Contraction Talk - Stupid is as Stupid Does
by Bob Wage on Aug 22, 2008 2:22 AM EDT
3 comments
Some yahoo over at Yahoo seems to have a bit of an infatuation with contraction.
The controversy started when the NHL editor for Yahoo Sports, Ross McKeon suggested to contract the entire Southeast Division, as well as Nashville in his "5 ways to change the NHL" contribution at the Puck Daddy blog. At the time, I just thought that it was a lame attempt at some "tongue in cheek" humor, and I disregarded it.
Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis didn't find it humorous. He ripped apart McKeon in his blog and carried on with numerous reasons why contraction would never happen, and why it was a bad idea. End of story, right? Wrong.
McKeon came back yet again with another article, which attempted to make his original nonsense, less nonsensical. It didn't work. After admitting that there was no way in the world that the NHL would contract, (no duh), he went on giving his brilliant reasoning why it still made sense. Sorry McKeon, but your logic is unsound. There is no guarantee that the product would be any better on the ice with fewer players and fewer teams, and the chance that it might be is not worth facing the countless negative aspects of contraction. Aspects, which you don't even bother to address.
Here are a couple of facts McKeon might not be aware of. The world's population is growing every minute of every day. Out of this growing population, more and more people are playing hockey and they are faster, stronger, and more skilled than ever before. This isn't the 70's anymore.
Puck Daddy editor, Greg Wyshynski made an attempt at damage control a bit later, posting an article stating that he did not believe in contraction, but he disagreed with some of Leonsis' arguments. Then he went on to give his opinion about the hockey market in Washington. (good stuff)
Wyshynski might be better served to put a gag order on his boss and keep him from posting anymore absurdity on the blog. McKeon isn't funny, he's not the best of writers, and his subject matter just seems dumb. The yahoo's time would be better served cropping off headshots of Gary Bettman and pasting them on the bodies of the 100 plus NHL players whose jobs he wants to eliminate.
(Bubba's attempt at "tongue in cheek" humor)
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I recently posted a new article over on The Hockey News blog. It goes into a bit of detail about ticket pricing around the league, while examining who has the least expensive tickets.
(spoiler) Next time a Buffalo fan brags to you about how many times the HSBC has sold out, ask them why they have the cheapest tickets in the league.
______
I'm going out of town for a long weekend. While I plan to have my laptop so that I can check in from time to time, Cory will be looking for and reporting any breaking news. (if there is any)
TGIF!
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Not only is the world’s population exploding, but look at where in U.S. it’s exploding:
Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix, Houston, Charlotte, Austin, Riverside, Calif., Las Vegas and San Antonio are all in the top 10 (Chicago is the other who had the most growth by numbers last year). That’s nine in the southern half of the U.S.
By percentage? Palm Coast, Fla., is No. 1, followed by St. George, Utah. No. 3? Raleigh-Cary, N.C. Oh, and Raleigh was also 12th in the above-mentioned population gain. So contracting out of the South seems foolish at best … downright stupid is probably a better description.
by Cory on Aug 22, 2008 8:44 AM EDT reply actions
Couldn’t agree more, Corey. I sent some of my summer in San Antonio, and their team seems well supported. I’m not sure about how well youth hockey does there, but I did meet several northerners and a few Canadians there!
I do like Wyshynski’s site, but I wonder if McKeon is just trying to stir it up a bit in this down month of news. It has to be, because the level of absurdity is appalling. I have written him off – he deserves no more of our time & energy. However, that Drew guy who actually was actually IN the Triangle and wrote a piece on the state of hockey here based on an unmanned table at a minor league baseball game – THAT sticks in my craw because he actually had a chance to get more info on hockey here, and he didn’t. It was a knee-jerk reaction, and he seems more intelligent than that. I do hope he really comes down for a few games, and I would like to see him actually suit up for some games at the rec level.
by marc on Aug 22, 2008 9:27 AM EDT reply actions
There are many hockey un-purists who would like to see fighting eliminated. Many folks still believe hockey to be what is was YEARS ago, nothing more than a blood bath. They’ve never seen a game live recently, but that’s what they envision….Bobby Clarke beating the living daylights out of someone or same being done to him. Which brings up why has it continued to thrive? I’m not against fighting, but always wonder why it matters? Fighting used to be condoned in pro basketball, until “the punch” from Washington to Tomjonovich dislocated Rudy’s skull from its base. Changed that sport culture forever. Same with clearing of the benches in baseball games? Third man rule should count there too. If a pitcher can’t protect himself after throwing a pitch at a hitter head, he shouldn’t throw the pitch there in the first place. What will it take for fighting and exchanging of body fluids to go by the wayside in hockey? Only if hockey has a Magic Johnson in their midst, IMO. Just wondering out loud.
by Ivy on Aug 25, 2008 10:35 AM EDT reply actions
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