Media Hype...

October 26, 2009

For years I have listened to the media and league talk about the hits in hockey and how the POOR players get hurt by the ROUGH play in professional hockey. Yet, nobody mentions the FACT that when players negotiate for those MILLION dollar contracts how their demands. It's my guess that they use the danger of a shortened career due to injury and the chances of it happening because of the hitting and speed of they generate while getting the hit. Don't you think its a good reason to jack-up their contract demand??? "HELLO!!"

To say hitting is part of the game is absolutely correct. I mean who in the hell wants to see "JOE MILLIONAIRE" go out and not have any risk while playing? You want a safer game and more enjoyable to watch? Well, 4-on-4 hockey is your answer. Don't change the way the game is played, change the format. Do you really want to see a skilled player dance around a defenceman knowing he will have no fear of getting hurt? Not!! So concentrate on opening up the game not shutting it down! This blog was designed to improve the viewing of hockey. I intend not to profit from it. So read on.

The lockout of the 2004-5 season sure has shown us how "FICKLE" the media can be. At this point they don't know if their coming or going. But, through all of this I'm convinced they want a season for all the wrong reasons. For them it's all about money! For them it's all about jobs!. For them it's all about accommodating their sponsors! So, whatever you hear in the media, one simply has to understand their prejudice. When they feel they can place blame on one party which will help towards settlement, they will do just that. They know that if a settlement causes more bleeding, it's another story for another time. In sports "Yellow Journalism" sell! Kind of puts a whole knew meaning to sports....eh! Advice as a fan, go with your heart. Don't get caught up in the retoric of the media, for they know not what they do!

CBC gave a message to the NHL when they decided to cutback on their televised play-off hockey games. The message was clear in my opinion, "THERE IS LIFE AFTER HOCKEY".

Hockey today could be much more exciting and entertaining if the product was not so DILUTED. Yes there is a lot more stars in the game today than years gone by. But, there are also a lot more teams. It's all about "SUPPLY & DEMAND". Right now the demand for stars is much greater than the supply. Thus, diluted hockey. This is why there is a definate need for 4-on-4 hockey for the entire game. It addresses dilution.

It also gives the SMALL MARKET teams a better chance to compete. Call it a LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.

The NHL boasts being the ELITE league. To play in the NHL you have to be the best. Now the ELITE PLAYERS play with GOOD AND AVERAGE PLAYERS, which in a contact sport, makes the ELITE look ordinary and the GOOD look average. So where does that leave the AVERAGE? Think about it.

Bettman's theory is the players are more important than the game. HUGE mistake! As a fan I want to see the team. If a player is part of that team I want to see him perform his best to allow that team to make a showing. If he's not part of that team, I don't really care if he shines that night. After the game I look to see what the team could have done or did for the game. To me a player is only as good as his milestone and to get a milestone you have to have been playing for a team.....eh!

Example:As a non-player, the Great One is beginning to realize you have to beware of whom you slight as a player. Demers was right in saying Roy's ego is big. In fact, it's so big it got him out of Montreal. It got to his pads as well, or was that inflation? Anyway...back to the example. Roy didn't accept playing for Team Canada in the Olympics....perhaps he felt bigger than the team.....who knows....anywho.....he didn't play for them........enter Brodeur........and Gold for Canada.......Gold without Roy and no Gold with Roy in the prior Olympics........see my point? It takes more than a player to make a team.......eh!

4-0n-4 Hockey in Overtime for the NHL commenced from my suggestion, and gift to the NHL for the new millenium. All it took was an idea, a number of promotion letters sent to various owners, presidents and the league Commissioner and bingo! Of the contacts I made some were not afraid to "make it happen" people. Some wrote me back to say it would never happen.

But it actually happened because a few hockey men seen the positive side of the concept. I only had to bring it to their attention. They gave it their support because these gentlemen are PIONEERS of the game. They know they have an obligation to their fan base. They want to entertain and they DELIVERED.

Others are now beginning to see the potential of 4-on-4 hockey for the entire game and they will provide the catalyst to make that final DELIVERY.