Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Unbalanced.
A Look at the 1995-96 and 2000-01 Colorado Avalanche
You know, I've been writing stories on Vocal for a little over a year, and it's hard to believe that this is my 500th story. What isn't hard to believe is the subject that #500 would be about. Something near and dear to me as a hockey fan: the Colorado Avalanche's first two Stanley Cups. First, a history lesson. Before playing in Denver, the Avalanche played their first 16 NHL seasons as the Quebec Nordiques, who were actually one of four teams who moved from the World Hockey Association to the NHL (the other three being the Edmonton Oilers, the Hartford Whalers, and the Winnipeg Jets). The Nordiques didn't have a lot of success in the NHL; in fact, they only reached the Conference Finals twice (1982 and 1985). Their only Adams Division championship came in the 1985-86 season, and in their final season in Quebec, the Nordiques would win the renamed Northeast Division, but both division titles resulted in first round exits.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
2022 National Football Conference Preview
As I continue to look forward to the 2022 NFL season, I came to a realization when I mapped out the current state of the NFC: the depth is decreasing. The National Football Conference doesn't appear to be as deep as it used to be, with only three teams appearing to look like strong Super Bowl threats, while the other 13 are just, well...there. Even so, as an NFC guy, I am quite fascinated about the possibilities for this conference, and the divisions involved.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
2022 American Football Conference Preview
The 2022 NFL season is upon us, and it should be a very interesting one. Part of the reason why this season should be good: the AFC is stacked! The American Football Conference had been tepid for so, so long, but signs of life started to show back in the 2020 season. It increased in the final weeks of the 2021 season, as so many teams were jockeying for position, and it looks like the AFC is definitely back to having the depth it had back in the 1990s. There are so many storylines in the AFC entering this season, and they are as follows:
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look at the 1993-94 New York Rangers
Long before the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans were reminded about 1967, the New York Rangers and their fans were constantly reminded about 1940. At that time, 1940 was the last time that the Rangers captured the Stanley Cup, and their attempts to win one during that span were met with dead ends every time. Entering the 1993-94 season, the Rangers hadn't reached the Conference Finals since 1986, which saw them defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Montréal Canadiens. Then on October 4, 1991, the Rangers received Mark Messier, a five-time Stanley Cup Champion, from the Edmonton Oilers in a trade. That would normally be the thing that propels a team to glory, but the road hit a bit of a snag: after losing in the Elite Eight in the 1992 playoffs, they completely missed out in the 1992-93 season--the first time that Messier missed the playoffs in his hallowed career.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
CFL Week 11 Recap: Gaining Ground
The 2o22 Canadian Football League season has reached its midpoint: Week 11. Ten weeks preceded this, and ten weeks will follow. It's not quite late enough to talk playoffs, but it's not really early either. Week 11 featured an interesting schedule. For one, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were idle. Secondly, the four games took place in two days; doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Thank You, Nazem Kadri
Well, the Nazem Kadri offseason saga has finally come to an end. The news broke on Thursday, August 18, 2022, that Nazem Kadri signed with the Calgary Flames, a seven-year contract worth $49 million ($7M/year). This past season was a contract year for Kadri; it was his third with the Colorado Avalanche after so many years with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was also a career year for Kadri: 28 goals, 59 assists, 87 points, all highs for him. The questions had been up there for months. Would the Avs keep Kadri? Could they afford to keep him? Would he end up somewhere else? In the time that passed since the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup on June 26, 2022, the team had kept some of their pieces under new deals, and lost some others, but Kadri remained a UFA for almost two months.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
CFL Week 10 Recap: Bombed
November 20, 2021. That was the last time that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers lost a game; 13-12 against the Calgary Stampeders. September 27, 2019. That was the last time the Blue Bombers lost a home game, a 33-13 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. On Thursday, August 11, 2022, the defending back-to-back Grey Cup Champions saw their 11-game winning streak (dating back to last year's playoffs) come to an end in immensely shocking and strange fashion, and it came on their home turf against the Montréal Alouettes.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
We Are Finally Getting Jordynne vs Masha
Impact Wrestling held their latest pay-per-view event, Emergence, though because I had my hands full watching so many other things, I only watched some of this event. I didn't mind that; only two matches had my focus, and one of them was the Knockouts World Championship contest between two-time champion Jordynne Grace and challenger Mia Yim. The match was back and forth as expected, but in the end, Jordynne emerged victorious and will continue her reign as champion. Just as the two combatants were set to shake hands, they were interrupted by the appearance of Masha Slamovich, and when she appeared, I simply went, "Here it is."
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look at the 1992-93 Montréal Canadiens
The Montréal Canadiens are, without question, the most storied franchise in the history of the National Hockey League. No team has won more Stanley Cups than the Canadiens, who have won 24 in their history. In fact, they were the most successful franchise in any of the main sports leagues in North America until 1999, when the New York Yankees won their 25th World Series, and have since added two more championships in 2000 and 2009. However, the Canadiens' road to #24 was a long one. Their 23rd came in 1986, and though they returned to the Stanley Cup Final in 1989, they were defeated in six games by the Calgary Flames. The Canadiens would spend next three seasons running into the same roadblock: the Boston Bruins in the second round, and not getting past them.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Should Nikkita Lyons Turn Heel?
As a fan and avid watcher of WOW - Women of Wrestling, I'm still elated to see Nikkita Lyons in World Wrestling Entertainment. She's one of a few names from WOW who have hit the mainstream market; Impact Wrestling currently has Gisele Shaw, who competed in WOW as Azteca, and in the case of Nikkita Lyons, she competed as Faith the Lioness in the promotion. I remember that gimmick, it mainly centered on her music background, and I also remember being afraid that they would make her a heel. Wrestling promotions always seem to make villains out of multi-talented characters, it's an easy thing to do, but that was not the case with Faith the Lioness. Nikkita Lyons (real name Faith Jefferies) was signed by WWE in 2021, and made her televised WWE debut on New Year's Eve on an episode of what was then known as 205 Live (it's now NXT Level Up). In WOW, I didn't want Faith to be a heel, but after eight months of seeing Nikkita, I now want Nikkita to be a villainess, because she has the look.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look at the 1988-89 Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames' road to the Stanley Cup in 1989 was quite a rocky one. The team began play in Atlanta in 1972, playing there for eight seasons with very little success. It was in 1980 that they moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Calgary, Alberta, Canada; remaining in the Patrick Division (when it was part of the Campbell Conference) before being permanently placed in the Smythe Division beginning in the 1981-82 season. That was the year that the began their contentious rivalry with their provincial foes, the Edmonton Oilers.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
CFL Week 9 Recap: Full Control
The 2022 Canadian Football League season has entered the month of August, which is an important month, as it brings the season closer to the Labour Day matchups. It's also a pacesetting month, and regarding Week 9, the action kicked off in Montréal, with the Alouettes hosting the undefeated defending back-to-back champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The game was strangely close, and even entering the fourth quarter, it was tied: 14-14. It did look like we were in for an upset, but it would not come to pass, as the Bombers outscored the Als 21-6 in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 35-20 victory.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
