Wisconsin 2020 Off-season thread - Serenity Now!

[sunprairie]

I think it is fair to say, this hockey season will be cancelled. I just don't see any winter sports happening. Never expected this back in March.....

I tend to agree. If they can't justify doing this outdoors, I don't know how they can do so for indoors sports that literally start just a couple weeks after football was supposed to. If that's the case, I assume Cole will bolt in the face of essentially missing an entire year of development, which was his reason to come back. He likely wouldn't be the only one, either, if others have options in pro leagues that might forge ahead. I honestly don't know how any of the players who have any pro ambitions would stay if they have an opportunity to play hockey somewhere else. At this level, a year off is unthinkable to career development and progression.

 

[Timothy A]

I assume Cole will bolt in the face of essentially missing an entire year of development, which was his reason to come back. He likely wouldn't be the only one, either, if others have options in pro leagues that might forge ahead.

Are there pro leagues that will be playing in the US? He can't get into Canada if they extend the border closure past 8/21, unless there is a work loophole. But yeah, playing in Finland is better than not playing here.

 

[sunprairie]

Are there pro leagues that will be playing in the US? He can't get into Canada if they extend the border closure past 8/21, unless there is a work loophole. But yeah, playing in Finland is better than not playing here.

I don't know for sure, but all the minor leagues have been making signing announcements for weeks, and I assume that even if they don't compete or have limited seasons, there will be more formal training, prep, etc. and potential for some kind of higher-level competition than it seems like we will be getting from college hockey. On the maneuvering to get into Canada, that shouldn't be too hard. While the Canadians didn't let the Blue Jays play in Toronto to prevent teams coming in and out, they had no problem welcoming 22 largely US teams to come play hockey in the bubble.

Either way, for any kid with legitimate pro aspirations in hockey within the next couple years, I just don't know how they would hang onto an amateur team whose season has been canceled and lose a year of high-level development. I saw a video on Instagram of Lebedeff taking the ice tonight for his new pro team in Finland (with fans in the stands, no less, because Finland actually dealt with COVID like adults). Regardless of the politics at UW around the goalie position, he clearly made the right decision to stay home and play pro. I also noticed that Weissbach is still posting IG photos in Sweden, not Madison where much of the rest of the team is already doing offseason workouts. I wonder if he's holding out to make the same kind of decision to just stay home and play in Europe.

 

[MadCityRich]

Anybody watching the NHL? Awesome as usual. I can't get enough.

Just curious, anybody else watching...

1. NHL?
2. PGA or LPGA?
3. Neckcar, F-1, Indy, WEC, or IMSA?
4. MLB?
5. NBA?
6. MLS or other "Futbol"?

--------------------------------
ME...
1. LOTS of it.
2. A little PGA (Depends who playing in the LPGA)
3. No neckcar, but the others.
4. NOPE
5. NOPE
6. NOPE

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

None of it. I just can’t be bothered at the moment.

Our whiny petulant population (or at least the 40% of which couldn’t be bothered to change a single behavior to help make this nightmare any better) don’t deserve the half-assed sports we have left.

 

[Timothy A]

Anybody watching the NHL? Awesome as usual. I can't get enough.

Just curious, anybody else watching...

1. NHL?
2. PGA or LPGA?
3. Neckcar, F-1, Indy, WEC, or IMSA?
4. MLB?
5. NBA?
6. MLS or other "Futbol"?

--------------------------------
ME...
1. LOTS of it.
2. A little PGA (Depends who playing in the LPGA)
3. No neckcar, but the others.
4. NOPE
5. NOPE
6. NOPE

1. I'm getting back into the swing of hockey. My daughter is obsessed with the Polish Prince, so she told me he was on when I got home from work yesterday. I was talking to the wife so I didn't put it on right away, but she turned it on for me. What a great daughter.
2. No. I thought it was crazy that the golf groups were shut down for as long as they were. Golfing is naturally covid friendly. They could have made hay when the other sports were shut down.
3. I'm an Indy and F1 guy, so I am watching like usual. I even went to Elkhart Lake Saturday for the Indy gig. I do watch a little neckar as filler in the backround. I'm a Penske guy, so I root for them and the rest of the Fords.
4. Watching a little Brewers, but again as backround. I don't sit and watch baseball at home and hang on every pitch.
5./6. Nope. No interest at all.

 

[gwhinwi]

Anybody watching the NHL? Awesome as usual. I can't get enough.

Just curious, anybody else watching...

1. NHL?
2. PGA or LPGA?
3. Neckcar, F-1, Indy, WEC, or IMSA?
4. MLB?
5. NBA?
6. MLS or other "Futbol"?

--------------------------------

I have been watching the Islanders games and not too much else.

Baseball is such a mess and the fact that some teams will play less games than others really has destroyed a lot of my interest in it due to the fact that the seasons are just not equal.

I totally get what EODS is saying though. It all feels so strange and we know that they're not playing for the fans, they're playing to cover their TV contracts.

 

[MadCityRich]

None of it. I just can’t be bothered at the moment.

Our whiny petulant population (or at least the 40% of which couldn’t be bothered to change a single behavior to help make this nightmare any better) don’t deserve the half-assed sports we have left.

I've got to take you out for a couple of shots & beers. Perfect medicine.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

You know, I’ve been taking more steps to improve my mental health and sense of optimism and good humor as of late.

But it’s hard to keep the pessimism at bay.

In theory, I should be more supportive of the sports leagues: they took action in March when literally no one else was willing to take the lead. Yet my heart just isn’t in it.

 

[MadCityRich]

You know, I’ve been taking more steps to improve my mental health and sense of optimism and good humor as of late.

But it’s hard to keep the pessimism at bay.

In theory, I should be more supportive of the sports leagues: they took action in March when literally no one else was willing to take the lead. Yet my heart just isn’t in it.

Just checking up on you.....everything good? Do you live near Madison?

If so, I'm serious about buying you a pint or 2. My head is spinning, but not so much about Covid19, mostly the physical destruction of cities, regardless of my political views.

 

[Timothy A]

Reads like all the lads are on campus and working in small groups. What a season will look like is another thing. It was mentioned that perhaps pods where they could play a bunch of games at one time over a short period was an idea. Madison has at least 3 rinks that would have the goods to run some games but Madison was not mentioned as an option for some crazy reason.

 

[gwhinwi]

Reads like all the lads are on campus and working in small groups. What a season will look like is another thing. It was mentioned that perhaps pods where they could play a bunch of games at one time over a short period was an idea. Madison has at least 3 rinks that would have the goods to run some games but Madison was not mentioned as an option for some crazy reason.

God this forum sucks... Had a response all typed up and it wiped it out...

Anyway, my youngest is about to start play for a U14 girls team in the area and, due to the Dane County restrictions, it looks like they won't be able to play any home games for quite a while and will be forced to play outside of the county until COVID clears.

If they're not letting local kids play at the Dane County rinks, I can't imagine that they would let 18-22 year olds from other states come in to play here.

 

[MadCityRich]

Im glued to TV for the NHL, BUT Im afraid Madistan and the Dane Republic will block hockey (and all others) inside the steel curtain until next year. If Covid19 is still ganging around in a year, then what?
Im not optimistic NOR enthusiastic in the least for a Badger hockey season.

 

[Timothy A]

Im glued to TV for the NHL, BUT Im afraid Madistan and the Dane Republic will block hockey (and all others) inside the steel curtain until next year. If Covid19 is still ganging around in a year, then what?
Im not optimistic NOR enthusiastic in the least for a Badger hockey season.

I'm finally getting into the swing of hockey on TV. Did you take the Av's elimination hard? I really don't like the Stars for various reasons, but I will always support Pav's quest for the cup, and any other Badger's.

2 week pause with the UW C19 crackdown. I really think UW should have been restrictive like this from the get go, then eased. I guess no matter how we individually feel about this C19 thing, we just need to do whatever it takes to supress it to an "acceptable" level or it will go on what feels like forever.

 

[WiscTJK]

Hockey practice paused for 2 weeks due to covid. No way there is a season....

https://madison.com/wsj/sports/coll...tent=7f9900377101d248c4b36fa436a8d8c325175fcc

 

[sunprairie]

Hockey practice paused for 2 weeks due to covid. No way there is a season....

https://madison.com/wsj/sports/coll...tent=7f9900377101d248c4b36fa436a8d8c325175fcc

Also received an email from the Women's team saying that along with the announcement that all college hockey seasons will be delayed, when they announce a season they will not be honoring any season tickets. Basically if they have fans, it will be a significantly limited crowd (if any), and if they do allow any fans, they will only be sold on a single game status. I personally don't think they'll have any fans beyond family, if that.

Of course the email helpfully suggested that we donate our season ticket payment (that they had no problem collecting last month) to The Badger Legacy fund.

 

[gwhinwi]

Of course the email helpfully suggested that we donate our season ticket payment (that they had no problem collecting last month) to The Badger Legacy fund.

The grift that is college sports keeps on giving (in these troubling times.)

 

[MadCityRich]

I'm finally getting into the swing of hockey on TV. Did you take the Av's elimination hard? I really don't like the Stars for various reasons, but I will always support Pav's quest for the cup, and any other Badger's.

2 week pause with the UW C19 crackdown. I really think UW should have been restrictive like this from the get go, then eased. I guess no matter how we individually feel about this C19 thing, we just need to do whatever it takes to supress it to an "acceptable" level or it will go on what feels like forever.

Yep, I did. Very similar to past Packer teams and Badger teams getting punted early. Considering the Avs were down to their #3 tendie, and were without a few players, I still thought they'd beat the Stars. I always pull for individual former Badgers, but it depends on the team they're on how supportive I am. Never been a Stars fan except when they were the "Bloomington" North Stars. Classic uni's.

As I expected AND predicted last week, Madistan and the Peoples Republic of Dane have shut everything down. Ive never been so uninterested in the NFL AND college hockey in my life. For 2 different reasons.

Once the Stanley Cup is decided, I can't wait for Dec 1 when the NHL 2020-2021 begins.

 

[druzy192]

As I expected AND predicted last week, Madistan and the Peoples Republic of Dane have shut everything down.

You know this is a hockey thread right? Not a political thread?

You do also understand that the University of Wisconsin Badgers are based in Madison right?

 

[Timothy A]

You know this is a hockey thread right? Not a political thread?
You do also understand that the University of Wisconsin Badgers are based in Madison right?

Those of us familiar with MCR know he likes to toss this perception out there from time to time. It's been a running joke on the board for years. "Madistan" is a new wrinkle that got a literal LOL out of me. I find it amusing and look at it not as being political but as a wise-crack a guy would make with his buddies over a brew at a pub or around the campfire after slaying the smallies all day after chowing a medium rare nicely marbled ribeye for supper. I will throw 2 famous quotes out there...."R-E-L-A-X" and "And uh, I mean, please, we can, we can get along here. We all can get along."

Gophers suck. I guess the time WAY back when I suggested we drop a nuke on Rodentapolis would have saved us a lot of BS now, eh? But they reproduce quickly and 13 years later this may not have been prevented. Plus I was concerned about the fallout blowing west to WI. Oh those were the days back then. UW was good and people weren't so supermegainsanelycrazyhypersensitive like these days. This is not specifically directed as you druzy192, just an observation on society in general that your reaction spawned into my head.

On Wisconsin!