Showing posts with label NHL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NHL. Show all posts
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Olympic Hockey
My favorite sport in the Winter Olympics is ice hockey. Men's Ice Hockey, to be specific. The action is fast, the hitting is hard, and the games are glorious. The games are capitivating, as stars for each country plays for national and international glory and pride. What the NHL needs to do is to somehow, someway, figure out how to bring the excitement of Olympic hockey to the NHL night in and night out. Many games in the NHL are, sad to say, slow, plodding, and boring. Oh, I still watch because I like hockey. But for the masses to embrace the NHL, the NHL will need to find a way to bring the Olympic style of hockey to the masses, night in and night out.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Losing the Blue Jackets?
The Columbus Dispatch printed an article today stating that the local hockey team was losing 12 million dollars a year. The culprit is a bad arena lease. It is a possibility that the team will move if their financial needs are not met. What is a fan of the team to think?
This is typical for professional sports today. Cities have to ante up in order to keep teams viable. And why not? After all, cities will tax the players so as to gin income for the city coffers. Businesses in the Arena District thrive because of the Blue Jackets (just look at the restaurants and their business on a game night). The Blue Jackets foundation gives hundreds of thousands of dollars to charity. All of this and more will be lost if the team moves. The city and county can keep the Arena District thriving, with businesses open and people employed at these businesses by putting the pieces of the puzzle together to keep the local shinny team in Columbus.
As for me, I am not going to worry about it. You see, there is nothing I can do. I don't live in Columbus or Franklin County, so if there is an election held on this issue, I wouldn't get a vote or voice. So I will sit on the sidelines, and leave the worrying to those in office up in Columbus. They know what they have now in the Jackets, and they know what they will stand to lose if the team leaves. It makes too much sense to get some deal done to keep the team here. My wife says not to borrow worry. So why worry? There is nothing I can do about the situation. Let the money people work it out. And if they don't, they will embarrass themselves and the region.
This is typical for professional sports today. Cities have to ante up in order to keep teams viable. And why not? After all, cities will tax the players so as to gin income for the city coffers. Businesses in the Arena District thrive because of the Blue Jackets (just look at the restaurants and their business on a game night). The Blue Jackets foundation gives hundreds of thousands of dollars to charity. All of this and more will be lost if the team moves. The city and county can keep the Arena District thriving, with businesses open and people employed at these businesses by putting the pieces of the puzzle together to keep the local shinny team in Columbus.
As for me, I am not going to worry about it. You see, there is nothing I can do. I don't live in Columbus or Franklin County, so if there is an election held on this issue, I wouldn't get a vote or voice. So I will sit on the sidelines, and leave the worrying to those in office up in Columbus. They know what they have now in the Jackets, and they know what they will stand to lose if the team leaves. It makes too much sense to get some deal done to keep the team here. My wife says not to borrow worry. So why worry? There is nothing I can do about the situation. Let the money people work it out. And if they don't, they will embarrass themselves and the region.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Value of Vermette
Can you tell that I finally have some time to write on the blogs?
I have been wanting to write about one of my favorite winter sports: hockey. I have had the opportunity to watch many of the Blue Jacket games early this season, and I have noticed the play of Antione Vermettte. Vermette, a center, has had the difficult task of playing on the second line for the Jackets. I have concluded that playing on the second line has to be one of the most demanding positions in all of hockey, night in and night out.
Let me try to explain it in these terms:
In sports, coaches want to put their best defense men on the opposing teams top offensive threats. In hockey, this means that the third line is your checking and/or defensive line. Coaches, when at home, have the opportunity to match up their lines with the opposition. For example, the visitors have to put their players on the ice first, then the home team can put their players on, thereby matching up with the opponent. When the visitors put out their top offensive players (their first line) the home team will match up with the third line (their top defensive players) in an attempt to shut down the opponents.
When playing on the road tonight, the Jackets will start their first line with Rick Nash, and the Oilers will counter with their third line. Make sense? The Jackets put out their offensive players, the Oilers match up with their best defensive players.
Where does this leave the players on the second line? Who will Antione Vermette, Jake Voracek, and RJ Umberger play against? Probably the top offensive players for the Oilers, which puts the Jackets at a disadvantage, one would think. But that is hockey, it is the rules and one of the advantages of being the home team. Vermette and his team mates playing on his line MUST BE ALL AROUND GOOD HOCKEY PLAYERS. Tonight, they will have to play great defense for the Jackets to win.
Conversely, when the Jackets are at home, Vermette will be matched up against the visitors second line, or comparable players. The point is this: In hockey, the second line has to play against great all around competition night in and night out. It is so important to get great hockey from your second line, and the Jackets are getting it so far this season. This is a major factor in their early season success.
Of course, this all is for naught if the goaltender plays like a sieve. Fortunately, the Jackets have been getting good goal tending as well. If these things continue, look for a real good season for the men in the blue sweaters.
Tonight the CBJ plays Edmonton. It is on FSN Ohio at 9:30. I will be watching and rooting the Jackets on, of course, but also paying attention to Antione Vermette and his line tonight. The success of the Jackets tonight hinges, in large part, on their good play.
I have been wanting to write about one of my favorite winter sports: hockey. I have had the opportunity to watch many of the Blue Jacket games early this season, and I have noticed the play of Antione Vermettte. Vermette, a center, has had the difficult task of playing on the second line for the Jackets. I have concluded that playing on the second line has to be one of the most demanding positions in all of hockey, night in and night out.
Let me try to explain it in these terms:
In sports, coaches want to put their best defense men on the opposing teams top offensive threats. In hockey, this means that the third line is your checking and/or defensive line. Coaches, when at home, have the opportunity to match up their lines with the opposition. For example, the visitors have to put their players on the ice first, then the home team can put their players on, thereby matching up with the opponent. When the visitors put out their top offensive players (their first line) the home team will match up with the third line (their top defensive players) in an attempt to shut down the opponents.
When playing on the road tonight, the Jackets will start their first line with Rick Nash, and the Oilers will counter with their third line. Make sense? The Jackets put out their offensive players, the Oilers match up with their best defensive players.
Where does this leave the players on the second line? Who will Antione Vermette, Jake Voracek, and RJ Umberger play against? Probably the top offensive players for the Oilers, which puts the Jackets at a disadvantage, one would think. But that is hockey, it is the rules and one of the advantages of being the home team. Vermette and his team mates playing on his line MUST BE ALL AROUND GOOD HOCKEY PLAYERS. Tonight, they will have to play great defense for the Jackets to win.
Conversely, when the Jackets are at home, Vermette will be matched up against the visitors second line, or comparable players. The point is this: In hockey, the second line has to play against great all around competition night in and night out. It is so important to get great hockey from your second line, and the Jackets are getting it so far this season. This is a major factor in their early season success.
Of course, this all is for naught if the goaltender plays like a sieve. Fortunately, the Jackets have been getting good goal tending as well. If these things continue, look for a real good season for the men in the blue sweaters.
Tonight the CBJ plays Edmonton. It is on FSN Ohio at 9:30. I will be watching and rooting the Jackets on, of course, but also paying attention to Antione Vermette and his line tonight. The success of the Jackets tonight hinges, in large part, on their good play.
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