Shag on Sports Oh no. Not Again.

You got it right, It took 150 posts before the site died out and I had to “re-invent” the thing. One new theme later, and I’m ready to get grooving.

Coming tomorrow, the new Kitna Kounter (no, the new header image doesn’t count), and the first round of NFL picks. On Sunday, I lament a particular MAC school deciding to start the season against the Pac-10.

Here’s to another 150 until I get bored again!

While Deadspin just posted this, I’ll be fair and credit my co-worker to getting it to me first. Say hello to your new High School Football Headache, The A-11 Offense:

The base offense is one in which a center and two tight ends surround the football, three receivers are split right, three more split left and two quarterbacks stand behind in a shotgun, one of whom has to be at least 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Yes, it’s legal. With both quarterbacks back, it counts as a scrimmage kick formation, which means you don’t technically need people numbered as linebackers on the line. And while only 5 people can be eligible to receive passes, it doesn’t matter which 5.

While it’s nice to see innovation in football, I’m not sure if it’s a good thing that 80% of your offensive playbook is technically a “fake punt”. Spirit of the rules, and all that. As for defense, I’d think that after the shock wore off, you’d start sending more people back to cover the flats. After all, you know they’re not passing. Keep your best pass rushers on the line,  and harass the quarterback(s). And just think of all the time you’ll have on the clock when every third pass hits the turf!

That being said, how long before Gooch implements the system?

WHAT?!

Last week, the report hit the wires that Canada’s national broadcaster, the CBC, had come to an impasse with the rights holder to the theme from Hockey Night in Canada, the network’s, and the nation’s, signature television program.

But now, CTV, the parent company to Canada’s TSN and RDS sports networks, has stepped in and swiped that theme right out from under the CBC. As a result, CTV will now be using that theme music over its telecasts of the NHL beginning this Fall, and as part of its hockey coverage during the 2010 Winter Olympics from Vancouver.

…WHAT?!

I JUS… HOW DOES… I DON’T…

YOU SHUT UP. YOU SHUT UP.

(Leave it to a government-run operation to botch something up this horribly.)

So after missing out on games 1 and 2, I finally was able to make it up to Detroit for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Technically, I was there for work… which meant taking notes that I would most certainly just get from the game summaries, and being there for the postgame sound (we unfortunately don’t have a sports sound service at work, so if we ever need anything, we’ve got to swipe it from someone else). But really, I was there to get my rocks off at a Cup Final… and I was about 30 seconds from doing so, too. Below are a smattering of notes from last night’s doubleheader. I’ll warn you: as the night continued on, I really started focusing less on the game and more on my inner ramblings.

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Yuck.

Walleye, a moniker the Mud Hens first sought through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in May of 2005, will be announced as the mascot for pro hockey in Toledo at an 11 a.m. news conference today.

It’s not bad enough you’ve got to stick us with a wacky animal mascot… but this? The Chiefs, Bombers, Falcons, Gladiators, Everblades, and Nailers are going to fear… The Walleyes?

Here are some choice cuts from the press release:

Toledo Arena Sports General Manager, Joe Napoli said, “There are the Biscuits of Montgomery, the Nuts of Modesto, the Lugnuts of Lansing, and of course, the Mud Hens of Toledo. What makes these team names amongst the most popular in Minor League sports? Not a whole lot, until you develop a word mark, logo and mascot that is unique, indigenous and fun for all age groups.”

The Mud Hens get a pass because they’ve been around for ages (oh, yeah, and MASH. Can’t forget MASH). The Biscuits are awesome because I enjoy biscuits with butter and jam on Saturday mornings. This is trying too hard. Plus, not to mention, that all of those teams are baseball teams. They can get away with teams like the Red Barons, Osprey, and the Isotopes. With the exception of the Manitoba Moose and the Macon Whoopie, hockey teams generally aren’t “fun for all age groups.”

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