Duck Duck 4/21/09

As I sit watching the hockey capitol of Europe taking a 3-0 lead against Columbus, all sorts of sarcastic thoughts come to mind. Things like congratulating Detroit for tanking the Presidents Trophy and pulling a Duck duck on Anaheim. The inexperienced Blue Jackets make for a much more attractive first round matchup.

Things like should we expect any less from the Red Wings than to take a collective leak on the spirit of competition and fair play? Their talent level is easily equalled by their gutlessness, which is sad. They'd be competitive having to spend half of each game on a power play.

Things like poetic justice would have Columbus pulling the upset, causing Maalox stock prices to rise as our beloved Commissioner Gary tries to find some solace over the loss of
his cherished ace in the hole.

However.........

As the game of hockey flourishes elsewhere, maybe its just the NHL that's the problem. How is an atmosphere created where continued whining and diving is not only condoned, but promoted? Not in juniors. Not in college. Only in the Bettman backyard. Hmmm,

Call me a heretic if you must but maybe, just maybe, two of the greatest point producers in the history of the NHL have also contributed mightily to the destruction of the league. Believe it or not, Wayne Gretzky and Maria Lemieux are responsible for the sham we call the top professional league in the world.

Consider that Bill McCreary (no, not the ref) never saw the light of another day in the NHL after a legal open ice hit on Gretzky back in 1981. Whether an edict from the league office or a group decision by the owners, McCreary was sent to the minors the following day. Whether Gretzky is the all-time best player or not, no one player can ever be bigger than the game. That McCreary got the career equivalent of the Jimmy Hoffa treatment is a disgrace. But, it helped to create the climate of double standard that we see in the game today

Anyone remember former Pens owner Howard Baldwin whining about how his star players were soooo abused? It almost seems embarrassing looking back. Considering their dimensions its hard to figure why Maria  Lemieux and Andrea Jaeger, oops, sorry, Jaromir Jagr, couldn't defend themselves. (My sincerest apologies to Ms. Jaeger. I get the former womens tennis star mixed up with Jagr all the time, if only because during his career Jagr showed all the physical toughness of a former womens tennis star.) Rule changes were put into place to protect the leagues' Next Big Thing and voila, suddenly Lemieux is Super Mario. A pair of sham Cup wins followed.

As the NHL product continued to degenerate, more and more rule 'adjustments', expansions, and gimmicks followed. Meanwhile, old-time hockey people earned nicknames like dinosaur for decrying the changes and longing for the days not so long ago when the game played in the NHL could still be called hockey.

Once the doors of lowered- and double-standards are opened they can't be closed. When individual players or teams operate under a different set of rules its a tough turn to bring back disenchanted and distrusting fans. That stuff in the NHL just doesn't look much like hockey anymore. No matter how you cut it Pavel, Datsucks.

Remember, in case of fire Red Wings and children first.

P.S. Can someone notify the Yankees that their new stadium is done? Whose idea was it anyway for them to play their first home stand in Williamsport?

Thanks for reading.