2010 Winter Olympics Thread

[Leto]

found it: the Sportchek commercial that I wanted to post prior to the US/Canada game, but still fun to watch:

YouTube - Sportchek Ad

YouTube - Sportchek Ad

[m0rpheus]

What an AWESOME game and Crosby insured that no one will remember the mediocre tournament he's had.

Looking back I'm kinda glad it went into OT. It just gave it that something extra that turned a good game into a great one.

I'm just glad it wasn't ended by a fucking shootout though.

[silent_jay]

Originally Posted by m0rpheus

I'm just glad it wasn't ended by a fucking shootout though.

My thoughts exactly, worst way to end a game that has ever, ever been thought up, shootouts have no place in hockey.

[SecretMethod70]

AMEN. God I hate the shootout.

[Charlatan]

And another...

I was worried it was going to fall to a shoot out and was not happy. It's no way to win or lose.

[Wes Mantooth]

Oh absolutely, I hate shootouts with a passion. Whenever a game goes to OT I cringe because I know that's whats coming...really how often does a game end in 5 min of 4 on 4? At Least the Olympic game allowed 20 mins of 4 on 4.

m0rpheus - I agree, it adds so much extra to a win when its pulled out in OT something about it just feels special...of course it also hurts that much worse when you lose in OT though, but still it either way it adds a lot to a great game.

[silent_jay]

I still can't believe the NHL has shootouts, if they're going to only play 5 minute overtime, if it's tied after that, each team gets a point and that's that, like it was back in the day, none of this 'drama' a shootout apparently brings, while there is an aspect of luck to hockey, it isn't enough to have a game decided on a lucky thing like a shootout, skill should be the deciding factor, if I had my way, every tie game would be sudden death overtime, 20 minute periods, go until it's done.

[SecretMethod70]

Agreed silent_jay. This idea that every game must have a winner is silly. (Unless it's for a playoff, obviously, in which case unlimited overtime is the way to go)

[Charlatan]

Originally Posted by SecretMethod70

Agreed silent_jay. This idea that every game must have a winner is silly. (Unless it's for a playoff, obviously, in which case unlimited overtime is the way to go)

x3

[Wes Mantooth]

I have no problem with a tie either, but then again I wouldn't mind games just going until somebody scores, it works in the playoffs why not regular season?

[silent_jay]

Originally Posted by m0rpheus

What an AWESOME game and Crosby insured that no one will remember the mediocre tournament he's had.

After watching Sportscenter and Sportsnet the last couple of days, you'd think Crosby had the greatest tournament ever in Olympics history the way these broadcasters are talking about him, I wish they'd just be honest and say he had a shitty tournament until OT of the gold medal game, and not try to lie to the viewers and make it out like every game he played was excellent.

I have no problem with a tie either, but then again I wouldn't mind games just going until somebody scores, it works in the playoffs why not regular season?

It wouldn't work in the regular season because of the schedule, teams have back to back games in the regular season where in the play offs they don't have back to back, it's always every second day if I remember correctly, unless the series is changing cities then if I'm not mistaken they give them an extra day off.

[Wes Mantooth]

BAH! Make em work that much harder and earn those salaries! I see what you mean though I hadn't thought of that...probably would be a physical and logistical nightmare.

[silent_jay]

I hear that, for what they do they are so overpaid it's not funny, it stopped being about the game for a lot of them years ago when the salaries went through the roof.

[IdeoFunk]

Originally Posted by Wes Mantooth

I have no problem with a tie either, but then again I wouldn't mind games just going until somebody scores, it works in the playoffs why not regular season?

Two words = Triple Overtime.

Any game that I've seen that's gone that long (and there have been plenty) start becoming arduous to watch so there has to be some sort of special meaning for that to work (i.e. game seven or for the cup).

[Wes Mantooth]

silent_jay - Indeed, I'm a pretty big baseball fan too and I think the massive salaries have just about ruined the sport. Players are too valuable to be injured and suddenly that leads a pitcher is sitting out with a hang nail and a hitter benched for a paper cut on his left hand. Imagine how amazing pro sports would be in players had to play for dinner so to speak.


IdeoFunk - I agree with you to an extent, having triple overtimes in the playoffs are awesome but could get tedious in a nothing mid season game. On the other hand I love the iron man aspect of it (I know its really a viable option) and would kind of love seeing how teams are able to deal with it. A hockey game is a pretty short compared to football or baseball so maybe I'm just used to ridiculously long games.

[Glory's Sun]

well, they could do a couple things in regards to overtime, they could follow the International rules and make it 4 on 4, or they could say 4 on 4 if it goes to the second or third OT, or they could even shorten the periods on each subsequent OT.

It's bad when international hockey is better than the NHL.

Thanks a lot Bettman.

[Leto]

or 4 on 4 for the first OT, then 3 on 3 for the second... until the goalies just do a shootout?

[Glory's Sun]

that would be..

AWESOME.

---------- Post added at 11:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:03 AM ----------

or..

the goalies have a death match battle..

[silent_jay]

Originally Posted by Leto

or 4 on 4 for the first OT, then 3 on 3 for the second... until the goalies just do a shootout?

Used to have that in tournaments when I was a kid, start out 5 on 5, then 4 on 4, then 3 on 3, and finally a shootout.

Thanks a lot Bettman.

Yeah he's fucked a lot, look at his southern expansion clusterfuck, more players on the benches in Atlanta than there are in the stands, or the 2 referee system, all that gets you is shitty refs making marginal calls from behind the play, or the suspension policy of the NHL in general is fucked, but that's Campbell and he's as useless as Bettman.

[Glory's Sun]

Originally Posted by silent_jay

Used to have that in tournaments when I was a kid, start out 5 on 5, then 4 on 4, then 3 on 3, and finally a shootout.

Yeah he's fucked a lot, look at his southern expansion clusterfuck, more players on the benches in Atlanta than there are in the stands, or the 2 referee system, all that gets you is shitty refs making marginal calls from behind the play, or the suspension policy of the NHL in general is fucked, but that's Campbell and he's as useless as Bettman.

I haven't kept up with the NHL since that douche took over with his stupid instigator rules and similar rules.

The NHL needs to do something to ride the wave of the massive TV share that the gold medal game had, but they won't. They'll miss an opportunity to gain viewers and tv deals because of stupid owners and an even stupider commissioner.

[Leto]

i watched my home team (The Leafs) play this week. The pace was slow. confused. passes were missed, goal posts were dinged. The energy level was decidedly low. I don't know if this is because I got used to the high octane output of the Olympic teams, or because the players themselves need to get back on track. But based on the comparison, I can almost understand when the Russians claim that the Canadian Olympic team was hopped up on drugs during their games.

The NHL definitely needs to capitalize on this Olympic exposure to the game. What's the network in the US that carries the games? they should be doing a massive NFL style marketing blitz. Play up that silver medal. Even the vaunted Russian Super team couldn't get a medal for chrissakes.

[Wes Mantooth]

I think the problem with the NHL is they seem incapable of capitalizing on hockey's success. The winter classic for example is never really followed up on or hyped past the initial game itself, fans watch because of the novelty then go right back to ignoring it and watching the NBA...as does most of the media. I think the big game last weekend was very similar, it feels like the NHL did next to nothing to capitalize on the exposure and now a week later the excitement is wearing off and its back to business as usual.

I think for the NHL to become a must watch sport, it needs begin marketing itself properly. They need exposure on ESPN and weekly games on a major network, they need to invest in advertising and start airing funny, clever, exciting commercial that portrays them as an alternative to other major sports. Hype up the speed, the big hits, the exciting goals and make it seem like its a must watch.

Where was the advertising for the NHL during the gold medal game? They eyes of the nation are watching an amazing game and the NHL is almost invisible. Yes they had the players there but nobody talked about the teams they belonged too or where to continue watching them afterwards. In the end it feels like the NHL wants people to watch hockey...because...well...its just awesome!!! Until they put the time, energy and money into properly marketing the sport it will always be on a lower tier to others here in the states.

[Leto]

I think you hit the nail on the head. Missed opportunities by the NHL.

[Glory's Sun]

The NHL has a history of missed opportunities. NBC carried the olympics and it's the same network that carries NHL games. The NHL is too spread out on American networks. They're on the NHL network, ESPN (big games), and NBC for the outdoor games and Stanley Cup playoffs. Baseball can get away with it because of the money and the teams, but the NHL needs a real golden boy. Crosby can't draw people like Gretzky or Yzerman. The NHL should have had promo packages all over the olympics.. coulda shoulda woulda.

The Carolina Hurricanes have had dismal ticket sales up until the game right after the olympics. They had a good turnout from people wanting to see the medals, but after that game, I'm sure the attendance will drop once again. It's a mixture of poor advertising and poor management by Bettman.

[silent_jay]

Originally Posted by Leto

i watched my home team (The Leafs) play this week. The pace was slow. confused. passes were missed, goal posts were dinged. The energy level was decidedly low. I don't know if this is because I got used to the high octane output of the Olympic teams, or because the players themselves need to get back on track. But based on the comparison, I can almost understand when the Russians claim that the Canadian Olympic team was hopped up on drugs during their games.

That's because the talent level in the NHL is so watered down at this point it isn't funny, but that's what happens with expansion, more and more players who don't belong are making it to the show when they should have been dropped in the minors.
Personally I'd like them to drop some teams, get the talent level back to where it should be, because right now it's mind boggling how some of these guys have made it to the NHL.

Crosby can't draw people like Gretzky or Yzerman.

Crosby couldn't hold their jock straps, the kid is a good player yes, but he's no great one, or as they try calling him, the next one, he's just a Bettman ploy to hope people fall for the bullshit they're selling.

[Wes Mantooth]

Originally Posted by guccilvr

The NHL has a history of missed opportunities. NBC carried the olympics and it's the same network that carries NHL games. The NHL is too spread out on American networks. They're on the NHL network, ESPN (big games), and NBC for the outdoor games and Stanley Cup playoffs. Baseball can get away with it because of the money and the teams, but the NHL needs a real golden boy. Crosby can't draw people like Gretzky or Yzerman. The NHL should have had promo packages all over the olympics.. coulda shoulda woulda.

The Carolina Hurricanes have had dismal ticket sales up until the game right after the olympics. They had a good turnout from people wanting to see the medals, but after that game, I'm sure the attendance will drop once again. It's a mixture of poor advertising and poor management by Bettman.

Actually ESPN doesn't show games anymore (I don't think sportscenter spends much time on hockey anymore either), the NHL works with VS now...which is an obscure channel that a lot of people can't get (direct tv doesn't carry it for example).

Anyway, yeah I agree, its just been dismal management and very poor marketing for the most part and its really starting to hurt the NHL overall. Southern expansion for example, while very important to growing the sport and getting a national tv deal, has been handled terribly. There has been little to no quality control, leaving these teams in the hands of incompetent, greedy and sometimes crooked owners with no intention of building proper teams or building a real audience...the NHL's hands off approach, lack of marketing and proper advertising is losing these precious markets to other sports.

Here in Nashville the Predators haven't been on TV since before the Olympic break, they've missed three big games, including a huge divisional match up against Detroit last night. A growing hockey market with a ton of potential and there has been no hockey on tv in nearly 3 weeks. Everyone here, the media, local sports fans and people who don't even watch hockey are buzzing about the gold medal game last weekend and yet the local NHL team is NOWHERE to be found on television all week. If that doesn't sum up the current state of the NHL I don't know what does.

[silent_jay]

Watching Coach's Corner tonight I was reminded of something I wanted to mention, totally agree with Don Cherry and getting rid of touch icing.

I can say, never was I afraid playing hockey, until I turned into a defenceman and started playing touch icing in Michigan, most dangerous time for any player, and with the lack of respect in this day and age of hockey, more and more people are getting knocked into the boards during icing calls.

[Jackebear]

Originally Posted by silent_jay

Watching Coach's Corner tonight I was reminded of something I wanted to mention, totally agree with Don Cherry and getting rid of touch icing.

I can say, never was I afraid playing hockey, until I turned into a defenceman and started playing touch icing in Michigan, most dangerous time for any player, and with the lack of respect in this day and age of hockey, more and more people are getting knocked into the boards during icing calls.

Hey, I just saw that clip as well, and after watching all the careers ruined or games missed due to injuries, I totally agree with you. I mean, I saw numbers of smashes over the years, but when you show them all together like that.......damn, that's gotta hurt.

Watching a bloody house league game of a friend of mine a couple years back and witnessed his mates leg from his ankle to knee do the 120 degree snap when he was basically pushed into the boards chasing after a puck in the end zone. He will never play hockey again...and this was bush league. Jeez, Louise. And that's what most of those clips are showing, the opposition is too late so, let's just push the guy at full tilt into the boards. Yeah, that's gotta stop.

Anywho, loved watching the Olympics...all of it. Not a big fan of the CTV coverage though....I just think the CBC is more professional and unbiased. Got a little tired of hearing some Canadian skier in, let's say 18th position during the giant slalom after the first run and then during the breaks or all during the next few hours waiting for his next run...."Canadian Bob Jerblovski is GOING FOR THE GOLD"....come on, we suck in skiing and have for about 15 years. He's not gonna win or even come close. I don't know, I just always liked CBC coverage of any Olympics.

I did hear from some American mates that NBC (was it NBC??) was a lot better this year.

[Glory's Sun]

NBC mainly strokes their cock over the summer olympics.. they did better on this winter olympics, but the coverage and the packages were still very weak.

[silent_jay]

Wow, NBC has a game on, Chicago and Detroit, can't watch it though, got Pierre McGuire preaching his no fighting again, someone just made a decent hit and Mcguire says:

'the nice thing is he didn't have to defend himself in a fight, normally today after a big hit you have to fight, want to keep hitting in the game teach these knuckleheads who take these retaliatority penalties after a good hit'

That's not an exact quote couldn't type as quickly as he was talking, but it's basicaly what he was saying. Now when has taking hitting out of the game been mentioned? Take hitting out and you're left with men playing womens hockey, and you'll have zero fans watching that, if I wanted to watch Europan hockey I'll stream it online. The Mcguires, Bettmans, Campbells of this world are trying to kill hockey as people know and love it, take hitting out, take fighting out, instigator rules, hell they already made cherry picking allowed with taking away the blue line which is bullshit in my opinion.

Oh yeah, still waiting for someone to poke Mcguie i nthe beak, or hit him in the mouth with the puck, he's between the benches again so there's still hope. Personally I'd want to kill him if he was sitting there trying to talk to me during the game.

[SecretMethod70]

Ugh. I'm sorry you have to watch our terrible goaltending silent_jay. I can only take solace in the fact that Khabibulin isn't doing much better in Edmonton, so we probably would have been screwed either way.

Anyway, I completely agree about the fighting. It's not even that I particularly like the fighting - I personally don't really care either way - but the fighting and hits are not the problem. It's frustrating to see people try and dilute the game instead of address the real issues.

[silent_jay]

Today's goaltending was terrible from what I've seen, I always feel bad for the offence when they get 4 goals and still can't win a game. Edmonton sucks bad this year, being in Alberta they're always a hot topic for how bad their doing.

Yeah they have to address the respect factor, that's the big issue, that's why these cheap shots into the boards are happening, they happened back in the day yes, but they seem to be happening more and more these days, there's been two in the last two days, hell Don Cherry almost said bullshit on Coach's Corner last night trying to talk about the one that happened to Keith Aulie, nothing but disrespect and Aulie's out for the year now, Cherry is 100% correct, it's bullshit the lack of respect players have today.

And when things like this happen, the fans deserve everything they get.
Marlies game turns ugly after racial comments and Aulie injury

The Toronto Marlies 5-1 loss to the Manitoba Moose on Friday hurt the team a lot more than just in the standings.

Things turned really ugly when Marlies tough-guy Andre Deveaux threw a roll of tape into the crowd at a fan. Deveaux had been taunted by the fan throughout the game with a slew of racial slurs and comments. He was allegedly called an "ape" and a "gorilla" among other names. The frustration of the 5-1 score and the combination of the racial slurs were apparently too much for Deveaux to handle sparking the retaliation. The league is looking into disciplinary action for Deveaux's reaction. It was noted in the referee's report that there were racial comments directed at Andre.

Deveaux racked up 27 minutes in penalties in the game, all on the same play with under 4 minutes to play. He received 2 minutes for hooking, 5 for fighting, 10 for a supplementary altercation, and 10 for a game misconduct. Deveaux is 9th in the American Hockey League with 155 penalty minutes.

As if that wasn't enough drama for one game, the Marlies also lost one of their most exciting players due to injury. Newest Marlie, Keith Aulie was injured in a race for the puck on a signaled icing call. Moose player, Mike Grabner, accidentally got his stick under Aulie's blade, tripping him, and sending Aulie crashing into the boards. The 6'6" defenseman separated his shoulder on the play and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Aulie was the prospect included in the trade with the Calgary Flames that sent Dion Phaneuf to the Maple Leafs.

The Marlies currently sit in last place in the Western Conference with a record of 20-26-10.

Toronto will square off against the Manitoba Moose on Wednesday at 7 PM at the Ricoh Coliseum in what is sure to be a spirited affair. It's almost certain that Andre Deveaux will not be in the line-up due to his inevitable suspension for his actions in Friday's loss.

I punched a fan in the mouth for heckling me all game once, no racial slurs though I'm white, so I can only imagine how Deveaux feels, had he got his hands on the fan and pounded him, in my opinion he did the right thing.

[Leto]

I feel for Deveaux. Nobody says that fans are not assholes and that proves the point.

so.... Saw this today:

Air Canada learns that hockey trumps flying - Yahoo! Canada News

Air Canada learns that hockey trumps flying
Module body

Tue Mar 9, 7:33 PM


VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Canada's largest airline has learned it sometimes has to take a back seat to the country's biggest sporting passion, ice hockey, the head of Air Canada said on Tuesday.



The airline was forced to delay a flight from Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games because passengers watching the end of gold medal final on airport televisions ignored repeated calls to board.


"We incurred a flight delay for a reason Air Canada had not yet encountered in over 72 years of existence," chief executive Calin Rovinescu told a business gathering.


The Canadian fans were rewarded for their delay, as the nail-biting end to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics saw Canada beat arch-rival United States 3-2 in overtime


And I say, YES! take that corporate airflight culture with all its rules and security.

[Jetée]

Ron Ellis, the director of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, holds the puck used
when Canada’s Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal ice
hockey game at the Vancouver Olympics, before it's placed in a glass display cabinet.
-- (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)


[dailyme.]