Everything Else

I Hope It's Worth All The Noise

By 1205 0

Not only did that picture fit with the title, but this is the level of intelligence I think the leaders that be are at.

Maybe it wasn’t the worst, but this was one of the worst weekends to go through as an NHL fan. Not only was the gaping hole where our Black Friday game impossible to ignore as I attempted to watch LSU-Arkansas or something just as non-sensical, but the amount of noise, bullshit, and downright stupidity ramped up even more in the past few days. Add to that the frustration we are feeling has piled up to the point where we are fighting with each other at a moment’s notice, and frankly I’m exasperated as to where to go from here.

Everything Else

Morning Links 11/20

By Ken Oda 1185 0

Possible upgrades to the Bears’ o-line?

PHT brings the blah-blah-blah from the from The Usual Suspects: Daly Fehr

Perhaps the negotiations will be calmed by A Few Good Men: SN

To me the NHL saying they haven’t received a full proposal sounds like a Cop Out: ESPN

I can’t imagine losing the Columbus ASG is much of a Deterrence: PD

Emery has a new mask, I just hope we get to see it in action before Our Time is Up: CSN

Former Hawk Spacek says his career has reached the End of Days: PHT

Pirri is Coming of Age: Blackhawks

You probably can’t bet on this in a Casino: Twitter

Ken Campbell argues that it may be time to start with a Clean Slate: THN

Spector tells the NHL its time to do That Thing You Do: Sporting News

Everything Else

Your NHL-Less Weekend Viewing Guide & Discussion Of Utter Stupidity

By Sam Fels 1138 0

Before we get to what you can watch this weekend that isn’t what you’d rather be watching, a couple thoughts:

-You know it’s bad when I read the Twitter updates and instead of throwing something in anger or kicking a live animal, I just stare at the ceiling in utter disbelief — trying to wrap my head around something so bathed in stupidity that I’m not even sure I recognize the language or am totally confident I haven’t switched planets.

So it was when I saw this “moratorium” vaudevillian routine. Yes, I know it’s been suggested that’s exactly what a mediator would do if one were involved. But the complete lack of urgency or sense of what’s going on in the world outside of this thing…you’ll have to find a more talented writer than me to describe it accurately.

Everything Else

Your NHL-Less Weekend Viewing Guide & Discussion Of Utter Stupidity

By 1173 0

Before we get to what you can watch this weekend that isn’t what you’d rather be watching, a couple thoughts:

-You know it’s bad when I read the Twitter updates and instead of throwing something in anger or kicking a live animal, I just stare at the ceiling in utter disbelief — trying to wrap my head around something so bathed in stupidity that I’m not even sure I recognize the language or am totally confident I haven’t switched planets.

So it was when I saw this “moratorium” vaudevillian routine. Yes, I know it’s been suggested that’s exactly what a mediator would do if one were involved. But the complete lack of urgency or sense of what’s going on in the world outside of this thing…you’ll have to find a more talented writer than me to describe it accurately.

Everything Else

Wednesday Grabass

By Sam Fels 1163 0

I got nothing today. There’s a picture of Geezer Butler because why not? I guess I’m just going to go through whatever strands I’m trying to keep straight in Ol’ Duder’s head.

-Obviously, the frustration level right now for everyone is past boiling point. It’s probably volcanic. It hurts even more when the sides aren’t even talking. How can anyone have no urgency? The only thing left to create that urgency is losing the season, and that’s probably three to four weeks away from being a threat. And by that point, will anyone care?

Bettman and the owners’ inflexibility, lies, tactics, and smugness makes you choke on the air. I can imagine that any player would be absolutely sickened at the thought of bending on anything to them. If I were a player, I bet I’d probably be as militant as they are.

But with that kind of emotion, your logical side gets blinded. And what’s behind the curtain here is that almost half of the members of the union don’t have contracts past next season. And at some point, the union has to ask itself how much of those future contracts that haven’t even been signed do they want to limit with what they’re trying to save now.

Everything Else

Here Comes That Vomit Again

By Sam Fels 1349 0

Before I get to the meat of the post, an apology on the spam taking over our forums. We’ve addressed it, we think we’ve taken the steps to prevent it from happening again. Stick with us, we’ll get it right.

Ok, usually we like to run pictures with every post. Looks nice and all. But I just couldn’t bring myself to look at Gary Bettman right now. It’s been mentioned a little last night and some today, but the Commish’s appearance at the Hall of Fame Ceremony was nothing short of sickening.

I know, it would have looked awkward for the commissioner to not be at his league’s Hall induction. But that absence would have been washed over by the occasion. No one would worry about Gary being absent while Joe Sakic or Adam Oates or Mats Sundin were giving their speeches. It would have passed seamlessly.

But Gary couldn’t have that.

Everything Else

Dear Rockwell

By Sam Fels 1643 0

You mind if I call you Rockwell? Would you prefer Rocky? Either or. Sir, I come to you today not in a bid to end this madness, because we really don’t know how you feel about it. You’re not allowed to say. Even if you could, it’s hard to gauge how much sway you have over your fellow owners. You’ve only been one for five years now, and there are some entrenched members in your little club there. Secondly, maybe some owners are going to be envious or jealous or suspicious of you as you have the biggest building in the league and you sell it out every game. Perhaps they feel your interests don’t match theirs, and that could very well be correct.

But sir, you have a chance to save yourself and your fanbase here. Not by ending this lockout. Your Napoleon-complex ridden leader will assure that one voice cannot crack his posse’s militant desire to break the union, the league, the sport, and every fans’ heart irrevocably.

But you can survive more easily than almost any other owner in the sport, at least one below the 49th.

Everything Else

Try Try Try To Understand

By Sam Fels 1345 0

Ugh, a Heart reference. You can tell that I’m at the end of my rope.

With the NHL and NHLPA heading into a second consecutive day of negotiating, which breaks the record of this lockout by at least 100%, and on pretty much a media blackout (though you’ll get leaks here and there), it’s a little hard to know what to think and what is actually going on. I’ll do my best to pass along how I’m seeing things, and you can tell me I’m totally wrong in the comments.

First things first, one aspect I’ve been getting slightly wrong is how the “make-whole” provision would work, why it’s necessary, why they’re arguing about it, and how it’s different from normal escrow. Yep, I’m going to admit I’m wrong. You’d think this would happen more considering how often I am wrong. But yeah, totally admitting a degree of wrong-ness. My girlfriend will be so thrilled.