Bruins stunned in Buffalo: Late game collapse renews questions regarding goalie Chad Johnson

When we look back on this game come the end of the year, it will be remembered not only because of the stunning Bruins collapse at its end but also because of the team that did the stunning. Fact is, the Bruins lost to the Buffalo Sabers Wednesday and though they were spectacular at times, a game tying goal with 43 seconds left in the 3rd period and then an OT winner by Buffalo 42 seconds into the sudden death period left a taste beyond sour in the mouths of Bruins fans.

As good as milestones like Brad Marchand's 20th goal, Chris Kelly's 5th goal and the solidification of the Bruins' ability to erase leads by opposing teams made the better part of this game fun, the end wiped away that all. This was not the way the Bruins wanted to resume NHL play and though the team could be blamed for the first 3 goals scored against them, it was their goalie that was at fault for the two goals that ultimately lost the game.  

Fact is this is at the very least the 3rd game that Chad Johnson has blew for the Bruins this season and though statistically, he is not that bad, Johnson has been a man who, all season long has simply botched saves that he really should have grabbed. The fact that he is so consistently inconsistent ought to be troubling to some Bruins fans and the team itself. One second he is absolutely robbing guys like he did in 4 straight games at the end of January and the beginning of February and another he is allowing goals like the infamous wrap around goal back in December vs. Buffalo or the two at the end at this game. 

Earlier this month, when Johnson was still flying high from his stellar month of January, Tuukka Rask eluded to the importance of having a good two man tandem in net. 

"It's huge for us," Rask said "You need two good goalies throughout the season, because the season is so long. With March coming up, it's going to be a crazy, crazy month, so you're going to need two goalies. It's been good to see him get into this groove and helping us get the wins." 

"His record speaks for itself," Julien said. "The way he played tonight, even though people are going to say he didn't get tested, we know that's as big of a challenge for a goaltender as any, especially when you're playing a team that has a lot of skill. He's been playing well. It's been great." 

But now, this game, goals like these remind us of how quickly things can change. 

After Boston drew even with the Sabers late in the 1st period, they were once again out played at the beginning of the second meaning that after a roughing call that was marginal at best, this Bruins penalty kill was put to the test by a very desperate Sabers team. Roughly 55 seconds into the man advantage, a hard slap shot in from the blue-line seemed to catch Johnson by surprise bouncing off his pad, around the net and onto the stick of Tyler Myers. Still lost in the crease and unsure of where the puck was, Johnson was easily beaten by the off balance wrist shot that put the Sabers ahead 2-1. 3 minutes later, he was beaten again, this time by yet another wrist shot lacking power or any redirections. 

Luckily for Boston, Johnson locked things down from then on holding off any further damage while the Bruins offence managed to chip away and eventually tie the game in the 3rd period. When Milan Lucic scored the Bruins' 3rd unanswered goal, the game seemed to have been won. But then the Sabers pulled their goalie and once again, Johnson let up. With the puck stuck back in the corner, Brad Marchand missed a check and allowed Matt Moulsen to swing around to the front of the net. When Chad Johnson fell into the butterfly, he failed to plant his legs and slid awkwardly away from the puck. Moulsen scored into the empty net and so, yet another mistake had cost the Bruins a chance at a sure 2 points. 22 seconds into overtime, the game would be over. 

That goal beat Johnson five whole upping his number of mistakes to 4. 4 shots that he should have turned aside and 4 shots that if he did so would have reversed the outcome of this game.

Bruins fans, Chad Johnson was never a long term fix for the Bruins situation in the backup goal tending slot and as games like these continue to pile up, they only further the possibility and meaby even likelihood that come next year, there will be a new man backing up Tuukka Rask. 

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28 Medals: A visual representation of the 28 medals the United States won in Sochi 2014

 Below is a visual representation of the 28 medals won by the United Stats Olympic Team at the Sochi Olympics in Russia.

GOLD MEDAL

SILVER MEDAL

BRONZE MEDAL

Sage Kotsenberg: Men's Snowboard Slopestyle, Hannah Kearney: Women's Moguls, Jamie Anderson: Women's Snowboard slopestyle Slopestyle, USA Figure Skating: Team Competition, Julia Mancuso: Women's Combined, Devin Logan: Women's Ski Slopestyle, Erin Hamlin: Women's Luge Singles, Kaitlyn Farrington: Women's Snowboard Halfpipe, Kelly Clark: Women's Snowboard Halfpipe, Joss Christensen: Men's Ski Slopestyle, Gus Kenworthy: Men's Ski Slopestyle, Nick Goepper: Men's Ski Slopestyle, Noelle Pikus-Pace: Women's Skelton, Matthaeu Antouane: Men's Singles Luge, Andrew Weibrecht: Men's Super G, Bode Miller: Men's Super G,  Meryl Davis and Charlie White: Pairs Ice Dancing, USA Two Man Bobsleigh Team: Two Man Bobsleigh, David Wise: Men's Ski Halfpipe, Alex Deibold: Men's Snowboard Cross, Ted Ligity: Men's Giant Slalom,USA Two Woman Bobsleigh: Two Women Bobsleigh, USA Two Woman Bobsleigh: Two Women Bobsleigh, Maddie Bowman: Women's Ski Halfpipe, USA Women's Hockey Team: Women's Hockey, Mikaela Shiffrin: Women's Slalom, USA Speed Skating: Men's 5,000 Meter Relay, USA 4 Man Bobsleigh: 4 Man Bobsleigh

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Canada's Gold Medal run in Sochi 2014 had Claude Jullian's fingerprints all over it: Why winning hockey might not always be 'fun' hockey

For many American hockey fans, the fact that this Canadian hockey team that did not dominate teams like USA did won the Gold medal this year feels unfair. But nevertheless, their lack of dominance, their teeth gritting, shot blocking all around grind it out style of play that earned them international hockey's number one prize for the second straight games was not accidental. 

The fact is that anybody who has watched Bruins hockey in the past 7 years knows this style well. Why? Because it is one pioneered and mastered by Bruins coach, Claude Jullian. After a period of Bruins history that saw the team go through 5 head coaches in 7 years, the team and their newly appointed GM, Peter Charelli came together prior to the 2007-2008 NHL season bent on finding a man who could bring long term leadership to this team in turmoil.  

Knowing that the number of times their fans would come back after playoff-less seasons was dwindling, they settled on a then 47 year old former player and journey man coach named Claude Jullian. Looking at his resume before Boston, Claude had already coached both the Montreal Canadians and New Jersy Devils but had proven to be a passive playoff coach and was actually fired from his Devils job before the team even gave him a chance in the postseason. But the Bruins saw something in him that they liked and it had to do not only with their team but the background Jullian brought with him. 

In hindsight while we do not really know why exactly he never fully clicked in his first two NHL jobs, a few fair speculations might include the fact that neither the early 2000's Canadians nor the 2006 Devils were teams with any interest in the defensive aspects of hockey. With guys like Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez, goal scoring was never a problem on the Devils in particular. But in the case Jullian, who spent his up and down 12 year hockey career as a defencemen, neither team was working to exploit his coaching experience.  

The Bruins however were different. At the time of the Jullian hiring, they were a team stacked with names tied to defensive dominance. Names like Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara and PJ Axelsson were some of the most talented. All three of those men were strong hitters and selfless players who loved to skate without the puck and were willing to take anything that came their way so long as it either prevented a goal for the other team or scored one for theirs. Because of these players, it did not take long for Claude to thrive in Boston. In just his first year with the team, he led them to the playoffs and 1 year after that, to their first division title since 2003. By 2009-2010, Claude had further skewed the Bruins draft and trade priorities in favor of defense and grit, picking up guys like Milan Lucic and Shawn Thornton and pushing March Reccie towards the more physical sort of game that he owned in his final years with Boston.

Even despite the crushing collapse his team suffered in 2009 against the Flyers in the playoffs, the Bruins liked where Jullian was taking the team and did not fire him following the season. With his job safe, Claude proceeded to push Peter Charillie towards a young man named Brad Marchand whom they would draft prior to 2010-2011. With one of the best Bruins teams in years assembled before him, Claude went all out that season nudging his team towards the path of fighting body checking and instilling a culture of 'defend your blue line' within his defenders that made breakaways a rare thing that Boston goalies would have to deal with. Everyone played rough that year, even Tim Thomas who not only fought Carey Price in the regular season but also reminded us that it is still legal for a goalie to deliver a body check. 

7 seasons into his NHL career, Claude Jullian has rebuilt the Bruins into that rough and tumble team nobody wants to play against. He has won 2 Conference titles, 1 Cup and now, and now he has won Olympic gold, but with another but similar team. 

Whether it be the Bruins or team Canada, Claude Jullian proved this year that he does not care who is players are so long as they are willing to do what he wants them to. With a Canadian team that included Sideny Crosby, Ryan Gestlaf and even John Tavares, many predicted them to win not by defense but instead by offence. Those people could not have been more wrong.  

On their way to winning all 6 of the games they played at the tournament, the Canadian men notched just 1 6 goal game and actually scored just 17 goals overall thus averaging less than 2.9 goals per game. If you exclude the 6 goal rout of Austria, than that average drops to 2.2 goals per game. But lucky for Canada, their offence was not the only part of their game that did not conform to pre-tournament expectations. Riding an unexpected goal-tending charge made by Carey Price and a phenomenal penalty kill, the Canadians allowed just 3 goals in the entire tournament not once letting a team score twice on them in the same game. 

Much like the Bruins, these Canadians forced players to the outside and worked with a selfless back checking unit. Additionally, their penalty kill shut down offences at a  100% clip and did not hide the fact that when it came to defense they went not to their head coach but instead to the 54 year old assistant to his left, Claude Jullian.  

All and all, Boston fans watched Team Canada win gold in Sochi this year and they saw a team that looked like theirs. Though other coaches like John Tortarella try to convince their teams to block shots to a ridiculous and reckless extent, Claude Jullian is a man who has begun to change the world of hockey in a way no one else has succeeded at. To him a win is a win and in his mind, the way to get that win is to pack it in and make teams afraid of playing against you. Now that style works in the long run as represented by Jullian's already being among the winningest coaches in Bruins history but it also sacrifices goals. It turns teams like these Canadians from ones who would love to win in track meet 6-4 games to one that wins in nail biting, maddening 1-0 finals. 

Honestly, Bruins fans have no right to complain about this man who has brought the Bruins back to a level of constant victory but for those outside of Boston, it may be smart to question the real undelying truths to how these games are won. Is this new, pack it in, win by 1 style of play really for the better hockey? 

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Top 5 homegrown moments of the 2014 Olympics: TJ Oshie, Bode Miller will be forever remembered

1) TJ Oshie's stellar shootout performance



Down two nothing going into the 3rd period, the United States not only came back to tie the game but survived through overtime and deployed TJ Oshie heavily in the shootout. After already taking 5 shots and scoreing on 3 of them, Oshie skated slowly in towards goal in the 8th round of the shootout and ripped home the goal that won the game.

In the immediate wake of the game, TJ Oshie was vaulted to superstar status and hailed as a national hero. Oshie however downplayed the praise by saying "the real heroes are whereing cameo"

2) Mikela Shiffren becomes youngest winner of slalom gold in history



Penciled in as the last run of the day, 18 year old Mikela Shiffren started down the Rosa Khutor course knowing that a good run would hand her Olympic gold. In a run that almost ended with a crash midway through, Shiffren navigated the tough slalom course faster than any other slalom skier in these games and became the youngest skier to win Olympic gold in the history of the sport.

3) Bode Miller's emotional and record setting Super G performance



Bode Miller, a skier who has made history with his daring and sometimes reckless mindset when tackling speed competitions came into Sochi knowing that these would be his final games before retirement. Having lost his brother to a freak seizure the year before, Miller however was a changed man from that wild skier of years past and yet what he still wanted more than any other was to win a medal in these games that would distinguish him as the greatest alpine skier in history.

That medal however would prove to be one of the hardest to win.

As we neared the final few days of these games, Bode Miller had just 1 legitimate chance left to win an Olympic medal and that chance took the form of Super G. With desperation running high, Miller survived a mistake filled 2nd run to tie for bronze and win the 6th medal of his career. His history will be remembered by many but what distinguished this moment from others was the crushing, tear filled post race interview that sparked much criticism for Christen Cooper and the NBC broadcast team.

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Failure in sucsess: A look at the United States' dominance when it comes to winning bronze in Sochi

In Sochi 2014, just 1 country has won more medals than the United States of America. The USA, having won 27 medals by the end of Saturday's events has been a mastermind of different trends these games some of which including a lack of distribution of medals throughout all events. Though they have dominated the sports of freestyle skiing (7 medals), snowboard (5 medals) and alpine skiing (5 medals), the US failed to medal in speed skating, flopped in their hockey tournaments when the lights were the brightest and was absolutely demolished in lesser sports such as ski jumping or curling. 

Additionally, these games were ones dominated by young or rookie Americans, namely Mikala Shiffren in slalom and Lolo Jones and Lauren Williams in bobsled.  

Yet through this all, one of the most peculiar trends was that regarding what color the USA's medals were. All and all, 11 of 27 medals were bronze. That translates out to roughly 40% of their haul earned as a result 3rd place finishes and their highest bronze medal percentage since 1988 in Calgary. That is 8 different games. 

Now for some, winning bronze is achievement enough. But at the same time, it can be treated as a consolation prize by others. It all depends on opinion and the number of outlets an athlete has to perform in and therefore it makes since why a bronze medal in hockey is treated as a table coaster and one in say moguls is treated like a key to lifelong prosperity. Good thing is that none of these 11 bronze medals have been won in hockey. 

As for the sports they have been won in included but not limited to sliding sports (bobsleigh, luge, skeleton), Super G skiing as well as freestyle skiing, one thing they all have in common is the appreciation for the work and sacrifice it took to win that medal.  

It is that self-respect and pride that I believe should be brought to all Olympic medal events and in cases like that of the 2014 men's hockey team it simply was not there. After the USA lost to Canada the day before, there was no interest in the bronze medal game against Finland and so, they lost. 

As we leave these games, we must look at this medal count and see the 11 3rd place finishes in the games not as a failure but as a true success and a testament that of all the millions of Olympic hopefuls and hundreds of actual Olympians, these bronze medalists were among the top 3. 

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Michael Sam addresses media at NFL combine: Wants to be known for his football abilities not his sexual orientation

Judging by common opinion, when Michael Sam appeared before a sea of reporters early Saturday morning at the NFL Scouting Combine, he presented as the normal, excited young NFL prospect that he is. 

The only nod to his sexuality that has dominated so many headlines since mid-February was small "Stand With Sam" patch on his combine gear. In a brief opening statement in which he referenced the patch, Sam said "I hope all you guys stand with Sam ... please do," Sam said. "I went to a basketball game against Tennessee, a very kind lady gave it to me. I gave her a hug, I got a lot of support out there." 

Since Sam's personality has begun to be documented by the media, he has shown himself to be a calm, positive man who has embraced the support and ignored the criticism sent his way since the announcement. Not once in his speaking with the media Saturday did he say anything negative or even questioning about, the league, its personnel or any comments made in regards to him or his sexual orientation. 

Instead he verbalized his wish that he be treated as if there is nothing different between him and the other prospects. To him, his name this week is simply DL 42, his combine jersey tag. He is thinking this way because just like all those other prospects, he is simply yet another man vying for a spot in the most prestigious Football League in the world. His being gay should have nothing to do with that. And yet he knows how much of a big deal this is. He is the first after all. 

"Heck yeah, I wish you guys would tell me, 'Michael Sam, how's football going?'" Sam said. "I would love for you to ask me that question, but it is what it is. And I just wish you guys would see me as Michael Sam, the football player, instead of Michael Sam, the gay football player."  

Additionally, Sam has also said on multiple occasions that he would be content with any team drafting them so long as they knew about his being gay. Having a team know about him before drafting him was something Sam said was key in his decision to come out. 

He repeated that when a reporter asked him what his reaction would be to a team like the Dolphins drafting him given their recent pattern of bullying. 

"If [the] Miami Dolphins drafted me, I would be excited to be a part of that organization," Sam said. "I'm not afraid about going into that environment. I know how to handle myself, I know how to communicate with my teammates, I know how to communicate with coaches ... and whoever I need to communicate with."

As for dealing with anyone who has a problem with him, Sam knows how to deal with them too. After he came out, he shared a story about how in high school a man used a racial slur to insult Sam. Sam immediately proceeded to respond angrily to the comment and reported the man to the school. 

As he moves into the NFL, his comfort with knowing how to build a relationship with coaches and other higher officials is something that makes you feel happy for him as he tackles this barrier against homosexual athletes head on. 

But he has not been drafted yet. Sam knows that, we all know that and so, how he performs in this upcoming NFL combine will be critical. But more so, he has already shown to the world his talents and judging by those alone deserves heavy consideration for a spot on any one of an NFL team's draft card. 

"I am not a GM, I do not have control over my draft status," Sam said. "All I can control is preparing myself to get the best scores out there ... I'm a pass rusher, if you put me in a situation to get the quarterback, I'm going to get the quarterback. Whoever the coaches, the GMs, this league is a passing league, I like to believe in myself as a good pass rusher." 

Michael Sam is a renowned SEC athlete who will go into this draft and hopefully next season looking to be the first gay man in the history of professional sports to log actual game time. 

In many progressive parts of the United States, he is already a hero and someone many hope to rally around and cheer on for years to come. 

**For more on Michael Sam click the Michael Sam tag below this article

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Beaten in Bronze: USA Men's Hockey falls 5-0 to Finland

Wow. Just wow. 

After mowing down nearly anyone who came in their way in the first week of the 2014 Men's Olympic Hockey Tournament, the goals charged United States failed so score a goal in their second straight game falling 5-0 to Finland in a lackluster Bronze Medal game. 

All and all, disappointment was a common theme within the world of USA Hockey. 

"I'm kind of embarrassed where we're at now," Ryan Suter said to an ESPN outlet following the game. Patrick Kane seemed more displeased with his own play than anyone else. "Just didn't really capitalize on anything," he said, mainly referencing not one but two penalty shots he failed to convert on. 

"Whether it was confidence or not getting enough chances, who really knows at the end of the day. I thought I had opportunities. ... You think you're in three times against the goaltender alone and hopefully you could score a couple of times out of that. It just wasn't meant to be."

To sum up all that anger and discontent, David Backus said "They played hard and taught us a real good lesson for 60 minutes,". 

Especially in the 2nd and 3rd periods of the game, Finland played the role of college lecturer, schooling the US team in the most embarrassing of ways. After they held off the Red White and Blue power play twice and then stuffed a Patrick Kane penalty shot all in the first period, this defense/goalie oriented Finnish team came out in the 2nd period and proceeded to storm Johnathan Quick and his noncommittal defense. As a result of their scoring twice in a span of 11 seconds at the start of the period, the Finns had blown the game wide open before the United States had time to even comprehend what hit them. And yet once the reality of the quick change in the game's complexion sunk in, still nothing changed. Once again, Kane was stuffed on the penalty shot and once again, the Finland defense stood tall in the face of adversity, limiting the USA's chances and owning the neutral zone. 

At the same time, Tuukka Rask's 27 saves for his team went a long way towards providing them with the security to go on the offensive especially in the 3rd period. In true dominant fashion, the United States was out shot in the final 20 minutes by a margin of 9-5. Though he has been great throughout the tournament, Johnathan Quick stopped just 6 of those 9 shots and finished his 2014 Olympics undoubtedly dealing with a bit more of a sour taste in his mouth than the rest of it. No matter what kind of shots you are facing, allowing 3 goals in a period, 3 goals on 9 shots is never a good thing. 

But regardless, Dan Bylsma stood by his disheveled goalie during the post-game mob scene.  

"Absolutely not second-guessing the decision to go with Quick in net," U.S. coach Dan Bylsma said. "He was our best player in the semifinal game. He was excellent again tonight. He made five, six or seven excellent saves in the first half of this game. And no, I did not consider pulling him as the game went to four and five."

Quick finishes his Olympics with a record of 3-2. 

But enough of that, enough of this negativity. Contrary to the mood in USA hockey right now, someone did win this game and it just was not us. 

The fact is that a Bronze medal for Finland is not a consolation prize, it is a legitimate prize. Honestly, this game, even after what happened against Canada the day before was one favored to swing in the direction of the US so therefore, Finland's winning from this underdog position that has followed them all tournament long has to feel pretty good. 

As for their captain, Teemu Selanne, this feels even better than pretty good. He has repeatedly said that he will retire come season's end and seeing as his team, the Anaheim Ducks will likely not be able to compete with postseason juggernauts, Chicago, Boston or Pittsburgh, this may be the last big win for the embattled NHL vet. He has now won 4 Olympic medals (3 bronze, 1 silver) and has been the staple of this Finland national team for over a decade. No doubt, his team would have loved to at least get into the Gold medal game but regardless, it cannot be understated how much this really is an accomplishment for them. 

Selanne knows that. 

"It was just something special," he said. "I'm so proud."

His coach echoed similar praise. 

"Maybe this was his last game for national team and as a captain," said Erkka Westerlund. "It was excellent game to finish."

A little less than 2 weeks after it first started down its path to Olympic domination, this band of NHL players driven by patriotism to represent their country on the international level has put us through quite a bit. With all the ups and downs, the goals, the TJ Oshie orchestrated moments, we cheered and yet when the hardened veterans who have all been here before jumped in the way of the USA and said 'we will not lose' these men conceded. 

As for what happens next, well, were back to North America to begin the feverish string of competition that stems from teams pushing towards a much bigger prize than Olympic gold: the Stanley Cup. 

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Thoughts on the Ray Rice arrest: Proof that the NFL has bigger problems than a gay man in their lockeroom

Close to 9 months after Aaron Hernandez's name first surfaced in connection with the murder of Odin Lloyd, the list of NFL players who have been arrested in the past few years continues to grow. The most recent addition to that list involved a knockout punch, a TMZ video, a fiancé and a struggling running back who plays for the Baltimore Ravens.  

For those who do not have not heard, that above intro may be a little confusing so I will state the focus of this article plainly. Earlier this week, Ray Rice was arrested by Atlantic City police and pegged with an alleged assault of his fiancée. Within just a few hours of that arrest, that pesky web page called TMZ had dug up a security film that showed Rice dragged his limp companion out of an elevator. The film also showed, a security guard approaching and detaining Rice. 

So now what. 

Rice will likely be charged with assault and if so will also be handed close to a year or even more of jail time. Once he comes back the NFL might also impose some justice of their own by either fining or suspending Rice for even longer. But what we also know is that Ray Rice who finished this season aged just 27 will return to the NFL and will, like far too many NFL criminals earn many more millions in contract money once he does so. 

This has become a pattern in the NFL and frankly, this particular fan is beginning to fell disgusted at what has happened. Within the house I live in, it has been strongly instilled in me that someone who makes as much money as these players do should show they deserve it by not only playing with a drive built around selflessness and complete devotion but more importantly living as moral citizens off the field. While definition on what the latter part of that really may differ (one example of this was whether or not David Ortiz' This is Our City speech was justified), what there is no argument on is that being a moral citizen at the very minimum means abiding by straightforward laws such as "don't kill anyone" or "don't punch anyone". 

Is that too hard. 

Apparently yes. 

Between the Aaron Hernandez case last year, Ray Lewis roughly 10 years before that, OJ Simpson even earlier and then Deon Sanders around the same time, football players cannot seem to keep their hands to themselves and are going around killing each-other at a rate much higher than most other people making 10 million dollars a year.  

But this is a story that has already been told. We have already been read the stats on how often these players get arrested. So to make sure that this arrest, this attack frankly is not something that fades away and becomes something someone Ray Lewis might someday erase from his past, I want to use this as a jumping off point not only to call out the actions of Ray Lewis but also to expose the true absurdity of the beliefs harbored by many within the NFL.  

When Michael Sam came out as being gay earlier this month, the shock-waves of his announcement spread quickly. While Jason Collins was the first active player to come out as gay last summer, the timing of Sam's announcement put the NFL in an interesting position. In this league where there had already been little whispers of players not being drafted because of their sexual orientation that had filtered through the headlines, the thought of such a promising player coming through the draft was interesting. But it was what happened next, what happened in the ensuing media storm invoked by hundreds of reporters looking to get the top story turned up countless supportive and a few aggravating quotes. 

In this case it was those that aggravated the reader that drew the strongest reactions. 

"The question you will ask yourself, knowing your team, is, ‘How will drafting him affect your locker room?'" an unidentified GM said to the MMQB's Peter King "And I am sorry to say where we are at this point in time, I think it’s going to affect most locker rooms. A lot of guys will be uncomfortable. Ten years from now, fine. But today, I think being openly gay is a factor in the locker room.”

On this blog alone, I took serious offence to that quote and ripped it apart in my post on the subject. 

Additionally, just a few days before Michael Sam came out, Saints linebacker, Johnathan Vilma said to the Huffington Post said that he  "think[s] that he [a gay football player] would not be accepted as much as we think he would be accepted. I don't want people to just naturally assume, like, 'Oh, we're all homophobic.' That's really not the case. Imagine if he's the guy next to me and, you know, I get dressed, naked, taking a shower, the whole nine, and it just so happens he looks at me. How am I supposed to respond?" 

Well for one a quote like that makes it seem like a gay man working in the professional setting that an NFL lockeroom is, lacks the personal restraint of anyone else and that is simply not true. But also when you expand the subject of that quote out into the whole idea of locker room security and comfort, one who has followed the league at any point in its existence has watched the violent patterns of many of players. 

While I guarantee you that Michael Sam would never cause a problem in a lockerroom because of anything regarding his sexual orientation, guys like Richie Incognito and all those participate in hazing of rookies will and already have caused problems. More so, I personally would like to ask Johnathan Vilma, how would you feel if you were showering next Ray Lewis and he stabbed you, how would you feel if you were showering next to Ray Rice and he knocked you out cold? 

Most people would rather deal with the nonexistent chance of Michael Sam looking at them than someone turning around and physically harming them.  

The conclusion most people would draw from that is that the NFL has bigger problems than having a gay man in their locker room. The alleged Ray Rice assault is proof of that. 

All and all, it is time for the NFL to tackle this thing head on (no pun intended). They need to suspended Ray Rice for a period of time and derails his career to an honest extent that his actions warrant and as for Michael Sam, the NFL's players coaches and GM's just need to give it up. There will be a gay man in the NFL before long and even if it is not Michael Sam it will be someone else. 

It is time for these players to just deal with that an focus more on the fact that the player next to them may have killed, punched or otherwise harmed another human being. 

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Dominance ended: Canada holds off revenge bid by USA and advances to gold medal game again Sweeden

In a run of dominance we all hoped for but secretly did not believe could happen, the United States hockey team came into their semifinal game against Canada with redemption on their mind and a thirst for vindication surging through their veins. In any game where the winner would be vaulted into the gold medal game, intensity would be high. The fact that USA's opponent in this game would be Canada only hiked that intensity up to an even more astronomical level. 

“The intensity is going to be in my opinion just as high as if it’s a gold medal game,” USA forward Zach Parise said prior to the game. 

19 times now these two teams have met in Olympic play and in each of the 18 games before the one today, there has always been a certain kind of rivalry, built on the sorrows of defeat and a general dislike for the other team that is unanimous throughout each lockeroom. Going back, through the last 15 years alone, the USA and Canada have met twice in gold medal games. Each time Canada has won. 

But in 2014, things had been a little different. This United States team had made some of the best in the tournament look foolish as they not only roller over teams like Slovakia, Slovenia and Latvia but also demolished the now gold medal game bound Swedish team back in group play. And yet, perhaps their biggest, most stunning wins came in a shootout deemed by many as one of the best in the history of hockey. Riding TJ Oshie's clutch scoring, the United States ousted the home team Russians late in an 8 round shootout.  

Coming into their semifinal game with Canada, the United States had outscored their opponents 20-6 an had been explosive in literally every single facet of their game and with the exception of the Russia game had never really struggled to churn out a win. 

Canada however had taken a path to this semifinal game that involved much more nail-biting and frustrated yelling for its fans. This team that was laden with the scoring talent of some of the best players in the league had just barely got past Latvia in its quarterfinals game. Through their group and quarterfinals play had scored just 13 goals. Statistically speaking Canada was underperforming.  

Fact is, USA was favored by many to win today and when they did not, there was disappointment back home. Though they were not out-shot by that big a margin, the United States lost focus, got too caught up in the revenge factor and in the end seemed to kind of give up. 

In what would eventually turn out to be an intense goaltending battle, Johnathan Quick simply made 1 less save than Cary Price and that was the difference in this game. Midway through the 2nd period, Jay Bowmeister took the puck off the boards just behind the top of the circle and fired a pinpoint wrist shot slightly to the left of Quick. If the puck stayed on its course, the shot would rattle wide of the net but as Quick committed to trying to glove it, Jamie Benn stuck a tremendous tip in the puck and spiked what would be the game winning goal into the back of the net.  

From there, Cary Price stood tall and simply stopped pucks. 38 minutes after the goal, the game was over and so, the United States will be forced to settle for bronze at best. 

Though a medal of any sort is still something to be celebrated, winning a bronze like they likely will tomorrow against Finland will feel more like a consolation prize rather than a major achievement. 

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Cursing at Boston not for Boston: David Ortiz's comments about his contract and those to critisize them are beginning to feel like betrayal

After taking his city on his back last season, David Ortiz assembled one of the best statistical campaigns of his career. Just a few months after that campaign ended with Ortiz' hitting .684 in the World Series and winning the title of series MVP, he has asked the team to extend his current contract an additional year. 

Yet as we are now more than a few weeks removed from the start of this debacle that has since spilled into a spot where it is a major talking point down in spring training, it really is getting old. To give some background, David Ortiz was first signed to the Red Sox back in January of 2003. It would be 8 years in which the Red Sox spent upwards of 80 million dollars before the subject of Papi's contract ever came up again. 

But unfortunately for the Red Sox front office, something changed prior to that 2012 season in which that 8 year span of complacency ran out. Ortiz had since blossomed into a role as one of the best designated hitters in the game and had cemented a spot for himself within the middle portion of the Red Sox batting order. On a nearly annual basis, Ortiz had come up all aces at just the right time for his team as all and all, the 15 postseason home runs hit in his first 8 years with Boston tell the whole story. 

He was granted free agency for the first time as a Red Sox following the 2011 season.

While it took less than a month for the Red Sox to recognize that resign their star DH, Ortiz was sort of like a little kid, learning that with a little well placed whining he could goose a few extra years and an extra million dollars here or there out of this team that had nurtured him to his current spot as a hall of fame caliber DH.  

They added 2 million dollars to his 2012 salary but only inked 1 year of that contract. That meant that 1 year later, even after seeing his season ended prematurely due to a bizarre achilles injury, Ortiz was whining again and this time, the Red Sox gave in not to his desire for more money but this time to his desire for more years. Ortiz signed a 2 year 29 million dollar contract where the second year was labeled as a club option to either retain or drop him. Once again Ortiz seemed satisfied with the deal and yet, as we go into that 2nd year of the deal once again he is vocal. 

While the Red Sox not invoking the club option is not something that has ever been considered, Ortiz who will turn 39 shortly after this season has good reason to begin to worry about his future as a ball player. Even in baseball where players generally have the capabilities to play a bit longer than they would in other sports, 39 years is pretty old. Additionally, if you look at this Red Sox roster, they are not a team devoid of power. Mike Napoli crushed 28 home runs last year and fell just 8 RBI's short of 100. Johnny Gomes led the league in pinch hit home runs and at 6-1, 230 pounds he is certainly a man who could develop into a prime power threat. Ortiz knows that if he suddenly hits say 15 home runs and bats in 60 scores, he will not be getting resigned and will likely be forced into retirement.  

Why retirement you may say. Well the fact of the matter is that 40 years after it was first instated, the value of the DH has decreased. In this day and age, the position is used more as a half day off for players than an actual weapon in a batting order. Though we have been spoiled since 2003 when Papi came to town, it is not unusual for a DH to bat sub .200 and hit single digit home runs. For reasons like these, much of the American League has grew wary of designated hitters regardless of the history they bring with them. For reasons like these, Boston may be the only destination for David Ortiz if he wants to stay in the big leagues for any period of time past 2014. 

But judging by Ortiz's words this week, he either does not recognize that or simply does not care. 

“I just want people to stop talking to me about that,” Ortiz told the Boston Herald earlier this week. “When you put up numbers like I’m putting up, who’s thinking about retiring, know what I’m saying? People keep on asking me, how long do you want to play? When are you going to retire? Dude, look at my numbers. I ain’t planning on retiring right now. When I slow down, then I’ll retire.”

Arrogant? Yeah a little, but it gets worse. 

“I don’€™t even know why they’€™re [expletive] about me talking about contracts,” he said. “Guys putting up my numbers, they’€™re making 25 million, 30 million. I’€™m not asking for that. I’€™m asking for half of it. And they’€™re still [expletive] about it? [expletive] them. I’€™m tired of hearing them talk [expletive] about me when I talk about my contract. Hey, every time I talk about my contract, I earn it, [expletive]. So don’€™t be giving me that [expletive].” 

Instead of  the "this is our [expletive] city" speech which in its own right drew some criticism, David Ortiz has said just said "F you"to his fans and that is something that will draw criticism across the board. 

But back to the general topic of this all, the request for more cash. 

Why is he asking for more? Well, we do not really know. 

What we do know is that it takes a lot of forgiveness coupled with probably a bit of undeserved tolerance on the part of the Red Sox to grind their way through this on what has become a near annual basis. 

It seems mean, unfitting that this is how David Ortiz decided to follow up his MVP performance last October. But more so it makes some of what Big Papi has said in his time with Boston seem as if it has been fake. Last April when Ortiz took the city on his back, his support, his words seemed like more than just those of a journey man without much connection to the team and the city that paid and cheered for him. We knew...we thought that this was a man who loved Boston through and through and yet when he says things like he has this past week, his cursing at Boston not for Boston has begun to feel like betrayal. 

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3 men without a flag: The story of India at the 2014 Olympic Games

In the United States of America, we are a nation tied deeply to this sense of national pride and patriotic independence that won us the rights to our own land almost 250 years ago. From the days where musket-balls and bayonets helped defend these borders to these days where drones and surgical missiles help defend democracy and human rights across the globe, those who salute the stars and stripes and those who were that flag on their arm and place camouflage across their chest are hailed in this nation as true heroes. While scoring a goal for your country cannot be compared to taking a bullet for your country, the American pride continues into more trivial forms of patriotic representation such as the Olympics or most other international competitions.

In situations like these, the United States Olympic Committee recruits hundreds of athletes and spends millions of dollars to house, pay and otherwise support athletes in tens of different disciplines ranging from skiing, to lugeing to sprinting and soccer playing in the Summer Games. Frankly, this committee does not gain much money from these games in fact in several cases in the past they have actually suffered serious losses financially and yet they have never wavered in their commitment to their athletes, their sport and the pride they gain by driving a man or women of American blood to Olympic success.

For 118 years it has been this way. For 118 years the Stars and Stripes have been a feared precursor to Olympic defeat of anyone who stands in their path and so for 118 years, medals have been won, records have been broken and millions upon millions of dollars have been poured forth in order to pay for thousand dollar bobsleds, hundred dollar skies and 50 foot row boats that weigh close to nothing. In these 118 years, that devoted behind the scene work has brought 2670 different medals in the summer and winter games as well as a combined 1071 gold medal wins in the 48 games this country has sent atheleats to.

Though the US could probably get away with spending less money on their athletes, they support then, praise them and celebrate their accomplishments with the utmost enthusiasm.

Unfortunately even in nations with the resources to duplicate that, there is no support whatsoever. The relationship of India to its 2014 Olympic athletes and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that governs them is a perfect example of that negligence.

After it was founded in 1927, the Indian Olympic Association struggled to produce real contenders in any of the competitions it entered and has actually never won multiple gold medals at one Olympics. Overall, they have won just 9 gold medals and 26 all time. But as bad as things were, what has happened in this lead-up to Sochi 2014 has been dubbed by many within the very small Indian sports community as the biggest disgrace in the history of Indian sports.

Fact is, the anatomy of that disgrace has unfolded over just a few years and yet, for those involved with it has been hopelessly embarrassing. Beginning in December of 2012, a sudden intervention of the IOC into the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was initiated as a result of the IOA's hiring of officials who were facing various charges of corruption. Seeing as they are most surely situated as a highly powerful committee in the sports world, the IOC came in and basically said that they do not like corrupt people working in any group under their jurisdiction. As these charges unfolded and began to seem more and more real, an additional crime on the part of the IOA was brought to the attention of the IOC. That being that India had failed to comply with the IOC's hiring standards of background checks, democratic voting and consultation with the IOC before any contracts were signed.

As a result of all of these infractions, the IOC announced on December 4th 2012 that the Indian Olympic Association had been suspended.  As a result of that, the IOA would not receive any support or inclusion in the Olympics until it complied with the written code and the ban was lifted. Unfortunately, as we learned earlier in these games in an article published by Samanth Subramanian for the New Yorker this ban has punished more people than just those directly involved in the scandal.

So long as the IOA did not fairly elect new officials, those who it sent to Sochi 2014 would not be allowed to do so under the flag of their home country. Instead they would compete under a meaningless white flag emblazoned with the 5 iconic "Olympic Rings".

I say meaningless because to each of the 3 "independent athletes" that India sent to these games, it was.

Shiva Keshavan, a man hailed as the greatest India winter athlete in history verbalized that feeling. 

“This has been so demoralizing,” Keshavan, said over Skype. “It must be one of the greatest humiliations in the history of Indian sports.”

Keshavan has 2 other unrepresented Indian teammates competing with him, one being alpine skier: Himanshu Thakur and the other being cross counters skier: Nadeem Iqbal. Though neither Thakur or Iqbal have spoken publicly about their thoughts on the suspension and the ensuing nomination as an independent delegation, it has been proven that in the rather tumultuous history of people competing as independent athletes, there has been very little pride and quite a bit of discontent

But there is something else that makes this suspension sting just a little bit more for these Indians.

"Unless your discipline of choice is cricket," Wrote the New Yorker's Samanth Subramanian in that same article mentioned before, "India is no country for athletes. Infrastructure is scant, government support is provided grudgingly, and sports associations are rife with politicking."

Of course, India is a nation that lies on relatively the same latitude as Florida and deals with the same heat plus some to the American resort state. However unlike Florida and the nation it is a part of, it does not relish any kind of obsession with any sport whatsoever. 

“I’ve never seen our officials prioritize Indian sports or Indian athletes at all,” Shiva said.  

Fact is for Shiva, he is a man unknown to anybody within much of India. Though he has won multiple luge distinctions and is a record holder among Asian lugers, Shiva is feeling the effects of there being no luge tracks whatsoever in his home country and has gone to great lengths to train anyway. Having made 5 trips to the Olympics, Shiva has on several occasions used a modified sled to race down a mountain highway. Additionally, once he had finished his training, Shiva was told that even though he had qualified for the games, the IOA would not provide him with the money to go and go or even buy a luge sled. Instead he would have to raise that on his own. 

Shiva opened a fundraising site through a generic NGO and actually managed to raise close to 16,000 US dollars to compensate the Indian government for the fare. 

For him, competing independently was just another thing on the list of reasons for unhappiness.  

All and all, it is not just Americans who feel pride in representing their country on such a grand stage as the Olympics and as strange as it seems, no matter how much pain and neglect the nation of India has dealt its athletes, their harshest ailment is that caused by the lack of a meaningful flag tied to their name as it associates to these games. 

In blood and breath, these men are Indian but in the score sheet and in the eyes of an onlooker uneducated in the politics of why independent competitors are labeled as such they are without a flag. 

The Independent Delegation

Luge: Shiva Keshavan

Cross Country Ski: Nadem Iqbal

Alpine Skiing: Himanshu Thakur 

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