Tasca's Take - Weekly Commentary

Checking In

2006-01-31T14:30:00.000-05:00

You know, one of these years I will find a way to incorporate blog posts into my daily life. It just hasn't happened for the first two years of this blog's existence. For the time being, you can find my latest sports work over at Eric McErlain's place.

A Real Hockey Broadcast

2005-12-22T22:56:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I attended a Springfield Falcons game with an old college friend. At the last minute, I decided to bring my tape recorder, thinking it'd be fun to sit by the press box and call the action. The end product was a foolish rendition of hockey play-by-play, so completely absurd that my boss decided it would make a great spoof broadcast for my local radio station.

Imagine Bob Uecker and Monty calling a hockey game.

The ten minutes of madness can be downloaded here. Be forewarned, as these highlights didn't actually air on Springfield radio station WMAS. This is nothing more than a spoof broadcast.

Thornton and the Media

2005-12-01T13:47:00.000-05:00

If you want the real scoop on the Joe Thornton trade, check out the Globe's Bruins page. Read any article. It doesn't matter which one.

Reading the Globe this morning gives you an idea how despised Thornton was in the Boston media. Each article has a common theme - Thornton wasn't a leader. What the hell does that mean anyway? What, exactly, is a leader? And how would the media know a damn thing about Thornton's leadership qualities (or lack thereof)?

The problem with Thornton is that he didn't say boo to the media. He avoided the shooting gallery after Game 7 against Montreal in 2004, and he's been shunning guys like Kevin Dupont this season. It's shameful how they're persecuting him today. I don't think Patrick Roy received this bad a beating in in the French press ten years ago.

These reporters all seem to talk about how Thornton never held himself or his teammates accountable. How the hell would they know? The problem is Thornton didn't hold himself accountable to the media. When you're captain, especially in Beantown, that's an obligation.

Nevertheless, I think there's a lot more to this situation than meets the eye. I have a feeling there were some internal issues that have yet to come to the fore. Judging by what Thornton said, I really think O'Connell had it out for him:

"I came here to win and we haven't been winning. Whose fault is that? I'm not sure. Obviously, I'm out of here so it must be mine."

O'Connell never came out and defended Thornton after it was revealed that he played the 2004 series against Montreal with cracked ribs. He just let Joe get murdered by the firing squad, led by Dupont. Do you think Bob Gainey would let the Montreal press go to town on one of his players? I don't think so (remember his Brisebois tirade).

Most GM's stand by their man. O'Connell never did.

This is the result.

POSTSCRIPT: Speaking of Patrice Brisebois, I happened to stumble upon this recent Denver Post article that chronicles his resurgence in Colorado. It really gives you an idea how much influence the media has in sports, and how reporters can run a guy out of town if they put their minds to it:

"There were two or three in the media who for some reason were really against me. But I know I did everything I could for the fans. I gave money to charity, I did everything hockey players should do for their community. But I took a big lesson from all of it. In life, you can't please everybody.

"It was hard, very hard. My mother called me a few times and she was crying on the phone, and I said, 'Mom, don't worry about it!' You have to be tough, but once it has hurt your mother and your family, I think it's time to go."

If it weren't for assasins like Jack Todd, Patrice Brisebois would still be in Montreal. And judging by the way their defense corps has been gutted as of late, they sure could use him.

Turkey Day Fun

2005-11-24T18:57:00.000-05:00

Tom Benjamin's post about the decision to postpone the remainder of the Red Wings/Predators game this past Monday got me thinking, inspiring me to the point where I made it the subject of one of my audio essays that I produce for my local radio station. I decided to upload the four-minute file to the internet, something I'll try to do as much as possible now that I'm becoming more technologically savvy. It's nothing special, but I'm a big fan of audio commentary.

And forgive me in advance, but I just had to steal Tom's subject title for use in the essay. It was too good to pass up, and thankfully nobody listening in Rhode Island will notice.

Some Things Never Change

2005-08-27T19:08:00.000-04:00

Let's check in with our old friend Dale Purinton, who had an adventurous season in the ECHL this past year:

Purinton, an enforcer, was suspended twice by the league, the first for a career-ending check into the boards of Condors player Krzysztof Wieckowski, and the second for returning to the ice to fight after being ejected during a bench-clearing brawl involving the Kings and the Falcons. After the latter suspension, Purinton was suspended indefinately by the Salmon Kings and did not play again that season.

If someone can tell me what the Rangers see in this guy (besides lunacy), I'd love to know.

Baby, You Can't Drive My Car

2005-08-12T18:33:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, policy analyst Radley Balko wrote an editorial condemning several instances in which authorities have arrested parents for supplying alcohol to minors at supervised parties:

Not only do such uncompromising approaches do little to make our roads safer, they often make them worse. The data don't lie. High school kids drink, particularly during prom season. We might not be comfortable with that, but it's going to happen. It always has. The question, then, is do we want them drinking in their cars, in parking lots, in vacant lots and in rented motel rooms? Or do we want them drinking at parties with adult supervision, where they're denied access to the roads once they enter?

Balko’s reasoning sounds good in theory. But he’s missing the bigger picture.

What parents are inadvertently doing by collecting kids’ keys at the door prior to beer parties is encouraging, if not promoting, drunkenness. In essence, the parents Balko cites in his article are telling children it’s okay to get plastered – as long as you get plastered at home. These parents are serving as enablers, insinuating that there’s nothing wrong with being an irresponsible drinker, as long as you pass out on the same floor you were standing on a few hours prior.

Indeed, teenagers are going to drink. I echo Balko’s sentiment in that regard. Regardless, this reality shouldn’t discourage parents and educators from reinforcing the negative consequences associated with excessive alcoholic indulgence. Parents who condone serving alcohol to minors are not only promoting irresponsible drinking (which could lead to alcohol poisoning), but they are also laying the foundation for other potential substance abuse under their own roofs.

But then again, maybe supervised drug use isn’t such a bad thing.

Bertuzzi Time Warp

2005-08-10T10:13:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, James Mirtle wrote a fine piece on the NHL’s decision to re-instate Todd Bertuzzi. While I agree with the premise of the article, this particular excerpt caught my attention:

This is not to compare what Bertuzzi did to these heinous acts or to flaunt some sort of higher moral authority I deem myself to have. I don't. But, in meting out punishments, it's believed that they'll serve as a deterrent to whoever else finds themselves in a similar situation.

And while you'll hear in the media how the NHL is back to it's old ways, has learned nothing from 'the incident,' and should aspire to 'be more like the other sports,' I don't expect in the wake of the past 17-months that players will view violent on-ice acts the same way. Call me naive.

Back in March, I wrote extensively on the Bertuzzi incident. One of the articles included a discussion about the subject of deterrence. Here’s a brief portion of that commentary, beginning with a citation:

The Globe and Mail’s Eric Duhatschek:

"Human behaviour, not just the behaviour of athletes, is unpredictable. Society imposes harsh penalties for the crime of murder, but the possibility of a life without parole still doesn't stop people from killing one another.

The length of Bertuzzi's sentence will unquestionably get the attention of NHL players, but then, there was supposed to be the message in the McSorley suspension. McSorley got what amounted to a lifetime ban and a criminal record as a result of his slash to Brashear's head. The McSorley-Brashear incident happened right under Bertuzzi's nose - in his home arena - but that didn't stop him from attacking Moore, even if he should have known better."

Duhatschek touches upon human psychology here, and his point is well taken. Studies have shown that the existence of deterrents, such as extended jail time and the death penalty, has not substantially lowered the crime rate in many North American cities. Similar deterrents in sports, like suspensions and fines, fail to prevent the recurrence of violent outbursts.

Many folks are of the belief that the banning of fisticuffs in professional hockey will effectively end the exhibition of senseless, violent conduct. In my mind, that opinion is foolish. While one-on-one punch-ups would be no more, dangerous stick work would likely rise significantly. Quite frankly, hockey players would have to compete without sticks in order for on-ice violence to be eliminated completely. Likewise, you’d have to prevent football players from hitting each other, boxers from punching each other, and pitchers from throwing at opposing batters.

More on the subject of deterrence from Canadian National Post columnist Colby Cosh:

"…there's no sense ending Bertuzzi's career over an injury he unquestionably inflicted but that was also a little fluky. Bert is one of the players we're going to be telling our grandkids we saw, and he didn't intend to break anyone's neck. There are many worse things he might have done--what McSorley did to Brashear was worse, of its own accord, though the injury consequences, by pure luck, weren't as bad. It's simply not true that implementing strict liability of this sort is going to end hot-headed, foolish actions, any more than the hanging of pig thieves in 18th-century England ended pig theft. Bert didn't possess the mens rea to be convicted of career murder."

Cosh makes a case for Bertuzzi, noting an excessive punishment against him is inappropriate because making an example out of the winger would not prevent similar attacks in the future. I’ll take it a step further by claiming sucker-punches and excessive violence will continue to perforate the sporting world, primarily because it is utterly impossible to put some sort of a deterrent leash on the emotional reactions of professional athletes.

Sporting competition that involves physicality encourages violence. As a result, emotions tend to run high, and rationality is often temporarily discarded. Bertuzzi, indisputably, had completely taken leave of his senses when he battered Moore, as do many athletes that allow their emotions to paralyze their thought processes. Deterrents are meaningless to an irrational athlete in the heat of battle, or any emotional human being, for that matter. To me, the only way to completely eradicate the combative nature of physical competition is to simply exterminate the practice of contact sports. (end)

I stand by that belief. I saw plenty of AHL hockey this year, and I can name about five brutal sucker shots off the top of my head that landed players multiple-game suspensions. To infer that Todd Bertuzzi’s punishment will in any way prevent similar incidents from occurring is not so much naïvete as it is plain lunacy.

Miracle Workers

2005-08-07T21:44:00.000-04:00

Kirk Penton of the Winnipeg Sun was impressed with Sidney Crosby’s performance on the Jay Leno show on Thursday:

Sidney Crosby's appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno the other night was solid. Sure, he's been in the spotlight for a while now, but it looked like ice was running through his veins. He made the audience laugh a few times and the bit with the dryer was funny. He's done the NHL a service for performing well on national U.S. television. All he has to do now is save the league.

Speaking of saving, it’s Wayne Gretzky to the rescue in Phoenix:

Wayne Gretzky has decided to become head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, according to reports.

While several NHL sources told the Arizona Republic that Gretzky is expected to officially be named coach Monday, Coyotes spokesman Rich Nairn said he could not confirm the story and that team had no events scheduled for Monday.

It looks like we’re going to see how great Gretzky really is.

POSTSCRIPT:

Reaction to the Coyotes’ recent hiring is pouring in. Here’s Tom Benjamin:

Despite the risks he is taking, anybody who has coached at any level knows why Wayne is doing it. The game experience is tons of fun, the next best thing to playing. If I was Gretzky, I'd jump at it even if disastrous results might tarnish my image.

Jes Golbez offers his thoughts:

If Wayne wanted to increase interest in Coyotes games, he should have hired one of the hungry and talented head coaches out there to help his team win games. People don't go to hockey games to watch the coaches.

It’s Steve Ovadia’s turn:

Gretzky has done a nice job running Team Canada, but I'm not sure he understands the game on a basic enough level. Getzky is super talented, with a brilliant hockey mind, but he's on such a higher plane, I wonder if he can articulate his thoughts to players.

Lyle Richardson gets into the action:

Here I go, being cynical again, but I think the only real motivation to Gretzky going behind the bench is because the Coyotes have to fill their new building and thus far are a team without a marquee name to help draw them in…

If the true motivation is to boost ticket sales, the Coyotes may be in worse shape than we've been led to believe.

Being a fellow cynic, I’m inclined to endorse this opinion. I firmly believe Mario Lemieux wouldn’t have come out of retirement in 2000 had the Penguins been on stronger financial ground, and likewise, I don’t think Gretzky would jump onto a ship that wasn’t sinking. Sure it’s a gamble, but the potential payoff is evidently too tempting to pass up.

Cut and Paste

2005-08-06T12:02:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite hockey commentators - Daryl Reaugh - has a humorous look back on the chaotic NHL entry draft:

(P)lot lines and funeral parlor esthetics aside, what was the deal with teams having their hockey departments go to the stage, make their selection, then, if said player was not at the draft, have them hold a team jersey in front of the group for a picture?

Was it to remind people what the team emblem and colors look like? Has the NHL not heard of Photoshop?

Some teams did it right. They had a young kid come onstage in a team jersey and stand with the suited males. It might have made a little more sense to have a stand-in on stage. Take the photos. Take a head shot of their coveted first round pick. Then Photoshop the kid into the picture of his 'greatest day ever'.

As Razor illustrates, engaging in creativity is not the forte of the NHL, on or off the ice.

What's Your Name?

2005-08-06T01:48:00.000-04:00

Political correctness gone wild:

The NCAA (has) banned the use of American Indian mascots by sports teams during its postseason tournaments, but will not prohibit them otherwise….

Nicknames or mascots deemed "hostile or abusive" would not be allowed on team uniforms or other clothing beginning with any NCAA tournament after Feb. 1, said Harrison, the University of Hartford's president…

North Carolina-Pembroke, which uses the nickname Braves, will not face sanctions. NCAA president Myles Brand explained said the school's student body has historically admitted a high percentage of American Indians and more than 20 percent of the students are American Indians.

Am I the only one who foresees the day when collegiate sports teams are prohibited from having any name whatsoever? Eventually we’re going to have animal rights activists protesting the hostile representation of lions, tigers, and bears. Then we’ll see meteorologists objecting to the destructive implications of names like “Hurricanes” and “Golden Tornadoes.” Clergymen will begin petitioning against the use of “Saints” and “Friars” by Catholic school teams.

Believe it or not, the madness doesn’t end there:

Taking a cue from the NCAA’s decision to ban all Native American mascots during tournament play but allowing the mascots otherwise, the Pentagon today stated that all military hardware with Native American monikers will be immediately removed from combat operations or provided less offensive alternate names. The hardware would remain available under their current monikers for day-to-day training…

A joint panel of service leaders was expected to be immediately convened to work on acceptable nicknames for all other hardware and to develop training courses for the transition. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was unwilling to comment.

Is it just me, or is it strikingly ironic that our government is spending valuable time trying to conjure up acceptable names for combat weaponry?

Don't Worry, Be Trappy

2005-08-05T01:21:00.000-04:00

All the talk in Chicago recently is centering around the prospect of signing Nikolai Khabibulin. Sure, they’ve already snagged offensive-oriented blueliners Adrian Aucoin and Jaroslav Spacek this summer, but lost in the mix is the fact that the Hawks have yet to upgrade their horrid deficiency at the forward position. In a Q&A session on the Blackhawks website, GM Dale Tallon addresses the team’s inability to land a legitimate scorer:

Well, it's always an issue. But Marty Lapointe is capable of scoring 18-22 goals, he's done it in the past. He'll be a real asset on our power play in front of the net. Aucoin and Spacek will chip in a good number of goals. As I said, this is a team game. We saw Calgary and Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup finals and they both played as a team, as a unit; they got their offense from everybody.

In other words, “We’re gonna trap the hell out of our fans so that the United Center can maintain its reputation as having less life than a funeral parlor.”

Glad to be Unhappy

2005-08-05T00:46:00.000-04:00

With the amount of vulgarity on cable television these days, I’m surprised people are making such a big deal over this:

CNN suspended commentator Robert Novak indefinitely after he swore and walked off the set Thursday during a debate with Democratic operative James Carville.

The live exchange during CNN's "Inside Politics" came during a discussion of Florida's Senate campaign. CNN correspondent Ed Henry noted when it was over that he had been about to ask Novak about his role in the investigation of the leak of a CIA officer's identity.

A CNN spokeswoman, Edie Emery, called Novak's behavior "inexcusable and unacceptable." Novak apologized to CNN, and CNN was apologizing to viewers, she said.

Bob Novak’s year just keeps getting better.

Everybody's Got A Price

2005-08-04T06:36:00.000-04:00

Ben Wright has been on a roll over the past few days, covering the free agent signings with reckless abandon. Perhaps too reckless:

Pronger will excite fans in Edmonton. Foote and Berard show that Columbus is serious about getting better. Hiring Gonchar tells the folks in Pittsburgh that the Penguins are serious about icing a good team and getting a new arena. Did all three of these teams overpay? Probably, but they can get away with it. As stupid as it sounds the cap will protect them, as will the league. Do you think Gary Bettman and the board of governors will possibly let a team fail under this system?

I certainly know how fans in Quebec, Winnipeg, and Hartford would answer that inquiry.

Driving That Train

2005-08-03T11:04:00.000-04:00

If Tom Benjamin thinks signing Adam Foote to a three-year, $4.5 million contract is plum loco, then he’ll burst out in laughter at this press conference quote from Columbus GM Doug MacLean:

“I think this is a huge day for the franchise. The day we acquired Rick Nash was a pretty special day. The inaugural season when we were granted the franchise was a pretty special day, and opening night was a special night. I equate today with those days.”

Good God.

POSTSCRIPT:

Ben Wrigh t doesn’t think the Foote signing is all that wacky:

Columbus has to overpay to get free agents. While it's a solid market when it comes to fanbase and young talent they don't have a winning tradition and aren't likely to be in the the thick of the Cup race come May. Detroit, Colorado, Philly and Toronto (among others) can get away with paying less because they're perenial contenders. It takes more money to lure free agents to teams that are rebuilding or still trying to establsh a team identity.

Then how do you explain Mike Keenan’s ability to sign Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts for a combined annual salary that is less than what Foote will get from the Jackets?

Buffalo News beat writer Bucky Gleason hops on the absurdity train:

(Foote) made $4.3 million in 2003-04, under the old collective bargaining agreement. Calculate the 24 percent salary rollback, assuming Foote was worth $4.3 million in the first place, and he should have signed a deal worth about $3.25 million this season. The Columbus Blue Jackets decided he improved so much during the lockout that he deserved $4.6 million a season.

Granted, he's a good player, but for Foote that's an arm and a leg, especially in today's game.

"It's a little scary," Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier said Tuesday. "I don't want to comment on another organization, but I can comment on what's taking place in the marketplace. These types of things are what got us in trouble in the first place."

That notion has crossed my mind, as well.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2005-08-01T11:56:00.000-04:00

I wonder what Matt Welch has to say about this:

A man is accused of stabbing five people outside Dodger Stadium in what police said was a dispute about the sale of counterfeit T-shirts following a game between the Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.

The fight broke out Sunday after private security guards hired to crack down on vendors selling unlicensed Dodgers merchandise approached a group of vendors, police Lt. Ruben Delatorre said.

One of about 15 vendors began "slashing at people" with a knife as fans left the stadium, Delatorre said. The unidentified man fled in a black vehicle. Police were investigating.

If I ever end up visiting Chavez Ravine, a Kevlar vest is going to be in order.

Greatness In Our Midst

2005-07-31T21:22:00.000-04:00

Powerline’s John Hinderaker gushes like a severed jugular vein over George Bush’s involvement in the Asia Pacific partnership on Clean Development and Climate:

It must be very strange to be President Bush. A man of extraordinary vision and brilliance approaching to genius, he can't get anyone to notice. He is like a great painter or musician who is ahead of his time, and who unveils one masterpiece after another to a reception that, when not bored, is hostile.

I never really thought our president had much in common with Vincent Van Gogh, but perhaps a case can be made after all.

Kids These Days

2005-07-30T23:56:00.000-04:00

Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette lives up to his name after speaking with two Ottawa-area teenagers who attended a Sidney Crosby hockey clinic on the eve of the NHL draft:

Everyone knows about Sidney Crosby in hockey's homeland.

"I don't even know who the Prime Minister is," said Kristina Erwin, 16, of Brockville, Ontario.

"Neither do I," added sister Brittany, 14, almost proudly.

If Finder was trying to make a point by including these two quotes in his piece, he accomplished his goal.

The BlogHer Underground

2005-07-29T01:35:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year, three young women started tossing around the idea of holding a conference designed to increase the presence of female bloggers on the internet. After much discussion and intense preparation, the 2005 BlogHer Conference became a reality, and will be held tomorrow in Santa Clara, California.

The event is not only designed to educate women on how to network and generate more exposure for their blogs, but it also intends to help produce greater visibility for the blogging community as a whole. It’s an interesting concept, and as Chris Nolan points out, the conference is not feminist-oriented:

This gives me a wonderful chance to state the obvious about this conference: IT IS NOT FOR WOMEN ONLY. Not only are men welcome -- a statement that it seems absurd to have to make - but some are planning to attend....

This gives me the chance to make another observation: If you are a man who like code and software and things that plug in, and is perhaps having trouble finding a girl who likes Java (and knows it's not just a coffee) and understands your inner Geek, this might be the PERFECT place for you to spend a summer afternoon.

For the record, the conference is sold out, and several influential male bloggers will be attending, including Kevin Drum and Jay Rosen, to offer their insight.

I guess Nolan’s sales pitch was fairly effective.

Reality Check

2005-07-28T23:32:00.000-04:00

Dallas Stars color analyst Daryl Reaugh explains precisely why removing the center red line will do absolutely nothing to open up the game:

All the removal of the redline will do is back the trap up from the redline to the defensive blueline. Teams will now employ a player staggering system called a 1-3-1. Larry Robinson, coach of the NJ Devils said so on a show called Off The Record on TSN in Canada. A 1-3-1 will make the old 1-2-2 look like a buzz-saw of forechecking activity. If you want an example get a tape of the German National team at the Olympics and a large supply of Redbull.

We won’t need a tape of the German team, Razor. Several NHL clubs will be providing us with vivid examples of the staggered trap come October 5^th.

On Second Thought

2005-07-27T23:11:00.000-04:00

As if you needed another reason to love Wal-Mart:

Wal-Mart will allow the Pensacola News Journal to be sold at area stores, rescinding a ban imposed because of a newspaper column that a local manager considered derogatory to the retailer.

Columnist Mark O'Brien wrote in June 19 editions that Pensacola should "be more than the Wal-Mart kind of town we're becoming -- cheap and comfy on the surface, lots of unhappiness and hidden costs underneath"…

"We did make an error in judgment by removing the papers from our stores," Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokeswoman Sharon Weber said in an e-mail from company headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. "They should be available in our stores by the end of the week."

An error in judgment? That’s putting it lightly. In fact, Wal Mart’s Pensacola district manager Bob Hart was so incensed, he asked that O’Brien be fired for writing the column.

News Journal executive editor Randy Hammer sums up my feelings on the matter in an editorial published after the Wal-Mart ban:

When we stop listening to people on the other side of the fence, when we try to silence and even punish people for thinking differently than we do and raising facts and figures we don't like, well, we won't be red, white and blue anymore.

Imagine if Wal-Mart exercised this practice nationwide. They wouldn’t sell any newspapers.

Till We Meet Again

2005-07-27T17:19:00.000-04:00

Tom Benjamin gives a thumbs up to the just-released NHL schedule:

Some people have expressed dismay about the decision to reduce the number of inter-conference games if only because (the Canucks) will see a lot less of some of the storied franchises in the East and a lot more of the Minnesota Wild and Anaheim Mighty Ducks. I can see that point of view, but I think it comes down to a choice for West coast fans.

Do we want to see more wins because a significant geographical disadvantage is reduced, or do we want to see Sidney Crosby play in Vancouver? I'm selfish enough to care more about Canuck fortunes than variety.

In my opinion, variety is completely overrated. Like Tom, I respect the perspective of many die-hard hockey fans that want to a chance to see all teams from the rival conference play at their home barn, but there are just as many fans (like myself) that welcome the prospect of seeing more games against local rivals.

To me, one of the massive problems with professional hockey over the years has been the reduction in divisional play. There was once a time when NHL teams played divisional rivals ten times a season, and the animosity that would build up during the course of the year would often set up some classic battles down the stretch. And because the league’s playoff format was divisional, those heated late-season games had a lot at stake, as they would usually coincide with playoff position jockeying.

Walking into the Boston Garden in late March for a clash with the Whalers or Canadiens was an experience. Even if you were a passive fan that had no idea who the opponent was that night, you had the impression the game was an important one because of the atmosphere in the building. Hell, you could feel it in the parking lot.

I’ll never forget a story Gerry Cheevers told during a Whaler/Bruin playoff telecast in 1991. Gerry was the color commentator for Hartford at the time, and he recalled standing in line at a hot dog stand prior to the game. “I never truly realized how much Bruin fans hated the Whalers,’ he said on the air. ‘You should’ve heard some of the awful names they were calling me. They called me a traitor. Of course, I suppose it’s no surprise that all the fans in Bruin jerseys were in the beer line, while the Whaler fans were with me getting a hot dog.”

The good old days.

It’s no surprise that the most-hyped, and inevitably, the best playoff series’ are between teams from the same division. In 2004, NHL fans were treated to some fantastic post-season matchups, such as Calgary/Vancouver, Boston/Montreal, and Toronto/Ottawa. However, those matchups occurred by sheer accident, and if the league had any sense, they’d foster the divisional rivalries they’re trying to encourage during the regular campaign by re-introducing the divisional playoff format they abandoned in 1993.

UPDATE: Thankfully, the league is considering heeding my advice.

Simulation Stimulation

2005-07-27T13:45:00.000-04:00

In an editorial in this morning’s Los Angeles Times, author Steven Johnson claims video games are actually stimulating, not destroying, the minds of our young children:

Consider this one fascinating trend among teenagers: They're spending less time watching professional sports and more time simulating those sports on Xbox or PlayStation. Now, which activity challenges the mind more — sitting around rooting for the Packers, or managing an entire football franchise through a season of "Madden 2005"

Boy, I’ll have to think about that one. Johnson continues:

The national carjacking rate has dropped substantially since "Grand Theft Auto" came out. Isn't it conceivable that the would-be carjackers are now getting their thrills on the screen instead of the street?

Ah, the old catharsis theory rationalization. I know Aristotle would be proud, but unfortunately for Johnson, most behavioral studies in this area have proven the opposite.

Interestingly, after offering such a staunch defense of the video game industry, Johnson inexplicably surrenders in his final paragraph:

Of course, I admit that there's one charge against video games that is a slam dunk. Kids don't get physical exercise when they play a video game, and indeed the rise in obesity among younger people is a serious issue.

You don't say?

God Save the Queen City

2005-07-27T00:39:00.000-04:00

Gee, Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano is sounding awfully optimistic these days:

"This (CBA) is going to go a long way to make this organization financially stable… I think people feel they want to have a hope and a prayer that their team is going to have a chance at the Stanley Cup. With this new parity and new stability, it should make for a more competitive environment.”

It doesn’t appear as if Golisano is as confident about the fans’ willingness to come back to the rink in October. Curiously, the Sabres have actually decided to “categorize” their home games this year based upon the quality of the opponent. Individual game ticket prices will vary, depending upon the visiting team’s appeal. For example, local rivals like Toronto and Boston will command the highest prices, while teams like Carolina and Florida will command the lowest.

It’s an interesting idea, but it reeks of bush-league marketing. Besides, I thought the “new parity” meant that all NHL teams were going to be equally compelling to watch.

Maybe Tom should take a page from the AHL’s Springfield Falcons playbook. Back in March, the Falcons made an unprecedented offer to their season-ticket holders, announcing they would offer a full refund after three home games next year if season customers felt they were not getting their money’s worth. The Falcons haven’t finished with a winning record since 1996-97 (when Manny Legace tended goal), and their attendance has slipped to the point where they were one of just two AHL teams last season to have averaged less than 4,000 fans per game. Not surprisingly, desperate times call for desperate measures.

But since when does an NHL franchise exhibit such desperation? Admittedly, a recent bankruptcy filing, horrid on-ice performance, $7 million in losses, and a year-long lockout play into the equation, but when a big league sports team is offering its prospective customers $30 lower bowl seats for a game, you know something is dreadfully wrong.

Something tells me the Sabres are going to need some divine intervention in the not-too-distant future.

God Bless America

2005-07-25T23:45:00.000-04:00

How ridiculously sad is it that a book like this is selling like hot cakes? In an interview with Time Magazine, former CBS News correspondent Bernie Goldberg describes the premise behind his latest literary masterpiece:

I really think that there are a lot of people out there, liberals as well as conservatives, Democrats as well as Republicans, who say that this country has just gotten too angry in recent years, too nasty and certainly too vulgar. There’s this tendency to believe that this stuff just happens in societies—societies just evolve; nobody’s to blame. I don’t believe that. I think people are to blame. These aren’t the 100 worst people in America; they’re 100 people who in my view are screwing things up.

I can think of one more.

A Frozen Concoction

2005-07-25T22:31:00.000-04:00

Somebody tell me what’s wrong with this statement. Colby Cosh cites an article by Minnesota hockey writer Brian Murphy, in which the NHL’s decision to remove the red line is analyzed:

In the AHL, the elimination of the red line allowed teams to position a winger at the far blue line to receive a long pass, although teams were conditioned to defend against those breakouts, Lynn said. So the winger typically chipped the puck into the offensive zone to begin cycling. Not much different from the NHL game…

Sound strange? It should, at least for AHL fans. After all, the AHL did NOT allow two-line passes last season.

I don’t know who Brian Murphy is, but he should get his facts straight before taking his material to the printing press. Then again, it sounds like he was relying on the input of Minnesota assistant GM Tom Lynn, who appears to be referencing an outright fabrication about how AHL games were played without a red line.

I highly advise both parties to reference this October quote from AHL President Dave Andrews, who addressed why the red line would not be removed for the 2004-2005 campaign:

The elimination of the red line has had no support from either the NHL general managers nor the AHL Board of Governors. The reason for the lack of support is that most feel that eliminating the red line would lead to a more defensive game, with the trap being utilized more, and a lot of errant long passes going for icings.

Pretty soon, the National Enquirer is going to have higher levels of credibility than major dailies.

Then again, it is quite amusing to see how the NHL has changed its tune in a matter of nine months. I guess hallucinated experimentation really goes a long way.