Outdoor Hockey: Fun but Fan-Friendly?

I love the concept of the NHL hosting outdoor hockey games. It's sports the way sports were played as kids. The elements play a role in the game, not to mention that any cold weather city never gets to have a Super Bowl, so at least this is some consolation.

Today the Chicago Blackhawks are hosting the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field. It's blustery and a bit snowy there today, making for perfect hockey conditions and a fun atmosphere.

I just wonder how fan-friendly it is to watch in person.

As a comparison, when attending an Eagles game, one can watch the game as it progresses on the field, or if, say, you are sitting really low behind one end zone but all the action is happening at the opposite end zone, you can watch the humongous scoreboard as the play unfolds. Otherwise, it's very difficult to see.

In today's "Winter Classic," (as it's being billed... though I'm not sure an annual game that's three years into the making can truly be considered a "classic," but I digress), the hockey rink is set up over the infield of Wrigley, and the fans are seated in the regular baseball seats. And there's no jumbotron scoreboard to get an up close view. So I must ask... can a fan on the second level or in the outfield really see much of anything? The puck is so small to begin with that it must be an eyestrain just to tell what's going on.

Last year I was very excited about the rumors of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers playing a game in Penn State's Beaver Stadium. It sounds like a tremendous idea, with the possibility of 100,000+ fans coming out to a mid-state battleground. But would it be too much like watching ants chasing arond a pebble from 50 rows up in the stands? Perhaps it doesn't even matter and fans would just go to enjoy the cold weather...

Christmas Comes Early in Philly

Budget cuts are never something you want to hear, especially during times of need as many people find themselves in now. Unfortunately, Mayor Michael Nutter made the decision to cut various programs in Philadelphia's budget due to a major deficit. Some of those programs include libraries, swimming pools, and hockey rinks, all of which are places that help keep kids off the streets and actively engaged in hands-on activities.

Fortunately, however, Christmas has come early, as the Philadelphia Flyers' owner Ed Snider has announced that his Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation will pick up the tab to keep three Philly hockey rinks open for the public to enjoy. This is a classy move that will help many kids and families, and save the city $150,000 annually. It's also very fitting since the people that helped Snider make his fortune will now benefit from his generosity. Well played Ed!

Sarah Palin Hockey Jinx

(Editor's Note: What I am about to write is merely a recap of the facts and should not be construed as a political bias in any way, shape, or form!)

My suggestion to NHL teams: DO NOT allow Republican Vice Presidential nominee and professed "hockey mom" Sarah Palin to drop the first puck at any of your upcoming home games.

Here are the facts:

-Palin dropped the first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Rangers opening game to a mixed chorus of boos, cheers, and blaring music. Thanks to my friend Ryan for pointing out that the Flyers not only lost that game, but then remained winless over the next five games, until last night when...

-Palin dropped the first puck in St. Louis before the Blues vs. Los Angeles Kings game. The Blues, a respectable 4-2 coming into this game, got blown out 4-0.

-Meanwhile, the Flyers broke the Palin Jinx last night and beat the archrival New Jersey Devils 6-3.

-Oh, and one more thing... the Blues' goaltender, Manny Legace, tripped over the carpet laid out for Palin, and injured his hip, causing him to have to leave the game early.

It will be interesting to see if a winless streak starts for the Blues as well.

My personal suggestion: keep Palin as far away from your home ice rink as possible and let her stick to making jokes on SNL.

Flyers, Penguins and 107,000 Puckheads

Yesterday, local (Philly-area) media reported that the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins are dabbling with the notion of playing a regular season game at Penn State University in Happy Valley in January of 2009. Outdoors. In Beaver Stadium.

Let me just say that this would be the wildest game I could possibly imagine.

Not only is the Flyers/Pens rivalry building steam especially after last week's scrappy 8-2 battle that the Flyers won, but having it at a neutral location that State College provides, and having it at the country's second largest stadium in the dead of winter just sounds like the a recipe for mayhem. Up to 107,000 fans cheering on a bitter rivalry would be crazy. But in a good way.

Having gone to Penn State I realize that roughly 1/3 of the students are Philly sports fans, 1/3 are Pittsburgh sports fans, and the rest are "miscellaneous"... mostly New York sports fans and a mix of others. So the built-in battleground between the two Pennsylvania cities is already there, and the party scene would be well-represented on both sides.

My only real question is... if you're sitting at the top row of Beaver Stadium in a full house... how in the H-E-double-hockey-sticks would you be able to see the puck???

Other than that, I say... play on!

A Look Back at Murray Craven

I don't know why, but Murray Craven's name popped into my head this morning. Just one of those catchy names I guess. So I did some research on him online. Here's the scoop about this former Flyer:

-Craven was born on 7/20/1964 in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.

-Drafted by Detroit Red Wings in 1982, Craven was traded to the Flyers in 1984 in exchange for the aging Darryl Sittler. It turned out to be a steal, according to Legends of Hockey.

-According to Database Hockey, Craven played seven years for the Flyers from 1984-1991 and then again for a brief stint in the 1991-2 season, playing in 523 regular season games-- out of a total of about 572-- making him a very dependable player. A consistent left winger, Craven scored 152 goals plus 245 assists for 397 points during his Flyers career.

-His career totals amounted to 1071 games played from 1982-2000, 266 goals, 493 assists, 759 points, and 524 penalty minutes during the regular season. In 118 playoff games, he racked up 27 goals, 43 assists, and 66 penalty minutes.

-He made it to the Stanley Cup on three occasions-- twice with the Flyers and once with the Canucks-- but was never able to bring home the trophy.

-Lastly, here's a view of an excerpt about Murray Craven in "The Greatest Players and Moments of the Philadelphia Flyers", by Stan Fischler.

Thanks for the hard work you gave the Flyers, Murray. Hope you're doing well these days!

Bring It On

Philadelphia Flyers hockey is here and I hope you're ready. Because after watching the Phillies get manhandled to end their season and the Eagles get outplayed to begin their season, I for one am hoping the Flyers have a fighting chance.

Speaking of fighting, I thought these two clips might inspire you to get fired up for the start of hockey season.

A dash of Dave Schultz...


And a splash of Flyers vs. Senators...


Bring it on baby...

Mayweather-De La Hoya: Yawn.

Editor's note: a digression from Philly sports chatter to follow.

So my cousin twisted my arm to watch tonight's much-hyped boxing match from Las Vegas. Here's what I learned from the Floyd Mayweather v. Oscar De La Hoya bout:

1. Boxing sucks. Unless you have two guys just pounding away at each other round after round, it's tough to enjoy this sport anymore. Paychecks are huge, leaving no real reason why the two contenders should slug it out, save for a few flurries of punches here and there.

2. Go to court (or fill in any number of other non-entertainment social situations): wear jeans and a t-shirt. Go to a boxing match: wear $5,000 tuxedos.

3. Boxing announcers are stiffs. These guys could put you to sleep. Not to mention the fact that even the announcers repeatedly talk about how lame the sport has become.

4. Never buy a pay-per-view event for a sporting event unless there will be a definitive winner. Who wants to see a few unknown judges decide on who the "winner" is? Slug it out. Box till ya' drop. That's what people pay for! Same with soccer... I love the sport but I wouldn't pay to watch it knowing there could be a draw, and quite possibly not even a goal scored.

5. Want to watch a boxing match? Go watch, as the saying goes, a game of hockey.

That's my lesson for the day. Thanks for checking in. Feel free to go toe-to-toe with me in the comment box.

Ron Hextall: Stickin' It to the Man

Digging through a rarely-opened drawer in my home office, I happened upon an 8 1/2 x 11 photo of Ron Hextall, standing at his net with the old-school brown pads, white helmet, and blank boards in the background. It instantly brought back memories and, admittedly, a few goose bumps. Simply put, Ron Hextall was my boy.

Realizing, as a boy, that I shared a birthday (May 3) with Mr. Hextall, I developed an instant connection to the Flyers' goalie of the late 80s to early 90s, skip a couple years, and late 90s. I even grew up in the same town where he lived and practiced (Voorhees, NJ). But most importantly, he and I shared an innate love for swinging a stick and clanging the goalposts. I always got a mini-thrill of his mini-warmup routine where he would swing his stick back and forth against the posts, creating a distinct ring that echoed throughout the raucous Spectrum and would even be heard on TV. Ah, memories.

Of course the fact that he was an exciting and aggressive showman didn't hurt either.

I don't think anybody will forget Hextall's attack on Chris Chelios after Chelios took a cheap shot at Brian Propp in an earlier game, giving the unsuspecting Flyer a concussion to knock him out of the playoffs. This was the ultimate case of standing up for your teammates.

Nor will they forget Hextall's goal, as he launched the puck into an open net, the first time a goalie did so in NHL history.

Nor will anybody forget his slash on Ken Nilson in the Stanley Cup.

And let's not forget the 100+ penalty minutes that were assessed on him in two different seasons. No other goalie in history has come close to 100 in one season, mind you.

I could go on... but you get the drill.

Nowadays, the Flyers' goalkeepers are just downright dull and, well, forgettable, a far cry from Hextall, the Broad Street Bully/Goalie of recent years. I just can't help but wonder: Where did the goaltending passion go?

Perhaps somebody needs to take out a goalie stick and just start swingin...

Even in Philly, Patience is a Virtue

Any Flyers fan will recognize these names:

Bobby Clark
Gary Dornhoefer
Bernie Parent

Indeed, they are three of the more recognizable names in Flyers' history, since they were great players.

That, and they helped bring the first Stanley Cup to Philadelphia in the 1973-74 season.

But what many people may not know (and I didn't know this until just now), is that these three players were on the second-to-worst team in the league just a few seasons before winning the Cup. In 1969-70, these players suffered through an ugly year as the team won just 17 out of 76 games, and tied with the now defunct, short-lived Oakland Seals in the NHL's Western Conference.

In 1973 they improved to the first place team, winning 50 out of 76 games.

Dare I say.... wow!

That is one whale of a turnaround right there. And without a doubt there are more than just a few turnaround stories like this in all of sports, but I think it's easy to forget just how quickly it can happen, especially when us Philly sports fans are so used to seeing a team struggle forever and then take a while to become a champion. But with a few good players, a strong coach, and the right attytood, anything is possible. Oh, and just a little thing called patience.

As Axl Rose so poetically once said:

"All we need is just a little patience."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Just a little patience."