I need to vent. I'm tired of the direction that the NHL is taking right now. Gary Bettman is to blame. There's no reason why there are 150 basketball games televised for every hockey game. I'm tired of players being suspended for infractions that the officials on the ice should take care of. I want the Cambell's and Wales conferences back, along with the Adams/Campbell/Smythe, etc divisions. I feel as though a lot of the history of the game has been lost, and there is more stickwork in the game than ever. Fighting is part of the game, and the game shouldn't have to change to fit Bettman's mold of what he thinks hockey should be. Hockey is the most poorly marketed sport out there, and most people only get to watch a few games in the playoffs. I think it is time to bring in an ex-player to head the league, and get back to the game's roots. Sign a big TV contract like NASCAR did, and let's get back to old time hockey.

Hey .... It sounds like hockey is going down the drain outside of my city. I am totally oblivious to this type of comment toward hockey. Every game for my team this season is televised here, saturday night hockey "Hockey Night in Canada" is bigger then your monday night football. There isn't a bar in the city that doesn't have the hockey game on the big screen, if they are playing that particular night. Everyone is glued to the t.v as their team is playing. Everywhere I look is a hockey arena, outdoor rinks too (in the winter). Everyone has Leaf flags hanging from their car windows or car antennas.
What can I say, maybe move to Toronto.

As far as the fighting going and which direction the game has gone... yes, your right. They need to get rid of the instigator rule and let the boys police the game themselves like the old days.

GO Leafs GO http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Bettman is a putz. They definitely need to seek better TV contracts or the game will lessen in the ratings and the league will suffer.

PHISH said:

Hey .... It sounds like hockey is going down the drain outside of my city. I am totally oblivious to this type of comment toward hockey. Every game for my team this season is televised here, saturday night hockey "Hockey Night in Canada" is bigger then your monday night football. There isn't a bar in the city that doesn't have the hockey game on the big screen, if they are playing that particular night. Everyone is glued to the t.v as their team is playing. Everywhere I look is a hockey arena, outdoor rinks too (in the winter). Everyone has Leaf flags hanging from their car windows or car antennas.
What can I say, maybe move to Toronto.

As far as the fighting going and which direction the game has gone... yes, your right. They need to get rid of the instigator rule and let the boys police the game themselves like the old days.

GO Leafs GO http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif



Nice to hear that it is strong in your area. Around here it sucks, and the devils are one of the better teams out there, but the press doesn't care. I love the Paul Newman quote. "I know, I know, she told me!!"

No sporting event can compete with the intensity of playoff hockey.

I grew up playing Hoops and Football -- I can't even skate, but in an objective argument, you can't put any sport ahead of Hockey. Fast pace, physical, player changes without game stoppage, fights!, etc... Nothing else compares.

Either way, they need to make changes, Bettman needs to go. Leagues need to be headed by people who live/eat/breath the game, not a business man.

Lui Kang said:

No sporting event can compete with the intensity of playoff hockey.

I grew up playing Hoops and Football -- I can't even skate, but in an objective argument, you can't put any sport ahead of Hockey. Fast pace, physical, player changes without game stoppage, fights!, etc... Nothing else compares.

Either way, they need to make changes, Bettman needs to go. Leagues need to be headed by people who live/eat/breath the game, not a business man.



Amen, my brotha!!! (I never thought I'd be saying that about Lui Kang! http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/bounce.gif

Lui Kang said:

No sporting event can compete with the intensity of playoff hockey.

I grew up playing Hoops and Football -- I can't even skate, but in an objective argument, you can't put any sport ahead of Hockey. Fast pace, physical, player changes without game stoppage, fights!, etc... Nothing else compares.

Either way, they need to make changes, Bettman needs to go. Leagues need to be headed by people who live/eat/breath the game, not a business man.



I agree with the change of Bettman, but I have to disagree with placing hockey at the top of all sports. I will admit, my history of playing organized hockey has been limited to limited checking summer leagues, and holiday tournaments. However, I played football through HS and college, and there is nothing like playing the game of football at that level. There is no other sport that requires as much dedication and practice for one performance. I used to dedicate about 8-10 hours per day outside of classes for practice, watching film, studying plays, getting medical treatment for injuries, team meetings, etc. Football was a full time job, all for a 3 hour performance on satudays. At that level, people are literally trying to kill you on every play, and you are forced to stand and fight for you life. There is no other high like that in sports.

I will admit, I do get a lot more worked up watching playoff hockey than I do playoff football. I just think that in terms of playing the two sports, football wins hands down.

silverbullet84 said:


Lui Kang said:

No sporting event can compete with the intensity of playoff hockey.

I grew up playing Hoops and Football -- I can't even skate, but in an objective argument, you can't put any sport ahead of Hockey. Fast pace, physical, player changes without game stoppage, fights!, etc... Nothing else compares.

Either way, they need to make changes, Bettman needs to go. Leagues need to be headed by people who live/eat/breath the game, not a business man.



I agree with the change of Bettman, but I have to disagree with placing hockey at the top of all sports. I will admit, my history of playing organized hockey has been limited to limited checking summer leagues, and holiday tournaments. However, I played football through HS and college, and there is nothing like playing the game of football at that level. There is no other sport that requires as much dedication and practice for one performance. I used to dedicate about 8-10 hours per day outside of classes for practice, watching film, studying plays, getting medical treatment for injuries, team meetings, etc. Football was a full time job, all for a 3 hour performance on satudays. At that level, people are literally trying to kill you on every play, and you are forced to stand and fight for you life. There is no other high like that in sports.

I will admit, I do get a lot more worked up watching playoff hockey than I do playoff football. I just think that in terms of playing the two sports, football wins hands down.



Sorry SB, But I have to agree with Lui Kang. This is a big conversation piece with the boys at a bar, we have had this many times...
Is football a tougher sport then hockey? My answer is no, Footbal is not harder and tougher then Hockey... maybe the same, but definately not tougher. I don't want to get into it, but thats my belief. As far as the work ethic, I am not sure what you meant by 'checking summer leagues, and holiday tournaments', but our kids start hitting at 8 (I think).
depending on the level of hockey you play, and I feel that if we were to compare your high school football to our equivelant level of hockey, then that is our jr. 'A', Not chl but one below. And yes, we did watch game tape and practice everyday on land and ice, even on game day. We do play 2-4 brutal games a week (how many football games did you play a week?). We also play defence and offence. We FIGHT, slash, crosscheck, hit....blah blah blah.. we can go on for days with this argument... Its a good arguement

No it's not...there is no argument. The only sport that could even be considered more grueling than hockey is rugby! That's the only thing that's even in the same universe! Football...show me a bunch of 350+lb. hockey players...that's right...I didn't think so.

PHISH said:


silverbullet84 said:


Lui Kang said:

No sporting event can compete with the intensity of playoff hockey.

I grew up playing Hoops and Football -- I can't even skate, but in an objective argument, you can't put any sport ahead of Hockey. Fast pace, physical, player changes without game stoppage, fights!, etc... Nothing else compares.

Either way, they need to make changes, Bettman needs to go. Leagues need to be headed by people who live/eat/breath the game, not a business man.



I agree with the change of Bettman, but I have to disagree with placing hockey at the top of all sports. I will admit, my history of playing organized hockey has been limited to limited checking summer leagues, and holiday tournaments. However, I played football through HS and college, and there is nothing like playing the game of football at that level. There is no other sport that requires as much dedication and practice for one performance. I used to dedicate about 8-10 hours per day outside of classes for practice, watching film, studying plays, getting medical treatment for injuries, team meetings, etc. Football was a full time job, all for a 3 hour performance on satudays. At that level, people are literally trying to kill you on every play, and you are forced to stand and fight for you life. There is no other high like that in sports.

I will admit, I do get a lot more worked up watching playoff hockey than I do playoff football. I just think that in terms of playing the two sports, football wins hands down.



Sorry SB, But I have to agree with Lui Kang. This is a big conversation piece with the boys at a bar, we have had this many times...
Is football a tougher sport then hockey? My answer is no, Footbal is not harder and tougher then Hockey... maybe the same, but definately not tougher. I don't want to get into it, but thats my belief. As far as the work ethic, I am not sure what you meant by 'checking summer leagues, and holiday tournaments', but our kids start hitting at 8 (I think).
depending on the level of hockey you play, and I feel that if we were to compare your high school football to our equivelant level of hockey, then that is our jr. 'A', Not chl but one below. And yes, we did watch game tape and practice everyday on land and ice, even on game day. We do play 2-4 brutal games a week (how many football games did you play a week?). We also play defence and offence. We FIGHT, slash, crosscheck, hit....blah blah blah.. we can go on for days with this argument... Its a good arguement




Sure, we could argue about this for the rest of our lives, but it all comes down to personal experience. As far as hitting goes, I've been slammed into the boards, laid out in the center of the ice on a blind hit, kneed, slashed in the head, had pucks hit me in the gut, you name it. In my experience, the hits in football are more violent (they may not look as bad as some of the hits in hockey). I think this is because of the leverage that football players have due to the surface and their footware. I haven't had a 340lb hockey player drive me into the ground and then land on me, with the remainder of both teams piling on. Football player tend to hit and be he on just about every play, with a lot of hits that completely stop a player's momentum instantly. I can't say that this same type of collision occurs on most shifts for most players in hockey.

And as far as fighting, hockey has the edge, but I've been in several fights in football where I was kicked, punched, and even had a chunk of flesh bitten off my arm. That's my experience, and my thoughts will not be changed. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

By the way, how did we get so off topic? I started this post about the state of the NHL, not about which sport is the toughest.

silverbullet84 said:


PHISH said:


silverbullet84 said:


Lui Kang said:

No sporting event can compete with the intensity of playoff hockey.

I grew up playing Hoops and Football -- I can't even skate, but in an objective argument, you can't put any sport ahead of Hockey. Fast pace, physical, player changes without game stoppage, fights!, etc... Nothing else compares.

Either way, they need to make changes, Bettman needs to go. Leagues need to be headed by people who live/eat/breath the game, not a business man.



I agree with the change of Bettman, but I have to disagree with placing hockey at the top of all sports. I will admit, my history of playing organized hockey has been limited to limited checking summer leagues, and holiday tournaments. However, I played football through HS and college, and there is nothing like playing the game of football at that level. There is no other sport that requires as much dedication and practice for one performance. I used to dedicate about 8-10 hours per day outside of classes for practice, watching film, studying plays, getting medical treatment for injuries, team meetings, etc. Football was a full time job, all for a 3 hour performance on satudays. At that level, people are literally trying to kill you on every play, and you are forced to stand and fight for you life. There is no other high like that in sports.

I will admit, I do get a lot more worked up watching playoff hockey than I do playoff football. I just think that in terms of playing the two sports, football wins hands down.



Sorry SB, But I have to agree with Lui Kang. This is a big conversation piece with the boys at a bar, we have had this many times...
Is football a tougher sport then hockey? My answer is no, Footbal is not harder and tougher then Hockey... maybe the same, but definately not tougher. I don't want to get into it, but thats my belief. As far as the work ethic, I am not sure what you meant by 'checking summer leagues, and holiday tournaments', but our kids start hitting at 8 (I think).
depending on the level of hockey you play, and I feel that if we were to compare your high school football to our equivelant level of hockey, then that is our jr. 'A', Not chl but one below. And yes, we did watch game tape and practice everyday on land and ice, even on game day. We do play 2-4 brutal games a week (how many football games did you play a week?). We also play defence and offence. We FIGHT, slash, crosscheck, hit....blah blah blah.. we can go on for days with this argument... Its a good arguement




Sure, we could argue about this for the rest of our lives, but it all comes down to personal experience. As far as hitting goes, I've been slammed into the boards, laid out in the center of the ice on a blind hit, kneed, slashed in the head, had pucks hit me in the gut, you name it. In my experience, the hits in football are more violent (they may not look as bad as some of the hits in hockey). I think this is because of the leverage that football players have due to the surface and their footware. I haven't had a 340lb hockey player drive me into the ground and then land on me, with the remainder of both teams piling on. Football player tend to hit and be he on just about every play, with a lot of hits that completely stop a player's momentum instantly. I can't say that this same type of collision occurs on most shifts for most players in hockey.

And as far as fighting, hockey has the edge, but I've been in several fights in football where I was kicked, punched, and even had a chunk of flesh bitten off my arm. That's my experience, and my thoughts will not be changed. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

By the way, how did we get so off topic? I started this post about the state of the NHL, not about which sport is the toughest.



We all have our own opinion....

Not sure how we got so far off topic.
Probably LuiKang's fault????? Damn Sen/Wing fans... http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif