Some Random Sports Reflections as the month of May winds down...
*The playoffs in both the NBA & NHL are kinda eh to me. The NHL because the Predators got knocked out in the 2nd round by Phoenix (who subsequently lost to the L.A. Kings). The NBA...well because I still haven't really got into it much since Clay Bennett moved the Sonics to OKC. I was happy to hear that there is movement to build a new arena in Seattle down near Safeco & CenturyLink Fields. If Stern wants to get on my good side again, he'll get a team back there & make sure the history is returned there as well. It is really annoying when like ESPN and such state history that doesn't really belong to OKC. That would've been like the Ravens claiming the Browns history still. Anyway, I'm sure I'll watch some of the Stanley Cup Finals and the NBA Finals. Then again, if it ends up Miami & OKC, I'll more than likely not watch.
*It's been about a quarter of the season into the MLB regular season and both the Royals & Mariners are under .500. The Royals had high expectations (for them) going into the season and did well on the road to start (and still have a winning record on the road) but their record at the K is abysmal. They might want to recruit me to come back to K.C. so they can win some more home games. The Mariners got off to a fairly hot start but cooled down as well. They have leveled off some. If both teams can pick up the pace in June & July, it might make for an interesting stretch run. Otherwise, it'll be looking forward to the start of football season.
*Speaking of football, one of the big stories this offseason for the NFL has been the bounty scandal with the New Orleans Saints. This problem, which cost Saints coach Sean Payton the season along with several other coaches and players various suspensions. It was sad to hear when it came out and disappointing. I know that football is a tough sport and injuries happen because of it. But there is a difference between players getting hurt unintentionally and trying to go out and injure players on purpose. Where's the respect in that? I'm sure there are players out there at other players don't like but at the very least they should respect the person not to intentionally try and take them out. I hope that this type of program finds its way out of the sport.
Showing posts with label nhl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nhl. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
If I Were in Charge of.....the NHL
It's time for another installment of the ongoing series "If I Were in Charge of". This time around, we look at the National Hockey League. This is a league that has a great playoff system and indeed has had it's ups and downs with regard to leadership (see the lockout that shut down an entire season....ultimate fail). They have improved since then but there are still a few things that I'd do to help with improving the league. So with that in mind, if I were in charge of the NHL.....
*Have a new TV deal with ESPN. Yes I know they signed a huge TV deal with NBC and helped relaunch what used to be Verses (which used to be the Outdoor Life Network) to now the NBC Sports Network but seriously the NHL needs to be back on ESPN. When they left the network, ESPN pretty much dropped 95% of their coverage of the sport. Sad on their part yes but that's what they did. I would work out a contract where ESPN gets Tuesday night games on the original (not ESPN 2 or any of the other ESPN "family of networks") starting at the beginning of the season. If things went well, maybe even have an option to show early rounds of the Stanley Cup Finals. More exposure on ESPN would be beneficial to the sport and would be a nice stepping stone to growth.
*More games on NBC, especially more Stanley Cup Finals games. Yes I know the start of the NHL season overlaps NFL & College football but since NBC only has Notre Dame football on Saturdays and NFL isn't until Sunday night, I'm sure NBC could show regular season games earlier in the year, maybe try and coincide the NHL game with whatever market the NFL game will be in that same day. Also, all Stanley Cup Finals games should be on network television not just a couple.
*Like with my proposal for the NBA, have 4 nights each month called "family nights". That would mean prices from seats to concessions would be set at affordable prices so that a family of 4 could sit in really good seats and watch a game and not stuck in the nosebleed sections. The franchises can make more than enough money the rest of the season that it wouldn't hurt them to have these kind of nights and would help develop the fanbase so that everyone could enjoy the games.
*Continue to work and develop to minimze concussions. Hockey has had its share of concussion related injuries even to top stars like Sidney Crosby. I would make it a priority to be at the forefront of research to help treat and prevent on ice incidents where concussions could happen.
*Have more exposure of the Hockey Night in Canada crew in the U.S. One of the joys of living in Seattle was I got CBC on my cable system and got to watch Hockey Night in Canada on Saturdays. I think it would be cool to have more interaction with the crew up there here in the states. Would bring another side and be entertaining to fans here.
What do you think? Feel free to leave comments on how you would change the NHL and go back and check out previous posts in the series.
*Have a new TV deal with ESPN. Yes I know they signed a huge TV deal with NBC and helped relaunch what used to be Verses (which used to be the Outdoor Life Network) to now the NBC Sports Network but seriously the NHL needs to be back on ESPN. When they left the network, ESPN pretty much dropped 95% of their coverage of the sport. Sad on their part yes but that's what they did. I would work out a contract where ESPN gets Tuesday night games on the original (not ESPN 2 or any of the other ESPN "family of networks") starting at the beginning of the season. If things went well, maybe even have an option to show early rounds of the Stanley Cup Finals. More exposure on ESPN would be beneficial to the sport and would be a nice stepping stone to growth.
*More games on NBC, especially more Stanley Cup Finals games. Yes I know the start of the NHL season overlaps NFL & College football but since NBC only has Notre Dame football on Saturdays and NFL isn't until Sunday night, I'm sure NBC could show regular season games earlier in the year, maybe try and coincide the NHL game with whatever market the NFL game will be in that same day. Also, all Stanley Cup Finals games should be on network television not just a couple.
*Like with my proposal for the NBA, have 4 nights each month called "family nights". That would mean prices from seats to concessions would be set at affordable prices so that a family of 4 could sit in really good seats and watch a game and not stuck in the nosebleed sections. The franchises can make more than enough money the rest of the season that it wouldn't hurt them to have these kind of nights and would help develop the fanbase so that everyone could enjoy the games.
*Continue to work and develop to minimze concussions. Hockey has had its share of concussion related injuries even to top stars like Sidney Crosby. I would make it a priority to be at the forefront of research to help treat and prevent on ice incidents where concussions could happen.
*Have more exposure of the Hockey Night in Canada crew in the U.S. One of the joys of living in Seattle was I got CBC on my cable system and got to watch Hockey Night in Canada on Saturdays. I think it would be cool to have more interaction with the crew up there here in the states. Would bring another side and be entertaining to fans here.
What do you think? Feel free to leave comments on how you would change the NHL and go back and check out previous posts in the series.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Random Sports Reflections
Here's some random thoughts and reflections running through my head...
*Congrats to Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber on throwing a perfect game on Saturday....even though it was against the Mariners and there was a sketchy called third strike to end the game by the ump. Humber is a strong follower of Jesus so it's always nice to see a fellow believer do well.
*On a more positive sports fan note, the Predators won their opening round series 4-1 against the Detroit Red Wings. It's the first time they've beaten their rivals in the playoffs and hopefully that'll be the start to a deep run in the playoffs.
*Yesterday I went to a college baseball game on the campus of the University of South Carolina Upstate. They were playing the Jacksonville Dolphins to end the three game series that the Spartans had won the first two games. Let me set the stage for you, it was the bottom of 8th inning and the Spartans were down 4-1. When it got to be the top of the 9th inning, the score was 12-4 USC Upstate with the lead. In the span of one half inning, there were 11 runs scored (all unearned) on like 5 hits, 2 errors, 2 batters hit by a pitch, 3 walks, and a passed ball. Along with the starter, there were 4 pitchers used in the innning including one who didn't even record an out. Wild ending to say the least.
*The incident that blew up on Twitter yesterday afternoon was Ron Artest (aka Metta World Peace) throwing an elbow to James Harden of That Team Which is Located in Oklahaoma City. I wasn't watching the game because it was the Lakers and that other team, two teams in which I have no interest in watching but I did hear about the incident and saw a brief lowlight this morning on the TV. Apparently, after a dunk (I believe) by Artest, he decided out of nowhere to give a little elbow check to Harden who was just standing there. Harden has a concussion and it's uncertain when he'll be back. Artest, for the moment, is not suspended but that's just a formality that he will be. Artest has a history of on the court incidents, including the infamous Brawl in the Palace in Detroit back when he was with the Indiana Pacers. He has a lot of rage inside of him and some thought that he had gotten over that with the whole name change thing. But ultimately, change needs to take place in the heart and not just by a name. That only comes through relationship with Jesus. Hopefully, that will happen for Artest.
*Congrats to Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber on throwing a perfect game on Saturday....even though it was against the Mariners and there was a sketchy called third strike to end the game by the ump. Humber is a strong follower of Jesus so it's always nice to see a fellow believer do well.
*On a more positive sports fan note, the Predators won their opening round series 4-1 against the Detroit Red Wings. It's the first time they've beaten their rivals in the playoffs and hopefully that'll be the start to a deep run in the playoffs.
*Yesterday I went to a college baseball game on the campus of the University of South Carolina Upstate. They were playing the Jacksonville Dolphins to end the three game series that the Spartans had won the first two games. Let me set the stage for you, it was the bottom of 8th inning and the Spartans were down 4-1. When it got to be the top of the 9th inning, the score was 12-4 USC Upstate with the lead. In the span of one half inning, there were 11 runs scored (all unearned) on like 5 hits, 2 errors, 2 batters hit by a pitch, 3 walks, and a passed ball. Along with the starter, there were 4 pitchers used in the innning including one who didn't even record an out. Wild ending to say the least.
*The incident that blew up on Twitter yesterday afternoon was Ron Artest (aka Metta World Peace) throwing an elbow to James Harden of That Team Which is Located in Oklahaoma City. I wasn't watching the game because it was the Lakers and that other team, two teams in which I have no interest in watching but I did hear about the incident and saw a brief lowlight this morning on the TV. Apparently, after a dunk (I believe) by Artest, he decided out of nowhere to give a little elbow check to Harden who was just standing there. Harden has a concussion and it's uncertain when he'll be back. Artest, for the moment, is not suspended but that's just a formality that he will be. Artest has a history of on the court incidents, including the infamous Brawl in the Palace in Detroit back when he was with the Indiana Pacers. He has a lot of rage inside of him and some thought that he had gotten over that with the whole name change thing. But ultimately, change needs to take place in the heart and not just by a name. That only comes through relationship with Jesus. Hopefully, that will happen for Artest.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Random Sports Reflections
It has been awhile since my last post but there hasn't been anything pressing so it's always good to throw up a few random reflections in bullet style points.
*A friend of mine had a tweet about the possibility of college football being an idol. Now I know where my friend is coming from. I know him from college and I'd consider him a good friend and he's a strong believer (and also a youth pastor which means he has a huge calling in my book) so I know he's not like sports is evil. Though there are some people that do have that feeling. To them I would say this. Sports is not evil. It is like anything. It is good and honoring to God....if it is in the proper relationship to Him. If sports is put above God, then yes it is an idol. However, anything can be put above God and hence become an idol. Food, friends, one's spouse, anything can become idol. But those things in an of themselves aren't bad. God created those things to be enjoyed in the proper place. And I feel that sports is one of those things. Do some people make sports their idol...yes. But one should not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Sports can be an instrument for God to be glorified. It's about keeping it in the proper perspective.
*I thought it was really cool (though I don't like Texas) the celebration the Rangers had in their locker room following their ALDS series victory. They celebrated with ginger ale, because they wanted to include OF Josh Hamilton in the celebration. Hamilton, a follower of Jesus and a recovering alcoholic, skipped the AL West clinching win celebration because they used champagne because he didn't want to be tempted to drink. This time his teammates used ginger ale. I respect Hamilton because he's someone who has made mistakes, owned up to those mistakes and continues to move forward and be honest about his faith and his struggles. That is something that should be an encouragement to all believers as we struggle to live out our faith on a daily basis.
*Speaking of baseball, all the teams I rooted for in the Division series lost....which means I'm stuck with four teams that I'm not really fans of (or don't like at all). I'm pulling for whoever wins in the National League.
*Hockey season has started as well and the Predators are 3-0-1 in their first 4 games...not bad at all :)
*A friend of mine had a tweet about the possibility of college football being an idol. Now I know where my friend is coming from. I know him from college and I'd consider him a good friend and he's a strong believer (and also a youth pastor which means he has a huge calling in my book) so I know he's not like sports is evil. Though there are some people that do have that feeling. To them I would say this. Sports is not evil. It is like anything. It is good and honoring to God....if it is in the proper relationship to Him. If sports is put above God, then yes it is an idol. However, anything can be put above God and hence become an idol. Food, friends, one's spouse, anything can become idol. But those things in an of themselves aren't bad. God created those things to be enjoyed in the proper place. And I feel that sports is one of those things. Do some people make sports their idol...yes. But one should not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Sports can be an instrument for God to be glorified. It's about keeping it in the proper perspective.
*I thought it was really cool (though I don't like Texas) the celebration the Rangers had in their locker room following their ALDS series victory. They celebrated with ginger ale, because they wanted to include OF Josh Hamilton in the celebration. Hamilton, a follower of Jesus and a recovering alcoholic, skipped the AL West clinching win celebration because they used champagne because he didn't want to be tempted to drink. This time his teammates used ginger ale. I respect Hamilton because he's someone who has made mistakes, owned up to those mistakes and continues to move forward and be honest about his faith and his struggles. That is something that should be an encouragement to all believers as we struggle to live out our faith on a daily basis.
*Speaking of baseball, all the teams I rooted for in the Division series lost....which means I'm stuck with four teams that I'm not really fans of (or don't like at all). I'm pulling for whoever wins in the National League.
*Hockey season has started as well and the Predators are 3-0-1 in their first 4 games...not bad at all :)
Friday, January 1, 2010
Reflections on the Winter Classic 2010
It's New Year's Day and I got to enjoy what has become a tradition for me. That tradition is watching the Winter Classic on TV. For those that don't know, the Winter Classice is a regular season NHL Hockey game that is put on outside. It was started in 2008 as a way to draw attention to the league. The first one was indeed a classic as it was the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres playing in Buffalo. It snowed during the game and the game ended in a shootout with the Penguins winning. Last year, the Chicago Blackhawks played the Detroit Red Wings in Chicago at Wrigley Field. The Red Wings won the game played on that historic field.
This year it was the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers and the game was at historic Fenway Park in Boston. The game was a classic game between these two rivals. There was a fight, lots of checking into the boards and even some goals. The game ended in overtime with Boston getting the win 2-1.
When they were thinking of implementing this back in '08, there was a lot of skepticism. New Year's Day was college football. Would hockey make a dent? I think the last three years have shown that it has. With less bowl games on New Year's Day along with really good matchups at historic venues, the Winter Classic has been a success. It is something that I look forward to now each year. I would not be surprised if next year it's in New York with the Rangers as the home team and they're playing at Yankee Stadium. I'll go with that as a prediction, my first of the year. We'll see next New Year's if it holds true.
This year it was the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers and the game was at historic Fenway Park in Boston. The game was a classic game between these two rivals. There was a fight, lots of checking into the boards and even some goals. The game ended in overtime with Boston getting the win 2-1.
When they were thinking of implementing this back in '08, there was a lot of skepticism. New Year's Day was college football. Would hockey make a dent? I think the last three years have shown that it has. With less bowl games on New Year's Day along with really good matchups at historic venues, the Winter Classic has been a success. It is something that I look forward to now each year. I would not be surprised if next year it's in New York with the Rangers as the home team and they're playing at Yankee Stadium. I'll go with that as a prediction, my first of the year. We'll see next New Year's if it holds true.
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