Playoff talk and the NHL to Seattle?

From where I sit it looks like another pivotal-do-or-die-must-win game.

I am sick and tired of all the playoff talk. No, not discussing it. I enjoy talking sports as much as I love watching it. However, the mindless use of words or phrases gets quite tiresome by the middle of June. I don't need a reminder that it's a pivotal game. Or a must-win situation. And I really don't need the myriad of stats that accompany whatever game is being discussed. There are numbers to support every eventuality of every game, no matter what the outcome. I do have sympathy for sportscasters. It's not easy coming up with new ways to talk about the same issues every day. For 2 and a half months. I love the playoffs...I just would like more words to stave off the levels of repetition...shit.

The NHL is looking at the possibility of another team relocating.

I think Seattle would make a great NHL city. But not now. The problem is Key Arena. It's not designed for hockey. At all. It will only seat 11,000, with 2,000 of those having some sort of obstructed view. Seattle is a great sports city. The Seahawks, Mariners, Huskies, Sounders and Hydros are all well supported. The would put an NHL team in immediate competition. And with a terrible, outdated rink that would be a huge disadvantage. Key Arena has some great memories for basketball fans, but it is not a hockey rink, and certainly not an NHL arena.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

No purses in the NFL and Quebec Soccer faces backlash

From where I sit it looks like NFL stands for No Female Luggage.

I have been to plenty of sporting events with lots of different people. Only once have I been with a female who didn't bring her purse. My daughter. She's 7. The League claims this is an effort at increased security. That seems logical. After all, most fights in the stands are two women getting in a brawl, swinging their purses around clobbering everyone in sight. What will be banned next? Pockets in men's jeans? It's an arrogant move by the NFL. For them to think nobody would notice is simply stupid. The only thing this will prevent is people attending games.

Speaking of moronic rules, the Quebec Soccer Federation continues to stand by it's rule banning religious head gear.

Given international soccer's lengthy problems with racism and discrimination you know it's got to be a bad rule if FIFA disagrees with it. Once again 'safety' is at the centre of the rule. And just like the NFL this is only leading to headaches for the Quebec Soccer Federation. With 20 teams cancelling from a Montreal tournament there's no question the bite back is being felt. Change is, in all likelihood, coming soon. However, the damage is already done. How much discussion was done before the rule was passed? Did anyone stop and ask if this was right? Or smart? To paraphrase Dr Ian Malcom from Jurassic Park, the QSF was “so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.”

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Update: Quebec has changed their minds and eliminated the rule.  That doesn't preclude the fact that it should never have been there in the first place.

The Cup final is set and the Riders get hitched

From where I sit it looks like a great match-up in the Stanley Cup Final.

This is the first final featuring an Original Six rivalry since the Canadiens thumped the Rangers 4-1 in 1979. They haven't met since 1978, when Don Cherry's Bruins swept the series in 4. In 6 all-time meetings the Bruins have a 5-1 lead. With the lone Chicago win in 1975, 2-1. All of that proves...nothing. As useless as any stats you can ever see. It's a couple of teams that can play aggressive, exciting, tough hockey. I'm looking forward to it.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are getting into the wedding party business.

Let's get one thing clear right off the hop: these are not weddings! They are parties to celebrate marriage, any marriage, of any length. So, no, nobody will be getting hitched during the Riders game on August 17^th. It's a cute idea. Also a typically unique CFL-style promotion. At the same time, since when does Saskatchewan need help selling tickets? This is the kind of idea used by minor league teams in a desperate attempt to drum up interest in a moribund club. Not, the kind of thing needed in the CFL's most stable market. The Riders generate sell-outs the vast majority of the time. And I've got no doubt this will sell out too. No matter how screwy an idea it is.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Big changes for the NHL rule book

From where I sit it looks like the NHL is making some big strides.

Although it's late for some players, the new visor rule will save so many others from pain. Naturally there are some who won't think it's a good idea (ahem, Don Cherry). But, today's players have spent their entire junior career with a visor, so it's not going to be an adjustment. The fighting rules will be changed to continue to allow scraps, after all everyone wears visors in the CHL and there's still plenty of fighting.

I'm also pleased to see progress on hybrid icing. I'm fine with a no-touch icing, there must be a stop to injuries like these...

I haven't read what the style of icing will be tested, but honestly anything will be an improvement. The races seldom, if ever materialize. I cringe every time I see players charging head-long towards the wall. The other aspect of hybrid icing is players will have time to make decisions and brace for possible impact. Instead of having 2 players at almost a dead stop with a live puck, there will be 2 players continuing their motions with a live puck. It will be an improvement in the speed and flow of the game...and more importantly an improvement in player safety.

Of the other issues discussed the big one that jumps out at me is changing the size of equipment. The goalies in particular. Prior to December 29, 2009 the NHL shutout record was held by Terry Sawchuk. He spent most of his career tending goal like this...

I'm amazed it lasted as long as it did and that there aren't any challengers with today's goalie equipment...

The sooner the goalies get smaller the better.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Another attack at a game and the CFL gets a new team

From where I sit it looks like a couple of morons giving sports fans a bad name...again...

Let's start with the fact that these two idiots were attacking Matt Fortese for wearing a Yankees hat. Look, I don't like them either, but I wouldn't waste my breath chirping at someone over it. Never mind, throwing a beer. How drunk do you have to be to throw a beer at a sporting event? In addition the game was in Baltimore...against the Washington Nationals. These idiots (no, I'm not using their names) started a fight over a team who wasn't even there. I'm glad they have been charged. Further to that, convicted or not, they both should be banned from attending games. There's no excuse for an attack like that. Ever.

With CFL camps underway, the League's newest addition is set to unveil it's name and logo...that was leaked last week.

It can't possibly be easy to pick a team name. Even harder, when a league is returning to a city with a long, storied history under another name. But honestly, RedBlacks? How much work did they put into this? It's a bland name. There is very little evocative about it. This is a league with Lions, Stampeders, Eskimos, Roughriders, Blue Bombers, Tiger-Cats, Argonauts and Alouettes. All bring an emotional response in one way or another. But, RedBlacks sounds like a college team. Further to that, what will fans use as a nickname? RBs? I don't know if I could cheer for a team where it sound more like I'm asking for a roast beef sandwich as football tickets.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

The Rangers look for a coach, the NBA refs blow a call and Sochi faces corruption

From where I sit it looks like the New York Rangers have a couple volunteers for head coach.

Both Gretzky and Messier bring impressive credentials...as players. Only Gretzky has any professional coaching experience, and that was hardly inspiring. In 4 seasons behind the bench in Phoenix, the Great One was 18 games under .500. He had 1 winning season (38-37-7 in 2007-08) and never made the playoffs. As for Messier, he coached Canada to a third-place finish at the Deutschland Cup and a second-place finish at the Spengler Cup in 2010. Hardly inspiring numbers from either of them. For Glen Sather, the only benefit this brings is a distraction for the media for his search for a proper head coach. I hope. There are plenty of high quality candidates looking for work. Alain Vigneault, Lindy Ruff, Paul Maurice are all on the market. Dallas Eakins is ready to move up from the AHL. However, Sather's judgement hasn't been the best since he landed in New York, so nothing would surprise me.

It's a 1 game suspension for Miami's Chris Andersen for game 6 of the East final.

That's a fair judgement for what he did, but my question is on the referees. Commissioner David Stern says Andersen should have been ejected. For all the Major League umpires get hammered every time they blow a call, why isn't the same being done here? Sure, Andersen only had 4 points, but he played 18 minutes, second on the team to Ray Allen's 21 from the bench. How the refs watched the same replay I saw and decided Andersen should be allowed to keep playing is beyond me. That looked more like an NHL playoff style decision...did Hansbrough die? No? Ok, Andersen can stay. The NBA is supposed to get the call right, no matter what. A foul in the 1^st minute is a foul in the last. Please, keep it that way.

And in the latest edition of corrupt Olympics, Sochi is added to the list.

So, $30-billion is missing. And it's not like the venues are all ready. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that the Olympics is facing allegations of corruption. When you're dealing with that big an organization, with that much political influence and, depending on the country involved, little to no oversight, disappearing money is almost expected. More surprising to me is that it's been caught this early. Russia is a country without a good history of financial or political openness. So, this is a positive sign. Sure, there's corruption, but their system is showing signs of working.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

The Indy 500, Notre Dame has more trouble and a great interview

From where I sit it looks like a rare sight in sports...almost universal celebration for a competitor. Tony Kanaan achieved just that at the Indy 500.

To see the losers take consolation from Kanaan's win is a great reminder of the magic of sport. Kanaan is a rare breed in open-wheel racing, someone who wears his heart on his sleeve. He can be counted on to give a great account of himself no matter where he is in the race. Whether leading or running at the back Kanaan is always charging, looking for a way through. Then post race not only giving a frank assessment of his own result, but offering plaudits to the victor. Classy is a dreadfully overused word, but it's the best one to describe Kanaan. A worthy Indy 500 champion.

Notre Dame is in the headlines again...and once again it's not for good reasons.

The biggest question for me isn't so much who will replace Everett Golson, but what did he do? And what exactly is “poor academic judgement”? The Fighting Irish went to the National Championship last year, and since have almost imploded. Various players have transferred out or turned pro. Now the starting QB is gone for the season. However, that's not through injury, but delinquency. How did this only surface now? Obviously, students are free to choose their own course of study, but wasn't someone keeping on eye on Golson? Sure, this reflects badly on Golson, but it's worse for Notre Dame. I should be surprised when something like this happens. I should be, but I'm not.

The vast majority of post-game interviews are mundane...this one, with the Blue Jays Munenori Kawasaki was anything but...

I would love more exuberance like that!

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.