Like Father, Like Son! Family Competition in AZ vs. NAU Saturday

Arizona Defensive Coordinator Jeff Casteel. Photo: Tucson.com

The Arizona Wildcats had a season defining win last year against the Oregon Ducks. Not to mention they did so in Autzen Stadium. They went on to win the PAC-12 South and faced the Ducks once again. This time getting their a$$es kicked.

Photo: Scooby Wright Instagram

Well, it’s a new season and there’s new faces on the field, but the goal is still the same. Can they end up on top of the PAC-12 once again?

Being ranked #22, they kicked off the PAC-12 season  against the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners. The Wildcats finished with a win, but they sure left fans with concern. The defense couldn’t seem to mesh and remember Scooby Wright III? The guy making all the tackles and sacking the quarterback? Well, he went down and is expected to miss three to four weeks.

During the second half, the offense sparked. QB Anu Solomon threw for four TD’S, no interceptions and completed over 60% of his passes. Okay, hope.

Then in Week 2 they really got the fans going in their 44-20 win over Nevada. Nick Wilson crushed it, picking up 106 yards and two touchdowns on just eleven carries in the first half.

Arizona totaled out with 301 yards on the ground against Nevada, accomplishing something they have only done one other time (300+ rushing yards in one game in 2014 (Pac-12 Championship Game – 301).)

Arizona will now take on Northern Arizona, also undefeated thus far. But let’s be real. The stats for the Wildcats heading into this game are real solid against NAU.

Arizona has won 11 straight contests vs. NAU going back to 1932. 

Jake (middle) and teammates pictured in H.S. Salpointe uniforms. Photo: Kevin Hamlett Twitter.

Damn.

There is a sort of family rivalry going into this game this year however… Arizona’s Defensive Coordinator Jeff Casteel will be taking on a NAU team with a Casteel on the roster- his son.

Lumberjacks redshirt freshman Jake Casteel has been playing mostly on special teams this season, but should see more time at backup linebacker in the future.

Jake Casteel has been a part of Wildcat’s head coach Rich Rodriguez life for quite some time… Like, try 15 years.

“I’ve known him since he was wee little,” Rodriguez said to Tucson.com.

Jake (left) pictured with father and Arizona Defensive Coordinator, Jeff Casteel (right). Photo: Jake Casteel Twitter.

Fifteen years of attending practices and games and hanging around the office, for a then little Jake.

Jake says this will be an experience of a lifetime and both him and his father are excited for the turnout.

Let the rivalry begin! Nothing like some good family competition!

Game kicks off Saturday September 19th at 8 PM in Tucson, AZ. Keep an eye out for Casteel running out of the tunnel… Out of both tunnels that is…

Until Next Time…

Best 2015 College Football Uniforms

College football season means College Gameday, tailgates, rivalry games and obviously sexy players in uniforms #swoon. Well, with that being said, it’s time to check out which teams will be looking the sleekest (and hottest) on the field.

Her are the best college uni’s this season!

TCU HORNED FROGS

 

COLORADO BUFFALOES

 

TENNESSEE VOLS

UCLA BRUINS

https://twitter.com/adidasFballUS/status/631827823318077440/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

SDSU AZTECS

https://twitter.com/GoAztecs/status/628613330349854720/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

MIAMI HURRICANES

https://twitter.com/adidasFballUS/status/622576793938206720/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

ASU SUN DEVILS

NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH

BONUS! OREGON DUCKS

Okay, we all know the Oregon Ducks are always rocking the latest and greatest, but speculation around the internet is that at some point during the season they will be suited up in these……

https://twitter.com/GoDucks/status/630827897285021696/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

I mean WHAT?!?! GLOW IN THE EFFIN DARK!? I guess we’ll find out soon enough!

Until Next Time,

The Name of the Game is the Hall of Fame- Seven Inducted to NHL HOF

“Standing in the Hall of Fame, and the world’s gonna know your name.”

– “Hall of Fame” by The Script.

Seven new NHL players will be standing in the Hall of Fame, and if you didn’t know their names before, you will now. They will be honored at an enshrinement ceremony on November 9th in Toronto.

The 2015 HOF inductees include:

SERGEI FEDOROV

During the 1900’s – 2000’s, Fedorov was considered to be one of the best hockey players in the world. He spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Red Wings where he was a three-time Stanley Cup Champion. He had small stints with the Ducks, Blue Jackets and Capitals. In 1994, he won the Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP of the season). In 1,248 games he scored 483 goals.

Three must be his lucky number because he is a three-time Olympian as well. Fedorov is considered one of the best playoff performers in history.

Fun fact: He was married to Anna Kournikova for two years.

PHIL HOUSLEY

I don’t think Housley ever wanted to stop playing hockey! Or at least play until he won a Stanley Cup. He has played more NHL games without winning the Cup than any other NHL player in history (23 seasons and 1,495 games). He made one Cup appearance with the Capitals, but the Capitals were swept by the Detroit Red Wings. Bummer.

Housley is the second leading scorer amongst U.S. born players with 1,232 goals. In 2007, he was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres HOF and he is currently an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators. Housley, you may not have won the Cup, but you’re going to the Hall of Fame! 

NICKLAS LIDSTROM

Nicklas Lidstrom aka “Mr. Perfect,” played 20 seasons in the NHL – all for the Detroit Red Wings. He is considered the greatest defenseman of all time. He has some awards to back that statement up.

He has four Stanley Cup wins, seven James Norris Memorial Trophies (awarded to the best defenceman), one Playoff MVP in 2002 and has played in 12 NHL All-Star games.

Basically he’s a boss.

Fun fact: Lidstrom and Fedorov played on the Red Wings together when they won the Stanley Cup in 2002.

CHRIS PRONGER

Well here is an interesting guy.

For starters, Pronger is not officially retired, he is under contract with the Arizona Coyotes. However, he has not played a game since 2011 due to concussions from hits. One hit was so bad he actually suffers from vision impairment. Yeah. He took a hockey stick straight to the eyeballs. YIKES.

Not to forget mentioning, Pronger is also known as one of the most dirty players. He was even suspended eight games for stomping on a players leg. Cough, BAD. Cough, ASS. What?! Hockey IS a contact sport, and isn’t that why we all love it?!

Pronger was awarded the MVP for the 1999-2000 season and has been to the Stanley Cup finals with the Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks and the Philadelphia Flyers. He won the Cup in 2007 with the Ducks. He also is a two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner.

ANGELA RUGGIERO

Yes, Angela. Yes, a FEMALE.

SHE is the fourth woman to be inducted to the HOF. She was a member of the United States Women’s National Hockey Team, where she won a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. Not to mention, she has three other Olympic medals.

Actually, she is one of five hockey players to compete in four Olympic games. You can also check her out on EA Sports NHL ‘13. You go girl!

BILL HAY

Bill Hay is being inducted in the NHL HOF under Builder.

“The Hall of Fame defines a Builder as an individual who has contributed to the development of the game of hockey, moving the game forward.” 

He played all eight seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. In 1960, he received the “Rookie of the Year” award and in 1961, he came back to Chicago and brought the city a Stanley Cup!

Fun Fact: He will be joining his dad, Charles Hay, in the HOF.

PETER KARMANOS JR.

Karmanos Jr. is the majority owner of the Carolina Hurricanes. He is being inducted in the NHL HOF under the category of Builder also. Karmanos has made an impact on the OHL, the ECHL and the NHL. He established the Compuware Youth Program in the 1970’s and boy did he build from that! From that program there has been 15 national Championships, 34 state Championships, 235 Division I scholarship hockey players and 14 NHL first round draft picks.

What an honor it is to be inducted into such an elite group of athletes and we’re happy to see  female made it into the bunch this year as well! Congratulations to all!

– Paige

Why People Who Hate Hockey Are the Same as People Who Hate Country Music

TCD girls killing it at Stagecoach! And yes, we all love hockey too!

So I have this theory.

Cowboy hats & cut off jeans… Because, STAGECOACH.

People who say that they “hate” hockey are the same as people who say that they “hate” country music. Want to know why? It’s as simple as this. Because they’ve never been to a live event.

TCD’s Hailey & Courtney at Stagecoach

Now country concerts are just God’s gift to this green earth.

Every person that has told me they hate country music has changed their mind when I bring them to (HA-LLE-LU-JAH, HA-LLE-LU-JAH) STAGECOACH: where the beer and the whiskey is ever-flowing and the jean cutoffs can’t get much shorter. The atmosphere is insane. Everyone is just happy to be there wearing a good ole’ pair of cowboy boots and a trusty cowboy hat. It really is a man’s paradise.

Stagecoach boys 😉

Oh, and ladies it’s not so bad for us either. Don’t get me started on those country boys.

And then there’s always the music. Such easy listening and could not scream #mericuh louder if it tried. Frankie Ballard’s song gives a pretty good image of it: “Country girls swayin’ to the song that’s plain’.”

TCD’s Hailey, Courtney & Briana at Stagecoach

Country music is about living in the moment and slowing down to enjoy the moments: back roads, cold beer, straight whiskey, mud on the tires, bikini tops and cut offs, the men who fight for our country, lifted trucks. I mean, isn’t that why we love this country?!

As for hockey games, yes, some would argue any sport is better to watch in person at the game than in front of your TV, but hockey is a WORLD’s difference in person. For starters, what other sport do the players get to brawl it out while the fans pound on the glass to cheer them on?

 

Hockey fans are the loudest and the rowdiest. No matter how many rows back they are. If you’re lucky and you’re at a real rivalry game, you’ll see the fans really get into it with each other; which is great because you’ll have just about every team fan in that place trying to back each other up.

TCD does hockey. Specifically, Courtney & Carly starting young!

It’s not like a baseball game where you feel the need to only yell and cheer if there is currently a chant going on, or that old guy in the American flag onesie sitting in front of you just started a chant. Everyone is always yelling and practically spilling their beers on each other, and that’s okay because you are all sharing in the beauty of the sport. So feel free to hoot and holler at anytime, because it’s not like the whole row in front of you will turn around and judge you.

Well, unless you yelled “TOEWS SUCKS” and you’re in Chi-Town, than you might have some problems from the 6’5 mountain of a man you just now noticed rocking the Toews jersey in front of you.

Parros being the “hockey player” that he is.

But hey, just because I’m a little blonde girl who may stand a full foot shorter than him doesn’t mean I’m going to stand down! I got a Parros jersey on my back. A true definition of “a hockey player.”

So I’m not going to stand down (even though my mother wishes I would), because where’s the fun in that?!

I’m the true definition of a hockey fan and so is this Toews fan. He would be disappointed if I stood down. We both might as well rip off our jerseys now if we decide to sit down and shut up. Because this is hockey, and if we’re going to rep true hockey players, we better hoot and holler like true hockey fans. And that my friends, is why people love going to live events. The atmosphere. And who makes the atmosphere? The fans.

TCD’s Paige & Courtney at Stagecoach

Events are what you make of them, so do it right. Be the loudest and the rowdiest of the crowd, and even if you’re not, you’re enjoying all the fans who are. Because they make it an event.

Call me crazy, but if you don’t like hockey or country music and you have actually been to an event, (aka you cannot enjoy a beer and some good entertainment) then I think it’s about time you jump ship and head on overseas to communist land, because clearly america just isn’t your cup of tea.

And that’s fine. Because at the end of the day, we TCD girls would rather be someone’s shot of whiskey than a plain, old cup of tea.

 

– Courtney

Because it’s the CUP! Stanley Cup Preview

You know how I know our editor loves me?

She asks me to write the piece for the Stanley Cup preview when my team just got brutally slain in Game 7 by the Blackhawks. But hey, we do it for the love of the game now don’t we…

The Tampa Bay Lightning are coming off a series win over the New York Rangers to clench their spot in the finals. They will face the Chicago Blackhawks in the battle for the Cup.

The trail for both teams to get to the finals has not been easy. In round one, the Lightning took down the Detroit Redwings in seven games, while the Blackhawks eliminated the Nashville Predators in six. In round two, the Lightning sent the Montreal Canadiens packing and the Hawks swept the Minnesota Wild. In round three, the Lightning shut out the Rangers in Game 7 to clench the series, while the Blackhawks came to Anaheim and sent us all home crying (and spewing expletives), while murdering us 5-2. This is the first time since 2000 that both conference finals needed a Game 7.

The goaltending will be the game changer, literally. The Blackhawks have one of the most experienced teams in the NHL and their goaltender Corey Crawford is in control. With a .919 save percentage in the playoffs, his goaltending is definitely better than adequate. He is expected to come out rested and ready after a star performance against the Ducks in Game 7. Ben Bishop, the goaltender for the Lightning is right around Crawford with a .920 save percentage in the playoffs this season. Although his save percentage practically mimics Crawford’s, Bishop has given up at least three goals or more in six playoff games. Scary, right?

The offenses of these two teams are immensely skilled while showing off their fancy footwork. In
other words, these guys are freaky fast on the ice. Captain Steven Stamkos one of the Lightning’s elite, has proven his strength leading the last 20 games with seven goals and 10 assists. Although his stats are impressive, he lacks in experience. This will be his first cup final.

Duncan Keith has been a standout for Blackhawks with two goals and 16 assists and he works hand in hand with captain Jonathan Toews who has nine goals and nine assists in the playoffs this season. Are you pucking serious, Toews? You’re a beast.

This series for the cup is stacked with talent, speed and sheer athleticism. Personally, due to experience, I’m putting my money on the Hawks and they’ll take it in six games. I don’t like you Chicago, but I have to respect your dynasty.

Here’s a schedule of the series:

Game 1: Wednesday 6/3 Chicago @ Tampa Bay 8 PM EST

Game 2: Saturday 6/6 Chicago @ Tampa Bay 7:15 PM EST

Game 3: Monday 6/8 Tampa Bay @ Chicago 8 PM EST

Game 4: Wednesday 6/10 Tampa Bay @ Chicago 8 PM EST

Game 5: Saturday 6/13 Chicago @ Tampa Bay 8 PM EST

Game 6: Monday 6/15 Tampa Bay @ Chicago 8 PM EST

Game 7: Wednesday 6/17 Chicago at Tampa Bay 8 PM EST

So fly Hawks fly?! Wait no, I just can’t. Looks like I’ll be drinking a lot of beers if I plan on rooting anybody on here. Cheers!

– Carly 

TB Lightning Shocks in Win over NY Rangers

That’s right ladies and gentlemen, we are one step closer to the STANLEY CUP. The outstanding New York Rangers have been knocked out in a 2-0 shutout by who other than the, Tampa Bay Lightning….?

I don’t know about you guys, but at the beginning of the season it seemed like these guys came out of nowhere. Because, well, they did.

Tampa Bay has only been to the playoffs eight times (five of those times being 10 years ago) and have won the Stanley Cup just once over ten years ago, but since the start of the season all they have done is prove to the world why they deserve to go.

In Game 2 against the Rangers, the Lightning was just that, LIGHTNING. Honestly, in the third period it started looking more like a rowdy baseball inning than a hockey game.

For Tampa Bay, Captain Steven Stamkos leads the way this season, with 43 goals. Keep in mind Stamkos tied the franchise record with his eighth hat trick against the Canadiens earlier this season as well.

However when it comes to clutch game time performance, Ondrej Palat takes the cake. I mean, the guy did score the final goal in the third period past Hendrik Lundqvist to secure their spot in the cup, which is not something easily done against the multi-cup winning team. The Rangers were 7-0 playing at home in a Game 7. Better make that 7-1. Ouch.

Now the Lightning may have secured their precious golden ticket to our beloved Stanley Cup, but either opponent they face in the cup is no stranger to the playoffs or winning the cup.

The explosive Chicago Blackhawks and the hard-hitting Anaheim Ducks face off in Game 7 Saturday night and whoever comes out hot will have to face the Cinderella team for the cup and we couldn’t be more excited. Either way, this Florida team is on a heater (no pun intended) and is about to face off with one of the best teams in hockey. Who knows, if this Cinderella team can knock out the elite NY Rangers, they just might be able to get the glass slipper over the Hawks or the Ducks.

But before that all takes place, all eyes will be on the sacred last game of playoffs leading up to the cup: Game 7, Blackhawks at Ducks.

The series has been neck in neck with these guys, but as long as Anaheim stays solid on their power play kill, they could be heading to the cup.

Imagine that: A sunny Southern California team and a sunny Southern Florida team facing off for the icy Stanley Cup?

This might be one of the first times the Stanley Cup rink will be full of fans in flip flops and t-shirts.

Western Conference Final Game Info:
Series tied 3-3, Game 7
Blackhawks vs. Ducks- Saturday May 30th @ 5:00 PM on NBC, CBC, TVA

– Courtney