Page 15 Eve =Fhe Lionk S Eye 0 n Sports Flyers Hot Entering Olympic Break By Justin Park - Lion's Eye Sports Editor - jrp5321@psu.edu The timing could not have been WOTSE. Just as the Philadelphia Flyers were catching fire and winning games, the NHL goes on a two week hiatus for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Flyers were finally gelling as a team and succeeding in head coach Peter Laviolette’s aggres- sive system, but now four players will be heading west to play for their respective countries in Vancouver, and the remaining will spend some time away from hockey and gain plenty of rest. However, the team was able to set an example for themselves as to how they should be playing in the final games before the break. Following disappointing losses to two of the league’s worst teams, the Flyers bounced back and swept a pair of home-and-homes against the New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadians respectively. As if beating the Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils twice wasn’t great enough, the Flyers managed to do so just days after the division rivals acquired Russian superstar, Ilya Kovalchuk. Also, the style in which they beat the Devils made the 3-2 wins even more satisfy- ing. In both, the home and road game, the orange and black were able to come back from two goal deficits to win, which is something they had not been able to accomplish all season. This was a three point shift in the standings that brought Philadelphia back to within striking dis- tance of Pittsburgh and New Jersey. After the wins over the Devils, the Flyers came home to defeat the Montreal Canadians to a score of 3-2. The Flyer’s physical play was just too much to handle ~_ for the Habs although the Canadians tried to send a message for the following night by throwing punchy after the time had expired in the third period. Ian Laper- riere responded to that message just four seconds into the game in Montreal by dropping the Canadian’s Ryan O’Byrne in a fight. From there, Briere did the rest, by recording his second hat-trick as a Phila- delphia Flyer as the team won 6-2. The wins have put the Flyers in the sixth seed in the east, and only nine points behind the fourth seeded Penguins, with games in hand. Goaltender Michael Leighton has been more than solid filling in for the - injured Ray Emery. In those final four games, Leighton has made all the big saves the team needed and only allowed “two goals each night. The Flyers are going to need more of the same from Leighton if Emery’s potentially career ending injury continues to be an issue. Since being picked up from waivers via the Carolina Hurricanes, Leighton has an outstanding 2.19 goals against average. But if Emery continues to miss time, or perhaps has to shut down for the remainder of the season, will the Flyers continue to trust Leighton heading into the playoffs? With the trade deadline just days after the NHL resumes, there are speculations that the Flyers are interested in trading for a goalie. However, the Fly- ers continue to have their hands tied due to the salary cap. In order for the team to acquire a goalie, a major contract player will likely have to be dealt. On March 2nd, the Flyers will play their first game following the Olympics against the Tampa Bay Lightening. The team and fans alike hope that the top forwards including Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Danny Briere and Scott Hart- nell pick up right from where they left of heading into the break and continue win- ning these all important hockey games. February 19, 2010 oe 2010 Olympic Winter Games By Karlo Radolovic’ - Lions Eye Staff Writer - kar5165@psu.edu Finally, the 2010 Winter Olym- pics are upon us. February 12th 2010, brought to life the competi- tion for gold. The opening ceremo- nies featured the lighting of the torch (albeit with some malfunc- | tions) and signified the lighting of the competitive fire from each of the athletes present. The games will feature 87 nations from around the globe in hopes in bringing home an Olym- pic medal to their beloved coun- tries. Team USA has over 250 athletes competing in these games hoping to win most viewed sporting event in the entire world. The United States are favored in women’s ice hockey, several speed skating events, alpine ski- ing, snowboard cross and halfpipe, and considered a strong competi- tor in men’s figure skating. The woman’s hockey team led by Coach Johnson and players Jenny Potter, Angela Ruggiero, and the identical Lamoreux twins. The women won their first two games by a combined score of 25-1. Skier Vonn has already medaled in the medal, as some have in years be- fore. Some of the keys athletes that the USA has to . bring to the table 2 | be are Shaun White for snowboarding, Apolo Ohno for short track skating and Lindsey Vonn vancouver 2010 RS first downhill skiing event, and Ohno and skater Shani Davis are plowing through their heats in short track speed skat- ing. Meanwhile Shaun White is so far ahead of the competition in for alpine skiing. The United States has the most athletes com- peting in these winter games in hopes of bring home gold medals. Other notable nations that will be putting great pressure on the US to win those medals are Russia, China, Great Britain, Canada, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Some countries around the world only have 1 or 2 athletes compet- ing in the winter games. It would be am honor to be that lucky and be the only person representing your country in the biggest and the snowboarding halfpipe competi- tion that the US has been all but (unfairly) handed the gold. The 2010 Olympics games feature the best winter games around. The biggest ones that people are most enthusiastic about are hockey, snowboarding, alpine skiing, ski jumping, free-style skiing, and of course bobsledding. These games are hoped to be ex- citing and worthwhile. Vancouver ~ had to completely change the look of their landscape to feature these events. Eye on the Ball: 2009 -2010 Philadelphia 76ers Midseason Review By Sean O’Connor - Lion's Eye Sports Editor - smo5084@psu.edu Another year, another mediocre 76ers basket- ball team. The team has played inspired basketball ~ around the All-Star break, winning five of the last seven, but at 20-32 are realistically going nowhere this season. Thus, when given a chance to un- : load two of the three contracts weighing the team down, general manager Ed Stefanski should have jumped at the chance. Stefanski has had his tenure linked to the disastrous Elton Brand move, and he had a chance to save his job this year as the trad- ing approached. Several teams expressed interest in swingman forward Andre Iguodala and center Samuel Dalembert. The return would have been over the remainder of the season. Bringing in a star player such as McGrady or Stoudemire would lighten the load a bit, but in reality it would be ad- mitting that Stefanski blew it over the past two years with the Iguodala and Brand contracts. Stefanski refuses to admit that stating that there is no need to “blow this team up”. Unfortunately, the evidence points otherwise, and I, along with thousands of other fans, are screaming at Stefan- ski if a trade is not completed on Thursday, Feb 18th. The team is going nowhere fast and needs the relief that unloading the contracts of Dalembert and Iguodala would offer. On top of that, and this won titles in 01, ’03, 05, and ’07 with Duncan and _ the Cavs are on their way to their second consecu- tive 60+ win season with LeBron. Would I want my team to achieve this status? YES. That’s why I’m pushing for the team to tank. Which brings me back to my point. If you are Stefanski how can you not make this trade. It ben- efits the team long term , it benefits them financially, and it benefits Stefanski personally by relieving him of some of the terrible contracts that have weighed down his tenure as general manager in Philadel- phia. The team would be released from Iguodala and Dalembert receive a big name like McGrady or fantastic for the Sixers, landing them players such as Amare’ Stoudemire or Tracy McGrady, who not only would have increased the talent on the team but also offered significant salary relief in Stoudemire’s 17.9 million or McGrady’s 22 million. This would have allowed the Sixers to pursue a major free agent in the summer of 2010 or bring in several key play- ers to boost the talent of the team. Would a trade such as this effectively killed the Sixers this season? My answer: YES IT WOULD! Any team losing its leader and best defensive player in one trade would surely have had a tough time winning many games is from a fan’s perspective, but at this point in the season, it is time for the Sixers to LOSE! Tanking for a draft pick is terribly looked down on in any sports, but as a fan, don’t you want your team to land the best player possible? What if the Sixers had a chance in the lottery of landing Kentucky phenom John Wall, the best pro prospect since Lebron James and Dwight Howard? The San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers are the most obvious examples in the last 15 years, with San Antonio tanking to win the Tim Duncan sweepstakes and the Cavaliers doing the same for Lebron in ’03. Well San Antonio Stoudemire to boost attendance numbers in return (Gilbert Arenas was considered for a while, but he is currently looking at jail time, so that went out the window). The money that would come off the books at the end of the season could only benefit the team in surrounding whoever becomes their core player with an additional skilled supporting class. The ben- efits of depriving the team of talent in the stretch run of the season would only allow them to move up in the draft rankings in a strong draft class. So as a Six- ers fan I have only one question for Mr. Stefanski. Why would you not complete a trade this season?
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