10 observations

I'm calling this week's blog, 10 Observations from the 2009 Stanley Cup final:
1. Pittsburgh is trying to become the first city to ever win the Super Bowl and Stanley Cup in the same year. If the Red Wings win, Detroit will become the first city to win the Stanley Cup and have a winless football team in the same year.
2. Three days ago, I would have told you it was more likely that Jim Balsille would be using an iPhone than Justin Abdelkader having scored more goals than Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin combined in the Cup Final
3. Marian Hossa is going to hear it from the Pittsburgh fans in Games 3 & 4 at Mellon Arena. I'm thinking some of their most nasty chants might sound an awful lot like his last name spelled backwards.

4. Barry Melrose is here at the 2009 Stanley Cup final. How many of you predicted that to happen when he started the season as Tampa Bay Lightning head coach?

5. Johan Franzen has scored more goals than any player in the last two playoff years, but nobody talks about this fact: The guy looks exactly like Ron Howard. His nickname should be Opie or Richie C. and not Mule.

6. Does the Vachon company have to pay for partial naming rights to Joe Louis Arena?
7. During his annual Stanley Cup press conference, Gary Bettman said the league was investigating the allegations that a Florida steroids dealer sold PEDs to Washington-based sports teams, including the Capitals. I'm not sure why the NHL would bother to check this guy out. He says he sold steroids to the Washington Nationals. I'm pretty sure this guy is only handing out placebos.
8. Is there any chance that Jiri Hudler is related to Rex Hudler?
9. Red Wings co-owner Marian Illitch has had her name on the Stanley Cup four times in the past 11 years. If the Wings win the Cup in 2009, it will be the first time ever that two people named Marian have their name on the Cup.
10. There was a lot of buzz around Don Cherry's entrance to Game 2 at Joe Louis Arena, where he came in on a Coast Guard boat and was greeted by hundreds of fans. Gene Principe and I were wondering why nobody was there to see us when we showed up 20 minutes later in NFL jerseys an inflatable raft
Good morning from somewhere in between Detroit and Pittsburgh, as we do the drive to Pennsylvania for Game 3 tomorrow. (In case you're wondering, the scenery between these two cities is just as breathtaking as you would imagine and the potholes only add to that charm).