I know this has nothing to do with the Ducks or even hockey, but it’s ok. I can not wait for football to start and I got a taste of it on Monday, with local boy Carson Palmer making his first appearance since his knew was destroyed in the playoffs last year. He looked so damn good, I couldn’t believe how impressive he was. He moved well under pressure, he planted his feet and make perfect throws. He made a lob pass to Houshmandzadeh down the sideline, with pressure and he threw it 6-8 yards in front of where the reciever was, i literally told my dad to stop talking and watch this pass. This guy has so much talent that it is sick, he can be one the best.
And sadly, I despise USC. Though I did like him when he was there, because of all the crap he took for not being great all his years. Then when he was under a system for more than 2 weeks, he blossomed. He reminds of Dan Marino because of the arm strength, John Elway for the ability drive a team and Brett Favre because of his toughness. He also moves like the latter two, which never hurts, pocket awareness is key now with all the linemen being so athletic and agile. I don’t like Joe Montana and don’t really think he was that good, so I always leave him out. But that is a great group of quarterbacks and I think he takes from each of them.
What we saw last year and on Monday should just be the tip, he should compete with Peyton Manning as the best QB in the league in the comming seasons. The city loves him, his teammates seem to say nothing but nice things and he also works his ass off. I will cheer for Carson Palmer every game, unless they play the Bucs, then it is KILL HIM!
That is all, just a quick rant…
As we turn into a new team, what are some of the most memorable moments from the past 13 seasons? I know I have mine and I am sure that most Duck fans will have some of the same memories. So here we go…
- Teemu Selanne Comes to Anaheim: He just happened to be my favorite player when he was still with the Jets, then I remember seeing him on the cover of the sports merchandise magazine Beckett’s. “The Newest Duck on the Pond”. He was wearing the purple away jersey and I was just in awe, it was perfect. He put the franchise on the map and made them an actual threat to score.
- Slapshot from Hell: After getting annihilated by Scott Stevens in game 6 of the finals, Paul Kariya came back 11 minutes later and blasted a shot from the top of the left circle, up and over Brodeur. It sends chills up my spine still. I never liked Paul Kariya, but he optimized the word CAPTAIN by coming back into that game, hats off to you sir, I will always have respect for you. - YouTube Link
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Stanley Cup Run: What a surprise this was. I knew they were a good team, but sweeping the Red Wings? This was when I didn’t miss a second of the playoffs, I was engulfed in hockey and nothing else mattered. I told friends I couldn’t hang out, told my mom to leave me alone and turned off all communications. I know how Edmonton fans feel this year, especially coming off memory number 2, I just knew we were destine to win it all.
- Tinkerbell: Ugh, who remembers this stupid fairy? Every time the Ducks scored a goal, they would overlay the screen with Tinkerbell and she sprinkled the screen with pixie dust. GAY! Anyways, I am really referring to Sean Hill’s point shot in the second period of the teams first game, GOAL. It was pretty exciting for me, we had a hockey team and they weren’t in Los Angeles.
- Another Kariya Blast: Does this guy ever stop? I am not sure which game it was, but it was against the Coyotes in the Ducks first post season. Paul blew another slapshot past the goalie, this one was more impressive because of the angle, but not the stage he scored it on. It was a very impressive goal indeed.
- Meet ‘n Greet: For about a decade the team hosts its annual Casino Night, allowing fans to gamble with the players and bid on auction items. Well this past season, the company I work for was the official sponsor. Knowing how big of a fan I am, the marketing department here got me a ticket to the show. $600 later for a new suit and $100 for “Ducks Bucks”, this turned into an expensive, free adventure. I wouldn’t trade any of it though. I met all the players, played blackjack with Teemu Selanne, poker with Vishnevski and pictures with a few of the players. Killer time.
