Ryan O'Byrne Incurs the Wrath of Avs Fans

Ryan O'Byrne played in parts of three seasons for the Colorado Avalanche.  He always seemed like a popular guy amongst his teammates, who affectionately referred to him with nicknames like "O.B.," "Burner," and of course "Beauty Alert."  O'Byrne was also fairly liked amongst Avs fans, although his popularity slipped this year, with his porous defense at times, but in his defense, the Avs defense as a whole has been just plain abysmal all year long.

Earlier today however, Denver Post writer Adrian Dater tweeted the below quote from O'Byrne:

adater@adater

Ryan O'Byrne: "Playing in Colorado you don't have the fan support & then you come to TO & you have that passion."

Since then, Avs fans have been laying into O'Byrne for trashing Avalanche fans.  O'Byrne is not the first player to say less than stellar things about the Colorado Avalanche organization after his trade away from the team.  Both Craig Anderson and Kyle Quincey expressed their contempt for Avalanche management after they were traded.  The difference between their comments and O'Byrne's is that they both directed their animosity toward the Avs' front office; O'Byrne criticized the Avs fanbase.

All three players have taken heat from Avs fans for their comments, but were they wrong for speaking out?  There is no sugar-coating the fact that the Colorado Avalanche, a team who won two Stanley Cups and used to be among the league's elite each and every year, has fallen very far since then.  The Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche set and NHL record for winning nine consecutive division titles.  This year will mark 10 years, a full decade since the Avs last hoisted a division title banner.

The Colorado Avalanche also set an NHL record for the longest home sellout streak of 487 games from 1995, the year the team debuted in Colorado until 2006.  Lately, the Avs attendance has been in steady decline and is currently 26th out of 30 NHL teams.  On any given night, you will find many vacant seats at the Pepsi Center for an Avs game.  The few sellouts the Avs have had this year have been due to the other team's fans occupying a very large portion of The Can.  When the Avs ended the Blackhawks point streak, the Pepsi Center was half full of Blackhawks fans.  The Red Wings, still the Avs most hated opponent, will fill the stands with red whenever they come to Denver as well.

Which of course brings me back to O'Byrne's controversial comment.  Of course, it can be interpreted that he is figuratively spitting in the face of Avs fans and essentially calling them bad hockey fans for not supporting their team the way Leafs fans support their club, who just clinched their first playoff berth in nine years.  Obviously, they are excited to end that drought.  It would be an understatement to say that they are passionate about their hockey up in Toronto.

I've lived in Colorado my entire life.  Colorado sports fans are great!  However, aside from the Denver Broncos, who will get round-the-clock coverage and support regardless of their record, Colorado fans can be sort of fickle.  Case in point, the Colorado Avalanche.  The Nuggets have a pretty consistent fanbase right now, but not so much 15 years ago when their position wasn't so favorable.  The Rockies get a quick bandwagon following once in a blue moon when they make the playoffs.



So were O'Byrne's comments out of line?  Personally, I don't think so.  If you go to any given Avs game, you will find plenty of empty seats.  Recently, you could find tickets to an Avs game for as little as $1 on stubhub.com, a very far cry from the heyday of the sellout streak and the Stanley Cups.  Sure, O'Byrne could have expressed his excitement to be playing for the playoff-bound Maple Leafs without directly or indirectly throwing Avs fans under the bus, but saying that crowds at Pepsi Center enthusiastic sellouts, isn't an insult, it's simply a fact.

I don't think he meant to insult those of us who are filling the seats at Pepsi Center.  Even through the tough times the Avs have been experiencing since the NHL implemented a salary cap, I have still been spending my money on tickets, jerseys, hats, and t-shirts, including a t-shirt signed by none other than Ryan O'Byrne from the Military Night mystery t-shirts last year.



I'm not alone.  There are many of us faithful Avalanche fans who will not jump on and off the bandwagon, we will continue to support the team through thick and thin.  While I don't think it was necessarily his intention, O'Byrne could have been criticizing the Avs fans who are no longer there.  The ones who would gladly fill the Pepsi Center for a winning team, but are nowhere to be seen for team that is in the dreaded rebuilding phase.  Honestly, I don't think he thought too much about it before he made his statement.  I think the point he was trying to make was simply his excitement to be playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs in a Leafs sweater.

I don't blame the fans who aren't at the games though.  It's tough to spend your hard-earned money to go see a last-place team and a team who will miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year.  You can't compare a Denver hockey fanbase to one up in Canada's largest city.  There is of course one simple solution that will undoubtedly restore the energy and passion back into the Pepsi Center for hockey games, and that is simply to win.

Possible Lines for the Avs tonight in Vancouver

*Update*
Per Adrian Dater, Landeskog did not skate this morning and will not play tonight.

The Avs will have a bit of a new look tonight with 20-year-old former OHL scoring champion Michael Sgarbossa likely to make his NHL debut.  Here's how the lines could possibly shape up tonight.

Landeskog-Duchene-Parenteau
McGinn-Stastny-Jones
Olver-Sgarbossa-Hejduk
McLeod-Mitchell-Bordeleau

Of course, the million dollar question is the status of captain Gabe Landeskog, who missed the first game of his NHL career Monday night in Edmonton.  Obviously, the best case scenario for the Avs will be that he will be good to go tonight and we could see the above lineup.  Sgarbossa could fill in the 4th line center position that was held on Monday by Brad Malone, the player he replaced on the Avs current roster, but I would actually like to see Sgarbossa on at least the 3rd line in order to get him a bit more ice time in an NHL game and with scoring wingers like Milan Hejduk.  Olver-Sgarbossa-Hejduk would be a small line, but there would also be scoring potential there, which the Avs desperately need.  You could even switch Olver and McLeod to give the 3rd line McLeod's grit and size.

If Landeskog's symptoms have not yet cleared, we could see McGinn up on the 1st line with Duchene and Parenteau just like we did Monday night.  Playing with Dutchy and PAP helped McGinn earn his first point of the season and the Avs are of course hoping that will open up the flood gates for Ginner's scoring.  If that's the case, then why not give Sgarbossa a shot with Stastny and Jones?  Stastny and Jones are due over $10 million worth of offense and perhaps the young scorer can help spark the 2nd line veterans.  Of course, if Landeskog is out, Chuck Kobasew would be inserted into the lineup as he'd be the last avaialble forward.

McGinn-Duchene-Parenteau
Sgarbossa-Stastny-Jones
Olver-Mitchell-Hejduk
McLeod-Kobasew-Bordeleau

It's unknown who will start in goal tonight, but with back-to-backs tonight and tomorrow, it seems very likely that veteran Jean-Sebastien Giguere will get his first start of the season either tonight or tomorrow in Calgary.  Jiggy was perfect in his only appearance so far this season, stopping all 17 shots he faced when he relieved Semyon Varlamov against the Sharks.

Varly, Landy, and Dutchy power Avs past Kings

Last Saturday, the Colorado Avalanche opened up their shortened 2013 season in Minnesota and fell to the new-look Wild, despite playing a good first and third period.

Three days later, the Avs made their season debut on home ice, where they faced off against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Los Angeles Kings.  Despite the fact that the Kings went on to win it all last year, the Avs actually had great success against Los Angeles, sweeping them in all four meetings last season.

The Avs and the Kings both entered last night's matchup 0-1 on the season and looking for their first win of 2013.  The Kings' best player is unquestionably their goaltender, reigning Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick, so Avs netminder Semyon Varlamov had his work cut out for him to match Quick.

Varly was outstanding last night.  He surrendered a first period goal, which was the result of young defenseman Tyson Barrie failing to tie up his man across the low slot.  The Avs did get themselves into trouble, taking six penalties on the night, but Varly and the penalty killing unit were spectacular, killing of all six Kings power play opportunities. 

The game was 1-0 in favor of the Kings through two periods and the Avs failed to capitalize on a 5-3 power play advantage late in the second, despite getting some good looks. 

Enter Gabriel Landeskog.  The 20-year-old Swede was not named the youngest captain in NHL history for some gimmick or fluke, this kid is the real deal.  It's cliche in pro sports, but in order to win, your best players have to be your best players and Landeskog showed why he is just that.  Landy received a somewhat fortunate bounce from defenseman Jan Hejda, but he used his hockey awareness and strength to be in the perfect position and he put the puck home past Jon Quick for the Avs' first goal on home ice this year.

Barely over a minute and a half later, sniper David Jones, fresh off a new four-year contract, snapped a wrist shot over the shoulder of Quick to give the Avs their first lead of the night.  Not bad for Jonesy to get the eventual game-winner at the first game his six-month-old son was able to attend!

Newcomer P.A. Parenteau would later get his first score as a member of the Avalanche and put Colorado up 3-1 for good.

Although he only recorded one assist on the night, center Matt Duchene was unquestionably one of the best players on the ice throughout the entire game.  From the opening face off, Duchene was flying, using his trademark speed to create space for him and his linemates.  He set up the play nicely that led to Landeskog's goal and he was good in all three zones. 

With fan-favorite Ryan O'Reilly still playing over in Russia as he has been unable to agree to a new contract in Colorado, Duchene's already important role with the Avs increase exponentially.  During the first two games this season, Duchene has been frequently used as a penalty killer, a role that he has not been known for throughout his young NHL career.

Over the summer, Duchene trained with Sidney Crosby, arguably the world's best hockey player and his trainer to work on his game.  Duchene eliminated gluten, sugar, and dairy from his diet to get into the best shape of his life.  He excelled in Sweden and Switzerland during the lockout and looks to be hungry to take his game to the next level with the Avalanche.  He is playing a more physical game it seems thus far.  He appears to be stronger and not afraid to get into the gritty areas of the ice.  On the set up of Landy's goal, he casually brushed off defenseman Rob Scuderi to get to the front of the net.

Duchene was also involved in a scary incident last night after he blocked a shot by Kings all-star defensemen Drew Doughty, who certainly has a cannon of a shot.  Duchene took the shot up high and immediately skated to the bench and into the locker room.  Just a couple short minutes later, Duchene returned to to game with a bandage on his jaw.  He would require stitches after the game and said he was lucky the shot didn't hit him higher, otherwise he probably would have lost all of his teeth.  Head coach Joe Sacco praised Duchene's play and his toughness for returning to the ice so quickly after sacrificing his body to block the shot.

Whether or not O'Reilly returns to Colorado, and of course we all hope he does very soon, Duchene will be a key piece for the Avs. 

The Avs are back at it at home tomorrow night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Jackets traded the longtime face of their franchise and former captain, Rick Nash over the summer, but the new-look Jackets are not to be taken lightly.  In a short, 48 game season, every game is an important one.  The Avs' key to success will be for them to use their youth and energy night in and night out and to not take games and even periods off.

The X Factor

After a long, frustrating, and arduous lockout, Colorado Avalanche fans are finding themselves victim of another maddening dispute.  This time however, it is between the Colorado Avalanche and their popular center Ryan O'Reilly.

Now, while the official party line is that talks remain ongoing between Colorado Avalanche General Manager Greg Sherman and O'Reilly's agent, Mark Guy, the fact remains that an already shortened season has begun, and the Avs are without their leading scorer from a year ago.

Much like the lockout itself, both sides have legitimate claims.  Over the course of his short three year NHL career, O'Reilly has certainly proven his value.  From the get-go, he established himself as a reliable two-way center who was very responsible in his own end as well as in the face off circle.  Last year, he saw his offensive abilities blossom as he nearly equaled the output from his rookie and sophomore years combined.

Greg Sherman and the Avs front office however, still have a business to run.  The Avs are still a very young team with budding talents and emerging superstars.  If they comply with the O'Reilly camp's demands and overpay the young center, it may be setting a dangerous precedent when the contracts of key players like Gabriel Landeskog, Matt Duchene, and Semyon Varlamov expire in two years.  The Avs are well under the salary cap now, but if they shell out big bucks for all of their young, talented players, they may not be able to afford to keep them all down the line.  A hockey guy and a team guy, O'Reilly should understand that.

There have been reports as to what the Avs have offered and what O'Reilly has reportedly turned down.  Yes, the numbers are important for the team and O'Reilly now and of course in the long term, but much like the lockout, we fans don't care.  The CBA is certainly a necessary evil, but it was completely unnecessary that we had to wait until January to watch our first NHL games of the season.

Signing O'Reilly to a contract that is fair for both him and team is important, but all we fans care about is that he is in the lineup, representing the Burgundy and Blue and helping this young team win games in a very competitive Northwest Division.

The longer this drags out, the worse it will be for both the Avalanche and Ryan O'Reilly.  Owner Stan Kroenke has developed the reputation as an owner who won't spend money to help improve his teams and Greg "from Accounting" Sherman has been labeled as a numbers guy, not a hockey guy.  This certainly isn't helping to cure those rumors.  We've been told for years now that no one loves the game of hockey more than O'Reilly.  The team's biggest "rink rat," always the first to arrive and the last to leave.  Well Ryan, prove to us that you do love the game and that nothing means more to you than playing hockey at the highest level possible   Not some second-rate league like the KHL, the National Hockey League.

We were cheated out of 34 regular season games this year because of people's greed, arrogance, and stubbornness and now we are being cheated out of watching a young, talented, valuable player help the team who turned him into a bona fide NHL center as he wastes away in the KHL.

Bettman, Fehr I mean Sherman, Guy, get a deal done!

Serving Justice

Ever since Warner Bros. announced plans for a live-action Justice League movie due out in 2015, there has been much speculation as to who will be playing the roles of the film's heroes.  With its only successful film franchise now wrapped up following The Dark Knight Rises, DC Comics and Warner Bros. are in desperate need of a film franchise that they can bank on.  Of course, every actor picked to play a role will hopefully begin their own franchises as their respective heroes.  Here are my picks to play the characters of the movie:

Superman:  Henry Cavill

This of course is banking on the fact that next summer's The Man of Steel will work.  Marvel had the success of Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America to kick start The Avengers.  Superman Returns and Green Lantern didn't get it done, so The Man of Steel is essentially DC's last hope to jump start the Justice League franchise without having The Justice League movie itself be the catalyst.

Wonder Woman:  Odette Annable

The 27-year-old House actress certainly has the look of Wonder Woman.  Even though she doesn't have an action background, with the right training she can certainly get into Amazon form, much like Anne Hathaway did for her role as Selina Kyle.  Annable is relatively unknown, so audiences won't have preconceived notions about her.

Green Lantern:  Idris Elba

Unless DC and Warner Bros. want to continue with Ryan Reynolds' Hal Jordan incarnation of Green Lantern, it would be a perfect opportunity to introduce the John Stewart Green Lantern.  Idris Elba, who has some comic book movie experience from Thor, would fit the bill perfectly. 

The Flash:  Ryan Reynolds

Before he ever signed on to play Green Lantern, Reynolds stated that he thought he could play The Flash.  DC however, decided to move forward with Green Lantern instead and cast him.  Now that Green Lantern failed to meet expectations, why not give Reynolds a shot at the hero he originally wanted?  With The Flash being a wise-cracking, sarcastic super hero, Reynolds would certainly work perfectly.

Green Arrow:  Josh Holloway

Holloway is of course best known as the conman Sawyer from Lost.  He could certainly fit the bill as billionaire archer Oliver Queen.  The fact that Holloway is in his 40s would be ideal for the Justice League film because a younger Oliver Queen would be too similar to the current Arrow incarnation on the CW and even Smallville's Green Arrow. 

Aquaman:  Alexander Skarsgard

True Blood fans of course know him best as Eric Northman, the antihero vampire of Bon Temps.  Skarsgard could bring the necessary energy to Aquaman to make him a legitimate hero rather than just a joke of a guy who talks to fish.

Martian Manhunter:  Djimon Hounsou

Hounsou voiced Marvel's Black Panther in the short-lived BET animated series and was rumored to play the character in the now scrapped third Fantastic Four movie.  Hounsou could certainly play Martian Manhunter and his alter ego, John Jones. 

Black Canary:  Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood made her film debut in 2010's drama Soul Surfer.  If she wants to further expand her acting resume, then why not take on the role of a superhero?  She's got the look of Dinah Lance and she certainly has the vocal cords!  Plus, there could be some interesting chemistry between her and Holloway...

Darkseid:  Dwayne Johnson

Darkseid is the immortal ruler of Apokolips and is powerful enough to challenge the entire Justice League.  The 6'5", 260lb. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson can certainly step into the larger than life role and become the force necessary to best Superman and all of his colleagues.

Batman:  Michael Fassbender

Following Christain Bale's legendary performances of the Dark Knight will certainly be the toughest task for any Justice League hero.  Michael Fassbender made a name for himself as Magneto in X-Men: First Class, taking the role over from another legendary actor, Ian McKellen.  Fassbender will have to do the same from Christian Bale and bring his own fresh take to the character without bringing back the campiness of George Clooney's Batman.

2012 Fall TV: Keep 'Ems and Cut 'Ems

As previously mentioned, Revolution is a keeper.  The ratings have concurred, giving NBC rare Monday night wins and NBC has in turn rewarded the show by giving it a full season pickup.  The Mob Doctor's attempts may be futile at this point as it may very well be headed for the morgue.  It avoided being the first cancellation of the season, but its lifespan might not be much longer.

I watched the pilot episode of 666 Park Avenue, but from the get-go, it was facing an uphill battle with my packed Sunday lineup, which gets even more crowded this week with the Season 3 premier of The Walking Dead.  666 kind of had a Devil's Advocate feel, but it also seemed like ABC wanted to bring the horror genre, which is all over feature films these days, to network television.  Aside from the aforementioned Walking Dead, I am not a fan of the horror genre, so 666 was certainly expendable from my lineup.  Its ratings have been described as "frightful" as well.

The pilot episode of Vegas was decent.  Dennis Quaid brings in his gruff Western character, reminiscent of his portrayal of Doc Holliday in Wyatt Earp, which was a ok, but far less superior to Val Kilmer's in Tombstone.  Michael Chiklis is good.  He's got the same edge about him that made Vic Mackey and The Shield a success.  Vegas' second episode got a nice boost with the addition of Sarah Jones, the star of the short-lived Alcatraz.  Although there are standalone storylines in Vegas, the ongoing budding feud between Quaid's Sheriff Ralph Lamb and Chiklis' Vincent Savino gives it the nice feel of a serialized drama, which I prefer.

I'm a big fan of Tosh.O, South Park, and Family Guy.  Brickleberry seemed to incorporate elements of all three.  Daniel Tosh of course stars and brings his edgy comedic stylings playing an anthropomorphic bear cub (a mix of Brian and Stewie from Family Guy) and the pushing-the-limits jokes made famous by South Park.  Unfortunately, despite the winning formula, Brickleberry fails.  I watched the first 2 episodes and just didn't find the jokes funny.  I'll stick with the former 3 shows.



Arrow is the CW's latest attempt to bring a DC superhero to the small screen.  The WB/CW enjoyed a decade of success with the Superman-themed show Smallville.  The character of Green Arrow was actually featured in Smallville over the course of its latter 5 seasons.  It seemed feasible that they could have just used Smallville actor Justin Hartley and made Arrow a true spinoff of Smallville.  Oliver Queen's mansion in Arrow even looks very similar to the Luthor mansion in Smallville.  The CW however, decided to go in a different direction and start the Green Arrow storyline over with a fresh, new show.  Canadian actor Stephen Amell takes over the titular role with a supporting cast of Katie Cassidy as a character who could very well become DC Comics' Black Canary and Willa Holland as Oliver Queen's sister, whom he nicknames "Speedy," a nod to Green Arrow's comic book sidekick.  Arrow is good for what it is.  You wouldn't expect Lost or Dexter quality TV from the CW, but Arrow is entertaining and for superhero and comic book fans like me, Arrow is a show worth watching.  The CW will certainly be hoping that it can channel Smallville's success rather than the short-lived Batman-themed show, Birds of Prey.



Perhaps the surprise hit of the season is Last Resort.  The cast, storyline, and overall show are all very well executed and Last Resort seems like it has a lot of potential going forward.  It certainly has a serialized storyline, but one that can capture viewers, or so ABC hopes.  Although its ratings haven't been what Revolution's have been, I think Last Resort can sustain a viewership.  Though it's a rather large ensemble type cast, there is a good blend of solid, veteran actors (Andre Braugher, Scott Speedman, and Robert Patrick) as well as promising relative newcomers like Daisy Betts, Autumn Reeser, Daniel Lissing, and Jessy Schram.  Serialized shows can have difficulties with ratings since they're not friendly to the casual viewer, but if Last Resort is able to build and maintain a faithful fanbase, it will certainly thrive.

I have a new edition to my lineup as well.  I didn't catch on to Cinemax's first successful endeavor at original programming, Strike Back, but its newest show, Hunted, looks like it has potential.  It stars Melissa George (the hot nanny from Friends) as a spy who's trying to find out who's trying to kill her.  Like Burn Notice, but hopefully less cheesy.  It premiers in the U.S. on Friday, 11/19.

Reviewlution

Only a couple of new shows premiered this week (along with the disappointing NBC sitcoms that debuted during the Olympics last month).  Let's take a look, shall we?

Although it wasn't on my initial list of new shows, I decided to check out the pilot 'sode of The Mob Doctor.  Jordana Spiro is very good as the titular character.  You may remember her from the TBS sitcom My Boys as well as last season of Dexter.  She had a memorable scene in which she tried to kill Deb and the Miami PD by gassing them, but our hero Dexter shrewdly realized her intentions at the last minute and pushed her into a room by herself, making her the only casualty.  Back to The Mob Doctor.  It's basically half House and half The Sopranos, but not as convincing as either.  (I never watched House, but heard only good things).  William Forsythe brings the "mob" portion of the show.  He's looking a lot puffier these days than he did in The Rock 16 years ago, but he certainly plays a convincing mobster, just as he did in Boardwark Empire and UC: Undercover.  I like Michael Rapaport, who appeared in the pilot as another mobster, but he only guest starred and won't be part of the main cast.  Overall, The Mob Doctor is not a bad show, but it didn't really captivate me enough to continue watching.  With Monday Night Football, How I Met Your Mother, Hawaii Five-O, and Revolution, my Mondays are full.

Which of course brings us to Revolution, J.J. Abrams' latest TV bid.  In his post-Lost TV career, Abrams is only 1-2 when it comes to his shows lasting longer than one season.  Person of Interest will be entering its second, while Undercovers didn't even make it through its entire first before getting yanked and Alcatraz was canceled upon completion of its first.  With Revolution, Abrams brings with him frequent collaborator Bryan Burk as well as Iron Man and Iron Man 2 director, Jon Favreau, who also directed the pilot episode of Revolution.

The premise is pretty simple:  The lights go out.  All of them.  The entire world's electricity and power go out; flash forward 15 years later to see what the world has become.  The United States has become "republics" ruled by militias and people fight to survive.  Billy Burke (24, the Twilight series) heads up the cast in a role being compared to the legendary Han Solo and newcomer Tracy Spiridakos plays his niece as a character who's been compared to The Hunger Games' heroine Katniss Everdeen.  Giancarlo Esposito of The Usual Suspect and Breaking Bad plays a member of the bad guy militia and Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell and David Lyons, the star of the short-lived NBC show The Cape co-star as well.

I think Revolution has potential.  Dystopia is in right now, namely with the aforementioned Hunger Games and I think Revolution has a good premise and cast in place to garner and keep viewers interested.  While Undercovers, Alcatraz, and Person of Interest were all mostly stand-alone episodes, Revolution seems to have a more serialized feel to it, which I prefer.  I understand the network's desire for stand-alone episodes to attract casual viewers, but I think stories and even characters can be better developed in a serialized storyline.  Revolution certainly has a long way to go before being considered a hit, but I will keep watching for the moment.

Next week Brickleberry, Vegas, Last Resort, and 666 Park Avenue will all debut.  Stay tuned!