Top 10 Reasons the NHL Playoffs Rock

Now that April is over the NHL playoffs are getting into full swing of things. Next week the conference championships will start, and this is where things really get interesting. If you haven’t caught hockey fever yet, then now is the time to jump on the bandwagon. If you need some help getting fired up, here’s PNA’s top 10 reasons why the NHL playoffs rock…

10. Most games are in HD

If you’re a true fan of sports then the ridiculously big and wide flat screen is a must. (It sure is getting expensive to be a sports fan these days) Lets face it though, if you don’t have HD TV yet then your living stone age. Hockey in high definition is freakin awesome, and it’s definitely the next best thing to shelling out big bucks for tickets to the game. (I’ll get to that). And as my girlfriend likes to say, “you can actually see the puck when you’re watching in HD”.

(Pic from pictures.directnews.co.uk)

Why the F is he in a Rangers uni?

9. You can blow your tax return on playoff tickets

Your taxes are due in April, and the NHL playoffs also start that month. Is this a coincidence? Well yea, it probably is, but that doesn’t change the fact you can use that cold hard cash you get back from Uncle Sam to stimulate the economy by buying some Penguins playoff tickets. (Just be sure to get nice and drunk before you go inside, so they don’t get you on the whole Onorato 10% tax on the poured alcohol)

(Pic from postgazette.com)

Give em' hell...

8. Every second counts

One of the knocks on hockey is that the regular season is long, so the games are less meaningful. All that crazy talk is tossed out the window come playoff time. Playoff hockey is just about as intense as it gets. The momentum swings frequently and you watch the game on the edge of your seat. (And if you’re like me you chew off most of your fingernails before the drop of the puck in the third period)

(Pic from thechiz.co.za)

Time to go, Rangers...

7. The refs let ‘em play in the playoffs

The last thing you want in the final game of a 7 game series is the ref blowing his stupid whistle late in the third and basically deciding the outcome of a game, by calling a ticky-tack penalty. This doesn’t happen too often in the NHL. The refs will usually have to see something pretty significant (blatant) happen right in front of them in order to make a call. Penalties like interference, hooking, boarding, elbowing, and crosschecking are for the most part ignored at the end of the 3rd and in OT.

(Pic from z.about.com)

No Shirt, No Penalty

6. It gives you more opportunities to wear that $200 Hockey jersey you bought

Unless you go to the game and the PR geniuses decided to have a “white out” and make you wear a shirt that probably cost them about 15 cents because they were made at some sweat shop in Malaysia, this past time is a favorite of all true NHL fans. Hell, you don’t even need to own a “new” hockey jersey. The playoffs give you an excuse to dust off that god awful Rob Brown alternate Pens jersey that’s been sitting in your closet since 1993. Rock it proudly!

(Pic from content.answers.com)

Remind me, who thought this jersey was a good idea?

5. Because it proves Canada is inferior to the good ole US of A

All of us American’s already know this fact obviously. It’s just good to reiterate it every now and again especially because those uppity hosser’s think they are running shit in hockey.

Newsflash Canada, even though you act all high and mighty, none of your teams have won the Stanley Cup since 1992-93 season. American teams run this league so stick to fishing, drinking your nasty Canadian beer, collecting firewood, and whatever else yinz do up there, before you hurt yourselves.

PS have fun watching Montreal (the only Canadian team left) lose very soon.

(Pic from media.funlol.com)

Truer words have never been printed...

4. They give you an excuse to party 3 or 4 times per week

I mean who really needs an excuse to drink on a weekday anyway? Usually when you go out and get hammered drunk and wake up hurting in the morning its only because its Wednesday, and you love the sauce.

Now when coworkers and bosses ask why your production level is so low, and also why you smell like brewery, you can use the excuse that you were celebrating another Penguins win the night before. Not only that, but your also helping the local economy by spending 40% of your pay check at your local watering hole.

(Pic from joesportsfan.com)

Looks like Snack and Diego at this year's Pens-Devils game...

3. They allow you to inevitably delay watching MLB baseball or the NBA playoffs

Usually quality sports programming is a little hard to come by in Pittsburgh this time of the year; most people around here hate NBA basketball with a passion and after a decade and a half of losing seasons we’ve also just about had it with the miserable Pirates.

Hockey playoffs give you something to look forward to, they give you a reason to watch the sports coverage on the news and read the sports section in the paper. And best of all thanks to the Pens you haven’t even started counting down to Steelers training camp yet!

(Pic from ac-nancy-metz.fr)

How most of us feel after watching our Buccos

2. It’s one more reason to hate Philadelphia and everyone in it

Thanks to MZP for thinking up this one.

If you live in the Burgh chances are you’re just like Big Snack and I, meaning you hate our interstate rivals in Philadelphia. And it’s not just their sports teams, but it’s also the annoying ass people who call Philly home. Their arrogant attitudes are not only unjustified, but also delusional.

Face it, the whole town is full or rejects from New York and New Jersey, (maybe that’s why they think they’re tough) your sports teams stink, and you can’t fight. It will be awesome watching Sid and company dismantle you in the conference finals, that is if you don’t shit the bed against Montreal first.

(Pic from wikimedia.org)

The ONLY reason I set foot in Philly

1. Playoff Beards

Behold the almighty and powerful… PLAYOFF BEARD. Some of the greatest men in history had beards; Chuck Norris, Mr. T., Jerry Garcia, and even Jesus! Not only does the playoff beard embody manliness, but it also helps to unify the team to become one.

The superstition of the playoff beard goes back all the way to the 80’s and many believe that is bad luck to not grow one. (Just ask Jagr cuz whatever you wanna call that thing on his face, it certainly ain’t a playoff beard)

This trend is so well-liked even players in other sports like football and basketball are jumping on the bandwagon. In 2006, Big Ben grew a playoff beard, and we all know what happened next. Also Lebron James grew one last year for the NBA playoffs, leading his team to the finals.

Note from Snack - My playoff beard is in full bloom...now the question is, should I keep the red beard or get rid of it, you know, for the ladies? Who am I kiddin', we all know the ladies always win over sports...

The playoff beard is so popular it also has its own website. What kind of playoff beard do you have?

(Pic from playoffbeard.com)

If you don't grow a playoff beard, Chuck will roundhouse kick you...

Until lata...

A few things...

First off, thanks to all the people who have been jumping over here from Mondesi's House to read our top 10's. We appreciate yinz reading, and we also love your hate mail/comments...Keep em' comin boys and girls...

Secondly, and unfortunately, our Buccos rallied from a 7-0 beating only to lose our home opener today in the 12th, 10-8. I, of course, didn't get to watch the game as I was out workin' for the man, but from our sources at PNC (our drunken friends), Gorzo looked like crap (except when he struck out Fukudome...USA bitches), our relievers did OK again (until the 12th), and Bixler crapped his pants...

Apparently Bautista tried an uncalled squeeze playin the ninth, which is encouraged if the third baseman plays deep or if there's another opening, and Bixler froze. It's one of those plays that an everyday major-leaguer would have made, but because of Bixler's inexperience (or lack of an f-ing brain), he didn't break, and we didn't score, and we lost.

Jagoff of the Day = Brian Bixler...It's not too often I throw a rookie under the bus like that, but that was a play we even had in Pony and Colt Leagues. It's embarassing really, and I hope good ole Johnny Russell kicks his ass into shape real quick or send him back down to Trent Jewitt in AAA.

(Pic from pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com)

Jagoff of the Day

And finally, some good news - your Pittsburgh Pens get to face the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs starting Wednesday. Look in the stands for your boys Diego and Snack (with 2 lovely ladies I might add) at Game 2 on Friday - we'll be the drunk ones tackling some damn Canadian down a flight of stairs in Section E. Snack's the big one, Diego's the goofy lookin' one; we'll be hard to miss...

Until lata...

Big News...

Ok guys, I know I've been pulling yinz around talking about how there would be another big announcement concerning your boy Snack writing for another large Pittsburgh blog...

Well here it is -

Big Snack (under his real name, Rocco) is now a contributing editor on The New Bucco Blog...I will be penning some articles in the News section about our Pirates, and will also be in charge of moderating comments for my articles and working the message boards...Make sure you check it out, Jake and Alex (the head honchos) have been working really hard on the site, and I definitely think it's an upgrade from the old one.

Also, don't forget to check out Diego and Snack's weekly post (Mondays) on Mondesi's House too...We're getting huge people, and we wanna thank you all for being with us from the get-go...

Look for us to be contributing to more sites, and keep your eyes peeled for bigger and better things from PNA in 2008!

Until tommorrow, when I'll post some links and such to keep your little minds at ease...

Big News...

By now, I'm assuming you've all seen the big news that we are the only blog to be a part of the Mondesi's House Dream Team...we'll be doing a weekly top 10 list, starting on Monday.

This is huge for us an PNA, finally taking us up a rung on the blogosphere ladder. We've busted our humps for the past 3 months, for you, the reader, and we really hope you enjoy our new digs over at Mondesi's.

As for last night, the Pens won their 8th in a row 4-1 over the Lightning. Jordan Staal finally pulled his head outta his you know what and scored two goals, which nearly doubled his season output. I hope this finally gets him off his slide, we could definitely use some offense from him during the final few months...

Ty Conklin had another outstanding game, and for once, it seems like the Pens are running on all cylanders. We're looking good in the standings are are on quite a roll...Let's keep it going boys.

PS - More news about your boy Snack writing for another HUGE blog will be delievered shortly...And make sure you look at the comments on Mondesi's House and defend our honor against that jagoff who called us "giant douchebags"...what an ass, we never even wrote an article for that site and already the trash talk begins...

Until lata...

Afternoon Ramblings...

Jesus H, Jake from BuccoBlog is giving me a heart attack...He just mentioned we could get Phil Hughes from the Yanks for Ian Snell, but now it looks like it may not go through...Although, you never know, Jake is always hating on the management, so maybe this is just his normal gloomy view of the Bucs...But, it's much more likely, at least to me, that Jake is prolly just as flustered as I am at this Huntington not having the "intestinal fortitude" to make a big deal...It's time to crap or get off the pot Neil...

Here's a few random links I found while just doing my normal nothing today...

This one is compliments of Old Man Snack, as he found a sweet video of some base jumpers...he also wanted me to mention that him and Mama I (my sweetheart of a mother) used to share beers and laughs with the old 'Stache himself...good shit as far as I'm concerned...Now, if only Wanny would hire the old man as the o-coordinator, then we'd be goin somewhere...

Jimmy Leyland is the big winner in the trade market, landing D-Train and Miggy Cabrera...how the hell did they pull this off? They're pitching staff is now sick as hell, and the're starting 8 is the best in baseball...too bad the poor, poor Pirates are so broke...(Thanks to Mondesi's House for the story)

And finally, it looks like we may have some of our studs back for the showdown with the Pats on Sunday...Troy, Marvel and Santonio are all busting their humps to get back for this one...I hope they don't rush these guys though, we're gonna need them all down the stretch...

Till lata...

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Snack's Midday Munch...

We can put this article in the "women buy the dumbest things" category. A South "Scarolina" (chuckle chuckle) woman stole over $2.5 million from Lube USA and spent ALL the money on shoes, clothes and jewelery. Just wait till you see the end where it tells you how much money all the stuff was sold back for.Nice investment lady....

Here's another link I'm yanking from my boy Mondesi...It's about a Seahawk fan in Da 'Burgh for the Steelers-Hawks game. It's interesting to see how well we treated him, seeing as I've been known to throw down with opposing fans on occasion (I blame the beer and their stupidity) and I know yinz have too.

Looks like Diego's uncle Joe Torre may be close to a deal with the Dodgers to be their new manager. With A-Rod hitting the free agent market, could a reunion be in the making in the City of Angels?

And just to show yinz my love of all things mafia, here's a link to Jerry Capeci's This Week in Gang Land article...It updates every week and keeps you up to date on the goings on of Jr. Gotti and all of his cohorts from across the country.

Until tonight...

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Snack's News and Notes #1...

I decided to show my boy Diego up and give yinz somethin to chew on this morning...Some are just little tidbits I've picked up here and there and others are links or news I think might interest yinz...I'd also like to thank Mondesi's House for his shout out yesterday. If you haven't checked out his site then you don't know what's up...

First and foremost, our boy over at What Would Tyler Durden Do? got some pics of the cheerleader from Heroes (Hayden Panetierre) running around the beach with her friends. I never would have guessed the girl from Remember the Titans would one day turn into this...

Robert Goulet, the crooner who is probably best known for some of the commercials he has done or for the Will Farrell parody on SNL, has died at the age of 73 while waiting for a lung transplant. He was a great entertainer, and a funny, funny man. Here's a classic Goulet commercial, and if you want to check out the SNL skit it's here.

So it turns out that one of the larger wildfires that recently ravaged California was actually set by a dumbass kid playing with matches. Someone needs to kick this kid's parents in the nuts for not teaching him that matches+brush= bye bye home. I'm just anxious to see how old this jagoff is and if they throw the book at him...I'll keep yinz updated.

Bucco Blog reports a rumor sending Jason Bay to the Brewers for a 19 year old prospect named Jeremy Jeffress, who has electric stuff but a bit of a drug problem has him on thin ice with the Brew Crew. Obviously, this is ridiculous, as the Pirates would never make a trade that could actually help the team. Plus, I don't see the Brewers giving up on a 19 year old kid that early in his career.

Sticking with the Buccos trade rumors, here's another interesting one...Ian Snell to Colorado? That one can't be true; how the hell can we get rid of good young pitching? If we're rebuilding, which we're sure to do, you can't let a 26 year old pitcher with an ERA under 4.00 go. Oh wait, this is the Buccos, if past experience tells us anything we'll probably trade him for Kenny Lofton and a retiree to be named later...

Until later today...

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