Linkin Park: Best Band Ever?

Linkin Park has made quite a name for themselves in the music industry over the last decade. After putting together the final pieces of the band in the late 90s, Linkin Park released their first album “Hybrid Theory” in the Fall of 2000. With any band, a first album may not have high expectations attatched to it, mainly because of their name being relatively new to listeners, but the numbers say otherwise. Linkin Park sold around 4.8 million albums, and was the top selling album of 2001. 

Some bands stop there, but not Linkin Park: the went on to make their second album “Meteora”, and after releasing this album early in 2003, they sold around 800,000 copies in the first week alone. These are staggering numbers that are difficult to put into perspective.  

These guys are still going as well, coming out with “Minutes to Midnight” and “A Thousand Suns”. To find out if they still have the support of their followers, a year and a half ago it shows that Linkin Park posted up their hit song “In the End” from Hybrid Theory on Youtube: that song currently has just over 25 million views! Try seaching up any other random video on youtube, and it will be extremely difficult to find any video with that many views.

They have many followers on their own website as well, and are known all over the world that they travel. For a band to have that many followers, and be talented at different genres of music, they must be considered as one of the best bands ever.



linkinpark.com

Chance to Defy All Odds

Going into week six of the National Football League season, the Green Bay Packers had lost three straight games to fall to a record of 3-3, a record that likely would not keep them on pace to make the post-season. However after battling through many injuries, in which superstars Nick Barnett and Ryan Grant sustained season-ending injuries, the Packers have won five straight games, two carrying over from the regular season, in order to make it to the Superbowl versus an experienced Pittsburgh Steelers team.

The Packers made it into the playoffs narrowly as the last team to qualify, by beating the Chicago Bears in the final game of the regular season, thanks to a game-ending interception by pro-bowl safety Nick Collins. The Packers then went on to beat the third ranked Philadelphia Eagles, the top ranked Atlanta Falcons and to add insult to injury for Chicago, Green Bay beat them again. This is an impressive feat considering the Packers played at all of these teams’ home stadiums, and for the Falcons, Green Bay embarressed them 48-21.

If Green Bay defeats the Steelers in the Superbowl, they will become the only team in NFL history to win a championship as the sixth ranked team in their conference, and win their 4th Superbowl in their team history, which would be their first since 1997. What is also uncommon is that Green Bay is currently deemed the favourite to win the game by oddsmakers, even though the Steelers were the second ranked team in their conference.

There is no doubt that this will be a highly contested battle between two championship hungry teams, but if Green Bay can pull off another win, they will be able to do something only the 2005 Steelers were ever able to do: win the Superbowl.

packers.com

Decision Time for Murray

With the trade deadline fast approaching, Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray must decide who stays and who goes up until February 28th. The struggling Senators are currently in the basement of the Eastern Conference standings, along with the New York Islanders, and the red hot New Jersey Devils, who have won eight of their last ten games. Bryan Murray has kept his lips sealed on what the Senators plans are going into the trade deadline, but with a team that has failed to come anywhere close to their high expectations this season, Murray will likely look to make a move or two.

Although Murray has not indicated which direction he plans on taking this team in the future, with such a dismal season going for the Senators, Murray’s best bet may be to trade some of the older veterans that Ottawa currently has on the team taking up a bulk of their cap space. Every year there are teams looking to add that extra player for the playoff push, and Ottawa appears to be one of those teams that other General Managers would be intersted in trading with, due to their poor record, and due to the fact that Murray will likely be looking to the future with younger players rather than older players, since Ottawa’s opportunity for a championship this season has passed them by quite early in the season.

Look for defenseman Filip Kuba, Chris Campoli and Chris Phillips to be names that will be frequently brought up in trade rumours. Ottawa has an abundance of young talent in their minor league system on the defensive front that will make a huge impact on the NHL in the near future, compared to their offensive prospects.

Last but not least, he has to deal with the head coach Cory Clouston, who has arguably taken the most heat for Ottawa’s performance this season. Murray has been vague as to not give any idea of what he will do regarding this matter. Murray has also admitted that his future is as unclear as Clouston’s is, so it may very well be possible that Ottawa will need to fill more than one vacancy in the off-season. 

Although Ottawa is not a great team now, they have the tools to become great maybe not in the near future, but the next three to four years. If Ottawa wants to become a constant contender for years to come, they should start the rebuilding process with younger players. Bryan Murray does not want to reveal his plan, but based on what Ottawa is currently experiencing, look for Ottawa to start rebuilding team with young players in the near future.

tsn.ca