This is the sort of shit that pisses me off:

Gary Bettman has got to go. Whether he gets fired, quits, or someone shoots him dead in the street, I hope it happens soon.

A leaked copy of league revenue http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Hockey/article/433906 shows that Canadian teams were six of the seven top teams in ticket revenue for the 2007-2008 season. Furthermore, those six Canadian teams (which comprise one fifth of the league) account for ONE THIRD of the league's ticket revenue.

What that means is that teams like Phoenix, Nashville, Atlanta, and other backwater cesspools of hockey hell are dead weight; dragging the rest of the league down with their non-existant fanbase and communistic revenue-sharing.

A further implication of this report is not only is it Canadian teams that are pulling the weight, it suggests that the NHL needs to pay more attention to traditional markets, which include New England and the Northern US.

Gary Bettman has been a failure. His philosophy of ignoring and deliberately shutting out Canadian fans, owners, and potential owners in favor of expanding into non-traditional markets has been catastrophic. In the report you will see that 11 of the 24 US teams were flat or LOST ticket income compared to last year. Any guesses as to where those 11 teams are located? Well, here's a fact: Phoenix is at the bottom of the list in terms of ticket revenue.

Gary Bettman still insists on shutting out Jim Ballsillie, who wanted to take one of those sack-of-shit teams in Phoenix or Nashville and relocate it to a place where people would actually buy tickets and watch the games on TV.
"No, we don't like to see fans to come to games, or get local market TV contracts, or work with national sportscasters, or actualy PLAY THE FUCKING SPORT (2004-2005 season)" says Bettman.

And now Bettman is looking into further expanding his crumbling league into Kansas City or Las Vegas. Kansas City. Hmmm, sounds familiar...I guess the logic goes like this: Atlanta failed the firt time, and the second time around it's under dysfunctional management, playing in front of an apathetic (and largely absent) population--this is fun! Lets do it in another failed NHL city too!
And hell, Phoenix is a desert town, they suck, so let's do the SAME THING in Vegas!

Here's why you should be pissed off: Teams that matter, IE, those in real markets like Boston, New York*, and Canada, those with real fans, are suffering because of the crap teams. Bettman forced revenue-sharing with the lockout. What that means is, every time you buy a ticket, or pay your centre ice cable bill, or buy a Bruins, Rangers, or Canadiens jersey/hat/pink panties (oops), you are, in fact, helping pay the mortgage of a shit team like the Florida Panthers. The money you spend on your favorite team gets re-distributed to the owners of southern teams that don't make a dime, pollute the talent pool, and make hockey into a poorly-attended laughingstock.

Without Bettman, we would have had no lockout, and thus, no revenue-sharing, and no salary cap. We would also not have had to deal with overexpansion. So, instead of watching Ilya Kovalchuk waste his time and efforts in Atlanta, Boston fans could be watching him play in a Bruins jersey. Ollie Jokinen could be on the same line with Saku Koivu. Martin Erat could be playing in a city where people actually knew his name.

I am sick to death of the mismanagement of this shit-ass league.

*although the report also shows that those fuck-wit Islanders fans are just as useful as those morons in North Carolina who think the Canadiens' logo is a "Habitron". Islanders fans are excused from being considered "traditional". Buy an effing Rangers sweater and shut up.

Scores and Standings

So Pittsburgh has made it a series. Watching Detroit last night, I got a sense of what it must have been like to see the Canadiens play in the 70's. Although the Wings lost, they are excellent in every aspect of the game. It's obvious that this is a team that expects to win, and is used to winning. I was watching outstanding hockey last night, from both teams.

And I'm sorry, but Holmstrom got what he deserved. When you are constantly running a team's goalie, you'd better be prepared to get some bad treatment when you go towards the net. I was most impressed with Orpik's behavior towards the Wings last night.


Stoner: 139 (137)
Zetterberg (Det)
Malkin (Pit) W=1
Fleury (Pit) W=1


D-man (Capt. Sparrow): 136 (133)
Datsyuk (Det)
Hossa, (Pit) A,A,W=3


Kovalev Jr. (Habsfan1993): 96 (91)
Crosby (Pit) G,G,W=5
Rafalski (Det)


Go Wings: 89 (88)
Gonchar (Pit) W=1
Hasek (Det)


Michael Corleone: 79 (78)
Lidstrom (Det) A=1


Pittsburgh 1 - Detroit 2


Bride of Kovalev (making some mean leftovers): 79 (78)
Whitney (Pit) W=1

Scores and Standings

My deepest apologies for not posting Game 1's results. I was in Pennsyilvania this weekend visting my parents, and they don't have any internets at their house. Hell, they don't even have a laundry machine in their new house, so forget doing that big load of stinky clothes we brought.
Today's Scores and Standings reflects both game 1 and 2.

P-stone is widening his lead, but anything can happen. Especially if the Penguins came back and make it a series (which I think they will).


Stoner: 137 (132)
Zetterberg (Det) G,A,W,W=5
Malkin (Pit)
Fleury (Pit)


D-man (Capt. Sparrow): 133 (131)
Datsyuk (Det) W,W=2
Hossa, (Pit)


Kovalev Jr. (Habsfan1993): 91 (89)
Crosby (Pit)
Rafalski (Det) W,W=2


Go Wings: 88 (86)
Gonchar (Pit)
Hasek (Det) W,W=2


Michael Corleone: 78 (75)
Lidstrom (Det) A,W,W=3


Pittsburgh 0 - Detroit 2


Bride of Kovalev (making some mean leftovers): 78
Whitney (Pit)

On another note:

Can someone tell me where these announcers get off telling us that it's "tradition" for players to not even touch the Wales or Campbell trophies? This is a VERY recent development. I remember team captains as recently as 1999 holding, and in some cases, raising the trophy, especially at home.

Now, there may be something to a "don't pretend it's the Stanley Cup" mindset. I'm sure many of us remember the Red Wings in 1995 raising the Campbell trophy over their heads in celebration, only to be swept by the Devils. That, I believe, was the beginning of this "tradition" of being somewhat deferential about the conference trophy, but players still were at least HOLDING the trophy for the photo-op and to reward their fans.

I think I can recall this no-touch bullshit really beginning in 2003 when the Ducks and Devils both refused to even touch their trophies. If someone can provide some evidence of this in earlier years, please enlighten me.

Bottom line, is this may be superstition, but it sure as hell isn't a long-standing tradition, and there sure isn't a lot of precedent for it. And these announcers (I'm looking at you Mike Emrick--but then again, you think Andrei and Dany Markov are brothers, retard) ought to know better than to throw out ignorant bullshit that insults the intelligence of real fans.

Scores and Standings

Hooray, Red Wings win. Now on to the Cup Final. Who will win, Pittsburgh or Detroit? And more importantly, who will win this pool? Stoner has squeaked ahead, but no lead is safe when Hossa and Datsyuk are scoring.


Stoner: 132 (128)
Zetterberg (Det) G,A,W=4
Malkin (Pit)
Fleury (Pit)


D-man (Capt. Sparrow): 131 (128)
Datsyuk (Det) G,W=3
Hossa, (Pit)


Kovalev Jr. (Habsfan1993): 89 88
Crosby (Pit)
Rafalski (Det) W=1


Go Wings: 86 (85)
Gonchar (Pit)
Hasek (Det) W=1


Michael Corleone: 75 (73)
Lidstrom (Det) A,W=2


Pittsburgh 4 - Philadelphia 1
Detroit 4 - Dallas 2


Bride of Kovalev (making some mean leftovers): 78
Whitney (Pit)

Scores and Standings

Well well. Derek and Patrick tied. AGAIN. This is awesome. Who will prevail?
Pittsburgh finally puts the Flyers down. Yay, Philly sucks. Now, Philly has to also weather a firestorm as another scandal rocks the city:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt2AAenVpKg

Does anyone else see the similarities between Malkin and Lemieux? And God help me, I'm starting to become a fan of Crosby. He still needs to shave that dirty rat facial hair of his though.


D-man (Capt. Sparrow): 128 (122)
Datsyuk (Det)
Hossa, (Pit) G,A,A,A,W


Stoner: 128 (123)
Zetterberg (Det)
Malkin (Pit) G,W=3
Fleury (Pit) SO=2


Kovalev Jr. (Habsfan1993): 88 (85)
Crosby (Pit) A,A,W=3
Rafalski (Det)


Go Wings: 85 (83)
Gonchar (Pit) A,W=2
Hasek (Det)


Michael Corleone: 73
Lidstrom (Det)


Pittsburgh 4 - Philadelphia 1
Detroit 3 - Dallas 2


Bride of Kovalev (making some mean leftovers): 78 (77)
Whitney (Pit) W=1

Scores and Standings: Unchanged from Saturday's game

Stoner: 123
Zetterberg (Det)
Malkin (Pit)
Fleury (Pit)


D-man (Capt. Sparrow): 122
Datsyuk (Det)
Hossa, (Pit)


Kovalev Jr. (Habsfan1993): 85
Crosby (Pit)
Rafalski (Det)


Go Wings: 83
Gonchar (Pit)
Hasek (Det)


Michael Corleone: 73
Lidstrom (Det)


Pittsburgh 3 - Philadelphia 0
Detroit 3 - Dallas 1


Bride of Kovalev (making some mean leftovers): 77
Whitney (Pit)