Oscar Gamble Society

Before we sat down to watch the Gold Medal Men’s Hockey game between Canada and the US yesterday afternoon, I told Lori that I hoped Canada would win.  She excoriated me for being unpatriotic.  I explained that I’d obviously be happy if the Americans won, for the obvious reasons - but there were more (and better) reasons why I was actually hoping Canada would take the gold… ideally in a close, well-played, very entertaining game (which fortunately for us is exactly what we got).

My reasons: (more…)

If you haven’t heard, he apparently made some “controversial” comments about the Russian team after they got lambasted by Canada in the quarters:

 http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/NBC-analyst-Mike-Milbury-not-a-fan-of-Russia-s-?urn=oly,224135

Oh - and you can click to a link of the video from 30 years ago, when he jumped into the MSG stands with his teammates… and elected to take things one step further, beating the fan who started it all with his own shoe.  Just classic.

No word on whether or not Milbury had foiled up before the game.

For those of you out there not paying attention (myself included).  It looks like the Big Red are currently ranked #4 in the country:

http://www.uscho.com/rankings/?data=uscho1m&week=poll

That’s pretty cool for a team with 2 losses and 2 ties.

However, over the holidays, it looks they are going to play some pretty big games vs. #3 Colorado College and then either Maine or Princeton in the “Floriday College Classic”.

http://cornellbigred.com/news/2009/12/18/MICE_1218095029.aspx

Btw - is it just me, or does when anyone else read the term “Florida College Classic” they think the Orange Bowl, FSU, The U and assorted thuggery? 

Ivy League college ice hockey never even enters my mind. 

Found this on Yahoo.com:

 http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Hockey-mystery-What-happens-to-hats-thrown-for-?urn=nhl,167824

I admit it… I’ve always been curious myself.

… he’s looking pretty good with his prediction that the ‘Canes would upset the Bruins in Round 2.  The Bruins looked great and the ‘Canes… um, didn’t - in Game 1.  But in Games 2 and 3, Carolina was simply the better team.  Last night’s Game 3 went to OT, but Carolina could’ve just as easily won it in regulation.  Even with that, the Bruins had a couple chances early in OT, but couldn’t convert - then the Bruins couldn’t clear the zone (again), and the ‘Canes didn’t miss on their opportunity.  Game over.

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A #3 seed in the Midwest - will face Northeastern in the first round:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=4005381

Losing (5-0, fwiw) to Yale in the conference finals will lead to that.  Conversely, Yale sits in the East as a #2 seed - with Vermont as their first-round opponent.

Cornell completed a weekend sweep of RPI and Union, both of whom hold losing records. Huzzah. Next games are March 13-15 in Ithaca in the ECAC quarterfinals.

in this week’s hockey poll, though it isn’t especially shocking after capping off a desultory 1-4-1 run over the past three weekends with a loss to unfreakinranked Harvard. How did they go 0-for-7 on the power play against Harvard? Bah.

So I agreed to go with Lori to a “Jack & Jill” Saturday night (since we haven’t gone out since Kaeden joined us four months ago).  Doing my part to support the young couple in these troubled financial times, I bought some raffle tickets on my way in.  To my delight, one of the raffle prizes was an autographed picture of Bobby Orr in midflight against the Blues… yeah, *that* picture.  (Here’s where I offer the ubiquitous disclaimer:  Ya know, I never win these things.)  Well… I won the darn thing.

Now… the cynic in me might speculate that the autograph is faked… but I was too overjoyed to be pessimistic.  Maybe another time.  Instead, I simply raced home and hung it proudly down in the Man Cave amongst other prized possessions like the Garden and Fenway chairs, and the autographed playing card of (and picture of me with) Mosi Tatupu.

It is well.

Cornell blew a 1-0 lead over Princeton by giving up 2 goals in the last minute of the game, dramatically snatching defeat from the gaping maw of victory. So much for that #5 ranking.