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The top ten most attractive female news anchors. Who doesn’t love a good list post, right?
While this list is generally one person’s opinion, having been married to one of the great ‘Tractor Beam’s of Hotness’ for over 23 years, I like to consider myself one of the true connoisseurs of the female form, so this is as much expertise as you’re going to get from a freelance writer. [Read more...]
Her name is Christmas Abbott – and ‘no’ that’s not a typographical error.
It’s no secret that Danica Patrick occupies much of NASCAR’s publicity and headlines, perhaps a bit too much given the relation of publicity garnered to actual performance – in short, victories – but there’s another NASCAR participant who has captured the headlines as an even more improbable pioneer.
Christmas Abbott, who had previously become a CrossFit video sensation, was signed by Michael Waltrip’s NASCAR racing team as a full-time member of its pit crew, thus becoming the first woman to labor in the NASCAR pits at their highest level.
To be certain, this is no mere publicity stunt: Abbott rightly earned the spot. She can toss around tires half her size, and she can bolt them on to the racer at breakneck speed which is particularly impressive for a rookie. NASCAR officials at first thought that she was trying to become part of the Waltrip pit crew as part of a blatant attempt to draw media attention, but once they saw what she was capable of, they knew she could not only handle it, but become a valuable member of the pit crew.
The Columbus Blue Jackets began their season as many of the pundits expected, starting their National Hockey League (NHL) lockout-shortened season by posting a record of 5-12-2 and seemed slated to grab one of the upcoming NHL Entry Draft’s lottery picks in June. However, ignited by the seismic shakeup at the top of the organization in firing former General Manager (GM) Scott Howson and hiring Jarmo Kekalainen to replace the embattled Howson, the Blue Jackets went on a tear during March, going 8-0-4 for the majority of the month and 10-2-5 going into the NHL’s trade deadline on April 3rd.
With less than two weeks to go until this year’s National Hockey League, the NHL, trade deadline, there is a great deal of speculation as to who might be moved and to where they might be moved. However, this season’s deadline could either be interesting or it could be ‘much ado about nothing’.
If you look at the last shortened NHL season – 1994-95 – the action, if that’s what you want to call it, was quite underwhelming. The only trade of any consequence was between the Montreal Canadiens, who obtained Pierre Turgeon and Vladimir Malakhov, and the New York Islanders, who obtained Kirk Muller, Mathieu Schneider and Craig Darby.
Are the Columbus Blue Jackets for real?
Lost in the Chicago Blackhawks’ incredible, record-setting 21-0-3 start to their season was the recent surge of the Columbus Blue Jackets who have reeled off five consecutive victories as well as are riding a nine-game consecutive point streak (5-0-4) to improve to 10-12-6, thus escaping the National Hockey League’s (NHL’s) basement which they occupied all of last season and the first 21 games, this season.
And while their recent surge has surprised many, there are reasons as to why this isn’t a mere mirage:
With the removal of Scott Howson as the Columbus Blue Jackets General Manager (GM) and the hiring of drafting and development guru Jarmo Kekalainen to replace Howson, the philosophy of patience could have been replaced with one of a major upheaval, albeit one with Kekalainen’s stamp of youth and playing the game at a high rate of speed, both physically and mentally.
One seismic change which may also occur could directly correlate to April’s impending National Hockey League (NHL) trade deadline. Rather than often being hamstrung by risk aversion, the Blue Jackets may, as Kekalainen described his initial interactions with the other 29 NHL GMs, enter the deadline with a philosophy of level-setting, trading higher-priced veteran talent who have underachieved or appear stuck in a rut, concurrent with the organization for prospects, NHL-ready players or draft picks.
There’s little doubt that, when it comes to adorability, Mega Detroit Red Wings fan Kristen Bell gives just about every actress in Hollywood a run for their money.
Besides being one of the most sought after actresses in Hollywood, with roles in movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek, Ms. Bell rose to fame and garnered critical praise as the title role on the acclaimed television series Veronica Mars from September 2004 to May 2007 on UPN and The CW.
On February 12th at approximately 8:00 P.M., the Columbus Blue Jackets relieved General Manager (GM) Scott Howson of his duties. Although word leaked shortly thereafter, new Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations John Davidson announced the very next morning at 9:30 A.M. that Jarmo Kekalainen would be the new General Manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The struggles of the Blue Jackets during Howson’s regime as GM are well-documented and there’s no need to elaborate on the myriad of reasons as to why his removal had to take place. However, in the grand scheme of things, the repercussions of his actions as GM placed the Blue Jackets organization in a precarious position as it related to the on-ice product, attendance, fan apathy, a nearly toxic destination for free agents and for draftees, due to their failings in drafting and more importantly developing their drafted talent.
Ken Hitchcock and the St. Louis Blues, hot off of their stellar 2011-2012 season, thundered out of the gate in the shortened 2013 (2012-2013) campaign, posting a 6-1-0 record. However, during the past four games, they’ve posted a 0-3-1 mark, the last three games of which have been at the once-friendly confines of Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Ken Hitchcock has seen this before.
What’s disturbing about the last four games is how badly the once-stingy Blues, particularly during their impressive 45-13-11 run under the tutelage of the reigning Jack Adams (Coach of the Year in the National Hockey League – NHL) award recipient Ken Hitchcock, have been at keeping the puck out of their own net, surrendering an average of 5.25 goals per game. Last season, the Blues led the NHL in surrendering an average of only 1.86 goals/game but are currently ranked 25th in the NHL, surrendering 3.12 goals/game. Statistically, it’s even more of a concern as, prior to the 21 goals surrendered over the past four games, the Blues were only giving up an even 2.0 goals/game over their first seven games played. Even more disturbing is that the Blues were only allowing 19 shots/game over their first seven games but have since surrendered almost 26 shots/game.
On February 1st, the day before Groundhog Day, a different annual right of passage, one with about as much accuracy and validity as February 2nd occurred in National Signing Day.
When asked to comment on the hoopla and hype concerning this ostentatious narcissism-fest, ESPN College Football analyst Kirk Herbstreit expressed his discontent over the craziness surrounding this day, the “all about me” attitudes and the “overblown theatrics” that these High School students exhibit over their self-imposed drama over which university’s ball cap they will chose.
It’s no surprise or secret that the pundits have placed the longest odds upon the Columbus Blue Jackets to win the Stanley Cup much less qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs. After finishing the 2011-2012 season with the National Hockey League’s (NHL’s) worst record, trading away their franchise player and face of the franchise in Rick Nash and enduring a fan protest and the eventual firing of former head coach Scott Arniel.
And while an immediate return was garnered for Nash in the form of forwards Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov from the New York Rangers, obtaining forward Nick Foligno in exchange for Marc Methot from the Ottawa Senators and obtaining former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in exchange for draft picks, numerous question marks remained for the Blue Jackets: goaltending, their improved yet, at times, porous blueline and a dearth of goal-scoring proclivity in the absence of consistent, guaranteed 30-goal scoring Nash.
This is the third year in which I’ve offered predictions as to how the Eastern Conference will sort out although it’s the first year I’ve done so with a shortened National Hockey League (NHL) season. And it’s those variables of a 48-game versus the traditional 82-game season that makes traditional predictions much trickier: a condensed schedule, player conditioning, injuries sustained in another league (i.e. KHL) and the urgency to get off to a fast start.
Like last year’s predictions, I will assess the specific finish of each team in the 15-team conference. While this changed method is subject to more error, when it comes to the NHL and its playoffs, your seeding/position doesn’t matter.
With that, here are my predictions (in ascending order, from 1st to 15th):
