Vote On The NHL's Best Logo!

Make your voice heard! Whether you're the world's biggest hockey fan, or you've never watched a game, go place your vote for the NHL's best logo!

The Lightning's New Logo?!

Could it be? Has the Lightning's new logo been leaked? Read more.

New Sharks Logo Coming July 24

Thought this was interesting. The San Jose Sharks announced today that they'll be unveiling a new logo on July 24. They're calling it an "update" to the current emblem. They will also introduce new secondary marks. One would think the shark fin is gone.

You can read more about it here.

Incidentally, the Lightning haven't made an official announcement, but St. Pete Times Lightning beat writer Damian Cristodero said that the Bolts will also be "updating" the logo and will unveil it some time this summer. I can't wait!

Your Lucky Day

So today is 07/07/07 and that makes it your lucky day because yes, I am writing again. Bad joke.

Anyway, a lot's happened lately, especially with regard to my Bolts. It's funny. I find I actually keep up with team news not through the official web site or local papers, but rather the Boltsmag blog. Thank god for it, right?

The Lightning have signed on a few free agents this week, most notably Chris Gratton and Brad Lukowich. Maybe we can one day bring back Cullimore and Sydor and try to recapture that Stanley Cup experience. No, but seriously, those are a couple of good guys. I can't complain.

Then there's the guys who left. Eric Perrin signed with Atlanta much to the irritation of Coach Torts. It's not surprising. The coaching staff put in a lot of work with him. I know he sees a better opportunity with the Thrashers but he hasn't been in this league that long. He's got plenty of years ahead of him, so why rush? Anyway, I'll like him until the first time he scores a goal against us.

Ruslan Fedotenko who we all knew would not be returning in a Lightning sweater signed with the New York Islanders. I don't know if that was such a wise choice for them as they've been pretty well gutted last week. Ryan Smyth signed with the Avs for one thing. Maybe Feds will once again start playing the way he did for us in 2004. That's what the Isles will need.

And of course Cory Sarich took off for Calgary. I don't really have anything to say on that. I figured he'd leave. Nolan Pratt could be next. I wonder if Sheldon Souray would be a possibility for the blue line. Last I heard he's still available and we still need to shore up the defense.

Last thing for this post. Is Kevin Weekes crazy or does he just like the view from the bench? (I guess the Rangers didn't play him much for that matter.) Or did Brodeur's foibles during the playoffs scare Lou Lamoriello? Either way, No. 80 is now a Devil.

I Need To Get Back To Writing

Seriously. A lot has been going on lately. Perrin and Sarich have disappeared. Kariya and Hamrlik and Smyth and Gomez and the Buffalo co-captains all have new teams. And god only knows who else! It's just crazy. And the Lightning signed Michel Ouellet. I want to write about all of these things if for no other reason than that I'm writing again. The Tournament is going great, though I don't feel enough people are checking it out, but too many interesting things are going on to just ignore them.

So this week, pinky swear. I'll have my commentary. You aren't required to read it. I wouldn't force that on anybody. But it'll be here. Right now, I'm very tired. This is a late hour for someone who's up at 2 AM. Gotta be to work at 4. TV shows don't produce themselves you know. If you happen to live in southwest Florida, check out FOX 4 Rising tomorrow morning. I'll be the guy running the audio board.

Until we meet again.

Go Visit The Tournament Blog!

Dude, where have I been? I'll tell you where I've been. The NHL Tournament of Logos is where. I'm going to be pretty consumed by that for a while, so unless you feel like reading the archives here, I suggest you head over there. I'll get back to writing on a regular basis here when there's something to write about. For now, it's all about the logo tournament, people! Get on with it!

This Isn't Looking Good...

I've just come across what appears to be the Capitals' new uniform and logo. Just so you know, they aren't scheduled to officially unveil until Friday so this could very well be someone having fun with Photoshop... but whatever the case, say it ain't so.

Bolts Nab Gratton & Hlavac

A lot has happened in the last few days for my Bolts so I feel behooved to mention it here. For the third time, the Lightning have acquired Chris Gratton. We traded a draft pick to get him so I was at least happy to hear we didn't have to lose anybody for him.

I don't know, though. I haven't been following his career since he left the Bolts (the second time) so I can't say with any certainty whether this will be a good thing or a bad thing. It's just a thing right now, as far as I'm concerned. We'll find out this fall how well he meshes with the championship-caliber team. He only played for Tampa Bay when we sucked. Back in those days.

Then we signed Jan Hlavac who's been playing in Europe the past few years. His only full-length NHL seasons — and there were two — were played with the New York Rangers but he's also donned the uniform of the Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks and Carolina Hurricanes. Maybe we can finally put some scoring lines together outside of Vinny's.

My fear is that Jay Feaster is making these deals in preparation for something bad — like the departure of one of the core guys. Notice I'm not using any names for fear of jinxing it.

Anyway, I think Gratton and Hlavac are nice additions but their forwards. With Cory Sarich likely leaving, I think we could probably stand to pick up a defenseman or two.

But whatever, I'm not the GM. I'll let him do his job and just cheer on my team.

More Posts Coming... Plus The Tournament!

Naturally, when I started this blog I meant to be writing every day or so. But that was at the height of the television and hockey seasons. Still, by no means do I intend to stop. But I just bought a new toy. As shown below.



So I have Nintendo DS now and a couple of Mario games I can't seem to stop playing.

Still, I do plan to have more posts in the coming weeks. About lots of stuff... mostly hockey and television-related, of course. In the meantime, don't forget about the start of the NHL Tournament of Logos! It began on Tuesday and there are new matches posted every single day. Head on over and keep up with your favorite team and/or logo.

Deal With It

Hockey Is Not Over Yet!

My dear hockey fan friends, I know that the Stanley Cup has been awarded, but this summer that does not mean the hockey season is over. In fact, far from it. I know I've mentioned it before, but we're now just three days away from the start of the NHL Tournament of Logos.

We're going to be holding a one-of-a-kind marathon competition this summer to determine which NHL team truly has the best logo. There will be stiff competition — and not so stiff competition. But all I can tell you is that it will be a blast. So head on over to the tournament blog and start reading up on what will be going down when Tuesday rolls around. It's going to be exciting stuff!

That's all for now. Let me know what you think — even if you think it's stupid.

Jericho WILL Be Back!

It's true. As you may have heard by now — or you didn't since you were in a coma — the previously canceled CBS series "Jericho" has gotten a fan-forced reprieve. I can hardly believe it myself. But don't take my word for it. Take Nina Tassler's. She's the president of CBS after all.

June 6, 2007
To the Fans of Jericho:

Wow!

Over the past few weeks you have put forth an impressive and probably unprecedented display of passion in support of a prime time television series. You got our attention; your emails and collective voice have been heard.

As a result, CBS has ordered seven episodes of “Jericho” for mid-season next year. In success, there is the potential for more. But, for there to be more “Jericho,” we will need more viewers.

A loyal and passionate community has clearly formed around the show. But that community needs to grow. It needs to grow on the CBS Television Network, as well as on the many digital platforms where we make the show available.

We will count on you to rally around the show, to recruit new viewers with the same grass-roots energy, intensity and volume you have displayed in recent weeks.

At this time, I cannot tell you the specific date or time period that “Jericho” will return to our schedule. However, in the interim, we are working on several initiatives to help introduce the show to new audiences. This includes re-broadcasting “Jericho” on CBS this summer, streaming episodes and clips from these episodes across the CBS Audience Network (online), releasing the first season DVD on September 25 and continuing the story of Jericho in the digital world until the new episodes return. We will let you know specifics when we have them so you can pass them on.

On behalf of everyone at CBS, thank you for expressing your support of “Jericho” in such an extraordinary manner. Your protest was creative, sustained and very thoughtful and respectful in tone. You made a difference.

Sincerely,

Nina Tassler

President, CBS Entertainment


P.S. Please stop sending us nuts

See? It just goes to show — CBS cares.

No really, though, this is the biggest of wins for television fans when it comes to rallying behind quality shows that meet an all too early demise. A few weeks ago, when it first happened, I wrote a few posts about it — how annoying it was that a network would allow a series to write a cliffhanger finale then choose not to renew it for another season.

A lot of fans agreed and so began the campaign of shipping peanuts — a joke only "Jericho" viewers would truly understand — to CBS to convince them they weren't a minority voice. And by god it worked!

In an unrelated story, fans of the recently canceled "Veronica Mars" plan to inundate The CW with Mars bars. No, I'm dead serious.

Ducks Win Stanley Cup!

If you haven't heard already...

THE ANAHEIM DUCKS HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP!



I'm sorry to all the Senators fans out there who thought your team had a chance. But I warned you, didn't I?



That'll teach your guys to tinker with fate. GO DUCKS!

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 42

It all ended tonight! The Anaheim Ducks carried the Stanley Cup before a thrilled home crowd — just like my Bolts did three years ago. I had to sleep through it, sadly, what with having to work at 4 AM and such. But it was on NBC and I hear it was unbelievable.

Ducks 6, Senators 2
Ducks win series 4-1
All right so the Anaheim Ducks didn't just win Game 5 to clinch the Stanley Cup, they almost completely slaughtered and totally embarrassed the Ottawa Senators to do so. The Sens didn't help their case either, by making bad plays, taking stupid penalties and all around playing not like their season depended on it. The worst thing was Chris Phillips pulling a Steve Smith in the second period by deflecting the puck off his own goalie and into the net — not that it was entirely his fault. Way to be on your game there, Ray Emery.

So here's your recap. Andy McDonald got things off to a swell start for Anaheim notching a power play goal less than four minutes in. Rob Niedermayer made it 2-0 by the end of the first period. His brother would later be named the playoff MVP and carry home the Conn Smythe. Daniel Alfredsson scored twice in the second hoping to heal the wounds. Unfortunately for him and the Sens, that was the period of Phillips' mishandled puck. Plus Francois Beauchemin scored to give the Ducks back the two-goal lead going into period three. Jean-Sebastian Giguere kept the puck out of the net for the final 20 minutes of the NHL season while Travis Moen and Corey Perry scored the 5th and 6th Duck goals.

I think it's also worth noting that while the Ducks did score six times, it wasn't like Emery had to face a barrage of shots all night. He saw 18 — and stopped only 12. Not very impressive. I also think it's interesting that Teemu Selanne won his first Cup after 14 seasons while making no mark on the scoresheet and finishing the night a minus-1 — not even a shot on goal for the guy.



Photos: ESPN.com

Chip Eats His Birthday Cake

Chip Eating Birthday Cake from Chris on Vimeo

Read this post and you'll understand.

Chip Turns 1

Our dog's birthday was today. He's now a year old. And yes, if you do the math, you'll realize he was indeed born on 06/06/06. I call him our devil dog. But it's cool because yesterday was my birthday — that's why I didn't post anything. Too busy celebrating — er, sleeping.

Anyway, to celebrate Chip's birthday we got him a cake from a local pet bakery — yes, there is such a thing. It was apple and cheddar cheese flavored. He loved it, of course. And if you're at all interested in seeing more pictures from his little party, you can check them out at Flickr.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 41

So the Senators have dug themselves out a two-game hole, only to find themselves back in the same hole after Game 4. It was a close one though, but I see fire in Anaheim's eyes that Ottawa seems to lack. And we know what that means. This series could be over on Wednesday. Will the Ducks take the Cup or the Sens live to fight at least another day?

Ducks 3, Senators 2
Ducks lead series 3-1
Things were looking pretty good for the Senators from the outset. A strong first period culminated in a true last-second goal on the power play. But the Ducks responded to Daniel Alfredsson's goal midway through the second period. Andy McDonald scored twice in the span of 60 seconds. But Dany Heatley managed to tie the score with just two minutes to go. Then Dustin Penner scored just four minutes into the third in what would turn out to be the game-winner for Anaheim. And that's that. The Senators should be worried. The Ducks now have 15 of 16 wins necessary to claim the '07 Stanley Cup. That 16th is in sight? Can they nab it on Wednesday night or will Ottawa force a Game 6? We're on pins and needles.

Photo: ESPN.com

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 40

Like all the Versus promos keep saying, it's do or die time — in this case for the Ottawa Senators. A loss tonight would have put the Ducks a mere win away from raising the Cup. Instead, the Sens took advantage of the shift back to Canada's capital tonight. They got the home crowd behind them and didn't let them down.

Senators 5, Ducks 3
Ducks lead series 2-1
As I expected, the Ducks scored first as Andy McDonald notched a power play tally. But then also as I expected, every time Anaheim scored, Ottawa quickly followed. The first period ended 1-1 after Chris Neil tied things up. The second period would then see five goals — insane the way these playoffs have been going. Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf each scored for the Ducks. Mike Fisher and Daniel Alfredsson scored for the Sens to keep things even at 3 apiece. But the difference-maker in this game was Dean McAmmond who scored with 86 seconds left in period two to give Ottawa their first lead of the night. Anton Volchenkov then scored the insurance goal in the third period. It was a great game and showed how much of an advantage the home team really has. NBC had awesome HD coverage from Scotiabank Place.

Photo: ESPN.com

Well, Maybe Hamilton

This is Hamilton as it relates to Toronto — for my less-geographically inclined readers and anyone who doesn't live in Canada. I don't like the idea of Jim Balsillie buying and moving the Predators to Hamilton, Ontario. What's the point?

A mere 45-minute drive from the Air Canada Centre, a Hamilton team would still probably end up in the Western Conference. I don't know, I haven't really sorted out my feelings on this yet, but it just seems weird. And wrong. But whatever, I'm all for putting hockey teams back in Canada.

Also there's this. Scott Burnside wrote the following piece for ESPN.com.

May 31, 2007
ESPN.com

Balsillie given rights for Hamilton sports complex

You've just got to love this bit of irony.

Two days after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman scoffed at the likelihood of the Nashville Predators moving in the next year or two, and specifically scoffed at the notion they're headed to Southern Ontario, some news seems to suggest that is exactly the plan.

At a City of Hamilton council meeting Wednesday night, Canadian mega-millionaire Jim Balsillie, whose company helped develop the BlackBerry, reactivated an agreement with the city for exclusive rights to the city's main arena, Copps Coliseum. Hamilton mayor Fred Eisenberger said he and Balsillie talked about the agreement.

"He has assured me that he wants to secure a team and he is interested in bringing it to Hamilton," Eisenberger was quoted as saying Wednesday night in the Hamilton Spectator. "Certainly he has the resources to do it and we will leave it up to him to pull it together."

Balsillie has made an offer to purchase the Predators from current owner Craig Leipold. Given the team's declining attendance and scarcity of corporate support in the community, the team could be in a position as early as next summer to break its lease with the city of Nashville and relocate.

Balsillie, whose operation is in Southern Ontario, has been long-rumored to wanting an NHL franchise in the area. But in Bettman's "state of the union" address before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals Monday, the commissioner insisted such talk was pure speculation and that Balsillie told Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly he has no plans to move the Predators.

"I met with Mr. Balsillie last week. Bill Daly and I both did, and I specifically asked him whether or not he had specific plans or intentions with respect to moving the franchise, and he told me he did not," Bettman told reporters Monday. "And so, I think there's been entirely too much speculation in terms of what comes next.

"What's clear to me from meeting with Mr. Balsillie is that he's passionate about the game, would like to own a franchise, and certainly has the resources to do it. Beyond that, there have been no promises. There have been no predictions. And I think if anybody believes that [Nashville] is destined to a particular location, that's more a matter of speculation."

But talk is cheap, which is why Balsillie's renewed control of Copps Coliseum as it relates to the NHL seems to contradict Bettman's position.

The long-held theory has been that if Balsillie's more than generous offer to buy the Predators ($220 million) is green-lighted by the NHL's board of governors by the end of June and the Predators escape their lease, he would like to move the team into Copps Coliseum until a new facility can be built somewhere in the area outside the protected zones of both the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Earlier news reports say Balsillie has purchased a plot of land in the Waterloo area, a plot of land west of Toronto that could conceivably house a new NHL-sized arena.

Hands up for those who believe this is all a strange coincidence. No? Didn't think so.

Selanne Celebrates

Will the Ducks be celebrating big Saturday night or will the Sens stage the beginning of a comeback? I know I've been light on posts here lately but I'm adjusting to a new schedule at work. I now work the morning show and that means being at the station by 4:00 AM. That means trying to sleep during the afternoon which hasn't been easy. Anyway, no excuse. I'll be back on top of things soon.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 39

The big question was whether the Senators could rally and tie the series or allow the Ducks go up 2-0 and make it that much more difficult for them to stage a comeback? Turns out the latter game to pass and Anaheim now has 14 of the 16 wins necessary to take the Cup.

Ducks 1, Senators 0
Ducks lead series 2-0
I'm not sure the Senators want it enough. They were completely dominated by the Ducks despite there being only one goal scored in the game. Samuel Pahlsson got the unassisted tally in the waning minutes of the final period to give Anaheim the two-game edge in the series. It was really something and I'm a little surprised actually. Chalk up another playoff shutout for Giguere but don't discount the very real possibility that this series gets tied up at 2 after heading to Ottawa for the Sens to play in front of their home crowd.

Photo: ESPN.com

Winnipeg Predators?

I know, it's weird. My last two posts have been titled with questions.

But this is very interesting, actually. While talking to the press on the "state of the league" this weekend, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman more than hinted at the notion that with the sale of the Nashville Predators all but imminent, there's a very real possibility the franchise could be moved to Canada.

Now that would suck since the team hasn't even celebrated its 10th birthday, but as far as that goes, how psyched must Canadian hockey fans be? Bettman said it's likely that if the team were to move that it would go to a city where NHL hockey once thrived — such as Winnipeg or Quebec City.

I think that would be really cool, but I think I'm probably biased on that. Changes like this excite me for some reason. It would suck for the fans in Nashville — but how many are there really, anyway?

I've actually been to a couple of Preds games while in Tennessee several years ago. It was fun but the building lacked some sort of excitement that even Lightning games had back then. Still, Canada is the birthplace of hockey and wouldn't it be nice to see them get a team back?

Again, none of this is for sure yet, Bettman was just talking and I thought it was interesting enough to muse about.

Kevin Reilly Fired From NBC?

May 28, 2007
Zap2it.com

Reports: NBC Drops Reilly
'Office' producer Silverman taking role at network

Two weeks after unveiling the network's schedule for 2007-08, Kevin Reilly is reportedly being let go as president of NBC Entertainment.

The change comes after NBC suffered through another season of fourth-place ratings, finishing nearly a full point behind first-place FOX in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic. His job won't be immediately filled per se, but it's expected that Ben Silverman, executive producer of "The Office" and "Ugly Betty," will assume a major role at NBC Universal.

The shakeup, first reported by Deadline Hollywood Daily and later picked up by other outlets, will likely become official within the next couple of days. So far NBC is keeping quiet.

Reilly became president of NBC Entertainment in May 2004, following a stint as head of entertainment at FX, where he established the cable network's original series brand with "The Shield" and "Nip/Tuck." During his tenure at the Peacock, he was responsible for bringing "My Name Is Earl" and "Heroes" to the small screen and championing "The Office." This season he stuck by critical darlings "30 Rock" and "Friday Night Lights" despite low ratings.

Despite those successes, however, NBC has remained stuck in fourth place for most of his tenure as its schedule has lacked the depth of CBS or a monster hit a la FOX's "American Idol." Reilly signed a new contract in March, meaning it probably won't be cheap for NBC to buy him out.

Silverman, a former agent who heads the production company Reveille, will likely have a major oversight role at the network, though his title and exact duties are still being worked out. Reports say he and Marc Graboff, president of NBC West Coast, may split duties involving the network and NBC Universal's syndication and cable businesses.

Reveille productions include "The Office," "The Biggest Loser," ABC's "Ugly Betty" and FX's "30 Days." The company and Silverman have also produced the NBC game show "Identity," USA's "Nashville Star," the American version of "Coupling," "The Restaurant" and Bravo's "Blow Out."

———

Wow. That is all I have to say on the matter.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 38

At last! The Stanley Cup Final began tonight! It was definitely an exciting game and odd in that the Senators blew not just one but two leads to end up dropping Game 1 to the Ducks.

Ducks 3, Senators 2
Ducks lead series 1-0
It was a rather awesome way to open the series. I gotta say, I really don't care who wins this series. At first I was rooting for the Ducks but the Sens just play the game so well. It's a tough decision. Mike Fisher scored just 98 seconds into the game to give Ottawa the lead on the power play. Andy McDonald then tied it midway through the first period. But Wade Redden nabbed a Sens lead once again in the second period, also with the man advantage. But five minutes into the third, Ryan Getzlaf knotted the game for Anaheim again. It was in the final three minutes when Travis Moen scored what would become the game winner for the Ducks who overcame two deficits to take Game 1. Versus had exclusive HD coverage tonight. It's been a while since I got to watch a game on TV. High definition hockey is really quite something.

Photo: ESPN.com

My 2007 Stanley Cup Predictions, Round 4

Sorry it's Sunday and I'm just now getting around to posting these. I'm well aware it should've happened already. Still. I've noticed that my predictions seem to have improved over the course of the playoffs. One thing is for sure, though. They're definitely much better than the first round. So let's go one more time for these playoffs.

Stanley Cup Finals

Ducks vs Senators
Sizing It Up: The final series is always the toughest to predict. Things can go either way. But the nice thing is that for the past several seasons, we've been treated to one of the greatest gifts of playoff hockey — Game 7. I'm hoping that will be true again this year. And while I could go on and on about how the Ducks are a team not be easily put down and the Senators are so strong its nearly impossible to think they could lose this series — and you know, general in-depth analysis — I won't because we already know the Ducks are going to win. This proves it.
The Invisible Crystal Ball Says: Ducks in 7

I've predicted the Ducks to take the Cup in both of the last two rounds and I see no reason to change it in this one. Playoff hockey continues tomorrow night and I'm so excited!

Want to post your thoughts? What do you think will happen in this round? Lay it on me in the comments.

New Duds For The Blades

The ECHL's Florida Everblades unveiled their 10th anniversary jerseys last week. These new unis will be worn next season only and you're wondering why this matters. It's because I live in Fort Myers and these guys are my home team now. I'll probably be writing about them a lot when the season begins.



In fact, I went to my first Everblades game about two weeks ago and had this to say about it if you're interested. The Blades ended up losing the Conference Finals series to the Dayton Bombers this month to see their way out of the playoffs.

They had a good run, though. Here's hoping they do well next year too. Oh and that doesn't mean I'm going to stop following the Lightning. It just means I have two teams to watch now.

Got A New Toy

We got a new digital camera today so naturally I just started taking millions of pictures. This was one of them. The dog's name is Chip. He's a rat terrier and we've had him for about two months now. His first birthday is June 6.

Disturbing Trend

I'm not one to complain about things, but I started noticing a disturbing trend among NHL team web sites last week. New sites were being unveiled with strangely similiar layouts.

Turns out there's something to that. When the Buffalo Sabres unveiled their new site on Tuesday it featured that same design and included the following release.

The Buffalo Sabres would like to welcome you to the new Sabres.com. As of May 22, Buffalo became the eighth team to transfer to the National Hockey League's universal platform.

Buffalo joins the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues as a member of the new NHL network.

The new Sabres.com features improvements in photo galleries, the video player, a complete team registry and much more.

All team websites are scheduled to be converted before opening day of the 2007-08 season.

I know other pro sports do this. The MLB comes to mind first. And to some extent it does make sense because it also means uniform web addresses. For instance, Buffalo's site is no longer www.sabres.com, but rather sabres.nhl.com. And I like that but I also really liked the individuality of each team's site.

Anyway, just wanted to put that out there. For those Lightning fans out there, take your last looks.



Since all of the new sites will be phased in by the end of the summer, this version of the Bolts' site won't live on much longer. Enjoy it while it lasts.

By the way, this week after the Sabres, the New York Islanders also converted their site. If you want to visit the sites that have already converted, they are: bruins.nhl.com, sabres.nhl.com, hurricanes.nhl.com, bluejackets.nhl.com, oilers.nhl.com, panthers.nhl.com, kings.nhl.com, islanders.nhl.com, and blues.nhl.com

Conference Final Roundup

The last round ended with a big win for Detroit — this round ended with a big loss for the Wings. The Conference Finals are over and we now know who our Stanley Cup finalists will be. The Ducks and Sens take the ice on Monday. But for now, let's take a look at how my predictions for the third round turned out.

Sabres vs Senators
Senators win series 4-1
Senators 5, Sabres 2
Senators 4, Sabres 3, 2OT
Senators 1, Sabres 0
Sabres 3, Senators 2
Senators 3, Sabres 2, 1OT
My Take   In a single series, the Buffalo Sabres went from ridiculously good to ridiculously bad. It was a joke. I honestly expected this to be the most even-matched series of the playoffs. Wasn't even close. But it wasn't just that Buffalo sucked. The Senators were pretty awesome. Lots of credit to them.
Those Lousy Predictions   Sabres in 7; Way off. That's all I have to say on the matter. WRONG!

Red Wings vs Ducks
Ducks win series 4-2
Red Wings 2, Ducks 1
Ducks 4, Red Wings 3, 1OT
Red Wings 5, Ducks 0
Ducks 5, Red Wings 3
Ducks 2, Red Wings 1, 1OT
Ducks 4, Red Wings 3
My Take   Early on here it looked to be anybody's series. Despite getting shut out 5-0, the Ducks bounced back in Game 4 with a 5-3 victory. Throw in a couple more OT wins and you've got yourself a series. The Red Wings may have just lost too many key players for this series. It's unfortunate but I'm glad to see Anaheim back in the Finals.
Those Lousy Predictions   Ducks in 6; Spot on! RIGHT!

My predictions are running at 50% for this series. Not great but then again my crystal ball is invisible. Regardless, the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals get started on Monday which means I'll have more predictions this weekend. Nothing can keep me away from those. Hope you enjoy them.

Scrum

Were you thinking rugby? Almost. Saw this picture the other day on NHL.com and thought it was pretty funny. Also I had nothing else to post today. Hopefully I'll have something to write about tomorrow. If you're bored, head over to the NHL Tournament of Logos and check out what's going on over there. The big tournament begins after the Stanley Cup Finals end.

Oh yeah, and I swear I'll do the prediction reviews any day now.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 37

The no-longer-mighty Ducks are once again heading to the Stanley Cup Finals. Anaheim edged Detroit with a win tonight and will now face the Ottawa Senators in the biggest series of them all. I can't believe how exciting this is! I don't know who I want to win the Cup. My fave in the East and fave in the West both made it!

Anyway, I'll revisit my predictions for this round tomorrow and some time before Monday I'll start posting predictions for the Finals. Mine along with anyone else who's interested. For now, read about tonight's action below.

Ducks 4, Red Wings 3
Ducks win series 4-2
Is it just me or have there not been enough seven-games series in this playoff year? Hint: It's not me. Rob Niedermayer put his Ducks on the board not four minutes into the game during a penalty kill. That did not look good for the Red Wings. Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf each scored in the second giving Anaheim a 3-0 lead going into the third. It seemed like a done deal but the Wings weren't ready to give up. Henrik Zetterberg cut the lead to 3-1 but it was quickly changed back when Samuel Pahlsson scored for the Ducks. Then it looked like Detroit might force overtime. Pavel Datsyuk scored two power play goals in the span of about seven minutes. But despite his and his team's best efforts, they battled to no avail and have been eliminated from the playoffs. Stings. Just a little.

Photo: ESPN.com

No Stanley Cup For Sens

Why do I think the Senators won't win the Stanley Cup? Two reasons: Because I'm one superstitious son of a bitch when it comes to hockey and because Daniel Alfredsson touched the Prince of Wales Trophy. Dude, not cool.



I could be full of shit, but I remember hearing Dave Andreychuk say something about not touching the trophy after the Lightning beat the Flyers in Game 7 of the Eastern Finals of '04. Something about not wanting to, uh — jinx the Stanley Cup! It makes sense but then right there in NHL.com's Frozen Moment stands the fearless leader of the Ottawa Senators with his grubby little paws all over the thing. Why oh why, Danny?

And that's why I think the Senators won't win the 2007 Stanley Cup.

CBS Promises "Closure" For Jericho Fans

Just read this post over at Michael Ausiello's TV Guide blog. Like they say in all their PSAs, it's good to know that — CBS cares.

If you don't feel like clicking on the link or you're reading this blog in 2012 and the link is no longer working (in which case you already know what happens), check out the excerpt below.

Jericho fans are proving to be da bomb at marshalling their resources.

The monstrous public outcry surrounding the show's cancelation prompted CBS' entertainment president Nina Tassler to take the unusual step of posting the following message at CBS.com over the weekend...

To the fans of Jericho:

We have read your emails over the past few days and have been touched by the depth and passion with which you have expressed your disappointment. Please know that canceling a television series is a very difficult decision. Hundreds of people at the Network, the production company and the incredibly-talented creative team worked very hard to build and serve the community for this show -- both on-air and online. It is a show we loved too.

Thank you for supporting Jericho with such passion. We truly appreciate the commitment you made to the series and we are humbled by your disappointment. In the coming weeks, we hope to develop a way to provide closure to the compelling drama that was the Jericho story.

Sincerely,

Nina Tassler, President of CBS Entertainment

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 36

One down, one to go. Today brought Game 5 back to Detroit with a series tied at 2. After winning spectacularly in overtime, the Ducks are just one victory away from facing the Ottawa Senators in the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals. You thought playoff hockey has been exciting up to now. You ain't seen nothing yet. It's really just beginning. I have a feeling this year's finals will be epic.

Ducks 2, Red Wings 1, 1OT
Ducks lead series 3-2
If you were expecting another high-scoring matchup from these two teams, think again. The goaltending was outstanding and the plays were phenomenal. Well, what I saw at least. Working nights sucks in that I can no longer lounge around in front of the Sharp Aquos LCD high-definition TV and watch playoff hockey. That's the way it goes. Andreas Lilja scored the game's first goal if you believe that. So Detroit blew their lead in front of a home crowd and now face elimination. Sucks to be you guys. I mean they had it in the bag. The Dominator was dominating. Until — with a power play and an extra attacker (that's right, 6 on 4), Scott Niedermayer did what we any playoff hockey fan melts over. He scored with 47 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Then a mishandled puck by the Detroit defenseman resulting in it ending up on Teemu Selanne's stick and unless you're a Ducks fan, that's never good. Anaheim won in a big way. And I'm thrilled. I hope we see them in the Finals against Ottawa.

Photo: CBS Sportsline.com

Lightning Re-Sign Goaltender Johan Holmqvist

May 19, 2007
TampaBayLightning.com

TAMPA BAY — The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed free agent goaltender Johan Holmqvist to a one-year contract, Executive Vice President and General Manager Jay Feaster announced.
Holmqvist, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound native of Tolfta, Sweden, played in 48 games with the Lightning in 2006-07. He posted a 27-15-3 record and led the team with a 2.85 goals-against average, and his 27 wins ranked fourth in franchise history for wins by a goaltender in a season. He also ranked fifth in the league in shootout save percentage as he stopped 29 of 33 shots and recorded a 6-1 record. Holmqvist established career highs in games played, wins and goals-against average and earned his first NHL shutout January 1 at Carolina with a 31-save performance. He also recorded two five-game winning streaks during the season.

“As we said at the end of the season, Johan Holmqvist is one piece of the puzzle for us in net, and it was one of our top priorities this off-season to get him re-signed at a number that made sense for us,” Feaster said. “By signing a one-year deal, Johan has demonstrated that he intends to build on last year's performance and firmly establish himself — once and for all — as a legitimate No. 1 goalie in the NHL. Holmer recognizes that there is still work to be done and a great deal of unfinished business, both for himself and for the team. We are excited to welcome Johan back for bigger and better things as we embark on our journey together."

After going 3-1-1 in Tampa Bay’s final five games and posting a 17-6-3 record after January 7, Holmqvist was named as the Lightning’s starter in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He played in six playoff games and posted a 2.92 goals-against average. He made 30-or-more saves in three games during the post-season, including 34 saves in Games 2 and 4.

Holmqvist, 29, started seven games for his native country at the 2006 World Championships in Riga, Latvia. He posted a 5-2 record with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage en route to winning the Gold Medal and being named top goaltender at the tournament. He spent the 2005-06 season with Brynas IF Gavle of the Swedish Elite League and led the league in goals-against average with 1.95. He also ranked second in save percentage at .928 and was tied for sixth in shutouts with three. The former Swedish Junior of the Year (1997-98) was selected to the 2006 Swedish All-Star team.

Prior to returning to Europe Holmqvist played two seasons (2002-03, 2003-04) with the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League and posted a 23-27-4 record with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage. Before making his North American debut in 2000-01 he led Brynas to the 1998-99 Swedish Elite League Championship.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 35

The Senators could sweep the series but today, they did win it. And that puts them in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in their history. It also results in a Canadian team making the finals for the third consecutive year. Go SENS!

Senators 3, Sabres 2, 1OT
Senators win series 4-1
It was a nail-biter to the very end — especially for Ottawa fans fearing the inevitable postseason slump that has often plagued their home team. Not so inevitable now, huh? But actually, Jochen Hecht put Buffalo on the board first — in the second period. It wasn't the first time the Sabres have blown a playoff game lead. Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza each notched tallies in the final minutes of the second period to grab the lead. Maxim Afinogenov, however, saw to it that this game would have extra time, taking full advantage of a 5-on-3 power play opportunity. But it took just half of a single overtime period to decide the game as once again Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson played the part of hero. His 10th goal of the clinched the Eastern Conference for the Senators — a feat never before accomplished by his club.

The sad part is that after an unbelievably stunning season, the Buffalo Sabres have to go home empty-handed. They were good — very good. They deserve a shot at the Cup as much as anyone. But that's what best-of-seven playoff hockey is all about. Who can be the strongest, the fastest — the best! It turns out that the Senators are best in the East. Now it's time to find out who's best in the West. Anaheim and Detroit tomorrow.

Photo: ESPN.com

Mourning Jericho

I just read a great article posted over at Ain't It Cool News. The writer talks about CBS moronic move of canceling "Jericho" — a truly awesome show. The article was quite moving actually. You can read it below.

———

May 18, 2007
Ain't It Cool News: Coaxial

Merrick here...

Earlier this week, we learned that CBS decided not to renew JERICHO for next season.

I love this show. I really love it. I don’t/won’t say that about many TV shows. Even GALACTICA, which I follow religiously, I can only claim to “like a lot”.

JERICHO is different. At the very least, Herc “likes” it too - I’m not clear to what extent. We’ve discussed it frequently amongst ourselves, even though (for whatever reason) it never received much play on the site. In retrospect, this was probably an error on our behalf. We should’ve talked about it more on AICN…we should’ve said more.

In an effort to increase awareness for JERICHO, and to correct some misunderstandings about the nature of the show, I contacted CBS publicity a few weeks back to arranging some coverage for the series before it headed into its season finale. I never heard back from CBS. The next thing I knew…despite rumors of a begrudging renewal and a new timeslot…it was gone.

JERICHO didn’t find the audience network exes were wanting (needing) it to find. I hold this happened for some very fundamental reasons:

1) TIMESLOT (against BONES or AMERICAN IDOL depending on Fox’s schedule);

2) A three month, mid season break (after which the show’s audience dropped 25% by some counts). In a masterpeice of lousy timing, it was at this same, awkward juncture that JERICHO kicked into high gear. I.e. I personally hold that the prolonged hiatus allowed audiences to drift away before the true nature of the show became evident.

And…most critically…

3) PEOPLE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS SHOW WAS ABOUT. Early promotion looked like, and felt like, JERICHO was some sort of post apocalyptic drama – MAD MAX –meets- THE WALTONS.

Which, in actuality, is only partially true.

JERICHO was one of the smartest, most compelling shows on television. It took a while to find its rhythm…but when it did…it did it in a big way.

In a macro sense, JERICHO considers what happens when a cross section of Americans are forced to completely redefine their value system, and reassess their perceptions of what’s important in life. Who do we choose to hate, and to what end? Who do we allow ourselves to love? How large a price do we exact for forgiveness? And, at what point does hope of forgiveness turn into thirst for primal revenge. How do we rediscover ourselves when the material attainment which has patterned our lives is suddenly rendered irrelevant? What do we stand for, and why? What is the cost of cowardice and selfishness? The list goes on.

What brings our characters to such a lofty cross roads?

A series of nuclear attacks on 23 multiple American cities, apparently organized & perpetrated by a faction within Homeland Security (using atomic material bagged during the fragmenting of the Soviet Union). America is not destroyed by these attacks – but over 30 million people are instantly killed. The rest of the country sees America’s functionality grind to a halt. Squabbling over the Presidential right of succession ensues as surviving politicians vie for their piece of the pie. At one point, America is divided into six regions...each claiming to be the seat of legitimate government...each amassing regional militaries (National Guard units, and so forth). Insinuations of possible Civil War abound.

In the midst of this upheaval lies a small Kansas town called Jericho. Why’s it so important? Several reason: Jericho’s location is unique – it was beyond the reach of fallout patterns; its farmland remained relatively uncontaminated. It has a massive salt mine, an untainted water supply, and barely enough resources to support its townspeople (some episodes of the series are almost like a SIMS game…dealing with how many people can be fed, how many refugees can be housed, and the ramifications of turning away the waves of displaced wanderers who the town can not afford to feed or house).

And, based on all these desirable factors, Jericho is also a rallying point for the CIA personnel who’ve spent four frustrating years trying to thwart the atomic bomb plot – unaware that the conspiracy to bring down our country was actually orchestrated by the same people who determined their deployment in the field.

One of these agents finds his way to Jericho...with an atomic bomb in his possession; he had infiltrated the conspirators and was supposed to blow up a city. He bailed on ‘em and ran away with their bomb. He’s stashed it, underground, in a rickety shack. And the conspirators (bad ass assassins) are hot on his trail, looking for their nuke.

Ultimately, the world comes to Jericho. Neighboring cities adapt factories & builds mortars to shell Jericho…in an effort to bring the town to its knees so farmland & resources can be taken over. Some form of government, under an oddly configured American(ish) flag, comes to Jericho looking for the missing atomic bomb. Simplicity…becomes a hot spot. Armed via a high-tech stockpile assembled by the increasingly rogue CIA agent, peaceful Jericho is forced to gear up for war.

Despite such grand concepts, Jericho is ultimately driven by very touching, very rudimentary truths. It’s about dedication, love, strength of family, and the danger of divisiveness. Despite its frequent nihilism, the show sends one of the most positive messages on TV right now.

Oh, yeah. JERICHO isn’t on TV anymore. Which, frankly, really pisses me off.

———

It's a writer who truly adores the show.

He goes on to suggest a "save our show" campaign could help bring "Jericho" back to primetime. I'm skeptical as in my 23 years, I've never heard of this working. But I commend anyone who jumps in. Information on how to contact CBS is posted in the article.

The 2007-08 CW Fall Schedule

You can now go to The CW's official site to view video clips and other media relating to its new shows. Check out the "Reaper" clip. It's the only one I can stand. But if you hate or love it or any of the others, come back here and tell me all about it. Just click on Comments.

The CW Announces Official Fall Lineup

You could not possibly imagine the degree to which I do not care about The CW's fall schedule, but I promised it anyway. The picked up three new dramas, a new comedy and too much new "illiterate" programming. But believe it or not, in just 13 hours of programming, I actually found one of which I might consider watching the first episode. To find out which one, scroll past the schedule below.

SUNDAY
7:00	CW Now (new series)
7:30	Online Nation (new series)
8:00	Life Is Wild (new series)
8:30
9:00	America's Next Top Model (encores)
9:30
MONDAY
8:00	Everybody Hates Chris
8:30	Aliens In America (new series)
9:00	Girlfriends
9:30	The Game
TUESDAY
8:00	Beauty And The Geek
8:30
9:00	Reaper (new series)
9:30
WEDNESDAY
8:00	America's Next Top Model
8:30
9:00	Gossip Girl (new series)
9:30
THURSDAY
8:00	Smallville
8:30
9:00	Supernatural
9:30
FRIDAY
8:00	Friday Night Smackdown!
8:30
9:00
9:30

MIDSEASON
One Tree Hill
Crowned (new series)
Farmer Wants A Wife (new series)

You read that last title right. Don't get me started on the idiocy of a network that chooses its target audience based on their inability to properly calculate the quotient of any two numbers. They don't even know what "quotient" means. Come on.

Sorry, that started to get off the rails. I wasn't a "Gilmore Girls" fan — only because I've never really watched — but I know many who were. But let's not bother with quality on The CW. Can you tell it's one of CBS' children?

The only new CW show I'd consider watching is "Reaper" and that's based pretty much on nothing but Ray Wise and the video clip on the network's web site. It actually seemed funny, as does the premise. Now let's see what happens when The CW gets its fingers in it.

Man, I must be in a bad mood or something today. I'm just being downright mean. I apologize. To you, not The CW!

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 34

The Ducks needed a win to even the series — and they got it. As of tonight, the Western Conference Finals will now officially require at least six games to complete. After trading wins at home and on the road, the two teams head into Game 5 with the hope of taking a stranglehold on the series. What will happen? Who knows? For now, read about tonight's game.

Ducks 5, Red Wings 3
Series tied 2-2
Anaheim allowed five goals in Game 3. In Game 4, they scored five. As for Dominik Hasek, he looked a tad shaky tonight. Corey Perry got the scoring off to an early start just 97 seconds into the game. Daniel Cleary answered less than two minutes later to give Detroit the equalizer. Then, playing in his first NHL playoff series ever, Ric Jackman regained the lead for the Ducks on the power play. Teemu Selanne extended that lead to 3-1 going into the second period with a late tally. But the second period was all Red Wings. Todd Bertuzzi and Daniel Cleary each scored power play goals to tie the game at 3. But five minutes into the third — once again with the man advantage — Ryan Getzlaf gave the lead back to the Ducks. It was a lead they wouldn't lose. Then with 68 seconds to go in the game, Rob Niedermayer took advantage of Detroit's empty net and notched the insurance goal. Versus had beautiful HD coverage — despite it being Thursday — on Mojo if you have your cable provider's hi-def package. It was good one. I look forward to Game 5 now and another Anaheim victory. (Biased? Um, yes!)

Photo: CBS Sportsline.com

The 2007-08 FOX Fall Schedule

FOX has now made their schedule available online. I watched some of the video clips and like I said in my last post, I wasn't all that impressed. But a 60-second scene does not tell the real story of any show. Anyway, go check them out anyway. See what you think and come back here and comment!

FOX Announces Official Fall Lineup

The new FOX fall schedule is out and I'm thrilled about it. I'm very happy with what they've chosen. The network is going with four new dramas, three new comedies and too many new reality shows. Not a big surprise. Here's how the fall will go down for FOX.

SUNDAY (fall)
7:00	The OT: NFL Post Game Show
7:30
8:00	The Simpsons
8:30	King Of The Hill
9:00	Family Guy
9:30	American Dad
SUNDAY (spring)
7:00	King Of The Hill (new time)
7:30	American Dad (new time)
8:00	The Simpsons
8:30	Family Guy (new time)
9:00	The Sarah Connor Chronicles (new series)
9:30
MONDAY
8:00	Prison Break (fall/spring) K-Ville (midseason)
8:30
9:00	K-Ville (new series/fall) 24 (midseason)
9:30
TUESDAY
8:00	New Amsterdam (new series/fall) American Idol (midseason)
8:30
9:00	House
9:30
WEDNESDAY
8:00	Back To You (new series)
8:30	'Til Death (fall) The Return Of Jezebel James (new series/spring)
9:00	Bones (fall) American Idol: Results Show (spring) 'Til Death (spring @ 9:30)
9:30
THURSDAY
8:00	Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
8:30
9:00	Kitchen Nightmares (new series/fall) Canterbury's Law (new series/midseason)
9:30
FRIDAY
8:00	The Search For The Next Great American Band (new series) Bones (spring/new night & time)
8:30
9:00	Nashville (new series) New Amsterdam (spring/new night & time)
9:30
SATURDAY
8:00	Cops
8:30	Cops
9:00	America's Most Wanted
9:30

First, I'm amazed and thrilled by the renewal of "24" for not one but two seasons! Long live Jack Bauer! I'm interested to see how they're "re-creating" the series as well. Apparently they're finally leaving L.A. What they're keeping is the real-time thriller format. What would the show be without it?

I'm happy about the new shows. Based on the premise, I'm most excited about "New Amsterdam." Based on the cast, I'm most excited about "Back To You." And based on the writer, I'm most excited about "The Return Of Jezebel James." I'm also rather curious to see what "K-Ville" will be like.

I watched the video clips of the new series made available by FOX. I'm hoping they didn't choose the best scenes from those shows because I wasn't really impressed. That goes for all but "Back To You." I did think that one was funny. As for the others, I don't know. I would have rather seen previews like NBC and CBS provided. That as opposed to random scenes to which we get no setup or explanation.

Anyway, that's that. My predictions were pretty good for FOX. I'll go over all of those in detail next week.

Frozen In The Pond

I'm a little light on hockey posts this week so I thought I'd toss this one into the mix. This was the NHL.com Frozen Moment a few days ago. Thought it was a cool photo. Thursday night it's the Ducks and Wings as the Western Conference Finals continue. Here's hoping for an Anaheim win. Otherwise they face elimination in five.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 33

I couldn't have been more thrilled about the Sens' position in the Eastern Conference Finals tonight. Unfortunately for the fans looking on in Ottawa, the home team couldn't pull the trigger on the sweep and now may not get to see a series victory at Scotiabank Place. On the other hand, the Sabres live to fight another day. Read about it below.

Sabres 3, Senators 2
Senators lead series 3-1
It all started with one of the fastest goals in NHL playoff history. A misplayed puck by the Ottawa defense gave Derek Roy a chance at a front-of-the-net tip-in a mere nine seconds into the game. That's right, 9 seconds. Single digits. The Sabres took their 1-0 lead into the second where Maxim Afinogenov doubled it just four minutes in on the power play. A short time later Chris Drury made it 3-0 and Sabre fans rejoiced. Senators fans were horrified. Then in the last five minutes of the second period, the home team cut that lead to just one, scoring twice in the span of less than two minutes. It looked like they might mound a comeback. But it wasn't meant to be after a scoreless third period led to a Game 5 in Buffalo that still leaves the Sabres in elimination mode. Versus had wonderful HD coverage I actually got to watch!

Photo: ESPN.com

The 2007-08 CBS Fall Schedule

I mentioned earlier I was anything but excited about CBS' new schedule, but I watched the preview videos on their web site tonight anyway. Surprisingly, "The Big Bang Theory" actually looked funny. They don't have video up yet for "Viva Laughlin" and that happens to be the only one I actually wanted to see. Anyway, go take a look, read up, then come back here and tell me what you think. If you feel like it.

Last-Minute Fall TV Predictions: FOX

It's been a very exciting week. Three down and just one more to go. FOX makes its official announcement tomorrow, so that's when we'll have the real scoop. Until then, here's how my predictions break down. On the left, in bold type, are my new predictions — my educated guesses. On the right are the predictions I made weeks ago with the information available at that time. Check it.

SUNDAY
7:00	repeats	repeats
8:00	The Simpsons	The Simpsons
8:30	Family Guy	American Dad
9:00	Rules For Starting Over	Family Guy
9:30	'Til Death	'Til Death
MONDAY
8:00	Prison Break	Prison Break
9:00	New Amsterdam	Company Man
TUESDAY
8:00	Canterbury's Law	New Amsterdam
10:00	House	House
WEDNESDAY
8:00	Back To You	Bones
8:30	The Return Of Jezebel James
9:00	Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?	Them
THURSDAY
8:00	Bones	Back To You
8:30		The Return Of Jezebel James
9:00	The Sarah Connor Chronicles	Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
FRIDAY
8:00	Nanny 911	Nanny 911
9:00	K-Ville	K-Ville
SATURDAY
8:00	Cops	Cops
8:30	Cops	Cops
9:00	America's Most Wanted	America's Most Wanted

I know The CW also announces tomorrow but I'm just not interested enough in them. I'll still write about their schedule and check out their pilot previews if they've got them but I'm not getting my hopes up or anything.

The 2007-08 ABC Fall Schedule

It's time for you to go check out ABC's New Fall Shows at the official web site. It's not quite as packed with stuff as NBC's page but it has video clips from every new show plus message boards if you're into that sort of thing. I highly recommend a look. Then come back here and tell me what you think.

CBS Announces Official Fall Lineup

Well, in rather dull fashion, the CBS fall schedule is out. Prepare to be stunned by mediocrity and dullness. The network is going with just five new shows, four dramas and a single comedy. No real surprise. When CBS gets their official fall preview page posted on their website, I'll post a link. Here's how the lineup breaks down.

SUNDAY
7:00	60 Minutes
7:30
8:00	Viva Laughlin (new series)
8:30
9:00	Cold Case
9:30
10:00	Shark (new night)
10:30
MONDAY
8:00	How I Met Your Mother
8:30	The Big Bang Theory (new series)
9:00	Two And A Half Men
9:30	Rules Of Engagement
10:00	CSI: Miami
10:30
TUESDAY
8:00	NCIS
8:30
9:00	The Unit
9:30
10:00	Cane (new series)
10:30
WEDNESDAY
8:00	Kid Nation (new series)
8:30
9:00	Criminal Minds
9:30
10:00	CSI: NY
10:30
THURSDAY
8:00	Survivor
8:30
9:00	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
9:30
10:00	Without A Trace (new night)
10:30
FRIDAY
8:00	Ghost Whisperer
8:30
9:00	Moonlight (new series)
9:30
10:00	NUMB3RS
10:30
SATURDAY
8:00	crime repeats
8:30
9:00	crime repeats
9:30
10:00	48 Hours: Mystery
10:30

MIDSEASON
The Amazing Race
The New Adventures Of Old Christine
Swingtown (new series)

I am incredibly annoyed by the cancellation of "Jericho." It bothers me that networks can allow a show to write a cliffhanger into its season finale and then decide not to renew the show, leaving viewers with sore arms (uh, the cliff-hanging). "Jericho" was a great show and I'm disappointed to see it go. I hope we at least hear from the producers on the direction the show would have taken were it not for CBS' rather retarded behavior.

I would like to suggest to the networks that when canceling shows after cliffhangers, at least have the courtesy to throw a little money at one or two more hours so the writers can at least come up with an actual ending. Just a thought.

Other than that I'm pretty indifferent to CBS and its fall schedule. Always have been. I like that they're trying some new things — the musical/mystery "Viva Laughlin" and the period drama "Swingtown" — but overall, theirs was a very predictable schedule. CBS only picked up five new shows — compared to 11 on ABC. So it's a disappointment as it always is, but we'll live. That's why there are other networks.

Speaking of disappointment, I'll just say that I wish we could've gotten the chance to see "Babylon Fields," "Law Dogs" and "Demons." Too bad, I guess. Better luck next year, right?

By the way, if you've been following the blog, you'll notice "Cane" and "Moonlight" aren't among the shows I mentioned in the drama pilot preview for CBS. Actually they are, they just have different names. "Cane" was previously titled "Los Duques" and "Moonlight" was "Twilight."

My predictions were so-so on this one. I really thought they'd pick up more shows. We'll have a review of those predictions next week.

Office/Heroes Faux Promo

You gotta love it! One of the funniest things I've ever seen. Being a gigantic fan of both "The Office" and "Heroes," I was obviously impressed. You can see why. That's just good shit, right there.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 32

I'm sure keeping this blog rather busy this week. So many posts, so little time. And while I was off dealing with television-related matters, an atrocity was visited upon the Ducks on the ice of Anaheim. Read about it below if you dare.

Red Wings 5, Ducks 0
Red Wings lead series 2-1
Yeah, you read that score right. At first I wasn't sure. But it is true. The first goal of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals was scored by Johan Franzen halfway through the first period for the Red Wings. Tomas Holmstrom followed up on the power play with just 43 seconds to go before the intermission. A score of 2-0 after one. Just 3:17 into the second period, Detroit continued the rampage with a Todd Bertuzzi goal. Only 17 seconds later, Holmstrom notced another one. Now it's 4-0 after two. What the hell happened to the Ducks? Valtteri Filpulla capped it off with a fifth goal midway through the third. And that was that with that. I have nothing more to say on the subject and look forward to an ass-kicking to be delivered unto the Wings in Game 4. Is it too much to hope? Versus had coverage I was unable to watch.

Photo: CBS Sportsline.com

ABC Announces Official Fall Lineup

The ABC fall schedule is officially here! Prepare to be impressed! Count them — eleven new shows! They picked nearly every show I did (plus some). So I'm rather happy with the new fall schedule. But if you don't believe me, get it straight from the horse's mouth.

SUNDAY
7:00	America's Funniest Home Videos
7:30
8:00	Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
8:30
9:00	Desperate Housewives
9:30
10:00	Brothers & Sisters
10:30
MONDAY
8:00	Dancing With The Stars (fall) Wife Swap (midseason) Sam I Am (midseason @ 9)
8:30
9:00
9:30	Sam I Am (new series/fall) Notes From The Underbelly (new night/midseason)
10:00	The Bachelor (new time/fall) October Road (midseason)
10:30
TUESDAY
8:00	Cavemen (new series)
8:30	Carpoolers (new series)
9:00	Dancing With The Stars: Results Show (fall) Cashmere Mafia (new series/midseason)
9:30
10:00	Boston Legal
10:30
WEDNESDAY
8:00	Pushing Daisies (new series)
8:30
9:00	Private Practice (new series)
9:30
10:00	Dirty Sexy Money (new series)
10:30
THURSDAY
8:00	Ugly Betty
8:30
9:00	Grey's Anatomy
9:30
10:00	Big Shots (new series)
10:30
FRIDAY
8:00	Men In Trees
8:30
9:00	Women's Murder Club (new series)
9:30
10:00	20/20
10:30
SATURDAY
8:00	Saturday Night College Football
8:30
9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30

I only have one nitpick on the schedule. The lack of "The Thick Of It" bums me out. That was a half-hour comedy from the producers and creator of "Arrested Development" — one of the funniest shows ever made. I'm guessing it didn't stand up to the quality of "Arrested" but that would surprise me. I'd really like to at least see the pilot and judge for myself. But that's just me.

Aside from that, it's a good one — the schedule, I mean. They pretty much picked up everything, but that's how they roll. You can do that when you have lots of money and bunches of hit shows. Must be nice to be ABC. I think my predictions turned out all right. I'll do a little inventory later in the week or next week.