http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/Must-See_Moments/1403720114/ID=1658444912
I have so many thoughts when I see stuff like this, here they are in no particular order....
--Do the players want the NHL to do anything about hits to the head? Forget whether or not this is legal. The fact that Marc Staal took the time to line him up to the point of smoking him in the head the way he did tells me there is zero respect for your peer. Maybe the players are okay with this. If they are, then let them kill one another.
--Why is this an epidemic? Everyone has a theory. Mine is this: More gear = less fear. Less fear = faster players. It has nothing to do with safety. Take a look at an elbow pad today. Does a player really need that much elbow protection? Or does the elbow pad help soften the pain when you use your elbow as a weapon?
--Why are players so much bigger and faster than they were 25 years ago? Sure, there are better training programs for athletes, but I believe the 'more gear = less fear' means guys are going to skate faster without worrying what's in the way. There is this thought of 'I'm invincible', I believe, amongst a lot of the players. After all, why does Stajan admire his pass? Obviously, he's not worried about getting his clock cleaned.
--I'm not sure the NHL can ever go back. How do you take the dangerous world of the National Hockey League and make it less dangerous by taking protective equipment off the players? You can't. I just think there has to be a direction relationship between the new technology for protection and these types of hits. To me, a slower moving game does not necessarily mean a worse game. I suppose I am in the minority on that, but speed isn't always better, in my opinion.
--Am I the only one getting tired of all this? I think the NHL is becoming more of a 12-24 age bracket sports league for fans. Sure, there are 'older' guys that follow it, but I am not nearly the fan I was ten years ago. I have bumped into quite a few men that feel the same way. I'm turned off by a number of things, and head hunting is definitely one of them. It doesn't excite me. I watched Nick Kypreos on television last night, basically say Staal didn't even hit Stajan in the head. Either I'm not watching the video properly or he's blind! The over-analysis, nightly, gets on my nerves too. But, that's a whole other story.
I don't understand why we are constantly looking for ways to change the game because scoring is up or down or sideways and hits have got worse and players are faster or slower or dumber. Just leave it. You don't hear ESPN's Sportcenter talking about how they should change baseball, football, or basketball nightly to make it more entertaining. The biggest change the NBA has incurred in the last decade is making their scratches wear a suit. Why do we as Canadians feel the need to tinker with the game of hockey in order for it to appeal to the average american living in New York, or LA, or Jacksonville FL???
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if we are watching the same video Mike, I saw a left shoulder to left shoulder hit. That was NOT a head shot. It was north-south. I'm definitely getting tired of the over-analysis myself!
ReplyDeleteMike is always right.
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