What I’d Do If I Had 24 Hours With The Stanley Cup !!!!
Topic:  My Day Long Date With The Stanley Cup
By: Ryan “I Just Made You Famous” Rage

Well, the winners of the Stanley Cup were not too long ago decided and with that the members of the championship winning Anaheim Ducks each get a day to bask in the glory of “The Holy Grail”.  Arguably the most recognizable trophy in all of sports will be going here and there and doing this and that, once again.  The Ducks will all get their chance to have their way with the cup and do whatever they please.  (Of course, I’m pretty sure they can’t do anything with the cup; there has to be some sort of boundary, right?)  I’m sure all of the players have plans conjured up on what they’re going to do and how their going to spend their day with the Stanley Cup.  I too have plans for a one day romp with “Sexy Stanley”; I am talking about my own day with the Stanley Cup and not a man named Stanley, not that there’s anything wrong with that.  So what would I do if I had a day with the Stanley Cup?  Wouldn’t you like to know?  Of course, you would.  It’s a damn shame that one of the “Keepers of the Cup” would have to hang around with me and chaperone for that special day;  What a drag! 

            Let the fun begin.  How would I start my day off with "Lord Stanley's Mug"?  I’ve always wondered if anyone has every taken a #### in the mug.  If no one had up to that point, I’d be the first.  That’s the first thing I’d do with it, give it a golden shower.  “The Keeper” would probably try to stop me but I’d make sure that it happens one way or the other.  Now I like to think of myself as a rather clean fellow and I would clean up my mess.   I wouldn’t just #### on the cup and call it a day; that’d be disgusting and disrespectful.  I’m going to have more fun with it.

            After pissing on and in the cup, I’d like to take a bubble bath and shower with it.  Oh yes, that is another one of my wild Stanley Cup fantasies that I’d like to see come true.  Is there anything better than getting clean with the Stanley Cup?  I suppose sex with the Stanley Cup but it’s not time for that, yet.  I would wash myself and wash it; ‘it’ being the Stanley Cup.  What a marvellous time we’d have!  It might be a bit awkward for “The Keeper”, since he has to be with the Stanley Cup at all times.

            What would I wear for this momentous occasion?  I’d definitely dress up in my bleached, ratty Mats Sundin  Maple Leafs jersey.  If the Leafs don’t end their Stanley cup drought of over 40 years before my day with “The Mug”, I’d stage a mock celebration in my home.  I really don’t know how I’d go about doing this.  It would likely be a spur of the moment kind of event but I’m pretty sure it would involve me and the Stanley Cup covered in beer or some other type of alcohol.  Another shower involving me and the Cup would proceed the celebration.  I’d still wear the now-beer stained Leafs jersey; it just feels right for this day.

            I don’t know how “The Keeper” would feel about this but I do want to wrestle with the Cup.  Nothing too fancy or over the top, but I would like to kick it around and hit a couple of moves on it.  I’d hit an elbow drop here and maybe a leg drop there, and maybe a couple of knee drops.  After I execute a piledriver on to it, I’d climb up to the top of my couch and hit a frog splash.  I may do more than what I have planned but that’s a rough outline of my wrestling match with the Cup.  Of course, one move is a must;  I would pin the cup for a 1-2-3.

            One activity I’d like to do with the Stanley Cup is visit a strip club.  That’s right!  Me and “The Holy Grail” with beautiful women caressing and gyrating themselves all over us.  I’m sure that “Sexy Stanley” would get more attention than me but the view of this event would be extremely fabulous.  Too bad I probably won’t be able to do this, even if I had a day with the Cup.  Mark Messier took the Cup on stage at a strip and now it’s prohibited from going to such places.  It’s a shame, though.  It’s a damn shame!  I’d still try but that pest, “The Keeper”, would likely butt in to my affairs.

            What sport is the Stanley Cup awarded for?  Hockey is the name of the game.  In the spirit of honouring the game and having some wholesome fun, I’d play a game of hockey with my buddies, but not just any ordinary game of hockey.  The team who wins, my team, would get to celebrate with the cup and take team photos with it.  My stellar play in the crease will carry my team to a “Stanley Cup Championship”.  I wonder if the members of my team would get their names engraved into the Cup?  We may have to do the engraving ourselves.  Do we use a key, a pointy knife, or a big jagged rock?  “The Keeper” would likely be a whining #### and oppose such actions, meaning he’d deprive us of our glorious achievement and ruin our fun.

            The fun doesn’t stop at playing hockey for the Stanley Cup.  Me and Stanley are going out for a night on the town.  We’ll start the evening off with dinner.  It doesn’t matter which restaurant, since we can get in to any one we choose; who’s not going to let the Stanley Cup in to their restaurant?  We’ll probably get our meal for free, due to the  Stanley Cup and its great celebrity status.  I can just imagine the questions and the conversations.  The waiter asking, “Sir, does Stanley need a coaster?”  “What would you like to drink?”  My response would be, “I’d like a martini, shaken not stirred and in a cup…..this Stanley Cup.”  I can hear the compliments from all of the onlookers.  “Those two make a great couple.”  Oh yes, it would be quite the spectacle.

            After an evening of dinner, we move on to dancing.  Do we wait in line?  Hell no!  This is the Stanley Cup….and me.   We go where we want, when we want.  The dance floor is ours when we want it, the music played is what we want and the drinks are on the house.  These are just some of the perks that you get with friends like the Stanley Cup.  When we’re up in the club, all the ladies hope we’re not ####.  Stanley is a bona fide chick magnet.  All the ladies would be all over us and I’d be in heaven.

            Our day is almost up but there’s one more thing we’ve yet to do.  First, we have a nightcap and then we retire to our bed together.  That’s right!  I’m going to sleep with the Stanley Cup.  I won’t be doing anything sexual with it;  even if I were to, I wouldn’t write about it for people to know.  My greatest fantasy is to sleep with Lord Stanley of Preston’s Cup.  It’d be like sleeping with all of the winners of the Stanley Cup; at least most of them, since the bands that make up the Stanley Cup do get/have been replaced to make room for the new winners.  I would snuggle next to it, hug it, and squeeze it tight as we sleep together in harmonious fashion.  Lets not forget about “The Keeper”; he can sleep on the floor.

            After such an eventful and exhausting day, I probably wouldn’t be able to wake up to bid farewell to my new best friend, the Stanley Cup.  It’s best that I don’t have to see it leave or I may break down in tears.  I’ll always miss it and will cherish the time we spent together.  One day we will meet up again; when we do, we’re going to have a superlatively phenomenal time. 

Video Games, Mostly Of The Sports Variety, Have Taught Me Alot
Topic: What Sports Video Games Offer/The Knowledge A Video Game Can Teach
By: Ryan "I Just Made You Famous" Rage

Whenever something goes awry with teens these days, the usual suspects come into play. Music, television/movies, drugs, alcohol and video games are usual the ones most often brought up to explain why some teenager has just gone loco at his school or wherever it may be. What happened to the good old days when these bad seeds, who ruin the fun for others, had to face bear the brunt of the blame without being able to give the notion that, “Those [insert usual suspect] made me do it.” To them I say, “Poppycock.” I’m not trying to say that video games never have a bad effect on a person; I’ve smashed a few controllers over several interceptions in Madden and a couple over terrible one-touch football in Fifa. I just find it absolutely ludicrous that many tend to view video games and other things, such as television, music, etc. as the only culprits whenever someone with not enough sense goes out and does something stupid. (To the few that read, you’re probably wondering what this has to do with sports; I’ll get to that shortly.) Everyone seems to forget about those who do have sense and do not do those stupid acts. Does playing Grand Theft Auto make you a car jacking hooligan or does playing Zelda make you a sword wielding maniac? Not necessarily. In fact, video games, in my case, have been both beneficial and have improved my life. What have video games done for me? Well, they’ve made me a cool guy; Ok, maybe not. However, they have taught me a lot and a lot about my one true love. My one true love is not a woman, as sad as it sounds. This love that video games has taught me so much about is sports. Yes, video games have taught me about sports and lots about it.

One of the most influential sports games that has impacted my knowledge of a particular sport is Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey, Jr. for the Nintendo 64. Where o where do I begin? Besides the endless hours of pleasure that it gave me, (no not a sexual type of pleasure. I did not have the rumble pack, which makes the controller shake ferociously.) the game taught me a lot about the sport itself. Let me take a trip down memory lane. Bottom of the ninth inning and down one run with a man on second, my hitter, Bobby Higginson, is up to the plate. The pitchers throws his pitch and “Wham”. It is laced into the centre-right gap; the ball takes one hop and over the fence. I, not knowing better, thought it was a homer run, as I had never seen such a play. I thought I had won the game; sadly, the game doesn’t cut to a scene of celebration that occurs at the end of a team’s win. I am back at the plate. I am holding my controller befuddled. That play that just occurred was a ‘ground-rule double’ and that’s how I learned about it. Another moment of learning through video games occurred in a bases loaded, zero-out situation as I was pitching. Talk about a sticky situation. To my luck, the batter at the plate strikes one of my pitches for an infield pop-fly. A voice then quickly says, “Infield fly” indicating that the ‘infield-fly rule’ was in effect. At this time, I had no clue what “infield fly” meant. I thought I had struck gold; I would let the ball drop and, hopefully, turn my first triple play. I let it drop, then threw to third then second and then first. I was baffled. I only recorded one out. Something clicked in my brain and I came to a conclusion about what “Infield fly” meant. On the plus side, I did get out of the inning unscathed. That game taught me a lot and much more than just those two stories, like the devastation of a Randy Johnson slider when your anticipating a heater or just how effective a Tim Wakefield knuckleball can be when it’s really working. However, no pitch, like Tim Wakefield’s knuckleball, can be that dominant. Can it? I rarely got more than five hits against the man and almost never got a run or two.

Another sports video game which has affected me immensely is Madden ’95 for the Super Nintendo. An oldie but a goody; it was the first sports video game that I ever played. At least that’s what I remember and it depends on whether you count pro wrestling games as sports games. (I like to think of pro wrestling as its own genre.) I learned about what a safety is in football; not the position safety but the scoring play. During a blowout throttling that I was giving the opposition, I was growing tired of my dominance. As I looked at the screen, I wondered, “What would happen if I went into my own end zone? Would I score some points for my side?” I didn’t know better; I did what I was contemplating. I ended up losing possession and giving the other team two points. I learned many things about the game, certain plays, and ‘what not. Of course, I learned about the I-formation and what it meant to do a wide receiver curl, but amongst that I furthered my vocabulary. When throwing a pass and the other team catches the ball instead of the intended receiver, I learned that play meant that I was intercepted. Whenever that play occurred or something in real life similar to that situation happens, I no longer say, “took-ed” or always say, “steal”. I, once in a while, crack out the mental thesaurus stored in my brain and say, “Interception”. One of these days when a friend’s plans are ruined when his girlfriend is whisked away by her friends, I’m going to say, “Intercepted.” I also learned the word encroachment. I came upon it when I was trying to gain an upper hand on the opposition as I played on the defensive side of the ball. I already knew about offsides, but I thought I’d give it a try. I wasn’t surprised by being penalized; however, I wasn’t called for ‘offsides’. I was called for encroachment. After a few other plays which involved either ‘encroachment’ or ‘offsides’, I was able to distinguish the difference. From that moment on, I knew the meaning of encroachment. I plan on using that word when someone is being too chummy with one of my “many” women. “Listen up, homie! I don’t like you encroaching on my woman!” Thank you, Madden ’95.

NBA Shootout ’98 for the Playstation was a terrible game. Bad controls, bad graphics, and bad entertainment value. However, it still managed to teach me several valuable nuggets about the NBA and its rules. Rule number one that it taught me, ‘back court violation’ aka ‘over and back’. This happens when an offensive team crosses the half court line into the front court and then goes back into the back court. It’s a shame that I learned this in a tight game when I was trying to run down the clock. Rule number two that it taught me, the ‘five second in-bound’ rule. As I tried to shave seconds off of the clock, in yet another close game, I violated the five second in-bound rule with about 2 minutes and 30 seconds left. I was livid, to say the least. I could go on and on about the rules that I learned about, which oddly seem to occur at the most inopportune times, but they all seem to follow the same plot from beginning to end. I’m in a tight situation in a tight game…I use a strategy that is the product of my “ingenuity”…turns out my strategy wasn’t so ingenious and it fails miserably…I learn something new and add another line to the book of knowledge that is my brain. Besides, I’ve proven the gist of my point; I learned a lot about basketball from this video game. Too bad the game sucked. Why’d they have to make performing a slam dunk so hard? I could never do one.

The next game that taught me a lot about sports and one sport in particular is NHL ’98 for the Playstation. From the first moment I first played it, I knew I was in love. Peter Forsberg graced the cover of this; like him, it was amazing. The one-timer was virtually unstoppable and I’d never seen bone crunching hits like this in a video game before. I wasn’t too familiar with the players, since I wasn’t a complete sports nut at this time; this game did familiarize me with them. It taught me a lot about many players; Adam Oates was a really great passer, Chris Chelios was a dominant defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks and the list goes on and on. Not only did it teach me about which players were good and who were better, it taught me the rules. ‘Icing’ was a rule that I had no previous knowledge of. ‘Offside’ was another rule that I had no previous knowledge of; when I learned about it and after numerous infractions that I’d commit, I turned that rule off in the ‘Options’ menu. It’s not like I cherry-picked in the offensive zone; I just had no patience waiting for my players to get onside. I also learned about the ‘two-line pass offside’ rule; I thought it served no good, so I turned that rule off in the game. You’re probably thinking, “This guy is a cheat” or “What a cheap player!” To you I say, “I’m just playing the cards that the game dealt me. If the game makes it possible to do certain things then I will utilize the tools that are at my disposal.” How else could I have beaten Street Fighter II: The World Warrior for The Super Nintendo? I put the difficulty setting to its lowest level, after trying endlessly to defeat the game on its normal setting. It sure sounds like I’ve nullified a lot of rules, or at least most of them, in the game or any other video games. I do make sure to keep one rule; the rule being “I always win.”

Where would I be without Mario Tennis? I’d be without a ton of knowledge that pertains to the sport that is tennis. I’m not the biggest fan of tennis but Super Mario seems to make everything more fun and this video game was no exception, for me. Running away from ghosts with your life on the line? Super Mario makes that terrifying activity fun. Swimming away from killer fishes? Mario makes that hardly enjoyable activity into a joyous occasion. Mario made a sport that I hardly enjoyed or respected into a sport that I enjoy and now respect. I learned what made this game so great. The intense rallies and the hitting of an ace that screams, “In your face!” I learned a lot about the rules of tennis from this game. I learned what “15-love” meant, although I don’t know why that term was coined. I learned what the term ‘advantage’ meant in tennis and a whole lot of other interesting bits. This game, like many other video games, served as one which provided a learning experience.

Video games don’t always create negative effects and most of the time they don’t. All this negativity that is bestowed upon them is often unwarranted. Look at what video games have done for myself; they are a drop of the water that has carved the grand canyon that is me. Depending on whether you see that as a positive or a negative, that’s your call. However, video games always have something great to offer. In my case, they’ve taught me a lot about the sports that I mentioned before and others that I haven’t discussed, such as rugby and soccer. I won’t go into “How Ea Sports Rugby taught me certain rules” or “How Fifa ’98 taught me certain rules.” Video games somehow get a fairly bad rap. It’s not like gamers are rotting away their minds. Whether it be Grand Theft Auto or Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling , they are all intended to be fun and a lesson or two can be learned from them. Most of all, people need to be more responsible and people need to quit placing blame on video games, television, etc. because of some dummy acting out in a stupid/idiotic manner.

Ferguson For One More Go Around
Topic: John Ferguson Jr. As Leafs GM
By: Ryan “I Just Made you Famous” Rage

Leafs Nation cries as every second ticks by in these playoffs. Once again, the centre of the hockey universe has had it’s hopes crushed. The incessant ####ing never stops and nor should it. The same tune is being played for the 40th year in a row. The rabid, and faithfully supporting, fans are now calling for drastic changes once again. This time the most heat is on John Ferguson Jr. Is he a criminal? Not that I know of, but many react to his tenure, as Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager, with the same type of vehement disgust and chastisement that would normally be doled out the likes of mass murderers and baby eating cannibals. Maybe I’m embellishing a little bit but there are many who are calling for the head of JFJ. The revolt and uprising has gotten to its worst since he was given one of, if not, the most prestigious thrones in all of hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs general managers position. From the moment he assumed office on August 29th, 2003, he has been under intense scrutiny, all while being monitored by the watchful eye of the hockey universe. Is his tenure coming to an end or will he continue to man the post for as long as that may be? Bring him back I say.

Hopefully you have decided to read on to see the rationale behind my stance before hailing me as a ####-knowing ####. The past few years have been very disappointing and heart aching. I may not be his biggest fan but I won’t rag on him without giving him his credit.

Before I start accrediting him, (This is the part where I turn into a rabid Leafs fan) as a Leafs fan, I possess the right to scold and berate him with my frustrations for the inadequate job that he has done, all while depriving the greatest fans in the universe of moments where our egos could have been boosted. Anything less than a Stanley Cup is failure and those responsible for it will bear the brunt of our disapproval. The person who is most culpable at this point appears to be John Ferguson Jr. Therefore, what he gets is what he should have expected when he got the job. To make it short and sweet, I’ve made a list comprised of the five most brain racking memories that the Leafs Nation points to as viable reasons in making a GM coup.

One of them has to be the firing of Pat Quinn. As much as Leafs fans had questioned his moves or even hated some at one point or another during his time in Toronto, we always felt assured having one of the greatest bench bosses to ever make his mark on this legendary franchise. When Quinn was behind the bench, fans could sense a feeling that they were in good hands. Not just a good bench boss, but a great one; his tenure was ended after a less than spectacular season by the 2005/06 Maple Leafs. His style and the players at his disposal were not suitable for the revolutionary game style that had consumed the NHL after the Lockout. After such a long time with the organization, Quinn’s presence was getting a bit stale even if he was very good. JFJ wanted his own personnel to coincide with his GM moves and philosophy, and Quinn did not fit his mold. He waited for a major fault to be found and acted upon it. It’s a standard practice used by many GMs who take control of a team for the first time; They’ll test out the incumbent coach to see if they’re success at the beginning of assuming the GM position. If he succeeds, he stays. If he doesn’t, he packs his bags. Although it may have been the best decision for the team, one cannot expect fans to not mourn the loss of a man who had created and maintained a cup contender for as long as he had.

The second item on the Leafs Nation to-#### list is trading top goaltending prospect Tuukka Rask for Andrew Raycroft. The verdict is still out on this trade but the early results show that the Leafs may have received the short-end of the deal. Andrew Raycroft hasn’t been what we we’re expecting. He can be downright frustrating at times. Stellar saves followed by giving up ample second chance opportunities, consistency doesn’t appear to be apart of his goaltending repertoire. The former Calder Trophy winner was to be the franchise tender for the next ten years. Quite lofty expectations to live up to, but it’s what Leaf fans have come to expect over the past 15 years or so. From the likes of Felix “The Cat” Potvin to Curtis “Cujo” Joseph and Eddie “The Eagle” Belfour, they were all outstanding from the moment they manned the crease for the Maple Leafs. The only noticeable similarity that Raycroft has with his predecessors is a nifty nickname, “Rayzor”. It’s been along time since the Leafs had mediocrity between the pipes, with goaltending being the one position where they would get All-Star caliber performances on a consistent basis. Andrew Raycroft could possibly become the number one tender that the Leafs envisioned, but only glimpses have been seen during the 2006/07 season. Rask, on the other hand, has been playing phenomenal in one of the best pro hockey leagues outside of the NHL, the Finnish SM-Liiga. The 20-year-old has been showing flashes of superstardom during his time as a pro and at the World Juniors. He looks to have a bright future, and is one of the best prospects in all of hockey. As of right now, the Leafs Nation looks like they have lost out on a goaltender who looks like he has tremendous promise. Hopefully, they have gained one in the form of Andrew Raycroft. Leaf fans have to be peeved with the results but don’t throw in the towel on this player just yet. Raycroft looks like he has the potential to be something special and all that’s needed is something to be made of this potential; Right now he’s a piece of cashmere fabric and fans are waiting for a sweater to be created. We want the finest in all the land or at least close to it. We’ve already seen what he can produce at a high level of play. Hopefully those once in a blue moon gems occur on a constant basis in the future, at least before he’s jettisoned out of town without truly showing his worth in Toronto; it would be agonizing to see him leave and become a star elsewhere. Will the trade prove to be fruitful? Only time can answer that question. For now, fans will continue to cringe at every shot that is aimed in the direction of “Rayzor”.

Under Ferguson, the Leafs defense hasn’t exactly been its forte. It hasn’t been in a while but that’s why JFJ is here, to make it one. Outside of Bryan McCabe and Thomas Kaberle, the defense is substandard at best. Youngsters have come up from the minor league and junior ranks to provide help, but they are not yet ready to log big minutes; those players, at this point in time, are mostly fillers who are suited to playing 10 or so minutes a game. Ferguson has brought in “help” via free agency, but his two big defensive signings have produced disastrous results. Pavel Kubina and Hal Gill have been complete busts. Defense may be their forte but that doesn’t mean they’re good at it. Without a good partner to pair with, both are major liabilities who cannot hold their own. Watching encroaching forwards break them down is not an enjoyable sight for Leafs fans. To compound their atrocities in their first season, the amount of money that JFJ gave to them in their contracts is tantamount to robbery. Kubina getting $20 million over the next four years and Gill receiving $6.3 million over the next three years. Looking at the costs it keeps to have this “dynamic” duo, comparable players come at cheaper costs and many better players are getting paid less in the NHL. Not only do Kubina and Gill play under expectations, but the Leafs have less salary cap room to use during the free agency period. All fans are left thinking is, “What in tarnation was JFJ thinking?”

When was the last time an impact player was brought into Toronto? This is another problem that the Leafs have had with Ferguson at the helm. Former impact players like Jeff O’Neill, Eric Lindros, Jason Allison, and Mike Peca have been brought in, but were/are in the decline; His prize acquisitions had production nowhere near what the Leafs, both fans and front office, were anticipating. He should have added one top-of-the-line player by now, whether it be through trade, draft or signing. Offense isn’t even the Leafs’ most pressing need; look at the likes of Minnesota and Dallas who win on great goaltending and defense. Dallas Stars fans don’t know how good they have it to be able to criticize a player of Marty Turco’s caliber, right now. I’ve already scolded the flawed defense and the terrible goaltending. Hopefully, this is apart of JFJ’s master plan. People could be saying, “Duh!” and “What type of solutions do you suggest?” or that “It’s easier said than done.” No, I’m not a bonehead but there’s always room for improvement, especially when you’re not meeting expectations. The mantra in sports leagues with salary caps is “If they can do it, then we can as well.” For the Leafs, they’ll need a lot of improvement if they want to win the cup and JFJ’s team needs better players because what he has put together just doesn’t cut the mustard. How I yearn for the day I can control the Leafs and build a Cup contender; I guess I can only do that in the video games.

Not making the playoffs is why Ferguson finds himself receiving such harsh criticism. Making the playoffs in a league where half the teams qualify should be easy enough. When a team fails to make the playoffs in the NHL, it is a grave failure. He’s lucky the playoff qualifications are not very stringent. The Nation expects more success, instead of the less than stellar performance put forth by the Maple Leafs in the past two seasons. Since he is the head honcho when it comes to building this team, he is in line for this rebuke from fans. It’s very plain and simple. Success will be praised and failure will not be tolerated.

(This is the part where I revert from an outraged Leafs fan to an optimistic Leafs fan) Leafs Nation, lets wait a minute. I'm not the biggest fan of JFJ but give the man his credit. For all the bad, there have been good moments. Like the five most brain racking moments mentioned previously, a list of JFJ’s most brilliant moves has been made. After all, everyone has there moments when they shine.

Fans must give credit to John Ferguson Jr. for transforming the Leafs from a team of older players to a younger team, which will prove beneficial in the future. The rebuilding process hasn’t been a very rocky road, but, like always, a few bumps are expected. He's kept the team from falling into the abyss; It is a similar fate that another former playoff contender could not avoid, while trying to rebuild. I’m talking about the Philadelphia Flyers. Asked to transform the team, JFJ has done so, all while changing on the fly without having to take a season or two of basement dwelling performances. Near playoff appearances are disappointing, but should be seen as hope for the future; An optimistic approach would be to see the Leafs as a team that doesn’t appear to be far away from contending again. He may not have done the greatest job, but it’s not the worst. Right now, time is the resource he needs most in order to create a championship team. Maybe, if the Leafs Nation can be patient, Ferguson will deliver on the ultimate goal in hockey. This may be stretching his accomplishments a bit, but at least he hasn’t been hoodwinked in any trades or been an abomination.

The hockey gods, if you believe in that sort of thing, haven’t been too kind to the Maple Leafs with respect to injuries. The injury bug seems to always creep up on this team with a ravenous bite that thwarts the teams hopes; This has been the case, ever since JFJ’s presence graced this team. This is another point where one of his rare moments of brilliance shines through. He’s been able to round out several roster spots by finding cheap and effective players to act as sealant for the chinks in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ armour. The virtual unknowns and cast-offs, who have been added during his time, have played admirably. Who doesn’t like John Pohl? Players like Pohl, Boyd Devereaux, Bates Battaglia, and Jean-Sebastien Aubin may not be superstars but they provide a lot of #### for the buck.

As mentioned previously, under Ferguson’s term, the team has transformed from an aging team on the decline to a more youthful look with the objective of becoming more equipped for the post-lockout NHL. For this process to be put in motion, John Ferguson jr. has done a very good job of placing more of the onus on the youth of the team instead of flooding the roster with stopgap veterans. He is effectively handing over the reigns to a new generation of Leafs. Not many teams could do this while remaining competitive but the Leafs have done so. For as much heat he gets for trading Tuukka Rask, he should get some credit for filling a stark need. His addition of Andrew Raycroft gives the team a young net minder who has the potential to become a special player, as well as filling a void for a starter. Andrew Raycroft has to be somewhat special, if he was able to win the Calder Trophy. Hopefully, he can recapture that magic and prove that his best season wasn’t an aberration. Also, JFJ’s avoided trading top-end prospects and draft picks for players who would provide some immediate help, yet cripple the future of the team. He hasn’t given in to the seduction of other GMs and that’s a positive point for Ferguson. His most impressive showing, ever since becoming GM, may be the team’s track record when it comes to drafting players. The team’s last two first-round draft picks are highly touted and look to have bright futures. In 2005, Rask, who’s been mentioned repeatedly, was drafted during Ferguson’s time. In 2006, Jiri Tlusty, was drafted. When it comes to forwards, he’s the best prospect the Leafs have. The best prospect the leafs have is goaltender Justin Pogge, another drafted during Ferguson’s current reign. Drafting hasn’t been a strength of the Maple Leafs pre-JFJ ; They may not have the best farm system but it looks like that tide is turning since his arrival.

No matter how adamantly the Leafs Nation feels that Pat Quinn’s firing was a travesty, the Nation must give John Ferguson Jr. some props for finding a more than adequate replacement. He probably brought in one the best, if not the best, options available in Paul Maurice; It was a no-brainer. When he was hired to coach the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, on June 24, 2005, many believed that he would be the eventual successor to Pat Quinn. Many also felt that he was the man that JFJ wanted to coach his team. Both proved to be true and Paul Maurice hasn’t disappointed, ever since being promoted to Maple Leafs head coach. His coaching has been superb considering the talent at his disposal. The job Maurice has done may be one of the very few things that makes JFJ look like a genius. All of us sometimes struggle with finding solutions to questions deemed “no-brainers”; Luckily for Leaf fans and JFJ, himself, he didn’t have any problems or falter with this “no-brainer”.

Leaf fans can hate JFJ all they want but they surely can’t deny one thing; He’s managed to keep all of the Maple Leafs best players intact. His four best players, from the time he was hired to the end of the 2006/07, are all still playing for Toronto. Many should applaud Ferguson for being able to re-sign forward Darcy Tucker to a cap-friendly deal, even if it were more about Tucker’s desire to stay than Ferguson’s effort. He was able to get the job done and done right.  Tucker received a four-year $12 million contract, a below market value contract. He was also able to keep the team’s best defenseman and one of the best defenseman in the NHL in Tomas Kaberle. He too signed a cap friendly contract; By re-signing to a 5 year contract extension worth $21.25 million, it will keep him with the team until the end of the 2010-11 NHL season. The team’s other best defenseman, Bryan McCabe, came at a higher price to re-sign but, nonetheless, he was re-signed. McCabe signed a 5-year deal worth $28.75 million with the Maple Leafs at the end of the 2005-06 season, just before he hit the free agent market. This signing has received a lot of criticism because some feel that McCabe isn’t worth the type of money given to the likes of the top defensemen in the NHL. Many would be hard pressed to name 10 defensemen in the NHL today who are better than Bryan McCabe; That’s why he received such a large contract. McCabe is one of the best at his position and to lose him with no one in sight to assume his role would have been a major setback to the hopes of the Toronto Maple Leafs. JFJ did a solid job and managed to avoid bungling each ordeal, regarding the resigning of Tucker, Kaberle and McCabe. He’s also been able to cope with another ordeal, whether or not Mats Sundin will stay. Sundin is still with the team; Hopefully, one of the greatest Leafs to lace his skates for the blue and white remains with the team for the rest of his career. Given JFJ’s track record with keeping the team’s best players, Mats Sundin will most likely stay with the Maple Leafs for the rest of his career. What happens if JFJ trades or lets Mats Sundin leave via free agency? Mt. St. Helens in 1980 was a catastrophic eruption but the Leafs Nation would top.

Like anything in life, there are both great times and bad. So far, JFJ’s time in Toronto seems to have times where there has been more bad than good. If the MLSE brass keeps him, the Maple Leafs better produce in the 2007-2008 season or else he’ll be run out of town. If he’s let go, it should be before the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and the 2007 free-agent signing period; That way, instead of having to work with those last JFJ imprints on the franchise, the new GM will be able to mold the team with his own draft choices and free agent signings. Recently, it took another Toronto sports figure several years to prove his worth. Many called for his head when the Raptors were losing mightily in their rebuilding phase; now Sam Mitchell is a candidate for NBA Coach of the Year. Instead of axing Mitchell after two dismal seasons, he was kept to see if he could produce in the final year of his contract. One more year for JFJ is left on his contract. Like Mitchell, give JFJ the last year of his contract to show if he is able to create results over par. Above all things JFJ, rescue this cup starved franchise that continues to break the hearts of the millions who bleed blue and white.

All This Time You Thought You Were Doing A Good Job
Topic: "Best General Manager In Sports", Forbes Report
By: Ryan "I Just Made You Famous" Rage

                A pitiful attempt to determine success. That sums it up for the people at Forbes, American publishing and media company.  They weren’t joking when they stated, “Our rankings will surely raise some eyebrows.” , but damn! What were they smoking?  Don’t get it twisted though; they are still reputable and tend to know their stuff to a high degree, but their recent analytical venture in the sports world does not do them any good.  Recently, the company did, for the first time, a ranking of the GMs in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB, the ”Big 4” of North American sports.  The results were both shocking and confusing.  They have received a ton of flak for their poor efforts, and rightfully so.  It was ridiculous and ridiculed justifiably.  Imagine Michael Richards’ last comedy act.  The results, like this study, proved to be horrible.  I could have plopped something out of my derriere and it would have been more accurate.

                The people at Forbes may be on to something, but this attempt was terrible.  To determine who was eligible for this analysis, the Forbes people decided that a current GM with at least three years at the helm of a team would be involved in this study.  For instance, Bryan Colangelo, who was hired by the Raptors just over a year ago, would still be under consideration since he was a GM for 10 years with the Phoenix Suns.  From this they decided that the best way to determine a GMs effectiveness would be to juxtapose him against his predecessor.  This is one of the flaws in an all-around flawed study.  Instead of comparing GMs against the other GMs in sports they went against conventional wisdom.  As in most cases of General Manager changes, they are made due to the previous occupant being ineffective.  This undoubtedly created great effects on the study. 

                There’s a trend in the top ten of the list.  Most of the GMs took over their teams from situations where these teams were league doormats or very close to it.  This makes the weight of minimal success in some instances to impact to great extents and, as a result, the study  shows apparent success than actual success.  Just take a look at Jay Feaster, who ranks third in the study.  His success looks relatively great when you compare it to Rick Dudley, the previous GM.  What the study doesn’t take into account is that the integral pieces to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s success were not acquired by Feaster, but before his arrival.  Feaster’s job was made a lot easier with many of the right pieces already instilled and he hasn’t done much work to the makeup of the team or to improve it. Talents such as Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier and Dan Boyle were acquired before he assumed post.  We see Ken Holland, Detroit Red Wings GM, ranked very low.  The reason is that his predecessor faired very, very well before his arrival.  This results in Ken Holland not getting enough credit for his successes and his ability to maintain a competitive and successful franchise.  There are serious flaws in this study.  After all, how can Elgin Baylor of the Los Angeles Clippers be considered a better GM than Walt Jocketty of the St. Louis Cardinals?  Baylor has been a general manager for 21 seasons and has only been to the playoffs 4 times, albeit with one Executive of the Year award.  Walt Jocketty (gotta love that name) has been with the Cardinals for 12 years going to playoffs seven times.  It goes deeper than that with two Executive of the Year Awards, seven NL Central Division titles and a World Series.  It even goes deeper than that.  In an effort to spare time and effort, I’ll stop there since I could write a book on how much better Jocketty has been than Baylor.

                Another big gripe about this study is that two factors were only used.  The two factors used to provide us with a barometer of GM effectiveness and to determine supremacy are “(1) performance (regular season winning percentage and playoff win totals) and (2) payroll spending (relative to the league median during their time period as GM)”; they justifiably decided to weigh performance twice as much as payroll spending since winning is the ultimate goal.  However, they have forgotten many aspects which can determine the best GM in sports.  Sports fans can think of these from the top of their heads, such as a GMs ability to obtain valuable players or, the opposite, how many times a GM was fleeced in a trade.  Mitch Kupchak, don’t you wish you never traded Caron Butler for Kwame Brown and Chucky Atkins?  Just had to take a shot at my hated LA Lakers. 

                The list can go on and on about the many ways a GMs success can be measured; sadly, almost all of them were left out.  Advocates of Forbes may say that those factors are immeasurable.  Well to them I say, “If you can’t provide something the least bit factual then don’t  do it at all.”  Still, I hope the backlash they have received won’t waver them from continuing research on what may become a great study.  All it needs is a bit of fine tuning…Maybe a lot of tuning.  Make that a complete overhaul.  The worst thing about this article is that it may have just sullied the reputation of Forbes in the sports community.  Forbes may be questioned next time their annual valuations of teams from the “Big 4” sports leagues comes out or whatever involvement they may have with sports in the future.  They deserve the benefit of the doubt on future endeavours, since everyone makes mistakes.  Their team valuations are great, as well as a lot of their work.  Though, their attempt to find the Best General Manager in Sports sure did suck.

Make or Break
Topic: NBA and NHL Trade Deadline
By: Ryan "I Just Made You Famous" Rage

                My Christmas and sports fan alike. This time of year, February and March,
brings about dreams of last ditch playoff pushes and hopes of championship glory.   It’s all exciting, both giving and taking.  Like Christmas, there are literally groves upon groves of followers anticipating. Trade deadline time is just the same, except followers are shaking the proverbial boxes, as they refresh their browser page or check the ticker at the bottom of the screen hoping to get hints on the latest breaking news.  As in the same case as Christmas, spenders are either breaking the bank or playing it wise, either having bought early, finding a steal or waiting it out, knowing that prices can become more advantageous after the aforementioned dates.

                In the NBA, this year was no different. The anticipation, the hope, and the dreams were all there. Sadly, to the chagrin of most fans, nothing happened. It’s the same feeling a boy gets when he receives a pair of Puma runners instead of those Nikes, which are all the rage; to top it all off, the pair of shoes the kid gets are girl shoes. This trade deadline, had a feeling reminiscent o####irl who sees the big box thinking it’s a Barbie dream house, like were heard names of Ray Allen, Pau Gasol, and Jason Kidd floating around. Instead, she opens up the box and begins to get teary eyed as she gazes upon a new suitcase. Can you believe it a suitcase? That’s like us finding out Alan Henderson and Anthony Johnson were traded, during this year’s trade deadline, and most of us are saying to ourselves, “Who?” No, it’s not a Mike Jones rap song featuring his catchphrase “Who”; we actually don’t know who these guys are. We’ve all had one of those disappointing Christmas’, if we celebrate the holiday. This year fans were treated to Juan Dixon going to the Raptors and in return the Trail Blazers obtained Fred Jones, the most noteworthy deal experienced. Let’s not forget the other two deadline day deals involved second round picks. Maybe one of them will turn out to be the next East Coast Assassin, Gilbert Arenas; don’t hold your breath though or else your lungs will burst. Yes, it may not be a PS3 but we should still be thankful for what we got.

                   The NHL trade deadline has been a bit different. It’s had the feelings of anticipation and hope, as well as dreams which have come to fruition. This may be the one area where the NHL leads all other North American sports and that’s the trade deadline activity. Fans are always in for a treat. Of course, it can either be sour or sweet. Teams either rob, get pilfered, or have an equal exchange. Just like Christmas, the exchange of gifts either yields something of equal, lesser or greater value, and sometimes absolutely nothing. Even though it has slowed a bit, trade deadline activity is always pretty intense. Witnessing massive trades greater than Ruben Studdard’s left breast is no myth at all, as hard as it may be to believe. Tons of high end picks, prospects and high profile players change teams. 2007 has already seen superstar Peter Forsberg leave Broad Street for the country music capital of the world in exchange for Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent, and a first and third round picks. Speculating and witnessing, overpaying and underpaying, expecting and analyzing occur the most at NHL trade deadlines. Will Ladislav Nagy prove worthy of the first round pick the Dallas Stars gave up in order to get him? Will the Atlanta Thrashers regret giving up a promising mobile-defenseman in Braydon Coburn in order to acquire a more defensive minded veteran in Alexei Zhitnik from the Flyers?

                With tons of opinions, no one knows exactly what will happen when the dust settles and the smoke is cleared and that’s what makes this process such an enjoyable one. Like parades, everyone loves trades. Well not always. There’s rarely ever an “even” trade, if there is such a thing; Dany Heatley for Marian Hossa and Greg DeVries comes to mind, but the jury will be out until they retire. There are winners and losers, and someone always gets hurt, be it fans, owners, players, or whoever it may be. The ramifications of these deals impact everything associated. Reputations are built and ruined, which make General Managers weary of dealing. So many areas of the game affect trade occurrences, which include both the game aspect and the business side; taking into account salary caps, the idea of trading a player who fills the seats i.e. the “Big Ticket” Kevin Garnett, unstable team ownership situations i.e. the Seattle Supersonics, etc. affect how trades are done.

                For those who wail and cry about lack of trade activity, such as myself, one point can answer why trades don’t happen as often as we’d like. It may seem patronizing of me and in all likelihood everyone knows the answer. A trade takes a minimum of two brains in order to deal an asset of theirs. What makes it so difficult is that both participants, or more, want to make a deal which they feel will be most beneficial to them. A hard process indeed; Jenna Jameson would be awestruck. So the dance begins and offers, counters-offers, and deals are made or not made after all the activity. If it’s not there it’s not there and if it is then there’s cause for celebration, or regret if the trigger hasn’t been pulled.

                League rosters also have an affect on trades. The two most active leagues in trading are arguably the MLB and NHL, more so than the NBA and NFL. There’s probably no clear cut answer, but it wouldn’t be totally false to say that it has something to do with the involvement of established minor league systems and the NBDL is not one of them. With a minor league system players and prospects can be stashed away until needed. In the NBA and NFL, you’re basically either on the team or not. Minor Leagues make players more readily available to fill in gaps on rosters or in trades. An NBA team or NFL team making a deal is faced with greater difficulty on replacing talent when a trade is made at a deadline. We know another major factor is that salary caps have been implemented in to the NFL and NBA long enough to have great effects on trades. The NHL has just started to use one a few seasons ago and still have remnants of the same mentality, when it comes to player transactions, from the pre-lockout era. The MLB is free of the constraints that come from a salary cap.

                This time comes around once a year and it never ceases to amaze; yes it still amazes, even if trades haven’t gone through, since it makes us think about what happened or didn’t. As I write my letter to General Managers, I wish for trades and dream of success for my favourite teams. Fans dream of a Rasheed Wallace or Ray Bourque deadline deal which brings a championship or, in Cavaliers fashion in 2003 for Lebron, trading everything insight for a lottery chance at the next superstar. Every deal will either make or break a team and makes professional sports oh-so special.

 Wins And Two Types of Losses
Topic: NHL Point System
By: Ryan "I Just Made You Famous" Rage

            For better or for worse, over the last decade the NHL has experimented with different changes to the game in order to instigate better play and produce greater entertainment value to the product.  It seems that the current system of point allotment towards team wins and losses will remain in place for at least another season.  The decision was made at the league’s annual general managers meeting, where a vote to determine if a three-point system for team wins and losses would come into effect for the upcoming season.  Even though the current system was seemingly championed at these meetings, there is still controversy and dissent when it comes to this point system used today.

            The new system would have given three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime/shootout win, and one point for an overtime/shootout loss.  At first thought, the three point system may sound intriguing and seen as a viable option.  Then it clicks and bewilderment occurs.  “What is the purpose of differentiating between a win, whether it takes an overtime or shootout period?”  Isn’t success accomplished by the team anyway?  After all, a win is a win.  The brain trust who came up with this idea must have been harping over something. Maybe they didn’t like teams taking more than the time given in regulation and wanted a way to punish them but why give a team a point for losing in extra time?  Point accretion in this system is contradictory and makes for a faulty alternate to the current system.  Penalty for taking more time all while getting a win is more absurd than innovative and makes it no surprise as to why the change failed to win the vote.

            That option may not have been the best alternative, but the current system may have some flaws depending on which side one looks at it from.  Right now, a team is awarded two points for a win whether it occurs in regulation, overtime, or as a result of a shootout. When a team loses in regulation they are awarded zero points; loses in either overtime or from a shootout award one point to a team.  Points have been given to extra-time losers since the 1999-2000 season.  Up until the 2004-2005 strike year, these seasons featured a system where two points were given for wins, regulation losses gained nothing, and single points were awarded for ties and overtime losses.  The new system was implemented at the start of the 2005-2006 season after many rule changes were experimented with in the American Hockey League and some then fixed into the National Hockey League; in this case, the tie was abolished and the shootout had taken its place to make sure a winner was declared.

            The one area of controversy with all of the point systems, from the 1999-2000 and onward, is that points can be gained by a team which is on the losing end.  After all, it is a very good point.  What’s the point in differentiating between losses if the other team wins?  So a team is able to take another beyond the limits of regulation time, but it’s not like they have won.  The purpose of any sport is to win or, in some circumstances, tie.  A point for an overtime/shootout loss is more about reward for effort than anything else.  The rationale behind giving such a reward sounds like “loser-ish” thinking and in sports losing is not the goal; well in some circumstances it may be, such as teams wanting to lose in order to get a better draft pick.  Teams in those situations would rather get no points from an overtime loss anyway.  It can be related to whether a student in school passes or fails.  If a student does not attend classes in school (similar to a team which loses in regulation), and fails their class, and another comes on a regular basis over the course of the year (similar to a team which goes into the overtime period), but also fails the final exam and subsequently the course, what is the difference?  If we use the NHL’s current thinking method from their point system use, the student who attended regularly and spent more time, yet still failed, will get some sort of reward, such as being passed.  Yet another example of reward for mediocrity.  Success in sports or any game is ultimately measured by winning.         

            Another idea being bandied about is a two point system.  This system hasn’t gone to a vote or been proposed yet, but remains an option to those who oppose the current system.  Simply put, this system gives two points for wins and zero for losses.  This may be the most appropriate solution.  In the words of whichever great said it, “To the victor go the spoils.”  For now, dissenters will have to live on with this point system and wonder, or remain unwilling to do the calculations, about what the league standings would be like if teams could not accrue points for overtime/shootout losses and how teams would fare under different point systems.

 

They're Both Canadians, But Why Don't Americans Like Them Equally?
Topic: Hockey And Basketball's Popularity
By: Ryan "I Just Made You Famous" Rage

Two of the most popular sports in North America, and around the world, can be attributed to the inspirations of Canadian minds. Both basketball and hockey have become staples to the major sporting scene since their developments. Though they are both very popular across North America, one has to be blind to not see that hockey is far less popular in the U.S. than in Canada. This can be proven through a number of different factors when analyzed, such as comparing the two most popular professional leagues associated with each game, the players, the history of the games, etc. The main reason should be attributed to the distinction of hockey being a “Canadian” game, much more so than basketball.

If numbers speak louder than words then following has to show the popularity of both of these sports. Forbes.com, the same people in-charge of Forbes Magazine, ranks the Toronto Maple Leafs as the most valuable NHL franchise at $332 million in their annual list of most valuable teams. Forbes also does a list for the NBA, which by their last valuations at the end of 2005, has the average basketball team being worth $326 million. The average value of a team in the NBA is almost worth as much as the worth of the most valuable team in the NHL. All of the major factors are incorporated to form the basis for these lists from revenues, debts, operating income, player expenses, to the type of market a team plays in. It comes down to this, in this day and age, if a sport is popular then its pro league teams should have value in accordance; the more valuable the teams are then the popularity of a sport will be positively reflected from that.

TV deals can also show that basketball is more popular than hockey in the U.S. If we simply look at TV ratings we can see that the NHL is not doing so well. Its primary deal is with the formerly known Outdoor Life Network now known as Versus, with NBC covering some weekend games (the term ‘some’ being used loosely). The fact that the NHL can’t even get a deal with a ‘regular’ sports channel, such as ESPN or FOXSports, says a lot about the sport’s ability to attract. The NBA, on the other hand, has been able to strike monstrous contracts worth billions of dollars with companies such as ESPN and Time Warner. NHL teams earn about $2 million each from its U.S. TV deals. That may sound like a lot, but in comparison to the NBA that is rather miniscule as the National Basketball Association earns about $20 million for each team from its U.S. TV deals. Of course in Canada, hockey is a major ratings grabber with channels such as Sportsnet and TSN, fighting over the rights to broadcast games, and the nationwide spectacle that is Hockey Night in Canada on CBC. HNIC, as it’s known in short, produces the biggest sports ratings in Canada each and every week, so much so that it is impossible to remember the last time it was ever beat if it ever has in weekly sports ratings in Canada. The more popular a sport will result in a greater desire for its pro leagues to be broadcasted.

Maybe this all started from the beginnings of these games? By looking at the origins of these two sports we can discover why hockey is a ‘Canadian’ game more so than basketball. The inventions of these two sports have two different stories. Hockey evolved from a previous sport. Before ice hockey there was field hockey played by the Europeans who brought it over from Europe as they came to the “New World”. During the winter time, the game would be played on the ice and thus ice hockey, or simply hockey, was born. As for basketball, well Dr. Naismith was trying to create a new game to play. Having been given the task of creating an activity to keep his students at the YMCA active during the winter months resulted in the game of basketball. The histories of these games all begin at one point…from the Canadian mind. Since then these two games have spread out across the world like butter on toast.

Let’s dive deeper into these inventions. Although no one is given the distinction of creating the entire game, by almost all accounts it has been reported that the game of hockey as we know it originated in Canada. As for basketball, there is a sole creator and that being Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian. However, unlike hockey, the game of basketball was created in the United States and first played in the United States. Could that possibly be the reason as to the popularity differences in the U.S. and Canada? It sure does make for a good reason. The game of hockey is intrinsically linked to Canada and its history; however in the U.S. it is not even as close.

Like the other major sports that have been invented in the U.S., basketball is enormously popular. Basketball and hockey have joined two other sports, baseball and football, to become what is known as the “Big 4” of North American sports. It should be noted, however, that hockey is the only sport of the “Big 4” to have its hall of fame outside of the United States. Also, another note to point out is the NHL started with only Canadian teams and later adopted American teams close to a decade later. The NBA’s first game was between the Toronto Huskies (their only game ever played) and the New York Knickerbockers, with most of the teams being primarily American as is with most of the “Big 4”. With basketball being a creation in the U.S., it is more likely that Americans would be more likely to prefer such a game rather than a foreign game.

Then it is not surprising that most of the players in the NHL are Canadians, who account for more than 53% of the players in the league. The U.S. is a very distant second at over 18%. In the NBA however, the American population amongst its players is even more lopsided at a whopping rate of over 80%. As for Canadians, they make up less than one percent of the players in the NBA. At least Canadians can brag that their native son Steve Nash is the reigning NBA MVP, as well as Joe Thornton being the NHL Hart Trophy winner (given to the most valuable player).

As for the sports itself, hockey was made for Canada. Just looking at the type of conditions needed for this game proves it. Ice is a must to truly play this game; however hockey can be played without ice, but then this wouldn’t actually be playing the game would it. Canada is known for being cold and this provides the perfect conditions all across the land. As for the United States, well in some parts there are the proper conditions, but on the other hand there are just as many that don’t. Of course there are facilities which can provide this and more and more are now popping up all across the U.S., but still there aren’t many. Basketball is more playable in almost any region making it easier for people to grow an interest in the game, whether it’s seeing someone play it or playing the game yourself. This means it is relatively harder for people to pick up the game of hockey, at least more so than picking up the game of basketball; that can hinder a game’s popularity immensely. More importantly this makes hockey more of a regional sport than basketball and the popularity can be dependent on the ability to relate to the game. Most of the hockey hotbeds in the U.S. are those which have the weather to play the game, such as Michigan, New York and Minnesota. After all, hockey is known as “The fastest game on ice.”

Of course costs to play each game and the ability to set up the games also play a factor in the popularity of each game. For instance to play a pick-up game of basketball, all that is really needed is a ball, a couple of friends and a basketball net. However, for a pick-up game of hockey more is needed; some friends, a hockey net, ice (or you could play on some other flat surface), skates (if you choose to play on ice), pads (at least for the goalie to be effective), and a hockey stick for each player and that is the minimum. This is a lot to ask for someone to start playing a game.

How many times have people been seen playing a game of hoops on the blacktop, and now compare that to the amount of times a game of road hockey has been seen? In Canada, both of these are normal occurrences. However in the U.S., a pickup game of basketball in the streets may be normal, but a hockey game? The game of hockey is a rarity in most parts of the U.S.

Another reason the game hasn’t taken off in the United States is that it really hasn’t been implemented in the schools athletics, while it is a mainstay in Canadian school sports programs. This does not allow for youths to become familiarized with the games at a young age and learning to play the game later on is less likely to happen.