It's Christmas And The Avs Suck, But Ranting Solves Nothing

by Joe Dunman on Dec 22, 2008 8:50 AM MST in NHL News

Adrian Dater's long-delayed mea culpa about his still-infamous "ESPN Rant" from the early days of All Things Avs got me thinking. What's the value of ranting? I mean, it feels good, but what purpose does it serve, really?

Dater got mad about something 18 months ago and took it out on a bunch of people in a very public forum. The only thing it accomplished was a 400% boost to his blogosphere popularity/notoriety and a likely PR headache for his bosses. And even though he already apologized once, he felt like he had to do it again many months later.

I, too, felt very much like ranting this morning. I had half of it written before I happened to read Dater's "sorry" note and thought again. Not that my rant would have called out a bunch of sports news celebrities or been noticed by more than the several hundred people that read MHH every day, but it just doesn't seem worth it now.

I was going to lament the pathetic, wretched lack of effort the Avs show almost every game, how they leave their starting goalie out to dry almost every time he's in net, how the coach couldn't motivate a fat kid with a deep-fried Twinkie, how the general manager let Andrew Brunette go but signed Darcy Tucker, how it's beyond intolerable that Tyler Arnason continues to get any playing time whatsoever, and on and on and on.

And then I remembered that it's Christmas, and that ranting solves nothing. Having written half of the screed already, I still wasn't feeling any better, and that wasn't a very good sign. So I deleted it, and wrote this instead.

So instead of going off on the infuriating mediocrity that is our dear Colorado Avalanche, I'll leave you all with an old holiday favorite: The Kitten Cannon!

Happy holidays.

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Comments

Cynical bitter snark, however, solves just about everything.

I believe in Peter Budaj

by Jibblescribbits on Dec 22, 2008 8:54 AM MST reply actions

And I still can’t get past my high score of 2221Ft on the Kitten Cannon….

I'm The Canary - but I'm not cute nor cuddly, and I don't sing.

Now and then we had the hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be PIRATES.
-Mark Twain-

by Americanario on Dec 22, 2008 8:58 AM MST reply actions

how the hell did you get that? I can’t get over 1,100 ft.

by InYoFace on Dec 22, 2008 9:08 PM MST up reply actions

Nevermind

2,410 baby. Yeah!

by InYoFace on Dec 22, 2008 9:17 PM MST up reply actions

We both felt obligated to be upbeat for the holidays. Our parents would be so proud.

Thanks a bunch for the frontpage facetime, too.

by JonHaven on Dec 22, 2008 10:03 AM MST reply actions

Any time. Great post!

Go Avs! Let's get some goals!

by Joe Dunman on Dec 22, 2008 10:07 AM MST up reply actions

yep

couldn’t agree more. This whole seems to lack passion in a big way, and Arny is like a black hole about passion.

by thedoctor on Dec 22, 2008 10:14 AM MST reply actions

whole team*

by thedoctor on Dec 22, 2008 10:14 AM MST up reply actions

Kitty Cannon FTW!!!!

I blame it all on my goalie

by TheRed on Dec 22, 2008 11:26 AM MST reply actions

Dater's ESPN rant

I didn’t think he needed to apologize as much as he did. Maybe a little apology for naming names, but it was nice to see somebody in the mainstream take a shot at the cable sports juggernaut. ESPN comes off pretty arrogant at times and needs to be taken down a notch every now and then.

With that said, ranting usually isn’t helpful. If you feel like picking a fight, go for it. But you better be prepared for the ensuing debate (or since this is the internet, flame war) otherwise just let it go.

by InYoFace on Dec 22, 2008 11:43 AM MST reply actions

I feel a little better...

After playing with the Kitten Cannon for a bit bit I oddly feel just a little better about the Avs’ season. Thanks!

by AvsHockeyPodcast on Dec 22, 2008 7:02 PM MST reply actions

Kitten Cannon

So disturbing and so entertaining all at the same time.

When hell freezes over, I'll play hockey there too!

by BeachNSnowGirl on Dec 22, 2008 8:03 PM MST reply actions

Kinda like watching any Avs game this season!

by AvsHockeyPodcast on Dec 22, 2008 8:15 PM MST up reply actions

i considered adding that exact comment

but then realized the “entertaining” part is too hit and miss with their games to make a proper comparison!

When hell freezes over, I'll play hockey there too!

by BeachNSnowGirl on Dec 22, 2008 8:27 PM MST up reply actions

That’s the truth for sure…Good point. I miss they days where I took a good 60 minute effort for granted, win or lose. Now all we get is Granato’s old, “We didn’t show up for 60 minutes tonight.” My question for him is, when exactly is that “60 minute effort” going to happen on a consistent basis? I sure hope it’s sometime soon because watching this stuff is getting pretty old.

by AvsHockeyPodcast on Dec 22, 2008 10:30 PM MST up reply actions

Ok. New theory. The lockout broke this team. Never mind losing Foote, Forsberg, Tanguay ect. The whole team and organization got lazy in Colorado. It’s not a difficult thing to do with all the hiking, fishing, off-roading, skiing, beer drinking, and the altitude. Something about this state seems to suck motivation out of people.

Red Wings Suck

by texacogirl on Dec 22, 2008 11:45 PM MST up reply actions

I find that wierd. With the exception of beer drinking, fishing, and maybe off roading all those activities seem the opposite of lazy. They’re all things that you can’t really halfass or quit in the middle of.

The Savage - Game Thread Leader and King Of The World

"Two roads divurged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference"
R. Frost

by Savage33 on Dec 23, 2008 2:46 AM MST up reply actions

I can see your point but after a day of skiing, nothing is better than a hot bath, cocoa next to the fire, and sleep. After a day of hiking, nothing is better than a hot bath, a cold beer, and sleep. Both activities are most likely done at high altitude so oxygen tanks are also necessary. It’s just delaying inevitable laziness.

Red Wings Suck

by texacogirl on Dec 23, 2008 9:15 AM MST up reply actions

Skiing isn’t hard…Gravity does all the work, all you do is steer. ;)

I'm The Canary - but I'm not cute nor cuddly, and I don't sing.

Now and then we had the hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be PIRATES.
-Mark Twain-

by Americanario on Dec 23, 2008 9:19 AM MST up reply actions

From my limited experience, skiing is hard, as is trying to ski down a mountain on one ski which i succeded in and trying to move the ten feet towards my other ski after stacking it.

The Savage - Game Thread Leader and King Of The World

"Two roads divurged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference"
R. Frost

by Savage33 on Dec 23, 2008 5:05 PM MST up reply actions

But actually doing it is’nt lazy. It’s the after skiing/hiking activities that are. much like playing a game shouldn’t be lazy but what you do after can be.

The Savage - Game Thread Leader and King Of The World

"Two roads divurged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference"
R. Frost

by Savage33 on Dec 23, 2008 5:04 PM MST up reply actions

Great point

Now all we get is Granato’s old, "We didn’t show up for 60 minutes tonight."

I’m getting sick of Granato’s post-game comments. Whose job is it to light a fire under their arses? Seriously. At least with Q, the team looked a little bit more like they gave a rat’s arse on a fairly consistent basis. This team is sucking the hockey loving life out of me. With a few rare exceptions so far this season.

I’m sorry, but the decision to hire Granato as hc is still a huge head scratcher to me. Sure, this team isn’t the most talented in the world, but they should be more competitive night in and night out than this. Bob Hartley took a very talented bunch at least to game 7 of the WCF for four straight seasons, with one SC, and was canned mid-way through year 5 of that span for a subpar start to the season. Granato took over the same talented team, had very good regular season records for a year and a half, but crashed and burned badly in the playoffs twice, once in the first round against the Wild, then in the second round against the Sharks (when Scott Hannan was good). Now he has less talent, and he can’t even do well in the regular season. We need an NHL coach. Period.

MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.

by Bob in Boulder on Dec 23, 2008 10:09 AM MST up reply actions

Agree totally.

Even though everybody hates Crawford now, he took an extremely young team and won a Stanely Cup.

I truly believe that the Avalanche hired Granato because management was sure he would be their coaching pawn and always do exactly what they wanted. After all, he owes it to them for hiring him over other, much better qualified, candidates.

by JonHaven on Dec 23, 2008 10:46 AM MST up reply actions

Every time I look at the Sharks’ record I want to stab somebody.

Go Avs! Let's get some goals!

by Joe Dunman on Dec 23, 2008 1:23 PM MST up reply actions

Me too.

Colorado Avalanche: Gellin' and Propellin'!!!

by Mike @ MHH on Dec 23, 2008 1:36 PM MST up reply actions

FG?

MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.

by Bob in Boulder on Dec 23, 2008 1:49 PM MST up reply actions

Let’s not name names.

Go Avs! Let's get some goals!

by Joe Dunman on Dec 23, 2008 1:59 PM MST up reply actions

Yeah

McClellan was on the cover of a San Jose magazine that was in all the grocery stores and whatnot this week.

I think it may have ruined Cristmas

(hey don’t look now but one of the other candidates we mentioned as a possible successor to Q has the much less talented Florida Panthers in 10th in the East.)

I believe in Peter Budaj

by Jibblescribbits on Dec 23, 2008 3:02 PM MST up reply actions