more or less sum up the local experience?

Look, I don't boo Jaromir Jagr. The man is a legend in my eyes and I'll always respect what he did in Pittsburgh. Hell, I even admitted my hatred for Jagr-booers (?) back in April. But alas, my wrists have been sufficiently slapped by the investigatory journalism of Bob Smizik.

So let's flip the script. Time to use the Smizik Method for Successful Journalism:

"In Pittsburgh, all newspaper writers are bitchy and complain as if they have gas."

"In Pittsburgh, they (all writers) refuse to research, or at the very least, interview a fan."

"In Pittsburgh, all writers pass off gravy articles thinking this is still the 80s where the only cognitive response would be in an unpublished letter to the editor."

I'm sure no other writer in the city would take offense to being grouped together with this clown. Either evolve or disappear, Bob.

New Steelers Owner Trades Hines Ward

Um, so I guess the Steelers were sold overnight, and new owner Stanley Druckenmiller has made a blockbuster deal to trade Hines Ward to the NBA's Orlando Magic for Rashard Lewis. Tradition is gone in Pittsburgh, and the new owner is taking the Tampa Bay Lightning-do-anything-approach to the front office.

I've seen Hines play basketball, about 5 or 6 years ago at a Steelers vs. Faculty charity basketball game at my old high school. Even with no knees, he can hold his own. I'm more concerned with how Lewis' skills will complement the Steelers' WR corps. He is 6-10, so coupled with draft pick Limas Sweed, Lewis should create a pretty tall group of targets for bitchy-ass Big Ben.

In all seriousness, the screengrab is from a Google search for Hines Ward. FSMG, the group responsible for the flub, also has designed websites for Dwayne Bowe, Reggie Nelson, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Ray Lewis, Lito Sheppard and a few other players. Google searches for the other athletes are normal. Is FSMG trying to tell us something?

Next, Sidney Crosby's website will feature Jagr's name, Big Ben will share sites with Tiger Woods and the entire Pirates website will just be a gigantic picture of Sid Bream sticking up a huge middle finger.

I think this is all somehow the fault of bloggers.

The Penguins and Free Agency Updates

How are the Pens doing in the early hours of free agency?

Pascal Dupuis. 3 years, $1.4 mil a season.

Mark Eaton. 2 years, $1 mil a season. Might end Orpik's tenure with the Pens.

Evgeni Malkin. Still not 100% finalized, but seems to be 5 years, $8.7 mil a season.

Reports say Ruutu's been offered a contract, and the Pens are possibly after Jaromir Jagr.

This will be updated in case anything cool happens or more players sign.

UPDATE:

Ty Conklin is now a Red Wing. If you can't [play against 'em in the finals], join 'em? 1 year, $750,000.

UPDATE 2: Tampa Bay signed Adam Hall for 3 years, $600k a year. They're murdering our UFAs.

UPDATE 3: Penguins sign RW Eric Godard for 3 years and an undisclosed amount. He played in no more than 21 games for the Flames in each of the last two seasons, so I'm guessing this isn't a massive contract.

Eat It

The game winner.

If that game didn't take years off your life then you are a cyborg.

Sid Wins the Hart!

Sidney Crosby, the captain of your Pittsburgh Penguins, was named the winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy, as the league MVP! He joins Wayne Gretzky as the youngest recipient of the prestigious award.

After winning the Pearson earlier in the night, the road to the Hart looked much easier for The Kid. Crosby prevailed over New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur and Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo.

Crosby then asked Mario Lemieux if there was any trophy space left in his house. Lemieux said, “Barely.” (I made that last part up).

PSaMP congratulates Sid on an impressive night. He was able to displace Jaromir Jagr in Pittsburgh fans’ minds. Jagr was the last Penguins recipient of the Hart and Pearson.

Sid is the youngest winner of the Hart (League MVP), Pearson (NHLPA MVP) and Ross Trophy (Scoring Title).

Congrats, Sid!

Sid Wins Pearson!

The NHL named your Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby, as the youngest recipient of the Lester B. Pearson Award. The award is given to the most valuable player as judged by the NHL's players association.

The last Penguin to receive the Pearson was Jaromir Jagr's mullet, which won in 2000. Jagr's mullet is also the last Penguin player to win the Hart, which Sid is up for as well.

Sid staved off Vinny Lecavalier and Roberto Luongo, the other Pearson finalists. Sid still needs to beat Luongo, as well as goalie Marty Brodeur, if he wants to win the Hart.

PSaMP will be here to let you know how the Hart shakes out.

Penguins Name New Captain

What does Sidney Crosby have in common with Ab McDonald, Ron Schock, Jean Pronovost, Orest Kindrachuk, Randy Carlyle, Mike Bullard, Terry Ruskowski, Dan Frawley, Lemieux, Ron Francis and Jaromir Jagr? The Penguins captaincy.

Crosby is officially the youngest NHLer to ever inherit the C, besting Vincent Lecavalier by a month. He's the first Pens captain since Mario Lemieux retired during the '05-'06 season.

This card is from 1993, after the Pens won back to back Cups. I remember what I was doing in 1993. Feels a little weird.

Congats, Sid. Now get that Hart!