The Fan In Van Podcast & Blog - Matt Lee

I love October. October to me, is the best month for all sports. There’s that exciting aura that buzzes around in the media world with the Major League Baseball playoffs and NHL season kicking off, the CFL and NFL seasons are starting to hit the middle of the year and it isn’t long before the NBA training camps open. October 3rd marks the beginning of two sporting pastimes which embody us as sports fans.

The MLB postseason FINALLY got under way today. I’m going to say it right now, my two picks to make some noise are the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs. Yes, a bit off the board, but you’ve just got to be rooting for these two teams as both a Canadian and baseball fan. The Rockies have outstanding B.C.-born product Jeff Francis in tow and the Cubs… well, I think almost everyone who is not a Yankees/Red Sox fan would love to see the Cubs win their first World Series title in almost a century. A CENTURY.

In case you want to see some classic Chicago Cubs postseason gaffes, I’ve provided one that I remember quite vividly which happened not too long ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqvFG5N-Gt0

… …

Oh, the humanity!!!

Back to some hockey though. The NHL season finally kicked off today after so much anticipation. It feels like my soul is being pieced back together, slowly but surely. I’m counting down the hours until the Canucks game gets under way on Friday night. Why we’re subjected to wait three more days after every other NHL team has played a game is beyond me.

Andrew Raycroft got the start over Vesa Toskala. Somehow, I can’t say I’m surprised. I’m a fan of Paul Maurice since he led the Hurricanes to the Cup final in 2002, and I was pleasantly pleased when he stuck to his guns and said the best goalie out of pre-season would start. As of now I’d say Toskala was the one biting the bullets and Raycroft deserved to at least start the first game of the season. But that’s enough Leafs talk, I hate Leafs talk. Let’s get onto the things that matter.

Roberto Luongo sat down with TSN’s James Duthie to talk season preview and follow up the infamous Jamie McLennan “Backup” skit they shot a couple years ago. If you don’t remember it, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ7eDUYABDQ .

Luongo revealed to Duthie that his wife Gina is indeed pregnant (Congratulations!). Before I divulge the link to the video, here are a couple of anecdotes I thought about when I heard the news:

1. It looks like the first Canuck to score this fall was Roberto Luongo. (zing!)

2. Guess one snuck through the five-hole (double-zing!)

3.  As we speak, Jeff Brown is working on an alibi.

4. Luongo has the highest scoring percentage on the Canucks.

And now…the link to the Luongo interview with TSN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mzxhNwVr68

Go Canucks Go!

Hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.

The Nashville Predators and Craig Leipold foolishly tried to keep the Predators in Nashville, and it looks like the deal is going to fall through and the Predators will once again be without an owner. At least an owner who wants to own the team.

But when Jim Balsillie came out with his offer and tentatively purchased the floundering Tennessee franchise, I said to myself, “Hey, this could be good for NHL hockey. There’ll be no more generated revenue plundered from successful Canadian franchises and given to the American markets who don’t deserve a team in the first place.”

Sure enough, when Leipold told the NHL Governors to void the deal and give it to a bunch of Nashville businessmen who were oh so intent on keeping this team in a city where no one gives a hootenanny about hockey, I was outraged. I couldn’t believe that Gary Bettman and co. decided to backdoor Balsillie on his offer and attempt to keep hockey in Nashville. And surely enough, karma has struck those who conspired the aforementioned RIM billionaire Balsillie.

I’m fairly certain that Bettman will finally be open to Plan B, which will most certainly involve Balsillie. He seems to be the only one who’s got a hard-on for acquiring a hockey franchise, any franchise (You’ll remember his attempt to buy the Penguins a few months back). Perhaps Balsillie won’t move the team to Canada like Bettman seems to be so opposed to, but here are some potential American markets who may get some success in the NHL market.

Kansas City: This seems to be the city who wants it the most. They’ve already announced plans for a fully functional NHL-sized hockey arena with lots of capacity. They’ve experienced success with an NHL franchise before, it could work again. And in a city where the Chiefs and Royals are poor sports teams, KC may be a very viable option.

Seattle: Vancouver fans are salivating at this idea. Outside of their rivalries with Edmonton and Calgary, a Seattle franchise would be a rivalry Vancouver Canuck fans would really love to see. The fact that the two cities are close seems to make sense, but the NHL franchises in the East would really have to travel to the far Pacific twice. This seems less likely.

Las Vegas: I’m still not sold on this idea. Vegas is special, but this is the city of sin — who knows how much attention hockey in Vegas would garner. I fear it’d be considered a sideshow as opposed to a sport, displayed like an attraction and not an event. But the fact there are no sports teams in Vegas would give all the attention in sports to a hockey franchise.

Alaska: Russell Crowe and the rest of the Mystery, Alaska crew would love this. I kid, I kid.

Kansas City seems to be the best option, but like most Canadian fans I’d love to see a rebirth of a market in the red and white land. Winnipeg, Quebec City, Hamilton all seem like cities frothing at the mouth for a franchise, but I highly doubt that this will happen as long as Gary Bettman remains the ugly face of hockey.

There are options out there, Gary… don’t pick the wrong one, for the sake of the game which you apparently love.