Podcast Ombudsman Report for Blueshirt Bandwidth Ep. 101
From Pete Holmes' riff on the vastness of space to a stat-backed look at how often GMs actually get fired, this week's Ombudsman Report covers it all.
Welcome back to the Blueshirt Bandwidth Podcast Ombudsman Report. Each week, Charlie Vidal will listen to the latest episode of the podcast and correct the record on anything Joe and Eric get wrong. If you aren't already, you can listen and subscribe to the podcast here.
The Never-ending Depths of Space
Eric referenced a Pete Holmes bit where he said that, “space is infinite in size and its expanding. That makes no fucking sense.” That is from his “Dirty Clean” special:
Last week’s podcast was not the first time that the hockey world has wrestled with the enormity of the universe. During HBO’s "24/7: Road to the Winter Classic" as part of the run up to the 2012 Winter Classic game between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov contemplated the meaning of life as a tiny speck in the infinite vastness of space:
Bourbon
Joe said that bourbon has to be made in Kentucky. While it must be produced in the United States, it is not required to be produced only in Kentucky. By law, bourbon is required to be:
- Distilled and aged in the United States
- Made from a fermented mash containing at least 51 percent corn
- Distilled at no more than 160 proof
- Put into new charred oak barrels at no more than 125 proof
- Bottled at least 80 proof
- Free from added coloring or flavoring
Michael Sauer Hit
Eric wants to punch Dion Phaneuf in the face because his hit that ended Michael Sauer’s career was dirty. You can judge for yourself:
For those who don’t remember, Sauer was an excellent second-pair defensemen when his career abruptly ended because of the concussion sustained in the hit from Phaneuf:
The Sauer incident was chronicled on the aforementioned HBO "24/7: Road to the Winter Classic" series.
Pitfalls of Extending Young Players
Eric said that, “I don’t want to lock up a player for eight years who has a ceiling of the third line.” Last summer the Edmonton Oilers did just that when they locked up Trent Frederic for eight years at $3.85 million per season. Frederic is a fourth liner:
Getting Burned by a Bridge Deal
Eric said that the Rangers were burned by Derek Stepan being signed to a bridge deal. Stepan signed a two-year, $3.075 million AAV deal as a restricted free agent during the summer of 2013, and his subsequent play over those two seasons earned him a six-year, $6.5 million per year deal. In order to fit under the cap in the summer of 2015, the Rangers had to trade Carl Hagelin.
Does Every GM Get Fired?
Eric said that every GM is on a path to getting fired. Since the great lockout, 96 full time GMs have left their position in one way or another. Of those 96, 62 were fired or pressured into resigning. So, statistically speaking, 64 percent of GMs are on the path to getting fired.
Details can be found in this spreadsheet:
