Something Fishy in Pittsburgh

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Thankfully, he's not the type to do that. He's one of few commentators I know of that gets pissed when his team gets a powerplay from a phantom penalty.

True. I don't think Mick ever would.

I'm just trying to make the distinction here that this was done by someone at Fox Sports broadcasting in Pittsburgh, not the Pens organization.

Not that anyone in this thread seems to care about the difference.

[Miller Brew 0]

Off topic, but what team does Bettman want to win the cup this year? His Penguins got the cup last year, I'm thinking he might want to mix it up a little. Maybe Blackhawks?

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

I have no problem with that EXCEPT that is was written that the suspension was to be MANDANTORY. You can't have something wiaved that is MANDANTORY. If the intent is for it to be a judgement call it should say that.

Poorly worded, maybe, but this is still just semantics. The intent of the rule, via its repeated use, is very clear.

And as far your suggestion that the rule does not apply to "star" players - that's just stupid. Can't a star player act like a goon too?

They can and Malkin did. I don't think the rule is great, but it was applied normally in that instance.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Penguin's are always the model franchise... Why couldn't Holland think of this first? We might be in the playoffs now if we were half as smart as the Penguin's brass.

If you're not cheating you're not trying. They didn't break any rules good on Pittsburgh that everyone associated with the team wants to win games. Man I wish the people with the Wing's had the balls and desire to win like Pittsburgh does... Oh well maybe one day the Red Wing's can be associated with great organizations like the Pittsburgh Penguins.

This wasn't subtle enough to be a typical Carman Pens post.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

In Pittsburgh, best camera angle is set up to a Sony Beta ® machine.

Mmmmm.... Beta. Looks good beside an HD DVD player.

[egroen 384]

Off topic, but what team does Bettman want to win the cup this year? His Penguins got the cup last year, I'm thinking he might want to mix it up a little. Maybe Blackhawks?

Heh... I think back-to-back Cups for the Penguins, in the NHL's eyes, is enough to establish them as a modern day dynasty and Crosby as the greatest captain in history, then they'll be looking for the next story and Pens fans will be bitching with the rest of us

[Drake_Marcus 890]

True. I don't think Mick ever would.

I'm just trying to make the distinction here that this was done by someone at Fox Sports broadcasting in Pittsburgh, not the Pens organization.

Not that anyone in this thread seems to care about the difference.

This is the most important point. There's no conspiracy on the part of the Pittsburgh organization just a poor judgment call made by a fan who works for Fox Sports Pittsburgh. Should someone receive a reprimand? Yes-- I'd say the Pittsburgh organization itself should be fined simply because they're responsible for the actions of their business partner when it is acting in their name.

[Third Man In 2,091]

True. I don't think Mick ever would.

I'm just trying to make the distinction here that this was done by someone at Fox Sports broadcasting in Pittsburgh, not the Pens organization.

Not that anyone in this thread seems to care about the difference.

Shush harold. Don't let things like this get in the way of a good conspiracy theory. Especially since the league review hasn't even occurred yet, so we don't know what its determination will be and if there will be a response from the league.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

To be honest, it appears to add up simply because of bias for the Wings and against the Pens, everything tends to get elevated that much more vs. say teams you really don't care much about one way or the other.

I think the allstar thing was blown a bit out of proportion. I don' t have a problem with Crosby not being suspended, he went to the allstar weekend, why would a player go and not play? I can totally understand guys not wanting to make the extra effort and travel to wherever the weekend is and instead be able to relax for the break, but if you are going, why avoid playing (unless you are nursing an injury). Anyway, I understand the way things unfolded, I just think is was blown out of proportion.

On the scheduling thing, I don't understand how it benefited the Pens. Let's ignore the fact that the dates were known before the teams were known (based on timing) for a second, the Pens swept their series and therefore, got more rest. Had both teams swept their respective series, the Wings would have been the team with more rest.

I know your discussion was with egroen but on top of what he said, it also benefited the Penguins more due to the injury situation. Dats alone wasn't able to play until Game 5.

I'm not saying I believe in this conspiracy theory, but I'm simply answering your question.

[egroen 384]

I know your discussion was with egroen but on top of what he said, it also benefited the Penguins more due to the injury situation. Dats alone wasn't able to play until Game 5.

I'm not saying I believe in this conspiracy theory, but I'm simply answering your question.

It was quite simply absurdly unusual the way they scheduled it -- all because of a potential scheduling conflict if a game went into 3rd overtime on the night of one of the talk show host's new show. The Series not only started earlier than usual, but had back-to-back games that had not happened since the early 70s and something like 3 games in 4 nights and 5 games in 8 nights.

[esteef 2,679]

There IS a conspiracy, but this ain't proof of it. The Penguins get plenty of help and favor from the officials and the league already, they don't need some network doofus making it even more obvious.

Nothing will happen.

esteef

[Shady Ultima 40]

Not to mention that on May's no goal against the Ducks, even if there was no behind the net camera that clearly showed the puck in the net, Alex Auld pulled the puck completely out of the net with his stick. If that same play would have resulted in a Flyers goal had the NHL had that replay, then it should have been a goal for May.

That was by far the worst call, but it was against Dallas, not Anaheim

A brand new, last-minute rule created so Crosby would not be suspended for not playing in the All-Star Game

Didn't Dats and Lids get suspended for not playing last year?

What about those who believe the NHL has a vested interest in seeing Detroit lose? (I'm not one of them, but its hard not to think about at times with the constant no-goal calls that go against Detroit.)

I don't believe that so much. I do believe that they may want to market other teams (thus helping other teams WIN) to make profit.

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see lots of LUCKY things happen for Phoenix come the playoffs.

[egroen 384]

Didn't Dats and Lids get suspended for not playing last year?

Yes, but the 'out-clause' that if you showed up for the weekend, despite not playing, was created only a couple days before the ASG - when they found out Crosby would not play. Holland did not even bother to tell Lidstrom and Datsyuk they could get out of it - he wanted them resting their injuries.

I don't believe that so much. I do believe that they may want to market other teams (thus helping other teams WIN) to make profit.

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see lots of LUCKY things happen for Phoenix come the playoffs.

Right. I think the NHL is trying to adopt the NFL's parity and assuming that the success the NFL enjoys is largely due to the fact that 90% of the teams could legitimately win a Super Bowl each and every year.

[XxGoWingsxX 0]

That was by far the worst call, but it was against Dallas, not Anaheim

Didn't Dats and Lids get suspended for not playing last year?

I don't believe that so much. I do believe that they may want to market other teams (thus helping other teams WIN) to make profit.

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see lots of LUCKY things happen for Phoenix come the playoffs.

I've been thinking this too lately. Bettman seems awful sure of his decision to keep the team in Phoenix....and then all of a sudden they're on fire this year. Probably coincidence but.....then again look at all the other weird s*** goin on in the league right now.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Yes, but the 'out-clause' that if you showed up for the weekend, despite not playing, was created only a couple days before the ASG - when they found out Crosby would not play. Holland did not even bother to tell Lidstrom and Datsyuk they could get out of it - he wanted them resting their injuries.

I doubt they would've gone anyways. Nick and Pavel are men, they probably had plans with their families to do something with the time off. Crosby is just a kid, the only thing he was going to do was play Xbox.

[Third Man In 2,091]

I can agree that the league makes some decisions that are not so much pro-Pittsburgh as pro-Crosby, since it's decided to hitch its marketing bandwagon to him. And I'm willing to bet that few people seriously believe the NHL would have rushed the start of the Finals and compressed the schedule if it were Crosby and not Datsyuk that were injured.

But to think there's an anti-Detroit conspiracy stretches the bounds of credulity. The Wings have been incredibly successful for the fix to be in against them. Must be a pretty crappy conspiracy. Bettman can't do anything right.

[beepbeep 3]

Let's see...how many ways can the Penguins cheat and get away with it?

Goals scored after obvious offsides? Check.

Instigate a fight in the last five minutes with no suspension? Check.

Play with six or seven skaters on the ice in addition to the goaltender without penalty? Check.

Deliberate attempts to injure with no suspension? Check.

And now this? Mind you, it's not the Penguins themselves this time, but FSN Pittsburgh is part of the organization. It's almost a shame Philly won that game, because it would be awesome to see Pittsburgh have to, say, forfeit points from a win. I mean, if Bettman wasn't running things, that is.

On your, "deliberate attempts to injure" was that for a douchebag repeatedly punching a guy in the nuts from behind or is that another check?

[edicius 3,269]

Yes, but the 'out-clause' that if you showed up for the weekend, despite not playing, was created only a couple days before the ASG - when they found out Crosby would not play. Holland did not even bother to tell Lidstrom and Datsyuk they could get out of it - he wanted them resting their injuries.

And that came about because Crosby has a direct line to Bettman, as he revealed in one of the interviews during All Star Weekend. He called Bettman and was told that if he just made appearances, he wouldn't be suspended (and in the same interview, Crosby talked s*** about Lidstrom and Datsyuk not being there for the All Star Weekend). I should look and see if that interview is on YouTube.

[edicius 3,269]

On your, "deliberate attempts to injure" was that for a douchebag repeatedly punching a guy in the nuts from behind or is that another check?

The one I had in mind was Matt Cooke's knee-on-knee hit to Shean Donovan that took Donovan out of commission for 4-6 months.

[softshoes 83]

Someone let a guy with explosives in his underwear onto a commercial flight and nobody lost their job for that....

That was an explosive?

I asked and he told me he was just glad to see me.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

That was by far the worst call, but it was against Dallas, not Anaheim

Didn't Dats and Lids get suspended for not playing last year?

I don't believe that so much. I do believe that they may want to market other teams (thus helping other teams WIN) to make profit.

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see lots of LUCKY things happen for Phoenix come the playoffs.

I knew that

I'm not sure what's more amusing though....the fact that after Bettman demonstrated that he would fight to the death to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix, they all of a sudden became competative, or that they continue to average (give or take) 10,000 a game unless Detroit is in town.

[55fan 5,133]

It was quite simply absurdly unusual the way they scheduled it -- all because of a potential scheduling conflict if a game went into 3rd overtime on the night of one of the talk show host's new show. The Series not only started earlier than usual, but had back-to-back games that had not happened since the early 70s and something like 3 games in 4 nights and 5 games in 8 nights.

If I recall correctly, there were also issues with there being 3 days of consecutive Yanni concerts at the Mellon.

Nothing says confidence in your team to make the finals like scheduling Yanni concerts.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

A few seasons ago, the League was crowing about how much money was going to be spent on replay equipment and better cameras. I'm now guessing that money was spent on the "War Room" in Toronto.

It depends on the agreement between the League and the teams: if a certain checklist is to be adhered to and if, in this case, Pittsburgh is counting on the coverage of FoxSports Pittsburgh for the replays they send to Toronto, the Penguins are the ones in trouble. They are trusting their reputation with the League with Fox. They then go after FSP and ask them what they're trying to pull.

A loss of a draft choice by Pittsburgh seems like fair punishment.

Besides, thanks to Niagara Falls-native James Cameron, 3D coverage is right around the corner.

[thedisappearer 291]

I doubt they would've gone anyways. Nick and Pavel are men, they probably had plans with their families to do something with the time off. Crosby is just a kid, the only thing he was going to do was play Xbox in Mario's basement.

Fixed that for you.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Fixed that for you.