Lord Stanley's Cup

The quest for the cup this year was over before it began.

Every professional sports League owes its very existence to its fans. Everyone associated with the National Hockey League owes our fans an apology for being unable to accomplish what is necessary for our game and our fans. We are truly sorry.

Five months ago, I stated that the National Hockey League could not function without an economic system that will bring our League into the 21st Century. I said that our 30 Clubs were united in their dedication to an economic system under which the teams and players, sharing common objectives and a commitment to our fans' satisfaction, would work together as partners.

Consoling myself by listening to the Zambonis, America's favorite hockey band. Of course, I could listen to Hockey Monkey all day long and it still won't bring back the playoffs or the All-Star Game, or deal with the fact that 30 teams in this market is not sustainable. What the fuck were they thinking when they moved the North Stars to Texas? At some point the League is going to have to decide if they really want to continue to lose money on franchises that Should Not Be.

One wonders if the owners or the players realize how much they're hurting all the local economies that depend on the games. Given that two Wal-Mart heirs are owners, I'm guessing not. They got theirs, why should they care?

Been rereading Mister Miracle after the JLU episode the other day. I'm not 100% certain that Ioan Gruffud was the best choice for Scott Free, but I can't think of anybody else, either.

(You may also notice me futzing with the template a bit. Any comments would be appreciated...)