Analog Media Scrum - Featuring Tim and Graeme

Written by Nichols

Sunday, 22 March 2009 13:46

Tim: Well we got lots on tap today Graeme. The black cloud that has been following Wade Redden has made is way onto the front page of the Citizen, the Senators took care of one NY team and look to wipe out another one and improve their ever growing chances of making the post-season. Pick your poison, we got lots of it today.

Graeme: Doug Fischer's article this morning is endearing enough to warrant him the title of my favorite Sens writer. It's just unfortunate that he doesn't write as frequently as the other beat-writers.

Tim: Finally, a smear campaign that I can warm up to in the Ottawa media. I was beginning to feel like an outsider not buying into the previous Kuba (Donny B Cynical) or Spezza (Kevin 'Hartley Come Easy' Lee) efforts. It is kind of sad though reading the quotes from NY papers and realizing that someone writes for a real newspaper and actually understands the game and comments on it intelligently. I'm actually kind of jealous. It's like knowing Santa Claus comes to everyone's house but your own.

Tim: So here's my question, if it only took Redden a matter of hours (less than 24) to make a decision about where he wanted to play out his career, how many hours since has he regretted it?

Graeme: I'm not naive to believe that he'd ever regret it. Wade Redden's an evil genius who probably took the biggest contract he could find in hopes of getting bought out before it expires. Once bought out, he'd be free to sign elsewhere. He's a NHLPA rep for a reason.

Tim: Maybe he doesn't regret it publicly, but he's become an overpaid goat (Yashin University student) on a team looking more apt to battle Montreal for the Murphys Law Cup. It makes some of the Senators contracts that much easier to stomach though doesn't it?

Graeme: Well, no Senators' game has deteriorated at the exponential rate that Redden's has. And Fischer's comment in today's article about Wade's lack of physical training, has only substantiated some things that I have heard myself. A couple years ago, my dad was golfing with an employee of the Senators. Inevitably, the conversation between my father (a season's ticket holder) and the employee turned to hockey. It was an ideal situation for my dad. As a devout Redden-hater, he used the opportunity to vent his frustrations with Redden to the employee. I'm assuming the employee was humored by my dad's distate because he fueled the fire by saying that "Redden had the worst results from strength and conditioning testing."

Tim: Hardly suprising, he always looked more like an NCAA point guard (some conservative school in the Midwest) than an NHL defensemen. Maybe we're just jealous because he's got it made. I could certainly disappoint a handful of teams and be glad to do it for that sort of pay. Now the question, why hasn't Sather lost his job because of it and how on earth did he not read the writing on the wall with Redden's career. (It was written on a bathroom stall in a strip club in Moose Jaw.)

Graeme: Ah, the small city of Moose Jaw. Speaking of small cities, how naive is Wade Redden? I know the United States has a reputation for not putting as much pressure on their hockey players as some Canadian cities, but signing with the Rangers? What the hell was he thinking?

Tim: Well, apparently his mental game is as lacking as his physical game, how on earth did Redden logic that the NYC media scruntiny would be less than the hockey obsessed Canadian media? That seems like a real shot in the face to American hockey fans and to his high school teachers - who apparently never told him NYC was the centre of the universe. This is a city whose fans and media hate lazy athletes. In New York, athletes fear the media more than Jim Cramer - after he appeared on the Daily Show.

Graeme: I think what Redden underestimated about New York is that unlike Ottawa, they put an athlete's performance first. Most of the time, they don't give two shits what you do off the playing field if you're playing well on it. (Not unless you're attempting to fill the cavernous depth of Madonna's vagina, or you're Eddie Curry's limo driver.)

Graeme: Let's talk about the importance of tonight's game.

Tim: It's simple. It'll be the same story line for every game here on in - it's a must win for both teams. New York is racing Montreal to the depths of hell and the Sens are hoping to sneak into heaven.

Graeme: If Montreal and Florida continue to struggle, 94 points might not even be needed to get the Sens in.

Tim: Very true, I'm not sure if I prefer the Senators fate to be dependent on other teams outcome or masters of thier own destiny. I guess a combination of the two is ultimatley going to be what it takes. I'm not going to complain if Montreal continues to tank it but Ottawa really needs to treat every game like it's their last.

Graeme: With the do-or-die mentality, are you a little surprised that Alex Auld's getting the start tonight?

Tim: Not overly no, Auld has been solid late and Elliott has had a good run of it. You might as well give Auld something to play for since someone has to backup Leclaire next year. I like the move by Clouston, the more I see from him, the more I realize he's much much smarter than the average professional athlete. (Yes, I am going on record saying that the vast majority of pro athletes are better suited to mopping mall bathrooms.)

Graeme: That comment reflects to me that you've been watching way too much of the WBC. If you're going to start Auld in one of the two back-to-back games, why not start him against the Isles instead?

Tim: I actually boycotted the WBC - I don't believe in the sovereignty of Korea. Besides, a win against NYI is basically a gimme the way the Senators have been playing lately. Auld has played the Rangers well this year and it's probably better to start Auld on the road because he's well rested. Last night's game against the Isles also allowed Elliot to set an insignificant Senators record by surpassing the elite company of Hurme and Emery. I guess that means Elliot will only be a Senator for another 2 years before fading away into obscurity.