Tonight on the WWE Raw open discussion thread:

With Mr. McMahon still recovering from hip replacement surgery, what will unfold when WWE Champion The Rock comes to Monday’s Raw? Here are five reasons to tune in at 8/7 CT on USA Network as Elimination Chamber looms large on The Road to WrestleMania. (via WWE.com)

1. That picture is of Gnash, the mascot of the Nashville Predators, hanging out with the Undertaker the night before Raw, in the building where Raw is tonight. So, spoiler alert: the Nashville Predators mascot might be on Raw.

Read the rest of this entry »

In this week’s edition of the Friday Face-Off, we examine the very real problem of NHL players and fans using big rectangles of glass to incapacitate each other. Your job is to view the incidents and vote for your favorite, whatever your definition of “favorite” might be in regard to dudes getting injured by amorphous solids.

Your poll and options are after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

The summer has not been kind to hockey.

In May, New York Rangers left winger Derek Boogaard mixed alcohol and oxycodone and died. Earlier this month, Winnipeg Jets forward Rick Rypien killed himself, and now, just yesterday afternoon, 15-year NHL veteran Wade Belak has been found dead in Toronto. Foul play isn’t suspected and we don’t officially know the cause of death, but CBC is saying it was suicide. Three tragedies since May.

A 12th-overall draft pick in 1994, the 35-year old Belak spent his time in pro hockey with the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators. He retired in March, but had been named as one of the contestants for the upcoming third season of the CBC’s “Battle of the Blades” and was scheduled to be part of the Predators’ television broadcast team. Former Nashville Predators assistant General Manager Mike Santos (now with the Panthers) talked to the Miami Herald about Belak’s passing, and put it way better than anyone writing a blog about it could.

“He was as friendly and nice a person as I have ever met,” Santos said. “He would give you the shirt off his back. He did so much for kids and our community. He was wonderful. I’m shocked. I’m sad. I don’t know what to say. It’s a real shame. He’s the best.”

That’s it in a nutshell, really. You remember the kindness, and you don’t know why it was taken away. The Predators, the team with whom Belak spent his final three seasons, issued their own statement:

“The entire Nashville Predators organization and family is shocked and saddened by the sudden and untimely passing of Wade Belak. Wade was a beloved member of the organization, a terrific teammate and wonderful father and husband. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Jennifer and children Andie and Alex. We offer our full support to them at this very difficult time.”

If you visit our friends at Puck Daddy you can read comments from Gary Bettman, Donald Fehr and more as they come in throughout the day. Hopefully this is the last time hockey fans and families will have to go through this, at least for a little while.

Nicole Kidman used to be one of the most beautiful women in the world, but after 600 or so years she’s begun to show her age and that’s fine, because we love all kinds of women. Even those whose faces are stretched tighter than a tennis net. On Monday night, the Australian actress and husband Keith Urban, an Australian country music singer, attended Game 6 of the Nashville/Vancouver series in Nashville to cheer on their beloved Predators against the Canucks.

Vancouver scored two goals in the first period to seal the game and the series with a 2-1 victory (4-2 series) and Nicole couldn’t have been more excited about it. Thankfully The Daily Mail was able to document her emotional investment in the matchup so we can all revel in her natural beauty.

Read the rest of this entry »

I saw this story earlier in the week and forgot to mention it because I was more concerned with the liberty and freedom of Vancouver’s Green Men, but someone recently purchased a Wayne Gretzky rookie card for $94,163 from an online sports memorabilia auction. It is apparently an incredibly rare, flawless O-Pee-Chee card from 1979, and SCP Auction basically called it the most valuable modern trading card on the planet.

*stares at pile of Jose Canseco Rated Rookies, sighs*

Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Washington Capitals 3 (Series: 3-0 TB)

The Washington Capitals scored three goals in the second period (big deal, football players do that just by kicking the ball) to grab a 3-2 lead over the Lightning heading into the third period. It really looked like Alex Ovechkin and Co. were going to splash some water on the red hot Lightning and climb back into this series. Instead, Caps goalie Michal Neuvirth allowed two goals in the third, which I have been told is not a good strategy.

Tampa’s Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone scored the tying and game-winning goals, respectively, within 30 seconds of each other and the Lightning have now won 6 straight games as the 5-seed.

Fun Fact: The Lightning are the second most popular sports team in Tampa behind the Buccaneers. The Rays rank 714th.

Read the rest of this entry »

"Ass like an onion, right?"

The two Vancouver Canucks fans lovingly known as the Green Men claim that they received a warning from Canucks officials before Saturday’s game to curb their behavior that they’ve become somewhat famous for. Basically, they dance around in the green body suits made famous by Charlie Day and they heckle opposing players in the penalty box. Apparently the Predators have grown tired of this.

“Someone through the NHL told us that we were no longer allowed to touch the glass,” said one of the two lads who go by the handles Force and Sully.

“This is the first complaint we’ve ever heard of. The Canucks love us. We haven’t done anything wrong. We pay full price, and we have a little fun while supporting our team.” (Via Toronto Sun)

However, Predators officials deny making any complaint about the Green Men, and we have to believe them, because if there’s one thing that a team does after complaining about something insignificant like annoying fans, it’s own up to it. Yesiree, there’s not a team out there that doesn’t care about people labeling its executives and players as whiny little sissy girls. Good thing fans don’t react to or lash out at these types of complaints at all.

Read the rest of this entry »