The NHL seizes a 'Classic' opportunity
Did you catch any of the NHL's Winter Classic on Tuesday? Busy watching college bowl games? If so, then you missed out on a treat. By now, you've heard about the game between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins outdoors at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Amid the revelry of New Year's Day, the Tournament of Roses parade and bowl games, there was that little contest in the fourth-most popular sports league in North America. And it was fantastic.
It snowed for most of the first period. The teams changed ends in the middle of the third period and overtime to equalize any wind advantage. There were several delays to fix ice problems. But it was fantastic. The Penguins scored less than 30 seconds into the game, and the Sabres tied it up in the second period. That was it for the scoring in regulation. A scoreless overtime forced the game's biggest showcase to end with the most exciting finish in sports: a shootout. And who else but Sidney Crosby ('Sid the Kid,' 'The Next One) should score the game-winner in the shootout. It was cold. It was snowy. It was hard to follow the erratic puck at times. But it was hockey. And it was a blast.
At a time when the other three major sports leagues in the country are facing scandals (NFL- Spygate and concussion problems; NBA - Donaghy and officiating, and just plain boring; and MLB - Steroids and HGH), the NHL put on a show that could propel it back to where it was pre-lockout. If only ESPN would stop bashing the league, and if only the league would make smarter business decisions, it could crawl back in to the American sports fan's consciousness. Tuesday's game won't do any of that right away, but it's a start.
It snowed for most of the first period. The teams changed ends in the middle of the third period and overtime to equalize any wind advantage. There were several delays to fix ice problems. But it was fantastic. The Penguins scored less than 30 seconds into the game, and the Sabres tied it up in the second period. That was it for the scoring in regulation. A scoreless overtime forced the game's biggest showcase to end with the most exciting finish in sports: a shootout. And who else but Sidney Crosby ('Sid the Kid,' 'The Next One) should score the game-winner in the shootout. It was cold. It was snowy. It was hard to follow the erratic puck at times. But it was hockey. And it was a blast.
At a time when the other three major sports leagues in the country are facing scandals (NFL- Spygate and concussion problems; NBA - Donaghy and officiating, and just plain boring; and MLB - Steroids and HGH), the NHL put on a show that could propel it back to where it was pre-lockout. If only ESPN would stop bashing the league, and if only the league would make smarter business decisions, it could crawl back in to the American sports fan's consciousness. Tuesday's game won't do any of that right away, but it's a start.
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posted by Turner @ 1:19 PM
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