Image of the Week

shutoutsports.com

This week's image depicts Alex Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks viciously biting the finger of the Boston Bruins' Patrice Bergeron in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The incident occurred during a scrum in front of the net, a very common occurrence in this series.

Bergeron later showed his finger to the referees, who seemed to have no idea how to react. Burrows was not immediately penalized for his despicable act, leading many to believe that he would be disciplined by the league. Surprisingly, the NHL's Head of Discipline, Colin Campbell, took no action against Burrows.

Instead, the biting belligerent was allowed to play in Game 2, and his impact was felt. Burrows opened the scoring midway through the game with a one-timer that caught Boston goalie Tim Thomas off guard. He later contributed to the Canucks' goal near the end of regulation that tied the game and sent the match into overtime. And finally, eleven seconds into the extra period, the controversial forward stepped around Zdeno Chara and embarassed Thomas once more with a wraparound goal that gave Vancouver the victory.

This series has been noted for its increased physicality, a trend that will likely continue with the bad blood drawn, with much malice, in the opening game. Vancouver holds a two game lead in the Finals, but Boston is far from eliminated. Keep an eye on, and your fingers away from, Burrows as the series continues and as always, marvel in the prognostic powers of the guru.

Image of the Week

bleacherreport.com

This week's image depicts an unchallenged Manny Pacquiao strutting away from an overpowered Shane Mosely in the pair's welterweight title bout on May 7th. Billed as the fight of the year, the match left most fans bitterly disappointed as Pacquiao easily defended his WBO welterweight title.

It has become clear that Pacquiao is completely unrivaled in the boxing world. He has yet to be challenged by any of his recent competitors, who are considered to be the top contenders. Those who have gone toe-to-toe in an attempt to defeat Pacquiao has been pulverized. Those who seem content to survive the fight and extend their careers without making an attempt at victory, such as Mosely, have left boxing fans yearning for a real challenger.

It is no secret that boxing is rapidly falling out of favor as a prime time sport. Promoters have long been awaiting a savior, an athlete talented enough to recapture the attention of the masses. This messiah has taken shape in the form of Pacquiao, however his unequaled talent may be the worst thing for the sport.

Pacquiao is so head and shoulders above the competition that his fights are boring. Pitted against the best in the world at a wide range of weight classes, the Filipino appears to be a man fighting scared children. His opponents have abandoned conventional fighting styles; they simply try to survive the fight and receive their paycheck.

Each time Pacquiao steps into the ring, his bouts are touted as must-watch TV, leaving fans disappointed as it quickly turns to hugfest. Unfortunately, we may never be able to see how great this generation's premiere fighter truly is because he may never be forced to reach his true potential.

While Pacquiao dominates the lighter weight classes, the heavyweight division is also lacking in glamour. The sport's premiere division has not seen a true legend in quite some time. Cog, who has written for this blog before, believes this is due to boxing's dwindling fan appreciation.

His theory is that the elite athletes who used to turn to boxing are now enjoying alternatives, such as professional football. Imagine if linebackers such as Ray Lewis or James Harrison laced up the gloves instead of the cleats. It seems as though boxing's talent pool is being sucked away by more glamorous sports that not only pay better, but are also safer. It appears as though this phenomenon is a cycle that will continue to take the cream of the crop away from the ring, leaving us with a watered-down generation of boxing.

Stanley Cup Playoffs 2011

As a general rule, I avoid picking the President Trophy winners as the Stanley Cup champions, but it's hard to find a weakness on this Vancouver squad...My decision to select Phoenix over Detroit may surprise many, but in 2010 the Coyotes took the Wings to Game 7 without Shane Doan. The Desert Dogs are no pushover...I had a tough time eliminating Nashville in the first round, but Anaheim finished the season as the hottest team in hockey. Pekka Rinne has the talent to carry the Predators a long way...Do I think Washington will lose because they have a history of poor playoff performance? No, but a close examination of the statistics shows that the Rangers have a better goal differential than the Capitals. New York is better than their seed indicates and you have to like Henrik Lundqvuist over the Neuvirth/Varlamov duo...We have seen Russian rookie goaltenders shine in the playoffs before (Varlamov in 2010), but reigning Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller is as good as they come. If Buffalo can stay healthy, their defense is more than capable of shutting down the Flyers' attack...Boston has two solid goalies, which is usually a recipe for disaster. But there is a clear-cut starter and veteran leadership throughout the roster. This team has the depth to do some serious damage...Best of luck to all contestants in the 2011 Fantasy Guru 37 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Pool.

Image of the Week

pittsburghpenguins.com

Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby returned to the ice today for the first time since sustaining a major concussion in early January. Crosby skated for about fifteen minutes, participating mainly in light skating drills. The appearance has Penguins' fans rejoicing, but they should temper their expectations.

Crosby was able to exercise only because he had gone a few days without any concussion symptoms, meaning that over the course of the last two months he has been plagued with headaches. While Crosby said afterwards that he felt good during the skating session, another one of his comments should concern Penguins' fans.

The captain was quoted as saying, “Typical every day things have gotten a lot better.” While this indicates improvement, it also sends shivers down the guru's spine. Crosby indirectly admitted that he has struggled with common tasks, a symptom that infers his brain has taken heavy damage. Unconfirmed reports stated that Crosby was unable to drive a full month after sustaining the concussion.

Recently, the guru wrote a research paper examining sports concussions. While he is by no means an expert on the subject, he received great insight on the matter. The fact that Crosby struggled with such simple tasks is a cause for concern.

Hockey is an incredibly fast-moving sport that requires players to make decisions instantaneously. Crosby excelled at making correct reads faster than everyone else on the ice, which translated into his tremendous success. After sustaining such significant brain damage, it is not unfair to assume that his decision-making process will slow down, taking away his greatest strength.

Without the ability to think faster than everyone around him, Crosby will return to the pack in terms of talent. After a season in which he dominated the NHL, it is a tragedy that we may never see Crosby play at his full potential ever again. Everyone here at the Fantasy Guru 37 Studio wishes Sidney Crosby a safe recovery back to his previous form, however we are all skeptical that he will ever produce near the pace he did this season.