vladdy16

I've read conflicting reports on that - some say it was, some say it didn't get as much as the Classic 2 years ago.

Agreed, and I think it's pitiful. The man is one of the best to ever lace up the skates and most "fans" out there couldn't pick him out of a lineup if the rest of the line were all Greeks.

The Nike "Unknown Goalie" commercials were the best! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhMb1M5OycA

Absolutely that helped - not as many bowl games to compete with.

Doesn't matter - you said the "S" word. Prepare for banning.

Tell that to Bettman.

Bad PR and bad FOR PR are two very different things.

How is it bad publicity? Baseball games get called on account of rain all the time and its reputation is no worse for wear. And the loss of revenue is only really going to hurt those teams getting revenue sharing, and probably not a whole heck of a lot. Much of the WC classic merchandise is purchased before the game.

Hell, if I had whistles blowing from all directions every time I tried to do my job, I'd drink heavily too. Plant me firmly in the "I can't stand the SOB, but" camp as well.

Here's the link: This sucks.

+1 for the Python reference! I'm going to talk to Matt about amending the forum guidelines to make this a punishable offense. *evil glare* Thanks for screwing the pooch, HoH.

Nice redirect by Drapes there. He made it look very casual and run-of-the-mill. Congrats on your first goal of the season, Kris.

And we care about as much for their opinion as they do ours. And LMAO at your choice of teams to demonstrate not getting a big audience - seriously? Montreal and NY are 2 of the biggest markets in the league. Step off of your Penguins ice flow once in a while - there's a lot of good hockey out there. And for the teams who don't have markets as large, it's all about exposure. No one is EVER going to care about the markets on the bubble if no one draws their attention to them. San Jose is a good team with a decent market - they could do well showcased in a Winter Classic. If the league truly wants to grow the smaller markets, they need to commit to advertising teams outside of the Pittsburgh/Washington/Detroit fanbase. Do I give a rat's ass about Phoenix? Not even close. However, the league is hell-bent on keeping them in the league and where they are, and if they are not complete idiots, they will start giving the Yotes some exposure. In the meantime, I will be grouting tile or counting how many grains of sugar are in a 5-pound bag during the mockery that is the Winter Classic.

While I LOVE the idea, I'm going to say the Wings shouldn't be in it again until other teams have had the chance. This BS of Winter Classic/Heritage Classic pisses me off. Montreal/Toronto and CO. are all in the NHL, are they not? The Winter Classic should include these teams. If the Wings are going to be in it again before it's their turn (like someone else who shall go unnamed), then I'd kill for it to be Toronto or Montreal. My head tells me they'll do a West Coast team to try and generate interest over there, probably San Jose.

And I thought the coaches picked them?

I don't think the OP wanted to draw our attention to the article itself, but rather the fact that ESPN actually mentioned hockey AND in a good way.

Sorry, but the Lions talk ends here. Back on topic, please.

I LOVE O6 matchups. We don't play Montreal nearly enough. I'm very anxious to see the Habs and partially assess whether they can build on last years' success or if it was just a fluke. Anyone who knocks Pittsburgh out of the playoffs gets major brownie points from me. It wouldn't break my heart to see a Detroit/Montreal final. TONS of history in that matchup. I'm not thrilled with the Euro-Twins being split either, but I'm learning not to question Mr. Babcock. He's done this before and once the team plays piss-poor for a bit, he gets them rolling together again.

West coast trip, back-to-back games, a tough (yeah, I said it) opponent last night, Ozzie being back in net after a month off - none of this bodes well. However, Ozzie is a calm, battle-scarred veteran and I think the Wings come out slow and take over in the 3rd. GO WINGS!!

Big E is playing a very good game. Obviously the Ducks were read the riot act during intermission - they've shown up in the second. And can I just say I want to bear Jimmy's children?

He's done that several times in this game. Someone's going to get hurt, but no call. Yup, those refs us!

I don't know why - beer is mostly water. Expect more thuggery this game, no matter who's winning.

GDT is to discuss the game - if you'd like to talk beer, there's a Water Cooler for that.

The funniest part is they seem to think O'Halloran is in our pocket. That guy has bent the Wings over more than any other combination of referees in the league.

FRANZENSTEIN!!!