Sabres and Senators Create Interest For All The Wrong Reasons

Thursday night saw one of the biggest brawls in recent NHL history, when a clean open ice hit caused players from the Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators to fight each other for what seems like 2 solid days now.

The media showed all the highlights (if you can call them that) from Thursday night until tonight's "much anticipated" rematch between the two Northeast division clubs. One network, the Score, called it "probably the best game of the season". I propose it wasn't because of the 6-5 shootout final score. Even ESPN, long ignoring hockey in the post-lockout world, covered the brawl fairly early in their SportsCenter broadcast. (As an aside, I know we Canadians spell Centre, well, like that, but the ESPN program is spelt as above.)

All this brawl has led to is a black eye on the league. The post-lockout NHL was designed for skill players, higher scoring games, and highlight-making goals, assists, and saves. At least that's what I thought the new rules were intended to do.

But through all of that, the league kept fighting as a part of the game. The proponents of fighting argue that it is a confidence booster to a team when a player wins a fight, and it is that type of event that can turn a game around. I prefer to believe that a timely goal, big save, or key penalty kill is more effective.

In order to be successful in the U.S. again, the league must market its talent and its game, and they're doing that for the most part. But when the Sabres and Senators fought like this, all it did was prove to the uneducated fan that this game is for the uneducated.

Fighting has no place in team sport, and hockey is the only one that doesn't realize it. Get fighting out of the game for good, and market the game on its laurels.

The Losing Reward

In an attempt to eliminate the hated tie from their system, the NHL introduced the shootout to settle games last year to amazing success. The shootout was a hit with fans, both in the stands and on television. But when a team loses, either in a shootout or in overtime, they receive a point.

A point for losing a game. Only in the NHL.

What this has created is a system where teams, especially in the stretch drive, play just to get to overtime so that the single point is guaranteed. This takes away from the excitement that fans are demanding, and more importantly, from the competition that sport is designed for.

Because of this, teams that lose in extra time end up with more points at the end of the season than some teams that have more wins. For example, there is a 5 point differential from the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks this year, but San Jose has one more win. The Ducks lead the division, though, because of their 8 overtime/shootout losses.

I am completely in favour of the shootout, but the team that loses should not receive a point for failing to win a game. This will keep teams from dumping and chasing in the third period in order to get the sure point, and it will also ensure that teams who win games are seeded higher than teams who lose in overtime.

It's time for the league to stop rewarding teams for losing with the "loser point". It's time for a change.

Super Bowl XLI

So, we're finally here: Super Bowl 41 is less than 24 hours away, and 2 weeks of breakdowns, panel discussions, and human interest stories will be wittled down to a 3 hour game with a much longer pre-game show. But, alas, that is the current state of the NFL Championship Game, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Colts (7) vs. Bears = The league's most talented quarterback against one of the league's best defences. The first two African-American head coaches to lead their teams to the Super Bowl. Great running game against a weak run defence. Can Peyton Manning win the big one? Will Rex Grossman be the worst quarterback to win the Super Bowl? Or will a win by Chicago take away all of his critics once and for all?

Blah Blah Blah.

The fact is Indianapolis is a better team, and, even with the Bears' strong defence, Peyton Manning has the ability and the help around him to defeat it. On the other side, the Colts' fantastic pass rush will knock Rex Grossman around to the point where he will be forced to rush his throws. If Chicago runs the ball virtually every down, they have a chance. But if they do, it will be a dull game. Indy scores early and forces a shootout, which Chicago cannot compete with.

All that said, I'd take the points here.

Colts 31-27. Bears to cover.

Playoff record: 7-3 (against spread)