Wow, did that ever open the floodgates.
Ever since I weighed in on the Komets' winning streak the other day, I've been getting buried by responses, slandered on message boards and generally called the kind of names for which your mom used to wash out your mouth with soap. And all because I said I thought that the Komets were so well-coached, so well-run and so outrageously talented that they'd turned the IHL into a virtual joke.
Let's rerun that again: Well-run ... well-coached ... talented ...
And somehow that's a slam?
Look, I agree that winning 22 straight home games (soon to be an alltime-record 23) at any level of hockey is a significant achievment. What I'm not sure is exactly HOW significant a achievement it is, given that they're 30 points up on everyone else and winning almost every game they play despite the fact there's no earthly reason they need to at this point. Which is a tribute to both Al Sims' motivational skills and the mental toughness of his players.
Unfortunately, it's also a reflection on the relative merits of the rest of the league, like it or not. I mean, be honest, don't you miss those old battles with Quad City and Rockford right now?
-- Ben Smith
You like poking the bear, don't you? LOL
Posted by: Sherry | March 25, 2008 at 10:57 PM
Yes I do, but i heartily enjoy the games against pretty much every other team. No one can replace Steve Martinson.
Regardless, a pompous comment like saying "soon to be 23" is exactly the mentality the Komets need to STAY AWAY from if they want to win the cup.
Posted by: FWKRTJ | March 25, 2008 at 11:11 PM
I agree, FWKRTJ. And I'm sure Al Sims is telling his team not to take anything for granted -- although guys like Chaulk, Dupuis, Drouin and the other vets on this team surely don't need to be reminided. But since I'm not them, I can get away with saying "pompous" stuff like "soon to be 23."
I mean, come on, you don't I'm wrong about that, do you?
Posted by: ben smith | March 26, 2008 at 08:53 AM
I miss Rockford.
I don't miss Quad City.
I don't miss how mind-numbingly boring UHL games had become.
Posted by: Jungle Monkey | March 26, 2008 at 02:09 PM
I miss seeing a team play the Komets once a month, now it's once a week we play the same teams. But yeah, I miss watching Rockford and the Komets play, no madder who Rockford had on the their team.
Posted by: Andrew | March 26, 2008 at 03:09 PM
Do I think they'll win? I hope so, but that is hardly a foregone conclusion, even with the point situation the way that it is. The last time the Komets played Kalamazoo at the coliseum, it came down to a shoot-out, but the K's managed to pull it out. Granted, their play was pretty sloppy that night, but it could be sloppy again. So let's not get ahead of ourselves. "Brick by brick..."
Posted by: Wendy | March 26, 2008 at 03:34 PM
I don't miss Rockford and I don't miss Quad City. I have no problem with this season and the fact that the Komets are up by 30 points. If the Komets were shutting out opponents every night and scoring 7 goals a night, then the comment about the league being a joke would have some validity. What I would say is that the Komets are a very strong team theat knows what it takes to win and I'm enjoyuing every mineut of it.
Posted by: Greg | March 26, 2008 at 03:54 PM
One of the better teams definitely in the UHL/IHL and maybe then the last 4-5 years of the old IHL.
Posted by: Junior | March 26, 2008 at 07:33 PM
How can anyone really say that the don't miss QC or Rockford?? I like the IHL the way it is, but it would even be better with QC and Rck aboard.
Posted by: Pat | March 26, 2008 at 08:03 PM
QC has stunk the last few years and Rockford had a decent/abrasive/easy to hate coach/team.
Craigs the one that's going to put a team in Chicago and he's the same man that built up Rockford to what they were before he was forced to sell in to the Hawks and the AHL.
Posted by: Junior | March 26, 2008 at 08:43 PM
All I have to say is Go Komets
Posted by: Mark | March 26, 2008 at 09:30 PM
Not that I am big fans of QC or Rockford, but it was always interesting when Rockford came to town and I miss all the banter between the whinney/clueless QC followers.
Posted by: Pat | March 27, 2008 at 12:01 PM