Posted 22 July 2005 - 05:27 PM
Looks like I didn't miss much. Well, I am not going to curse. What's the point?
It has become painfully obvious that the people running the game have no clue what they're doing. And this has nothing to do with Sidney Crosby winding up in Pittsburgh. To be honest, I'm glad he wound up there cause that will give the conspiracy theorists something else to cry about. Fact is Pittsburgh was one of four teams with the best chance at landing the kid. So, the fact that it didn't somehow go to Anaheim was a saving grace. If it had, you may as well have renamed the NHL the MML (Mickey Mouse League).
It's amazing that this great weighted lottery system could somehow put Buffalo out of the top 10, the Rangers 16th behind the Islanders. Columbus was in the top five. Somehow, the Canadiens are in the top six. But here is where I am completely lost. How the hell are the Ottawa Senators in the top 10? Even Vancouver at nine is a joke. But for our Canadian poster who is a diehard fan, go ahead and defend where those teams wound up as opposed to the Edmonton Oilers. Try to explain why a team like Edmonton isn't in the top 10 while successful franchises from your country are. There's just no logic.
I'm not upset about not getting Crosby. I NEVER felt the Rangers would win because they have the worst luck. And once I saw the joke of the system (3 balls to 2 and 1 oh wow), I knew they would get screwed. But somehow, even when they changed to a live drawing, you still had the conspiracy theorists out there whining like little girls that if the Rangers wound up with him, it was fixed. They somehow were linked with Detroit. Nevermind the fact one team had missed the playoffs seven straight years and had 2 more chances compared to an elite team who had been an NHL powerhouse for the past decade. But somehow, the Devils weren't included. Neither was the Avalanche. Neither were the Senators. Neither was the Flyers. The Leafs were included by a few posters. Now, correct me if I'm wrong. But if Crosby had wound up on one of these NHL successful franchises, how can the league call that fair? That would have been more of a FIX!
You know what I was hoping for. Just to see the Rangers in the top five. Then, I wouldn't have had any issue with the process. The four worst teams all should have been more protected so that they didn't drop down that far. That's now what the geniuses in New York and Toronto decided.
I'll add one thought regarding the Pens landing Crosby. Despite having a new CBA which should be more management friendly, that franchise was not guaranteed of staying in Pittsburgh. By landing the wiz kid, at least they now have a chance to survive. But if that city doesn't build a new arena for their team like they did with the Pirates and Steelers, then they don't deserve to have a team.
And if you looked a little closer at the Pens roster, they are so far underneath the cap that they will be able to sign guys in August. You add a Crosby to a Malkin and a nice vet core like Lemieux and Recchi and then throw in a Kovalev, Straka or dare I say Niedermayer, all of a sudden, this once down franchise will shoot right back up and be a power for years. That's the position their now in. Great for them and for Penguin supporters. They really needed it.
As far as the NHL rules, I know just from some that were passed that many fans here will be pissed off and for good reason. I'm not going to get into some of the dumb rules the league has decided to pass that will turn the sport into more of a mockery. You are big fans of the best goalie in the game and I can only imagine what's been said regarding that new rule. Well, my team drafted a goalie just like him over a year ago. So, that rule stinks big time. And it would for any team who has a netminder with those kind of skills.
Bottom line with the new rules is the league DOES NOT CARE about us. They screwed us royally. They basically turned their back on the loyal NHL fans. They never cared about sanity. Tradition didn't have much say. As long as they could have some new gimmicks and gadgets, they could be just like any other sport. Which is why the people running the league have zero clue about what made this sport so special.
What I'm trying to say is that I don't know if I ever will feel the same about the sport. I spoke to an Oilers fan today. Diehard. When I mentioned the settlement and the lottery, they didn't care as much. Said it was a bad deal. Imagine that. Said they didn't miss the sport as much. This is about as diehard a fan as I know. To hear the lack of passion in their voice today while I was on break was disheartening. But it also was a harsh reality about what a year away has done.
So, the game will comeback on October 5th and they'll try to push their "new improved product." It won't ever be the same again.
The wind blew ferociously making the icy sky feel even colder. And then a few white snow flakes floated down from heaven creating a winter wonderland.Figures I finally get comments on my piece and it's about the Rangers.
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outstanding Battle NJD blogger Hasan Battle Of New York
