Conspiracy Theorists Unite

I can't resist addressing this.

The series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators hasn't even started yet and the calls of favortism from some in Ottawa's fan base have already started.

I came across a piece from someone who blogs about the Sens and has already wondered whether "the fix is in" for Ottawa in the first round series.

Basically, the author believes that, because the Penguins are one of the league's marquee showpiece teams, there will be questionable penalties that go against Ottawa every game.

You know, because the officials are in on the conspiracy, too.

Well, let's hope the zebras have shredded that memo they got from the league office telling them to call the games in Pittsburgh's favor. After all, Senators' GM Bryan Murray is going to whine about something when things don't go Ottawa's way anyhow. He doesn't need a memo for that.

Suggestions of Pittsburgh favortism have been heard for years, and that speculation is utterly ridiculous. The officials are going to make bad calls. It happens all the time. Some will undoubtedly put Senator players in the box.

But to the extent Ottawa takes more penalties or is seemingly the victim of more calls, it has absolutely nothing to do with any desire to see Sidney Crosby or the Pittsburgh Penguins win.

Those complaints are nothing more than sour gripes born out of jealousy of a team that is full of skilled, talented players who are generally good at putting themselves in situations where penalties need to be taken against them.

Penguin haters need to look beyond their colored glasses and accept the fact that bad calls happen to each team in every game. I mean, really. Drop that "the fix is in" attitude because you team is playing the Penguins. Just play hockey. Every team has obstacles like that to overcome, and the calls almost always eventually even out.

Here's the blog with the piece I'm talking about:

http://www.senstown.com/

More in a bit.