Alexander Ovechkin used to promote the Hair Cuttery as his preferred destination to get his mop trimmed. The sponsorship deal must have lapsed because Ovie recently admitted that he gets his hair cut elsewhere. No, the man who’s topped the NHL in goals doesn’t go to an expensive salon. Instead, he gets free haircuts from Mama Ovechkin.
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Alexander Ovechkin isn’t exactly a slave to fashion. He famously wore flip flops on the red carpet at the MuchMusic (basically Canadian MTV) Video Awards earlier this year. He was even denied entry into a Las Vegas club due to his love of wearing flip flops. He’s also dressed up like this before. So it’s no surprise that Ovie wants to set his own trends at the 2010 Olympics.
Teammate Tomas Fleischmann started the buzz about Ovechkin’s skates by spreading the initial rumors about his footwear. Some reporters believed that Ovie would wear all red skates for the Olympics. To that, he replied, “I will have a twist of my own. It’s a secret. You will see it for yourself.”
That twist was unveiled yesterday in Russia’s practice in Vancouver. Ovechkin was sporting a new set of CCM skates decked out with yellow laces and custom-painted chassis. The design includes Ovechkin’s #8 and some sort of demon or goat man on the back of the chassis. Maybe it’s just Satan… and I don’t mean Miroslav. In addition to the skates, I noticed that Alex tapes the handle of his stick in a very particular fashion. The configuration up top allows Ovechkin to get superior grip on his shaft.
The Russian winger is currently skating with Capitals’ teammate Alexander Semin and the two are centered by the Red Wings’ Pavel Datsyuk. Ovechkin and company are currently favored to win the tournament. Olympic hockey opens up today when the USA takes on Switzerland. Russia plays their first game tomorrow against the Czech Republic.
Tags: 2010 winter olympics, alexander ovechkin, ccm, chassis, hockey, NHL, russia, skates, vancouver
Screen grab via KissingSuzyKolber.com
The Titans-Texans MNF match-up was a quality game that was decided (ruined?) by the teams’ kickers. Houston’s Kris Brown missed a 49 yard last second attempt to tie the game, and we are in agreement that Brown must have been psyched out by Rob Bironas’ “Shooter McGavin-esque” celebration. (KissingSuzyKolber)
Has anyone ever noticed how much Omar Epps looks like Mike Tomlin? Well, all of America knows now that Dr. Gregory House told them. (WithLeather)
Mangenius believed he was outfoxed by “fake” Lions injuries to prolong the game. Watch for him to try that as soon as next week. (FanHouse)
There are reports that Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals will play the Rangers at Yankee Stadium in next year’s Winter Classic as a “make-good” to Washington. The Caps were supposed to play Boston at Fenway, but were yanked over ratings concerns. (CBCSports)
Brian Cashman: “We haven’t game planned yet.” What? That never stopped Isiah Thomas. (LoHud)
The Mets have reportedly put a call in to Russell Branyan. That would be a classic Mets signing, would it not? (Twitter/Tim Brown)
If Omar Minaya read BigLeagueScrew he would have figured this 1B situation out some time last year…”The price tag and the potential for (perceived) failure is too high with a star-level player. For that reason, the Mets must seek a bargain. I think the ideal scenario for the Mets would be to acquire a player like Russell Branyan for practically nothing.”
Former Atlanta Hawks cheerleader has turned to porn, taken cheer-leading gimmick with her. (SportsbyBrooks)
Dikembe wanted to know: Who wants to Mount Mutombo? (TMZ)
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Tags: alexander ovechkin, brian cashman, new york mets, new york rangers, NFL, Nuts & Bolts, omar minaya
The Rangers fell 4-2 last night at Madison Square Garden. Marian Gaborik netted two goals but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Capitals. Alexander Ovechkin scored once and is now tied with Gaborik for the NHL lead with 15 goals.
Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves but gave up a breakaway goal to Matt Bradley that ended up being the game-winner. John Tortorella said that rookie defenseman Matt Gilroy was at fault on the play. Bradley also decided to fight Aaron Voros in the first period (video below). The duel left him bloodied above one of his eyes. Voros and Bradley also got into a fight last February.
After the game, John Tortorella admitted that his team isn’t “getting any secondary scoring.” That shouldn’t really surprise the head coach since it’s something we highlighted two weeks ago. Henrik Lundqvist must be frustrated too. The Rangers star goalie swung his stick down and broke it after the final whistle sounded.
Alexander Ovechkin is set to take over the world with the help of IMG Worldwide. The NHL’s best player recently signed a pact with the global entertainment agency and there’s no doubt that the Ovechkin brand will grow.
IMG execs say that Ovie “transcends” the game of hockey citing the frequency with which he appears on SportsCenter or YouTube. It’s clear that he can become an ambassador for the sport but the guys at IMG aren’t exactly looking to help the NHL as a whole. Here’s what IMG honcho David Abrutyn had to say about the move:
“This is really about Alex as an individual that has the ability to transcend his sport and be successful in the commercial arena. We’re committed to Alex, and not much beyond that at this point.”
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Ovechkin is wildly popular in Russia and has become a major star in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area. But can he become a star on the level on LeBron James, Adrian Peterson, or Derek Jeter? It certainly won’t be easy with the lack of coverage of the NHL. However, Ovechkin the most exciting player in the sport with a career trajectory that should place him among the greats.
It’s also important to note that IMG decided to make Ovechkin their project rather than Sidney Crosby. Could it be because Ovechkin has more international appeal? Perhaps. Though I’d argue it has just as more to do with Crosby’s lack of personality (and likability?). IMG’s Arbutyn made a point to highlight Ovechkin’s “personality and general demeanor” as two assets that have helped him break through.
This isn’t really a criticism of Crosby. He was thrust into the role of NHL poster boy by commissioner Gary Bettman and the foolish NHL brass. Instead, Bettman deserves to take heat for his poor attempt to coronate Crosby. The NHL’s problem has always been a lack of visibility for its major stars. Unfortunately for Bettman, IMG just told him that he’d put all of his eggs in the wrong basket.
Tags: alexander ovechkin, david arbutyn, hockey, img worldwide, NHL, washington capitals
Gordie Howe is one of the most bad ass men to play sports. He once fractured his skull in the playoffs then won the scoring title the following year. Reminder: they didn’t wear helmets back then. Additionally, the “Gordie Howe hat trick” is named after him and is comprised of a goal, an assist, and a fight. In an interview with NHL.com, Howe talked up Alexander Ovechkin and also had this tidbit about opponents that tried to hit him while shooting:
“I had some old fellas teach me the follow-through, and the follow-through means anybody coming from the front wasn’t going to hurt me. They’d eat the paint off the blade. Wasn’t dirty, it was protection. They’d duck or veer off.”
With a ‘tude like that, who wouldn’t want to impress Mr. Hockey? Howe was in the crowd for the Capitals-Flyers game last night and had kind words about Ovechkin. Howe praiseed Ovie’s game saying that “if he got any better he’d be scary.” The Hall of Famer also complimented Ovechkin’s combination of strength and mobility. After three games, Ovechkin has five goals while his personal best is 65 and the single-season record is 92.
Tags: alexander ovechkin, gordie howe, hockey, NHL, washington capitalsWe learned last month that Alexander Ovechkin could DJ. Now, we find out that the guy may be able to cook as well. Although I feel like celebrity DJing is probably pretty similar to celebrity cooking. The celebs get people in the door then you make it really, really easy for them. Chances are that Ovechkin will serve up the “Lindsay Lohan DJ Set” of Russian cuisine. The NHL’s MVP will co-host a night at a new Russian restaurant called Mari Vanna in New York. The eatery opened last week on 20th street in Manhattan. The date hasn’t been nailed down yet but will be either September 8th or 9th.
Via New York Times:
Tags: alexander ovechkin, cooking, food, hockey, mari vanna, new york city, NHLIn early September, Alexander Ovechkin, the 23-year-old Russian hockey megastar who is worth $124 million, will swap his jersey for an apron and captain the kitchen of a Manhattan’s newest Russian restaurant, Mari Vanna.
On the ice, Mr. Ovechkin has relied on his improvisational talents to win two MVP awards and the richest contract in National Hockey League’s history. His culinary debut will likely be equally free form as Mari Vanna’s management remains unsure if he will adhere to the restaurant’s “healthy New Russian” menu or resort to something more simple like pelmeni dumplings.
Either way, the appearance of the Washington Capitals star is likely to attract an unusual mix of blue-collar hockey aficionados and Russian oligarchs.
The arrival of Mr. Ovechkin, and a tentative mid-September gig with actress Milla Jovovich, marks the continuation of a series called “Who’s the host?” in which celebrities transform into ad-hoc chefs. The series originated at the original Mari Vanna kitchen in St. Petersburg.
If the presence of celebrities who lack any credible culinary experience seems like awkward experiment, so is the daring, if not oxymoronic “healthy New Russian” fare that has made Mari Vanna a success in both Moscow and St. Petersburg.
“This is like a lab for new Russian food,” said Sasha Poline, a partner in the restaurant. “In 15 years, we want this to be as popular as Japanese food.”
The restaurant was born out of the home kitchen of Maria Ivanovna, a 50-something woman whose home cooking wooed friends and family into her St. Petersburg apartment. Nearly four years ago, the Ginza Project, a restaurant group in Russia with dozens of establishments, created two restaurants in her name.
The New York branch, which opened last week at 41 East 20th Street in Manhattan, has lightened its menu to cater to American diets. The pioneer is 25-year-old chef named Kirill Shishov, who arrived this summer after several years as an sous-chef at Terrassa in St. Petersburg.
Foreign rapping is hilarious. I guess it all kind of reminds me of Snow – Informer with low quality production and lyrics. I came across this video yesterday of a Russian rap group’s tribute to Alexander Ovechkin. Bruno would likely classify this video as “nicht nicht” but at least they put in the effort. Also, is the other part of the hook “slappin’ my bitch”? If you’re interested in the rap group, they’re called El Paso Afera or something like that. So yeah… Ovy is on fire.
A party was held in Russia for Alexander Ovechkin over the weekend at The Paradise club. I’m pretty sure it was a two-night party because you can see people wearing different clothes in some pictures. A few things I noticed in the pictures:
The gathering was a celebration of Ovechkin’s second consecutive Hart Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player. The club was reportedly adorned with red flags that said “Ovy8: Alexander the Great”. At one point during the night, Ovechkin took over the decks in the DJ booth. Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Semin. The rest of the pictures are after the jump.
Via ALEX OVETJKIN:
Tags: alexander ovechkin, alexander semin, hockey, NHL, russia, sergei fedorov, the paradise, washington capitalsThe NHL Awards were last night in Las Vegas. I’m sure your reaction falls into one of two categories: don’t care or didn’t know. That’s because the NHL is a poorly run entertainment business. Alexander Ovechkin won his second consecutive Hart Trophy (League MVP). Much to Gary Bettman’s dismay, the hard-living Ovechkin is the best hockey player in the world. Watching him, it’s obvious that he is one of the most dangerous players to ever touch the ice (post on that to come later this month). I couldn’t find many pictures from the events because the NHL is absolutely horrible at PR.
In the picture below, Alexander the Great is pictured with two showgirls. Not pictured are the six hookers getting drunk on champagne in his limo that’s waiting outside. I’ve made two blog posts today and mentioned hookers twice. I’m batting 1.000, baby. Also, my two blogs posts have been about the NHL. For that, I apologize.
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