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NHL 2021: I Pledge Allegiance to Gritty

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Marchand slewfoots a Seattle player during a scrum, gets two minutes for roughing, contributes to the play that leads to Boston’s GWG.

What I would do for a VAR style system in hockey…
 
Jimjamesak said:
Marchand slewfoots a Seattle player during a scrum, gets two minutes for roughing, contributes to the play that leads to Boston’s GWG.

What I would do for a VAR style system in hockey…
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NHL is going to NHL. The exact same play that got Larkin (rightly) kicked from the game happened against Detroit and was only called a 2 min minor. The NHL simply refuses to get out of its own way.
 
Bronco said:
NHL is going to NHL. The exact same play that got Larkin (rightly) kicked from the game happened against Detroit and was only called a 2 min minor. The NHL simply refuses to get out of its own way.
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As usual, the NHL would be great if it wasn’t for the people who own the teams and run the league.
 
Not that I expect anyone to be able to answer this, but what happened with Netherlands hockey for three years around 1980? It being the anniversary of the Miracle on Ice a couple days ago, I was revisiting the tournament which lead me to the fact that 1980 was the only time they’ve ever qualified. And the only time they’ve ever been close.

In 1977 they’re relegated from Pool B. In 1978 they are promoted from Pool C. Then in 1979 they win Pool B which qualifies them for the Olympics. They get demolished in Lake Placid, get demolished in 1981 in Pool A and get relegated. Then in 1982 they don’t get destroyed, but lose a lot of tight games and are relegated to Pool C.

Just happenstance of getting in the right pool in 1979? It looks like due to politics China and Denmark were pulled into Pool B when they should’ve been in C, which allowed an easier path for the Netherlands to move to the championship round, but even there they still had to play two other good teams. Flash in the pan of a group of guys coming into their prime for a couple years? They did go on to dominate Pool C in 1983 and get back to Pool B, but they’ve been languishing in the middle divisions ever since.
 
Russell Jaslow said:
For a long time, Canada refused to support an Olympic team because they felt the Soviets were a pro team. And they weren't wrong.
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As if the special training and facilities western players received didn't make them professionals too.

The last amateur American athlete was Bobby Jones. I assume the last Canuck was about the same time.
 
Kepler said:
As if the special training and facilities western players received didn't make them professionals too.

The last amateur American athlete was Bobby Jones. I assume the last Canuck was about the same time.
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Back when only amateurs were allowed? I completely disagree with this. Most American athletes had to hold down a job somewhere. The Soviets “jobs” were the military where their military “job” was to play sports.

There’s a reason why most western athletes rarely competed in more than two Olympics, if that. While eastern athletes just kept coming back.

And the best athletes which turned pro didn’t compete again, while the eastern athletes just kept coming back. Because they never needed to turn pro. They were already getting “paid” to play.
 
The only true amateur athletes that have ever existed were when sports were dominated by Upper Class Twits of the Year. Gentlemen Athletes didn't need financing because mater and pater were footing their bills. This lives on in the Ivies' supposed prohibition of "athletic" scholarships.

"Amateur" world class athletes have always received perks, and the holier than thou attitude that the West snooted up against the Soviets was hypocritical. Of course the Soviet players were pros. So were the West's. Because at that level, you have to be. It's no shame.
 
Kepler said:
The only true amateur athletes that have ever existed were when sports were dominated by Upper Class Twits of the Year. Gentlemen Athletes didn't need financing because mater and pater were footing their bills. This lives on in the Ivies' supposed prohibition of "athletic" scholarships.

"Amateur" world class athletes have always received perks, and the holier than thou attitude that the West snooted up against the Soviets was hypocritical. Of course the Soviet players were pros. So were the West's. Because at that level, you have to be. It's no shame.
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So would you prefer to back to the Upper Class Twit era, or are you OK with the new regime as long as people complain less about the Soviets (who haven't existed now for 30 years)?
 
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French Rage said:
So would you prefer to back to the Upper Class Twit era, or are you OK with the new regime as long as people complain less about the Soviets (who haven't existed now for 30 years)?
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I like it way more now (I want to make the Upper Class extinct and turn their estates into public parks). I just wish we'd cool it with the "yay me, boo you" nonsense.

If the horses had gods they would be horselike, we get it. The one human characteristic I would wipe out if I could is the incapacity to understand that everyone is equally full of sh-t, and that unchosen groupings are all granfaloons. Americans/Ferrners, Country Mice/City Mice -- we're nothing special; we have no innate moral standing. We're all just off brand apes who throw our sh-t a little less than the real thing.
 
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Kepler said:
The only true amateur athletes that have ever existed were when sports were dominated by Upper Class Twits of the Year. Gentlemen Athletes didn't need financing because mater and pater were footing their bills. This lives on in the Ivies' supposed prohibition of "athletic" scholarships.

"Amateur" world class athletes have always received perks, and the holier than thou attitude that the West snooted up against the Soviets was hypocritical. Of course the Soviet players were pros. So were the West's. Because at that level, you have to be. It's no shame.
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You are totally missing my point amongst semantic gymnastics.

in 1980 who were the best Canadian hockey players? Those in the NHL who were ineligible for the Olympics.

in 1980 who were the best Soviet hockey players? Those in the Olympics.

Same with boxing. Same with skiing. And all the other sports.

It was an uneven playing field. And that’s the point. Regardless of your diatribe.
 
Kepler said:
I like it way more now (I want to make the Upper Class extinct and turn their estates into public parks). I just wish we'd cool it with the "yay me, boo you" nonsense.

If the horses had gods they would be horselike, we get it. The one human characteristic I would wipe out if I could is the incapacity to understand that everyone is equally full of sh-t, and that unchosen groupings are all granfaloons. Americans/Ferrners, Country Mice/City Mice -- we're nothing special; we have no innate moral standing. We're all just off brand apes who throw our sh-t a little less than the real thing.
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I don't think it's as much about "yay me, boo you" nowadays as you paint it. Sure the TV networks will lean on that a bit, because they feel the need to have storylines (which is its own issues), but your average person I'd say is just as into great performances as they are into which country the person is from. I don't think, for example, anyone in the US rooted against Usain Bolt, even though he wasn't an American runner; they still appreciated that what he was doing was impressive. Beyond a personal interest in a sport, though, people are going to default to someone from their country, just to make it somewhat interesting; and the athlete is more likely than to be from their hometown or home state, which makes them slight more relatable and so that's a little more fun; but overall those are more just to give themselves some sort of personal interest in a sporting event they don't really watch at any other time over the 4 year span, rather than trying to prove some sort of genetic superiority.
 
Kepler said:
I like it way more now (I want to make the Upper Class extinct and turn their estates into public parks). I just wish we'd cool it with the "yay me, boo you" nonsense.
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That applies to every game but the teams you root for, right? There is no difference between homer calls for football or hockey than there is for the Olympics. So I’m not sure how you even that out.

Forgive me for assuming you don’t watch college hockey for the beauty of the game.
 
MichVandal said:
That applies to every game but the teams you root for, right? There is no difference between homer calls for football or hockey than there is for the Olympics. So I’m not sure how you even that out.

Forgive me for assuming you don’t watch college hockey for the beauty of the game.
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Not that sort of "yay, boo."

The sort that ascribes moral characteristics to teams or groups.

Root for the USA all you want, just don't think there's any difference ethically when it comes to high level athletics. It's all a racket.
 
Kepler said:
Not that sort of "yay, boo."

The sort that ascribes moral characteristics to teams or groups.

Root for the USA all you want, just don't think there's any difference ethically when it comes to high level athletics. It's all a racket.
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Sorry, but it’s exactly the same thing. You base your rooting on some association you choose to make. Especially the pro teams where there isn’t connection other than location.

it’s all a racket or none of it is.
 
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