It’s back after a brief hiatus. This next blogger I’m interviewing is Chris Kubala, creator of Juuustabitoutside. And yes, he has Seattle connections, that was not intentional……seriously. My questions are in bold, his answers are in regular font size. Note that these questions were asked last week and he replied on the 25th.
1. When did you decide it was time to start a blog?
I decided to start a blog last June…the 30th to be exact…a
couple days after Aramis Ramirez’s two run, two out blast in the
bottom of the ninth at Wrigley gave the Cubs a 6-5 win over the
Brewers, in what really started their comeback from the depths to
claim the NL Central crown.
2. The Toronto Maple Leafs are the laughing stock of the NHL right now, what do they need to do in yet another rebuilding process?
For starters, the Leafs need to get a solid, hockey savvy GM in
the front office, someone like Brian Burke for example. The Leafs
were crippled at the trade deadline because of the massive number of
no trade clauses handed out by John Ferguson Jr. The team was unable
to move guys that other teams coveted because of it, slowing the
rebuilding process.
The team needs to build from within and cultivate a successful farm
system instead of dealing away picks and signing high priced free
agents who don’t necessarily pan out. They need more depth to be
successful, and could use a veteran presence behind the bench.
3. Who wins the Stanley Cup, Pittsburgh or Detroit?
It depends. If Pittsburgh can take game two in Detroit and take
the momentum with them back to Pittsburgh with a tie series, I think
they have a good chance of wearing down the older Detroit club with
fresh legs and youth. However, Marc-Andre Fleury has to play a lot
better than he did in game one, where he gave up a lot of BIG rebounds
which cost his team. Remember that Detroit is minus Johan Franzen at
the moment, the playoff leader in goal scoring.
Experience and leadership wise Detroit has a huge advantage, but you
have to know there are some tired legs in the Red Wings lineup. I
think either way, it will go at least six games. I just can’t see a
blowout series.
4. What do you think about the state of hockey coverage in the US (considering the fact that you have watched both the CBC in Canada and the American networks)?
Really, hockey in the US is a non entity. The television coverage
is subpar, Versus is not a channel that the majority of the cable
viewing public has to peruse, and hockey has expanded into venues that
really are not conducive to hockey. Warm weather locales like
Phoenix, Tampa, Florida, Atlanta, and even Dallas are not really big
draws. Factor in all the regional sports channels, fragmented media
coverage, and other issues, and hockey is treated as a second class
citizen in some of these locales.
The best way to put it is that hockey is an institution, a religion if
you will, in Canada, while in the US, it is more a sideshow.
5. Does it look like the Bills are headed for Toronto permanently with all of the moves to play a home game in the Rogers Centre per year?
No, I don’t think the Bills are moving to Toronto permanently.
Ralph Wilson has vowed to keep the Bills in town. It is a way to
expand the fan base in Southern Ontario, and the team gets $78 million
for the inconvenience. To me, this is nothing else than the NFL
testing the waters of potentially putting a team in Toronto down the
line.
The thing that bothers me the most about it is that they took the
Miami game out of Buffalo, in December, to move that one to Rogers
Centre. That is a major screw job to the fans in the city who have
supported the team since 1960, and who thrive on having the Dolphins
coming to town in sub freezing temperatures.
6. Trent Edwards: QB of the future or not?
Trent Edwards has all the tools to be an excellent starting QB.
He has size, vision, mobility, and football smarts. Adding James
Hardy as a big target to complement Lee Evans, with a year under his
and Marshawn Lynch’s belts, and with the offensive line healthy and
solid, can only be a help, not a hindrance.
I’d rather have Edwards under center than, as Chip Caray called him a
few years ago, “J.P. Lostman.”
7. Thoughts on SpyGate?
Spygate…if it was any more convoluted, it would be Watergate.
The investigation has wound around and all we hear is that there was
no more compelling evidence…yet Arlen Specter disagrees. I think
this could turn into the NFL version of the Mitchell Report, and get
ugly fast.
I’ve never liked Bill Belichick or the Patriots, and the fact that if
you were caught once, is usually a sign you’ve done it repeatedly and
gotten sloppy. The punishment should have been steeper, and I think
if Specter gets his hands into it, he’ll dig until he finds something
or tear his hands raw trying.
8. What are some blogs you recommend?
I don’t get a chance to go to too many sites…I read Len and
Bob’s blog on WGN to keep up with the Cubs, Purple Crushed Velvet for
hockey and to make fun of the Kings, Hit by a Pitch, Fantasy Baseball
at razzball.com and then the other ones, like Canucklehead and The
Creative Nerd are just regular, non sports oriented blogs that I enjoy
reading.
9. Finally, the Chicago Cubs’ next World Series title will be over or under 2020?:)
I think that it will happen well before 2020…I would say you
will see it within the next five years.
Thanks to Mr. Kubala for taking the time to respond to these poorly thought out questions, his website is on my blogroll so go find it (okay okay, http://www.juuustabitoutside.com).
