Big Blue Huddle

Quote from: londonblue on May 27, 2024, 05:59:53 PMI agree on the give me wins sentiment Philosophers but I have to take issue on lucky v strong wins. I never played pro sports but I was a small cog in a talented team that won a national schools rugby title (my school's only one ever) here in UK. The team included 5 schoolboy internationals and two became adult internationals (1 England, 1 Ireland).

We squeaked a 15-12 win with a dismal performance in the round of 32 against a team we had beaten by 40 points earlier in the season. I stunk. Most of us did.

We were so down when we came off the field but our coach (a former England international) told us see it for the gift it was and to make the most of it by going on to win it all. We were 100% focused every game from them remembering our good fortune and won 4 consecutive games, the last 2 as the clear underdog, to win it all.

Sometimes the lucky wins create a platform for future stronger wins. We will see this season if the feeling and experience some of our younger guys got from those late season wins help them grow and compete better this year. I know it can happen. Not a given but no win is ever a waste in my opinion.

You make a great point.  I do think those moments are rare though.  I like to say that wins against top opponents are huge and wins against subpar teams are expected.  Same with individual play/stats.

Look at Michigan this year.  They beat up some bad teams early and folks questioned how good they were.  It was a legitimate question.  It was not until they beat Ohio St. Alabama, Washington and others and players had huge performances in those top games that they won the respect of people.

Brian Burns.

The D is the better unit of the two, and he is its best player.

Mine is Jalin Hyatt.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863

Thanks for sharing, Rich. I've been away and have been frustrated from lack of Giants' leaders and media reports, so I love to see it

Quote from: Trench on May 27, 2024, 03:54:01 PMI watch so many other QBs in drills and practice who look one way and throw the other way. Rodgers literally discussed the importance in hard knocks and he practiced throwing without ever looking at his WR.

I just don't get it.

I get you, and you would think Daboll or a beat reporter would have asked DJ why he rarely does it?

It would more than likely improve his game, and take it to another level.

I heard a good comp for Tracy Jr the other day, and it was Cordarelle Patterson. A RB2 that can give you 600 yards rushing, 200 yards receiving, and handle kickoff duties.

Quote from: kartanoman on May 27, 2024, 05:21:09 PMYou, along with many here, have bore witness to life and experience, not merely on a national scale but an entire global, where your message rings even louder and more powerful.

To state that humans have never learned is to dismiss those who have given their hearts, their efforts and, sometimes, their lives, in the name of peace. I understand your global statement, and the frustration behind it, but we should never quelch the indomitable spirit of those who tried, even at the expense of their own lives, to further the cause for peace.

For I have known many who are honored on this day who gave of themselves not to answer the call of a draft card, but to answer the burning passion within them to make a difference in this world. For it this day we mourn their loss, but rejoice their cause, and their legacy will live on because they made a difference.

Peace!

Quote from: kartanoman on May 27, 2024, 05:21:09 PMYou, along with many here, have bore witness to life and experience, not merely on a national scale but an entire global, where your message rings even louder and more powerful.

To state that humans have never learned is to dismiss those who have given their hearts, their efforts and, sometimes, their lives, in the name of peace. I understand your global statement, and the frustration behind it, but we should never quelch the indomitable spirit of those who tried, even at the expense of their own lives, to further the cause for peace.

For I have known many who are honored on this day who gave of themselves not to answer the call of a draft card, but to answer the burning passion within them to make a difference in this world. For it this day we mourn their loss, but rejoice their cause, and their legacy will live on because they made a difference.

Peace!

Agreed.  All respect for the heroes we honor today. 

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on May 27, 2024, 05:08:46 PMIt was unreal. Not just the play itself but the deftness and explosiveness of his rush up the ice on the left wing that preceded the play.

This guy was very good in the second half of the season and has been awesome in the playoffs. I'm starting to feel like the Rangers are short-changing themselves by not having him on the PP1 unit.

What a time to come of age! But the aftermath of a game that the rest of the hockey world remains in disbelief that the Cats have absolutely dominated the series but are trailing two games to one in, you take a step back and you realize the stage is set for Lafreniere to come out and live up to his overall #1 draft choice.

The Cats have strategically taken Breadman, Z-man and Kreider out of this series with their defensive focus. Now, Goodrow is getting the looks and capitalizing; his Cup experience rising to the forefront at the most opportune times. Wennberg has quietly done excellent work across all his responsibilities and was finally rewarded with a timely game winner. Trocheck remains the most valuable player on the ice, not named Igor, for everything that he does. All of that teamwork is opening the gates for Laffy to step up and be the scoring machine, which he has taken by the bull horns.

But we need to get real for a moment, folks. We have a serious problem with Miller's timid play to include his inability to clear pucks or engage physically on the boards. Two goals yesterday fall on his back for playing small. I'm beginning to think it might be time to bring Jones back because Miller is completely out of this series, mentally and physically.

A lot of newspaper comment sections were ripping Trouba apart but how can you when he was largely defending by himself at times out there? Even in taking those penalties, I can't fully blame him as he was trying to protect the area in front of Igor.

Despite all the hype about Florida "should be" leading the series 3-0 or 2-1, whatever, they didn't score the fifth goal, so all that BS goes out the window.

I watched the NHL Network's post game coverage and the Cats players acknowledged they didn't get it done and the Rangers did. Maurice was elegant in his remarks but left something not at all surprising on the table as his final comment, but the manner with which he said it was interesting. A reporter asked him about the team's emotions after this game and how he might handle the locker room. He reflected momentarily, then thoughtfully articulated the following (NOTE: edited the post to insert Paul Maurice's actual words):

"Sometimes you want to keep the growl," Maurice said. "A lot of times in the playoffs it's about making sure that you keep that energy full, that you cut off your losses, that you let it go. Then there's times you want to keep it and eat it and let it burn for a while and find a different energy source.

"So when you put up whatever we put up tonight and you don't come away with a win, you should be a little growly."

Just a brilliant articulation and it sent chills up my own spine. Long story-short, if you thought Game Three was crazy, Game Four WILL be a kamikaze no-holds barred all-out attack with no prisoners taken. Expect a goon-fest extraordinaire with ambulances standing by.

So, we'll see what happens but I think we can expect Florida to come out guns-a-blazing and physical to the extreme. It will be interesting to see how Laviolette counters this but you'd have to think if they overpress, or are thinking too much about hitting, someone is going to break loose and create a mismatch opportunity to put past Bobrovsky, who all of a sudden has become mortal.

Finally, it was wonderful seeing all the blue in the stands and reading how pi$$ed off the locals were that their building was invaded by Rangers fans who kept screaming "MSG South, baby!" LOL! There's no doubt that Ranger Nation helps our boys on the road and we're only too happy to give it up for them. It has really made for a memorable year which I hope continues on favorably for them, and us.

Peace!