March Madness has ended, the Final Four is over, everyone’s brackets have been destroyed and College basketball fans at-large have returned to being productive members of the work force (OK, most people aren’t that obsessive). There is however a handful of college sports fans that are still waiting for their final four. The NCAA D1 Men’s ice hockey championship, more commonly referred to as the Final Four, begins the final rounds tonight. Minnesota Duluth will face Notre Dame at 3:00 pm Mountain and Michigan will face North Dakota at 6:30 pm. The winners of those two games will play for the National Championship on Saturday night at 5:00 pm Mountain.Like many college sports, college hockey is very different from professional play. Fighting is not allowed, players wear full masks and the physical aspect of the game is very understated by NHL standards. I have come to discover these differences usually turn off casual hockey fans. I however very much enjoy college play. Without the “excitement” of unnecessarily hard hits and players who STOP PLAYING to throw punches (subsequent penalty requiring you to miss 25% of the period) you are left with a hockey game consisting of few distractions from the fundamental aspects of the game; position play, effective fore checking and offensive zone cycling, neutral zone transitions, we can stop there but the list goes on.

So if you are looking for a change from the last games of the NBA and NHL regular season or the first few MLB games this year why not give the student athletes at these four great schools a chance?

The BCS National Championship Game
On January 10th the Auburn Tigers and the Oregon Ducks will play for the BCS National Championship. I will admit the 600ish bowl games that take place between the end of the college football season and now mostly suck and a lot of people have moved on to other interests. However, this game should offer some good football and at least be a fun game to watch. (Plus Buffalo Wild Wings has great wing deals for bowl games.)

NFL playoffs
The Denver Broncos will not be among the post season teams this year which is unfortunate. None the less, post season anything is exciting. When teams are playing in do or die situations you are always going to get some good games.

NHL All Star Events
Last year in place of the All Star Events we got the Olympics and we learned All Star Events can’t top games that place national pride on the line. But the Olympics only come around every four years and we need something the other three years. I think most people will agree the All Star game itself is a snooze fest. I do however enjoy the skill challenges. Also, the decision to strap mics on some of the players was great.

There you have it. What I’m looking forward to this month.

-Derek

As you may have noticed Thin Air Sports has been struggling along this past year. Well, its a new year and we are ready to start fresh with a renewed commitment. Partially Inspired by WordPress’ Daily Post experiment and a general desire to interact with other sports fans have brought us back.
Join us as we bring you our unique perspective on all things sports in the new year.

-Derek

A Fast Start Could Make Melo's Decision Easy.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, readers of all ages… it is time again for the start of the greatest time of the year. I am talking about the eve of the beginning of the Denver Nuggets season. That’s right folks, I am officially back from my sabbatical that took me away from writing last season.

There have been many changes since then and a whirlwind of drama surrounding the Nuggets. For those of you who think that it is unavoidable that Carmelo Anthony will take his game elsewhere… this post may not be for you. I am going to hold on to any hope, and a few bias theories, that have him wearing a Nuggets uniform beyond this season.

As we all know, the only team that has not been linked to a possible trade for Melo is Besiktas (the Turkish team that signed our old friend Allen Iverson). We have been enduring the speculation for far too long now and frankly, I can’t wait for the season to start so we can clear things up.

It is time for Chauncey to rally the troops and start the season with a bang. This will be the first step to convincing Melo to stay. J.R. Smith needs to live up to all of the reports that he has developed a mid-range game and has made enormous strides in his personal maturity. The sixth man award is his for the taking if these reports are indeed true. Nene is healthy and needs to realize that he is often the strongest player on the court and play like the beast that he is.

The true key to the season, however, is the simple fact that Arron Afflalo will establish himself as the second best player on the team. His perimeter defense can hold the league’s best wing players at bay and his ever improving jumper will prove to be the bane of any opponents existence. When he can stifle players like Kobe Bryant then come down to the other end and shoot 47.6% from beyond the arch, this year poises to be one of epic proportions for this young man. Just remember where you heard it first.

With the injuries to Kenyon Martin and Chris “Birdman” Andersen, Al Harrington has a tremendous opportunity to earn the starting power forward role for the entire season. He is a gifted scorer who has never had the luxury of being the fourth scoring option. If he lets the game come to him, he is bound to make a positive impact. He can stretch the opponents defense, which will open lanes for Melo, Chauncey and J.R. to slash. The better Al plays, the easier it will be to properly nourish KMart and Birdman back into the lineup.

Another opportunity is that of Ty Lawson. He is fortunate to have the wisdom and leadership of Chauncey. Ty has only scratched the surface of his potential thus far. He has established himself as one of the fastest players in the league and instills fear in defending 7 footers (just ask D.J. Mbenga). Ty needs to keep absorbing and learning the tricks of the trade and he will be on the fast track to success.

To round out the lineup, we have acquired Candice Parker’s husband (Sheldon Williams) who has hopefully harnessed some of her talent. He and Renaldo Balkman will battle for limited minutes even with the plethora of injuries to the front line. Gary Forbes and Melvin Ely will look to earn a spot at the end of the bench with their play in garbage time. And then there is Anthony Carter.

It will take a lot of hard work and due diligence but if the Nuggets can ignore the turmoil of the rumor mill, they can make a real statement in the unpredictable Western Conference. Carmelo Anthony will have an easy choice to sign the extension that is on the table and ultimately bring a championship to the great city of Denver.

Sometimes inspiration comes from unexpected people, and this year I waited with baited breath to see the outcome of the four man bobsled. It’s a crazy sport – four giant men sprint like mad, stuff themselves into a bullet shaped sled, and plummet down an icy slide at speeds that aren’t even legal on roadways. For the first time since the 40s the United States actually had a team that could content with the world class sled teams from Germany and Austria, and they were a motley bunch.

Bobsledders need to have agility, quick speed, and nerves of steel. They are built more like linebackers, the extra weight helping to keep the sled stable on the runs, and working with gravity to propel the sled faster down the slope.  Bobsledders looked like the all-star wrestling group of the Olympics, but their timing, coordination and brute strength were refreshing to watch. The US crew of four has some unique background. They are consummate athletes, accomplished academics, and seem to be overall nice guys – the perfect hero for American youth. What mom wouldn’t want their child emulating these guys instead of the spoiled professional athletes populating so many hours of coverage on ESPN?

Pilot Steve Holcomb, who sits in the front seat and guides the sled down the slope, has been a decorated bobsled athlete for more than a decade.  He earned his computer science degree, served seven years in the Utah National Guard, and has an accomplished athletic record in skiing, football and baseball.  A degenerative eye disease almost short circuited his career when contact lenses and glasses could no longer correct his diminishing eyesight. Undergoing a relatively new procedure, he had a corrective lens placed under his cornea, and found a new challenge. As his eyesight faltered, he learned to guide the sled through feel. Once he could see again, he had to relearn how to pilot as a sighted man.

The other members of the team also boast impressive personal resumes. Curt Tomasevicz, a Nebraska native, has a bachelors and masters degree in electrical engineering. He played football for the University of Nebraska’s Cornhuskers from 2000-2003. Youngster Justin Olsen of San Antonio, Texas, attended the US Air Force Academy for a year before trying out for the bobsled team.  His short bobsled career started in 2007, when he burst on the scene by making the World Cup team in his first season.  Senior member (if that’s what you can call a 31 year old athlete) Steve Mesler, has a degree in exercise and sport science from the University of Florida, where he attended on a scholarship for track and field. He competed as a nationally ranked decathlon athlete.

The competition required four runs down the treacherous track – two runs on subsequent days. The first day showed the confidence and ability of the team, which built a surprisingly robust lead after two runs. This was accomplished as fans watched several sleds flip over in the notorious 50-50 turn – named by Holcomb who said, “…you have a 50-50 chance of making it through this turn”. The second day started with the lead US team clocking a run much slower than the previous day, but it was indicative of a slower track, and the US upheld the remarkable lead. Throughout the races the team was enthusiastic, but reserved, always showing great respect for the other teams. They set a high bar for athletic prowess and practiced public relations acumen. When the snow settled in Vancouver the US bobsledders had brought home a gold medal. They train and practice in virtual obscurity for years between Olympics, but they’re on our radar now.  We’ll be following these accomplished athletes, and wait expectantly to see them return for the challenge of Soichi. Thanks for the inspiration!

On Monday James Merilatt from Mile High Sports used the daily email newsletter to whine about Team USA’s loss to Canada for the Gold medal in Men’s Hockey.  He asked if his opinion would earn him the label of “ugly American”.

James, you’re good there.

However, his nonsensical whiny opinion should earn him title of “silly American”.

By ignoring any logical thought Merilatt blames the US loss on the fact overtime play is 4 on 4.  He claims 5 on 5 the USA was the best team and because of the unfair overtime rule the gold medal was effectively stolen from the USA.  He even takes the time to do a head-to-head comparison of the two teams.  The problem is his argument falls apart before you can even get to the numbers.

The USA and every other team who participated in the Olympics knew the rules before they started.  If the OT rules were so unfair they should have addressed it long before the conclusion of the final game.  This is akin to playing rock-paper-scissors with someone, choosing rock when they choose paper, losing and then crying foul because there is no way paper can hold up to a rock.  I think anyone will agree that if you hold a piece of paper in front of your face and let someone throw at you, you will lose.  True as that may be when you decided to play the game you agreed paper was superior to a rock.  This point alone renders Merilatt’s argument moot, but I am going to take it a step further and pose this question:

If the USA was so much stronger at 5 on 5 play why couldn’t they win in the 60 minutes of 5 on 5 play they got before the ten odd minutes of 4 on 4 play?

The superior 5 on 5 team had nearly six times the amount of time to win and they did not.  In fact, the US never lead at any point in the 60 minutes of 5 on 5 play leading to overtime.  Sorry James, but that does not make the US sound like a better 5 on 5 team.

If assaulting the read with this ridiculous argument wasn’t enough Merilatt precedes to compare this “injustice” to the 1972 basketball debacle and calls for the US to reject their Silver medals.  Really?  In 1972 there was a real issue.  This is just you whining because the US didn’t beat Canada.  Every single American player should be proud of their huge accomplishment and graciously accept their Silver medals.

One of the greatest things about sports is no matter what happened in the past on any given day two teams will face each other and at the end of the day one will walk away victorious and one will walk away disappointed.  Sometimes it is the better team and sometimes it is the team who had no explainable reason to win.  That is one of the fundamental reasons sports are so great.

At this point, the 2010 Winter Olympics are nearly halfway over.  Earlier today I watched curling over my lunch break and I caught some hockey tonight but that has been it.  If it were not for my Twitter feed, I would have no idea what has been happening.  So yes, I am an Olympic slug (I also just got Bioshock 2- it is a bit distracting).

I did manage to come across the story about the Canadian made Olympia ice resurfacers breaking down and having to be replaced by American made Zambonis.  I don’t have the direct details on why the Olympia machines sucked but I can share my past experiences with ice resurfacers.

I grew up playing hockey for the Boulder Valley Hockey Association.  Back when I played, BVHA was relegated to playing at the University of Colorado’s student recreation center.  Their primary ice resurfacer was a Black and Gold Olympia.  The arena also had an old blue and white Zamboni (I have no idea why CU had a Blue and White Zam).  That Olympia broke down all the time.  It would usually break down while it was in the middle of the rink and the hot water would just leak out and melt a huge dip in the ice.  This of course required an entire weekend of intensive rehab to correct.  If they were fortunate enough to get the broken Olympia off the ice we could always count on the Zamboni to:

A.) Start.  No matter how long it had been sitting it usually started.

B.) Run.  It would run continuously until the Olympia was fixed.

While I don’t know the exact details from Vancouver I can say that if I had an ice rink and I wanted a reliable ice resurfacer it would have to be a Zamboni.

Melo's Play Could Turn into the Dunk of The Year

Two games into the season and I am ready to gift wrap the MVP trophy and present it to Carmelo Anthony. Melo has looked nothing less than brilliant.

Opening night, Carmelo had 30 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists. Not to mention the best dunk of his career. Paul Milsap would agree and probably think twice before challenging Melo on the way to the rim again. Also, we saw the raw brilliance of rookie Ty Lawson. Ty’s quickness and knack to find his way into the paint gave the Jazz fits all night. Lawson had 17 points and 6 assists and brought much needed energy off of the bench. Chauncey Billups was solid on his way to 25 points. Billups controlled the game and played tight defense on Ronnie Brewer and Deron Williams. The Nuggets looked good on their way to a 114-105 victory.

In the second game, Melo proved to be one of the smoothest scorers on the planet. The Nuggets trailed most of the game until Melo took the game into his own hands in the fourth. He posted 19 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter as he willed the Nuggets to rally past the Blazers. Chauncey Billups again played solid with 22 points.

Coming into the game with Portland, the Nuggets were low on sleep. A blizzard dumped two feet of snow on Denver in the days before and kept the team from arriving to their hotel until 4 am Thursday morning. The Nuggets showed true heart and determination as they outplayed the Blazers down the stretch. Greg Oden missed two free throws with 4.6 seconds remaining to allow the Nuggets to take the victory. The final score was 97-94.

So far, the only question for the season is ‘where are our bigs?’ Nene is playing a bit soft and needs to use his size and strength to rebound, defend, and score near the basket. Kenyon Martin should thrive when Ty Lawson is on the floor as KMart runs with the best of them. Chris “Birdman” Andersen has only blocked one shot and hasn’t provided the same spark that earned him that big contract in the offseason. They all need to step up their level of play if the Nuggets want to emulate and build off of their success from last year.

Denver Magazine Has the Keys to This Seasons Success on Their Cover

Today marks the day that myself, a grown man, wakes up before sunrise and starts getting ready for my favorite day of the year. Like a child on Christmas, peaking around the tree and shaking boxes, I am gearing up for the Nuggets’ season opener against the Utah Jazz.

Now it is no secret that the Jazz fall somewhere between hemorrhoids and Brent Musburger on my “Things That Irritate me” list, so nothing would make my favorite day of the year like a victory tonight.

There has been a lot of buzz that this may be the breakout year for Melo. A lot of analysts have him high on their MVP radars already and I must agree. He has vowed to be more aggressive in taking the ball to the hole and now that the officials are giving him the calls, he will get even more trips to the free throw line.

Chauncey Billups, Denver’s favorite son, is more focused than ever and ready to pick up where he left off. With an entire offseason to work with the team and his uncanny ability to lead and produce, look for him to seal his fate in the Hall of Fame.

A few of the new faces who joined the team this season are lead by Arron Afflalo. Afflalo will look to be that defensive presence on the perimeter that was lost when Dahntay Jones left. Afflalo is a better scorer than Jones and through the preseason has looked to be everything Jones was as a defender.

Ty Lawson also joins the mix. The Nuggets are high on his abilities and look for him to back up Billups. Lawson has a very high basketball I.Q. and is going to be one of the fastest players with the ball in the NBA. He also has the advantage of learning the most difficult position in the game from one of the finest. Chauncey has taken Ty under his wing and is setting the young man up with all that he needs to become a great floor general.

Look for the Nuggets to beat up on the Jazz tonight as Utah is hindered with injuries yet again. With Kyle Korver and CJ Miles not playing and Ronnie Brewer questionable, the Jazz will be stretching their bench thin.

J.R. Smith will begin his seven game supension tonight for the Nuggets and his scoring will greatly be missed, so look for Afflalo, Lawson and either Nene or Kenyon Martin to step up big and take on some of that scoring load.

Last year it was tough to be a member of the Colorado Avalanche and it wasn’t any easier to be a fan.  As many of you know the Avs finished 15^th in the West and to make things worse they were ten points behind the closest team (That is like being 5 games back if you are still in Baseball mode).  The off season didn’t, in my opinion, offer much hope for this year. While they did acquire some talent in Matt Duchene, they lost a great leader who possessed a lot of talent with the retirement of Joe Sakic.  Their goaltending last year was generally horrible and the acquisition of a largely untested goalie was too much of an unknown to offer much relief for next season’s doubts.

Currently the Avs are 4-1-1 and have provided some great entertainment.  Perhaps my preseason doubts were unfounded?

How quickly things can change.

After watching the first few games I have a renewed sense of optimism for the coming year. The team looks good overall and as long they can keep up the hard work I think we will be in for a great season (They can roll over and play dead on January 31^st however).  Specifically, I wanted to point out a couple of the good things I have seen over the past few games. First, Matt Duchene is really good. He still makes some mistakes that drive me crazy as a coach, but as long as the more experienced players stay committed to offering this young player some pointers he will provide some great offense.  Anyone who knows me knows how much I dislike Cody McLeod. Well, I have to give him some credit. I was shocked to see how hard he was working on the ice. I never thought he was an unskilled player; rather I was of the opinion he did not understand the game and wasn’t very interested in working hard. He proved me wrong on all fronts.  He has been skating hard, well positioned and most importantly he has not lost his cool and thus managed to avoid stupid penalties. So Cody, keep up the good work. The Avs can really benefit from it.  Last, I have renewed hope in the goaltending. Chris Anderson is no doubt a scary goalie for a fan. He looks unfocused and out of control. I call this the Dominik Hašek school of “flop around in the crease like a dying fish out of water” goaltending.  You are going to have occasions when this style fails and he is so out of position a goal is inevitable. However, as a former defense man and defensive coach you can adapt to this style of play. As long as the defensemen are aware this is how their goalie will play they can mitigate some of the negative consequences with a modification in their style of play. I think a look at the number of shots he has faced the season vs. the goals he has allowed shows the team is making it work.

Any Avs fan should be excited. They are off to a great start and there are plenty of reasons to keep watching the balance of the season.