The 2011 Frozen Four

-Derek Belohrad

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.

What I’m Looking Forward to This Month – January 2011

January is here. The holiday are done, children are returning to school, five day work weeks are once again the norm and we can all go back to dodging our extended families. All that being noted here is what I am looking forward to in sports this month:

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

Welcome To 2011

Happy new year sports fans!

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

The Eve Ladies and Gentlemen

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.

Guest Post: Sometimes Inspiration Comes From Unexpected People

Editor Note: Today’s guest post come from Heidi Storz.  She is the mother of two active, athletic sons and enjoys bringing a different perspective to sports.  An avid hockey mom that has learned to enjoy watching most sports, but it is the character building aspects that catch her interest.
Enjoy!  -Derek Belohrad

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?

Canada stole the Gold… Well, not quite.

-Derek Belohrad

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 2010 Olympic Ice Resurfacing Kerfuffle

-Derek Belohrad

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.

Melo on the Right Track for MVP

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.

Unofficially, My Favorite Day of the 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.

Hockey in Colorado is Back

-Derek Belohrad

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.