Did you catch wind of the mini-controversy initiated by broadcaster Gary Thorne, who is doing the TV play-by-play for the Baltimore Orioles (among other broadcasting assignments)? Very recently, he made an offhand remark during an O’s- Red Sox game claiming the blood on Curt Schilling’s sock in the 2004 ALCS and World Series was really paint, and it was applied on the sock as a PR stunt. Thorne has since recanted his rather preposterous claim, saying he misinterpreted past remarks made to him in the Red Sox locker room.
 
 I really have no opinion on the subject, other than to say it was a rather comical situation and blown way out of proportion, which happens frequently on matters involving Red Sox Nation. The reason I bring the whole thing up is that I heard at least two baseball analysts who were asked their opinion of the matter go out of their way to say how much they enjoyed Thorne as a hockey announcer. I couldn’t agree more. With all due respect to the play-by-play voices bringing us this year’s NHL playoffs – and they all do a stellar job – there’s something missing without Thorne in the mix. I always found his energy and obvious love for the game infectious and compelling. He made the games he was doing seem larger than life, and it always drew me in as a viewer.
 
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 Observation made while channel surfing during NHL playoff games:
 
 Why was Cliff Clavin on Dancing with the Stars? I mean, nice guy and all, and I absolutely loved him in Cheers, but – really – was he not miscast, especially with a knockout professional dance partner half his age? And speaking of which, I remember when Clyde Drexler really could “glide”, and it was on a much different hardwood than he was on during his brief run on that dancing show. Maybe it’s just me, but I think there are those rare challenges in life that are probably best left unmet.
 
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 Anyone out there remember the glove save Scott Fankhouser made on Jaromir Jagr, then of the Pittsburgh Penguins? It was either the first or second year of the franchise, and it was a brilliant stop as Fankhouser lunged to his left to snare the laser off the stick of Jagr, apparently just before the puck crossed the line. Unfortunately, upon further review, it was determined that the webbing of Fankhouser’s glove was across the line when the save was made, so the initial ruling of no goal was overturned. Now the entire glove was not over the line and the puck was never visible (it was inside the glove), so it was assumed by the video review folks that Fankhouser had to have made the save in the web of his glove. I’ve often wondered why it was never postulated that the Thrashers goalie may have actually caught the puck in the palm of his glove, which was clearly outside the goal line. And after seeing the ruling from above on the Briere non-goal the other night, I’m wondering about that play again.