Cammalleri Capitalization give Devils Washington Win!

Mike Cammalleri grabbed a bad clear of the puck by Washington's Braden Holtby and fired it into the net before Holtby could return to the crease in the third period as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Washington Capitals in Washington 1-0.
The goal was the seventh of the season for the veteran and allowed the Devils to slide out of Washington with two points.
Cory Schneider finished with 30 saves for the shutout for New Jersey,
The Devils finish the back to back games against Colorado at the Rock on Saturday.

Hell Raisers

1) The game winning goal by Mike Cammalleri was very similar to the miscue that bedeviled Cory Schneider on the only goal allowed by the Devils against Minnesota.
When your goalie goes out of the crease to play the puck,he had better play it and play it hard.
The slightest error can cost you and this one gave the Devils two points..

2) I have to admit that as I wrote about Mike Cammalleri's signing that I had concerns,but when he is healthy (and already that has come up),he is exactly what this team has lacked-a sniper that goalies have to respect.
Cammalleri has also been the clutch scorer that the Devils didn't have last year as three of his seven goals have been game winners.

3) Cory Schneider had his second strong game in a row with 30 saves.
Schneider has been the main reason for the two game winning streak and if not for his puckhandling mistake vs Minnesota,he would have had two shutouts in a row...

4) The Devils went back to playing old school "Devils Hockey".
Very defensive minded and taking few chances.
This not always is the most exciting hockey ever created,but looking at this team,it does increase the chances for victory...

5) The penalty kill improved with a perfect four for four night in killing off penalties.
Nice to see that hopefully be the beginning of a turnaround.

6) Something to look at for the future-the Devils did kill off the six on five at the end of the game,but missed an opportunity to put the game away with Marek Zidlicky missing the open net.
This was a quiet problem last season and something to look at as the season progresses...

Pigskin Picking Machine

The PPM returns this week after a less than strong last week.

College
Ohio State over Minnesota 44-16
Oklahoma over Texas Tech 52-17
Boise State over San Diego State 44-37
Arizona over Washington 42-34

Game of the Week
Alabama over Mississippi State 24-20

Pro
Browns over Texans 24-17
Saints over Bengals 31-24

Game of the Week
Packers over Eagles 35-30

Last Week:4-4
Season: 59-24

A.J. Burnett returns to Pittsburgh!

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been the place to go for pitching reclamation projects over the last few seasons and the looming loss of the latest two successes apparently on their way to better pitching pastures,the Pirates have decided to fill one of those holes with the pitcher that started it all...

A,J, Burnett will be returning to Pittsburgh on a one year contract worth 8.5 million,which isn't cheap,but doesn't look as hefty as the 12.75 million option that Burnett could have exercised to stay with the Phillies.
Burnett took the lower paycheck (somehow I feel pretty good that his bills will get paid though) to return to Pittsburgh after turning a Pirate offer last off-season down to spend 2014 on the eastern side of Pennsylvania.

Burnett went 16-10 in 2012 with an ERA of 3.51,but pitched even better in 2013 with all of his numbers improving except for wins.
Burnett wanted a sizable raise and got it from the Phillies on a one year deal with a mutual option (which both declined) and a lower player option (which as noted Burnett declined).
Burnett lost a league leading 18 games as a Phillie and his numbers increased as well,although I attribute some of that to the more hitter friendly park in Philadelphia.
Burnett did continue to show his durability as he again pitched over 200 innings and despite his 37 years of age,looks to be a reasonable bargain in a return to a pitchers park that he has had success pitching in the past in,.

A very reasonable contract for both Burnett and the Pirates made this deal as a cost effective contract from the Pirates point of view and one that Burnett might be able to build upon for another one year deal from the player's side of things.
Occasionally,a contract works out that just makes sense for both sides of a negotiation,
The Pirates needed a workhorse to slot into the rotation,A.J. Burnett wanted to give himself the best possible chance to finish his career on both a contender and in a town that he is comfortable being in even at a lower paycheck.
On the surface,it is a winning deal for both side and I'd feel pretty good about bringing in along with the cost of A.J. Burnett.

Back later with the Devils against the Capitals and with some luck,the Cavaliers in Boston....

Television Tryout Results

After two months,I figured it's time to go back and give a report on the five new shows for this TV season.

Read on for who made the cut,who didn't and why...

Success

NCIS New Orleans-CBS

I haven't seen every episode as shows lose out if both the Cavaliers and Devils play on the same night,but this makes the cut.
I don't watch the other NCIS family shows,but Scott Bakula carries the show well as the lead and with two appealing co-stars in Lucas Black and Zoe McCellan,this show is likely a ratings winner and regular in my lneup.
Plus the bonus of it leading into long time favorite Person of Interest should give NCIS-N.O.a slot long term...

Gotham-FOX

My favorite of the winners from this season,Gotham is the prequel to Batman and does a good enough job in hooking you into reading between the lines of how the villains develop into well villains/.
Long time favorite Donal Logue is terrific as Harvey Bullock in a supporting role,but the real surprise comes with a very minor character in Cory Michael Smith's portrayal of the eventual Riddler.
This Riddler has the potential to be the most loyal to the character since well..ever.
Jada Pinkett Smith is surprisingly effective in her role as Fish Mooney,which shows that just because you are married to Will Smith doesn't mean that you ruin things like Will Smith,...

Madam Secretary-CBS

It's pretty formulaic as a political show goes,but as you might have expected from reading my preview,Tea' Leoni makes the show worth watching.
TV veterans Timothy Daly,Zeljiko Ivanek and Bebe Neuwirth give the show a solid casting start with room to grow,but the younger characters will need to develop.
Not a bad show,but nothing out of this world.
Other than the lead that is...

Ambivalent

Scorpion-CBS

Scorpio is just kind of bland.
Nothing terrible,but nothing exciting either.
The team lacks a character that clicks with the audience and there just isn't a lot of connection.
I'll still likely stick with Scorpion longer because if Monday night is open for Gotham (8 PM),it's open for Scorpion (9:00),but it isn't a show worth searching for or one that I'll travel with time wise....


Failure

Forever-ABC

Forever was a strict "tape"show anyway as it's time slot put it up against long time favorite Person of Interest.
It took about three episodes to lose interest in the premise and the characters didn't make you care about them or their story.
Forever looks to be one of the first casualties of the season,so I am not the only one that felt that way.

In order of preference

1-Gotham
2-NCIS New Orleans
3-Madam Secretary
4-Scorpion
5-Forever

Pirates trade for another Yankee catcher?!

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the middle of contention in their attempt to keep Russell Martin as their catcher as Martin mulls his free agency options.
So what do you do to hedge your wagers?
You do what you often do and call the New York Yankees for catching help!
After all,Chris Stewart was obtained from New York in a trade and Martin was signed from there,so that's what the Pirates did in trading for Francisco Cervelli.
Cervelli was added for lefthanded reliever Justin Wilson in a straight one for one deal that gives the Pirates a fourth catcher on the 40 man roster and another entry in the replace Russell Martin derby should Martin indeed sign elsewhere.
The 28 year old Cervelli has never been a full time starter in New York,playing just 49 games last season and that was his second to highest number of games played in a season (93 in 2010 is the highest) and has struggled with injuries
Cervelli did hit .301 last year in 162 at bats and threw out 25 % of base stealers.

The cost of doing business was Justin Wilson,who was phenomenal in 2013,but took a step back last season and was replaced as the top lefty in the bullpen by Tony Watson as 2014 went on..
Wilson appeared in 70 games last season,pitching 60 innings and struck out 61 batters.
Looking at his numbers other than a substantial jump in ERA,Wilson's number truly weren't that different than his 2013.

Honestly,I can see why the Pirates did the deal,they might need a catcher,but if Cervelli isn't a backup,I'm doubtful that he is the answer for further help.
Wilson is a quality reliever in a game that sees bullpen work crescent and valley from year to year,depending on Tony Watson to repeat his numbers seems to be as foolhardy as relying solely on Wilson going into last seaon.
We'll see,but I think they may have paid too much with all consideration given..

Cleaning out the inbox-Non-Sports Version

We start with the non-sports version of the inbox with the Huffington Post's "Secret Menu" from McDonalds.
The pictured burger is the "Land,Air and Sea Burger",which takes a burger,a fish filet and a chicken patty.
Some of these are pretty simple,others more elaborate with some able to be ordered and others needing to be assembled at home.
The mess may be sloppier than having them made at the store,but some of them might be worth a try someday-even though I don't eat at McDonalds often...

NPR offers a very interesting article on the history of Wonder Woman and the background of the creator of the character.
It's much more interesting than you would suspect with some ideas that when you look back aren't exactly in vogue with the 1940's....
I'd write more,but it might take away the fun of reading...

I am almost always disappointed with superhero movies,but I was excited for the filming of Suicide Squad,which is based on my favorite comic ever.
Emphasis on was until I heard that Will Smith was going to be involved as Captain Boomerang.
Captain Boomerang is an Australian character.
Will Smith isn't.
Will Smith has ruined a movie based on one of my all time favorite TV shows-Wild Wild West,a film on one of my favorite fighters as a kid-Ali and now Suicide Squad.
Oh,well,at least he isn't Deadshot.

The only sports note is also a art note as the floor to the old "Mecca" arena in Milwaukee.
The floor always had an unique look,but I didn't know it was actually designed by an artist named Robert Indiana.
The article discusses how it was found and where it is now...

Finally a goodbye to Marcia Strassman,who died at the age of 66.
Strassman was famous to two generations-to mine as the wife of Gabe Kaplan in Welcome Back Kotter and then to the next generation as the mom in the Honey,I shrunk the kids series of films.
Strassman also was a semi-regular in the first two years of MASH....

A Tower of Poppies

I've never been a huge traveler of foreign countries.
I've never even be out of the U.S.A,only three or four countries even interest me to visit and finances will likely keep me to seeing any of them other than Canada.

However,I would like to see the battlefields of World War I.
I've always been interested in World War I and even thought there are more scholars on World War II,I've always preferred reading about "The Great War".

Yesterday's Veterans Day in the U,S is called Armistice Day in the United Kingdom and around the Tower of London,a months long project came to its peak when the final "poppy" was planted.
Planted is kind of an odd term considering the poppies are each hand crafted and made of ceramic.
The nation made 888,246 of them-one for each member of the British Commonwealth that was killed in World War I.
The poppies are/were sold off to raise money for veterans charities and I'm sure that it is going to be quite lucrative for the charities.
The pictures of this have been so striking and attendance so great (Four million people since August) that I would think that a permanent memorial would be a good idea to continue to raise money.
Or to do this every year and then sell the poppies as an every year fundraiser.

The Poppy is used because of the famous WWI poem by Lt.Colonel John McRae "In Flanders Fields" and not for the visual aspect although I would wager that hasn't hurt things any!

For me though,It's beyond the beauty,more than the philanthropy and even above the honor of the fighting men that have died in numerous wars since the dawn of man.
It's the general senselessness of war.
I know that strength is needed and sometimes it's just unavoidable,but I still would like to think that there is a better way to do things than kill people.
Sometimes,talk just isn't enough,but I would think that someday as people evolve that we could get past this.
World War I was an historical turning point as war became more destructive and set the eventual stage for World War II,but as interesting as the cast of characters are-I'm still drawn to the reckless and extensive loss of life,
Call me naive' or say that I wish for Utopia,but I still can hope to see our world move on past things of such useless and senseless loss of lives...

For more on how the poppies were made,click here