Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 Gary Bettman is bar none, the stupidest league commissioner in North American professional sports. He makes Bud Selig look like Kennesaw Mountain Landis. It takes a lot to make Bud Lite look competent, sane and intelligent in comparison but boy is Gary working hard to make that happen. Probert for commissioner Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SouthernWingsFan 854 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 Yeah, that fan base is getting destroyed. All those TV ratings that are going through the roof the last couple years must be killing the league. You are not going to change his or anybody else's mind with your usual schtick, so you might as well give it a rest. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
titanium2 867 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 Booooooo. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carman 387 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 You are not going to change his or anybody else's mind with your usual schtick, so you might as well give it a rest. Notice how I'm not trying to change his mind. I understand why people don't like it, and I'm not going to say anyone is wrong or right. People can have their opinions and I'm not going to disagree with them, but to say that the "casual" hockey fan barely exists in terms of TV exposure is just utterly wrong sorry. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Lidstromboli Report post Posted May 28, 2010 i think people should be complaining about nbc and not bettman in this case Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldredbarnman 13 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 I'm guessing that the Mtl/Cal game will be part of CBC's "Hockey Day In Canada" tripleheader. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rage 24 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 Yeah, I logged in just to chime in on THIS SH!!T!!!! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=125307754165367&ref=search&sid=ijitqkVpEczufmLqSYwWbQ.1306924171..1 That's the site Kira and I came up with so far. This is ssssoooooo messed up that Pitt gets another hand at the only thing that the NHL actually has going for itself when it comes to "PARITY". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
uk_redwing 495 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 So are we renaming this the Winter Regular or what? 2 55fan and HankthaTank reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevkrause 1,247 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 what an f'in joke... no excuse for ANY team that has already been in in it to get another one before the other 24 teams that have yet to participate in one... What a mickey mouse league......... I will not tune in and I suggest everyone else boycott it as well, hopefully the ratings take a sharp dip... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cusimano_brothers 1,655 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 The League will have a tough time continuing this tradition when Abu Dhabi gets their franchise. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Travis 576 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 You know what, I take back what I said. Someone just explained to me that technically the Canadian game would be a "Heritage Classic" game for Canadian teams only. I know it's just a minor change in the name and different set of teams, but speaking as a person who would like to see an Original Six Day, I guess I can't complain. Either one (Canada Day or Original 6 Day) would be pretty similar to a Winter Classic except for the teams involved, so if I'm for an O6 Day, I guess I can't be against a Canadian heritage game. I still think the choice of teams for the very first year is a little wonky, but whatever. So are they sticking with that idea, then? Winter and Heritage? Odd, but I guess I can get behind it. Canada definitely deserves to do whatever it wants when it comes to hockey. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Original-Six 254 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 (edited) Notice how I'm not trying to change his mind. I understand why people don't like it, and I'm not going to say anyone is wrong or right. People can have their opinions and I'm not going to disagree with them, but to say that the "casual" hockey fan barely exists in terms of TV exposure is just utterly wrong sorry. lol... Edited May 28, 2010 by Original-Six Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carman 387 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 lol... Guess that wasn't clear enough. Sorry your comprehension is lacking. What I meant to convey was his comment on the "casual" hockey fan barely existing being wrong, not if who gets chosen to play in the actual game is fair. 1 55fan reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hockeymom1960 5,107 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 I thought this was pretty amusing. http://intenttoblow.com/?p=594 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GMRwings1983 8,803 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 How about an outdoor softball game between the Penguins and the Lakers? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Lidstromboli Report post Posted May 28, 2010 what an f'in joke... no excuse for ANY team that has already been in in it to get another one before the other 24 teams that have yet to participate in one... What a mickey mouse league......... I will not tune in and I suggest everyone else boycott it as well, hopefully the ratings take a sharp dip... boy i can't wait for that thrashers - oilers game really gonna get new fans lined up for that one Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Travis 576 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 Bettman just stated in the NHL State of the Union that the Capitals will have a home Winter Classic within the next 2-3 years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Howard He Do It?! Report post Posted May 28, 2010 Just realized the road team from previous Winter Classics have all gone to the Cup finals and lost (we'll see about Philly) Pens @ Sabres Red Wings @ Blackhawks Flyers @ Bruins So that puts the Caps in the finals next year. Just messing around and some food for thought. And the winner has lost the Cup in both 2008 and 2009. Does this mean the Flyers are going to win the Cup since they lost the WC? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mors 201 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 boy i can't wait for that thrashers - oilers game really gonna get new fans lined up for that one I forgot the NHL consisted of 30 teams, meaning the Penguins and the Capitals. Maybe in the future they should just cancel the playoffs and have these two teams play a best 16 out of 28 series. In all seriousness, he's right. This is unprofessional and disrespectful to the teams and their fans that haven't gotten a chance to participate in this event. If they announced the Wings were in a game, I would say the same thing, it's just not right regardless of Bettman's soul-less economic factors. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joseph Franks 17 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 Just realized the road team from previous Winter Classics have all gone to the Cup finals and lost (we'll see about Philly) Pens @ Sabres Red Wings @ Blackhawks Flyers @ Bruins So that puts the Caps in the finals next year. Just messing around and some food for thought. That's pretty crazy when you really look at it. That's all we needed was another superstition to worry about. Wouldn't be shocked to see the Caps make it to the finals, so it's a very legitamate superstition. Going on this theory, Flyers will lose this year, and Washington will lose to the WC champs next year....which god willing could be Detroit :-p We need to keep an eye on this trend Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joseph Franks 17 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 (edited) About the classic, I think it's crap that they lined up Washington/Penguins. 1) There's 30 teams...yet the Pens are back in it just a mere 3 years later? 2) I understand it's all about the ratings, but why not get some canadian teams involved? Leafs/Montreal, or Ottawa/Vancouver. The Canadian market is the most rabid NHL market anyway, with Leafs generally topping the charts for merchandise sales year after year. Or how about some kind of theme....like New York versus Toronto, or like a West versus East....SJ versus NJ. To just pick the two teams with the most fair weather new fans, is disgraceful to the league. Hell, I know two Washington ultra ovechkin worshipers who didn't watch a single game this year. I'd go into work and ask what they thought of Washingtons PLAYOFF game last night, and usually it ended with me telling them, "Oh sorry, they lost", which would be met with a bout of swearing that held absolutely no weight because they didn't even watch the game...and thus forfeit their right to be happy or angry at the outcome. So most of these "so called" fans won't even tune into the Winter Classic, especially if god forbid there's a new episode of whatever reality TV show is popular at the time. 3) Ovechkin and Crosby really are selling the NHL to the masses, by giving them "Heroes" to cheer for, despite my ramblings in line #2. It's good for the finances of hockey, but horrible in that teams with a vibrant history are often overlooked and under appreciated. Not to say Pittsburgh doesn't have a history, but other than maybe Lemiuex, I bet 99% of Penguins fans couldn't list 2 other people from the early 90's back to back cup teams....Barrasso, Francis, Murphy, Jagr. If you randomly pulled aside every person wearing a Crosby jersey and asked them who Larry Murphy was....most of them would probably say, "Uh...a hockey player maybe?" My Washington fan friend had to learn the rules of hockey by playing against me in NHL 2010 lol...and sure as hell he played with the Caps, and spent all 60 minutes trying to run Ovechkin straight at my goalie. Back to the point, the Winter Classic is suppose to celebrate the history and traditions of hockey. Not showcase the two super stars of the league in a head to head matchup. Instead of "Winter Classic" they should call it "A Normal game played with no roof". Edited May 28, 2010 by Joseph Franks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaymz99 2 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 F#@K the NHL. F#@K Bettman. I am going back to only watching minor league hockey. This has gotten way out of hand. AHL/ECHL here I come. Yzerman to the f#@king Bolts, Pens in another WC within 3 years time, Wings raise ticket prices by $10 a seat this year, just waiting on Satan to buy a Snuggie because it has had to freeze at this point. 1 Hockeymom1960 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaymz99 2 Report post Posted May 28, 2010 (edited) And one more thing! If I were one of the many teams waiting for my turn in the Winter Classic (listen up New York), I would get together an old fashioned lynchin' staring your NHL poster boys Ovirated and Cindy Crybaby together and make sure they "couldn't make it" to the WC. Something along the lines of Nancy Kerrigan. You need knees to skate, right?! In all fairness, Washington hasn't been there yet. But this is just to wreck Bettman's wet dream like the Habs did in the playoffs. Thank you Habs. Edited May 28, 2010 by Jaymz99 1 Hockeymom1960 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
