Image of the Week

news.yahoo.com

This week's image depicts Flyers goon Chris Pronger laying a healthy crosscheck on the back of Dustin Byfuglien (pronounced Buf-lin) of the Chicago Blackhawks. The matchup between the 6'6" Pronger and the 257 pound Byfuglien will prove pivotal, as the Chicago big man scored in all four games against San Jose by overpowering the Sharks' small defensemen. Byfuglien will have more difficulty imposing his will on Pronger, who, at age 35, is still considered one of the nastiest players in the game. As you can see, Pronger is not going to let Byfuglien clog the crease and tap in shots from five feet out as he was able to do against the Sharks.

Oddly enough, despite the obvious crosscheck in this week's image, Pronger and the Flyers did not receive a single penalty in Game 1. It is a very strange occurrence in the post-lockout NHL for any team, let alone the Broad Street Bullies, to go an entire game without being penalized. The guru understands that this is the playoffs, in particular the Stanley Cup Finals, but the referees need to regain control of the series before things get totally out of hand.

Tempers started to flare at the end of Game 2 when Pronger "stole" the game puck for the second consecutive night. Pronger's playoff nastiness is nothing new, but this is pretty childish. Playing in his third Stanley Cup Final, one would expect him to be content with his collection of mementos. Regardless, he has grabbed the puck at the conclusion of both games, despite losing both contests. When Ben Eager, who scored the game-winning goal approached in Game 2, approached him, Pronger gracelessly shot a towel at him, earning himself a 10 minute game misconduct penalty.

During his post-game interview, Pronger was asked about the encounter.

From CSN Philly

Where’s the puck, Pronger was asked.

“It’s in the garbage,” Pronger replied. “Where it belongs.”

You shot a towel at Eager when he complained?

“So what,” Pronger replied.

You’re collecting pucks now?

“Why not? What’s wrong? It’s sitting there. What else is gonna happen to it? It’s sitting there. Sure, why not. You got a problem with that?”

Are you gonna sell it on eBay?

“I don’t know. Apparently, it got him upset. So I guess it worked, didn’t it? It’s too bad. I guess little things amuse little minds.”

What a great guy. He is now free to resume his hacking of Byfuglien.

Image of the Week

The guru realizes that some followers are disappointed with the decreased frequency of his posting. He feels the same way. In fact, he has come up with a solution. As a token of apology to his loyal followers, the guru has taken the Image of the Week to the next level. In addition to the still frame image that graces this blog nearly every week (He tries.), a video will be included with today's post. Consider it a Stanley Cup Finals tribute.

Contrary to what you may expect, this image has not been edited or Photoshopped. The fine folks at the Art Institute of Chicago decided to show their support of the Blackhawks by decorating the massive lion statue outside their museum. They fitted the ferocious feline with a brandless hockey helmet, complete with a high impact-resistant plastic visor. The helmet proudly displays the Blackhawks logo, giving visitors a sense of civic pride.

While this may seem creative, it is not the only statue Blackhawks fans have accessorized. The Michael Jordan sculpture (I hope you enjoyed the video.) outside United Center has been given a hockey makeover, showing Jordan's likeness decked out in a pair of Reebok ice skates. Before last season's Conference Finals against Detroit, a Jonathan Toews jersey was worn by a three-story brachiosaurus outside Chicago's Field Museum.

It cannot be debated that this statue decorating is comical, but the practice needs to be limited. It's only a matter of time before this gets out of hand. However, as long as Garth Snow is the general manager on Long Island and the Rangers are willing to throw millions of dollars at players well past their prime, we can rest assured that the Statue of Liberty will remain devoid of hockey jerseys.

The Solution

As North American sports fans, we are now entering the dullest portion of the calendar. As soon as the Stanley Cup Finals end, we will be left with nothing but the MLB to quench our thirst for sports. Of course, Major League Boredom will not bring the level of excitement we have grown accustomed to during the NHL and NFL seasons. We are stuck between the hype of the NFL Draft and the beginning of training camps. June is the slow month in hockey before free agency begins in July. It's getting to the point where I am actually looking forward to the FIFA World Cup.

As a result, the guru will have less to discuss. You may have noticed the frequency of his posting has already begun to decrease. In his never-ending quest to enlighten the members of the fantasy sports community, he has come up with a very creative and original feature. This blog will host a new segment, where the guru fields questions from his followers and offers them advice on nearly any topic. Feel free to email the guru at FANTASYguru37@gmail.com with your question, whether or not it pertains to fantasy sports. He relishes the opportunity for his followers to become more involved and have more of an influence on the discussion. He will opine about scores of topics, ranging from fantasy sports to cars to fashion. (If you would rather have the guru's advice than Sean Avery's.) Feel free to send him an email and see if it makes its way onto the blog. For those of you who don't know, you can comment on any post by clicking on the "# commments" link at the end of every article.

Image of the Week

countdown2lebron.com

As you most certainly know by now, LeBron James, the face of the NBA, will become a free agent on the 1st of July. While scores of players across the league have expiring contracts, none are garnering the same level of interest as LeBron. Across every medium, sports analysts are predicting James' destination. Websites dedicated solely to LeBron's decision have been running since late 2008. Casinos in Las Vegas are getting in on the action as well. This is the major storyline of the NBA, trumping even the Conference Finals.

The guru has become quite annoyed with the obsession, and free agency is still over 40 days away. Instead of joining the crowd, he is forging his own path, one that will ignore the minute details that influence LeBron's decision. (These include the opportunity to choose his head coach and his mother's sex life.) He will resume his boycott of the NBA, until further notice, unless something notable occurs.

On a final note, the guru encourages you to join him in his promise to shun the mess that is the NBA. Take a vow to ignore coverage of LeBron's destination and all other NBA matters, unless of course you are reading about the league on this blog. Together, we can thwart the obsession and ensure that analysts spend the summer discussing prevalent matters, such as the return of Brett Favre.

NBA Playoffs: Conference Semifinals

The guru would like to welcome his friend and colleague BirdofPrey18. He is making his first contribution to the blog, joining the ranks of Mac Attack, D-Money, (Both of whom have qualified for the guru's own expert fantasy league) and, to a lesser extent, RyRy. Considering BirdofPrey18's appreciable sports acumen, it would not come as a shock to see him earn a spot in the prestigious FG37FFEC. Take a moment to read his post on the NBA Playoffs, a topic in which BirdofPrey18 knows considerably more than the guru himself.


On a side note, if you consider yourself qualified (If you have read this blog, you more than likely fulfill this requirement.), feel free to submit an article for the guru's consideration. If he deems the piece suitable, he will post it, under your alias, for all the world to see. If you do not want to write, but rather would like to see a particular topic discussed, let the guru know. He is open to all suggestions. Please send emails to FANTASYguru37@gmail.com.


And without further ado, BirdofPrey18...


While this blog is hardly known for its coverage of the NBA, it is necessary to keep tabs on all the major sports leagues in order to be a good, well-rounded sports fan. (Editor's Note: The guru has discussed basketball in the past, focusing on the much more exciting college version. In fact, he went as far as to sponsor a March Madness Bracket Pool for his loyal readers. His work on the topic can be found here and here.) With the recent, exceptionally exciting series between the elderly Boston Celtics and the LeBron-led (although they may soon be LeBron-less) Cleveland Cavaliers, it would seem a natural time to discuss how the National Basketball Association’s playoffs are shaping up.


It’s no coincidence that critics rag on the NBA for having dominant teams that steamroll through the playoffs, eliminating excitement and drama that is so often seen in the long series of other sports. This year, in the conference semifinal round, three of the four series were not just uncompetitive, but resulted in sweeps by the higher seed. Let’s compare that to the NHL-in hockey’s conference semifinals this year, two series went to seven games, one went to six, and one went to five. But while this dominance by the strongest teams does seem to make NBA series less entertaining, it also nearly ensures that the better team moves on.


This year, an Orlando Magic team that hadn’t gotten nearly the media attention of the other contenders ripped through its first two rounds, looking literally unbeatable. They crushed first the Charlotte Bobcats and then the Atlanta Hawks, consistently winning by big margins and embarrassing both teams. In fact, the Magic officially defeated the Hawks in the most lopsided playoff series ever, winning by an average of just over 30 points per game. Center Dwight Howard is known as one of the best big men in the game and any team with hope of defeating the Magic will also have to worry about Orlando’s perimeter shooters, since the team was first in the NBA this year in three-pointers made during the regular season.


Orlando will meet a seemingly revitalized Celtics team in the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston, which was led to a championship two years ago by the “Big Three” (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen), suddenly has its playoff hopes resting on the youthful talent of point guard Rajon Rondo, a rising star in the NBA with superb vision on the court and an uncanny ability to set up the perfect play. Rondo was unquestionably the key player in the Celts’ upset of Cleveland in the conference semifinals. Also vital to Boston’s championship aspirations is the team defense for which the club has been known in recent years. The Big Three are still playing important roles as scorers and defenders and center Kendrick Perkins will be trusted with the seemingly impossible task of guarding Dwight Howard of the Magic.


In the West, the perennially dominant Los Angeles Lakers are deep into the playoffs yet again after dealing with a pesky Oklahoma City team and then sweeping the Utah Jazz. Star guard Kobe Bryant hasn’t been himself for much of the year, but that hasn’t been too much of a problem for the Lakers with forward/center Pau Gasol being a force in the post as always. After winning the NBA title last year and adding talented, if volatile, forward Ron Artest in the offseason, LA was a popular bet to repeat at the beginning of the season. As favorites in the Conference Finals, the Lakers have a good chance to repeat.


Standing between Los Angeles and a third NBA finals appearance in three years are the somewhat surprising Phoenix Suns, a team which handled the Portland Trailblazers in the first round and then took care of the favored San Antonio Spurs in four games. Phoenix traditionally plays a fast and sometimes reckless style, but this year they proved that they can play a traditional and playoff-friendly style in order to succeed in the postseason. Two-time NBA MVP point guard Steve Nash has been great for the Suns and star forward Amar’e Stoudemire, who stayed in Phoenix despite being involved in countless trade rumors before the trade deadline this year, has also played a key role in getting the Suns this far.


While not all of the teams left at this point were expected to make it this far, the NBA’s “final four” are all extremely talented and deep teams, each with a viable chance to bring home a title this year. All of the fans are surely in for an exciting conclusion to playoffs. Let’s just hope that the LeBron Sweepstakes doesn’t upstage the real contest.

NHL Conference Finals

As expected, nothing went as expected in the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The two remaining teams in the East, Philadelphia and Montreal, were seeded 7th and 8th in their conference, and 15th and 16th in the entire playoffs. Neither squad had clinched a playoff spot until the final game of the regular season...in overtime. On the other side of the bracket, San Jose and Chicago finished the regular season one and two in the West, advancing this far despite the predictions of many that they would choke.

Not only did Montreal upset the President Trophy winners in Washington, they won their second Game 7 of 2010 on the road and disposed of the defending champion Penguins. Riding on the hot streak of Slovakian goaltender Jaroslav Halak, the Canadiens have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals despite a glut of injuries. The Habs showed their desperation by calling up defenseman P.K. Subban, who had played in just two NHL games prior to the start of the playoffs, both, coincidentally, against Philly. He has raised his game to an extraordinarily high level, eating big minutes (29:11 in Game 6 against Pittsburgh) and matching up with none other than Sidney Crosby. Defenseman Hal Gill is playing despite having 50 stitches in his leg. Still, Montreal is missing both Andrei Markov and Paul Mara on the back end.

Yet they continue to win. Mike Cammalleri leads the playoffs with a ridiculous 12 goals in 14 games. In the five games in which Montreal faced elimination, the sniper has cashed in six times. Talk about clutch. Without much secondary scoring, the Canadiens have been forced to sacrifice their bodies on defense, blocking an unprecedented 320 shots thus far. As a comparison, the Bruins blocked the second most shots in the playoffs, 196. Even with all the help, Halak has still needed to stand on his head, something he has been able to do with regularity. (Watch that video to the very end. The guru promises it is worth your time.)

As for the Flyers, they have battled injuries too. After starting goalie Ray Emery went down for the season, backup Brian Boucher missed some time. Relying on third stringer Michael Leighton worked for head coach Peter Laviolette, until Leighton suffered an injury. Boucher returned in time for the playoffs, where he was hurt once again. Leighton was forced into action earlier than expected, backstopping Philly's miraculous series comeback, just the third time in NHL history a team has come back from a 3-0 deficit. The Flyers were missing sniper Jeff Carter as well as defenseman Ian Laperriere, when Simon Gagne returned from injury. He scored four times in the Flyers' four quarterfinals victories, including two game-winners.

Both teams enter the third round after slogging through seven game series. The punishing style of the Broad Street Bullies should give them the edge. After 96 games, the injury-depleted Canadiens will not be at 100%. Another physical round will be too much for them to handle. Despite the support of the entire country of Canada (No Canadian team has drank from Lord Stanley's Cup since Montreal in 1993.), the Habs will fall to Philadelphia, ending their Cinderella story.

Prediction: Flyers overcome le bleu blanc rouge in seven tight games.

The story couldn't be any more different on the Pacific Coast, where the first two games of the Western Conference Finals will be played. San Jose has overcome their playoff woes, advancing to the third round for just the second time in team history. They owe their playoff life to their second line, who stepped up and played like stars in the opening series. The Olympic line rebounded against Detroit; Joe Thornton has nine points in six games after registering just two in the first five games of the Colorado series. Evgeni Nabokov will be making his 83rd start of the season Sunday against Chicago, in addition to the time he spent playing for Russia in the Olympics. His SV% was clicking at .928 prior to the Games, but has dropped to .902 since the Closing Ceremony. Fatigue seems to be taking a toll on his performance.

Jonathan Toews figures to be the hero of this series. He has 13 points in 10 career games against the Sharks in addition the 20 points in 12 playoff games this year. The Blackhawks have serious scoring depth as well. Second liners Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp have caused problems for opposing defenses game in and game out. Look for defenseman Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook to put up big numbers in this series. They will have the duty of matching up against Jumbo Joe, who has registered a -6 +/- rating through 11 games, despite having 11 points. Those of you enjoying playoff fantasy hockey should do everything in your power to have Keith and Seabrook in your starting lineup. Keep an eye on Brian Campbell, who is expected to return this series after missing months of action due to an Alex Ovechkin cheapshot. (More terrible commentary from Ed Olcyzk.)

These two teams look a lot alike on paper, but don't let the stats fool you. San Jose's top defensemen, Dan Boyle (age 33) and Rob Blake (40) aren't exactly spring chickens. They will likely have trouble handling the speed of Blackhawk youngsters Toews and Patrick Kane. That is the matchup that should determine the series. Everything else about these two teams adds up very evenly, from shaky goaltending (Nabokov's .907 playoff SV% stacks up to Antti Niemi's .909) to offensive firepower.

Prediction: Blackhawks win in six games as Nabokov's play deteriorates.

Image of the Week

sports.yahoo.com

This week's image depicts former Oakland Raiders quarterback Jamarcus Russell fumbling away the football, along with his career. Russell, the #1 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, was released from Oakland this past Thursday, ending a disappointing stint with the Raiders. Due to his lack of productivity, some are calling Russell the biggest draft bust of all time. Plagued by weight management problems and a questionable work ethic, Russell was doomed from the start.

After three disastrous seasons, the Raiders acquired Jason Campbell from the Redskins. Bringing in Campbell made Russell expendable, and signaled that his time as a Raider was coming to an end.

In his career, Russell threw 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. In thirty one starts, he threw for just over 4,000 yards, a feat many quarterbacks achieve in just one season. In his three years in Oakland, Russell compiled a QB Rating of 65.2, the lowest of any starter in that span.

It is unclear whether Russell will sign with another team. No club has yet to show interest, leading to speculation that those around the league dislike his attitude. When he was drafted, Russell weighed 255 pounds. Since then, he has ballooned to 300 pounds, quite a hefty total for a quarterback. He has sent plenty of mass down the toilet, along with what was once a promising career.

NHL Playoffs Bracket Pool Update

The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs was full of excitement. Containing both highs and lows, the opening round of the Quest for the Cup was everything hockey fans could of hoped for. The guru hopes all of his followers enjoyed the opening round and is willing to give a sneak peek into the bracket pool.

But first, he would like to congratulate Mac Attack on winning the 2010 NFL Mock Draft Challenge. By successfully predicting the most picks in the NFL Draft, Mac Attack has earned himself a spot in the 2010 Fantasy Guru 37 Fantasy Football Expert Challenge, the guru's own fantasy football expert league. And no, his victory did not come down to the Roger Goodell tie color tiebreaker. Congratulations to Mac Attack on a job well done.

Without further ado, here is an update on bracket pool. The standings below indicate the order after the completion of the first round.

Fergie.....................6

CPD.......................6

Fantasy Guru 37........5

RonStar...................5

Mac Attack...............5

Dobby.....................5

RyRy.......................4

Christian..................4

As you can see, the guru has been outperformed thus far. His bracket is located here, along with his in-depth analysis. Good luck to all contestants in the remaining rounds.