Winter Classic-bound

I wrote this months ago but wanted to wait for the official announcement. Now that announcement is being made Monday, when I get on a plane for Prague. So here it is a few days early ... my take on the Rangers playing the Flyers in this season's Winter Classic.

I love outdoor games and have been to four: Sabres vs. Pens in Buffalo, Hawks vs. Wings at Wrigley, BU vs. BC at Fenway and Whale vs. Bruins in Hartford (I never did a post on that, huh? Shot this there though). It has been an event that I've looked forward to each year but this time is different, there is just so many things wrong with it. Here are 10 of them:

*The venue is atrocious. Baseball stadiums are simply not good for hockey games. It was one thing to deal with the awful sight lines because you are in the two ancient and historical parks of Chicago and Boston, it is another to go to one of the new, generic stadiums. Anyone down by the field can't see the ice and in return, they get to feel the wonderful history and atmosphere of a seven-year of park as well known for this as for this.

*The building holds 46,528 with standing room - that's it. Ralph Wilson held 71,217, Heinz Field 68,111. That is over 20,000 fans who aren't able to enjoy what should be a celebration of hockey. When you have a draw as big as the New York Rangers, why would you want to leave all of those people out in the cold (har har)??

*Here is one reason: smaller capacity plus larger demand equals utterly outrageous ticket prices. All of you who are pumped right now, be prepared to pay at least $200, probably more. And that is from the league, just wait and see StubHub and eBay - last year prices were ridiculous.

*It rained last year in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia is on almost the same latitude (40 degrees north) so weather is a concern.

*Philadelphia's roads and traffic are ... less than pleasant. And that is on a daily basis, in good weather. While Philadelphia drivers are sober.

*Rangers vs. Flyers has been a pretty good rough and tumble rivalry. And now it will be on bad ice, in the middle of a spectacle. None of the outdoor games have been pretty good or rough and tumble from buzzer to buzzer.

*I heard that Penguin fans were insufferable last year. And now we will be talking about Flyer fans. Philadelphia Flyer fans.

*While many Ranger fans liked how the Heritage sweaters came out last season, a good portion were upset at the clear money grab of the whole thing. Well, another year, another money grab. You can be sure there will be a special jersey to buy for this special game at a special price.

*The game will be on January 2nd, not the 1st. After making the Classic a New Years staple, the NHL is cowering away from the NFL and having it on Monday. While many folks will have it off - as companies feel they owe their employees a holiday even when it lands on a weekend - not all will.

*24/7 is an unnecessary distraction for a hockey team, especially for one in a city already full of distractions. Camera crews stalking players and coaches for over a month. The coach sets the tone for the team and he doesn't want the show around, so just think of what the mood will be like. Several Rangers were found on Page 6 last season for extracurriculars and were vilified for their actions - now HBO can follow the Ranger kids to the clubs, that's a good recipe for sure. Oh, and it should be pointed out that neither the Pens nor the Caps made it to the conference finals last year.

Just sayin' ...

Capping The Winter Classic

Where to start, where to start? Today the NHL rang in the New Year with their second January 1st outdoor game, the Winter Classic in Chicago. But you probably know that. And you know that the Wings blew the Hawks out of the open sky 6-4. So, I will only quickly address the game itself, before adding some of the fun stuff I saw from Section 231 of Wrigley Field. A warning, this may get long and I have yet to peruse other blogs so I donno what is already out there (it keeps things pure that way).

Chicago stepped on the ice a motivated team and played a stellar, physical game for a period and a half. Then they either got cold or they became wrapped up in the moment or something, because they stopped playing. Detroit, meanwhile, recovered from their early frustrations (after that horrible missed boarding call on Lilja that somehow resulted in a Chicago power play, I'd be pissed too) and then started playing Red Wing hockey - something few teams in the NHL can handle. The Hawks are not one of those teams.

But, let's face it, this is a Ranger blog so I am not going to expound on the Second City's deficiencies ... at least those on the ice ...

When I was in Switzerland to watch the Rangers play, I spoke to Rod Gilbert and asked him what he thought of the atmosphere and the people there. His response was that he hated it because the people weren't hockey fans, they were just folks out to watch a spectacle and have a night out of the house. I wasn't so sure I understood what he meant until today, after seeing the Blackhawk fans around Wrigley.

I guess that is the kind of thing when teams get a buzz and the bandwagon gets rolling, but many of the Chicago folks seemed utterly clueless and were just there to see the show - not that there is anything wrong with that, but it certainly took something away from the atmosphere. The stunning thing about the Winter Classic last year was that you could feel the adoration for the sport in the air - it was tangible throughout Ralph Wilson and throughout Buffalo. Here? Notsomuch. Sure they were some hardcore fans there, but there were thousands upon thousands of brand new jerseys and seemingly brand new fans.

At the same time, there was a huuuuuge contingent of Detroit fans. In Buffalo, I was in the clear minority of those in Penguin sweaters (to never be worn again, I assure you) but here I didn't feel the least bit out of place in my Joey Kocur Wings jersey.

The bandwagoners spent most of the game chanting "Detroit Sucks" rather than "Let's Go Hawks" or, well, anything positive towards their team. And when the fans went back and forth at each other individually, the Chicago folks seemed to attack the Lions more than anything - seemingly not knowing that it was a hockey game. It was kinda sad. A few folks went off on the bailouts, unemployment and crime in Detroit (funny) but were quickly silenced by mention of the Illinois senator. Good times.

Reebok gave out handy little binoculars to help promote the 'missing logo' contest but not a single person in my area did any looking for patches, they were all wrapped up in the experience. The other promotion - a 'stunt' - proved to be hilarious. I don't know if it made the broadcast but they had us put signs up so the stadium would spell out two things (one for each side of the sign). The first was Happy New Year (aww) while the other was the Winter Classic title with the team names. When the folks wearing Hawks jerseys realized that they were part of the "Red Wings" they threw their signs away - it was quite hilarious.

On the other side of the coin, I have to say it was quite disappointing that the teams did not salute the fans after the game. They seemed to grudgingly lineup for postgame handshakes and then beat a quick path back into the locker rooms. The Wings waved individually and a few guys even threw out some pucks and their toques, which was nice. I could not see if the Hawks did the same but, judging from the way they left the ice, they did not.

Some other quick parting shots from Chicago:

*The weather was quite nice, just a little chilly. Most people were dressed properly and/or had handwarmers so there were few complaints.

*The league brought out the sparklers to flank the players' runway. It wasn't the towers of flame from last year, but it still looked kinda neat.

*The folks in the rooftop bleachers had better views of the ice than the people who spent $225 to be in the building proper. Not only were the field level seats incredibly obscured, they did not have video boards right in front of them as the folks in Buffalo did. There were just two boards suspended in either outfield. But those screens proved to be the only way some people could watch the game at all as the NHL sold every seat - including those with a post obstructing the entire view of the ice. My buddy got a pic of it and I will try to up it so you can see how bad it was. And that seat cost $225. Insanity.

*To the right is a pic of something crazy ... crazy cool! That is a couple of Blues Brothers impersonators who drove around the stadium in a Bluesmobile before the game singing classic songs from the movie and rooting for the Hawks. Now THAT is 'sweet home Chicago.'

*They did this whole Chicago Sports Legends announcement before the game introducing Ryne Sandberg, Ferguson Jenkins, Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito and two others I don't remember or care enough to look up. Each player had a long-winded video intro before stepping on these small round stages by the batters boxes. Few people listened and fewer cheered but then the organizers decided to re-introduce them again for the ceremonial puck drop. NO ONE CARED. Here is this amazing spectacle of hockey outside and you are telling me about Jenkins winning the Cy Young nearly 40 years ago? Ugh!

*The Spectator Plaza that they talked about so much opened up late and was nothing more than a trap for sponsors to shamelessly promote their crap. But they had guys on stilts!! How could that not be fun? Actually, quite easily.


*There were a lotta jersey fouls present. Some were ok - the Hawks Griswald jersey is iconic, but others were not - an Obama Cubs jersey?? Not only doesn't the politician PLAY but he is a proud White Sox fan.

*And talking about shamelessness: the merch on-site at Wrigley was incredibly marked up. I guess that is to be expected but you could buy the same $72 hooded sweatshirt that they had at the ballpark at NHL.com or at any of the licensed FansEdge stores around Chicago for $40. By my math, that is a 80% increase. The scary thing? The bandwagoners appeared to be buying up everything no matter the extreme gouging. (I managed to wait on buying the hoodie there but found myself lured in for a hat and a official game puck.)

So I guess when it comes down to it, the friendly confines were friendly - if expensive. A good buddy of mine just asked if I would go to the next Winter Classic or if the appeal has waned ... my response is absolutely; there is still something special about seeing the best sport in the world played outside of its normal confines and just, well, outside. Perhaps next year it will be in New York so I can root for my own team? Let's Go Rangers!!!!!

How Did We Miss This??

A British friend just alerted me to some pretty neat news - the Germans will be hosting an outdoor hockey game of their own:

On May 7, 2010, history will be made as the opening game of the 2010 IIHF World Championship will be played in a football (soccer) stadium with a potential capacity of 75,976.

Should the Germans sell out the game, it would create a new world record for hockey attendance in a single game, breaking the current record of 74,554, which was set between American University teams Michigan State and Michigan in East Lansing, Michigan in 2001. Tickets for the opening game are already available and cost 19 Euros (standing). The lowest priced seating ticket is 29 Euros.

Here is a good news piece on it, sorry I couldn't figure out how to encode it. This is good news, of course, as hockey will be seen by many more eyes. Let's face it, Chicago will be awesome (I'm going!!) but it won't catch the international eye the way a match at a football stadium would. This year's world championship is being held in Bern, Switzerland - the same arena that the Rangers won the Victoria Cup in. That is a nice building but as any Euro will tell you, there is nothing like a football match for atmosphere. And to have, say, Germany face the Russians or the Canadians on Shalke's pitch should be incredible!

Hmm, I wonder how much the flight will cost ... better start saving now ...

Just Stop It Already

In the last few days, all of the local papers have jumped on the rumours that the NHL will hold an outdoor game next season at Yankee Stadium before it gets the Ebbets Field treatment.

I think its a bad idea. I said it before, and I am saying it again - primarily because people aren't thinking this through. Everyone is just going 'yeah, hockey outside, cool! I saw that game on New Years and it looked neat. And in New York? Wowsers!' Reread my post from January and then take these other factors into consideration as well:

*One of main pitch-points for the prior two outdoor games were how the game was 'going back to its roots' by playing outside. Well, not a whole lot of players from New York made it to the NHL and the two best, the Mullen brothers, got their start playing on wheels in Hells Kitchen. Unless they are going to put a game out on 42nd and 11th then it has no historical significance being in the city.

*For as much as I worship hockey and how the Rangers have one of the most dedicated, loyal fans in the game, the sport just isn't part of the fabric of the city. Sure everyone rallied around the Blueshirts when we broke the curse, but that was a human interest story at that point that transcended the sport. New York City is a baseball town, not a hockey town. Having the game here is nothing more than a desperate money grab for the NHL and Madison Ave.

*And taking that a step farther, the game would end up being a corporate event for those who want to see and be seen. Sure some diehards make it, but they are outnumbered. That didn't happen in Edmonton or Buffalo - real hockey fans came out to celebrate the game they loved and in some ridiculous conditions.

*Edmonton had Gretzky skating with Messier in the geezer game beforehand, frigid temperatures and Jose Theodore wearing a toque. Buffalo had Cindy Crosby, tailgating and lake effect snow. What could they possibly come up with to match either of those? They are saying the possible Ranger opponents will be Boston, Detroit or the Islanders ... not exactly teams with star power. Original Six is a concept that is only endearing to hockey fans - it doesn't translate outside of the sport, especially since they really weren't the original NHL teams. There were four teams when the league was founded in 1917 - the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Arenas. The Rangers didn't come around until 1926 (and promptly won a few cups). After you get past the team name, how do you market guys like Zdeno Chara or Pavel Datsyuk to the United States? It was easy to hitch a ride aboard the Cindy Crosby phenomenon and without a premier name like that, it will be nearly impossible.

*I have to agree with Yankee writer Peter Abraham, who said that the last thing to happen in Yankee Stadium should be a Yankee game. What would you hockey or basketball fans think if they decided to close the Garden with sumo wrestling or rodeo?

The Winter Classic was just that, classic. To try to capture that kind of lightning in a bottle yet again will be a near-impossible task, and in New York to boot?

Fugghet about it.

Yankee Stadium? No Thanks ...

I like John Dellapina. I think he does a very good job as a Rangers beat writer for the Daily News. I read his blog regularly. But I have to say that I think his story yesterday was a little crazy. Granted, it was just good reporting, but it again broaches the idea of an outdoor game in New York - specifically at Yankee Stadium between the Rangers and the Islanders.

Frankly, its a bad idea.

Simply said, Yankee Stadium would suck as a venue. The Daily News tried to give people an idea of what the rink would look like with what BMR called the Worst. Photoshop. Ever. BMR also gave some venues just as ridiculous as Yankee Stadium, you know, like the moon.

You may laugh but the House that Ruth built is really not suited for an outdoor hockey game between the Rangers and Islanders, no matter how badly Bettman would love to market it. Having been to the Stadium, and having gone to the Winter Classic in Buffalo, I feel safe saying that this is a really bad idea. It's one thing to have Buffalo and Pittsburgh, it's another to get the Rangers and Islanders. The Sabres and the Penguins have little bad blood between them; the Blueshirts and Fishermen certainly do as one of the biggest rivalries in the game. Could you imagine the PR fiasco that would result if another Chris Simon incident happened before a national audience on New Years? Or even another brawl? The league is clearly not in favour of fighting, just think of what Bettman would do if this happened again ...

That isn't to say that the fans wouldn't love it, but they -- we -- are another problem. I don't think I have ever been to a single game against the Islanders where a fight in the stands didn't break out. Now, in recent years they have been small in scale and not very damaging but in the mid 80's, the tussles were legendary. Now move them to the Bronx, where its almost impossible to move around. I went to a Yanks/Sawx game last season and watched as security struggled to run single file along the upper deck to get to a drunken fight near the top. That game (strangely) wasn't even sold out but a Rangers/Isles game would be a packed house of 57,545 hockey fans. Not necessarily a recipe for disaster, but certainly one that would need large amounts of crowd control.

Another factor would definitely be the weather. Everyone raved about the snow in Buffalo, but at the same time back in the city it was in the 40s and a week later, the mid-60s. That doesn't bode well for good ice conditions. Granted, the NHL's ice gurus would have more than a week to set up (likely three months since the Yankees won't make the postseason without some pitching), but for as much magic as they can whip up, if Mother Nature is not cooperative, it could make for an awful game.

And that's another thing - the Winter Classic was an amazing experience, but even I can admit that the quality of hockey was really quite poor. Do we want to waste what could be an important divisional battle on what should be an exhibition game?

You know I would be right there if the league did set this game up, but I truly think that the league should explore other options first: primarily the idea of moving the All Star Game outdoors. As I've said several times, it would bring the league's brightest stars out under the sky and into millions of homes on New Years Day. It also would not demean a regular season game that could eventually have playoff implications. What happens if Buffalo misses the playoffs by one point this season? Or what about the Rangers? If Buffalo makes it by one point over the Blueshirts, fans should be outraged because the two Winter Classic teams clearly did not put forth their best effort and still earned points in the standings.

I know I would be furious, and you should be too. And that is the main reason why the NHL should not place a regular season outdoors at all, and certainly not in Yankee Stadium.

Let's Go ... To Buffa-Lo!

Well, its official, the NHL will be playing outdoors again, this time in frosty Buffalo where the Sabres will play the Pittsburgh Penguins on New Years. Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at 10am and I think I will buy a pair. I'm not so sure I want to freeze my ass off, but I think it will be worth it. It isn't every day that NHL teams play outside. For those who want to stay warm, NBC will be broadcasting it and it should get lousy ratings up against the college football bowl games that are traditionally held on New Years. Typical.

In the promotional materials released by the league, they listed the occasions that they have ... and while the Rangers playing the town's team in Mystery, Alaska wasn't included, their exhibition game against the L.A. Kings in Las Vegas of all places was. Now I had no idea thaty they did that, it happened back in 1991. The New York Times tried to charge money for the article so I only have the lead to share:

"Sure Wayne Gretzky scored a goal, and for that matter the Los Angeles Kings beat the Rangers, 5-2, before a sellout crowd of more than 13,000 spectators, but for all the hockey derring-do Friday night, the exhibition game seemed more an engineering feat than an athletic achievement."

Anyone have more info? Feel free to drop it in the comments.

And just for the curious, the other recent outdoor hockey games (not necessarily NHL) were:

Red Square
Moscow, Russia
December 9, 2006
Team World vs. Russia
Attendance: 2,000

NHL Heritage Classic
Edmonton, Alberta
November 22, 2003
Montreal Canadiens vs. Edmonton Oilers
Attendance: 57,167

Frozen Tundra Classic
Green Bay, Wisconsin
February 11, 2006
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
Attendance: 40,890

East Lansing, Michigan
October 6, 2001
Michigan vs. Michigan State
Attendance: 74,554

NHL Pre-Season Exhibition
Las Vegas, Nevada
September 28, 1991
New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Attendance: 13,000