What The F*** Are Cdns Going To Do This Winter?

[maplesyrup]

Dreaded day finally arrives: NHL to trigger lockout Wednesday at midnight

Is this for real?

I thought there was so much money being generated through television hockey rights, that there was lots of money going around for all concerned, for both the players and the capitalists.

[Black Dog]

You thought wrong. There's no major TV deal in place, expansion revenue is gone and most teams are struggling. It's funny: time was, I would have sympathized with the players. Now, I find their reluctance to take on a salary cap rather counterproductive. In the meantime, though, the owners aren't much better, but I think a salary cap, combined with some form of revenue sharing or luxury tax, is the only way to go. I also think they should contract a few of the lame duck franchises like the..uh..Ducks.

In the meantime, I'll just be watching the NFL.

[maplesyrup]

I think this hockey strike spells real trouble for PM Martin.

Without the sort of diversion that hockey affords us during the winter, Canadians will begin to focus more on what is really going on in Ottawa - they will first be shocked, and then they will get angry, and then they will kick some serious Liberal butt in the next election.

[Bakunin]

There can't be no hockey, the canadian unity is based on hockey, If there is no hockey, the country will break up, violence and murder will go up and the whole beer industry will go bankrupt. If there is no hockey, the 3rd world war is inevitable....

[maplesyrup]

What a great hockey game - will Canada pull it off?

[maplesyrup]

How about that Mario Lemieux, eh?

In hockey at least, Canada rules!

I guess we owe it all to PM Martin.

[Slavik44]

Dreaded day finally arrives: NHL to trigger lockout Wednesday at midnight

Is this for real?

I thought there was so much money being generated through television hockey rights, that there was lots of money going around for all concerned, for both the players and the capitalists.

Well, I think I may buy alot more tickets to the Vancouver Giants, and why not they are cheaper. Beyond that there is a temporary league startign up OSHL (original stars hockey league) it will have 6 teams all in canada, I think, and well over 100 players have signed up to play. I think it is goign to be 3 on 3 with 2 goalies and I think it is 17 or 15 minute periods. So maybe they will get some games telivised, the goaltenders in the league are first rate.

[Bakunin]

what would be great is a only canadian tournament while the strike is going on. Each province big enough get his team and we play a little televised tournament that would be nice.

[Slavik44]

what would be great is a only canadian tournament while the strike is going on. Each province big enough get his team and we play a little televised tournament that would be nice.

We do have junior tournaments like that for different ages, this year it is under 18, the games are normally telivised on TSN, so there is some hockey to watch, but it would be nice to see a national professional tournement, however I think you may have to combine provinces, such as B.C, Alberta, Sask. & man. , Maratimes, ontario, quebec.

[theWatcher]

Hey what's the CBC going to do? They are going to lose 99% of their advertising revenue.

And they'll have to fill the entire Saturday night time slot with something.

I suggest:

Don Cherry's Celebrity Boxing.

Watch Don go one on one with your favorite celebrities, starting with Don Maclean.

followed by:

Al-Jazeera in Prime Time.

The CRTC already approved them for Canadian viewing after denying Fox news as being to "unCanadian". Show lots of generic violence and threats against Americans.

Then it occured to me.

The perfect solution.

It's my idea, I claim ownership of it.

The CBC should pay me a huge giant royalty for it.

This will revolutionize the sports world.

Cut and paste old snippets of previous games and splice together brand new ones.

Most of the drunk hosers would never know the difference and you wouldn't even have to pay any of the players.

Plus you could make Toronto win every night on the English Channel and Montreal win every night on the French Channel.

Then they could play each other for the Stanley cup. Every game could go into double quadruple overtime in a new best of 28 playoff series.

And Toronto could win the cup on the English cannel and Montreal win it on the French channel after a marathon 34 period final game

[Slavik44]

Hey what's the CBC going to do? They are going to lose 99% of their advertising revenue.

And they'll have to fill the entire Saturday night time slot with something.

I suggest:

Don Cherry's Celebrity Boxing.

Watch Don go one on one with your favorite celebrities, starting with Don Maclean.

followed by:

Al-Jazeera in Prime Time.

The CRTC already approved them for Canadian viewing after denying Fox news as being to "unCanadian". Show lots of generic violence and threats against Americans.

Then it occured to me.

The perfect solution.

It's my idea, I claim ownership of it.

The CBC should pay me a huge giant royalty for it.

This will revolutionize the sports world.

Cut and paste old snippets of previous games and splice together brand new ones.

Most of the drunk hosers would never know the difference and you wouldn't even have to pay any of the players.

Plus you could make Toronto win every night on the English Channel and Montreal win every night on the French Channel.

Then they could play each other for the Stanley cup. Every game could go into double quadruple overtime in a new best of 28 playoff series.

And Toronto could win the cup on the English cannel and Montreal win it on the French channel after a marathon 34 period final game

No they would have to break for the news just when it was getting exciting.

[JWayne625]

Well I think it is great, since I don't watch hockey anyway. I used to watch hockey when players were picked because of their puck-handling, and skating skills, now they are picked by their ability to act like a two-bit goons and thugs, with no other talents required.

Admittedly there are still a few skillful players, but the vast majority fall into the category I just mentioned. People who's only skill is in assaulting people should not be welcome in any sport, least of all one that influences our youth as much as hockey. We now have high school hockey players bringing that violence off the ice and into the parking lots after games, as happened last winter where I live. Police had to be called in from neighbouring communities to quell a virtual riot, when the police who initially responded were swarmed by those in the crowd who were encouraging the players to continue fighting.

Youth's need to be taught what it is to be a sportsman, win or lose, not how to act like some of their hero's in the game of hockey who use violence instead of skill to prevail. When spectators are more interested in whether there were any fights to determine whether it was a good game or not, that says alot about what the sport of hockey has become. Which is why I no longer watch hackey.

By the way, I did watch the Girl's World Hockey, now that was sportsmanlike, and skillful hockey. Much more enjoyable to watch.

[Black Dog]

The CBC shoukd do what they did during the last stoppage: show classic games like the Soviet/Montreal New Year's game from 1976, or Sittler's 10-point night, or any of the great Oilers/Islanders playofffs.

Now the OSHL is a good concept: I like the four on four, no centre line stuff. But some of the rules (Periods will be 17 minutes;Line changes can only be made on the fly; all minor penalties are taken as penalty shots with chasers; and at the end of each period, two players from each team will take part in a shootout) are ridiculous.

[Slavik44]

Well I think it is great, since I don't watch hockey anyway. I used to watch hockey when players were picked because of their puck-handling, and skating skills, now they are picked by their ability to act like a two-bit goons and thugs, with no other talents required.

Admittedly there are still a few skillful players, but the vast majority fall into the category I just mentioned. People who's only skill is in assaulting people should not be welcome in any sport, least of all one that influences our youth as much as hockey. We now have high school hockey players bringing that violence off the ice and into the parking lots after games, as happened last winter where I live. Police had to be called in from neighbouring communities to quell a virtual riot, when the police who initially responded were swarmed by those in the crowd who were encouraging the players to continue fighting.

Youth's need to be taught what it is to be a sportsman, win or lose, not how to act like some of their hero's in the game of hockey who use violence instead of skill to prevail. When spectators are more interested in whether there were any fights to determine whether it was a good game or not, that says alot about what the sport of hockey has become. Which is why I no longer watch hackey.

By the way, I did watch the Girl's World Hockey, now that was sportsmanlike, and skillful hockey. Much more enjoyable to watch.

from your post we can easily assume you don't watch hockey...

Most Penalty minutes in a career.

Dave Williams: 3966 - Maple Leafs, Canucks, Red Wings, Kings, Whalers - 1974-88

now lets look at some of his season highs

77 games 338 PIM

78 games 351 PIM

76 games 358 PIM

77 games 343 PIM

77 games 341 PIM

those are his five highest PIM total's, what about todays leaders?

1 SEAN AVERY 76 games 261 PIM

2 CHRIS SIMON 78 games 250 PIM

3 KRZYSZTOF OLIWA 65 games 247 PIM

4 JODY SHELLEY 76 games 228 PIM

5 DONALD BRASHEAR 64 games 212 PIM

would you please point out, who there has even 300 PIM?

that's right no one, infact Brashear is the only person to ever have more then 300 minutes in a season, and that was 7 years ago. Infact as it si rightnow very few times have the agressive enforcer in their lineups that were seen in the 80's and early years, There is no bad boys that win by beatign the crap out of people like in the good ol' days with the flyers. What has changed is this;

Dave Williams

Height 5.11 -- Weight 190

Donald Brashear

Height 6.02 -- Weight 225

Sean Avery

Height 5.08 -- Weight 190

KRZYSZTOF OLIWA

Height 6.05 -- Weight 235

Jody Shelley

Height 6.03 -- Weight 225

Chris Simon

Height 6.03 -- Weight 220

Just look at the facts, I mean an average person like me after one year working out is 15 pounds heavier then Williams and 5 inches shorter. Wouldn't it make sense that todays athletes can be bigger and stronger then me? Wouldn't it then make sense that even if there were less fighting, which there is, less enforces, which there is, and less brawls which there is, there will be a higher percentage of fights involving serious injuries. It is not that these players of the NHL have become goons, infact anyoen who acutally watches hockey realises that Goons are gone, Look at Tie domi, even he says there is no place for simple goons they need to have talent to play in the NHL now. it is a re-accuring theme in the NHl, goons just are not needed, and most players in the NHL have plenty of skill.

Besides that how can you say what the game has become when you don't watch it, to go even further I woudl be wiling to say that team pride and youthfull adrenaline influenced your nieghborhood kids to fight after the hockey game, mob mentality influenced them to do so, not hockey players.

[Cartman]

I used to watch hockey when players were picked because of their puck-handling, and skating skills, now they are picked by their ability to act like a two-bit goons and thugs, with no other talents required.

Many people are unhappy with NHL hockey because of this stuff but the league is just not responding with what people really want. Market failure.

If I were a neo-liberal, I would point out that the Flames made $$ this year with a relatively low team salary and even though the Oilers did not even make the playoffs, they still made $$ too. This is a problem with poor decision making amongst management. After all, they are the ones making the decisions in terms of whether to pay high salaries or not. If the owners cannot make $$ in a free market where they can offer a high contract or let the player go try elsewhere, then too bad so sad. Rather than blame the players, they might want to ask why the next owner is willing to pay out too much $$ for the player. If Costco goes under because they pay too much $$ relative to WalMart then too bad.

If I were a neo-liberal, I would also ask why someone like Iginla should be forced to take less than what he could get in a free market when he is one of the best players in the league. A salary cap violates free market principles and sounds like communism to me. He worked hard his whole life to raise his talent levels and now the owners want to restrict his salary potential? The Flames don't have to pay him that much and he is free to look elsewhere including other leagues if he wishes. Maybe nobody will want him.

Perhaps European hockey will make its way to the airways. It is a cleaner game anyways and they are starting to pay high salaries and attract good talent. I wonder what the owners will do?

[Cartman]

infact Brashear is the only person to ever have more then 300 minutes in a season, and that was 7 years ago.

All this does is reinforce JW's point that they are not penalizing this stuff even though hooking and pulling still exists. That is the problem.

[Slavik44]

infact Brashear is the only person to ever have more then 300 minutes in a season, and that was 7 years ago.

All this does is reinforce JW's point that they are not penalizing this stuff even though hooking and pulling still exists. That is the problem.

Here is your proof that you are folowing the ignorant populist messages by ill-concieved media experts, who don't follow hockey.

Fighting on the whole, however, has been in decline since its peak in the mid-eighties, when games averaged over one fight per game. Currently, just over .61 fights occur per game, the lowest total since the 1976-77 season.

Now JW, has said he stopped watching hockey because of an increase in fighting, Bull shit, he obviously watched hockey when fighting was at its peek, there goes your arguement.

[Cartman]

I watch A LOT of hockey. I suspect fighting has decreased but IMO, that is not the problem at all (with a few exceptions). The problem is the hooking and pulling by inferior players. I hate to see great players being pulled down or back by slower, less talented ones who know how to do it just enough to ruin the play, but not too much as to be penalized. That sucks and I highly doubt anyone enjoys watching it.

[Slavik44]

I watch A LOT of hockey. I suspect fighting has decreased but IMO, that is not the problem at all (with a few exceptions). The problem is the hooking and pulling by inferior players. I hate to see great players being pulled down or back by slower, less talented ones who know how to do it just enough to ruin the play, but not too much as to be penalized. That sucks and I highly doubt anyone enjoys watching it.

however hooking and holding are not violent, that is completley another arguement. I am simply telling JW, that he is Telling a complete and utter lie, thatis prooven be pure facts, no arguements needed. There is problems in the game yes, but I don't think anyone can fix a problem based on falicous pretenses.

[caesar]

Have you ever been to a hockey game. The rough stuff is what the FANS all scream for; don't blame the players.