We used to be in there, now we’re out here
So, what’s the deal with hockey? That’s a serious question, actually. I’ve been completely plugged into the NHL playoffs since they began (which is actually the perfect amount of hockey. But that’s a different post…) and I I’m just trying understand how this “niche” sport has been able to claim ever-growing shares of my sports [...]
In: NHL
5 May 2011Fresh off another stunning playoff exit, the Washington Capitals are faced with another offseason of speculation, with no question looming larger than whether coach Bruce Boudreau needs to be fired for his team’s disappearing act in the second round of the postseason. The Caps’ list of playoff failures is long, but the last two years [...]
In: NHL
22 Apr 2010As soon as Washington ripped the hearts out of Montreal by rallying from a 4-1 deficit in Game 2, you knew from that point that the series with the game Canadiens was over. And now it looks like the rest of the Eastern Conference has capitulated to the Caps, making their run to the Stanley [...]
OK, I understand that hockey isn’t exactly a ratings bonanza, but we’re talking about Game Freakin’ 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and KING-5, in its infinite wisdom, has decided not to bother showing the game, instead shuttling it off to its sister station. I’ve been railing against this for years, and I’d be really [...]
In: NHL
11 Jun 2009Part 4 of OTPB’s look at uniforms hits the frozen pond, as we look at National Hockey League sweaters. The NHL may be the most nakedly aggressive sporting league when it comes to making money off apparel, as it seems like nearly every team has either introduced a new sweater or created an alternate during [...]
In: NHL
28 Apr 2009You would assume that a major sporting organization would have enough foresight to schedule its playoffs correctly, so that two Game 7s would not be played on the same day at the same time. But when you are dealing with the massively misguided NHL, they don’t make an ass out of you and me, just [...]
In: NHL
15 Apr 2009I can’t say I’m the world’s biggest hockey fan – I got into it mainly through playing NHL 93 on the Sega Genesis – but I try my best to keep up with the sport despite its terrible TV contracts (reduced to the cable hinterlands of the Versus network), lack of newspaper coverage (a paragraph at best in the local paper) and general status as our country’s No. 4 sport.
When you factor in that slogging through the interminable regular season seems more like a chore than a reward, it’s no surprise that only the biggest die-hards hang onto every point.
In: NHL
25 Feb 2009The New Jersey Devils are known for their fair share of baffling personnel moves – like firing coaches with five games to go in the regular season despite being in first place – but their latest move may be the strangest of all. Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur is returning to the team after [...]
Two former sports reporters freed from the constraints of traditional print media write about the hot topics on both the Seattle and national sports scene. No deadlines, no word count, no press box decorum — we're Outside The Press Box.
