This is making the rounds today on the various hockey blogs we check and began on a Pens message board this morning ...
Shop.com already has the Penguins Eastern Conference champions locker room hat available for sale for $28.99, according to Sean Leahy from GoingFiveHole.
In case you were curious, there is no companion Flyers hat available, figuring the merchandise gurus were just working ahead.
This was sent to us by a Flyers fan who felt the Flyers were being disrespected.
It's probably a little tacky that there was not some mechanism for this not to appear on the Web site, given the results of last night's game. The Penguins could have clinched the series Thursday night and the hats needed to be ready for potential sale today. That they exist is not the problem; that you can presumably buy them before the series ends just seems like bad form.
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The news of the day from Flyers practice is injury updates on Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn. Timonen seems much more likely to play Sunday, but Coburn remains a possibility, Les Bowen reports
Rich Hofmann has been at the Daily News since 1980. He previously blogged the Eagles' postseason run in 2006. 
Ed Barkowitz was the first Philadelphia Newspaper journalist to write a blog, starting back in 2002.
Comments (9)
What's the big deal? Of course they had hats ready, just in case the Pens won last night. They do this all the time in the playoffs in all sports. I don't think this has anything to do with the Penguins, it's an NHL marketing decision, no doubt.
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 2:44 PM
Well that's good news about Timonen. Who comes out? Modry or Parent?
I had a gut feeling that Coburn had something else going on. If he's got a concussion, then that will most likely keep him out of the lineup through the end of the series, no matter how much longer it goes.
Posted by Pat H | May 16, 2008 3:01 PM
I'm thinking that Coburn is a lot more hurt than they are saying. He got hit in the face with a puck...that's pretty bad. Also, he was vomiting on the plane ride home. I think he got his bell rung a little and they need to make sure he is completely healed before putting him back into the lineup. I hope the best for him because he plays well with Timonen. But he's a young guy and they shouldn't risk his career. He has many playoff games left in his playing career (I hope!).
Go Flyboys.
Posted by Mike | May 16, 2008 3:11 PM
Anon--The problem isn't that the hats were produced ahead of time. The problem is that the series isn't over and they're already on sale.
Great news on Timonen. Let's hope that this conjecture about Coby being concussed is overblown.
Posted by Mike P | May 16, 2008 3:24 PM
I’m still trying to catch my breath! Last night, I realized that this team is determined to Fight Back! With the task at hand so hard to accomplish, I think they are just taking it in stride. That Hatcher fight at the end of the game was indeed a statement! The Flyers were saying we are not backing down! This is not the Bill Crosby show! Last night was the first step in the Flyers shocking the world! Sunday at 3 comes step number two! With late developments that Timonen and Colburn will be back in the lineup, I really have no doubt that we are witnessing perhaps, one of the Greatest comebacks in the History of sports! I believe that the Flyers will come out and set the tone early again in Game 5. And hold on, forcing a Game 6 at the Wachovia Center. I actually have goose bumps thinking and how great that atmosphere will be on Tuesday night! Once again, we had NO SHOT! And once again we are proving to everyone that this team is ready for anything! They will not give up without a fight as we saw last night! Once again Steven “My balls were stapled to my ass” Krawsowski was wrong with his prediction yesterday that the Flyers would be embarrassed and the series would end last night. Good call! And on that note, We have Sunday, 3pm. You really don’t get much better then that! I will be going to church on Saturday night, so I can start the pregame at 9am.
Faithfully,
Dale Hawerchuck
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 4:03 PM
PLEASE TELL CROSBY TO WAIT TILL HE IS A MAN TO GROW A PLAYOFF BEARD. I CANT TAKE THE DIRT STACHE. HE LOOKS LIKE A COLLEGE PORN STAR.
Posted by The Beard Master | May 16, 2008 6:12 PM
PLEASE TELL CROSBY TO WAIT TILL HE IS A MAN TO GROW A PLAYOFF BEARD. I CANT TAKE THE DIRT STACHE. HE LOOKS LIKE A COLLEGE PORN STAR.
Posted by The Beard Master | May 16, 2008 6:12 PM
I just got a call from Crosby's Mom and she did not like all the hits on her son. Also, she said that he has some dirt on his face and wanted to wipe it off for him.
Posted by Mike Hancho | May 17, 2008 1:53 AM
Hey Hawerchuk,
That was LEAST heterosexual post I've EVER read.
Posted by PensAreJustTooLoaded | May 17, 2008 9:54 AM