Getting To Know Your 2010 U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team: Brian Rafalski

Somehow, we hammered out half of the defensemen yesterday, which means we're on pace to get through the goaltenders by week's end, Monday at the latest. Today's first selection is a must read for all one of you readers that have been skimming these installments. Get crackin'.

Brian Rafalksi was born in Dearborn, Michigan in 1973. He is the first player we've examined in this feature not taken in the NHL Draft. He played all four years of college for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and subsequently travelled overseas to play as it appeared there were no prospects of him being signed by a professional club. In 1999, however, the New Jersey Devils signed him as a free agent, making him a 26-year-old rookie the following season. Since that campaign, Rafalski has done little more than being named to the NHL's rookie all-star team (that year), earn two All-Star Game appearances, play in five Stanley Cup Finals, and win three of them.

Rafalski was part of the silver-medal-winning U.S. Olympic team in 2002, and represented Team USA again in '06. In 10 seasons as a pro, Rafalski has found the twine 71 times, registered 382 assists, generated over 17,000 minutes of ice time, and put together an amazing career +160 in the plus-minus category. Prior to the 2007 season, Rafalski became a Detroit Red Wing, again through free agency. Rafalski will serve as one of four alternate captains in the Vancouver games.
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The Long Overdue Jason Kendall Post

This, given the alleged signing of Scott Podsednik to the Royals this morning, is obviously overdue, but I wanted to throw it out there so that others would see what, exactly, was said regarding the Royals signing catcher Jason Kendall to a two-year deal a few weeks back. Along with the holidays, some travelling, and generally other, more-exciting news going on, I couldn't get to it. But I also wanted to ask Joe Posnanski in person if he thought this deal was worse than the Yuniesky Betancourt signing, which I did. His response:

"Nothing is worse than the Yuniesky Betancourt deal." I disagree, but that's neither here nor there. The promised thoughts/Tweets as they pertain to the signing of Kendall, the departure of John Buck and Miguel Olivo, and my now-rapidly vanishing sense of faith in Royals General Manager Dayton Moore, after the jump.

Before we get to the thoughts, some quick bio:

1) Jason Kendall is 10 days shy of being six months older than me. I shouldn't really have to go on from there, but I will.

2) The Royals are his fifth team in 13 seasons.

3) He's a lifetime .290 hitter, .383 slugger, and has an on-base percentage of .369. In his seasons as a catcher, he's yielded a caught-stealing percentage of 29 percent, which, essentially, means that two-plus base runners out of every three, will steal safely against him.

Those are my thoughts. Here are the thoughts of Greg Schaum (minor-league expert, former Royals post-game radio show host), Rany Jazayerli (of Rany on the Royals), and Joe Posnanski (Sports Illustrated).

Posnanski:

"Per @Royals_Report KC signs Jason Kendall for 2 yr/$6 mil + incentives. Wonder what incentives Kendall offers. Free car wash?"

"Because, see, Olivo option would have only been for 1 year. Kendall deal is 2 years! So it's better. Ha ha. See?"

"Miguel Olivo hit more HRs last year than Jason Kendall hit last year + 2008 + 2007 + 2006 + 2005 + 2004 + 2003 +2002."

"One more -- Royals projected lineup by 2009 OPS+: 106, 74, 124!, 80, 86, 76, 72, 68, 68. But they're not done making moves."

Jazayerli:

"Dear God, it's worse than we thought. RT @Royals_Report: Hearing Kendall's contract is similar to Pudge's; so about $6 million for 2 years."

"And yes, I'm an idiot for not thinking it would be, uh, worse than we thought. I give this organization way too much credit sometimes."

"John Buck will be released, and likely signs a smaller deal. KC picked Kendall not to save $$, but because they think he's better than Buck."

"To put it another way: Royals declined the option to keep Miguel Olivo for $3.3 million for one year - then gave Kendall $6 million for two."

"Kendall hasn't managed a .330 slugging average since 2006. Hasn't managed a .350 slugging average since 2004."

"P&L District: Now just the District. RT @keithlaw: Kendall has so little power that when KC signed him, all lights in Kansas City went out."

"Kendall article coming soon. Just have to mention: John Buck already signed with TOR for 1 year, $2 million. Do I even have to spell it out?"

There's also Sam Mellinger of The Kansas City Star:

"A quick point that doesn't make KC catching any better: once non-tendered, guys hardly ever re-sign for less money."

"Royals had Buck for $3.5 million next year, or not at all."

"Energy spent complaining about John Buck's contract is like wondering if the patient in ICU is wearing clean underwear."

Jazayerli:

"@mellinger No, it's like patient with terminal cancer who's on the wrong ventilator settings and the MD just stuck an IV in the wrong arm."

"Doesn't matter to patient, but would you send a loved one to that hospital? Kendall isn't problem. Having FO that picked Kendall is problem."

Then, Jazayerli's post on the signing.

Posnanski:

"Pujols, Mauer, Ichiro, Holliday and Jeter all have higher BATTING AVERAGES than JK's SLG PCT since 2005," and his post.

Schaum, seeking optimism, I imagine, asks Royals fans:

"If the #Royals acquire JR Towles does this make you feel better about move for Kendall? Is Towles a more legit threat to eventually take job?"

And, finally, Mellinger's post, which he qualifies as "not happy."

Two days later, Schaum let's us know:

"Former #Royals catcher John Buck not un-employed for long as #BlueJays sign him. He and Chavez for now and hope Arenceibia develops."

Mellinger chimes in:

"Working on a package looking at the Royals' past decade. I might need a drink."

So you see? I could go on. The Royals gave up on two catchers who had some upside -- granted they gave Buck a long time to come around, but Olivo led the team in homers and had a stronger arm than any of the three -- to save money.

Jazayerli:

"Olivo: 1 year, $2.5M. Buck: 1 year, $2M. Kendall: 2 years, $6M. In Dayton's world, Kendall > (Olivo+Buck). We need a VP of Common Sense."

And I'll just leave it at that.
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Monday Night Makeout Session

The ink isn't dry. Hell, it's not even 10 minutes old. Wait. How long does it take ink to dry? Either way, The Inverted Vagina Symbol...

...already has some choice words for his former team. Turns out Chad Ochocinco is pumped about it, too.

Question is, if Larry and Chad marry, does Chad take Larry's last name? Does he hyphenate? Wait, Larry assumes the last name Dos Siete. Ah, who cares. December 27, Chiefs fans. Mark it down. You know, if you care.
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(Almost) Everything That Goes Through Dallas = Fecal Sandwich

Once upon a time, an ultra-classy cat by the name of Lamar Hunt founded a little thing known as the American Football League. Along with the league was his team, the Dallas Texans, which he later moved to Kansas City, and it was decided that they would be called the Chiefs. Since then, most everything that's come from Dallas has, well, sucked. Along with Mr. Hunt's classy franchise, however, the city known has Big D has produced an occasional one or two cool things. But we'll look at them it later. For now, we'll examine the 10 worst things to ever come from the heart of the Lone Star State Republic. It'll all be neatly organized after the jump, of course. (Editor's Note: It should be mentioned that the impetus for this post is Vintage Pancho's obnoxious Dallas Stars Hockey Club. They are busy, of late, not losing like I'd hoped, and tediously working towards an elimination of the San Jose Sharks, my pick to reach the NHL's Western Conference Finals.)

While this list could easily span 100 items, I've kept it to a minimum for the sake of Rustoleum's some of our readers' attention spans.

Number Ten: The Dixie Chicks

I won't pretend to know much about their music, and I will acknowledge that minor props should be offered to them for however it was that they called out "W." Beyond that, they strike me as obnoxious, and their name is utterly repulsive. Add to that that the only naked picture of them available on the GoreTubes is one in which all of the goodies are blurred out. Lame. They're not too terribly offensive, but offensive enough to kick the list off. Contact us when you've written something good.

Number Nine: The Simpson Sisters

What do you get when you cross horrible acting with a lip-syncing specialist? A wasted pair of offspring. Believe me when I say that I've inspected the hardware on the elder blonde variety, but truth be told, I never really enjoyed it. Especially after she recorded that horrible, god-awful commercial(s), the product for which I've constructed a mental block. In sum, let's hope that this duo of conceptions was an accident, one that involved knocked over beakers and shattered test tubes. I trust that was the case, as the cells involved in these helix ladders could've likely helped science in some way. Like, a way that involves some sort of evolutionary revelation.

Number Eight: Dan Reeves

Beyond the fact that the man is an auditory aberration to hear speak, I've got no beef with the guy, other than the fact that he once coached for the bad guys to the west and had a secret, special realtionship with HFCD. He did, however, provide many a Super Sunday's entertainment by steering said franchise through some astounding ass beatings. Those, my friends, were good times. Mostly, though, Coach Reeves makes an appearance on this list for the sake of my colleagues, Cecil and Old No. 7, as they blame the man for not getting a running back to support, blah, blah, blah, among sundry other things. I take nary a liberal measure by assuming that that second championship, coming at the hands of Danny Boy, was nothing shy of the greatest epilogue to all happy endings. And by "happy endings," I mean Lombardi hoistage. Minds from the gutter, please. Minds from the gutter.

Number Seven: Jason Kidd

This guy's pretty good at the hoops game, and had a pretty hot wife, so I shouldn't have much to say about him beyond the fact that he is gainfully employed by Big D's professional slam dunk squad. Other people, however, have had plenty to say about his recreational behaviors. Among those folks are some slightly professional sports bloggers, a variety of always-professional news agencies, the former spouse (and, if memory serves, a few other select females, the faces of whom served as his right-hook practice facility, though it's possible I just made that up), and a couple of law enforcement agencies, too. That's a pretty impressive list, Kidd.

Number Six: The Show

We never had cable when I was a kid, and for some time, we only had one television, so I was subject to whatever mom wanted to watch -- we did of course get graced with "Dukes of Hazzard," "Diff'rent Strokes," and "Silver Spoons" privileges early in the evenings -- which meant pile after pile of absolute, prime-time crap. Or as I liked to call them, the evening soaps. As if suffering through years of "Dallas" wasn't bad enough, we were pained with "Falcon Crest" and "Knots Landing" and all of the other things we'd only feign interest in if it meant getting out of our homework for a few minutes. Then, alas, J.R. died, or everyone realized what a heap of stool the program was -- one or the other. Nevertheless, it makes the heart of the list.

Number Five: Derian Hatcher and Mike Modano









This duo, talented hockey players that they are, hit the charts at number five. They're also American-born hockey players and hold some pretty high regard as such in the NHL record books; in 1999, Hatcher became the first American-born team captain to ever hoist the cup, while Modano has scored more goals and tallied more points than any American to play in the league. They were both -- Modano of course still is -- however, Dallas Stars, which equals a big fat boo in my book. Together, this duo serves as the perfect precursor to...

Number Four: The Minnesota North/Dallas Stars

Once a storied franchise near the Canadian border, this club, though others had previously moved, laid the groundwork to NHL franchise relocation, pre-empting clubs like the Winnipeg Jets, the Hartford Whalers, and the Quebec Nordiques to leave their respective towns. The North Stars, founded in '67, with an ultra-classy expansion class that consisted of the California Seals, the St. Louis Blues, and the Philadelphia Flyers, among others, boast two Stanley Cup Finals appearances and the origin of the Bill Masterton Trophy, yet tainted such glorious feats by moving to Dallas, where, by the way, they "won" the championship.

Number Three: Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin












These guys are the most famous of modern-day Dallas Cowboys. Let it be said that, in my book, this has never even been a shred of America's team. They can shove that stadium and everything associated with it into the Gulf of Mexico for all I care. Not too much newsworthy to report on these guys of late, but they still are two of the biggest douche cans in American history, and, uh, oh yeah, they have called Dallas a place of residence at some point in the past.

Number Two: Adam Jones

You stay classy, Dallas Cowboys. Stay. Classy. This signing obviously isn't news anymore either, but a source tells me you can actually lay odds in Vegas on whether or not Jones is arrested before the season starts. And, frankly, that rules.





Number One: The John F. Kenneday Assassination

The world has enough experts on this subject as is, and, truth be told, I'm likely the furthest from an expert on anything, let alone our nation's greatest controversy ever. Suffice it to say, that a) almost any baby boomer will admit that changes for the worst in this country all stem from this murder, that is, the attitude of leaving the front door unlocked switching to an overall-fear-riddled society is somehow connected with the slaying of JFK; and b) the guy was a distant relative of mine. And we obviously all know where the event occurred. (Editor's Note: You leave Lamar Hunt out of this, Cecil.)

Well, I'm not one to end a post on such a solemn note, so I'll offer Big D props for one positive thing:






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We Are Hot Chicks Wednesday: The Girls of SI; Online!

Okay, ladies and douches, it's late -- but, let's be serious. I mean it. Alright, we're not putting Arnold on the ballot, but we may as well. Right? I mean every politician's the same. Aren't they?

No?

I know. I agree, too. They're unique and invested. Please allow me to be the first to tell you that this week's installment is, in fact, no different -- unique and invested.

The work done here at the House of Georges isn't easy. Bullshit? I beg you, coveted reader, to re-consider.

You see, some time ago, when the HoG was but a mere fetus on the Blogosphere, we posted a WAHCW installement that featured a retro re-visit of a number of ladies that I'd be willing to bet were significant influences on our life. I really would.

If you're with me this far, check out the post-jump goodies.

Basically, it breaks down like this: The annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue has been out for nearly one month. That said, reporting on it now is, how do you say in English "old news"? I'm unsure of the answer to that, but I do know this: It's out. It's available now online in a larger viewing capacity than any print edition I've ever imagined in my short existence here on ol' Planet Earth. And, well, frankly, it's breathtaking. For real.

So, the challenge is this: Out of three dozen-plus models/cheerleaders/body-paint volunteers, how do you decide the who the cream of the crop is?

I'd like to say that answer is simple: You leave it to your trustworthy HoG. But, on the contrary, "easy" is the last word I would select in that decision-making process. It was anything but. Originally, it was to be a "Top Three" post; one that included honorable mention(s). Even that was damn near impossible. So, this is what we're offering instead: The Top Seven.

And they go a little something like this (Editor's Note: All disagreements are willingly and understably accepted):

Number Seven: Julie Henderson



Yes. Keeping it here in the states is Julie.



She's cozy and comfy in our very own Orlando, Florida,



a state, you couldn't pay me enough money to live and work in (Update: Yes, you could), she's keepin' it real. And by "real," I mean "Somebody help me if this is as 'bad' as it gets."

Number Six: Marisa Miller



I know, I know. She's the seasoned veteran of the entire lot,



she's this year's cover girl, and hey -- cans.



I got it. But, like I said, the talent pool was swimming this year. All in the deep end, even. Even if it's in beautful St. John's, United States Virgin Islands.

Number Five: Bar Refaeli



Like her colleagues, Bar was a hard talent to spot. She's gorgeous.



She's hot. She's kickin' it in Caesarea, Israeal.



And, yes, she's got the look. Believe me, when I tell you, this is the best we could possibly do at this level. Bless you, Bar. Bless you.

Number Four: Daniella Sarahyba



Now, I've only met a few Daniellas in my day,



and, make no mistake, every last one of them was hot.



I've never met one in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, but even as hot as Schnapp's-laden cider at a December Broncos game at InVesCo, none have been as hot as this Daniella. She should've swept the competition, if only it weren't for her own competition. Sheesh...

Number Three: Melissa Baker, a.k.a., "The Rook"



Don't get me wrong when I say that Melissa Baker drove/drives me absolutely batty.



She's like the New-World Kathy Ireland, only hotter, sexier, and BLAM!



Her style is impeccable, she's also a fan of St. John's,



and her talent unbelievable. But, being that she's a rook', we have to believe she can sweep the competition repeatedly in the future. In the meantime...

Number Two: Ana Beatriz Barros



Miss Barros has, what we like to call, the knack...



that is, the knack for making any damn thing,



and every damn thing, sexy as hell.



She, too, is a veteran at the SI gig, and this might just be the year she locked in her swimsuit-model status



as unforgettable. Well, San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua helped, but barely.

This, of course, leaves us with...

Number One: Irina Shayk



Coming to us live from St. Petersburg, Russia, and very much in charge of the entire issue



is Miss Shayk.



The HoG always tries to avoid the cliche,



but sometimes that task is unavoidable.



Irina's eyes, poses, looks, suits,



and overall astonishing charisma left us with no choice but to crown her as the queen.

And there you have it. Expect no more posts from these bloggers for the next, say, 11 and-a-half months, due to sheer exhaustion.

Not really, but

(All photos courtesy of Sports Illustrated).
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Musings From Roy F. Almania: "A Little Borrowed, A Little Old, But Mostly 'New' and 'Blue' With a Hearty Side of 'Tradition'"

(Editor's Note: In one of our numerous "off-season" conferences, the HoG scrutinized the features run in 2007, and debated which of those would grace our pages again in 2008. The semi-periodic postings offered by my cousin Roy regarding his beloved Kansas City baseball team somehow made the cut, so we'll hear from him on occasion as the Royals put a facelift on their club and their stadium simultaneously.)

What up, bitches? I'll tell you what. Dayton Moore's ingenious efforts to win. That's what. With April just around the corner, the man in charge has done good. Nabbing the skipper of them champion Nippon Ham Fighters kicked my winter off with a bang. And it's only gotten better.

Sweeners, much as I love the kid, is gone. Royals future HOFer for sure; no longer a need for him on the payroll, though. Angel Berroa, much as I hate still having to type that name, currently occupies no roster spot. He did get an invite to Surprise, but hopefully he won't be coming home with the boys. Teahen and Greinke had their papers re-upped for another year, and Billy Butler looks to nab either the DH spot, or make a go of it at first base. The Royals have extended their efforts to make room for what I like to call the Mitch Maier Project, and I see good things coming of it. And speaking of good things, the Alex Gordon got his old college number, swiped it even, from the aforementioned worthless Berroa.

David DeJesus and Mark Grudzielanek are back, as is Tony Pena, Jr, and Mr. John Buck. Joey Gathright will make another stab at pretending to be a professional ball player, while Shane Costa, Ross Gload and Esteban German fight to keep spots on the roster.

On the mound, Mexican closing phenom Joakim Soria will kick of the campaign as the guy to take us home in the ninth, only this year he'll likely have the wily Yasuhiko Yabuta as a setup man. If not, Soria's paisano Joel Peralta will fit the bill. Other news of Royal Japanese interest would be the training camp invite thrown the way of Hideo Nomo. The Royals have also asked Mike Maroth to make an appearance, filling what was already a varied bullpen, to say the least.

In the rotation, Gil Meche promises to be numero uno for the boys in blue again. He'll lead it off and be followed by guys like multiple 2007 AL Pitcher of the Month winner Brian Bannister, late 2007 acquistion Kyle Davies -- who, I might add, Moore got from Atlanta in exchange for Octavio Dotel, a stellar closer that wound up back in the AL Central playing for that loon Ozzie --, Greinke, Jorge de la Rosa, (thank Christ we may've seen the last of Odalis Perez), perhaps young prospect Luke Hochevar, maybe even Brett Tomko.

The outfield, however, promises a better trio than Kansas City has seen since the Beltran days. With DeJesus and Teahen all but locked in, the third leg of that iron triangle will feature Senor Jose Guillen. And I, for one, am flippin' pumped about it. His 23 jacks and near-100 RsBI last year make for one impressive outfield.

With all that excitement, I'm 'bout due for a Schlitz. Or seven. Like I mentioned last year on these HoGs, though, look for the 'New' to translate to a .500 season; the Tradition will unveil itself as a 2009 AL Central championship.
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Oh. Okay. Well, That Makes Things Much Better.

Yeah. I don't know about you folks, but after a nice, long, grueling 4-12 campaign, nothing soothes the aching wounds like firing all of your offensive coaches and signing a kicker you've brought in for at least three workouts (but never signed). Mm-hmm. That's what I call progress, Chiefs fans.

Now, don't go callin' it official, 'cause it ain't. Let's just say an inside source has clued the HoG into the notion that the Chiefs have signed former Cowboy/Packer/Buccaneer/Saint/Falcon place kicker Billy Cundiff.

Whew. Now, that's a resume, boys and girls. I can smell the playoffs already. Don't worry, though. If things don't pan out...

...we can always look forward to a stellar late-June excursion to Des Moines. Good times, I tell ya'. Good. Times.

Wonder what'll be next. Shall we bring in Keyshawn? Joey Galloway? Maybe even Ron Dayne?
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