Michael R. Beck - Web 2.0's Average Joe

4 wins to go...

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Thu, 28 May 2009 03:03:00 +0000

Chicago goes down in 5 games. Of course I waited until the middle of game 2 of the series to predict the Wings in 5, but hey, that's how it goes. I'm still going to pat myself on the back for that one.

Well, here's the updated 2009 Road to the Cup graphic I've been using as my Twitter background ever since the beginning of the playoffs. Added one more defeat and one more logo to the mix... can't wait to add a Stanley Cup to the graphic and celebrate a win!

So another playoff round won, and other couple of weeks to keep the beard. Aw, who am I kidding? Everyone has been broke and I'm the only one that pledged on my own beard. (Up to $21.00 and counting, woo hoo!)

When I went to Atlanta on 5/14/09 I went ahead and trimmed the beard down so I didn't look like a total scruff when meeting folks at the Mashable Mixer Atlanta. I've been trimming it ever since and the moment the cup gets hoisted I'm taking a razor to what's left of it.

The beard just ain't my thing, I'm a goatee man. But if having the beard means the Wings are still alive in the playoffs, I'll gladly keep it up.

Tech Work Available in Milford, MI

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:53:00 +0000

Well, it's not glamorous but looks like it's easy work. Good luck!

Sent from my T-Mobile G1 wireless device.

Didn't plan on entertaining myself

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:00:00 +0000

It's 11am and I'm 30,000 feet in the air. While waiting on a second cup of coffee I decide a nice game on the trusty ol' G1 is just what the doctor ordered. So I flip open the phone in airplane mode and begin to peruse all of the amazing applications I've installed on this beast.

Hey, I could... er wait network connection required. No matter I'll just... shoot need the Internet. You mean to tell me that everything I installed on this phone requires a signal from an access point or cell tower?

Oh wait. There's Tic-Tac-Toe on my phone. Your move, X... your move.

Sent from my T-Mobile G1 wireless device.

Day 23 and the Wings still trucking

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Sat, 09 May 2009 03:29:00 +0000

Big win for the Detroit Red Wings last night! If they keep playing like they did in game 4 they'll have this series wrapped up in 6.

Glad to see Hossa notch a couple of goals.

Osgood may want to have the first and third Anaheim goals back, they looked awfully weak to me.

In other news, the Boston Bruins are... FACING ELIMINATION? Yes, after a sound defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes in game 4 it looks like my heavy Eastern Conference favorites will be joining the Montreal Canadiens out on the golf course.

The Bruins have the ability to turn this thing around. It has already happened for the Washington Capitals in round 1, having come back from a 3 games to 1 deficit against the New York Rangers.

So, for the sake of my playoff prediction, come back and win the series, Boston. Pretty please?

As you can see the beard is still growing. Not too late to pledge on it! Click the charity link to the upper left for more details or visit http://bitly.com/beardathon

Sent from my T-Mobile G1 wireless device.

Open Letter to the NHL Officials Association

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:41:00 +0000

Submitted via http://www.nhlofficials.com/contact.asp

I'm writing in reference to the dispicable waiving off of Marian Hossa's goal near the end of game 3 of the Detroit vs Anaheim Playoff game. "Intent to blow the whistle" or not, Brad Watson should have had the professional experience to realize that he was about to make a mistake and allow the goal to stand instead of emphatically ruling it a no goal. Mr. Watson demonstrated that evening that he lacks the judgement and experience required to officiate this fast paced, high level of the game. Through his actions he has placed a serious asterisk on the results of that game 3, and potentially the series, which fans of the NHL such as myself do not deserve. I seriously recommend that Mr. Watson be returned down to a lower league to receive further training and practice before returning to the NHL and potentially harming more outcomes through unskilled and ill-advised calls. The players should determine the outcome of any particular NHL game, not the referees. Sincerely, Michael Beck

Day 20: Wings lose a game and I've been slacking

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:58:00 +0000

I haven't mentioned it but this weekend I moved into a new place. Spent the last four days getting me and my son situated and slacked on the whole daily-picture-of-my-beard thing.

My brother said I should just take 4 pictures with different shirts on and nobody would know the difference, but I couldn't do that to the 5 people who read this blog regularly.

So now that we are on day 20, the total raised on my beard for the Beard-A-Thon so far is a whopping $10.00. That would be me pledging $0.50 per each day the Red Wings are alive in the playoffs. Still haven't gotten anyone else to pledge yet.

At first I was feeling down about nobody else pledging, but then I came to realize two things.

1) I'm doing it, and that's what really counts. Anyone who jumps on the bandwagon with me is gravy.

2) The next time I get asked to buy Girl Scout cookies or do a school fundraiser I can say, "oooh, sorry. I just did a charity fundraiser and I'm tapped. Sorry." Instead of my usual: walking by and avoiding eye contact because I don't have any cash on me and they obviously don't take plastic.

So on to Sunday's game.

1) The Red Wings should have lost that game out right. The fact that they reached triple overtime was a gift. If it weren't for Brad Stuart's redirection-not-a-kick fluke goal, that game would have ended 3-2 with the Ducks winning.

a) I still had hope through the overtime sessions that they'd win, because for a moment, this felt like a replay of 1997 and all the overtime sessions in that series. The joke at the time was, "Detroit swept Anaheim in 6 games."

2) The Anaheim Ducks have been competitive beyond belief in this series and could just as easily be up 2-0 over the Wings as opposed to tied 1-1.

3) The Detroit Red Wings need to make some adjustments to their game play because they're obviously not figuring out that the Ducks aren't going to let them skate in with the puck like the Columbus Blue Jackets did.

The Wings and Ducks play again tonight at 10:30pm. I'll be watching, and paying for it tomorrow.

If you didn't watch the Washington vs. Pittsburgh game 2 last night, you have totally been cheated. The Penguins and Capitals went toe to toe in a game that featured hat tricks by both Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, including a last minute goal by Crosby that put Pittsburgh in position to possibly tie the game.

Washington is up 2-0 in the series, and is looking good. Glad to see them exorcise the ghosts of playoffs past.

Boston and Carolina are tied 1-1, there goes that sweep prediction. Boston still will win the series.

Blackhawks and Vancouver tied 1-1 as well, and I'm glad to see the Blackhawks have the momentum. I still see them winning in 6.

Round 1 Scorecard, Round 2 Predictions, Beard-a-thon still rollin'

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:50:00 +0000

Whoa Nelly! Was that a great finish to the New Jersey vs. Carolina series or what? The Devils' fans were already digging out their credit cards to buy round 2 tickets with a minute and a half to go in the game and Carolina comes back to score 2 quick goals in less than a minute to win the series! What a crazy turn of events!

So let's look at my final report card for round one predictions I made back on April 13th.

San Jose Sharks vs. Anaheim Ducks
I predicted the Sharks would bowl over the Ducks 4 games to 1. Instead it was the Ducks that crushed the Sharks in 6 games, and nearly took it in 5.
WRONG

Detroit Red Wings vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
I thought the Blue Jackets would shock Detroit early and win a couple of games in the series, but Detroit would ultimately win the series in 6 games. I got the number of games wrong, but the result was good.
RIGHT

Vancouver Canucks vs. St. Louis Blues
I estimated the Blues would be no match for the Canucks, and Vancouver would need 6 games to win the series. They only needed 4.
RIGHT

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Calgary Flames
I knew the Blackhawks would win hands down in the series, and thought it would only take 5 games. It took 6, but I got the right result.
RIGHT

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
Not only did I pick the Bruins to beat Montreal, but I picked them for a sweep, much to the dismay of some Montreal twitter fans. I was right on the money here.
RIGHT

Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers
I almost had some series egg on my face with this pick. Not only did I pick the Capitals to win, but I said they'd have an easy time and win in 5 games. When they went down 3-1, I thought I was definitely looking bad. Thankfully they pulled off a miraculous comeback and won the series in 7 games.
RIGHT

New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes
I picked the Devils to win in 6. And if the referees would have called that blatant case of goaltender interference and disallowed that final goal of Game 4 like I complained about, this series may have been done in 6. Alas, Carolina pulled off a stunning victory at the end of game 7 and won the series.
WRONG

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
I thought this would be a close series and the Flyers would force a game 7 and win it. Instead the Penguins won in 6 games.
WRONG

My final score for Round 1:
5 RIGHT, 3 WRONG, 62.5% accuracy. Do I get extra credit for predicting the Boston sweep? Guess not.

So with no further ado, let's make some predictions for Round 2.

This time let's do the East first.

#1 Boston Bruins vs. #6 Carolina Hurricanes
Boston may yet meet its match, but the Hurricanes aren't bringing it. Boston handily beat Carolina 4 times this season, outscoring them 18-6. Might tighten a little in the playoffs, but Boston is going to sweep the series.

#2 Washington Capitals vs. #4 Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins have historically had their way with the Capitals in the playoffs, winning 6 out of 7 series all time, including back-to-back wins in 2000 & 2001, and 1995 & 1996. But these aren't your same old Capitals. This year Washington found its jump in a tough series against New York and will take it to the Penguins. I definitely see this going 6 games for sure with the Capitals coming out on top. Caps in 6.

Now for the West.

#2 Detroit Red Wings vs. #8 Anaheim Ducks
Detroit has had Anaheim's number all year, going 3-0-1 against them in the regular season. I know the playoffs are a whole different animal and the Ducks have the "we just beat the top seed, we can beat anybody now" mentality, but that's not enough. After 20 minutes of play at the Joe it will become apparent that the Ducks didn't beat the Sharks because they were better but because the Sharks were in a slump and unprepared for the playoffs. I'm so tempted to say sweep here, but you know how it goes with these oddball goalies against the Red Wings, they sell their soul to the Devil and stand on their head all series. Ok, I won't say sweep. But Wings for sure, and I'll spot the Ducks a game. Wings in 5.

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #4 Chicago Blackhawks
What a tough series to predict. Luongo was on fire in round 1, but a longer rest may have cooled off his focus. In looking at the season series, they tied at 2 games a piece, but Vancouver won the last two pretty decisively, winning 7-3 and 4-0 down the stretch leading into the playoffs. The Blackhawks will rise or fall with Khabibulin's play, so if he can stay big in net this series will be long. The Blackhawks just seem to be firing on all cylinders here and I really like how they're playing. I'm going with Blackhawks in 6.

WAS v NYR, NJ vs CAR: My Game 7 Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:04:00 +0000

I got my wish. The Detroit Red Wings are playing the Anaheim Ducks formerly known as "Mighty". While people are trying to make big waves because the Ducks beat the top seed, I have another theory. The Ducks beat a slumping Sharks team. End of story.

Make all the references you want to the incredible 2006 run of the Edmonton Oilers, this isn't the same. The Cinderella story of the Anaheim Ducks ends here. Congratulations on pulling a major upset on the San Jose Sharks, and I'd give you further due if I could. Unfortunately the writing is right there on the wall. This isn't the Ducks' year.

Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers

Well, well, here we are at Game 7. I know I predicted the Washington Capitals to win in 5, and easily to boot, so egg on my face. But at least I could save a little face by the Capitals at least coming back and winning the series. And I think they will. Capitals will win tonight.

New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes

I really was pulling for the Devils to win in 6. And I still think that if the referees had waved off Carolina's goal at 0.2 seconds left in Game 4 due to goaltender interference like they should have this series would be over already. The Devils are no strangers to adversity and playing at home should energize them. Plus this seems like a nice comeback story for Brendan Shanahan. Not only do I say the Devils win tonight, but I give the game winning goal to Mr. Shanahan since it makes for a perfect story.

2009 NHL Playoff Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Me with the Stanley Cup after the Detroit Red Wings won it in 2002.

Eric Edmeades has created a great visual NHL Playoff tree. Want to see how things are stacking up? I advise you click here. He's even put together an animated version here.

Great work Eric!

Beard-a-thon Day 12: Dear Ducks, Please Win!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Playing catchup on here now that I have access to the Internet. Here we are on Day 12 of the Beard-a-thon and the itching and irritation of having a beard again for the first time in years has nearly passed.

I'm still waiting on someone to join my pledge of $0.50 for each day the Detroit Red Wings stay in the playoffs. It all goes to support the Detroit Red Wings Foundation.

Established in 2005, the Foundation supports several initiatives and organizations including: the development of inner city youth hockey, the fight against cancer, a wide array of children’s health, educational and recreational activities and other needs of the community through the sport of hockey.

Sharks v Ducks - Game 6
All right, I'm so ready for this series to be over. The Ducks had a 3-1 strangle hold on the Sharks, but after a 3-2 in San Jose, they've given the Sharks a chance to climb back in this series and force a decisive game 7.

For me, tonight decides this series. Game 6 is just as much do-or-die for the Anaheim Ducks as it is for the San Jose Sharks. If the Ducks win, they clinch obviously. If the Sharks win on the road, they head home to an energized HP Pavilion and will have no problem dispatching the Ducks there with all that momentum.

I would rather not play against Vancouver in round 2 of the playoffs. I think the rest may have put a little rust on Roberto Luongo, but not enough to make a potential Red Wings vs Canucks matchup last any less than 6 or 7 games.

If the Sharks manage to survive the Ducks, they'd most likely beat the eventual winner of the Chicago/Calgary series. Now you're looking at a Detroit vs San Jose matchup, and Detroit having to face a 2nd matchup against a west coast team after having just come off of a 6/7 game series.

Not saying Detroit couldn't overcome that kind of adversity, but it sure would be nice if the Ducks would man up and stop squandering their 3-1 series advantage they had by clinching it tonight.

Evolution of Beauty... and its parody.

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:26:00 +0000

With over 8 million views and counting you may have already seen this. If so, I apologize. I saw this for the first time and thought it was amazing.

But then I saw the parody and had a hearty laugh over it.

Still semi-cut off from the world...

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:20:00 +0000

Still no Internet or cable TV from Comcast. Spoke to one of their service representatives today and they had no estimated time when service would be restored to my area.

Here's day 11 of the beard. I'll get these edited and uploaded to Flickr tomorrow if I have access to the Internet.

If it wasn't for the handiness of my T-mobile G1 phone, I wouldn't be able to update my blog at all!

On a side note I was glad to see (thank God the bar had cable) the Capitals force a game 7 against the Rangers today. Bummed that the Devils got shelled at the hands of Carolina but at least it makes for great do-or-die action!

Sent from my T-Mobile G1 wireless device.

No Cable or Internet

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:59:00 +0000

It is always said that you don't truly appreciate something until its gone, and in the case of the Internet and cable television, that is definitely true.

We had one heck of a storm blow through here yesterday afternoon and it knocked power out for several hours.

The lights eventually came back on, but the Internet and cable were still out. As of 10:52am today they are still out.

Until the Internet comes back I have no ability to upload data from laptop, so I won't be able to update my beard progress until service is restored.

At least I have my trusty T-mobile G1 to get me to the basics on the net, including my Gmail which I'm using to compose this blog entry.

I took this photo late last night so you can see my tired haggard self and my 10 day old playoff beard.

By the way, have you pleged on my beard-a-thon yet? If so, my deepest gratitude. If not, what's the hold up? Click the link to the upper left and pledge what you can. Even if it is a $1 flat donation, every little bit counts and goes to benefit the Detroit Red Wings foundation.

Sent from my T-Mobile G1 wireless device.

Beard-a-thon Beard Day 9: Wings Wait, Classless Mr. Avery

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:35:00 +0000

Well here it is day 9 for the Detroit Red Wings and they await the results of the San Jose Sharks vs Anaheim Ducks series to see who they'll ultimately face in round 2.

There's been a bit of confusion on whether this is day 9 or day 10. For the entirety of the NHL this is day 10 of the playoffs. I decided to start counting when the Red Wings' playoffs started, and that was on Thursday, April 16th.

As I wrote about last night, I signed up for the Beard-A-Thon to benefit the Red Wings Foundation. It's a great cause, and it gives me a better reason for growing this beard other than the fact that I'm a "Wing Nut". I was starting to get the comments about looking a little stubbly, but now I can deflect all the criticism by pointing out its for charity and asking them to pledge.

Rangers v Capitals

The New York Rangers look to wrap up their series tonight against the Washington Capitals, and as much as I'd love to make the case why the Caps are going to stave off elimination by winning tonight, I'm a realist. This series looks like it's done.

Egg on my face, too. I mean I predicted the Capitals would take the series in 5 games and have an easy time with it. Now its the Caps looking to go down in 5 games.

So good luck in round two, Rangers. And Sean Avery, you're a classless prick who has no place on the ice. What happened to you, man?

Wings Sweep and My Beard Supports Charity

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:25:00 +0000

Let me begin by saying HELLLLLLLLLLLLL YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! The Detroit Red Wings edged the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight by a score of 6-5 to put the series to bed.

Now we sit back and wait to see what the Sharks and Ducks do, and get Osgood some much needed rest.

Reflecting on tonight's game it was a bummer to see the Red Wings blow not one, but two 2-goal leads, but in the end they won. And tonight was probably just the game they needed to wrap up the series: a high-scoring high-energy affair on the road. They'll be watching the tape on this one for sure as they prepare for round 2.

During tonight's broadcast on Fox Sports Detroit Ken Daniels plugged something called the Beard-a-thon. The Beard-a-thon encourages fans of the various teams in the playoff to put down their razors and "grow" along for the ride.

This was just fitting for me since I've already been doing that and documenting it on my website. But here's the twist: the whole point of the Beard-a-thon is to raise money for your favorite team's charity. In the case of the Detroit Red Wings, it's the Detroit Red Wings foundation.

You have two options for pledging. You can pledge a flat amount as a one-time donation, or you can pledge a minimum $0.50 per-day rate. They're counting from when all of the NHL playoffs started, so while this is day 8 for the Red Wings, it's day 9 for the league.

I pledged on myself the $0.50 per day, so I'm on the hook for $4.50 and counting. I'd love to owe over $40 when this is all said and done. Small price to pay to see my boys hoist the cup again!

I'd love it if you'd pledge on my beard. I'd be honored. I'd be touched. You don't pay anything until the Red Wings win the cup (or ::gulp:: get knocked out). They'll calculate your pledge (per day x days in the playoffs) and invoice you your final amount.

So would you please pledge on my beard? Click here to help me "grow" along for the ride.

Here We Grow Again Day 7: Wings Win, Bruins Sweep, Devils Get Screwed

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:24:00 +0000

The Detroit Red Wings kept on rolling last night, winning another 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets to take a 3-0 lead in the series. The Wings have a chance to put the series to bed tomorrow night.

If the Wings sweep, they're going to have a little while to wait to see who they'll end up playing against.

Here's how the West is shaping up:

The Sharks beat the Ducks 4-3 last night to crawl back into the series 2 games to 1.
The Canucks beat the Blues 3-2 in OT last night to complete the sweep.
The Blackhawks are ahead in the series 2-1 over the Flames

So what does this all mean for the Wings?
Who the Wings play in round 2 is completely determined by the Sharks/Ducks series. If the Sharks come back to win the series against the Ducks, the Wings will end up facing the Vancouver Canucks in round 2. I'm thinking the rest will have an adverse effect on Roberto Luongo, who was absolutely on fire against St. Louis.

If the Ducks can hold on to win the series, they'll be coming here to Detroit to face the Wings for round 2.

Peeking in on the East

Boston v Montreal
Boston completed the sweep against the Montreal Canadiens, and it was exactly how I predicted. Montreal was no match for Boston and hasn't been all season.

Washington v New York
I thought for sure Washington had New York's number this year in the playoffs and I couldn't have been more wrong. The Capitals lost again tonight and now face elimination on Friday after going down in the series 3 games to 1.

Pittsburgh v Philadelphia
I thought the Penguins would have their hands full with the Flyers, but a 3-1 series lead dictates otherwise.

Carolina vs New Jersey
The series is tied up 2-2, but last night's game was not without controversy. Check out this YouTube clip starting around 1:07. Carolina scored with 0.2 seconds left on the clock which made for an exciting finish. But just prior to the goal going in, Jussi Jokinen bumped into Brodeur, visibly throwing him off stride and allowing Jokinen to beat him to the far side of the goal.

As a Detroit Red Wings fan that has seen Tomas Holmstrom get called for interference for doing far less, the inconsistency of the officiating infuriates me. When bad calls or bad non-calls decide the outcome of a game, that's terribly wrong.

Wings Day 6: Game 3 and Around the League

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:43:00 +0000

Keep the winning coming!

It's so hard waiting 70-or-so hours between games when your team is dominating play in the series. You just want the winning to pick up where it left off.

The Wings are outscoring Columbus 8-1 through two games, and part of me can't help but feel an eerie sense of deja vu going back to the finals against Pittsburgh. Last year we headed to Pittsburgh outscoring the Penguins 7-0, and we looked absolutely unbeatable.

Ultimately that would prove to be true, as we took the series in 6 games, but the Penguins crawled back into the series for a brief moment by winning game 3.

I'm hoping we don't repeat that and give the Blue Jackets life with a game 3 win. Seeing the Detroit Red Wings dominate the way they have been has made this an awesome start to the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs here in Hockeytown.

Those damned cheating Red Wings

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock tried to stir up a little controversy by saying the Red Wings were cheating on faceoffs in Game 1. In Game 2 the Wings and Blue Jackets tied with 31 faceoff wins a piece. The result changed too, instead of winning by 3 goals, the Wings won by 4. See, winning more faceoffs made all the difference now, didn't it?

Singing the Blues

Vancouver has a chance to be the first team of 2009 to put a series to bed with a win over the St. Louis Blues tonight, and I for one am rooting for it.

Robert Luongo is an absolute monster in net so far, posting a 1.00 Goals Allowed Average, including a shutout in Game 2. I'm all for him having some extra time between series to cool off.

The prospect of the Red Wings facing Vancouver in Round 2 all hinge on what the Anaheim Ducks do with their shocking 2-0 series lead. If they hold on to win then they earn themselves a ticket to Hockeytown and leave Vancouver stuck playing the winner of the Blackhawks/Flames matchup.

Au revoir les Canadiens

It brings a tear to my eye to see the Montreal Canadiens facing elimination so early. Down 3-0 after losing 4-2 last night in Montreal, in a game that began with the ever-courteous Montreal fans booing the American National Anthem.

I took some heat for my prediction that the Boston Bruins would sweep the Montreal Canadiens, and the fact that this might actually happen is some sweet, sweet vindication.

The Devil is in the details

Carolina vs New Jersey is shaping up to be a much tighter series than I thought it'd be. After New Jersey won the first game 4-1 I thought my prediction for a 6 game romp over Carolina was in the bag. Now after trading overtime victories on the road with each other, Carolina is looking as good enough to win this series as New Jersey is.

Washington crawls back in with a capital W

The Capitals got a much needed win on the road in game 3 against New York last night, but still needs to win 3 out of 4 to advance to the next round. It's looking rough, but I'm rooting they'll do is so my prediction percentage stays up. Plus I don't want Sean Avery to taste any more playoff success. Sorry, but if they gave out an award that was the opposite of the Lady Byng, Avery would take it home without question.

Here We Grow Again Day 5: Wings vs... the Ducks?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:26:00 +0000

The Wings and 5 days into the playoffs and up 2 games to love against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Game 3 is tomorrow night and I can't wait to see the Wings steamroll Columbus again. I originally predicted the Wings to win in 6 games, but a sweep won't hurt my feelings.

The big shock out of the Western Conference has been the Anaheim Ducks who are now up 2-0 in their series against the Presidents' Trophy winning San Jose Sharks.

So what does this mean for Detroit? If Anaheim continues to dominate the Sharks and win the series, Detroit will be facing Anaheim in round 2 of the playoffs.

Playoff History: Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks

2007 Western Conference Finals: Anaheim Wins 4-2

2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals: Anaheim Wins 4-0

1999 Western Conference Quarterfinals: Detroit Wins 4-0

1997 Western Conference Semifinals: Detroit Wins 4-0

While we're even at 2 series a piece, these aren't the same Ducks of two years ago. Detroit has had Anaheim's number this year, going 3-0-1 against the Ducks in regular season play. The playoffs are a whole different story, I know, but the way Detroit is playing right now they should have no problem taking Anaheim down.

I'm hoping like hell that the Ducks pull off the upset, since that gives the Wings home ice advantage for rounds 2 and 3, and perhaps even the finals if Boston doesn't make it.

If the Sharks find a way to right the ship and come back in the series, then it looks like Detroit will be playing against Vancouver in round 2 with the Sharks advancing to face the winner of the Chicago/Calgary series.

I'm not really in the mood to see Roberto Luongo stand on his head just yet. Let's go Ducks! Let's go Ducks! (For now.)

Wings beat Blue Jackets 4-0; Beard Now 4 Days Old

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:47:00 +0000

Another Detroit Red Wings game, another victory. Damn it's great to be a Red Wings fan.

It was another 4 goal performance by the Red Wings but this time the Columbus Blue Jackets were nowhere to be found on the score sheet. 1st shutout of the playoffs for Osgood and he's boasting a stingy 0.50 goals allowed average through two games.

There's nothing like downing a six pack of Molson Canadian while watching Fire on Ice, so I spent more time watching the game and drinking than I did tweeting this time around.

I made some predictions prior to game 2, let's see how I did.

Chris Osgood to continue to stand on his head
Damn straight! 25 saves and the shutout!
Johan Franzen to score another goal
Wrong. But he did assist Zetterberg's awesome top-shelf goal.
Marian Hossa to score his first playoff goal as a Red Wing
Still no goals, but an assist on Datsyuk's power play goal.
Tomas Holmstrom to pick up an interference penalty
Wrong again, but when Rafalski scored for a split second I thought the refs were going to make a call since Homstrom was right there. I wonder how much money Holmstrom could make selling ads on the seat of his hockey pants aimed at the 18-35 male goalie demographic?
Mike Commodore of the Bluejackets to try again to injure Osgood during a crowd in front of the net after the whistle
Commodore definitely did his fair share of chin music and rough and tumble after the whistles, in fact he got the boot at the end of the game because of it.
The Detroit Red Wings to cheat at face-offs some more. (Yeah, I'm laughing about this)
Both teams tied with 31 face off wins a piece. Now what's soon-to-be-out-golfing Columbus head coach Ken Hitchcock going to cry about?
The Detroit Red Wings to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2
4-0 is much better than 3-2. Thanks for a great game, fellas! Looking forward to Tuesday night!

Also, I made some series-by-series predictions. How are those shaping up?

Sharks beats the Ducks in 5 games.
Only one game has been played, so technically this could still happen, but the way the Ducks are playing, this is going at least 6.
Wings beats the Blue Jackets in 6 games.
I even went so far as to predict that the Blue Jackets would win game 1. I'm glad to be horribly wrong here. The Blue Jackets may still win one, but a sweep is looking much more likely.
Canucks beat the Blues in 6 games.
Canucks aren't giving St. Louis any breathing room. The Blues need to find some life at home or this might be done in 4 or 5 games, a game sooner than I predicted.
Chicago beats the Flames in 5 games.
Chicago is up 2 games and show no signs of slowing down.
Boston beats Montreal in 4 game sweep.
Boston won in convincing fashion last night, 5-1. Sweep looking sweeter by the second.
Capitals beat the Rangers in 5 games.
Oh boy I couldn't have been more wrong. Washington is not having an easy time with the Rangers, and in fact they're already down 2 games to New York and has given away home ice advantage for the rest of the series.
New Jersey beats the Hurricanes in 6 games.
Shaping up to be a great series, tied at a game a piece.
Flyers beat the Penguins in 7 games.
Flyers are beating themselves with all the penalties they're taking, and being down 2-0 is making a game 7 look like a pipe dream. They need to go home, play great hockey and head back to Pittsburgh with the series knotted up at 2 games a piece or this is all over in

The Beard is Still Kicking: Detroit Red Wings Playoffs, Game 2, Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:14:00 +0000

Here it is, Day 3 of the Red Wings' playoff run and the beard is still growing!

If you recall, I had previously predicted that the Columbus Bluejackets would win game 1 but Detroit would win 4 out of the next 5 games. Well the Red Wings had something to say about that exploding for 4 goals in the last half of the game to win 4-1.

Columbus gave us a scare in the first part of the game, almost appearing to dominate play at times. But after throwing everything they had at Detroit it looks like Columbus Municipal Golf Course is going to celebrate the Bluejackets' first playoff run by offering the team a free round of golf for booking their tee time before May.

Things I'm watching for in Game 2:

Chris Osgood to continue to stand on his head
Johan Franzen to score another goal
Marian Hossa to score his first playoff goal as a Red Wing
Tomas Holmstrom to pick up an interference penalty
Mike Commodore of the Bluejackets to try again to injure Osgood during a crowd in front of the net after the whistle
The Detroit Red Wings to cheat at face-offs some more. (Yeah, I'm laughing about this)
The Detroit Red Wings to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2

Detroit Red Wings 2009 Playoffs: Beard Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 21:19:00 +0000

I couldn't have been more wrong in my Game 1 prediction last night. And as a Red Wings Fan, I couldn't be happier about being wrong. The Detroit Red Wings beat the Columbus Bluejackets 4-1 in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

It was an action packed game and the Columbus Blue Jackets kept it tight for the first half of the game, but then it was all over but the crying once Detroit went up 2-1.

Had a blast watching the first half of the game from my office and tweeting along with some other great die-hard Wings' fans such as @ampstyle @emarquis @sigsegfault @WingsStef @QueenofSpain @aimeeburpee @sknygrydg07 and it was cool to see @becksdavis try and get a spur of the moment tweetup going!

You can peek in on some of that conversation by clicking here.

Next game is tomorrow night, and I haven't decided where I'm going to end up just yet. I have my buddy coming over from Lansing to watch the game with me. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment.

NHL Playoffs: Day 2, Red Wings: Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:35:00 +0000

NHL Playoffs Day #2, Detroit Red Wings Day #1 and the playoff beard is growing. I'll be taking a picture of it every day as it grows along with my Detroit Red Wings' playoff run!

After last night's game the only result that shocked me was to see the Rangers beat the Capitals. I picked the Caps to win it in 5, so if they don't win the next four games that prediction is a bust.

So here it is, 6:37pm and the Detroit Red Wings pre-game show is rocking on Fox Sports Detroit and I'm ready to soak in another year of Wings playoff hockey.

I picked Columbus to win tonight, though I'll be rooting for the boys in red and hoping I'm terribly, terribly wrong.

I'm ready to crank out some tweets about this game and have a good time, and share it with my son. At 5 years old this is the first year he is able to comprehend what is happening on the ice and actually cheer when the Wings score a goal!

Of course it helps that I've been force feeding him hockey every since he could open his eyes.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@hoopadoo) and/or open a channel in your Twitter application to track the hashtag #redwings!

Mow the Lawn: Upping the Female Hygiene Ante

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:11:00 +0000

This video comes to us courtesy of Wilkinson Sword over in the United Kingdom.

I don't know if this video is actually being shown anywhere other than the Internet, but it is pretty clever. I'm sure there are those who are offended, but only if you get the joke.

This is great advertising and a sure way to get some viral exposure to your message!

NHL PLAYOFFS: The Beard Is Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Ok, not my full beard, but the ones the Detroit Red Wings will be growing as they go deep into the playoffs, as per NHL tradition. I just hope it becomes a full beard and not just a little stubble. 2006 against Edmonton and 2003 against Anaheim were real spirit breakers. I need April and May to be good months!

The Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets will be facing off in round one and it should be a pretty exciting matchup as both teams beat the other 3 times during the regular season, including the 8-2 romping by Columbus I personally witnessed down at Joe Louis Arena back on March 7th.

The first game is this Thursday at 7 p.m. so you can expect me to be tweeting my fingers off on Twitter during the game from my @hoopadoo account.

Here's my round one predictions:

West:

Sharks vs Ducks

Sharks come out of the gate tough and bowl over the Ducks 4 games to 1.

Red Wings vs Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets surprise the fans in Detroit by taking game 1, Red Wings regroup and take 4 of the next 5. Wings win in 6 games.

Canucks vs Blues

Blues are happy to be back in the playoffs, but their team has a little more work to do. They give the Canucks some grief, but Vancouver wins in 6.

Blackhawks vs Flames

Glad to see the Blackhawks back in the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Lady Luck was on their side as they were handed an opponent they are perfectly matched for. Coming off of back-to-back wins against #2 seeded Detroit, Chicago rolls over Calgary in 5 games.

East:

Bruins vs Canadiens

Boston was the premier force to be reckoned with in the East. This does not change in the playoffs. Boston has had Montreal's number all year. Boston sweeps 4-0.

Capitals vs Rangers

The Rangers may have antagonist Sean Avery in their lineup, but other than that, nada. Washington should have an easy time with New York, winning in 5 games.

Devils vs Hurricanes

Brodeur broke the record for most career wins by a goaltender and looks in peak form when he did it. He's rested, tested and ready. Hope Carolina enjoyed their regular season success against New Jersey, it ends now. New Jersey wins in 6 games.

Penguins vs Flyers

These are not the Eastern Conference Pittsburgh Penguins of 2008. This is the "whew thank God we went on a nice run and crawled back into the mix" Penguins of 2009. And the Flyers? Well, they don't impress me much either so this was one of the harder matchups to place. I tip my cap to the Flyers who will force this thing to a game 7 and win.

Flickr photo by apdk

Good night sweet Madeline

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Beck) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:29:00 +0000

This story started out with a simple tweet that came across my Twitter homepage from Rhiannon:
RT: Shame on you, #bluehost. @mamaspohr just lost her daughter, #Maddie. People are showing their love, and you mercilessly shut that down.

I've never heard of Blue Host. I've never heard of @mamaspohr or about Maddie. But what grabbed my attention was the three words "lost her daughter."

My God. That is one thing I seriously doubt I could personally bear the weight of, and that's losing my child. And here is someone who was experiencing that very nightmare today.

I clicked. First I clicked on #bluehost to look at the hashtag search to see what the deal was behind this talk of a shutdown. It appears this hosting company closed down a website that was receiving an enormous amount of traffic in the wake of this tragic loss of @mamaspohr's little girl.

Next I clicked on #Maddie to see the hashtag search and see what exactly happened and how. All I came up with were copies of the tweet about Blue Host shutting down @mamaspohr's website.

Last I clicked on @mamaspohr to see her profile. And that's what rocked my world.

Kid is sick AGAIN. Waiting for doctor's appointment to determine if it's bronchiolitis, pneumonia, or RSV. Send hopes and booze.

On Monday at 1:33pm when that tweet went out, losing her daughter was not on @mamaspohr's mind for sure. And why would it be?

Then at 4:56pm she tweeted, "Dr. Looove just saw Maddie. She ordered an x-ray and pulse ox, and they're going to do a nasal wash to check for RSV. Yippee."

Around 1pm yesterday she tweeted: "They're going to intubate her, I'm freaking out" and then a very solemn tweet a short while later that contained only the name Madaline and a link that lead to a page that yielded a 404 Page Not Found error. (Most likely due to the #bluehost flap.)

How sad. How very very sad. I just lost my mom three months back, but that's nothing compared to this. My mom lived a full 60 years of life. She accomplished things and experienced things that little Madaline never got the chance to. I had the chance to fully get to know my mother and establish a relationship with her. Madaline had only just begun.

With my mother I grieved for what will be missed. With Madaline her parents grieve not only for what will be missed but also what could have been. I don't know how I would be able to cope with emotions like that. I can't even bear to think about it.

@mamaspohr: My heart goes out to you and your family and everyone touched by little Maddie.

To everyone else I encourage you to donate whatever you can to the March of Dimes in honor of little Madeline. See the site badge below for more details.

I'll be hugging my little Collin a little tighter tonight when I get home.