Well, the LA Kings are your NHL champions. It's always bugged me that #8 seeds can see their goalie get hot and win a championship, but them's the breaks.
73 thoughts on “June 12, 2012: King Me”
Kings had more than just the goalie. Their whole team was outstanding throughout the last month of the season and the whole playoffs. They beat the #1, #2, #3 seeds in the West on their way to the Finals losing only 2 games in those three series. One of the most dominating playoff runs ever.
They're also the first 8 seed to win a Stanley Cup. The previous lowest seed to win it all was a 5 seed.
I guess I had always assumed that the "Crapshoot" of the Stanley Cup playoffs would have led to more lower-seed wins.
Crapshoot? It's the longest, most involved postseason out there.
(you may be joking - I wasn't sure)
The matchup in every NHL playoff round is based on seeding, so it's really hard for a #8 seed to win it all. They have to beat the #1 seed, then the highest remaining seed, and again the highest remaining seed. That's just to get to the Finals.
Also, Twins fans should not be the ones complaining. I imagine a lot of people grumbled about the '87 Twins winning it all.
Without ever having home ice. That's huge in any sport. I know this was implied, but it bears repeating that they never started a series at home.
And were up 3-0 in every series, so I've been told. That's spectacular.
I imagine a lot of people grumbled about the '87 Twins winning it all.
They certainly did. I don't think Whitey Herzog is over it yet.
2006 made me so mad. Part of it was the fact that the Cards won the WS with such a paltry record (worse than the 87 twins), but also because the Twins had their best season of the decade (96-66), won the division in a stellar race with Detroit, and then fell absolutely flat against the A's including that horrible 5 error game (which did not include Torii's gaffe that led to the inside the park HR). It sucked so bad to see the Twins have the best regular season EVAR!, only to then watch my peers in STL get a freakin' World Series.
I started to sympathize with Cubs fans then...
It's not any longer than the NBA playoffs, four rounds of best of seven.
that's true. although the NHL playoffs have been this long for longer!
what I should have said was "yeah, but in the NBA, games 6 and 7 are just cash grabs"
Many apologies for missing that opportunity.
Don't let it happen again.
Edit: I imagine KG, in the currently very dark place where he no doubt is now, reciting that over and over.
I imagine that must be in the basement.
Some dark places are better than others.
yea, it's probably dank, too, what with it being so close to the ocean.
I meant like the MLB playoffs, it's not who had the best season, but more like winning consecutive coinflips on which players are at their healthiest and best.
OK, but if that's your criteria, anything other than crowning the best team in the regular season as soon as it ends is a crapshoot.
Which is fine, but I'm not sure why the Stanley Cup Playoffs would be more or less of a crapshoot than other sports under that definition.
Didn't the Ducks win as a 7 or 8? When they beat the Wild in the WCF?
They were a 7 seed, but lost that year to the Devils in the Finals.
Then they won the cup 3 years later as a 2 seed.
And attendance has dwindled since...
I am with AMR. Hockey has the most random outcomes of any of the 3 + 1 major sports.
The current titleholders in the NHL, MLB, and the NFL all entered the playoffs with the lowest regular season record among playoff teams in their conference/league.
LA Kings - 8 seed
STL Cardinals - Wild Card
NY Giants - (9-7, lower than the two NFC wild card teams)
MLB has one fewer round and the NFL doesn't have best of 7 series. I still think baseball can be as random as hockey.
It definitely is, but the good news is that way fewer teams make the playoffs. I'm not annoyed that the Kings pulled it off, but just a little perturbed that they were allowed to.
Perhaps due to the relative value of each goal?
Because I'm interested in this now, over the last 7 seasons (after the NHL lockout):
TOP SEEDS TO CHAMPIONSHIP
NFL - 6
NBA - 4
NHL/MLB - 3
DIVISION WINNERS TO CHAMPIONSHIP**
NFL - 11
NBA/MLB - 10
NHL - 8
** (MLB - 75% of playoff teams are division winners, NFL - 67% of playoff teams are division winners, NHL/NBA - 37.5% of playoff teams are division winners)
LOWEST SEEDS TO CHAMPIONSHIP**
MLB - 4 (+ twice a division winner with a lower record than the WC team has made the WS)
NHL - 3
NFL - 2 (+ twice a division winner with the lowest overall record has made the SB)
NBA - 0 (no seed lower than 4 has made the finals in this time)
**which is to say, the number of times the lowest seed (4 in MLB, 6 in NFL, 8 in NHL/NBA) has made the finals.
Instead of lowest seed, I think you need to give the seed. If the lowest seed in baseball is 4 and the lowest in hockey is 8, I don't think that is a fair comparison.
All of this is an unfair comparison since there's 3 different playoff systems here.
6 teams (2 #3, 4 WC) that were on the road in the first round of the MLB playoffs (#3-#4 seeds) have made the World Series in the last seven years.
4 teams (1 #5, 3 #8s) that were on the road in the first round of the NHL playoffs (#5-#8 seeds) have made the SCF in the last seven years.
3 teams (1 #5, 2 #6s) that were on the road in the first round of the NFL playoffs (#5-#6 seeds) have made the SB in the last seven years. (2 #4 seeds - also in the bottom half of seeds - made the SB as well).
0 teams that were on the road in the first round of the NBA playoffs (#5-#8 seeds) have made the Finals in the last seven years.
I guess the best thing would be to go through and compile winning percentages for the lower seeded teams throughout the playoffs, but I don't have the time.
Both of those #6 seeds won the Super Bowl, too. (Assuming you mean XL & XLV)
The NBA playoffs almost always end up with the best team (or one of the best few teams) winning. Somehow this is considered a bug by some.
My interest in MLB goes way down in the post season because of the nature of playoffs. The season is 162 games. That's the important part for me. Football playoff games can be decided by one or two bad (or good) series. NHL, well, I'm pretty much ignorant and can't comment. The NBA has, far and away, the best likelihood that the cream will, in fact, rise to the top.
That said, I will not be watching tonight. That's because I have to retire early for my trip to ND tomorrow. Ick.
Yeah the NBA playoffs are far and way the least crapshootastic. No doubt.
The NBA can be influenced by the stars more than any other sport. The NBA also has more repeat champions.
I have no problem with individual playoffs but I do get tired of the long runs of dominance in the NBA.
That's because I have to retire early for my trip to ND tomorrow. Ick.
Going home to celebrate The "Fighting S---x" name enshrined in the ND constitution?
I'm hoping. And I freely admit that my only horse in the race is to see UND athletics suffer the consequences.
Actually, this round would not enshrine it into the Constitution. That would be in November. This time they are looking to overturn the law that overturned the law that mandated that the Sioux name be used by the school.
i wouldn't be surprised if that's not too far from the truth.
At least the Packers are gone.
🙁
At least he made the wise decision to turn off the Space Race. I always hated that component of the game.
After reading that thread (and it was fascinating. I've never played Civ II, but I may try now.), I got the impression that he didn't turn it off so much as he just didn't bother with it and kept playing after it was done.
Nah, if you don't turn it off, the first Civilization to complete the space program wins the game and it ends. It's a lame way for a "smaller" Civilization to win simply by directing its resources that way rather than in a fight to control the entire planet.
i thought that didn't start until civ3?
Yeah, the Wikipedia entry for Civ II claimed the game could continue after the space program thing.
no, you could always continue, but for some reason i was thinking that the whole space race concept didn't start until civ3...
Ah ok, then I merged the Civ games in my mind. Regardless, the whole space race thing was idiotic.
well, if CT read it right, you were right in the first place and i'm the idiot (a plausible scenario).
I always liked the Space Race aspect (and I almost always went for that victory condition) because what attracted me to the game in the first place were the elements of "empire-building" and research that existed as alternatives to the standard "conquer everything" type of objectives, which never interested me that much.
I agree. You still needed enough of a military presence to defend yourself though. (I've only played Civ IV)
[–]watermanjack 184 points 6 hours ago
OP just has to clone Duncan a few thousand more times more.
load more comments (7 replies)
[–]Axeman20 131 points 6 hours ago
The spice must flow!
Heh.
It was 11 years ago today that my brother Paul passed away at the age of 50. I still see his legacy any time I'm down by the river in downtown Minneapolis. Miss you, brother.
From Linda Mack's 2004 Star Tribune Article: Paul Madson's City Housing Revived Whole Neighborhoods
Minneapolis architect Paul Madson, who died of a heart attack June 12 at age 50, wasn't one to trumpet his achievements. But Madson and his four-person firm, Paul Madson & Associates, probably have designed more housing of more types than any other Twin Cities firm, from single-room efficiencies for recovering alcoholics to high-end lofts on the Mississippi riverfront.
The thousands of units have provided affordable housing, in-fill housing in older neighborhoods, and new housing to help keep cities competitive with the suburbs.
Whether renovating old buildings or designing new ones, Madson's trademark was an anti-trademark: make it fit into its context.
Dark brick, strong simple forms and iron fences help Lourdes Square and the Marquette Townhomes fit into their historic neighborhoods on the Mississippi River's East Bank. Gabled roofs, wood siding and front porches make the Harriet Square townhouses a comfortable addition to south Minneapolis. A flat roof and pared-down aesthetic make the Creamette apartment building the most understated of the new buildings in Minneapolis' north riverfront near the Itasca condominiums.
Madson's longtime partner, Kim Bretheim, said that some people criticize the Creamette building for its industrial aesthetic and prefer the more elaborate forms of the turretted Heritage Landing and homey red-brick RiverStation townhouses across N. 1st St.
"We were trying to avoid traditional [residential] forms in the Warehouse District," Bretheim said, adding that they aim to avoid cuteness.
The firm's housing ranges from affordable townhouses for the Dakota County Community Development Agency to new condominiums north of St. Paul's Lowertown. (The firm also designed the award-winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune.)
Two Minneapolis projects demonstrate the firm's impact on large swaths of the city.
On the Mississippi River's West Bank, the firm is helping shape the new neighborhood upriver from the proposed Guthrie Theater. In a two-block area between Washington Avenue and W. River Pkwy. the firm has designed a string of buildings for Brighton Development, for which it has designed 37 projects.
The first three are the pioneering loft buildings -- the renovation of the old North Star Blanket building at Portland Av. and W. River Pkwy., which kicked off the trend to riverfront living; the current renovation of the challenging Washburn Utility Building, and the design of the recently completed Stone Arch Lofts.
The Stone Arch building illustrates the firm's understated approach. The building's rectangular shape, strong proportions and yellow brick recall the design of existing buildings. The flat roof lets the rooflines of the historic buildings dominate. Steel balconies add a dynamic touch. It is perfectly at home among its neighbors but doesn't mimic the historic buildings (Although some people swear it's old, said Peggy Lucas, a Brighton partner.)
The firm is working with Julie Snow Architects on a new condominium building that will rise next to the Humboldt Mill nearby on S. 2nd St. and is designing townhouses and apartments for the two blocks between S. 2nd St. and Washington Avenue S.
Not counting the Humboldt Mill project, for which Snow is the lead designer, Madson's firm will design more than 300 units in an area that was derelict only five years ago.
The firm's City Homes on Park for Phillips Park Initiative is also transforming a neighborhood, this one in south Minneapolis. So far, Madson's firm has renovated three down-at-the heels mansions into seven crisp condominiums and designed new townhouses and carriage houses on the blocks between 24th and 25th Streets and Portland and Chicago Avenues.
The two new townhouses on Portland have brick facades to help them blend in with the older mansions, while the other townhouses have vinyl siding. Unlike the designs for the Warehouse District, these feature gable roofs, front porches and traditional residential forms.
"The idea is to reinforce the street and sidewalk," Bretheim said.
In mid-block, a commons with a gazebo replaces a demolished crack house. Phase two, which will continue the neighborhood's improvement, is being designed now.
"Madson really understood urban space," Lucas said. She said a stairway near the Stone Arch Lofts to the Mississippi riverfront will memorialize Madson's legacy.
A tip of the cap to your brother today.
A well written memorial and a great legacy...amazing vision for those spaces - thanks for sharing him with us.
Wow, what a legacy. Thanks for letting us know.
Ditto to what everyone has said. Our thoughts are with you.
Re-dido. Thanks for keeping the candle burning for him. We should all aspire to generate that kind of respect and impact.
Bootsy, it sounds like your brother had a very special blend of professional talent, vision, and social conscience. It's not fair he was taken before his time, but I hope the imprint he left on the city is one which will last beyond all our memories.
Thats cool/sad. Way too young.
Thanks, fellas. I know I linked to him some years back at the old site, but thought it worth repeating as I am now 50 years old myself. Hard not to feel a sense of mortality today.
The Blue Jays release Vladimir Guerrero. He says he's not retiring. I hope he can still play, but I'm getting skeptical of it.
What a beautiful shot there. My goodness.
Wow! Russia's had some chances, they need to pass a little quicker once they get in the box. This game is intense, doubly so given the history and tension outside of the stadium.
All four teams in Group A are in a position of "win and you're in" heading to the final group stage match.* Only Russia can lose and still get through.
Poland - win to get through -- draw or loss eliminates them
Czech Rep. - win to get through OR draw + at least 1 point for Russia to get through -- loss eliminates them
Greece - win to get through -- draw or loss eliminates them
Russia - win or draw to get through OR Loss + Czech/Poland draw gets them through
*by my figuring, I'm pretty sure I have the tiebreakers applied correctly.
On the list of things I didn't need to deal with today/right before leaving the country: a puddle of oil on the floor of the garage, directly underneath the engine/transmission of my truck. The drain bolt on the oil pan seemed just a little bit loose, so I'm hoping it was that, but there was also a small drip of oil where the transmission bell housing connects to the block.
Of course, I'm supposed to be driving it down to my mother-in-law's place in Chicagoland so it doesn't sit in long-term parking at O'Hare. Now I'm feeling a little apprehensive about making that drive the day I'm supposed to fly out to JFK for my connection to Moscow.
There's a chance it's just a slow drip from the drain bolt blowing back in the wind while you're driving and that's all it is. I've seen that before.
Still, could be your rear main or even the oil pan gasket. I've seen those leaks on my truck and my brothers' trucks, and it's hard to tell which one it is sometimes. Oil pan gasket is much easier to fix, of course. I wouldn't be overly concerned about either one as long as you're not losing a lot of oil.
Yeah, I'm a little worried it might be the rear main. There was a considerable amount of oil on the ground, but not enough to get me below the add line on the dipstick or anything. Since I bought it from the previous owner's estate I have no idea how old any of the seals are (or much else about any previous non-obvious kinds of maintenance). For all I know it could have the original seals installed at the Twin Cities Ford plant. It doesn't help that the odometer only has five digits, meaning it could be just 49,500 miles (the undercarriage certainly looks pretty good for a stripper truck that lived in Minnesota for 45 years), or X49,500 miles. I've been hoping to replace things I figure it needs - radiator hoses, fan belt, plugs/wires/distributor/etc - over the summer as time allows.
At least you won't have to reset any engine codes!
I like those old trucks. Even something like a rear main isn't too bad, since you can reach most of the bolts pretty easily and there's lots of room around the engine and under the truck. I'd recommend a transmission jack, but you can get by without one if you have to. Definitely a project that takes a full day (or two), though.
True about the codes, although on my OBD-II Volvo wagon they were really easy to deal with (and actually fairly useful). Unfortunately for owners of newer Volvos, I think the system in my 850 didn't survive into the 70-series years.
Driving this old truck has brought me a little happiness in a year where I truly needed it. There's nothing like the smell of rubber floor mats, a whiff of gas from the tank behind the seat, and the resonant baritone of a big straight six. The only thing that would substantially improve my enjoyment of the truck is an overdrive three-on-the-tree instead of the non-O/D unit currently in place.
Cubs fire batting coach Rudy Jaramillo. I don't know if he's any good or not, but he's always spoken of highly, so I suspect he'll find another job somewhere before too long.
I am in downtown LA right now, at LA Live. They are prepping for the Kings' parade on Thursday. Most notably: a sand sculpture of a huddle of headless Kings. Hmmmm. Guess an ice sculpture wouldn't last long.
Kings had more than just the goalie. Their whole team was outstanding throughout the last month of the season and the whole playoffs. They beat the #1, #2, #3 seeds in the West on their way to the Finals losing only 2 games in those three series. One of the most dominating playoff runs ever.
They're also the first 8 seed to win a Stanley Cup. The previous lowest seed to win it all was a 5 seed.
I guess I had always assumed that the "Crapshoot" of the Stanley Cup playoffs would have led to more lower-seed wins.
Crapshoot? It's the longest, most involved postseason out there.
(you may be joking - I wasn't sure)
The matchup in every NHL playoff round is based on seeding, so it's really hard for a #8 seed to win it all. They have to beat the #1 seed, then the highest remaining seed, and again the highest remaining seed. That's just to get to the Finals.
Also, Twins fans should not be the ones complaining. I imagine a lot of people grumbled about the '87 Twins winning it all.
Without ever having home ice. That's huge in any sport. I know this was implied, but it bears repeating that they never started a series at home.
And were up 3-0 in every series, so I've been told. That's spectacular.
I imagine a lot of people grumbled about the '87 Twins winning it all.
They certainly did. I don't think Whitey Herzog is over it yet.
Cardinals fans should be.
2006 made me so mad. Part of it was the fact that the Cards won the WS with such a paltry record (worse than the 87 twins), but also because the Twins had their best season of the decade (96-66), won the division in a stellar race with Detroit, and then fell absolutely flat against the A's including that horrible 5 error game (which did not include Torii's gaffe that led to the inside the park HR). It sucked so bad to see the Twins have the best regular season EVAR!, only to then watch my peers in STL get a freakin' World Series.
I started to sympathize with Cubs fans then...
It's not any longer than the NBA playoffs, four rounds of best of seven.
that's true. although the NHL playoffs have been this long for longer!
what I should have said was "yeah, but in the NBA, games 6 and 7 are just cash grabs"
Many apologies for missing that opportunity.
Don't let it happen again.
Edit: I imagine KG, in the currently very dark place where he no doubt is now, reciting that over and over.
I imagine that must be in the basement.
Some dark places are better than others.
yea, it's probably dank, too, what with it being so close to the ocean.
I meant like the MLB playoffs, it's not who had the best season, but more like winning consecutive coinflips on which players are at their healthiest and best.
OK, but if that's your criteria, anything other than crowning the best team in the regular season as soon as it ends is a crapshoot.
Which is fine, but I'm not sure why the Stanley Cup Playoffs would be more or less of a crapshoot than other sports under that definition.
Didn't the Ducks win as a 7 or 8? When they beat the Wild in the WCF?
They were a 7 seed, but lost that year to the Devils in the Finals.
Then they won the cup 3 years later as a 2 seed.
And attendance has dwindled since...
I am with AMR. Hockey has the most random outcomes of any of the 3 + 1 major sports.
The current titleholders in the NHL, MLB, and the NFL all entered the playoffs with the lowest regular season record among playoff teams in their conference/league.
LA Kings - 8 seed
STL Cardinals - Wild Card
NY Giants - (9-7, lower than the two NFC wild card teams)
MLB has one fewer round and the NFL doesn't have best of 7 series. I still think baseball can be as random as hockey.
It definitely is, but the good news is that way fewer teams make the playoffs. I'm not annoyed that the Kings pulled it off, but just a little perturbed that they were allowed to.
Perhaps due to the relative value of each goal?
Because I'm interested in this now, over the last 7 seasons (after the NHL lockout):
TOP SEEDS TO CHAMPIONSHIP
NFL - 6
NBA - 4
NHL/MLB - 3
DIVISION WINNERS TO CHAMPIONSHIP**
NFL - 11
NBA/MLB - 10
NHL - 8
** (MLB - 75% of playoff teams are division winners, NFL - 67% of playoff teams are division winners, NHL/NBA - 37.5% of playoff teams are division winners)
LOWEST SEEDS TO CHAMPIONSHIP**
MLB - 4 (+ twice a division winner with a lower record than the WC team has made the WS)
NHL - 3
NFL - 2 (+ twice a division winner with the lowest overall record has made the SB)
NBA - 0 (no seed lower than 4 has made the finals in this time)
**which is to say, the number of times the lowest seed (4 in MLB, 6 in NFL, 8 in NHL/NBA) has made the finals.
Instead of lowest seed, I think you need to give the seed. If the lowest seed in baseball is 4 and the lowest in hockey is 8, I don't think that is a fair comparison.
All of this is an unfair comparison since there's 3 different playoff systems here.
6 teams (2 #3, 4 WC) that were on the road in the first round of the MLB playoffs (#3-#4 seeds) have made the World Series in the last seven years.
4 teams (1 #5, 3 #8s) that were on the road in the first round of the NHL playoffs (#5-#8 seeds) have made the SCF in the last seven years.
3 teams (1 #5, 2 #6s) that were on the road in the first round of the NFL playoffs (#5-#6 seeds) have made the SB in the last seven years. (2 #4 seeds - also in the bottom half of seeds - made the SB as well).
0 teams that were on the road in the first round of the NBA playoffs (#5-#8 seeds) have made the Finals in the last seven years.
I guess the best thing would be to go through and compile winning percentages for the lower seeded teams throughout the playoffs, but I don't have the time.
Both of those #6 seeds won the Super Bowl, too. (Assuming you mean XL & XLV)
The NBA playoffs almost always end up with the best team (or one of the best few teams) winning. Somehow this is considered a bug by some.
My interest in MLB goes way down in the post season because of the nature of playoffs. The season is 162 games. That's the important part for me. Football playoff games can be decided by one or two bad (or good) series. NHL, well, I'm pretty much ignorant and can't comment. The NBA has, far and away, the best likelihood that the cream will, in fact, rise to the top.
That said, I will not be watching tonight. That's because I have to retire early for my trip to ND tomorrow. Ick.
Yeah the NBA playoffs are far and way the least crapshootastic. No doubt.
The NBA can be influenced by the stars more than any other sport. The NBA also has more repeat champions.
I have no problem with individual playoffs but I do get tired of the long runs of dominance in the NBA.
That's because I have to retire early for my trip to ND tomorrow. Ick.
Going home to celebrate The "Fighting S---x" name enshrined in the ND constitution?
I'm hoping. And I freely admit that my only horse in the race is to see UND athletics suffer the consequences.
Actually, this round would not enshrine it into the Constitution. That would be in November. This time they are looking to overturn the law that overturned the law that mandated that the Sioux name be used by the school.
RIP Dave Boswell.
Boswell was a favorite of mine from those late 1960s Twins, for no particular reason that I can remember. Sad news.
"I've been playing the same game of Civilization II for 10 years."
i wouldn't be surprised if that's not too far from the truth.
At least the Packers are gone.
🙁
At least he made the wise decision to turn off the Space Race. I always hated that component of the game.
After reading that thread (and it was fascinating. I've never played Civ II, but I may try now.), I got the impression that he didn't turn it off so much as he just didn't bother with it and kept playing after it was done.
Nah, if you don't turn it off, the first Civilization to complete the space program wins the game and it ends. It's a lame way for a "smaller" Civilization to win simply by directing its resources that way rather than in a fight to control the entire planet.
i thought that didn't start until civ3?
Yeah, the Wikipedia entry for Civ II claimed the game could continue after the space program thing.
no, you could always continue, but for some reason i was thinking that the whole space race concept didn't start until civ3...
Ah ok, then I merged the Civ games in my mind. Regardless, the whole space race thing was idiotic.
well, if CT read it right, you were right in the first place and i'm the idiot (a plausible scenario).
I always liked the Space Race aspect (and I almost always went for that victory condition) because what attracted me to the game in the first place were the elements of "empire-building" and research that existed as alternatives to the standard "conquer everything" type of objectives, which never interested me that much.
I agree. You still needed enough of a military presence to defend yourself though. (I've only played Civ IV)
Heh.
It was 11 years ago today that my brother Paul passed away at the age of 50. I still see his legacy any time I'm down by the river in downtown Minneapolis. Miss you, brother.
From Linda Mack's 2004 Star Tribune Article: Paul Madson's City Housing Revived Whole Neighborhoods
A tip of the cap to your brother today.
A well written memorial and a great legacy...amazing vision for those spaces - thanks for sharing him with us.
Wow, what a legacy. Thanks for letting us know.
Ditto to what everyone has said. Our thoughts are with you.
Re-dido. Thanks for keeping the candle burning for him. We should all aspire to generate that kind of respect and impact.
Bootsy, it sounds like your brother had a very special blend of professional talent, vision, and social conscience. It's not fair he was taken before his time, but I hope the imprint he left on the city is one which will last beyond all our memories.
Thats cool/sad. Way too young.
Thanks, fellas. I know I linked to him some years back at the old site, but thought it worth repeating as I am now 50 years old myself. Hard not to feel a sense of mortality today.
The Blue Jays release Vladimir Guerrero. He says he's not retiring. I hope he can still play, but I'm getting skeptical of it.
What a beautiful shot there. My goodness.
Wow! Russia's had some chances, they need to pass a little quicker once they get in the box. This game is intense, doubly so given the history and tension outside of the stadium.
All four teams in Group A are in a position of "win and you're in" heading to the final group stage match.* Only Russia can lose and still get through.
Poland - win to get through -- draw or loss eliminates them
Czech Rep. - win to get through OR draw + at least 1 point for Russia to get through -- loss eliminates them
Greece - win to get through -- draw or loss eliminates them
Russia - win or draw to get through OR Loss + Czech/Poland draw gets them through
*by my figuring, I'm pretty sure I have the tiebreakers applied correctly.
On the list of things I didn't need to deal with today/right before leaving the country: a puddle of oil on the floor of the garage, directly underneath the engine/transmission of my truck. The drain bolt on the oil pan seemed just a little bit loose, so I'm hoping it was that, but there was also a small drip of oil where the transmission bell housing connects to the block.
Of course, I'm supposed to be driving it down to my mother-in-law's place in Chicagoland so it doesn't sit in long-term parking at O'Hare. Now I'm feeling a little apprehensive about making that drive the day I'm supposed to fly out to JFK for my connection to Moscow.
There's a chance it's just a slow drip from the drain bolt blowing back in the wind while you're driving and that's all it is. I've seen that before.
Still, could be your rear main or even the oil pan gasket. I've seen those leaks on my truck and my brothers' trucks, and it's hard to tell which one it is sometimes. Oil pan gasket is much easier to fix, of course. I wouldn't be overly concerned about either one as long as you're not losing a lot of oil.
Yeah, I'm a little worried it might be the rear main. There was a considerable amount of oil on the ground, but not enough to get me below the add line on the dipstick or anything. Since I bought it from the previous owner's estate I have no idea how old any of the seals are (or much else about any previous non-obvious kinds of maintenance). For all I know it could have the original seals installed at the Twin Cities Ford plant. It doesn't help that the odometer only has five digits, meaning it could be just 49,500 miles (the undercarriage certainly looks pretty good for a stripper truck that lived in Minnesota for 45 years), or X49,500 miles. I've been hoping to replace things I figure it needs - radiator hoses, fan belt, plugs/wires/distributor/etc - over the summer as time allows.
At least you won't have to reset any engine codes!
I like those old trucks. Even something like a rear main isn't too bad, since you can reach most of the bolts pretty easily and there's lots of room around the engine and under the truck. I'd recommend a transmission jack, but you can get by without one if you have to. Definitely a project that takes a full day (or two), though.
True about the codes, although on my OBD-II Volvo wagon they were really easy to deal with (and actually fairly useful). Unfortunately for owners of newer Volvos, I think the system in my 850 didn't survive into the 70-series years.
Driving this old truck has brought me a little happiness in a year where I truly needed it. There's nothing like the smell of rubber floor mats, a whiff of gas from the tank behind the seat, and the resonant baritone of a big straight six. The only thing that would substantially improve my enjoyment of the truck is an overdrive three-on-the-tree instead of the non-O/D unit currently in place.
Cubs fire batting coach Rudy Jaramillo. I don't know if he's any good or not, but he's always spoken of highly, so I suspect he'll find another job somewhere before too long.
I am in downtown LA right now, at LA Live. They are prepping for the Kings' parade on Thursday. Most notably: a sand sculpture of a huddle of headless Kings. Hmmmm. Guess an ice sculpture wouldn't last long.