December 25 is probably already marked off on your calendars. But today we've been given another reason to do so. Basketball will be back. Knicks vs Celtics, Heat vs Mavs, and Bulls vs Lakers. Try to at least pay a little bit of attention to your families.
Here's to hoping they pick up where they left off last season.
And an early Merry Christmas to you all.
Showing posts with label lockout. Show all posts
Play Ball
We Don't Want the Good, We Want the Great
Well, he's back.
Sidney Crosby is playing again, and according to his four point season debut against the New York Islanders, he hasn't changed a bit.
Not only is this great news for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but it's especially great news for the NHL. Sidney Crosby is good for business south of the boarder, and when he is playing (and scoring), more people in the States are paying attention. And with the NBA being locked out for what looks like the rest of the season *sigh*, the NHL has an opening to step out of the shadow cast by the MLB, NFL, and NBA.
But as great as it is for the NHL that Crosby is back in action, there is one missing piece to the puzzle that is essential to the NHL becoming a real force in the United States: Alexander Ovechkin.
Through 20 games, Ovechkin has only 16 points, good for 50th in the league. This is a problem consider he is one of the two hockey players casual hockey fans can name off the top of their head.
Many say Ovechkin's lack of production comes from buying into a more defensive role for the good of his team, the Washington Capitals. As great as this might be for the Capitals, this isn't good for the NHL. Right now, the NHL has an opportunity to get noticed. They have the opportunity to pick up the casual fans that are sick of the NBA's greed, and are looking for something else to watch in the winter. They don't want to see a defensive Ovechkin. They want to see the dynamic, exciting, passionate, goal scoring Ovechkin that has the hockey world clutching on to something every time he touches the puck.
I'm not saying Ovechkin is doing the wrong thing by playing more defensively. In fact, I really respect it. But it would also be great to see the NHL grow, and hockey as a sport grow along with it. And for that to happen, we need to see Alex the Great, not Alex the Responsible in his own Zone.
