Friday, November 26, 2010

Auldomatic for the People: Atlanta's Southern Rock Preview and Open Thread

Alex Auldomatic for the People gets the start tonight in Hotlanta, just 75 miles from the spiritual home of America's greatest ever garage band, R.E.M.  This thing pretty well writes itself:

What's the Frequency, Kenneth? Live from the aforementioned Hotlanta, 7:30 start.  On the RDS frequency, as always. 

Talk About the Passion:  Is there a passionate Thrashers fan out there?  Is there a passionate Atlanta sports fan anywhere? Maybe at BirdWatchersAnonymous

Oddfellows Local 151: Goalies are an odd fraternity (Exhibit A:  Panger.)  Tonight, former collapsing Russky Ondrei Pavelec faces off against well-rested Alex Auldfellow Local 151 for the Habs.

Superman: Plexxe remains the do-everything, save-everybody man up front.  Atlanta traded their Superman (and apparently a box of kryptonite) to New Jersey last deadline, but has high hopes for youngsters Niclas Bergfors and Evander Kane. 

Shiny Happy People:  Thrashers aren't really that happy being mired in mediocrity, but former Blackhawks Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd have lead them to three straight wins.  Habs continue to roll behind a rejuvenated Gio, Cammy, and the PK Subban show. 

Radio Free Europe:  Lego scores!!!  Lars gets a reward for all his hard work.  AK46 woke up from his mini-slumber.  Thrashers Nik Antropov is a horrible minus 10. 

Everybody Hurts:  Thrashers Freddy Modin is questionable tonight.  Markov obviously still out. 

Finest Worksong: Hey, who doesn't love the job being done by Gill, Gorges, Hamr and Spacek?  And Alex Picard?  Good for you, buddy.

All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna be a Star): Zach Bogosian went third overall in 2008, right after Steven Stamkos and Drew Doughty and ahead of guys like Luke Schenn, Tyler Myers and Erik Karlsson.  The Thrashers desperately need Bogosian to become a superstar like Stamkos and Doughty. 

So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry):  I'll apologize to Scott Gomez for all the bad things I've said recently when he strings some more good games together.  He has looked better lately, but that's not saying much. 

Strange Currencies:  Big ticket capital of the South Atlanta struggles at the gate and can't keep it's own free agents.  Montreal's tax-to-death government didn't prevent Gainey from splashing the cash a couple years back.  Weird?  A little. 

I'll Take the Rain: 40 cm of snow hitting my old hometown as we speak.  I'll take the rain in TO instead, thanks. 

It's the End of the World as We Know It: Almost.

At My Most Beautiful:  GG11 covered yesterday's American Thanksgiving, but don't forget today's overdose of US College football rivalries:  West Virginia vs Pittsburgh, Colorado vs Nebraska, Alabama vs Auburn, and on Saturday, Michigan vs Ohio State, Florida vs Florida State, LSU vs Arkansas, Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State, and the greatest of them all, Notre Dame vs USC.  Oh, for the days Lou Holtz and the Irish would punch those LA bitches right in the fucking mouth.  In honour of this football awesomeness on a sexy Friday, let us give thanks:

39 comments:

soperman said...

OMG!

GYFHG!

Steve said...

Fantastic tribute to REM.

Dont go back to Rockville: Dont play Philly again till playoffs.

Check out the forearm on that player, its like the Man Hands from Seinfield.

Le Douze said...

Well, if it's the end of the world as we know it, I still feel fine.

But Barry O'B apparently doesn't ... 12 stitches from an elbow in the kisser during a "friendly" BBall game. Geez, makes me feel better about playing a safe sport like hockey.

What do you suppose will happen to the chap who couldn't keep his elbow under control while next to POTUS?

moeman said...

Rockin' thread!

Thrash talkin' 29 in the tags is the funny.

dwgs said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
dwgs said...

I hope next week's parody magazine will be "Cut" in honour of our hard working Hebraic players...

GoldenGirl11 said...

@dwgs
In honour of the cut AND Chanukah.

Bill 101 said...

Marvellous post for great band!

I shan't be losing my religion any time soon.

Now off to look for a habs-friendly bar in unfriendly territory.


GYFHG!!

Number31 said...

GYFH! And somehow sneak out of Atlanta with Byfuglien in the plane please. I'm sure Price can hide him in his goalie bag.

Holy crap! McSplooge just ranked the Habs the number 1 team in Canada. Whatever drugs his sister gave him, she should give him more of. Well, I have to agree with him anyway considering how piss poor the rest of El Canada has looked in hockey lately, but it's WEIRD hearing him splooge like that on TSN. Hell, even Geno Reda was shocked.

moeman said...

Go Sabres!

Number31 said...

I see, they don't have a big enough crowd to sing the Ole song so they have to pump it through the stereo.

Orangeman said...

Not that the rest of the team has really helped out, but it's games like this where I realize the worth of Price.

Looks like another SO against....

Orangeman said...

Wow, outshot 23-4 in that period. Pathetic. I don't understand who this team is. There is absolutely no passion or even desire on the ice from this team tonight yet again. I've seen more drive from a herione addict forced to attend a adult learning centre English class at 7am.

Can anyone explain the lack of passion and pride on this team in the last couple of weeks?

dwgs said...

Hoe. Lee. Shit. I'm back to watching the Habs of two or three years ago. WTF is this shit? The give a shit factor is seriously lacking out there. I'll give the third period about 5 minutes to improve before I switch over to CPAC.

iRiRi said...

PLEASE DON'T GET SHUT OUT. THAT'S ALL I ASK.

Oh yeah, and put a little fucking effort into it fer chrissakes. .

iRiRi said...

DarCHe-PleXXE-Chicken?! I've seen it all.

Number31 said...

Pouliot: the Bermuda Triangle of Hockey. Way to waste Pleky's perfect setup...

Orangeman said...

I didn't see this one, but I did see the others. 6 straight ATL PPs? Hmmmm...

The Situation aka 29 said...

YO BIOTCHES

this game blows. thank god im not watching

Orangeman said...

Oh good, now their coming after our star players. Stay classy Atlanta.

iRiRi said...

@SitCH - you just missed PFK's first NHL fight.

The SitCH aka 29 said...

yo, no one fights like we do in Joisey

Orangeman said...

I just realized....maybe this is the real team. Like how Tronna came out with 4 wins at the beginning of the season and Laff Nation was applying for parade permits only for reality to promptly punch them in the scrotum. I think it just took a bit longer for the Habs. I was the first one to scream IT'S JUST ONE GAME after Philly, but it's becoming evident that there is something fundamentally wrong with with this team. If not for Price, where would they be.

Yeah, this Halak lover just wrote that. Deal with it.

iRiRi said...

Does that something fundamentally wrong have to do with the fact the you can always tell after the 1st period whether they're going to get shut out or not?

Orangeman said...

Yes, iRiRi, it does. In fact, I could tell 10 mins in. And the fact that if they're trailing after 2, there is absolutely no effort in the 3rd. I do believe they have the skill, but like last season, there just seems to be a lack of competitiveness or drive or sacrifice, whatever you want to call it.

There is no excuse for the attitude and effort they've shown many times this season, most recenlty the 2nd+3rd in Philly, 3rd against LA and this whole game. There is no excuse for contantly missing point shots by several and no one managing to get puck even though no Habs jersies were near the front of the net.

I can take losing. Hell, I've stuck with them for the late 90s and early 00s but seeing skilled players not give a shit just kills me. You can correct lack of scoring, lack of size, lack of Saku Koivu, but how do you correct lack of heart?

And that, my friends, is my rant.

Kate said...

@Orange,

Nah, there's nothing wrong with them. They just feel some opponents aren't worthy of their best efforts. They'll win tomorrow night. There's no mystery here.

Kate said...

@orange,

Oh, and for the record, I started watching them in Beliveau's last year with the team. If anyone should be pissed with the last 17 years, it should be me.

WV - bileve (I shit you not)

Number31 said...

Still haven't given up more than 3 in regulation. Woo, small victories.

iRiRi said...

Of course they'll win tomorrow. Gotta keep that win one, lose one record intact.

I don't get how they can be so good one night and so horrid the next. Grrr.

Time to call up PatCHes? Or would that be considered hitting the panic button?

Kate said...

@iRi,

Don't panic, they're for real. They know it and so do we. They're just pacing themselves. It's all good.

Orangeman said...

I'll tell you what it's time for. Gomez in the press box, that's what time it is. Maybe he's a great player, but he's not right now and he's actively hurting the team by taking the opportunity of scoring away from someone who might actually have a chance. If I see him try to make a non-sensical pass while having a clear path/shot at the net, I'm going to start supporting that 20ft wall at the Mexican border.

Orangeman said...

*again. Having a clear shot/path to the net *again*. It's happened so many times that I forgot to clarify the redundancy of it.

Mr. natural said...

>No panic, the team knows they can compete with anyone (though the PHucktards might be in their heads).

>Their level of motivation is heightened against the top teams, but not so much the lower you go in the rankings.

>The 82 game regular season means very little, it is overlong and wears players down, it is fine to coast on an intermittent basis.

>We have tremendous speed and can kill when we use it and yes it appears that TFS is for real.

>Chocula has to have several Plan Bs in mind so we adjust between periods when we are being killed, this is not one of our strong points (said in a wry sarcastic tone).

>PHucken Gomez can't put the puck in the ocean....shoot the PHuking thing the net is wide open, Holy PHuck!!!!!!!

>Don't expect Tits to play this way all year, he is a lazy sack of shit BUT when he decides to play he is a force, so let's save him for the playoffs, I don't give a PHlying PHuck if he's shit all regular season.

>Next time we play the PHucktards I want to see Hall Gill lose it and actually fall into a homocidal rage and kill a couple of PHucktards (yes I mean you Richards and Hartnell) before he is brought down, shot with with elephant tranquilizer.

>Taking two Chinese nationals to the Edmonton game (no PHucktards for them) they have no idea what hockey is, will be a blast as they watch me lose my shit.

Die Leafs Die, GYMFHG!!

The Lord is my Shepard I shall not want, except for the PHucktards to all die in a fiery plane crash.

Amen.

Kate said...

@ Mr. Natural,

Well said sir. I concur.

moeman said...

For gillis,

meh.

Number31 said...

Gomez wasn't the only one who missed wide-open nets. Pouliot passed out as Pleky set him up for an easy tap in but no way he keeps his stick on the ice. Gionta fanned/miss. Cammy missed. Eller has no linemates. Only PK can aim. Waka waka waka!

It's ok. They can keep coddling that Tin Foil Cup while singing along with the organ grinder to that fucking Good Bye song. In November. It's 82 games of mostly crap, getting hit, and travel, so long as you don't fall into a prolonged slump, the playoffs are all that matters before the real season starts. Maybe Atlanta will do us all a favor and take out the Phlegmers.

Orangeman said...

After a night's rest I feel more calm. I remember that this Atlanta team recently beat the Wings and the Caps by much larger margins. But I'm serious about Gomez. Enough is enough. He shouldn't see the PP and have limited ice time until he proves he deserves more. We'll see what happens tonight.

Orangeman said...

@natural: I, too, will be watching this game with Chinese folks, albeit at a bar or some such. Are we sure we're not the same person?

Leiff said...

I was at the game, am a big-time Habs fan living in the Atl.. Their are indeed very passionate Thrasher fans! They love their team, know the game and respect the original 6 teams history.. And lately, making short history of the original 6 teams... Last night SUCKED - the Habs looked like they were asleep and could care less about the game.. very disappoining and humiliating, yet again, in Atlanta watching the Habs lose.. I dont remember the last time we won here... Thrashers will make the playoffs behind Ladd and B-Fug.. May even get further this year in the playoffs than our beloved Habs...