Lately it has been hard to be a hockey fan. Between downright boring defensive games to the whole CBA argument, the NHL has not really held my attention this year. I'm still watching Colorado, Toronto, and Montreal games on NHL Center Ice, but even that is getting hard to handle. Some nights it is like watching different leagues just by changing channels from the Toronto game to the Montreal game. The officials are not calling the games with any kind of standard. Obstruction is back in a big way, and they are just turning their heads 90% of the time. Personally I am tired of the league trying to "crack down" on something and then not following through with it.
It is no secret I am starting to get annoyed/bored with the NHL lately. I mean, I haven't updated this blog in months. I have just been quietly watching Toronto gain the number one spot in the league, watching Montreal quietly secure a playoff spot, watching David Aebischer fight for the number one goalie spot in the league, and trying not to turn the channel in disgust no matter what game I am watching when I see a play that should be a penalty but the "officials" are not calling them. The thing that pushed it over the edge however, was this weekend. The All-Star weekend if supposed to be a fun break. A time when the league's best of the best come out to play a fun game and compete with nothing on the line except a few almost meaningless MVP awards and the right to claim some skills titles for at least a year.
Every year there are some players attending the All-Star weekend who are questionable. For instance, why was Marty Turko there? He has not been all that great this year. Why was Hedjuk NOT there? I'm not going to question the starters because they were voted by the fans, but some of the others just blow my mind. I run into so many people in Seattle who are hockey fans. People I wouldn't expect to be a hockey fan really, but still they are. Yet no channel in Seattle other then the Vancouver CBC feed actually aired the all-star game. ESPN aired the young guns and skills competition on Saturday, but come Sunday... nothing. ABC was airing some women's basketball game. I guess Seattle is a poor market for hockey. So, I ended up watching the CBC feed. I wish I had just skipped the whole thing. Here is why:
- Ron MacLean was not very fair when interviewing both Bettman and Goodenow durring intermissions
- CBC actually decided to play a commercial rather then show Joe Sakic receiving the MVP award (shame shame)
- Bettman and Goodenow decided to play "bicker via press conferences" and eclipsed the All-Star weekend with their personal grudges
- CBC kept mentioning the whole Don Cherry issue over and over and over and over......
Of course, there were many things I liked about this year's All-Star weekend:
- The PA announcer was the Pepsi Center PA announcer (He has one of the best PA voices in the league)
- Jeremy Roenick going 4 for 4 on the accuracy shot event
- Jeremy Roenick staying on the ice in the 2nd intermission to address the crowd and introduce the Barenaked Ladies
- Sauve won the Young Guns MVP award
- Sakic hat trick!!!
Anyway, in many ways the NHL is pissing me off this year. I love to watch games, but I hate what happens sometimes. Not to mention I am so sick of the who CBA thing. Bettman is cocky. He wouldn't be so bad if he had some tact, but the fact is he views himself as the most important person in the hockey world and doesn't let anyone he is talking with forget it. He lies about numbers, he lies about talking with the NHLPA, and he lies about what will happen should there be a work stopage. Really, he doesn't have much of a leg to stand on. A work stopage will hurt team owners and the leage way more then the players. The players could always play for other leagues (or join the WHA should that start up again).
So there you have it, my All-Star rant.
I will be at the Avalanche game on the night of Feb 18th this year. Woo!
It is no secret I am starting to get annoyed/bored with the NHL lately. I mean, I haven't updated this blog in months. I have just been quietly watching Toronto gain the number one spot in the league, watching Montreal quietly secure a playoff spot, watching David Aebischer fight for the number one goalie spot in the league, and trying not to turn the channel in disgust no matter what game I am watching when I see a play that should be a penalty but the "officials" are not calling them. The thing that pushed it over the edge however, was this weekend. The All-Star weekend if supposed to be a fun break. A time when the league's best of the best come out to play a fun game and compete with nothing on the line except a few almost meaningless MVP awards and the right to claim some skills titles for at least a year.
Every year there are some players attending the All-Star weekend who are questionable. For instance, why was Marty Turko there? He has not been all that great this year. Why was Hedjuk NOT there? I'm not going to question the starters because they were voted by the fans, but some of the others just blow my mind. I run into so many people in Seattle who are hockey fans. People I wouldn't expect to be a hockey fan really, but still they are. Yet no channel in Seattle other then the Vancouver CBC feed actually aired the all-star game. ESPN aired the young guns and skills competition on Saturday, but come Sunday... nothing. ABC was airing some women's basketball game. I guess Seattle is a poor market for hockey. So, I ended up watching the CBC feed. I wish I had just skipped the whole thing. Here is why:
- Ron MacLean was not very fair when interviewing both Bettman and Goodenow durring intermissions
- CBC actually decided to play a commercial rather then show Joe Sakic receiving the MVP award (shame shame)
- Bettman and Goodenow decided to play "bicker via press conferences" and eclipsed the All-Star weekend with their personal grudges
- CBC kept mentioning the whole Don Cherry issue over and over and over and over......
Of course, there were many things I liked about this year's All-Star weekend:
- The PA announcer was the Pepsi Center PA announcer (He has one of the best PA voices in the league)
- Jeremy Roenick going 4 for 4 on the accuracy shot event
- Jeremy Roenick staying on the ice in the 2nd intermission to address the crowd and introduce the Barenaked Ladies
- Sauve won the Young Guns MVP award
- Sakic hat trick!!!
Anyway, in many ways the NHL is pissing me off this year. I love to watch games, but I hate what happens sometimes. Not to mention I am so sick of the who CBA thing. Bettman is cocky. He wouldn't be so bad if he had some tact, but the fact is he views himself as the most important person in the hockey world and doesn't let anyone he is talking with forget it. He lies about numbers, he lies about talking with the NHLPA, and he lies about what will happen should there be a work stopage. Really, he doesn't have much of a leg to stand on. A work stopage will hurt team owners and the leage way more then the players. The players could always play for other leagues (or join the WHA should that start up again).
So there you have it, my All-Star rant.
I will be at the Avalanche game on the night of Feb 18th this year. Woo!
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