stanley cup finals

[sonickteam2]

even more evidence the whole thing was fixed....

 

[godsshoeshine]

if the nhl can really pull off a successful conspiracy, why dont they conspire to get on a better network

[vansmack]

They should scrap the conference system come playoff time. The top four seeds from each conference go in one pot and the bottom four in another then they just pick the teams at random. That way you have a better chance of the two best teams from the NHL actually meeting in the final......If they're concerned about the travel times then the first three games are played at the lower seeded teams home ice and the remaining four at the higher seeded teams home ice.

Sort of the wrong year to argue this.  Many people, myself included were arguing that the best teams were in the west and that the de facto finals was happening in the conference semis.  Turns out the two best teams did play in the finals this year....

They should also have a system were you get promoted from one division to another (think premier league etc.) that way there's actually something to play for during the season other than finishing at least 8th in the conference!!!!

We discussed this the footie thread of all places.  American sports and their ownership models of franchise and minor league teams do not lend itself to this.  I'd love to see it, but it's highly unlikely.

[Thousand Made-Up Loves]

Smackie - and you wonder where I've been? I see this 'bored' is still full of ignorant pricks for the most part. I would love to meet arseholes like this in person and see if they're as brave face to face.

I'll say it again: Go fuck yourself, jerkoff. You're just another wanna-be, bandwagon-hopping asshole who clames to "LOVE" hockey because he became a Caps fan in the last two years, but in the same post proves he doesn't have a fucking clue what he's talking about. Both the games on Versus and NBC had record ratings (http://www.freep.com/article/20090608/SPORTS05/90608096/1048/SPORTS/Game+4+ratings+highest+for+Stanley+Cup+finals+since+2002) (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs/2009/news?id=4228726) (http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=424850). Traditionally drawing 1/4 to 1/3 of competing NBA playoff games, Game 4 had almost half of the NBA Finals (http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/stanley-cup-game-7-trounces-competition-in-us-tv-viewership/).

And in the same fucking breath, you claim to "love hockey," but then bitch about finding it hard to stay awake during Game fucking Seven? You don't love hockey. Game fucking Seven of the Finals is the pinnacle of professional hockey. It is the most tense 60 minutes in the sport. It is the agony and the ecstasy, both tradition in the handshake and the presentation of the Cup and Conn Smythe on the ice (the sport that started both tradition amongst the three other sports), and the most gut wrenching 60 minutes of action any fan watches the whole year. And yet, it was boring the fuck out of you. Some fan who "loves hockey" you are. Next time, try not to drink too much wine before Game 7.

It gets even better. Bitching about Detroit vs. Pittsburgh, two of the most traditional, die-hard hockey markets in the country and enough storylines to keep the fucktards who write The Reliable Source column in the Post busy, you yearn for...wait for it...TAMPA/COLUMBUS?!??!?!?!?! Are you fucking kidding?  How to know a pompous asshole who claims to "love hockey" is just a poser who doesn't have a fucking clue: He bitches about ratings and then, in the same breath, clamors for Tampa/Columbus. And then the same conference matchup in the Finals. Bwahahaha.

More evidence you don't "love hockey," as you claim. True hockey fans couldn't give a shit if the sport goes "mainstream." In fact, I wish it was less mainstream so bandwagon hopping fucktards like yourself wouldn't take up all the tickets when the local team gets hot. I'd go if the team was .500, unless most of the "fans" in this fucking city. As long as I have Versus on cable, I have the Caps on CSN, the NHL Network for Hockey Night in Canada, the Wednesday TSN games, and the college hockey broadcasts on both the NHL Network and the Fox College Sports channels, and I'll probably go to five games a year. I'm perfectly fine with the sports maintaining "niche" status. In case you haven't heard, except in Phoenix and the other sun belt cities, NHL teams are doing just fine at the box office. That's niche enough for me.

Finally, true fans who "love" hockey, especially if they are male, aren't drinking wine before or during the game.

[sonickteam2]

if the nhl can really pull off a successful conspiracy, why dont they conspire to get on a better network

not that i actually think it IS a conspiracy.

 but if it was, a conspiracy within its own league (aka, fixing the games) would be far easier than conspiring with an outside source (TV networks). Secondly, they are locked in their Vs. contract for , i think, 2 more seasons so they would have to conspire to break their contract AND get another. game fixing could be done completely within the NHL.

  What i will say is that its nice to see the old "last place team gets first pick next year" rule really end up working like it should! Cause if you're not a big market team like Detroit, man, you gotta suck pretty bad for a bit to get a guy like Crosby or Ovechkin.

Detroit fans should take this as the silver lining, as the Lions should probably get the first 3 picks this year for the epic season they fumbled together last fall!

[godsshoeshine]

if the nhl can really pull off a successful conspiracy, why dont they conspire to get on a better network

not that i actually think it IS a conspiracy.

 but if it was, a conspiracy within its own league (aka, fixing the games) would be far easier than conspiring with an outside source (TV networks). Secondly, they are locked in their Vs. contract for , i think, 2 more seasons so they would have to conspire to break their contract AND get another. game fixing could be done completely within the NHL.

  What i will say is that its nice to see the old "last place team gets first pick next year" rule really end up working like it should! Cause if you're not a big market team like Detroit, man, you gotta suck pretty bad for a bit to get a guy like Crosby or Ovechkin.

Detroit fans should take this as the silver lining, as the Lions should probably get the first 3 picks this year for the epic season they fumbled together last fall!

i was...mostly kidding

but really all i ever read about the nhl front office from the fans of every single team is how inept they are. now they think that somehow bettman can align the stars to give crosby a cup. fact of the matter is that the pens went all in on the lockout changing the face of hockey and prepared better than anyone. basically they sucked on puropose. it nearly backfired because once they came out on the the other side, the city was broke and couldnt build a new arena

[sweetcell]

but if it was, a conspiracy within its own league (aka, fixing the games) would be far easier than conspiring with an outside source (TV networks).

i'm still a little suspicious of how many game 7's there were this year, and how many of them ended up in blow outs (hello, washington).  going all the way to  7 = more tickets sold, more ad revenue, higher viewership. everyone wins - so why not tell the teams to take a dive on their away games, and duke it out in game 7?

[godsshoeshine]

[chaz]

Smackie - and you wonder where I've been? I see this 'bored' is still full of ignorant pricks for the most part. I would love to meet arseholes like this in person and see if they're as brave face to face.

I'll say it again: Go fuck yourself, jerkoff. You're just another wanna-be, bandwagon-hopping asshole who clames to "LOVE" hockey because he became a Caps fan in the last two years, but in the same post proves he doesn't have a fucking clue what he's talking about. Both the games on Versus and NBC had record ratings (http://www.freep.com/article/20090608/SPORTS05/90608096/1048/SPORTS/Game+4+ratings+highest+for+Stanley+Cup+finals+since+2002) (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs/2009/news?id=4228726) (http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=424850). Traditionally drawing 1/4 to 1/3 of competing NBA playoff games, Game 4 had almost half of the NBA Finals (http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/stanley-cup-game-7-trounces-competition-in-us-tv-viewership/).

And in the same fucking breath, you claim to "love hockey," but then bitch about finding it hard to stay awake during Game fucking Seven? You don't love hockey. Game fucking Seven of the Finals is the pinnacle of professional hockey. It is the most tense 60 minutes in the sport. It is the agony and the ecstasy, both tradition in the handshake and the presentation of the Cup and Conn Smythe on the ice (the sport that started both tradition amongst the three other sports), and the most gut wrenching 60 minutes of action any fan watches the whole year. And yet, it was boring the fuck out of you. Some fan who "loves hockey" you are. Next time, try not to drink too much wine before Game 7.

It gets even better. Bitching about Detroit vs. Pittsburgh, two of the most traditional, die-hard hockey markets in the country and enough storylines to keep the fucktards who write The Reliable Source column in the Post busy, you yearn for...wait for it...TAMPA/COLUMBUS?!??!?!?!?! Are you fucking kidding?  How to know a pompous asshole who claims to "love hockey" is just a poser who doesn't have a fucking clue: He bitches about ratings and then, in the same breath, clamors for Tampa/Columbus. And then the same conference matchup in the Finals. Bwahahaha.

More evidence you don't "love hockey," as you claim. True hockey fans couldn't give a shit if the sport goes "mainstream." In fact, I wish it was less mainstream so bandwagon hopping fucktards like yourself wouldn't take up all the tickets when the local team gets hot. I'd go if the team was .500, unless most of the "fans" in this fucking city. As long as I have Versus on cable, I have the Caps on CSN, the NHL Network for Hockey Night in Canada, the Wednesday TSN games, and the college hockey broadcasts on both the NHL Network and the Fox College Sports channels, and I'll probably go to five games a year. I'm perfectly fine with the sports maintaining "niche" status. In case you haven't heard, except in Phoenix and the other sun belt cities, NHL teams are doing just fine at the box office. That's niche enough for me.

Finally, true fans who "love" hockey, especially if they are male, aren't drinking wine before or during the game.

The hate is strong in this one.

[gaaaaaaaaah]

This is a hockey thread, guys!!!

Not a place for fighting.

[sweetcell]

"so i went to the 930 board the other night, and a hockey game broke out!" </dangerfield>

[Driveway]

This is a hockey thread, guys!!!

Not a place for fighting.

Wrong.  Hockey is all about fighting.  Unless of course, you are Cindy Crosby, it's just about whining.

[gaaaaaaaaah]

This is a hockey thread, guys!!!

Not a place for fighting.

Wrong.  Hockey is all about fighting.  Unless of course, you are Cindy Crosby, it's just about whining.

I'm aware.

I just find it hilarious that even a simple hockey thread on a local club message board can erupt into a fight.

[godsshoeshine]

This is a hockey thread, guys!!!

Not a place for fighting.

Wrong.  Hockey is all about fighting.  Unless of course, you are Crosby, it's just about

i agree!

[walkonby]

his "loves" are indeed "made up."