spoon
06-16-2007, 07:06 PM
http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/6909422
Great rundown on the NHL's problems and needs with some being painfully obvious. Yet I disagree with number 5 and 9 bigtime (underlined). Anything I made bold, needs to be done and probably should have years ago or at least after the strike.
Items underlined I totally disagree with.
#5 Why get rid of composite sticks to help passing (I'm not a believer of this myth) and hurt shooting? If you're goal is to raise scoring in this league, then helping one area and hurting another doesn't do shit. Why not just let the player decide on what they like better? If it's clearly to their advantage, I believe we'd see a lot more old fashion sticks out there on the ice. Not just the older players and D who like a stronger stick.
#9 As for increasing the size of the net I couldn't disagree more. The only thing they should increase is the size of the rink. That way there wouldn't have to be an asterix next to records (in my mind) due to a major change in the game. I know you might say rink size does just that, but the players would still have to score the same way on the same net. Another option is to regulate goalie equipment like they were supposed to. All too often I see this rule and laugh when I see the likes of the majority of the goalies in the league.
Finally I felt neutral on three of the ten options listed.
#4 The officiating wasn't a huge problem over the last few years and the league has done what it could to crack down on the holding. My qualm comes in the form of the refs taking this rule too literal and removing the hitting aspect from the game. I can't tell you how many times I've seen them call a penalty on a good clean hit. If a guy goes down on a clean hit, it doesn't make it illegal! And the instigator rule applies somewhat here too, but they covered that correctly.
#6 The ice can surely be a problem throughout the league at any point of the season due to other events. They do in fact need to protect the game more here, along with a better ending time for it's season. However, in terms of rank I just don't think this is a huge issue. I'd rather the league work on the important issues first as they seem to drag their feet everywhere.
#8 Wow here's a touchy subject indeed. I surely see this as a big op, but they need to tread lightly. If they play it up on NHL.com and work out better fantasy games as it's lead in it can help, but working a gambling angle on purpose just can't happen anywhere. The NFL is unique due to it's schedule and routine. They don't really push gambling, it happens on it's own. Betting on hockey isn't the easiest either so I'm not sure what they might propose to help it along.
Ten ways to fix the NHL Al Strachan
Special to FOXSports.com, Updated 1 day ago STORY TOOLS:
Ten ways to fix the NHL:
1. Fire Gary Bettman
Most of the problems that plague the game are the result of decisions — or non-decisions — made by Bettman. His lack of imagination in labor conflicts caused two devastating lockouts. The first, in 1994, destroyed the promising future that awaited the NHL as a byproduct of the New York Rangers' Stanley Cup victory. The second, 10 years later, destroyed most remaining American interest in the league. Bettman has done an excellent job for a dozen or so investors, but for the rest of the league and for the game itself, he has been a disaster.
2. Get back on TV
Even if it takes buying out the remaining year of the Versus deal, the NHL has to get itself onto a major network as soon as possible. Because of the insipid game that Bettman had foisted upon the fans — low-scoring, restraint-dominated affairs — the NHL was going to have its product relegated to ESPN2 after the lockout. But even that had to be better than Versus which is simply not available in most venues. Furthermore, hockey highlights would have been shown on ESPN and at the moment, with very rare exceptions, that's not the case.
3. Restructure the season
Training camps are a throwback to the days when players spent the summer delivering beer — or drinking it. Nowadays, they come to camp in excellent condition. As a result, training camps could be shortened and the season could start earlier, which would in turn allow an earlier finish. Most people don't want to be watching hockey in June. In the playoffs, force teams to either make their building available when the results call for it or lose the home-ice advantage, thereby putting an end to these week-long delays between series.
4. Continue the officiating fine-tuning
For some reason, the NHL doesn't like to make moves. Far too many league officials say, "We don't want to be constantly changing the game. It's pretty good as it is." Sure it is. That's why the Stanley Cup final produced the lowest prime-time ratings in NBC's history. It is crucial to the sport that the great players be allowed to show their skills, and although many moves have been made in this direction, the officiating decisions — mandated from above — still leave a lot to be desired. It's a long path but stay the course.
5. Get rid of composite sticks
The NHL got itself into this mess in its usual fashion when it took a lackadaisical approach to the arrival of aluminum sticks. Now, most players are using the composite sticks and coaches hate them. Although they produce a wicked shot, they're not so good when it comes to receiving passes. Pucks that should be under control are bouncing around somewhere near the blade and the extra split second required to calm the puck often prevents the next pass. It's one of the reasons there are so many blocked shots.
6. Fix the ice
This one is difficult to impose, but it's crucial. The skills that today's players possess is phenomenal, but too often, they are negated by bad ice. The problem tends to be at its worst at the most important time of the season — in the playoffs when the warm weather is arriving. The league should be funding university research that can discover ways to keep the ice hard and chip-free; it should demand top quality ice plants in every building; and it should penalize teams which stage various ice-destroying shows hours before Stanley Cup games.
7. Get rid of the instigator rule
For one thing, there would be a reduction in cheap shots if a player knows he has to answer for his indiscretions. It might result in more fights, which wouldn't do any harm to hockey's popularity, but more likely, it would result in fewer injuries to key players. As a corollary, the league should not be quite so stringent in the area of excusing players from fighting majors. In other words, if a player takes a cheap shot, then decides to turtle when retaliation comes, give him a fighting major anyway.
8. Recognize the impact of gambling
Bettman abhors gambling and does everything he can to distance the game from it. But would the NFL have the popularity it enjoys if it weren't for gambling? Bettman doesn't realize that people in hockey pools, or people who have bet even small amounts on games, are much more likely to add to TV ratings than those who don't have a financial stake in the outcome. The league should do everything it can to encourage pools as well as making sure that gamblers get accurate, up-to-date injury information.
9. Increase the net size
This one is sure to encounter serious opposition, but the league has to do something about the lack of scoring. Don't change the shape. That's too radical. But a slightly larger net with the same configuration would make goalies do what they used to do before they and their pads became so much larger. They'll have to move post to post. They'll no longer be able to block the entire lower quarter of the net simply by dropping to their knees. To attract a larger audience, scoring has to increase, and this is the easiest way to do it.
10. Market the players
These guys are the most articulate, entertaining and accessible athletes in pro sports yet as soon as one of them says something remotely controversial, Bettman and his minions rush to silence them. Build some commercials around them. Increase their image. The league knows how much the players can sell the game, but too many owners feel that if they market the player, then his salary demands would increase accordingly. That's probably true but it's time to stop worrying about such matters.
Great rundown on the NHL's problems and needs with some being painfully obvious. Yet I disagree with number 5 and 9 bigtime (underlined). Anything I made bold, needs to be done and probably should have years ago or at least after the strike.
Items underlined I totally disagree with.
#5 Why get rid of composite sticks to help passing (I'm not a believer of this myth) and hurt shooting? If you're goal is to raise scoring in this league, then helping one area and hurting another doesn't do shit. Why not just let the player decide on what they like better? If it's clearly to their advantage, I believe we'd see a lot more old fashion sticks out there on the ice. Not just the older players and D who like a stronger stick.
#9 As for increasing the size of the net I couldn't disagree more. The only thing they should increase is the size of the rink. That way there wouldn't have to be an asterix next to records (in my mind) due to a major change in the game. I know you might say rink size does just that, but the players would still have to score the same way on the same net. Another option is to regulate goalie equipment like they were supposed to. All too often I see this rule and laugh when I see the likes of the majority of the goalies in the league.
Finally I felt neutral on three of the ten options listed.
#4 The officiating wasn't a huge problem over the last few years and the league has done what it could to crack down on the holding. My qualm comes in the form of the refs taking this rule too literal and removing the hitting aspect from the game. I can't tell you how many times I've seen them call a penalty on a good clean hit. If a guy goes down on a clean hit, it doesn't make it illegal! And the instigator rule applies somewhat here too, but they covered that correctly.
#6 The ice can surely be a problem throughout the league at any point of the season due to other events. They do in fact need to protect the game more here, along with a better ending time for it's season. However, in terms of rank I just don't think this is a huge issue. I'd rather the league work on the important issues first as they seem to drag their feet everywhere.
#8 Wow here's a touchy subject indeed. I surely see this as a big op, but they need to tread lightly. If they play it up on NHL.com and work out better fantasy games as it's lead in it can help, but working a gambling angle on purpose just can't happen anywhere. The NFL is unique due to it's schedule and routine. They don't really push gambling, it happens on it's own. Betting on hockey isn't the easiest either so I'm not sure what they might propose to help it along.
Ten ways to fix the NHL Al Strachan
Special to FOXSports.com, Updated 1 day ago STORY TOOLS:
Ten ways to fix the NHL:
1. Fire Gary Bettman
Most of the problems that plague the game are the result of decisions — or non-decisions — made by Bettman. His lack of imagination in labor conflicts caused two devastating lockouts. The first, in 1994, destroyed the promising future that awaited the NHL as a byproduct of the New York Rangers' Stanley Cup victory. The second, 10 years later, destroyed most remaining American interest in the league. Bettman has done an excellent job for a dozen or so investors, but for the rest of the league and for the game itself, he has been a disaster.
2. Get back on TV
Even if it takes buying out the remaining year of the Versus deal, the NHL has to get itself onto a major network as soon as possible. Because of the insipid game that Bettman had foisted upon the fans — low-scoring, restraint-dominated affairs — the NHL was going to have its product relegated to ESPN2 after the lockout. But even that had to be better than Versus which is simply not available in most venues. Furthermore, hockey highlights would have been shown on ESPN and at the moment, with very rare exceptions, that's not the case.
3. Restructure the season
Training camps are a throwback to the days when players spent the summer delivering beer — or drinking it. Nowadays, they come to camp in excellent condition. As a result, training camps could be shortened and the season could start earlier, which would in turn allow an earlier finish. Most people don't want to be watching hockey in June. In the playoffs, force teams to either make their building available when the results call for it or lose the home-ice advantage, thereby putting an end to these week-long delays between series.
4. Continue the officiating fine-tuning
For some reason, the NHL doesn't like to make moves. Far too many league officials say, "We don't want to be constantly changing the game. It's pretty good as it is." Sure it is. That's why the Stanley Cup final produced the lowest prime-time ratings in NBC's history. It is crucial to the sport that the great players be allowed to show their skills, and although many moves have been made in this direction, the officiating decisions — mandated from above — still leave a lot to be desired. It's a long path but stay the course.
5. Get rid of composite sticks
The NHL got itself into this mess in its usual fashion when it took a lackadaisical approach to the arrival of aluminum sticks. Now, most players are using the composite sticks and coaches hate them. Although they produce a wicked shot, they're not so good when it comes to receiving passes. Pucks that should be under control are bouncing around somewhere near the blade and the extra split second required to calm the puck often prevents the next pass. It's one of the reasons there are so many blocked shots.
6. Fix the ice
This one is difficult to impose, but it's crucial. The skills that today's players possess is phenomenal, but too often, they are negated by bad ice. The problem tends to be at its worst at the most important time of the season — in the playoffs when the warm weather is arriving. The league should be funding university research that can discover ways to keep the ice hard and chip-free; it should demand top quality ice plants in every building; and it should penalize teams which stage various ice-destroying shows hours before Stanley Cup games.
7. Get rid of the instigator rule
For one thing, there would be a reduction in cheap shots if a player knows he has to answer for his indiscretions. It might result in more fights, which wouldn't do any harm to hockey's popularity, but more likely, it would result in fewer injuries to key players. As a corollary, the league should not be quite so stringent in the area of excusing players from fighting majors. In other words, if a player takes a cheap shot, then decides to turtle when retaliation comes, give him a fighting major anyway.
8. Recognize the impact of gambling
Bettman abhors gambling and does everything he can to distance the game from it. But would the NFL have the popularity it enjoys if it weren't for gambling? Bettman doesn't realize that people in hockey pools, or people who have bet even small amounts on games, are much more likely to add to TV ratings than those who don't have a financial stake in the outcome. The league should do everything it can to encourage pools as well as making sure that gamblers get accurate, up-to-date injury information.
9. Increase the net size
This one is sure to encounter serious opposition, but the league has to do something about the lack of scoring. Don't change the shape. That's too radical. But a slightly larger net with the same configuration would make goalies do what they used to do before they and their pads became so much larger. They'll have to move post to post. They'll no longer be able to block the entire lower quarter of the net simply by dropping to their knees. To attract a larger audience, scoring has to increase, and this is the easiest way to do it.
10. Market the players
These guys are the most articulate, entertaining and accessible athletes in pro sports yet as soon as one of them says something remotely controversial, Bettman and his minions rush to silence them. Build some commercials around them. Increase their image. The league knows how much the players can sell the game, but too many owners feel that if they market the player, then his salary demands would increase accordingly. That's probably true but it's time to stop worrying about such matters.