G.O.A.T.

If you know me, you know Rockband is by far one of my favorite games. Nothing better than pretending you can sing classic 80's, 90's and 2000's rock songs (sounds like a radio plug). This, coinciding with reading a career piece article on a band currently touring and coming to Pittsburgh, got me thinking.

Is Bon Jovi one of the greatest bands of all time??

I think no matter how you look at it, the answer has to be a resounding YES!

Let's look at the evidence. Bon Jovi officially formed in 1983, but their first major release was in 1984, Runaway. That was their FIRST hit, yet I'm sure you still hear it often today and can even recite the lyrics "oooooohhhh she's a little runaway". They opened for KISS that same year, who were near their apex of awesomeness. When a pioneer of rock like KISS choses you to open for them, that's one helluva endorsement.

Two years later, they struck GOLD with their third release, Slippery When Wet. Take a look at this album lineup: "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin on a Prayer", and "Wanted Dead or Alive".

I would bet my life, that when you hear those songs at a bar, in your car, at home, or a party, you morph into a teenager and scream out the lyrics. Those songs came out in 1986, and I'd still put them against any rock song in the past 20 years.

A few years later they release two songs that every teenage boy put on a mixtape for his frizzy-haired girlfriend at the time, "Bed of Roses" and "Always".

I really don't need to go on any more, down through memory lane with their countless other albums and hits songs. My point is this.

What started out as a hair-band during the glam 80's rock era, has turned into OUR generation's Rolling Stones. In both 2008 and 2010, they had the most profitable tour in the world. Yes, you read that right, the most profitable tour was completed by a band who has been touring for almost 30 years.

They've crossed from glam rock, to acoustic, to hard rock, to even country, and never were accused of selling out.

Yet, somehow they are left out of any discussion for greatest band of any era, or even for discussions as inductees into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame. You could ask anyone from age 10 up to age 60, to complete this line "shot through the heart and you're to blame...." and without skipping a beat would belt out "YOU GIVE LOOOOOVE A BAD NAME!".

In two years the Super Bowl will be held at the stadium in New Jersey, and after watching the Black Eyed Peas debacle, who better and more fitting than Bon Jovi should perform? Who says you can't go home?

Day of reflection....

Everyone knows at this point, the Super Bowl is over, the other team won...blah blah blah.

It was difficult getting behind hating on the Packers, b/c under any other circumstance, I would have been pulling for them to win. Especially due to the entire Favre corollary, which luckily for everyone in America, is now over, done and buried. It was similar to when the Steelers played the Cardinals. If the Cardinals would have won, I would have been happy for Larry Fitz and Kurt Warner. Yet, this one hurt much worse.

I'm not sure why. Is it because when the Steelers were down early, you knew they'd come back? Is it because they almost tied it up (if not for that missed FG)? Or was it because Green Bay exposed the Steelers weak-point for the past 10 years, the defensive secondary. Yes, we have Troy back there, but otherwise it's much like LeBron on the Cavs. You can have one superstar, but you need other role-players. There wasn't a single one to be found. Bryant McFadden, Ryan Clark, and Ike Taylor, repeatedly were torched by every pass of Aaron Rodgers. Even Troy made one extremely bad read, which resulted in their last touchdown.

Ben played his normal, great at some moments, and terrible at others style of game, but didn't have that "Two-minute" drive in him.

Or is it because even when the Steelers lose, there were always the Penguins to fall back on? Which brings me to my second point.

The Penguins are DONE. You may think I'm overreacting a bit, but it's true. Crosby will come back, but he won't be the same player at least for the rest of this season. Concussions are the taboo words in professional sports today, and the treatment of them being even more paramount. There is no reason to rush Sid back. With Malkin out for the rest of the season, the Pens are not going anywhere. Will they make the playoffs? Sure. Beyond that, nothing is possible. Teams can focus solely on Crosby, and not pay for it.

I was at the Caps vs Pens game on Sunday (THANKS JANE!!), and got to see firsthand what this team is like. Defensively the Penguins are strong and will remain that way. However, their shots on offense were weak and mostly coming from the point. Jordan Staal is a STUD of a player, but he is by no means a #1 Center. The Caps were buzzing around, and with all the shots they took, it was only a matter of time before Fleury got sloppy and let one in. It'll be a long few months, but this again illustrates the NEED for the Pens to get a top-line winger. Someone who can create scoring opportunities, crash the net, and distract the opposing goalie. We've had that player before in Gary Roberts and Marian Hossa, and need to find someone similar. With that type of player, I'd still say the Pens have a chance this year.

Finally, the experience of the Caps vs Pens game was overwhelming. It was my first live experience in this rivalry. My biggest grief with Caps fans were they were mostly "bandwagon" fans. Ones who only go to games because it's the "cool" thing to do in DC. People who could name, Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin, but not Laich, Johannson or Erskine. It's scary, but its slowly changing. The fans are getting smarter.

The overall game presentation is amazing in person. Their third period video montage of famous sports motivational speeches to "UNLEASH THE FURY!", gave me chills. People are cheering at the right time, arguing the correct calls, and understanding the terminology better. On a scale of 1-100, with 100 being a Canadian hockey fan, and 1 being Florida Panthers' fans, the Caps have gone from around a 40 to 65 in the span of three years. They're on the right track with the overall experience and team building. I only give it such a score, because there are still plenty of people who buy the Ovechkin jerseys b/c he's the main star.

Come on, do some research, pick someone new, or someone that plays a complete game. There are a few (GULP!) good players on this team. First and foremost Mike Green, who bought our tickets yesterday and provided some amazing seats.

As a fan of the game, I can only hope this trend continues. I love seeing the old school uniforms, and throwback players names. It makes the experience better and the rivalry more intense. Gone are the days when I could simply dismiss the fans for not being true fans of the game.

The entire Pens vs Caps argument, just took a huge step forward, and will only become more intense as the months and seasons go by. Strap yourself in, because the next few years are going to be scary good.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!!