Anaheim Ducks Trade Deadline Preview

Anaheim Ducks Trade Deadline Preview
Written by Alex Carroll

Next Monday is the NHL Trade Deadline, The Anaheim Ducks do not need to do much.  Anaheim has a wealth of young talent and prospects they can hang out on a  line to see what kind of bites they could get, I do not think this is necessary.  The one piece The Ducks would not mind snagging would be a veteran a defenseman.  The Ducks roll 4 lines every night and are a relentless team that is almost never out of a game.  Anaheim wins 1 goal games on the regular and a good chunk of those are comeback victories while being down in the third period.  While I do not think the boys need anything new, a vet d-man could help lock down their defensive play so they no longer have to come from behind to win.  Anaheim just recently acquired 22 year old forward Jiri Sekac from the Montreal Canadiens and sent another 22 year old forward, Devante Smith-Pelly the other way, trading grit and toughness for speed and skill.  I loved how DSP played for the Ducks but this deal met both teams' needs as they prepare for the playoffs.  This was a lateral, old school player for player hockey deal The Ducks did not even need to make, proving that their team is pretty set and little tweaks are the only acceptable moves.

As for the possibility of adding a defenseman, a rental for the remainder of this season and the playoffs would be ideal, one without a big price tag.  A guy like Jan Hejda would be at the top of my list, send draft picks to Colorado and add this 36 year old stalwart to the blue line, this is again,  if they do anything at all.

Anaheim has recently had losses of forward Matt Beleskey who has scored a career high of 21 goals this season and d-man Sami Vatanen who is also having a career year with 34 points in 57 games and a plus-minus of 6.  These losses would put me into panic mode if I was not a knowledgeable Ducks fan.  Anaheim plugs other players into their lineup and their success continues, loudly speaking to the depth of their team.  This all being said, if the Ducks feel it is necessary to get someone on Monday's deadline, they can not be bold and send legitimate roster players, this would be terrible for team chemistry.  So to GM Bob Murray I say give a team mid to late draft picks, perhaps some conditional picks for the future even, a team this deep can manage that.  If the price is a core member on the roster, stick with the successful group you have and stand pat.

In Case You Haven't Seen it Yet, Feast, the Animated Short Film that Won the Oscar, is Actually the Best Film of All Time

Okay I know the Oscars were six days ago and some of you may have seen this already, but I just saw it last night. And Feast is literally the best film I've ever watched. Not even close. God dammit I love that dog. Need that dog. Don't want it. Need it. If you have any other reaction to Feast besides "that was the greatest thing my eyes have ever seen" then you're dead. You're dead inside, and it must suck to be you.

Fire Jam Friday

Alright, last Friday of February. This shitty month is finally almost over. We got another great Fire Jam Friday for ya this week. One or two new or new-ish songs mixed in with a bunch of classics. Had to turn back the clock a bit this week again. Not too much good music coming out lately since I'm not a big Drake fan. Either way, this playlist is FIRE. T Swift can keep her music off of Spotify but can't control the music she did for movie soundtracks, so suck it Tay. Loopholes for days. As always, enjoy.

#FireJamFriday

P.S. I don't think anyone's made tight jeans and a belly shirt hotter than Nelly Furtado did in the "Promiscuous" music video. It's simply amazing what she does in this video.

Seriously not fair. Shakira might have a better body, but I honestly don't think even her hips (that don't lie) can be that sexy. Also, I wish Nelly Furtado put out more jams after this. There was one other good song she had, but other than that, nadaaa. This is an all time jam, just wish she kept it going. 

P.P.S. Timbaland looks like a black Dave Matthews. Just noticed it watching that music video.

It's not perfect, but they make the same kinda faces. Maybe not look alikes, but whenever I see Timbaland, it just reminds me of Dave Matthews. Feel free to disagree, but just wanted to share that.

ScarJo Says John Travolta Isn't Creepy, and We're Supposed to Believe Her

Source: Scarlett Johansson is defending John Travolta and calls the image of him kissing her on the Academy Awards red carpet “an unfortunate still-frame from a live-action encounter that was totally sweet and totally welcome.”

In an exclusive statement to The Associated Press on Thursday, Johansson said: “There is nothing at all strange, creepy or inappropriate about John Travolta.”

She called her former co-star of the film “A Love Song for Bobby Long” a “class act.”

Travolta greeted Johansson at Sunday’s Oscars with a kiss and his arm around her waist. The photo has since been turned into an Internet meme.

But Johannson said the image doesn’t reflect the moment, calling it “yet another way we are misguided, misinformed and sensationalized by the 24-hour news cycle.” 

Yeah okay, ScarJo. Nothing about that look says that that was a welcome moment. That look says "Really? This fuckin guy again?" You can say what you want ScarJo so you don't sound like a dick, but we all know John Travolta is a creep. The thing is that if he wasn't so creepy, no one would have to come out and say he's not creepy. The guy is a creep. And even if this particular moment wasn't enough to convince anyone, these should be:

Definitely a creep. You don't touch a chick's face that much and have it not be creepy. And this is only from one night! Just quit being a weirdo John.

Cockfighting in Connecticut

Source- EAST WINDSOR, Conn. (WTNH) —  Hundreds of people were detained and 40 people were arrested after state police busted a cockfighting ring in East Windsor Saturday night. Lt. J. Paul Vance tells News 8 that the bust happened on South Main Street in East Windsor in the late evening hours. State Police were assisted by the State Police Tactical Team, State Dept. of Corrections, Agriculture and Officers from the East Windsor police department. After executing a search warrant, police found 108 people at the cockfighting site. Troopers located 49 live birds and 4 dead birds. There was also a large amount of gambling proceeds and over $100,000 in cash seized on the scene. A firearm, records and implements of cockfighting were also seized during the search.

Who in god's name is cockfighting in Connecticut? I don't know anything about East Windsor besides the fact its not South Windsor and South Windsor is nice so I'm going to go ahead and assume East Windsor is a dump. I don't mean this to come off as racist but I legitimately thought cockfighting only happened in South America. Not in Connecticut in the dead of winter. Unfortunately there were no pictures of the people that were accused of said cockfighting but I'm absolutely dying to find out who these people are. A bunch of middle class white people? I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall watching a bunch of middle class white Connecticut people at a cockfight. Guess they got bored of going to their kids' hockey games.

P.S.

Packers Release AJ Hawk After 9 Seasons

ESPN: GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Packers' overhaul at inside linebacker continued Wednesday with the release of A.J. Hawk, one of the longest-tenured players on their defense.

The move comes less than a week after veteran Brad Jones was released. Hawk and Jones opened last season as their two starting inside linebackers. It came as no surprise given that coach Mike McCarthy said last week at the NFL scouting combine that inside linebacker was their greatest need. The move frees up $3.5 million in salary-cap space. Jones' release gave the Packers another $3.75 million in room under the cap.

It ends a nine-year run for Hawk, who was the fifth overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. He leaves as the franchise's career tackles leader with 1,118. His best season was the Packers' Super Bowl year of 2010, when he was selected to his only Pro Bowl.

"A.J. is a consummate Packer and we are grateful for all that he has given and how he represented the organization over the past nine seasons," Packers general manager Ted Thompson said in a statement. "He was a durable and consistent contributor to our success, but more importantly, he is a great person and teammate. The Packers are grateful for all that he has done on the field and in the community. We wish A.J., his wife Laura, and the rest of their family all the best."

Hawk's playing time dwindled as the season went on, and although he said it wasn't because of injury, he underwent surgery shortly after the season to remove bone spurs in his ankle.

In a video released Wednesday, Hawk said he doesn't believe the injury affected his performance on the field.

"You could almost feel it in the air throughout the second half of the season," Hawk said. "I've been preparing for it for a while now mentally, but now it's real."

Officially, Hawk's designation will be waived/failed physical. 

This is the second time Hawk has been released by the Packers. They cut him in 2011 but re-signed him one day later to a more salary-cap-friendly deal. According to a source familiar with the situation, there was no talk of anything like that this time, meaning Hawk's tenure with the Packers is over.

Hawk, 31, praised the Packers for how they handled his release. He said he was notified last week while he was on a fundraising cruise for his alma mater, Ohio State, but the Packers told him they would hold off until this week to announce the move.

"The Packers were awesome about it," he said. "I have no bitterness and no animosity toward anyone."

Hawk said he has no intention of retiring.

"I'm ready for some new opportunities," he said. "I feel good. Hopefully I get a chance somewhere else."

I feel bad for AJ. I love him and I think the whole Green Bay fan base loves him, but he wasn't good in 2014. It sucks because 2013 was arguably his best season, so that went downhill pretty fast. He can't drop into coverage anymore, and wasn't even a starter by the end of the season. He's got some football left in him, but not at the quality the Packers need at linebacker. It's sad, but it had to be done. He is the all time leading tackler in Packers history which is pretty impressive, and he was everything you could have asked for from your leader on defense. It's been a great nine seasons, and he'll be missed by all Packers fans. At least he got a ring.

There's like zero highlight videos for AJ Hawk on YouTube which is absurd but whatever. 

This Go Pro Video of Sidney Crosby is Awesome

I don't know a lot about hockey, and I'm not as big of a fan as Luke is, but I do know that this video is AWESOME. It's insane. Best player in the world just showing it off for three and a half minutes. Luke posted a video a little while ago of a bunch of NHL guys showing off their skills with a GoPro, but everyone knows a video of just Sid is all we really needed. And here it is. Incredible hands, and the goal the video ends with of him tapping it up and smacking it in is amazing. I could watch that all day. 

Just a sidenote about the Penguins season right now. They've been struggling a bit the last month or so, but I'm not worried. The last like five seasons they've kicked everybody's dicks in in the regular season only to blow it in the playoffs. They're just toying with everyone right now. Go into the playoffs as a 5 seed and then just ruin everyone. That would be a nice change. Gotta get Sid and Geno another Cup soon. Like now. Need it Pens.

Review of Clemson Players at the NFL Combine

The NFL Combine finished up yesterday and Clemson had 7 players participate so I'll review how they all did (Hint: Vic Beasley owned).

Stephone Anthony, ILB

View Full Combine Profile Here

40 Time: 4.56 seconds*

Bench Press: 23 reps at 225 lbs

Vertical: 37"

Broad: 122"

3 Cone Drill: 7.07 seconds

20 Yard Shuffle: 4.03 seconds* 

Teams are really starting to notice Anthony. He's all over the field, really fast for a linebacker, and can drop into coverage. Click on the link above to NFL.com for full analysis, but I think Anthony definitely helped his draft stock at the combine. He's a great leader, and a hell of a football player. I see him being taken in the second round somewhere. One guy on NFL.com actually had the Packers taking him in the first round which would be pretty sick.

Tavaris Barnes, DE

View Full Combine Profile Here

40 Time: 4.80 seconds

Bench Press: 22 reps at 225 lbs

Barnes never started for Clemson but he was part of the best defense in the country in 2014 and physically, he looks like an NFL talent. I think a lot of teams are skeptical about him because he still hasn't played that much. I bet someone will take a chance on him in the sixth or seventh round.

Vic Beasley, DE/OLB

View Full Combine Profile Here

40 Time: 4.53 seconds*

Bench Press: 35 reps at 225 lbs*

Vertical: 41"*

Broad: 130"*

3 Cone Drill: 6.91 seconds*

20 Yard Shuffle: 4.15 seconds*

The guy is a freak. He got stars on NFL.com in ALL those categories. Tied for the fastest DL/LB 40 time. Tied most bench press reps of ANY defender. Tied for best vertical among DL/LB. And the others were impressive as well. Listen, I've been saying for a while that Vic Beasley is a freak. Because he is. He completely owned the NFL Combine and made as strong a case as anyone to be a top 10 pick. Some project him in the top 10, some project him in the 20s. He'll definitely be a first round pick because he's just so god damn athletic, and because he's an excellent pass rusher. He's gotta work on his run defense, but he'll still be a first rounder. (LOL at me saying he's solid against the run in my 2014 preview. I didn't really know shit, other than that Vic is a great pass rusher. Just assumed he was good against the run too. But not really.)

Corey Crawford, DE

View Full Combine Profile Here

40 Time: 5.01 seconds

Vertical: 33"

Broad: 110"

3 Cone Drill: 7.64 seconds

20 Yard Shuffle: 4.65 seconds

Crawford is a big dude but he didn't do great in any of the measurable drills at the combine, and there are plenty of big guys who did a lot better than he did. Crawford has the experience that Barnes doesn't at DE, but he's kinda in the same situation. Physically speaking, he's a guy teams would want at DE, but teams aren't sure what kind of toughness he brings to the table. I'd put him in the same category as Barnes. Probably a seventh round pick, if he gets drafted.

Grady Jarrett, NT

View Full Combine Profile Here

40 Time: 5.06 seconds

Bench Press: 30 reps at 225 lbs

Vertical: 31"

Broad: 112"

3 Cone Drill: 7.37 seconds

20 Yard Shuffle: 4.56 seconds

Grady Jarrett is one hell of a football player. He's incredibly athletic considering his size (even though he's pretty small for a NT). That'll either help or hurt his draft stock. I don't know if teams will want him because of his athleticism or won't want him because he's undersized at the position. Either way, he is TREMENDOUS against the run, and I think that'll be enough to make him a third or fourth round pick.

Garry Peters, CB

View Full Combine Profile Here

40 Time: 4.61 seconds

Bench Press: 7 reps at 225 lbs

Vertical: 32.5"

Broad: 119"

3 Cone Drill: 6.80 seconds

20 Yard Shuffle: 4.00 seconds

60 Yard Shuffle: 11.10 seconds*

Garry Peters really turned into a solid CB for Clemson. Hasn't allowed a touchdown pass in the last two seasons which is pretty unreal. He's a small guy (only 191 lbs) but you don't have to be big to be a good cornerback. I think he'll end up a lot like Bashaud Breeland last year. I'd say Peters is a fifth round pick, but has a chance to be a starter if he can do well in multiple schemes.

Bradley Pinion, P

View Full Combine Profile Here

Screw you Bradley Pinion. Have you ever heard of a punter leaving early to go to the NFL? Yeah, me neither...Until now. Pinion wasn't even that good. I mean he was a solid punter, but not "leave school early" good. Undrafted free agent tryout is all he'll get. Maybe he'll make a team, maybe he won't. 

(All reports in combine profiles from Lance Zierlein on NFL.com)

A Few Oscars Takeaways

The Oscars sucked. That's the main takeaway. American Sniper was snubbed of the big awards the entire night. And The Grand Budapest Hotel only won costume design and other weird awards that I don't even know why they announce at the show. Barely saw any of the top nominees as per usual. American Sniper and Grand Budapest Hotel were the only movies I saw that were part of the top group last night. I heard Birdman was very good and I love Michael Keaton but I haven't seen it yet. That being said, I find it very hard to believe it was better than American Sniper or Grand Budapest Hotel. Absolutely loved both of those.

Here's a full list of winners from last night.

Birdman won Best Picture. Don't really mind it, I'm sure it's a good movie. Like I said though, I woulda gone with either American Sniper or Grand Budapest Hotel.

Some nobody got Best Actor for playing Stephen Hawking. Look, I'm sure that story was cool and inspiring and what not, but there is NO way ANYONE did a better acting job in the past year than Bradley Cooper in American Sniper. Fuck the Academy.

Julianne Moore won Best Actress for her role in Still Alice. I've heard that movie was sad as shit, and that she did a really good job. I'm sure she was very deserving of this award. Kinda love Julianne Moore, talented actress. That being said, gotta give this to Rosamund Pike for successfully transforming herself into a certifiable psychopath in Gone Girl. 

JK Simmons (Whiplash) and Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) won Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively. Haven't seen either movie. Heard Whiplash was good. Heard Boyhood sucked. JK Simmons gave a nice speech telling everyone to call their loved ones and tell them you love them. And then Patricia Arquette (who is probably doing pretty well off for herself as a mediocre/nobody actress) gets on stage and talks about how women need to start earning equal wages as men. Hey lady, you won a fucking Oscar for your role in a movie about a boy growing up. Save your feminist speeches for other times. That's not the place to just start ranting to everyone. Obviously it was met with a standing ovation. But oh well. This lady should be grateful she lives in a fucking country where she can even have a job. Don't get me wrong, it'd be nice to have no gender pay gap, but you can't just snap your fingers and have the problem fixed, and making speeches about it at the Oscars is just so god damn annoying. I'm about to drop some facts on you, so don't get too blown away. I'm not trying to turn this blog into a political forum but when some nobody bitch talks about shit like this at the Oscars, shit gets real. While on average women make 78% of what men do working full time, older women (55-64) make 72% of what men make, and younger women (25 and under) are making about 94% of what men make. Things are changing. It's okay. Seeeeettle down Ms. Arquette. It's not perfect but you can calm down and stop making stupid speeches at the Oscars. After all, we can't all be like the perfect Hungary.

But hey, the great part about this is that if you think the U.S. is a worse place for you to live than Hungary is, you can just go live in fuckin Hungary! I doubt there's a place like Hollywood in Hungary though. I doubt you'll get paid millions of dollars to make shitty movies and win prestigious awards for your non-leading role in said shitty movie. I doubt Hungarian movie makers will want mediocre American actresses to star in their movies. But hey at least you can make as much as your male counterpart does at the local coffee shop in your hipster European town!

Okay, end of rant that I didn't want to go on in the first place. Here are some other takeaways from the Oscars last night.

Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Aniston are still certified 10s at the ripe age of 45.

Scarjo was arguably the hottest woman there last night. She pulls off the short hair better than anyone ever.

Nobody knew who Miles Teller's girlfriend was, but everyone does now.

David Oyelowo and Jared Leto stole the show for the dudes. Absolute fire flames suits.

John Travolta continues to be the biggest creep on the planet.

There were two separate mentions of suicide in thank you speeches, and that's two too many for my Oscars. 

The "Everything is Awesome" song from The Lego Movie is awesome.

Love Tegan and Sara. Or just this song maybe.

And the opening song by Neil Patrick Harris was great. Loved Anna Kendrick's part.

"And such happy endings, except for in Gone Girl when that lady slit your throaaaaat!" Absolutely hilarious line. Laughed out loud at that. 

Okay, I think that's enough. Long ass blog. I'll leave you with this though.

Just cause she didn't do anything noteworthy doesn't mean she still can't be one of the hottest chicks in the universe. Love Margot.

Miracle On Ice 35 Year Reunion

Today is the 35 year anniversary of the Miracle On Ice. One of the best days in USA's history and the most important in American Hockey. It's crazy to think that the captain of the team and the guy who scored the game winning goal quit hockey after that. Just hung em' up. No more. That's pretty impressive knowing that you peaked right there. USA winning this game during such a tough time in our country's history is incredible. Not only did these guys win this game but they did it on their home turf, right in Lake Placid. I still watch Miracle probably once a month and will never get sick of it. If you ask me, I think that the Miracle on Ice was the coolest moment in United States sporting history. This group of college players came together and beat a team of professional hockey players that were pretty much invincible. 

Every time I watch this video I get the chills. If you don't you're probably a communist. 

This is 500000% the best pre-game speech given all time. I get absolutely FIRED UP whenever I listen to this. I'm ready to run through a brick wall. 

You guys are playing like this is some throwaway game in Rochester 

"Wherever doesn't get me hit"

My personal favorite clip from the whole movie. 

Katy Perry Just Killing the Instagram Game While in Italy

So my girl Katy Perry is in Italy for her world tour, and she's visiting all the sites and tourist attractions. And just KILLING the Instagram game. Oh everyone else wants to act like they're holding the Leaning Tower of Piza? I'll just make it look like I'm sucking it. Everyone just takes normal pictures of the Statue of David? I'll just take a selfie and poke his balls. You can totally tell from the half faced smirk she's making that she's just giggling at David's dick and balls. It's like a "I'm taking a selfie with you, but I'd never in a billion years fuck you" smirk. Poor David. Biblical hero and Michelangelo makes a sculpture of him with a tiny dick and balls that haven't dropped yet. Unreal. Yeah good job on the statue Michelangelo, but maybe help a brotha out next time so everyone doesn't laugh at David's dick and balls for the rest of time.

P.S. I can only see one eye, half of her nose, half of her mouth and she's wearing a knitted winter hat but Katy Perry still looks so god damn hot. That one eye is just staring at me and it won't stop. 

U.S. Ski Team Makes an "Uptown Funk" Dance Video

Love it. Obviously a great song, pretty impossible to NOT start dancing when it comes on. The ski team's got some time on their hands. Why not make a video? Gotta love the team just having a blast together over there in Sweden. Sure, a few were lacking in rhythm but they're skiers and they're white. So I don't take points off for lack of rhythm. Just a buncha teammates having fun and I'm all for it. 

A couple highlights for me:

Love this chick in the Harry Styles hat just eating shit.

Obviously what she was going for. Love it.

And I love this dude on the escalator who dances with his hands.