All is Quiet on the Western Front

Monday night, the Phoenix Coyotes defeated Chicago to become the last western team to move on to the next round. All of the Western conference series are finished up for now while on the Eastern side, teams are still battling for a spot. 3 of the 4 series are going into a game 7. Tonight Washington and Boston will play the 7th and final game of the series. Both New York and Ottawa, and New Jersey and Florida will play their game 7 on Thursday night. This will conclude the conference quarterfinals.

NHL Playoffs: Round 1 Update

As the first round Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NHL playoffs are under way, several teams have already secured a 2nd round spot, and one step closer to the Cup. Among the teams moving on are the Predators, Blues, Flyers, and most recently the L.A. Kings. In the west, Phoenix and Chicago are still playing for the last spot. Phoenix is leading the series 3-2. The only eastern conference team to advance are the Flyers. Florida and Ottawa both lead 3-2, against New Jersey and New York, respectively. Boston and Washington so far are the first teams to force a game seven. The first round will finish up by the end of this week. It is still a long journey for those teams left fighting for the dream of hoisting the Stanley Cup.

#PhillyInSix

After a long and enduring six game  battle, the  Flyers eliminated Pittsburgh in Philadelphia on Sunday April 22nd. Pittsburgh lost the first three games of the series. After a dramatic game three that ended in the suspension of several Penguins including former Flyer Arron Asham, Pittsburgh sparked a two game comeback winning 10 to 3 in Philadelphia and 3 to 2 on Friday at Pittsburgh. The comeback however was short lived and they were eliminated from the first round by their cross state rivals. The Flyers will move on to the second round against the winner of the Ottawa-New York series. Ottawa currently leads the series 3-2.

Ward Retires A Steeler

After 16 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hines Ward has decided to retire with the team he has spent his entire professional career with. Although the decision to release Ward has been the center of controversy, Ward still decided to retire as a Steeler rather than sign with another team for one or two additional seasons. This shows an outstanding amount of class on Wards part. While anger could and usually does spark some athletes to join another teams, Hines made the choice to leave his final legacy here in Pittsburgh. He has contributed a remarkable amount of talent and skill to the team and is seeing a tremendous amount of support from the Steeler nation in whatever decision he makes.

Unveiling of "Le Magnifique"

On March 7th, 2012, hundreds gathered to see the unveiling of "Le Magnifique", a statue constructed in honor of the great Mario Lemieux. Mike Lange was the MC for the afternoon in this ceremony. Lemieux was surrounded by family, friends, and the entire Penguins organization along with dedicated fans. The statue is a depiction of a game in 1988 where Mario is skating in through two New York Islanders' defense men. The unveiling was a nostalgic moment  that really showed the enormous impact Lemieux has had and continues to have on this organization. The weather, strangely enough, was 66 degreees. And with the Penguins facing the Islanders later that night, as always it was a great day for hockey and a great day for Penguins Fans.

Is Hines Ward Calling It Quits?

After a season-ending loss to the Denver Broncos on January 8th, the Steeler Nation quickly turned its attention towards star wide receiver, Hines Ward, and his future as a Pittsburgh Steeler. Rumors of retirement after the 2011-2012 season have been floating around all year, yet Ward denies any such act. Numbers-wise, his statistics this year have been some of the lowest of his 13 year career. But while his numbers haven't been as impressive as previous seasons, Ward remains to be an important face in the the organization. He is one of the most recognizable athletes. He has done a lot for the Steelers organization and his presence would be missed on and off the field. Ward has said he's not ready to retire, and currently because of contract negotiations, his future with the Steelers is unclear. While not all athletes get a storybook finish, Hines deserves a chance to retire with the team he has spent 13 years devoting his time, skills, and life to.

The area of sport management I would like to work in is Sport Marketing. I would like to work with the promotions and marketing department of a sports team, preferably professional. Some of the teams I would like to work for include any of the professional teams in Pittsburgh (ex. Penguins, Pirates, Steelers, Power).