, Hockey
After the Islander\'s Chris Simon\'s vicious and un-called for attack on the Ranger\'s Ryan Hollweg, members of the sport\'s media decided that it was time for pro-hockey to get rid of fighting. Many of these \"experts\" believe that because hockey allows players to fight, it leads to these events and thus creates a low in popularity. It has no appeal to the \"soccer mom\'s.\" In order to save hockey\'s ever decreasing popularity, they have to clean up their act.
Fighting is engrained in the game and should never be removed, as many of these self-righteous men and women have suggested doing. Hockey polices itself through fighting. The league only steps in when there is an extreme case, such as the Simon incident. Agitators, head-cases, and guy\'s out to injure are taken care of on the ice. The other major sports have gotten away from the philosophy of policing itself on the field of play. In my opinion, they have some what suffered for it in the form of prima-donnas. Do you think Terrell Owens would get away with his antics against Dick Butkis? Barry Bonds would need a lot more than just his elbow guard had he played in the days before Public Relations Departments. Kenny Roger\'s pine tar would have taken care of on the next Tiger\'s at bat, or a St. Louis hard charge to first when Roger\'s had to cover. The problem with hockey and it\'s appeal has nothing to do fighting or aggression or any of that ire. Hockey\'s appeal is low because...it\'s hockey. The memo informing Commisioner Bettman of this fact must still be sitting on his desk.
The best hockey can place in the spectrum of popularity is 3rd out of the 4 major pro-sports. Maybe 2nd. And that is a HUGE maybe. Planets must align and deals with Satan must be made for it to place that high. Unfortunately for hockey fans, the NHL thinks it can be number one. The NHL is like that one friend we\'ve all hung out with. They\'re that guy who isn\'t really all that attractive. Sure when they dress up for a wedding or fancy function, they look okay at best. But on Friday nights, when you go out, they really aren\'t the best catch. But these people think they\'re Derek Jeter. They\'ve decided to put on some expensive threads and douse themselves in fragrances. Of course, this ploy doesn\'t Blackhawks Women S Jersey hide their weight/acne problem, sweating issues, love of swords, or abilities in conversational Klingon. They\'ve set their standards way too high. When a girl of equal \"merit\" shall we say starts to hit on them, they shy away, roll their eyes, or worse, they act insulted. They\'re saving themselves for the hotties. We\'ve all known these people. And we\'ve always been frustrated as hell with them. \"Just go home with the fat chick! She\'s in your league! I can\'t stand you complaining all the time about not getting laid!\" This is hockey. It has decided to set too lofty goals. It wants to beat baseball in American sports. It thinks it can beat out football. That day will only come when the Canadian Mounties patrol the streets of Manhattan. Hockey has decided to go after the sexy ladies, as opposed Blackhawks Women S Jersey to ignoring the most abused fat chick in the history of civilization, Mother Nature. It\'s a geographically limited sport. Sure there\'s roller hockey, but the speed is different. The friction between rubber wheels and pavement is too great to really get the feel of blades on ice. I grew up in central NY, a place where it snows until May. There is nothing more fun than playing ice hockey out doors. In my mind, and many others, it trumps touch football or sweaty basketball courts. Do you know who those \"many others\" are? People raised in cold climates who have experienced the same thing. Nobody in Tampa Bay, or Atlanta, or Nashville have any idea what I\'m talking about. But people in Canada, Buffalo, Minnesota, New England and Northern Illinois understand.
Hockey\'s biggest problem right now is that it is too big. It expanded way to fast. It thought it could go for the hotties. Some of their best players are playing in the wrong markets. I have friends who are very active sports fans. They follow all the majors, and some college sports, fanatically but every so often they say, \"There\'s an NHL team in Atlanta?\" Hockey has decided to expand in warm weather climates and worse yet, markets where pro-sports fans aren\'t as fanatical. Most southern and mid-western fans love College sports, specifically Football. They are loyal and rabid fans of these sports, which is fantastic. But they cannot support a major league team that competes on a surface that cannot be found anywhere without paying for a skate rental.
Let\'s cut the number of teams. Do it Bettman. Cut your loses and start over. Cut out 10 teams. You\'ve already lost so much credibility with your fan base. It will be the best thing to do ever. You broke it, now fix it.
I\'m not the first person to suggest this move. But here is my lay out of how the league should look. Now, not all of these teams that I am keeping are cold climate markets. I took into account market size/fan base activity, and hockey tradition. Hockey traditions seem to escape Mr. Bettman. To him, old school is circa 1998.
Here is the layout. I am also Blackhawks Women S Jersey using the old names of the divisions and conferences. (Imagine if Selig even proposed getting rid of the National League and American League!) Please hockey fans, try to hold back the tears as I show these names and layouts.
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