You attack the media quite a bit in your post. Guess what…the method you used to post it…the internet, is MEDIA!! The trade rumors that you sometimes post and quote from where your sources came are, you guessed it, MEDIA. Kind of hypocritical, isn’t it? I’m not so sure you should be bitting the hand that feeds you. Furthermore, they are only stating what your “bud” Don Cherry has been doing for years…an OPINION. Todd Bertuzzi has not been exploited by the media. THE GUY DID IT TO HIMSELF!! How was it the Media’s fault that Bertuzzi sucker puched and broke the neck of another man? I agree that it recieved alot of attention, but it was shocking, even for hockey fans. I think you are missing the whole point on the type of coverage the media gave it.

Your point about media “focusing on the negatives that truly have no point to them” is about as far off base as a statement can get. Let’s look at some of the issues that can be percieved as negatives:

1) Bertuzzi- Violence in the game that has gotten out of hand. Also remember Tie Domi’s elbow on Niedermyer, McSorley’s attack on Brasher, etc. These were instances in which people were ASSAULTED. This is a very important point.

2) The financial state of the NHL. 19 out of 30 teams lost money. The game is in trouble. This too, is a very important point.

3) CBA- There might not be any hockey next year. Owners want caps, players don’t. Players make too much…team loses money. Debated daily on most sports stations. Important point to those of us who don’t want to miss any part of the 2004-05 season.

These are but a few examples. I don’t know why you are posting rants like the one above, but I think you should put more thought into the things you say, rather than say it because you’re trying to look like you know what you are talking about. Clearly you don’t.

I also believe there should be an automatic suspension for someone who goes after someone else with the stick. But what your refering to is incidental play that is the result of guys carrying their sticks too high. These players should not suspended and as LEaf Expert said should be dealt with on the ice and not at HQ in Toronto.

Hockey can patrol itself.

Let’s Go Habs

Good stuff yet the NFL gets huge network revenues that allow them to do this.

Most teams have absolutely no problem drawing crowds to the arenas yet there are not many huge network deals going down for hockey teams. In order to keep up with huge salaries today the NHL needs to get big network deals like the NFL or baseball. ESPN and the duece have not been terrible this year in bringing games but spread the wealth to a team besides the Wings.

Hockey is an extremely fast game with big bodies and a small puck which leaves many unacquainted viewers in the dark. Fox tried that stupid puck highlight thing but that just annoyed real hockey fans. i don’t own a digital TV but I have had the opportunity to watch some High Def games and it’s amazing. Bettman may be correct in thinking this is hockey’s salvation. The viewer can see a great deal more of the ice and can see the puck as clearly as if they were right on top of it. Yet all the old tachnology must breakdown and people must get new stuff to view in HD so it may take awhile for this to really pay off.

Youth Hockey has no problems in America. It has been one of the best growth sports in the US and does not have the high drop off rate (like baseball) as kids get older. Kids go to games all the time and don’t need to be inticed into buying tickets.

THe problem is the networks. Hockey competes with the biggest sports in America (Football in the Fall, Basketball almost all through, and baseball in the Spring) and it is tough to draw some networks away from these sports. People need to be brought more quality games on TV, games that have a history behind them-ones that really excite spectators and brings people in. No major networks have been doing this (only local team networks get some rivalry games) except ESPN who only covers Wings rivalry games. Hockey should not be kept as a subtitle or a backpage byline on Sports networks. Every SportsCenter spends about 2 minutes on Hockey coverage yet about 4 hockey plays make the Top Ten plays every day, while this is not bad coverage it is not enough-it’s treating a great game like eye candy that only delivers for a few seconds every game.

I am not going to comment on changes in the game because I don’t think this is a problem. I can’t stand people who think that talent is diluted in the NHL, if you want to see a diluted sport watch baseball. Defensive play and strong goaltenders do not bother me at all (this could just be a jaded observation from a goalie). But if the people want more scoring it would be easier to beat the trap system if the NHL would let them. Smaller pads or goalies not playing the puck will not help at all, tag-up rule will help (I don’t know why it was ever taken out) but the one thing that will increase scoring the most was not suggested by NHL management-GET RID OF THE DAMNED TWO LINE PASS RULE. Enough said.

Let’s Go Habs

It has not stopped a thing.