Last night, the Kings played their first two (yes, two) preseason games. Half the team was in Kansas City playing the Blues, while the other half remained in LA to play the Coyotes. The game in Kansas City sold more tickets. The attendance there was 11,603. The official attendance at the game in Staples Center was 8,221. A lot of those seats were empty, of course. I don’t know the official count of fans in the building, but a lot of season ticket holders don’t attend preseason games, so Staples Center was very empty.

The fans who did attend the preseason game in Staples Center got a good show. Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Jack Johnson were all at the game in LA.

Not too long ago, fans were booing Dan Cloutier in net (and when he was announced at the start of a game). They were chanting to put in LaBarbera. When Mathieu Garon and Jason LaBarbera were playing for the Kings, I knew fans who would only show up to the games Jason was supposed to start and many fans shouted that they wanted to see LaBarbera in net.

Last season, the fans pretty much got their wish and LaBarbera was in net… until he got injured. Cloutier was booed whenever he played and fans cheered if he got pulled from a game. That’s a rough situation for a goalie and I’m sure the fan reaction didn’t help Cloutier’s performance in net.

This season, it looks like Jason LaBarbera will be the number one goalie for the Kings and (partly because of his injury and rehabilitation from that) he’s feeling like he’s in better shape than ever. LaBarbera has really paid attention to his eating habits and training program and is ready to go. That being said, he hadn’t played in a hockey game for over 7 months. When I asked what happened last night, since he looked a bit off (allowing 4 goals in 17 shots), he said it was rust. He hadn’t played in over 7 months and was rusty. Jason’s not at all concerned about getting back into the swing of things and I think the fans need to give him a little slack before attacking him.

The fans in Staples Center last night were very quick to boo Jason LaBarbera. One fan near me shouted that LaBarbera sucked and that there had only been x shots and there were already y goals. I realize that Kings fans are looking for a hero in net and want a miracle this season. They’ve been waiting a long time for the Kings to do well. Who wouldn’t like that? Any fan of a team that’s predicted to do poorly would be thrilled if they got into the playoffs, but it’s different to dream than it is to hold the players of your team to unrealistic expectations.

When Cloutier was playing poorly the Kings fans gave him the benefit of the doubt. Many argued that Cloutier was doing great when he won games, though I argue that if a team wins 5-4, the goalie performed just as badly as if they lost 4-0 and you have to factor in the kinds of goals that are being scored, whether the goalie was well screened, etc. The score doesn’t tell you everything about how a goalie is performing. Even the save percentage (though more accurate than the goals against average, which takes into account the rest of the team, especially the defense) isn’t a perfect indicator of how the goaltender is performing. Maybe there was a crazy deflection or the goalie was well screened and couldn’t see that shot from the point.

Even if all four of the goals by the Coyotes had been easy goals (which I don’t think anyone would argue) for a goalie to see and ones that any goalie would think they should have gotten and beat themselves up over, Jason LaBarbera hadn’t played a game of hockey in over 7 months. After his injury, he only had 4 days of on-ice training camp (counting the day of the game) to prepare for his first hockey game in 7 months. I think the fans need to think about how difficult it is to bounce back from an injury and give LaBarbera a bit of time before they judge him and decide he’s not worthy. Jason LaBarbera is a good goalie. One the fans have requested in the past. They got what they wanted and now they’ve decided they prefer Bernier. While Bernier may be the goalie of the future for the Kings, he probably has some more development to do and I don’t think he’ll be in the NHL this season. I would like to see the fans step up and support the team the Kings coaching staff decides to put on the ice, rather than making their own rash judgments and condemning players before they’re given a chance.

The fans who were at Staples Center last night are the die hard fans. They’re the fans who refused to give up their season tickets after years of poor performance by the Kings and care enough to attend preseason games, which don’t count and have some players who will not be in the NHL this season. When looking around at all the empty seats last night, it was clear that most season ticket holders couldn’t care less about a preseason game. I expect more from the die hard fans than booing a player who has always tried his best to do a good job in net for the Kings and cares about the organization. I hate seeing fans boo any player on their own team and it bothers me more when the player in question is a great guy who’s determined to play well for the team and the fans.

If you’re a Kings fan, please consider the impact you could have on a player by booing him. How would you feel if every time you made a mistake in your job a big red light went on to highlight the fact and the fans booed (or in an opposing team’s arena they chanted your name taunting you)? I can’t remember who pointed out that being a goalie is really one of the most difficult jobs anywhere, but I agree with them. Think of all that pressure. Fans are very quick to blame a goalie for their problems, but Jason LaBarbera had the same save percentage as Evgeni Nabokov, Jose Theodore, & Martin Gerber last season. He was tied for 20th out of 44 ranked goalies. Just about the middle of the pack. Not at the bottom with Johan Holmqvist or Ray Emery. Give him a chance to show that he can do a good job.

I realize the Kings fans are passionate (they wouldn’t still support the Kings if they weren’t), but I would like to attend a game without hearing fans boo their own team. I think the fans who booed Jason LaBarbera last night should be ashamed of themselves. I believe it’s incredibly rude to boo someone who is trying so hard to please the fans. If he weren’t trying it would make a bit more sense, though I still think booing your team is wrong. LaBarbera tries. Fans should at least give him a month or so of the regular season to do his best before they start berating him, but even if they get to that point I’d like them to think about the fact that Jason LaBarbera is a person and he is doing his best to win (which is clearly what the fans want). He and the rest of the Kings want to win more than the fans want the team to win. Losing isn’t fun. Everyone has played some sort of sport or game in their lives, so I’m sure everyone can relate to the fact that winning is more fun than losing. Players try to win. Please give your team a chance – especially during the preseason when lines are being changed and the team is getting used to new players and (in the Kings’ case) new coaches.

Who thought the last game played in Yankees Stadium would be played in September? I certainly wouldn’t have bet on it. Of course, five years ago I doubt most people would have guessed that Johnny Damon would hit a home run as a Yankee the last time the Yankees played in Yankee Stadium.

I’m very glad that ESPN televised the last Yankee Stadium game in HD so I could enjoy the final game. I also appreciated the extras they included in their broadcast. They scrolled stats through the years of Yankee Stadium on the bottom line and mentioned many interesting facts throughout the show. ESPN also had a lot of special guests Yogi Berra is always a fan favorite, but I like that they included as many of the Yankee greats as possible in their broadcast. There are a lot of things ESPN does (like barely covering hockey) of which I’m not fond. However, I must give them credit for doing a wonderful job with the final game in Yankee Stadium. They even mentioned the New York Cosmos (the soccer team that called Yankee Stadium home). I remember going to Cosmos games when I was little and it’s nice that the Cosmos were mentioned.

The first home run in Yankee Stadium (as most Yankees fans know) was hit by Babe Ruth. The last was hit by Jose Molina. Sure, if it had scripted by someone in Hollywood the final home run would have probably been hit by Derek Jeter (when he had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 6th, probably). It’s great that Jose Molina was back in the lineup and able to have such a special moment on the last night the Yankees played in Yankee Stadium. Derek Jeter was playing injured today and you can’t perfectly plan real life. Although I’m sure Jeter is bummed that he went 0-5 in the last game at Yankee Stadium, I’m also positive he’s glad he played in the game, even though he was injured. How could anyone who told his parents he was going to be a Yankee as when he was young miss playing in the last game in Yankee Stadium when he has that chance? Jeter did get a standing ovation by the crowd when he took the final Yankee at bat in the final game at Yankee Stadium. I’m sure this night wasn’t as he pictured it, but Derek Jeter batting the final at bat by a Yankee in the game and the Yankees winning definitely fit perfectly.

It’s perfect that Andy Pettitte started the final game in Yankee Stadium (he was also credited with the last win) and Mariano Rivera ended it. I’m glad Girardi paid attention to the importance of the final game in the house that Ruth built and made sure the two pitchers who came up through the Yankee farm system pitched in the final game. Frank Sinatra’s version of New York, New York has played for the last time in the original Yankee Stadium and the Yankees wandering around the field waving to their fans as it played a few times was the perfect way to say goodbye to the home of the Yankees. I wish I could have been there for this final game, but I’m glad I got to visit the stadium one last time before it closes the last time I was in the city.

I’m sorry that Jorge Posada couldn’t play in tonight’s game at Yankee Stadium. He’s one of the remaining 4 players on the Yankees who won the 4 World Series in 5 years (ending with the Subway Series in 2000). The other 3 are Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte. It’s good that Posada was there to share in the memories, but I’m sure he would have preferred to be playing in the game.

It’s also too bad that Joe Torre couldn’t be there to share in the last game in Yankee Stadium. His current team, the Dodgers, look like they will be making it into the playoffs this year. I wish he could have been there for the last game in Yankee Stadium, but I’m glad he’s doing well with his new team.

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The last time the Yankees missed the playoffs, it was 1994. So much has happened since 1994. I, personally, had two weddings (and the associated divorces), graduated from Penn State, and moved (more times than I care to count now, but three states and 7 cities were involved). It’s amazing what can happen in 14 years. The price of gas in 1994 was around a dollar and California experienced the horrible Northridge earthquake. Hopefully, it will be another 14 years before the Yankees miss the playoffs again and the new stadium opening next year will be a new start for the Yankees in this millennium.

I only had time to attend the Kings rookie camp for one day, but it was great to see the guys on the ice practicing. I wish they’d played a scrimmage on Sunday, but at least they’re going to televise tonight’s game of the rookie tournament in Phoenix. I’m looking forward to seeing them in a game setting.

I’ve talked to people who were able to get to the training center on Saturday to find out what they saw in the practice and scrimmage that day, but it’s always better to be able to make your own assessments.

Training camp for the Kings starts later this week and I’ll be heading there Saturday (and possibly Sunday). I don’t know the schedule for other teams in the NHL, but I do know that training camps are starting soon (the Penguins, Rangers, Lightning, & Senators may have already started theirs, since they play the opening games in Sweden & the Czech Republic) and the excitement of hockey season is just around the corner. Preseason games may not be the real thing, but at least we can all see live hockey again. I’d still like to see more televised preseason games, but I think eventually most of them will be available online, which will be almost as good. The beginning of the season is always an exciting time. Even if your team is supposed to be totally horrible, there’s always that slight chance that things will work out okay and if your team looks like it’s going to do well, even better! I realize that hockey has the shortest off season of the 4 major sports, but that time without hockey can definitely seem longer.

Home Aid’s Project Playhouse is now in its 17th year. Home Aid is a great charity founded in 1989 by the Orange County chapter. They build houses for homeless families, so they can rebuild their lives.

Project Playhouse normally includes a house that is all Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (I didn’t pick the name and, in my opinion, it’s horrible that the MLB allowed them to change their name, but that is their official title). They’ve had some great designs over the years and if you look at the website you can see pictures of the houses from previous years.

This year, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a house that was all Anaheim Ducks instead of the usual Angels. Due to the time commitment involved in creating these amazing little houses, when the Anaheim Ducks won the Cup last season, it was too late for a house to be created that year.

I’m not a Ducks fan, as anyone who has read my stuff on HockeyBuzz or listened to The Hockey Chicks knows. However, seeing a play house this amazing completely dedicated to the Anaheim Ducks was really great as a hockey fan.

When the Ducks won the Cup, a couple blocks from the Honda Center one could barely tell. Though the Ducks and other non-traditional market teams (like the Kings) have a dedicated fan base, it is rare to see signs of hockey outside of the immediate area surrounding the arenas (and sometimes you wouldn’t even know there’s hockey going on from a block away). I think all hockey fans can appreciate the way this house was put together – especially when you see the back yard setup, complete with mini roller rink and net.

If you live in the area, I encourage you to get to Fashion Island before the Project Playhouse auction. You can see the houses until October 11, so check it out. You can only go inside the first day every year, which is why I try to get there that day, but you can still see the amazing craftsmanship and donate to a worthy cause by visiting before October 11th.

I’ve been a big fan of Alyssa Milano’s Touch clothing line since I first heard about it when she was adding the NHL to her line and I thought most of the clothing was very well done. I didn’t order any of it initially, since I was waiting to see what they’d end up offering for my NHL teams. Unfortunately, while waiting for that, some of the items I liked sold out for my baseball team (the Yankees). I realized that it’s taking too long to get her clothing line fully launched with the NHL teams. I thought I remembered seeing Penguins clothing in the first NHL catalog that had the Touch line, but as of today only 11 teams are listed on the NHL Touch page and the Penguins aren’t one of them. Only a little over a third of the NHL teams have Touch clothing available at the NHL shop online and neither of my teams are included. I know from talking to the guys who work for the Kings that the Kings are going to do a full launch and are going to work with Alyssa Milano on marketing and their own commercials for the line, but I don’t know when that will be released. Hopefully, it won’t be long after the season starts.

I decided to stop waiting for the NHL to get fully on board with the Touch clothing line and order a couple of Yankees (and one All Star) items. I got them yesterday and I love them. Not only do they look good, but they’re comfortable and machine wash & dryable. It doesn’t get much better than that for me with clothing. It’s easy to care for the garments and they look great. I’m so happy to have a good option in women’s clothing to support a sports team while still being fashionable. It’s great that Alyssa realized that there was a deficiency in this area (as many women have) and decided to do something about it by developing a line of clothing for women who love sports.

The other Touch clothing lines are available here:
MLB Alyssa Milano Touch Collection
NFL Touch

If you or someone you know is a woman interested in sports, I highly recommend Alyssa Milano’s line.