Farewell, Michel Therrien.

The revolving door that is the Penguins Head Coach position has deposited Michel Therrien on the street, two and a half years after replacing Eddie Olczyk. Therrien was rewarded with a three year contract extension worth $3 million after coaching the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals last season. This season has been a disappointment to say the least and since about the middle of January his job has been on life support.

Therrien accomplished some good things while he was behind the bench. Success eluded the team after the Olczyk fiasco. New coach Therrien could not help salvage the season and lead them to the playoffs. He became famous that season for his "soff" post-game rant. Therrien's broken English rants were very entertaining, especially because he seemingly could not grasp the idea of the plural tense. My favorite quote was: "A lot of guy don't care. Dey say dey care, but dey don't care."

In 2006-07, he coached the Penguins to their first playoff birth since the 2000-01 season. Although the Pens were bounced out of the series by the Ottawa Senators in five games, one could get the feeling that the Penguins' fortunes were about to change. During the most recent season, 2007-08, Therrien coached the Penguins to their sixth division title, the Eastern Conference championship and two games from winning the Stanley Cup.

He was not without his faults, however. He was a tough, demanding coach. Coaches like that are good for a young, undisciplined team like the Penguins under Olczyk. After a while, though, they tend to burn out their players and the message gets lost. These types of coaches also tend to not last long at their posts. Scotty Bowman was a tough coach who was hated by a lot of his players. The biggest difference is that Bowman has the Stanley Cup rings to backup his demands, Therrien doesn't.

He had a tendency to publicly call out and criticize players, such as dressing defencemen Ryan Whitney and Brooks Orpik as wingers when their performance dipped last season. Other strange personnel decisions included playing promising young defenseman Alex Goligoski as a winger for a few games, supposedly benching winger Miroslav Satan and then playing him so he could play his 1,000th game and letting slumping back-up goalie Dany Sabourin play on the father's trip just because his dad was there to watch. His decision to put Max Talbot out as the sixth man in game five of the finals last year was gold, though, as Talbot scored the tying goal and sent the game to overtime which the Penguins eventually won.

Therrien also seemed to get flustered when his system wasn't working and it was like he didn't know what to do to fix it. He would thrown together line combinations like he was picking out of a hat and the players were guaranteed to find new linemates almost every shift. His only real trick when he needed offense was to pair Malkin and Crosby on the same line. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.


All in all, he was a good coach. He was exactly what the team needed after the disaster that was Eddie Olczyk. He brought the discipline that was missing and was rewarded by two good seasons of hockey and almost won a Stanley Cup. The saddest part is his firing. If the players quit on him and purposely lost to get him fired, they should be held accountable. Winning and losing is 50% coaching and 50% playing. The players are just as responsible, if not more, for the disappointing season this year. So, good luck to you in the future, Michel.

Today There's Gonna Be a Jailbreak.

It was about 4:45 this afternoon. I had just returned from class and sat down to start some homework. I happened to glance outside and saw that the wind had died down and the street had dried off. I looked over at the thermometer and saw that the outside temperature read 62.3 degrees. I looked back at the computer and said out loud: "what the hell am I doing sitting here?!" I jumped up, grabbed my jacket and helmet and reported to my motorcycle.


I peeled off the cover for the first time in what seemed like years. I had almost forgotten what my Triumph looked like. Before I could tear up the streets, though, the tires needed a little air and the battery needed installed. Once everything was ready, I pulled the choke lever and hit the starter.

Magic.

The rhythmic idle of the British twin brought an instant smile to my face. It was like hearing the voice of an old friend, one you hadn't talked to in a while. I put on my gear while slowly reducing the choke. Once ready, I rolled the bike out of the garage, shut the door and then set my sights on the road ahead.

I took the long way around the neighborhood to warm the bike a little. It stumbled a bit as it was off choke a little early. When I got to the stop sign at the end of the street I was ready to go. I pulled out onto the street, gave the bike some throttled and got an immediate case of insta-grin. I had almost forgotten how much fun riding a bike is. I thought to myself "some people have a therapist, I have a motorcycle."

I had no real destination, I was out for a ride. I took the winding road I live off of to another winding road and rode the few miles to my former hometown of Aliquippa. I encountered some traffic but that didn't bother me. It's a 60 plus degree day in February, nothing short of a crash would bring me down. Almost like a sign from the heavens, the traffic disappeared as I got to the twisty sections. I focused all of my concentration on the rad ahead. I pitched the bike into the corner, used my hips to lift the bike and then set up for the next corner. I was awash in the experience. It reaffirmed my love for motorcycles.

When I entered Aliquippa, I turned down the street I used to live on. It's nothing fancy, just some homes built in 50's, owned by mostly old Italian families who take good care of them. When I got to the stop sign at the end of the street, a guy in a Subaru wagon was waving and honking his horn at me. My first thought was "great, what fell off?," but it turned out he just wanted to check my bike out. Not to toot my own horn(no pun intended) but, as a Bonneville owner, you get used to this. After a few minutes of talking, we said our goodbyes and I headed for home.

I turned onto a lovely road with a myriad of straights, turns and elevation changes that took me right to my house. It's like my own, private section of the Nurburgring. I rambled down the road at a brisk but moderate pace. There was still some dust on the road from the recent snow storms and I didn't feel like crashing. The best parts of the road are the last few turns before you reach my neighborhood. They start with a tight, downhill right-hand turn. The grade of the road angles a bit sharper as you exit the turn, which leads to a hairpin, left-hand turn. After this hairpin, the road leads to series of uphill esses. The crest of the hill drops down suddenly and then there is the right-hand turn into my neighborhood.

I again take the long way back to my house and then pulled in the garage. I sat on the bike for a few minutes, engine off, just thinking. It was just an 11 mile ride over roads I had traveled numerous times. I hadn't gone to someplace I'd never been before. No, this time, it was all about the ride. Call it cliche if you want, but it's the truth. After not riding since December 27, it felt good to be free. It felt good to feel the wind, hear the noises and smell the smells.

Cycle World show - Cleveland.

This Sunday, my dad and I went to the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show held in the I-X center in Cleveland, Ohio. The I-X Center is a huge convention center type building by the Cleveland airport.

How big is the I-X center? Big enough to hold a motorcycle show, a home show and have a Ferris wheel inside.

Every major motorcycle manufacturer that sells bikes in America was there except for Triumph and MV Agusta.

Apparently, Triumph wanted their own people to load and unload their bikes and were told that only the Teamsters will be handling those duties. Triumph balked at the idea and refused to be present at the show.

It was a bit of a let down that Triumph wasn't there, but I practically have the specs of their bikes memorized and whenever I want to go sit on a Bonneville and make vroom noises, I can just go and sit on mine.

Here are a few notes and thoughts about the companies there, or at least the ones I nabbed brochures from:

Aprilia:
I am lusting after the RS125. It's a 125cc 2-stroke with 32hp and weighs 280lbs dry. It's a track only bike but I don't care, I want one. I think it wins the most-fun-bike-that-isn't-a-Vmax-award.

The RSV1000's are absolutely gorgeous.

The Tuono 1000's are absolutely hideous.

Ducati:
Ducati's lineup is a like a supermodel with two misplaced moles, right on her face. Those moles are the Multistrada and the new Streetfighter.

I can't figure out the design philosophy behind the Multistrada and I don't think I want to know it, either.

As for the Streetfighter, all is well until you look at that headlight. Calling it out-of-place doesn't do it justice; it's ugly.

As for the rest:
The new Monsters are cool. I didn't like them at first but after seeing a few, I like them.

The Superbikes are just stunning. If they don't get you excited, then you have to be dead. They win the Best-looking-faired-Ducati-since-the-bevel 900SS award.

The Sportclassics take the cake, though. They are easily the best looking Ducati's since the bevel-drive era. The only bike that can match them in style and grace is the Moto Guzzi California Vintage.

Buell:
I have always been a tentative Buell fan. I like their interesting ideas and different approach to engineering but I feel the Sportster-based Thunderstorm engine is the weak link. Since the debut of the Rotax-built Helicon v-twin, Buell finally makes sense.

The Firebolt, Lightning and the Ulysses are all cool and good looking. I like the Ulysses the most because it is an adventure-tour bike short enough for me.

The 1125CR had me falling all over myself. I don't know if it's the clubman-style bar that does it or it's $12,000 price tag but I just love it. I must have sat on it a dozen times. It wins the best-looking-naked-that-isn't-a-Triumph-or-Ducati award.

BMW:
R1200R. It's just perfect, there's nothing more to say.

R1200S. Same as above but with more power. Even more perfect.

K1200S. Fast. Heavy. Expensive. I'd buy one.

K1200R. As long as I don't have to look at it, it's cool.

Kawasaki:
My dad and I actually agreed on a bike. We both liked the Vulcan 900 Custom. I'm not one for cruisers but I liked this bike. The wheels look cool, the engine's not too big, not too small and you can get it in orange.

The more I look at the 250 Ninja, the more I like it. I like small displacement bikes that rev forever and that's what this Ninja is.

The rest of Kawasaki's lineup is underwhelming, except if you like cruisers or sportbikes.

Honda:
Honda has easily the most disappointing lineup. Aside from the VFR800 Interceptor and the new CBR1000RR, everything is underwhelming at best. Go to Honda's U.K. website and see what is for sale over there. What do we get? The DN-01. Thanks, Honda.

Honda is also making their own "chopper", called the Fury. It manages to look like every "chopper" made in the last five years.

Moto Guzzi:
I have already gone on about how I love the California Vintage. Now that it's available in white, I love it more so.

I like the Stelvio. It may never dethrone the BMW 1200GS as the best adventure bike but it doesn't look quite as weird as the GS, either.

Griso 1200 8V: not quite sure what category it is in but that's ok. I like it and I want one.

V7 Classic: it's a good thing this wasn't on our shores when I bought my Bonneville last year. I probably wouldn't have bought one seeing that it's slower and more expensive than a Bonneville but it looks cool and it's retro. Guzzi also showed a cafe version in Europe this year. If they ever put the 1100cc engine in there I may have to buy one. V7 Sport, anyone?

Suzuki:
Bandit 1250S: I like this bike. It's a four that's not some hyper-sports machine that wants to punish you. It's simply a nice bike that you can ride, with a four cylinder that's tuned for torque. Almost like a GS-series bike in modern trim. Plus the half-fairing looks cool.

The rest? See Kawasaki above.

Yamaha:
I don't think I can describe how awesome the new Vmax is. It's v-four is just massive. It's a two-wheeled irresponsibility machine. It's a nice reprieve from the safe, sterile society that we are moving toward.

I kinda like the FZ6/FZ1. They seem like nice, all purpose bikes the Japanese used to build before specialization took over.

Star makes arguably the best looking Japanese cruisers. I like the new V Star 950. Like the Vulcan 900, it's a nice gap between too small and too big.

Harley-Davidson:
XR1200. Possibly the best reason to step into an H-D dealer since the XR1000 and the XLCR. In fact, it's so awesome that I can even forgive the pipes for being too low and on the wrong side.

XL1200N Nightster. Possibly the best reason to step into an H-D dealer after the XR1200.

Odds and ends:

The AMA was there with some bikes from their museum. There were a couple of Suzuki GSX-R's from the 80's, two early Suzuki Katana's, a row of old dirt bikes and a perfect Honda CB750. They were also raffeling off a pair of Triumph Bonneville's, a 1959 and a 2009 Anniversary edition.

Another collection was there whose name I can't remember. I do remember the Kawasaki Z1's, Yamaha R5, Kawasaki Mach III, Suzuki GT550 and Kawasaki GPz1100 they had on display, though.

Another collection had a few ancient Harley's, an Indian Four, an Ariel single and a Moto Guzzi Ambassador among other bikes.

A cafe racer section had a couple of Tritons, a Honda CB750, a Moto Guzzi, a pair of Yamaha 2-strokes and a wicked Triumph Thruxton.

All in all, I liked the show. I got to look at and sit on bikes without a salesman bugging me. I also came away loving a few bikes way too much and had a few bikes change my opinion about them.

The Sad $300 Motorcycle Story.

Over the summer, I was talking to a neighbor when the subject of motorcycles came up. He had mentioned that when he was in college in Maryland he had an early 80's Yamaha Seca that he used for commuting and basically as his only vehicle. The Seca was also used to commute into Washington D.C. everyday after he graduated, battling all that D.C. traffic. After marriage, the Yam was given to his father-in-law, saw some time in Alaska, slammed into the pavement at one point, was painted grey and then moved to the south. My neighbor reacquired the Yam after his father-in-law bought another bike and it promptly sat in the garage. He made a few half hearted attempts to resurrect the bike, buying some parts and cleaning it, but ultimately gave up and the Seca sat. He also said he was just looking to get it out of his garage. Wait, did I hear that right? Get it out of the garage? Yes, if only he could find some place for it to go. Well sir, I am your man! There's nothing I have a bigger weakness for than a down-on-it's-luck bike with an interesting story.

We went over to look at it and yes, it was rough and no, it doesn't run. Plus, there's no battery. He said he just wants it gone and I could take it for free. While I never have a problem with free stuff, I couldn't take the bike for free. I gave him $300 and the bike was mine. We pushed the bike up his driveway, down the street and then up my driveway and then I passed out. Not really, but I felt like I was going to.

This bike started out as a blue 1982 Yamaha XJ650RJ Seca. On doing some research, I found that this model was included in Yamaha's US line up for one year. It was replaced by the 650 turbo Seca. The Seca was designed with Europe in mind, not cruiser-mad America where we got the Maxim series. Aside from a few minor details, it is mechanically identical to the 650 Maxim. It seems that motorcycle journalists riding the Euro Seca loved it and convinced Yamaha to sell it here. It features a 653cc Air-cooled four with a claimed 71hp, five-speed gearbox and shaft drive. There's also twin discs up front and a drum in the back. The headlight is a monstrous eight inches. The wheels on the old Mini's were only 10 inches. I'm just happy it's round, before Japan discovered the square headlight. It's sport intent is evident in the low handlebar and the semi-rear set pegs.

Two features really stand out in my mind. One is the shaft drive. I'm loving the fact that I don't have to lube a chain, it's just one more maintenance item to put off or forget about. The other is the huge tank. We're talking five gallons plus reserve, here.

Once it was in my garage, I could really look at the machine and see what I am in for. It has a few blemishes, some scratches from the aforementioned pavement contact, an ugly exhaust and grey paint. Why grey? Grey just isn't motorcycle color. Motorcycles should have bright, fast colors or mean, menacing black. Anyway, there is a lot to do on it plus it still doesn't run, the front brakes don't work and the kickstand mount was lopped off to fit the hideous exhaust, so it's center stand only. All in all, I got a good deal, Right? Right?

Three good hockey games in three days.

The first three days of the past week saw three good games unfold. There were two excellent wins and a disappointing but entertaining loss to a hated rival. It's games like these that reaffirm my love for hockey and why it is one of the most exciting sports on earth.

The week started off with Monday night's game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Dallas Stars. This was one of the best games I have seen in a while, not only because Detroit lost, but because Dallas came from behind all night to beat Detroit in overtime. I never had any ill-will toward Detroit and actually some of my favorite players, like Steve Yzerman and Paul Coffey, played for Detroit. My hatred for them began when they beat the Pens in last year's Stanley Cup Final. Now, I love to watch them lose.

Dallas was down by two goals mid way through the first period when Nicklas Grossman scored to cut Detroit's lead in half. Dallas' one goal deficit lasted all of 1:42. Marian Hossa beat Marty Turco on the power play to bring Detroit's lead back to two goals. 52 seconds into the second period Dallas again cut the lead in half with a goal by Stephane Robidas and tied it 15 minutes later thanks to Mark Parrish. Detroit got the lead back early in the third and both teams had numerous chances to score but Turco and Chris Osgood made save after dramatic save. Dallas was on the power play thanks to a Brett Lebda hold and promptly scored to again tie it with Detroit. In the ensuing overtime, Osgood was a mile and a half out of position and Dallas d-man Trevor Daley had a wide open 4x6 yawning at him. Needless to say, Daley poked the puck in and Dallas won.

Tuesday, the Penguins went to the most unholy place on Earth: the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. Philadelphia, home to the liberty bell, Rocky and organist-led "Crosby sucks" chants. Due to the Pens being in a seemingly unshakable funk and the Flyers surging, this game had only two possible outcomes. The Pens could tighten up their boot straps and take it to the Flyers or Philly would chase the Pens out of town with a lopsided score. Thankfully, the Pens pulled themselves together for at least one night and soundly beat the Flyers.

The Flyers scored first on a fluke goal that Fleury misplayed and was easily popped in the net by Mike Knuble. The rest of the game belonged to Pittsburgh. The Pens scored four straight goals, one in the first period by Tyler Kennedy and three in the second from Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Matt Cooke. The pens effectively played the trap, the same one that, surprise, took them to the finals, clogging the neutral zone and making life difficult for the Flyers. Pittsburgh also got two big momentum pushes courtesy of Eric Godard and Paul Bissonnette. Godard took on Flyers punching bag Riley Cote, who looks like a zombie, and Bissonnette danced with Arron Asham. The Flyers scored midway through the third with Joffery Lupul beating Fleury.

This was a good win for the Pens. They needed to come out strong against their main rivals and show they can still play hockey. Hopefully they could carry this momentum into their next game...

On Wednesday, the Pens hosted the resurgent Washington Capitals. The Caps were in the midst of a three game losing streak and were looking to snap that streak. The Pens, mired in a slump of their own, were looking to string a set of wins together for the first time since November.

The Pens came out strong, utilizing the system that worked so well against the Flyers on Tuesday. The Pens were able to get a power play which developed into a 5-on-3 advantage. With the first penalty expired, Evgeni Malkin was able to beat Caps goalie Jose Theodore and give the Pens the lead. The Pens and the Caps traded goals for second period. It all came crashing down for the Penguins when Alex Ovechkin scored in the third. The Caps just dominated in every area. Ryan Whitney managed to tie it for Pittsburgh but Washington rebounded and scored three unanswered goals in the third. To add insult to, um, injury, the Pens lost Max Talbot to an undisclosed injury, Rob Scuderi took a puck to the forehead and Sidney Crosby left with a painful injury to his lower body.

While this was a disappointing loss, it was a very entertaining game to watch. It was any teams game until the third when the Caps exploded. It was an acceptable loss in my mind because Pittsburgh worked hard by were felled by some awful breaks. Losing one of the leagues leading scorers and one of your best d-men hurts. I would take this loss over any one of the mailed in losses from last month.

One of my favorite motorcycles.

Since I can't go for a ride because it's 18 degrees outside and I can't talk about the Pens without getting frustrated, I'll talk about one of my favorite motorcycles. Ever since I saw Mad Max for the first time I have been enamored with the Kawasaki Z1 900. I adore the big air-cooled fours from japan, but the Z1 is the king for me. I also have it out for the Z1's successors, the KZ1000 and especially the Z1-R.


I love everything about the styling of this machine, even the comically large turn signals. It is easily the best looking of the classic fours from Japan, just barely edging out the Suzuki GS1000S. The chrome gauge covers and the polished, stainless-steel fenders are beautifully gleaming bits that catch the eye. They perfectly compliment the curvaceous tank and the cafe racer-esque tail section. The upswept exhaust, mimicking the Honda CB750's, give the machine race bike looks and the image of power. The centerpiece of all this is the drivetrain, a massive chunk of polished aluminum. There are many places on this machine to rest the eyes, a very important place is the badge on the side covers. This badge references the 900cc's and twin cams resting between the riders thighs.

The Honda CB750 may have stunned the motorcycling world in 1969 but in 1973, Kawasaki delivered a crushing blow. The Z1 was bigger, heavier(by 26 pounds) and much faster than the CB750. The Z1 sported 80hp compared to the Honda's 67hp and decimated the Honda's 118mph top speed by 13mph, screaming to 131mph. The Z1 also came equipped with a twin cam head and an indestructible roller bearing crankshaft. The Honda made do with a single cam and a plain bearing crank. All of this offensive firepower didn't come without a few concessions. The frame was spindly and prone to causing weaves and head shake at high speed. The brakes were also merely a suggestion, doing what they could to stop this 544lb freight train. It's a good thing that most of the Z1's came with a place to mount an extra caliper and rotor.

While this machine was not without its warts, there will always be a place in heart for it. It's combination of speed, style and history attract me like few other things. The sound of that air-cooled four screaming at 9,000rpm is one of the greatest sounds produced by an internal combustion engine. I had the chance to buy a rough but workable KZ900(same thing, different name) and passed on it. I kick myself everyday for it, too.

I was talking to a couple of old school bikers that I work with about motorcycles and they kept refering to fully-faired sportbikes(Ninja, Daytona, CBR) as "cafe racers". Now, I may be too young to properly comment on this, but I don't consider a Ninja a cafe racer. A cafe racer, to me, is a motorcycle that has started life as a regular, standard motorcycle and then is turned into a cafe racer by either the owner or a dedicated shop. A factory motorcycle can mimic a cafe racer, like the Triumph Thruxton or the Ducati Sport 1000, but won't be a true cafe racer in my mind. It's kind of like "factory custom". Just because the OEM changes a few details, that doesn't make it "custom". Just because a motorcycle comes with rear sets and clip ons, that doesn't make it a cafe racer. A cafe racer, like a chopper or a streetfighter, is created after the motorcycle has left the factory not by the factory.