hockey

New Sports Thought Thursday Blog Good Bye Coach Babcock! Welcome Jeff Blashill!

In this Sports Thought Thursday Blog, we are going to do a follow-up to a blog post that I wrote a few weeks ago.  I am talking about end of era in Detroit.  I just want to thank Mike Babcock for his years in Detroit.  It was a great run for a great coach.  I wish him the best of luck in Toronto.  Let us get into this new coach.

Closing, We all saw this coming as soon as Mike said he was going to the Maple Leafs.  The Red Wings have already invested in Jeff Blashill.  Last year, Red Wings gave Jeff a huge contract to keep him with the Grand Rapids.  I believe it made him highest paid minor league head coach. There was several teams asking about him to coach their teams.  The Red Wings said no to every team.  It will never come out until everyone is retired but I believe that the Red Wings did not want Mike back.  They wanted to bring up Jeff to take over this young team.  The young players on this team were raised by Jeff.  I believe this is a good move for the Red Wings.  I believe we will start to see free agents finally come back to Detroit.  We have a really good young team and the future is pretty bright.  I cannot wait for next season.  I just want to wish Jeff Blashill and the Detroit Red Wings the best of luck!   I love the move and the new theories and voice.

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

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New Sports Thought Thursday Blog End Of An Era In Detroit

In this sports blog, we are going to get into a thought that might be happening in Detroit.  The future of the Red Wings is coming true in this off-season.  The questions that need to be answered are:

  • Who is going to be in goal next season?

It is that famous thing in Detroit. The back up goalie is better than the starter. However, it may be in this case, Petr Mrazek has out played Jimmy Howard. Many fans and media believes Howard is hurt. After, a game seven loss, you would have heard of who was hurt and not. Nothing came out on Howard. Howard has issues being health since signing his latest contract. Howard has a huge contract with a ton of money left on it. I do not think Red Wings will not be able to move him. Ken Holland, who was former NHL goalie and current General Manager, has a huge duty to find away to move. I believe he can do. I believe Petr Mrazek will be your starting goalie next season.

  • Will the Defense Line be improved?

This team has been missing all star and all around defense men since Lindstrom retired. I am hoping there will be that Dman on free agent market. I do not know if there is one there or in our farm system.

  • Who will be the head coach next season?

This is a huge debate.  The Wings just gave Mike Babcock permission to explore other opportunities.  If he signs with another team, the Red Wings will receive a 3rd pick within the next three years.  Mike just finished coaching his tenth year with the Red Wings.  Many fans around the Detroitland area and around the country believe it is time for a change.  The saying in professional sports a coach and team should part ways by the tenth year.  I am not saying I want Mike gone.  I want him to stay.  He is the best coach in the league.  The Red Wings want him to stay and they made it clean to him.  They have offer him two contracts in a week. Let us lay some facts on the table about Mike and his time with the Red Wings.  He has only won one cup with the Wings and he should have won two.  The last three season the Red Wings has been booted out of the first round of the playoffs.  Scotty Bowman was with the Red Wings for nine years and won three cups with them.   Scotty record was 410 – 193 with the Red Wings.  Mike has a record of 458 – 223 with the Wings.  I get it.  These are two different eras of hockey.  It is hard to believe from 15 years ago but it is true.  Salary Cap has something to do with it.  The Red Wings are building on the fly the last two years.   Ken and Mike have been building a team here.  I do not know what Mike is looking for as far as his job.  Is it more power?  Money?  Whatever, it is.  Red Wings fans are going to see the same face or someone new next season.  I know we have a nice young core of kids that are going to be pretty good.

Closing, I am glad that I do not need to make these painful decision.  I believe if the Red Wings solve their goalie issue.  Meaning who is going to be the starter and do something with the other guy.  Maybe that player will bring back some help on the defense.  Maybe, it is time to look at some of these young players to bring back that defense men that this team is lacking.  I believe we will have a pretty big trade or signing on the defense this off season.  I also believe we will see some big moves from the Red Wings.  If Mike Babcock leaves, maybe, Wings will bring up the highest paid minor league coach. This is same coach that developed all these kids. I cannot wait for next season to send Joe Louis Arena into the sunset.  Go Wings!  Thanks again for a great season.  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  djweiser13

New Sports Thought Thursday Blog NHL Has A New CBA

In this sports blog, I am doing my follow-up post to my earlier on NHL Lockout.  As many of you know the NHL has reached an agreement with the players on CBA on Sunday Morning about 6:00 am ET.  Does it really matter now?  Will the fans come back? How will the league make a come back now?  Do you think the players, owners, and NHL care about the fans?

NHL teams will be hitting the ice again for a short season.  After all the silliest floating around between the owners and players, we as fan can now send a message to the league.  I know for a fact the NHL deep-rooted cities will rebound because it is in the blood for those fans.  I am talking cities like Detroit, Boston, New York, etc.  Now what happens to the teams to the south like Tampa Bay, Phoenix that still does not have a new owner.  I believe it will take NHL over ten years to pick up where they left off before this last lockout.

Lock out, I will be watching hockey because I love the sport and I am glad it is back.  This will be some exciting hockey for the next few months because every game will mean something then a normal eighty-two games.  I will be watching every game.  I am watching the ratings and attendance around the league.  I just have a feeling the hockey fans will make a statement to the league and the players.  I believe that Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr need to resign and/or be fired because of this situation.  Gary Bettman legacy will be having two lockouts in less than ten years.  Donald Fehr will be the guy that has put two sports in Jeopardy of going away.  I believe he just did it to NHL as a business.  Go get some!  GO WINGS!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

NHL Against NHLPA, Who Will Win The Cup?

In this sport blog, we are going to talk about the future of the CBA in the National Hockey League.  If you are not aware of this issue, the owners are ready to lock out the players again.  As September 15th comes closer, we might not have a hockey season or maybe part of the season.  The players have 53% share of the profits while the owners has the rest, which is 47%.  The owners want to flip that profit-sharing to their way.  They, the owners, are yelling how poor they are and how the smaller market teams are having problems paying their bills.  If you know anything about hockey, you know way over half of the profits come from the box offices unlike the rest of the major sports.  As you know the last CBA called for an entire season to be cancelled in 2004-2005.  Under the current CBA, we had the average NHL team is worth 47% more in value.  Last season, the league had 18 of the 30 teams showing red before they pay for their bank loans and other assets.  The prior year there was 16 of the 30 teams.  Along with the increase of player’s salaries increased by 11% to $59 million.  Big market teams are doing fairly well with most of them making money or profit.  So where is the issue here?

It is the small market teams that are mostly in the red.  Owners want to go to NFL Model which is 48% or do what the NBA did this last summer which is 50-50 spit.  To me, seeing a team like LA Kings winning the Cup this year just spell the end to the NHL I grew up loving and watching as a kid.  They were the first team in league history to beat 1st seed when they were the 8th seed.  Also they were the first time to win the Cup as 8th seed.  Congrats to the LA Kings but I am sorry I love the power house teams in the league going back to the Orignal 6.  Big Market teams should killing any league not just NHL.

This year’s Stanley Cup, which featured New Jersey Devils against LA Kings, draw the worse television since the 2007, which featured Ottawa Seniors against Anaheim Ducks.  I believe my point is approved by this stat.  However, it was in the Los Angeles market with the oldest team in California might have helped the ratings a little bit.

Stanley Cup Final Audience Averages Since 2007 on NBC and NBC Sports Network/VERSUS (www.sbnation.com)

2007, Ottawa vs. Anaheim – 1.8 million

2008, Pittsburgh vs. Detroit – 4.5 million

2009, Pittsburgh vs. Detroit – 4.9 million

2010, Philadelphia vs. Chicago – 5.1 million

2011, Boston vs. Vancouver – 4.5 million

2012, Los Angeles vs. New Jersey – 3.0 million

As we get closer to the September 15th expiring of the old CBA, this could be the end of this sport.  NHL might be losing more than money but fans that keeps this league up and running.  I believe with all the comments coming out on both signs that the owners care but they are not looking at the bigger picture, which is the future of this sport.  You would think the owners will learn their lesson from the last lockout.  The big question is that needs to be asked are you coming back this time?  Will you try to buy tickets for this upcoming season?  What is going to be the fallout if they do lockout for the season?  I do not have the answers but the greedy are fighting over their billions and millions of dollars.  If there is a lockout, all  workers that clean the bathrooms, cashiers that run the hot dog, beer, etc will all be out of jobs.  The workers that are trying to make it in this world will be on the unemployment line.  In the end, the fans of this great sport and the rich history will not will the Cup and I believe there will not be NHL raising the Lord Stanley’s Cup in 2013.  What is your thoughts?  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser