Whew. And we're back. I'll tell you, there's nothing like a heartbreaking first round loss to the Flyers followed by a soon-to-be heartbreaking second round loss to the same damn team to almost make a girl lose her mojo, scrap it all and take up the NBA.
So...how 'bout those Wizards, huh? Huh?
Okay, no. I have no idea what's going on with the Wiz these days and honestly I couldn't care less, despite my desire to just turn the lights off on this hockey season and hide away until September. It hasn't gotten bad enough for me to turn to basketball, not yet at least; and I'm guessing since Dan Steinberg is still blogging furiously, the Wizards are still alive.
Bully for them.
Don't get me wrong - there is a lot to celebrate right now. Take the fact that the Caps weren't even supposed to make the postseason in the first place and yet ended up winning their division. Take the fact that they clawed their way back from a 3-1 series deficit and made it all the way to overtime in game 7 before succumbing to the Flyers. Take the fact that Ovechkin, Backstrom and Boudreau all find themselves up for major NHL awards - all of which are deserved.
Take the fact that waiting in the wings of an already young, talented club are young, talented prospects with names like Karl Alzner, Sami Lepisto, Andrew Gordon, Mathieu Perreault, and Semen Varlamov.
Yes, there is a lot of good in the world for Caps fans, and I, like all of you, would do well to remember that. Because as we sit on the verge of a potential Flyers-Penguins Conference Final...it's sometimes hard to believe there is any good in the world at all.
Despite the pain, there is still hockey going on - and some pretty exciting hockey for that matter. Sure, all four series are flying by and we could be seeing one of the shortest second rounds in recent memory. But don't let that fool you, none of these series (save for the Wings-Avs series, which admittedly I haven't watched much of) have been easy. There have been a lot of one-goal games, a lot of overtimes, a lot of clanking posts and reviewed goals and nail-biting final seconds. It's been a hard fought second round, as it should be.
Hey, if the Avs and Rangers remember how to play hockey for one night we've got ourselves a foursome of 3-1 series heading down the stretch. And doesn't the time seem ripe for a team to pull off the oh so rare feat of being down by that margin...and coming back to win it all? The way this postseason is going, it's not out of the realm of possibility.
Some thoughts so far:
- Montreal's problem isn't their goaltending or their lack of discipline at inopportune times or their inability to create traffic in front of Biron...it's all three. If that sounds eerily familiar to you, you're not alone.
- Every time Daniel Briere sneaks in from behind the net to score a goal a baby cries. Would someone just put a big bell around his neck already?
- The Rangers with Sean Avery have proved to be a tough if not quite tough enough foe for the Penguins. Without him? Tee time's at 8:30 tomorrow morning, boys.
- Marty Turco has worn the "choker" moniker, rather unfairly, for years now. Guess what - he's mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore. He's the Cheap Seats favorite among all goalies named Marty, that's for sure.
- Is Colorado still playing?
- Steve Begin blocked a shot with his midsection last night and when he got to his feet and hobbled to the dressing room., he was booed. You stay classy, Philadelphia.
- Two games in a row now Patrick Marleau has picked off a cross-ice pass from Sergei Zubov, taken it down ice and scored a shorthanded goal. The Stars may be an infinitely better team with Zubov in the lineup, but I think everyone would agree he needs to stop trying that pass.
- Say what you want, but no coach does the wry "are you kidding me??" smile better than Guy Carbonneau.
- Where have you gone, Joe...Thornton?
- The Pens have the potential to do something no team has done in almost twenty years, and that is sweep the first two rounds. My question for you is this - since they came against a weak Senators team and an elderly Rangers team, does that make them more or less ready to face whoever survives the Habs-Flyers series?
- Speaking of which - irony comes in many shapes and colors, but right now it's wearing a hideous black and orange jersey. You have to think that after essentially throwing the last game of the year to draw the Sens in the first round over Philly, the last thing the Pens want to do is face the juggernaut Flyers in the Conference Finals. Should that happen...I will laugh.
Through my tears, of course.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
So Much to Say
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Gameday Preview: Caps vs Islanders
Who: Washington Capitals vs. New York Islanders
Where: Verizon Center
When: Wednesday, February 19, 7:00 pm
Broadcast Info: CSN; FSN-NY; NHL Network (US)
Media Notes:
Caps Site
NHL.com
Washington Times
Washington Post
CBS Sports - Mike Green feature
A banged up blueline on one end of the rink, a recently hot goaltending tandem on the other, and Alex Ovechkin trolling the neutral zone just two goals shy of 50. Anyone else feeling a Washington offensive explosion coming on?
It would certainly be a nice change. In the last three games of the season series the Caps have dented the twine only six times, held at bay by Rick DiPietro and his quirky moves and a defense that has their number. In fact, since the lockout the Caps have scored three or more goals only three times, finding themselves outscored to the tune of 42-24 in that 11-game span.
Meanwhile the Islanders, who average the fewest goals per game in the league, have only failed to crack the three goal mark against the Caps three times - all losses - since 2005-06. Just another one of those little quirks that makes us love this team, though, right?
Things get a little more interesting this time around, though - and that's saying a lot when you're talking about a Caps-Isles throwdown.
The Islanders, despite going on a recent four game tear that has propelled them back into the playoff race, continue to lose bodies to injury. The most recent hit comes on the blue line, already weakened by injuries to Witt, Campoli and Gervais, as Andy Sutton went down with a torn hamstring and is out 4-6 weeks.
For the Caps, Tom Poti will likely be back in the lineup after missing the last two games with a bruised thigh. Ovechkin and Steckel are hopefully on the mend after recent bouts with the flu kept them in less than stellar shape and Ovechkin can attempt to regain the scoring lead with two (or more) points tonight. Damn that Malkin and his talent.
On a completely non-Caps related note, the Habs fan side of me just has to mention last night's historic Canadiens win. Montreal came back from being down 5-0 to tie the game and eventually win in the shootout, erasing a five goal deficit for the first time in franchise history and, as an added bonus, embarrassing the Rangers. That's just something everyone can celebrate, don't you think?
...I wonder what dress Jagr wears to eat humble pie.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
A Return to Optimism
I've had my hockey spirit revived a bit in the last day or two, despite the fact that the Caps continue to hang on tight to that last place spot. I'm starting to feel weirdly optimistic that they can snap out of this and I have no idea why, but I'm also just remembering why I love hockey. It's amazing what a night of good, intense, Canadian hockey will do for your outlook on life, isn't it?
For starters, I got to watch an absolutely hysterical Habs-Bruins game last night, one that started out as a well-played, evenly matched game and dissolved into a march to the penalty box. I know, I know, fighting isn't hockey and it's the downfall of the NHL and blah blah blah...but it was funny, and anyone who watched it can back me up.
At one point the Montreal coaching staff was alerting the refs to their "unhappiness", and Carbonneau actually physically pulled Kirk Muller back so he wouldn't say enough to get a penalty...or so he wouldn't sock the ref in the mouth, it was hard to tell. Muller and Claude Julien then began yapping at each other a la Hartley and Hanlon last season, which made me laugh for a number of reasons. Montreal finished the game on a seemingly endless power play (thanks to Chara being...Chara) and won 7-4. Good stuff.
After the Habs came my other secondary team, Calgary, taking on the mighty Oilers in round three of the Battle of Alberta. These games are always fun despite the standings, with the energy and excitement you would expect out of a division matchup (not the kind you see when the Caps and Panthers face off).
The first period alone was played at a breathless pace, and the whole game was great - made even greater by the fact that my Flames pulled out a win and looked confident and tight doing so. This is a team that was recently mired in a 5 game losing streak, folks. Things can turn around just that quickly, don't lose hope.
And then comes the news out of practice today that Alexander Semin is reportedly 100% and will be in the lineup tomorrow night barring any unforeseen circumstances. Is he the magic tonic that will heal this team and propel them back to the top of the pack where they belong?
...probably not. But his return should hopefully spark a little offense, which, let's face it, could use more than a spark - it could use a bonfire.
I'm not going to lie, I absolutely adore Alexander Semin and can't wait to see him back out there. I know that there are many around here who don't get that and who question my sanity, but I can't help it. I love the way he plays. I love his slapshot, his wrister, his backhand...his ability to dance through defenders like they were standing still and his inability to complete a pass...his feistiness and his laziness...the way he follows Ovechkin around like a puppy dog...all part of the Alex 2.0 that I love, and I don't think I should have to apologize for that. Glad to see him healthy and ready to go.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Habs and Have-Nots
(The Habs also threw in a shorthanded goal and an even strength goal, just for funsies...)
Photo courtesy of AP/Getty Images
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
More Offseason News and Updates
- And finally, I'm sure many of you have heard that the goal judges in many arenas will be moved up to the concourse level, allowing for more seats and therefore more ticket revenues. I have it from a source with ties to the organization that the Caps will be one of those teams making the change. The goal judges will wait for the signal from the refs before turning on the goal light and the Caps get four more potential ticketholders in prime seats. It's funny, the goal judge has always seemed like kind of an odd phenomenon to me. A little old man in a glass box who turns on a light, and that is his only job. How many times have we seen one with an itchy trigger finger, sending the arena into hysterics only to have the mood completely deflated when the "no goal" indication is given by the ref? I can't say this is necessarily a bad change...although it will look odd to go into Verizon center and not see them behind the net. I guess change is inevitable, though, right?
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Les Canadiens Sont Là
Finally, an offseason move by the Canadiens that I can get behind! The Habs unveiled their new jerseys today and, thankfully, they didn't mess too much with a classic look. It's a trend that the other Original Six seem to be following and it's one that all hockey fans have to be overjoyed about.
After all, why mess with perfection? The Habs' C, the blue Maple Leaf, the winged wheel...it doesn't get much better than that. Simplicity and tradition, that's the key.
...too bad no one told Vancouver that.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Paying the French-Canadian Piper
You may recall that a handful of our bloggers were selected by our winning pool entrants, Matthew and Duncan, to submit lovey-dovey posts about the Flames and Habs. Like the good sports that they are, our chosen few have responded...sort of.
Read Sherry's love letter to the Habs...then check out Bleu, Blanc et Rouge's response for an extra little giggle. Witness the unbelievable, a Detroit fan praising the Flames, as Steph pays up over at No Pun Intended.
Now JORDI on the other hand has been commanded to redo her post, which was hysterically funny but not exactly nice. I don't think she's taking it all that well (poor Duncan), and now she's just delaying the inevitable.
That just leaves...hmmm. Oh right, me!
This shouldn't be too hard, because as most of you know, my Habs-love is second only to the pure love I hold for the Caps.
I didn't go to Montreal searching for another team to root for. I had my hands full with the Caps and the last thing I needed was a second group of guys who would steal my heart, then break it repeatedly. Habs fandom was something I kind of fell into, led by the forces of fate, la forza del destino if you will.
When I first arrived in Montreal the Canadiens were pretty far off my radar. I knew of them, recognized a few names, but that was it. Instead I listened to as many Caps games as I could on my computer, Steve Kolbe's soothing voice providing the background noise for many a study session. I would see the headlines in the daily newspapers about the Habs but largely ignored them in favor of my hometown team. My only connection to the team was in my proximity to the Montreal Forum, on its way to being converted from a historic hockey landmark to an entertainment complex swathed in red white and blue.
Fast-forward a few months to the 2001 trade deadline, a day spent glued to TSN's all-day coverage in the faint hope that no one would be departing DC. I was watching in horror as the announcement came across the bottom of the screen: 'Washington trades Richard Zednik and Jan Bulis...' I couldn't believe it. My Zed, my Buli, were gone! Then I read the rest '...to Montreal for Dainius Zubrus and Trevor Linden'. My disbelief turned to joy - two of my favorite players were now in the same city as me. Coincidence? I'd like to think not.
And so it began. My loyalty to these two players, as foolish as it may seem, was my entry into the crazy world of Montreal hockey. I started reading about the Habs a bit more, scanning the articles for their names and silently cheering them on. I would get excited when I saw that Montreal had won a game, and sad when they lost. It was a very confusing time, to be sure.
Finally I decided it was time to go see the Habs in person. It was, quite frankly, among the most amazing hockey experiences of my life. If you've never been to a game in Montreal, I urge you to do so immediately. It's like nothing else - the atmosphere is pure saturated hockey. I loved every minute of it. I loved the goal song (which has since been replaced by a U2 song, an absolute disgrace). I loved the little truck that shot t-shirts during intermission. I loved the Canadian anthem sung in French and English. It was so exciting, so electric, and there was a roar in the stands from the moment the puck dropped to the final buzzer.
As a Caps fan, it was a truly eye-opening experience; as a hockey fan, I was home. Over the next few years I immersed myself in Canadiens hockey. I went to as many games as possible, learned the names of the players, cheered them on in the playoffs, and developed a deep hatred of the Maple Leafs. I would put it all on hold only for those times when my two teams met in battle, those brief moments where the Habs t-shirt would proudly be replaced by a Caps jersey. As soon as the game ended, my dual loyalties returned unaffected by the previous 60 minutes.
I've tried many times to distance myself from the Habs since returning to DC. But for whatever reason I can't seem to shake them, almost three years later. They've got a scrappy demeanor about them that I love and an endless cast of characters led by a feisty little Finn that just keeps me hanging on. Huet, Komisarek, Higgins, Ryder - all entertaining in their own way. Even Kovalev, a bastion of evil for so many years, became lovable once he pulled on that Habs sweater (although not so much anymore...).
Anyone will tell you that it's nearly impossible to root for two teams with the same fervor, especially when they're in the same conference, and its true. I could never fully support the Habs with the same passion I reserve for the Capitals; one team always has to win out, and that team will always be the Caps. Still, I stand by my Habs and hope that, like the Caps, next year will bring better fortunes and greener pastures.
I just hope they never meet in the playoffs. I don't think I could take it.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Pirates and Animosity
It's been awfully quiet here in the Cheap Seats lately, save for a little admin update on the blogger playoff pool - which for most of you is probably just a momentary distraction, nothing more. I don't know if I've just watched too much hockey lately or what, but somehow I've lost a bit of my babbling mojo. Scientists are currently working 'round the clock for a cure, but in the meantime I've decided to resort to outright stealing.
That's right, having lost my own creative spark I am going to become a blogger pirate, sailing the interweb seas in search of insightful posts that I can tweak and call my own.
Yo ho ho and a bottle of...whatever makes this loooong summer a little bit shorter.
My first adventure in plundering comes from my good friend Elly over at No Pun Intended. With the Penguins out of the playoffs she finds herself faced with the same dilemma so many of us face - who do you root for in the postseason when everywhere you turn, you see evil? As a way of sorting out this conundrum, she helpfully breaks down the Eastern Conference on the piss-off spectrum. No verdict was reached, but it was interesting to see how a Pens fan views the conference foes.
As Caps fans, though, I think we probably see a few things differently and so I've made a few adjustments. We'll start with the Northeast Division:
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Round 1 Playoff Pool Champion REVEALED
Now the moment you've all been waiting for - it's time to announce our first round winner in the 2007 Blogger Playoff Pool!
Wait, wait, stop the drums. What is this I see? Two winners? That's unpossible!
And yet, that's what happened. You see, I had a tiebreaker built in for exactly this occasion, and...it backfired. Turns out I needed a tiebreaker for the tiebreaker. What are the odds, right?
Okay, kick up the drums again.
We kick off the second round tomorrow night and all 34 poolers' picks will be available right here for your perusal and general entertainment, so be sure to stop by and see everyone's predictions.
Oh, and for anyone who wonders if I tried to rig this thing in my favor...I finished 30th. Out of 34 players. Yay.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
High Hopes, Shattered Dreams and the End of the Line (Part 1)
I'm reeling a bit - my emotions have been all over the map today and its hard to rein them all in and focus them in such a way that other people know what I'm talking about. I feel like I've experienced almost everything there was to experience as a hockey fan in such a short span of time that my brain is struggling to comprehend it all.
First the Caps-related portion of our afternoon. Facing Buffalo, they not only lose but fail to score a single goal in their final game of the season. Not throughly unexpected given the opponent (and given the home team, for that matter) but I'll admit there was a part of me that hoped the Caps would pull out something spectacular as a sort of thank you - something that would resonate much louder than just a jersey or a signed puck.
The game concludes with the fan appreciation presentation, where the players express their thanks to the fans for sticking with them. It's something I always wait around for, because win or lose, playoffs or no playoffs, this is my team. I know why they struggled and I'm willing to show my gratitude for the effort they gave this season, no matter how often it may have fallen short. As the jerseys are presented I applaud each player in turn, from Bryan Muir to Alex Ovechkin and everyone in between.
I'm momentarily taken back at the apparent light mood among the players before I remember that their season has really been over for a while. Not only that, but you can see that these guys genuinely have fun together - and after all, it's just a game. Tomorrow they'll get up and go about their day, some returning to Hershey for the playoffs, others preparing for their trip to Moscow, and many more returning to their summer homes to relax and regroup. The sting of this season is probably overshadowed at this point by relief that it is over and next year can only be better - a sentiment I'm sure many of us fans share as well.
I'm always sad at this time of year. Inevitably the roster in place for the last game of the season will not match the roster for opening day in the fall, so I try and take it all in. The horn sounds announcing the end of the first period, then the end of the second, and suddenly there are only 20 minutes remaining in that season. The last playing of The Hockey Song, the final Mites on Ice game, one more swing around the arena with the Kiss Cam, and that's it. The jerseys are handed out and the speeches made, and the arena empties out for the final time until the fall.
Then there was the happy part of the day, and that was celebrating our up and down season with other Caps' bloggers, fans, guests, family and friends. [Special thanks to the boys at Japers' Rink for pulling this whole thing together in such a short time - great work, guys!]
We drank a toast to the Caps and promised each other that next year would be better. We picked out the free agents we wanted and made our playoff predictions. We chatted about hockey, the Washington Nationals, life in general...then waved goodbye, drained our glasses, and headed out into the chilly April day to resume our lives away from Verizon Center.
(I got a little wordy here, so - To be continued...)
Monday, March 26, 2007
A Sheldon Can Do Your Income Taxes
We’re again at that point in the season where the Caps have single digits in games remaining on the docket, things are starting to wind down, and inevitably the talk turns to whom the Caps will pick up this offseason. Everyone’s licking their lips as they skim the UFA list and start making up their dream team with pencil and paper...or since we’re in the 21st century, with keyboard and computer screen.
Obviously one of the things the Caps need is a puck-moving defenseman - someone with more than 100 games of experience, someone with a good, accurate shot...someone old enough to vote would be good, too. I know we need it. You know we need it. Management, the coach, the team, even the guy selling those weird cotton candy tubs knows it.
One name that I’ve seen getting tossed around a lot is Sheldon Souray.
People, people, people.
Look, it’s no secret that I’m a Habs girl. I’ve loved that team for seven years, rooted for them, pulled for them in the postseason. And I love Souray, really – alleged wife-beating...aside - but he’s not our guy. I know those offensive numbers are pretty, but think of them as a piece of tin foil to a bird...shiny, distracting, but poisonous.
Yes, the guy can score. Yes, he has a wicked point shot. Yes, he’s setting records in power play points.
...is everyone forgetting he’s supposed to be a defenseman?
He has 24 goals and 36 assists...and he’s a -22. Incidentally, that sparkling +/- puts him 293rd in the league, out of 296 total defensemen. Know who he beat out? Rob Blake in LA and two Flyers, Joni Pitkanen and Derian Hatcher. Now that’s some good company. Oh, and by the way, Pothier, Erskine, Eminger and Clymer all have better +/- ratings than Souray. Now there's something to chew on...
I know there are people out there saying, but he scores goals. The Caps can always use goal-scorers, right?
Not at the expense of defensive responsibility, especially on a blue line that is already one of the thinnest in the league. Not if he takes stupid penalties and can’t pass to save his life. And certainly not at the price Souray will be looking for, rumored to be in Chara country – around $7 million a season. There is a way to be defensively responsible and still produce offense. Look at the top ten +/- defensemen in the league right now. Every single one of them has at least 15 points, some have more. In the case of Lidstrom, a lot more.
+/- isn’t everything, I know that. It is but one stat in the long list of numbers maintained by the league, some of which are meaningless, others which are open for interpretation. And if the other Montreal defensemen’s numbers looked like Souray’s, I might be willing to budge on this. But the Habs have 8 defensemen on their roster, and the closest guy to Souray is Janne Niinimaa with -10. He’s only played roughly half the games this season...and there’s a reason. Mike Komisarek, on the other hand, is a +7. And he’s routinely pitted against the other team’s top line, like on Ovechkin the other night. So is Markov, +2 – with 47 points to boot.
I just think the Caps should be looking for someone who can not only pick up some offensive slack but maybe also teach our young defensemen how to, I don’t know, PLAY DEFENSE?!
Hell, even Gonchar is only -7, and he’s got one more point than Souray. Plus he takes about half the penalties good ol’ Sheldon does. (See? I just used Gonchar as a positive example. That’s how much I don’t want Souray here.)
So who should we get? Well, keep in mind that I have no nose for this kind of thing. I’m horrible at picking out players and would make the worst GM ever, but I’d love to see someone like Brian Rafalski (who needs size when you have the twin towers and Jeff Schultz hulking back there?) or Roman Hamrlik picked up. I like what both guys bring to the ice every night and everything I’ve seen and heard about them points to them being good in the locker room, which as we all know is key.
Just please, PLEASE not Souray.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Eyes on the Prize, Crow in the Mouth
Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present an anomaly, a rarity, a creature the likes of which we've never seen before...
Someone who is not a Caps fan saying (sort of) nice things about the Caps!
(Okay, he lost a bet. But it still counts.)
Hop on over to Eyes on the Prize for the big payoff that just makes Thursday night's win that much sweeter! Feel free to comment to your hearts content - taunt, bait, mock, whatever you want. But remember, keep it clean. After all, this is all in good fun...and it could have just as easily been me on the losing end.
Also, what's that saying about throwing stones and glass houses? Or is it pots and kettles? I don't know, something along those lines. Let's just say that until we have a Stanley Cup banner hanging at the Phone Booth, we have not yet earned the right to be complete jackasses.
Just partial ones. So go nuts!
Friday, January 05, 2007
Red White and Very Very Blue
My poor former neighbors...they're not so happy today.
You can't really blame them, though. The Caps really were able to jump on the Habs and exploit what may not have been Montreal's best game of the year, and that's frustrating. Of course, that's not to take anything away from what was a very impressive game by the home team - when you're playing well, you tend to make the other team look and play worse than usual. It's so rare to see a completely even game where both teams look good.
Anyways, it seems like the only way for Montreal beat writers to save a little face is to use two old standbys: pick on the meager attendance at Caps games and insinuate that Ovechkin would rather play in their city. It doesn't really bother me, only because I used to read Jack Todd up in Canada and he takes that borderline-snarky, pompous attitude with all 29 teams. It actually makes me laugh when it's not aimed at the Caps.
But really, how easy a target is the poor attendance? It's all Tarik's fault for publishing that article a few days ago...like we didn't already know that no one was going to games. It's no coincidence that the arena got much quieter last night once the Habs fans were silenced by their team's performance after cheering nonstop for the first 10-15 minutes. Now we've just given opposition writers a story that's going to get looped every time the Caps take on the hometown team. Yay.
Of course, it would be nice if people just started coming to games and just negated the whole premise...I am quite the dreamer.
- There was an interesting article on Semin yesterday (it's in French, sorry), talking about his season so far and making comparisons to both Malkin and Kovalchuk. It's a pretty interesting read - I'd recommend finding someone who reads French to translate rather than putting it in Babelfish (that site just absolutely mangles languages).
- Reports out of Montreal are saying that Olie admitted he didn't think Koivu touched him on that disallowed goal. Well, there's a shocker - a bad call. Referees are human, they make mistakes, and your job as a player is to take what advantages you can get and hope the bad calls don't come against your team. People are acting like Olie should have declined the penalty or something.
Whatever...if things were reversed, I'm sure I'd be upset too, but what can you do? Once a penalty is called, you can't take it back. It's not like wiping out a goal - penalties stick, for better or worse. When have you ever seen someone argue against a penalty and win? It's how your team responds to whatever calls are made that matters. Good for Souray and some of the other Habs for pointing out that one bad call is not an excuse for folding when you're still very much in the game.
I like when players refuse to make excuses - it gives me more respect for them. I saw it among the Caps, too, when they refused to let the injuries and illness be the lone cause for their recent struggles; they all acknowledged that they needed to work harder and stick to the system.
As for the validity of the claim, I still have to watch the replay to judge for myself. I saw nothing but the puck shooting into the net, so I'm going to remain neutral until I have some evidentiary support.
Enough rambling and babbling for now...
