Thanks for sharing marcray, but I would much rather read what you think instead of just something you agree with. I'll be honest and say I gave the article you quoted very little credibility as it went off on the conspiracy tangent. I don't buy into that in any sport.
If anything, there was a bigger argument for this in the NBA shortly after Bird and Magic left and the NBA found itself devoid of any "faces" to sell the game. Heck, there was even a book written called "The Jordan Rules" which detailed the special treatment Michael Jordan received from refs on the court. If anyone spilled a drop of sweat on MJ, it was a foul. Breathe on him? Flagrant foul.
I think the NHL recently found itself in the same black hole the NBA did years ago. Guys like Mario and Gretzky were gone, and all that was left was a bunch of no-namers who were really good hockey players. Guys like you
LOVE the game that way, I bet you would rather watch the game on a frozen pond outside than in a fancy arena. But it just doesn't attract fans across the board, just like that flavor of the NBA did little to fill arenas. I would credit the NHL front office for recognizing they needed "faces" to save the game, and did all they could to promote them. As the 90's wrapped up and we moved into the 2000's, the NHL HAD to have faces and young stars to compete with the other sports. Heck, I can remember during the lockout that some people wondered out loud if the NHL would even come back at all since few people even cared. So BOOM! Here comes some young studs, and now the game is climbing in popularity.
Take me for example. I like the Pen's because they are from Pittsburgh, always will. I am not a big hockey fan like I am with the NFL. If the Pen's were terrible with a bunch of nobodies on the team, I wouldn't do more than read the box scores. They have recognizable young faces that are also REALLY GOOD players, so I am totally into it. It also helps that they are winning.
You can't blame the game for progressing. It isn't like they are promoting average players as their main guys. These young kids are awesome, and will dominate the game for years to come. The new stars should be protected from older NHL players looking to make a name for themselves before they call it a career. I sure don't want some old scrub like Hatcher or even Gary Roberts taking out a young star like Ovechkin or Malkin for a season. I don't need those old guys out there looking to teach one of these young kids a lesson about how the game used to be and possibly end a career.
The new NHL is here to stay. You can take it, or leave it. As for me, when the NBA changed, I left it behind and I do not miss it.
-Mike
You can't have gotten me and my attitude to the new NHL more wrong. The new NHL is brilliant. The Rangers were a team that languished horribly in the old NHL, we were a retirement home for old cup winners. We were never an overly large team, the bruisers were Philly and to some extent the Islanders, way more grit. The lock-out and the agreement that stemmed from it was the answer to most Ranger fans dreams. We had watched 70% of NHL teams load up on young talent and speed. We had little but Sather had put some gems at Hartford and was continuing to trade dilligently to obtain young legs and skill. That has come thru in Marc Staal, Dane Byers, Ryan Callahan, Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky (hat trick for team USA last night), Lauri Korpikoski, Alexei Cherapanov, Artem Anisimov, Dan Giradi, Bobby Sanguinetti, Fedor Tyutin, Henrik Lindqvist. The aquisitions of Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Paul Mara and Sean Avery don't exactly make us an old team either. Our oldies are Shanahan, Straka and Jagr of which two of those guys at least are doubtful to return.
So the attitude that the Rangers are old and in some way we are hoping for a return the the game of old is ludicrous. Our coaching staff is one of the most passive coaching staffs on the planet. While Martin Brodeur and Sutter kicked and screamed during round one, throwing sticks on the ice and taking private meetings with the officiating staff, our players said nothing, our coaches stayed mum, when Michel Therrien called out the refs before the Pens series even started, our coaches said nothing. When Crosby dove in game one, silence, when Malkin slew footed Paul Mara in game 4 twice within 2 minutes, silence, although Mara commented that it was indeed a "classless act". Michel Therrien on the other hand dismissed the mans actions as "competitive". Now as much as you don't want Hatcher skating around looking to make a name for himself, do you defend the actions of Crosby and Malkin because they are young superstars? Do you understand how dangerous a slew foot is? Do your new stars deserve protection while Drury drops a pint of blood on your ice? So there's a free for all on everyone else, just protect Crosby, Malkin and Jordan Staal? Old scrub Hatcher? You think he needs to make a name for himself now by hitting the Penguins cash cows? I mean, insult the last American Captain to win the Stanley Cup a little more why don't you, and that was on a team that IMHO was an early prototype for what the NHL has evolved into.
On that note, to say that the new NHL is "new" is sorta ridiculous. It's evolved and has been watched for over a decade and a half. Like I said earlier, Rangers fans were aware yet hopeless onlookers for many years. To ignore the contribution of the Av's, Stars, Ducks, Lightening, Sabres, Red Wings, Canucks, Oilers, Hurricanes, to the decade+ evolution of the speedy NHL and what it has become, is just, erm, the point of view of a new Pens fan. The Pens merely benefitted from being hopelessly last and being first in an all important draft while this was all going on.
The comparison with the NBA is interesting. I've never watched. I was never aware of favoritism to Jordan, however it doesn't surprise me. Interesting that this same league has been busy sweeping a referee gambling scandal under the carpet for a couple of years now. I can't point to conspiracy personally, I do point to favoritism and the old "benefit of the doubt" argument that we've heard thrown around so liberally while Crosby has been in the league. My theory is that the Lecavelier experiment didn't work so well (although Tampa did eventually get a cup, then failed to qualify for the PO's), hence the Crosby experiment can't fail. I'll always wonder exactly who's idea it was to publicly introduce Vinnie to the world as "the Jordan of hockey".
All very ironic for Rangers fans as most hockey fans were screaming before the draft of Crosby that the draft would be rigged in favor of the Rangers. The screaming, accusations being thrown around were outrageous, far worse than any conspiracy theories being thrown around now, but that was when the Pens were desperate. But, as if scripted, everything worked out. Pitts got the young marketable star in Crosby, the rich but ailing Washington got AO, Rangers got needed Marquee in Jagr.
I won't bore people anymore with this, it looks really whiny on my part, my team is eliminated and this thread is ongoing Stanley Cup progress, I simply want the rules to be enforced for all teams and all players. Mike if you would like more debate please PM me. My last shot here is this..., please tell me where the game is climbing in popularity?
We are not impressed.
) but (to quote a sig, can't remember whose) "If Peter Forsberg thinks your a diver, son you are a diver".
