July 29, 2005
Goodbye, Two-line!
I cannot pinpoint the exact day that I started getting my sports news from "The Weekly Standard," but I am sure it is a significant date.
Duncan Currie pens a nice piece on the return of my favorite sport, with an enumeration of the upcoming rule changes.
- I have a weird, Burkean, Chestertonian attachment to enforcing the two-line pass rule, but must admit that it will kill the dreaded "trap."
- Smaller goalie pads seem fair as well. "Nobody gets more than Ken Dryden got" would be a fine rule in my book.
- The shootout at the end will be fun, and Currie's point holds that it will have great potential for highlight films to attract new fans.
All the rules, it seems to me, will augment the importance of star players at the expense of team play. This might make it even more difficult for the Sunbelt franchises, but I can't stay up late worrying about them.
Go Avs!
What a day, hockey and Walt Whitman! One hockey comment and then I'm off to read "Song of the Open Road." The current rules hinder the guys who can truly play. A lesser skilled player can tie up someone that can really skate and anything that can be done to lessen this is a good thing. Way back in the day the goons were also some of the best players, Gordie Howe comes to mind and the game moved along as it should. Expansion brought lesser players who had to compensate with thugery, thus slowing the action, lowering goal scoring and increasing the number of penalties involving sticks. Anything that gets rid of these guys, even if it means the loss of a few teams, is ok by me. Hockey has a lot to prove this year and I hope the new rules help.
Posted by: sugarchuck at July 29, 2005 2:35 PMYou left out 3.4% GDP growth...
Posted by: jk at July 29, 2005 3:51 PM | What do you think? [2]