Gallimaufry

Arguments abound this time of year about How To Save/Fix The NHL All-Star Game. The game is boring, no hitting, no fighting, no blocked shots, too many goals, it's terrible!!! The conversation then shifts to comparing the NHL's All-Star game to the rest, to which conventional knowledge guides us to accept that baseball's is the best, football's is the worst, and hockey and basketball are in the middle.

The people usually criticizing the All-Star game for not being "real" invariably are some of the same people complaining that the "real" games, the regular season ones that the All-Star Game ought to better resemble, actually suck as well. Too boring, too much defense, too violent. Make up your mind! Do you guys even like hockey at all? Nobody cares about the All-Star game and that's fine. It's not supposed to be a big exciting deal, it's just for shits and giggles, and if you're upset that a game featuring the world's best hockey players isn't being treated seriously, then tune in to the Olympics, or the World Cups, or the annual World Hockey Championships (sure to feature many Oilers this year) or, by FAR the best of the bunch, the World Juniors.

***A note about the World Hockey Championships: I do think they could be very popular in Canada if they held it here more often. We'll soon find out, as this year's edition is going to be in Halifax. The other issue, at least for me, is that I foolishly associate the tournament as the Tournament of Losers, since the only way NHL players participate is if their team misses the playoffs or loses in the first round. Not sure how many others think this way, I admit to being fully wrong as it is a great tournament, but there it is.

Anyways, the worst part of All-Star game is the complaining about it beforehand. If anything, I think we're moving towards a time where the game isn't even played at all, maybe just a skills competition at the mid-point. The season is long, players get hurt and need some time off, and with new NHLPA head Paul Kelly proposing adding two more games to the season, players will be that much more unwilling to show up. Any minor injury will be reason to skip, and as more players choose time off over playing the game the product will be further de-valued. The game will get worse, less top players will play, and soon the game will be dumped. The more I think about it, the more I realize that just a skills competition probably won't work either, so that's stupid.

I'm in favor of a weeklong break at the end of January, give or take a few weeks, that gives the players time to rest and heal some injuries. It's better for the players, the fans get a better product and the stretch run to the playoffs gets a great boost. If you think a week is too long, consider that the All-Star break currently is, for most teams, 4-5 days anyways. I'm sure there's problems with that, but you can think about them. I'm moving on.


I'm tired of the Rogers' cell phone commercials with those two yuppies, where the one yuppie's phone cuts in and out while he's talking to his boss and the other's works all the time, probably in space and underwater. I'm not tired of it because it's stupid, most commercials are, I'm tired of it because of how pleased Rogers' Yuppie is with himself. He's dressed better than the other guy, let's call him BellTelus Yuppie, who's dressed like a London Drugs camera salesman (sorry Dan). Better haircut, in greater control of himself, the whole package. Rogers Yuppie owns his boss on the phone, he's cool, calm, and way more likely to get a promotion than stuttering, sweating, nervous BellTelus Yuppie. I haven't clarified why I'm tired of this commercial. I have a Telus plan, that's way.


Bob McCown's "100 Greatest Hockey Arguments" is a very good book. I like Bob, Prime Time Sports is endlessly entertaining even if Stephen Brunt never answered my email. You can listen to the show streaming online here between 2 and 5 pm MT, but watching the simulcast on Sportsnet is much better because you can see Bob's guests' mystified expressions while he talks. What does it say about Sportsnet programming that they'd rather stick a camera in a radio booth for an hour than put on any original programming? They do it twice on Sportsnet Pacific, often showing Pratt & Taylor in the same day! I'm not complaining, I watched Pratt & Taylor when I lived in BC and it's entertaining too. I just wouldn't want to be the guy pitching this in a meeting. "Forget it boss, we might as well just throw on some radio shows, nobody's watching us anyways. Frankly, I think some people here have a negative attitude problem."


Will Jamario Moon get any Rookie of the Year attention? Obviously Kevin Durant is the frontrunner, but at this rate you have to think he'll at least be on the board. Second round has to be the goal this year for this team.


Great article here on Shaq's monthly spending habits, made public as a result of his divorce proceedings. $875,015 a month, unreal. I don't think Shaq has ever been called the "Big Fundamental" though, pretty sure that's Tim Duncan.


Federer! No! What a choker, eh? End of an amazing run for Roger, before his loss to Novak Djokovic in the Aussie semis, had made 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals, winning eight. I guess it's lame to say the best player is your favorite, but it's more than that with Roger. I feel the same about him as with Tiger Woods. You want to them win because in doing so, you're likely to see something that's never been done before because they're incredible. Like the Patriots this year, I want them to win the Super Bowl so I can say I saw the greatest NFL team of all-time. Same reason for cheering for Federer. That, and we share a birthday. This Djokovic is something else though, certainly doesn't have Federer's all-court game or grace but great power, hits some great angle shots with lots of pace. Comes across as pretty likeable too, so good for him I guess. Roger will be out for revenge at the French...


That's enough for one night. Hey, enjoy the All-Star game! Judged shootouts this year. Truly, James Duthie has pictures of Gary Bettman.