2008/09 NHL Thread

The vast majority of them absolutely are. Laraque -- the toughest guy in the league -- is aruably one of the leagues most charitable and gentle souls out there.

 

Leave Fredo out of hockey threads.

 

Let's be honest about Sean Avery.

It's all an act. And it's a damn good one.

The point he made during the E:60 profile about the league's failings in marketing players is absolutely correct. Go to most cities in America. Ask the general population which hockey players they know. If you're lucky, you'll probably hear Crosby or Ovechkin or Lemieux or Gretzky. Maybe you hear Messier. But that's about it.

There are phenomenal players in the game, Phaneuf and Iginla chief among them. But the average, non-hockey watching American doesn't know about these guys because the league's content to promote itself on a third rate cable network (Versus) and it's in-house network (NHL Network). The league doesn't need to sell hockey people on the game. They need to sell the public at large.

So, it helps having larger-than-life characters. Avery, for whatever people may think about him, recognizes that it's a benefit to the league to have a Dennis Rodman-like, pro wrestling bad guy character to sell tickets and generate TV ratings. Selling tickets and healthy TV ratings. What concepts.

Avery recognizes that the NHL does a terrible job marketing itself, the game and the people in the game. So he's marketing himself. Sean Avery is turning Sean Avery into a brand. That's brilliant. Instead of fining and suspending him, they should put him to work in the league office as head of marketing.

 

Absolutely worse stuff is said in the game, I'm not even debating that. But when it's brought in front of the media like that, as an obvious attempt to stir the pot, it becomes a big deal. On the ice Phaneuf could choose to ignore the little puke. He had no choice as soon as Avery went public like that, especially considering he dragged in people from outside the game. I don't care if she's an ex.

You know what? He could have called her a puckbunny. I have no problem with that. But he went to far, even if sloppy seconds is a juvenile remark. It is still very derrogatory and shouldn't just be waived off on it's maturity level.

 

Honestly, I really don't see that much fighting in hockey highlights anymore. They pop up now and then, but not as much as in the past.

And I'd like to agree with Beef, that the little chickenshit, if he'd been on the ice last night, wouldn't have paid the piper and fought anyone on the Flames. He's done it before, and he'll do it again.

 

HB you couldn't be more wrong. He's been an ass his whole career including junior. He treats people like garbage from trainers to teammates. He is simply an asshole and using the ACT as an excuse. If it was an act you'd have teammates that would stick up for him. It's bullshit spin to say it's an act.

 

The league does a terrible job of marketing itself, but this is not the way you go about it. Do you want a WWE style promoted league or do you want something at the end of the day that has substance and you can be proud of. I think the NHL is slowly getting better in that department, but they are coming from so far beyond one end of the spectrum where their marketing has sucked for generations, it's not going to happen over night just because they want it to.

 

Also, HB, if you think the general population knows who Crosby and Ovechkin are -- outside Pittsburgh and the DC area -- you are sadly mistaken

 

Absolute bullshit. Phaneuf absolutely had a choice to take the higher road or sink to Avery's level.

But, once again, the league took that choice away from him.

Christ, are hockey players 'wholesome' or are they mouth-breathing neanderthals who don't know when to just play the game.

Someone let me know.

 

Sorry, this idea that this little puke's antics help the sport is a non-starter. It doesn't. It creates interest in the league for a short period of time--most of it negative---and then people forget about it until the next incident comes along.

This is the same delusional thinking--or lack of it, to be more precise--that the league used when they put franchises in places like Nashville, Phoenix and Atlanta.

And like I said before, if you've been working at building a brand with a standard message (our players are wholesome!), you don't start using someone who goes directly against that message.

 

You're probably right. And that goes back to my point about the league not being able to market itself.

 

But those who are saying the league should not have suspended Avery and just let the boys settle it on the ice are advocating that the league market fighting instead of the game or the players.