I just caught Jack Edwards saying Gary Bettman is supposed to join he and Brick in the booth in the second stanza. I know it will be the typical fluff questions. You know, “How do you think year two of the CBA is going?” “Are you surprised the fans came back?” You know, that PR bull the commish has to do. I really would love Jack to ask the question. Since he won’t, I will.
Mr. Commissioner, why would you say attendance is noticeably down?
In Boston, I get it. They suck right now, and the Pats are still playing. If they get better, they will draw in the winter. Also, the fan base is very jaded. We really would like a winner, but Jacobs doesn’t really care, so people don’t go. Colorado has seen their league leading streak of sell outs come to an end. These people have been selling out the Pepsi Center since it opened. Now they have stopped coming. Why? Why Mr. Bettman?
Could the answer lie in the fact the new game is kind of dull to the die hards? Sure it’s fast, and there is a lot of scoring, but the constant stopping for every little thing in my opinion takes all the momentum out of the game. The near constant special teams play is dull to me. I really would like some sandpaper and grit back in the game, but because of the new NHL, those elements are in the Press Box, or down on the Farm. I still believe hockey is the greatest game on Earth, and as much as I complain I will still watch. I like the new rules to an extent, but I wish they were a little looser with the whistle. I really wish the NHL would go to a one referee system, but that is not going to happen. If you look at the AHL, they have the same rules as the NHL, but I feel the game flows more due to one less set of eyes.
I think next year when the NHL goes to the form fitted Jerseys (which I hate by the by) they are going to lose another group of fans in the collectors. This is a group of fans that goes to games to see the Jerseys they want to collect as Gamers. I think once they go to the tight shirts, no one is going to want to collect a Jersey anymore. The flow of the Jersey and how it ruffles in the wind as a man skates is part of the beauty of the game itself. They Jersey are one of the things that makes hockey unique, please Reebok, don’t fuck with it.
I think it is a sad state of affairs in the NHL right now, too bad no one will ask Mr. Bettman about it.
Can you ‘shirt’ someone wearing the new jersy?
Not without a shoe horn.
We have to do a Podcast over Thanksgiving. We should get a similar jersey and test the ‘shirting’ potential live in the studio.
Agreed. I will be the shirter. Any volunteers for the shirtee? I was thinking of getting a sheet of ice sometime soon too. Maybe we can all have a go?