Simeon Varlamov Establishes Himself as the Caps Starter

Over the past two seasons, goaltending has been a major concern for the Washington Capitals. The Capitals struggled in the playoffs last season, needing seven games to beat a New York Rangers team they were expected to dominate. Jose Theodore was pulled after his first start, yielding to young prospect Simeon Varlamov. After a dazzling playoff performance, Varlamov was pulled during game seven against the Pittsburgh Penguins after allowing five goals. While Varlamov was clearly the future of the program, he still had a long road ahead of him before he could take over the team. Now, after shaking off a rough start, he has really begun to establish himself as a starting goaltender.

Theodore began the season as the number one goalie, but he was expected to split time with Varlamov and other prospect Michal Neuvirth in order to help them develop. Whatever hopes the team had for Neuvirth heading into the season were sidelined when he suffered an early injury. To begin the season Theodore looked very solid and Varlamov struggled. It looked as if the Russian speaking Arturs Irbe as goalie coach and the offseason development of Varlamov had not yielded the results Caps' fans had been hoping for. Now 29 games into the season, Varlamov looks to be the number one man for the Caps with incredible play and very good stats.

The stats really show a marked difference between the two goalies. Theodore has 14 starts, 5 wins, a 3.24 GAA, and a save percentage of .893. Varlamov has 14 starts as well, but he has 10 wins, a 2.38 GAA, and a save percentage of .919. Even with his early season struggles, Varlamov still only has only one regulation loss this season. He doesn't lose. Watching him play, the most important thing he is doing is making glove saves. This has been a major issue for him as he has previously given up bad rebounds off of easy glove saves. He still lets in a few soft goals, but this is something he will continue to improve on as the season continues.

Theodore and Varlamov both have 14 starts at this point, but I look for Varlamov to begin getting a lot more starts. While he does allow soft goals, Theodore has a career of being inconsistent. At this point, playing time is more important for a developing Varlamov who continues to win then it is to develop an already veteran Theodore, especially with Theodore in the last year of his contract. Let's hope Varlamov is ready to take the reins completely as the playoffs begin.

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Happy Thanksgiving! Since I'll be on vacation, I won't post for a while. A few notes:

The Capitals are poised for another great regular season. They will most likely win their division, but they are clearly not ready for the playoffs. If they continue to play the way they are now, they will not win the Cup of the conference.

The Redskins put up a good fight yesterday, but only allowing 7 points is meaningless if you only score 6. The writing is on the wall for Zorn and hopefully for Jason Campbell since he's terrible.

The Wizards don't look as good as I'm sure they were hoping. The time may have come to consider what kind of future Gilbert Arenas has in DC if he can't bring success.

Steven Strasburg's injured knee appears to be minor and he will not need surgery. With free agency beginning, let's hope the Nationals aren't just spectators.

Maryland and UVA football is a joke. Virginia Tech is poised for a berth in the Gator Bowl. While this isn't the success they had hoped for at the beginning of the season, the Gator Bowl is still very prestigious. Virginia Tech will also remain the dominant recruiters of the Virginia, North Carolina area with little competition.

Buffalo May Force Early End to Zorn's Season

Early this week, the Buffalo Bills fired head coach Dick Jauron. Buffalo has only managed a 3-6 record despite the offseason acquisition of Terrell Owens and has failed to make the playoffs so far this century. Buffalo waisted no time in their search for their next coach contacting Mike Shanahan and reportedly making plans to contact Bill Cowher and Mike Holmgren.

For most of the season, the spotlight has been on Washington's coach Jim Zorn who seemed the most likely to get fired. In order to put a stop to the rumors, vice president Vinny Cerrato gave Zorn a vote of confidence. Despite Cerrato's statement, it seems clear Zorn's career in Washington will be over come the offseason due to the team's poor record and the multitude of candidates available. The problem for owner Daniel Snyder is that Buffalo has now gotten a head start on finding a new coach. With the focus on the DC job, Snyder has essentially had his pick of candidates to consider pursuing. Buffalo, however, presents a rather attractive opportunity compared to working for Snyder. While the Buffalo market may be struggling, the team still has a storied history and a big-name coach would be able to name his terms. Whether coaches will have control of their team under Snyder remains to be seen.

The advantage Washington has over Buffalo is money. Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson has been stingy at times and is not one to write bottomless checks. Snyder, with his deep pockets and loyal fan base, needs only to ask coaches "how much?" The problem is that he can't do that with a head coach still in place. If Buffalo manages to work out a deal with someone before Snyder gets his chance, he will feel as if he missed an opportunity. With Buffalo already talking to coaches Snyder may look for ways to get rid of Zorn before the end of the season.

Snyder has been in this position before. In order to end rumors surrounding the job status of head coach Steve Spurrier, Snyder announced that he would not be fired at the end of the season. Spurrier then lost the remaining three games being outscored 85-31, including a 27-0 loss to Dallas and a 31-7 loss to Philadelphia. Despite how bad the team looked, Snyder could not publicly fire Spurrier. Spurrier, however, resigned. Cerrato has already given Zorn a vote of confidence, but Snyder may try to find a way to get rid of him. It is already suspected that taking away Zorn's play calling duties was an attempt to get rid of him and that Zorn in fact considered resigning. If Snyder feels nervous about Buffalo getting the jump on him, he may consider further action in order to get Zorn out faster.

With the coaches available, Snyder knows he has a chance to dramatically turn the team around. He desperately wants to see the Redskins win a Super Bowl and if he feels getting rid of Zorn before the season ends will help him get a new coach, he won't hesitate to make that happen.

Ireland Cheated Out of World Cup when Handed a Tie

Yesterday Ireland was denied a spot in the 2010 World Cup after a 1-1 tie with France. France won the first game 1-0. With a 1-0 lead after 90 minutes, Ireland forced an overtime for the series. With 17 minutes left, Thierry Henry batted the ball down with his hand and kicked it to William Gallas who headed the ball in, tying the game at 1-1 and pulling France ahead by an aggregate score of 2-1. With many controversial calls, one team can see a call one way, while the other will disagree. No one, however, is disputing this handball. Not even Henry who admitted it was a handball after the game. It seems that everyone knew this was a handball except for the people who mattered most, the referees.

One issue that has been debated by FIFA is the use of video replay in soccer. No doubt this issue will be brought up again after this blown call. The fact that someone could miss a call this obvious in a game this important is unacceptable. Replay never seems to be seriously considered until a major blown call calls the issue into question. The standard argument will be used of how it slows down the game, but in every sport in which it has been instituted, rules have been put in place in order to ensure quick and, most importantly, correct decisions are made.

This game has shown that on the field decisions are just not good enough. Calls this obvious and this important should be called right. The suggestion that the referee should have asked Henry if it was a handball is ridiculous. It is not the player's responsibility to make sure a game is called correctly. Nor is it fair to put a player in that position. Had Henry said it was a handball, it could be argued he betrayed not only his team, but his country. Had he denied it, the play still would have been incorrectly called.

At this point, Ireland has few options. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has lodged a formal complaint asking for a rematch. It is unlikely that this will be granted as this would set a disastrous precedent. This, however, is a problem FIFA cannot simply ignore. Martin Hansson, the Swedish referee who called the game has been blasted by his own countrymen. One newspaper wrote "There will be no World Cup for Ireland and I assume that Team Hansson has also forfeited its right to continue to take charge of major international matches. Anything else would be a further insult to the Irish nation." Ireland's outrage has also called into question the European playoff process. Eight teams qualified for a two-legged playoff to determine the last four European slots for the World Cup. Ireland captain Robbie Keane has criticized the late decision by FIFA to seed the eight teams, which ultimately favored the bigger, more popular national teams. FIFA was originally not planning on seeding the teams at all. Keane claims the decision to do so came when FIFA saw France, Portugal, and Germany could all potentially be forced into the playoff round which may have meant a playoff between two of these teams. Simply saying Ireland was the victim of a bad call will not be good enough to sweep these issues under the rug.

The ultimate solution will most likely be the institution of video replay in either the 2010 World Cup, or in future international matches. Hansson will most likely not be allowed to call any World Cup games and I doubt he'll be watching the games from any Irish pubs. I doubt FIFA will care about Keane's accusations. While it is unfair, you can't blame FIFA for wanting the best teams to make the World Cup. If anyone, however, watched the game yesterday and saw Ireland dominate the second place team from last World Cup, there could be no question that Ireland had earned their spot. If it weren't for Henry giving the French a hand, the Irish might have been celebrating a world cup berth in South Africa.

Ovechkin Expected Back in the Lineup

Alexander Ovehckin is expected to return to the Capitals lineup tonight against the New York Rangers. The Capitals have won four of the six games without Ovechkin staying near the top of the conference. The New York Rangers tend to play a physical style of play so it will be interesting to see how the two teams matchup against one another especially with enforcers Donald Brashear and Sean Avery. No doubt they will be gunning for Ovechkin all night long. Since Ovechkin never backs down from a hit, he may see less playing time then he is used to in order to prevent reaggravating his injury.

The Capitals have also recalled forward Joe Beagle and goalie Michal Neuvirth from AHL Hershey. What the Capitals have proven thus far is that even with shaky defense and goaltending, they will still most likely win their division and finish among the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Right now, they are six points ahead of second place southeastern foe, Tampa Bay, and tied for first in the conference with New Jersey and Pittsburgh. While it is important that they continue winning, they must also focus on tweaking the team in preparation of the playoffs. With Ovechkin back, the Caps can afford to experiment with younger players such as Beagle. Neuvirth was expected to split time with Simeon Varlamov and Jose Theodore at the beginning of the season, but was held back because of injury. With the added scoring boost Ovechkin brings, Bruce Boudreau will most likely give Neuvirth a few tries in goal.

Even though the regular season is only a quarter of the way through, it is never too early to think about the playoffs. The Capitals have shown they are still a very competitive regular season team, but success now does not always mean success in the post season. With the Capitals' sights set on a Stanley Cup, don't be surprised to see a lot of younger players called up especially with Michael Nylander most likely headed to the KHL in order to free up cap space. Look for numerous appearances by Hershey regulars Karl Alzner, Michal Neuvirth, Jay Beagle, Keith Aucoin, Alex Giroux, Mathieu Perrault, John Carlson, Sean Collins, Kyle Wilson, Boyd Kane, and Oskar Osala.

Stupid Play Call Helps Colts Beat the Patriots

The football world is ablaze this morning with questions regarding Bill Belichick's late play call against the Indianapolis Colts. New England held a 34-28 lead with 2:08 left to go. With the ball on his own 28, Bill Belichick decided to roll the dice and go for it on fourth and two. New England used their last timeout to discuss the play and then lined up. Tom Brady passed to Kevin Faulk who juggled the catch and didn't bring it under control until he had back tracked behind the first down marker. Since he had used his last timeout, Belichick could not challenge the call, Indianapolis' ball. Peyton Manning took advantage throwing a one-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne, giving the Colts a 35-34 win over the Patriots.

Of course it is easy to second guess Belichick's play call since his gamble did not pay off. Hindsight is 20-20. But regardless of this, this was a very stupid call and will be remembered as one of the biggest blunders in NFL history. Why did he make the call? With 2:08, the Colts would have had the 2-minute warning and all three timeouts to work with, an eternity in football. With Peyton Manning under center, the Colts would have had a good chance had the Patriots punted. Another reason is simple arrogance. While Bill Belichick may be one of the greatest football coaches of all time, he is nothing if not arrogant. No coach would make that call if he did not think he could make the first down, but it really goes beyond that for Belichick. He may not have even contemplated the possibility that his team wouldn't be able to make the first down.

While many will question Belichick only because his gamble failed, this play call was dumb even before Manning made him pay for it. Had the Patriots punted, the Colts would have gotten the ball with about 1:55 left, somewhere around their own 30 yard line. With three timeouts, the Colts would have had plenty of time. New England's defense, however, had done a good job against Manning to that point forcing two interceptions. There is no guarentee that the Colts would be able to drive 70 yards to take the lead. By giving the Colts a short field, you are also allowing them the option of running the ball which they took full advantage of. The Colts averaged 5.1 yards a carry last night. Containing the Colts would have been easier if they Patriots didn't have to account for Joseph Addai taking handoffs.

Most importantly, this play call reeks of desperation. What can Belichick say to his defense after this? "I didn't trust you to stop their offense from seventy yards out, but I know you can do it from thirty." At that point, the Patriots' confidence had to be shot and the Colts were playing with all the momentum. With football being such a mental game, it is no surprise that the Colts were able to punch the ball into the endzone with relative ease.

Belichick may claim this call was made out of respect for the abilities of Peyton Manning, but such an aggressive play call said more about his defense than it did about the Colts' offense. While punting the ball would have given the Colts the opportunity to win the game, they would have taken the field with 70 yards to go and some momentum. There was no guarantee they would be able to drive for a score. By going for it on the 26, Belichick made it that much easier for Manning to do what he does best. While Belichick will remain one of the best coaches ever seen in the NFL, this call last night was a joke showing the utter lack of respect he had for either his own or Indianapolis' defense. This call was a huge mistake and his team suffered a loss because of it.

A Logical Argument for the BCS?

Listening to ESPN radio the other day I actually heard a logical argument in favor of the BCS. Around this time of season with numerous teams facing snubbing from a National Title bid, criticism of the system runs high. Usually when criticism becomes very public, a BCS representative comes out with a very condescending reply saying how people don't really understand what they are talking about and that the system is fine. An objective listener, however, wrote into the show in order to defend the BCS system. He wrote that the BCS is the only real system that will work because the different levels of competition will not make a long playoff system fair. Basically, the BCS is the best system because it is the only system that gives teams like TCU and Boise State a chance of qualifying for the title. If TCU were to be put in a playoff system, they can't really be expected to, for example, beat USC, then Texas, then Florida, etc. A national title bid gives TCU a one game chance to win.

This is perhaps the best argument I've heard in favor of the BCS, but the unequal competition of teams would be wiped away with a playoff system. The secret is in recruiting. Teams like Texas will have more consistent success recruiting over teams like TCU because they are in a BCS conference. These teams are more prestigious, have more history, and get more media coverage. There are plenty of people who would rather go to TCU than Texas for various reasons, but Texas still dominates recruiting in football. Florida, Florida State, and Miami have more recruiting success than UCF of Florida International. Southern Cal, Cal Berkeley, and UCLA have more recruiting success than San Diego State. The list goes on and on. If college football changes to a playoff system in which all conference winners make the playoffs, the recruiting bump of BCS conferences disappears. Recruits can go to teams like Boise State and TCU and still be national contenders because they will earn playoff spots.

To argue that the level of competition is still unfair defeats the purpose of the divisional system. We have Division 2 and 3 teams because of this. We even have Division 1 AA teams (I refuse to call Division 1 teams by the new names like FBS because they're stupid). If you believe these teams would still not be able to compete against one another for a championship, then you either need to send them to lower divisions or force conferences to bring in the successful non BCS teams. For example, the PAC 10 could drop Washington State and bring in Boise State. The Big 12 could drop Baylor and pick up TCU. The point is that only BCS conferences are guaranteed recognition yet good teams like Boise State and TCU get screwed because they can't get into a conference that they could compete for.

The competition argument also fails to address the problem of multiple BCS teams that go undefeated. In 2004 USC, Oklahoma, and Auburn all went undefeated. You can't tell me Auburn didn't get a shot because they couldn't compete against USC or Oklahoma. This season we may see an undefeated Texas, Cincinnati, and either Florida or Alabama. All three teams will be undefeated BCS teams. The only way to determine who really deserves a title shot is a PLAYOFF SYSTEM!!!!!

What glory is there for teams like TCU to make the playoffs and get blown out against a team like Florida? Look at March Madness. To win one's conference and earn a playoff spot would still be a major accomplishment. It would also give teams the chance to compete which is what they really want. Don't forget, Utah was able to upset Alabama in the Sugar Bowl last season. These non BCS teams may be able to get farther into the playoffs then many may think. We'll never know until they get their shot.