Every year as a child there it would be on my calendar in big, bold, black letters--NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND!The likes of Steve Yzerman, Pavel Bure, Mario Lemieux, Ray Borque, and Al MacInnis--just to name a few—all playing in the same game was enough to have me gawking at the very thought.
But as I got older, the luster began to wear off and I realized one thing: this is not REAL hockey.
In fact, most people would rather watch TiVo’d episodes of 24.
Eliminate it!
The game is a strong misrepresentation of what the sport is and I believe it is comparable to the comedic NFL Pro Bowl.
Quick-paced, blood-pumping, hard-hitting, teeth-jarring game that America loves is light years away from what Pro Bowl consists of. It is a game characterized more along the lines of being “powder puff.”
And the NHL All-Star game is in the same predicament. No fights; no big hits; minimal defensive effort.
It is no secret that the NHL is at the bottom of the totem in popularity and dollar value in comparison to the three other "major sports" (MLB, NFL, NBA) yet the game happens every year.
I used to love it and for kids nowadays it is great.
To be able to see all the talented, flashy forwards like Alexander Ovechkin, Dany Heatley, and Ryan Getzlaf.
Or tough, silky smooth defenseman such as Nicklas Lidstrom, Scott Niedermayer, Brian Campbell, and Zdeno Chara is definitely a heck of a sight to see.
But the game is neither economical nor substantive hockey promotion.
There needs to be fights, hard hits, and maximum player effort!
But this will never happen. Players do not want to be injured in a game that means nothing. And their effortless play is a reflection of the ratings.
Prime example: the 2008 All-Star game mustered an anemic 0.8 Nielsen rating.
Now it looks like this event is going to cost two premier players--Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk--playing time after the break due to a policy established in 2008.
According to the rule, players who are able to play in the game must attend unless they are injured like Sidney Crosby is this year (commissioner Gary Bettman thinks the game needs every player voted in by the fans to increase attendance).
Fans who purchased tickets months in advance—possibly to see Lidstrom or Datsyuk play—are now unable to see these greats.
No longer is the game I once loved going to show up circled on my calendar in big, bold, black letters.
Instead, I’ll probably just be checking what I have recorded on TiVo.
Sources: NHL.com; ESPN.com; Yahoo.com
Picture Source: cdn.nhl.com
Man, that's depressing. I attribute that rating to the fact that it was on the Versus channel (I believe), which not many people (including myself) receive.
ReplyDeleteMaybe costing the players a game is a bit of a stretch. I do like the idea of punishing players for skipping out on the game, though. Maybe requiring the players to make an additional community appearance or two would be a way of making up for it, as opposed to a game suspension or fine.
As for the game play, I love how fast and high-scoring the game is. Of course it's a misrepresentation of the sport, but so is the NBA All-Star game, and everybody loves that event. There's a certain level of fun the players have before it turns into a competitive game at the end. We have to remember, these are EXHIBITIONS. I don't want my favorite players putting out a regular, taxing effort in a game that DOESN'T MATTER. Go out, have fun, and I'll see you back hard at work in a couple days, in a game that actually effects the standings.