Dear Time Warner Cable, The Dolan Family and MSG Network Executives:

FUCK YOU!!!





YOU FAT, CORPORATE SCUM, GREEDY EVIL BASTARDS MAKE ME SICK. YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMERS, YOU JUST CARE ABOUT SQUEEZING AS MANY DOLLARS OUT OF HARD-WORKING PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE PUT UP WITH EXACTLY 31 DAYS--1 MONTH!!--OF RANGER GAMES BEING BLACKED OUT WHILE YOU "NEGOTIATE" THIS CONTRACT AND THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE. THE RANGERS ARE IN 1ST PLACE! I LIVE IN NYC! DENYING YOUR OWN CUSTOMERS ACCESS TO THEIR LOCAL TEAM AS A MEANS TO LEVERAGE POWER IN A TELEVISION CONTRACT DISPUTE IS PATHETIC AND INSULTING. I HOPE YOUR ENTIRE INFRASTRUCTURE CRUMBLES TO ONLINE PIRACY AND FREE STREAMING. YOU WILL HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELVES YOU MISERABLE, FAT SACK, BLOODSUCKERS.

WHAT IS ALMOST WORSE THAN PULLING THE MSG NETWORK DURING THIS DEBACLE IS SENDING OUT LETTERS AND EMAILS AND PLACING ADVERTISEMENTS STATING THAT YOU "ARE SPORTS FANS TOO" AND YOU "EMPATHIZE WITH THE FRUSTRATING PREDICAMENT OF YOUR CUSTOMERS". I AM A RANGERS FAN. YOUR CUSTOMERS IN NYC ARE SPORTS FANS. YOU CLEARLY ARE NOT. SO AS FAR AS IM CONCERNED WE HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON. IN FACT I HOPE YOU ROT IN THE PITS OF YOUR SOULLESS HELL AND YOUR CHILDREN GROW UP UNRELENTINGLY ASHAMED OF YOU.

TAKE YOUR POWER TRIP AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS

SINCERELY,
RICH BAIOCCO

FAITHFUL BLUESHIRT FAN

The Gang Gets Classic

B. Radical:: Clutch


What a game! So many great storylines:

24/7 buildup.

Tight standings between these 2 teams.

Staal's return.

Rupp ribs Jagr with some gamesmanship antics.

Jagr injured in the 2nd period.

Dubi and Cally combine for 21 HITS!

Richards proves he is a clutch performer (actually he's been doing that all year, doubters...6 GWGs. Leads the league)

Lundqvist stops a penalty shot with 19 seconds remaining in the game.

Bottom line: Our jerseys were better. Our team identity was stronger. Our goaltending was more secure. And we battled through the elements and 'disgusting' officiating to score 3 unanswered goals on the road for the win.

Turning Point of the game: Mike Rupp responds to the Flyers 2-0 lead late in the 2nd by firing a wristshot past Bobrovsky's blocker on a nice dish from Prust. The timing of this play was clutch as the Flyers were beginning to pour it on with 2 quick goals in the second after Lundqvist made key breakaway saves on both Giroux and Jagr in the first.


Rupper notched the tying goal early in the 3rd, catching Bobrovsky leaning and sneaking a hard snapper short side off his elbow and into the net. Don't let his 4th line status fool you, Rupp is a big game player. This was his 2nd Winter Classic and, oh yeah, he scored the cup clinching goal for the Devils in 2003.


And of course it comes down to Lundqvist, who stood his ground against the always dangerous Danny Briere. You know Hank was thinking of payback after that game 82 shootout loss two seasons ago to Philly. Not this year. Bow to the King.

On the officiating towards the end of the game--of course the league wanted overtime. Especially with the home team having a chance to tie it up. I couldn't believe the Callahan call, I thought Capt was going to charge that ref straight through the boards. Holding the stick? Oh you mean wrenching it free from his clavicle? Sure. The actual penalty shot call was close. I thought McDonagh punched at the puck rather than close his hand on it, but whatever. We sustained the onslaught and earned the 2 points. Victory hasn't tasted sweeter for this club!

Great event overall, even though it would've made better sense from a marketing perspective to have the game at Yankee Stadium, which is a much more historic ballpark than Citizen's Bank. I guess the Steinbrenner's wanted college football instead. Must've thought it would be a bigger draw. Rutgers? doubt it.

**My pick for next year's Winter Classic is St. Louis v. The Red Wings in Motown.**Let it be known. Leave your pick in the comment section.