Larry Brown Sports

Are toddlers and young children inherently smarter these days or are we just doing a better job of capturing their flashes of brilliance on camera? On the surface, it looks like kids are taking up a huge interest in their parents’ favorite sports teams. That isn’t a new phenomenon, but their knowledge of said sports teams is. What baffles me is how a 3-year-old’s memory could even be this effective. Check out this video of a 3-year-old pretty much reciting the entire San Jose Sharks roster, courtesy of Puck Daddy:

Make that two kids in just over a month (see: crying Jets fan) that have blown us away with their sports knowledge.  I’m getting a puppy in about a month or so, and let’s just say I hope it aims to please as much as these genius kids do.

What is it with hockey fans and throwing dead stuff on the ice? Better yet, what is it with security at hockey games and allowing people to smuggle dead animals into the arena?  The only thing I can think of is that these people stink so badly with the dead thing under their shirts that security just lets them through.  Who wants to go near someone who smells like a dead duck? You obviously don’t think it’s possible they’re carrying a dead duck, you just assume they reek.  Anyway, you can see where this is going.  Check out this video of a San Jose Sharks fans throwing a dead duck onto the ice during a game against Anaheim:

Too far?  At least the octopus toss is a tradition in Detroit, albeit an extremely weird and unnecessary one.  The best part about the video is definitely the goalie wanting nothing to do with it.  As referees, sometimes you’re face with unexpected dirty jobs.  And you know what they say about dirty jobs.

Thanks to Sports by Brooks Live for sharing the story.

The Sharks got whooped 7-3 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals Wednesday night in Vancouver. When it wasn’t Canucks fans flashing the opposing players in the penalty box, it was Kevin Bieksa and Patrick Marleau throwing down to provide the entertainment. The decision for Marleau to fight was a strange one — it was his first since 2007, and it was against a more physical opponent in Bieksa. Marleau predictably got worked in the fight. Here’s the video:

Some Sharks players ripped on Bieksa for picking on a guy like Marleau, but if anyone is in the wrong it’s Marleau. Marleau’s the one who initiated the fight, asking Bieksa if he wanted to drop gloves in the second period. The fight kept Marleau out of the game for the next five minutes, and Vancouver outscored San Jose 4-1 after the fight.

What’s sad about this whole thing is that Marleau may be listening too much to media criticism. Analyst and former Shark Jeremy Roenick ripped him after Game 5 against the Red Wings, saying he was gutless and had no heart. Marleau responded with the winning goal in Game 7 against Detroit, and a goal each of the Canucks games. But he took himself out of Game 2 by getting into a fight when he shouldn’t have, and one has to wonder if this is all a response to Jeremy Roenick. If it is, that’s sad, and Marleau should just stick to what he does best — playing hockey. Leave the fighting to everyone else.

One of the best traditions during the Stanley Cup Playoffs is seeing the opposing teams line up to shake hands at the end of a series. The tradition is a wonderful display of sportsmanship and it shows that the players still respect each other even though they just got done beating each others’ brains in for two weeks.

Even though it’s a great tradition, the handshake lineup sometimes results in friction between teams. That’s exactly what happened with the Sharks and Kings.

San Jose eliminated Los Angeles from the playoffs with a 4-3 overtime win Monday night in Game 6. A few Sharks players were bothered that Kings coach Terry Murray didn’t shake their hands after the series and made their feelings known after the game.

Winger Jamal Mayers wrote on twitter “Kings battled hard! Tough series with 3 OT games! Too bad Murray didn’t have class to shake hands like players (who bled) and Asst Coaches!”

Read The Rest of the Story…

On Friday night, the Chicago Blackhawks finally came home after an extended road trip from Vancouver to San Jose.  The San Jose Sharks were looking to win their first game of the series and avoid going down 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals. Well that’s exactly what happened.

The Sharks tied the game with about four minutes left in the third period and both teams failed to score before the clock wound down. It was time for some overtime hockey and at 12:24 in OT, Dustin Byfuglien scored his seventh playoff goal to win it for the Hawks. It was a good feeling to know that the Blackhawks could win a game at home.

Now, I didn’t see any looting Friday night like the fans of Montreal do after a win, but I did hear a lot of “We’ve got the Cup” talk.  No, we don’t. If the 2010 NHL playoffs have taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. Who would have expected the Washington Capitals to be knocked out in the first round? Who would have expected it to be by the eighth seeded Montreal Canadiens? Who would expect those same Canadiens to knock out the defending Stanley Cup champs — the Pittsburgh Penguins? And who would expect it to be so hard for teams to win on their home ice during the playoffs?

All I can say is that it’s not over yet. The Blackhawks are within reach of their first shot at the Stanley Cup since ’92 and the Sharks are on the brink of being eliminated earlier than expected once again. Still, nothing has been finalized yet. The Boston Bruins have already proven that a 3-0 series lead can disappear in the blink of an eye.

Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

You all remember my new favorite golfer — Rory McIlroy — whose supposedly “shy” girlfriend captured my heart not too long ago.  As it turns out, I now have a new favorite NHL General Manager, and the reason he has captured my attention is not much different from the one that shot McIlroy to the top of my PGA golfers list.  The Big Lead has brought to my attention Ms. Lacey Wilson, the 26-year-old daughter of San Jose Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson.  I doubt Lacey Wilson would claim to be shy, however, as she just recently honorably represented my home state — Massachusetts — in the 2010 Miss USA Pageant.  She finished outside of the top 15, but there’s no denying the fact that the Sharks GM has phenomenal genes.  For any and all who are interested, here are some pictures of Sharks GM Doug Wilson’s daughter, Lacey Wilson, a.k.a. Miss Massachusetts.

Sources:
Sharks GM Doug Wilson’s Daughter Was Miss Massachusetts [The Big Lead]
Miss Massachusetts Has an NHL Connection [The Slanch Report]
Photo Credit: The Slanch Report