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All-Star Weekend

Sucker Punch said:
Any of you guys own an All-Star game jersey?

As a Sens fan, I can't imagine any All-Star Game in my lifetime being more special for me than this.  What with it being in Ottawa, Alfie and Chara as captains, 4 Sens represented, etc.  Yet I still feel no compulsion to get an ASG sweater.

I see a ton of people on tv wearing them.  Are they all freebies?  Who are these people buying jerseys that will be out of date by Sunday morning?
Click to expand...

I doubt they are free - I think Deebo nailed it.
It is awesome having this in my city though, it's All-Star Game mania here. I'll take some more pictures tomorrow when I'm down there.
 
Watching some of the TSN media day coverage... Suter just announced he's not re-signing with the Preds. I'm sure this will be all over the internet soon.

Edit: Real_ESPNLeBrun Pierre LeBrun
Ryan Suter just said during his media availability that he doesn't think he'll sign before trade deadline... Feel it would be distraction..
 
Corn Flake said:
I don't fault Sens fans for booing, but Lupul getting more boos than Chara was hilarious and typical Ottawa.
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Why on Earth would we boo Chara?  On top of that, why should be boo a beloved ex-player more than someone who plays on a rival team?  I heard a spattering of boos for him when he was announced, and thought that was shameful.  Luckily, he was getting plenty more cheers than boos.

Do you hate every ex-Leaf or something?  Should we have booed Hossa too?
 
Sucker Punch said:
Corn Flake said:
I don't fault Sens fans for booing, but Lupul getting more boos than Chara was hilarious and typical Ottawa.
Click to expand...

Why on Earth would we boo Chara?  On top of that, why should be boo a beloved ex-player more than someone who plays on a rival team?  I heard a spattering of boos for him when he was announced, and thought that was shameful.  Luckily, he was getting plenty more cheers than boos.

Do you hate every ex-Leaf or something?  Should we have booed Hossa too?
Click to expand...

Do you boo Heat Lee?
 
Sucker Punch said:
Corn Flake said:
I don't fault Sens fans for booing, but Lupul getting more boos than Chara was hilarious and typical Ottawa.
Click to expand...

Why on Earth would we boo Chara?  On top of that, why should be boo a beloved ex-player more than someone who plays on a rival team?  I heard a spattering of boos for him when he was announced, and thought that was shameful.  Luckily, he was getting plenty more cheers than boos.

Do you hate every ex-Leaf or something?  Should we have booed Hossa too?
Click to expand...
No but as a Raptor fan I boo every ex-Raptor. Don't ask why.
 
Listened to Bobby Holik's podcast, and he made a suggestion that I kinda like.

He said in order to encourage players to attend, they should put the all-star game in a desirable destination, and tweak it so the players attending can have more of a rest.  For example, have it in Las Vegas, and stretch it out an extra day so that the players have a day where they can pretty much do whatever they want.  As it is, they've gotten come up to Ottawa in the middle of winter, and they have a strict schedule to follow pretty much all day, every day from Thursday through Sunday.

Basically allow the players to get a bit of a rest while attending the All-Star festivities at the same time.  Make it more of a vacation for them.  Wouldn't make the game more intriguing, but may convince a couple players to attend that would otherwise just want the time off.
 
Sounds like a good suggestion. It's the same for the architects' association annual conference. Lots of cool content, but people are bored of going to Toronto every 2nd year (held elsewhere in Ontario on  alternating years.) For years they've been making suggestions to hold it somewhere more interesting like Vegas or Montreal or Cuba. Then they can bring their spouses or families and make a short vacation out of it.
 
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
Cox's 2 most recent columns, one on the ASG returning to the hockey heartland and the other on the Sid/Ovie rivalry era being
over, are worth a read.

As for the rivalry, I think it's a mistake for hockey to try to market itself on the basis of individuals.  The injury to Crosby and Overchkin's decline are big red flags as to why.  And, I truly think, hockey fans are different from fans of sports like basketball and football, where flamboyant players are always the center of attention.  Hockey fans in general appreciate the team play and knowledgeable fans really delve into the finer points.  And there is a refreshing culture of humility built into hockey that really appeals to people like me who are sick to death of hype in all walks of life.
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You have a good point, but, in the United States and even in Europe, sport is often sold on the basis of both the superstar(s) and the sport.  More so in America, where the superstar(s)  sells the game.  The U.S. has always been a country where publicity and personality go together.  In Europe, soccer works in much the  same way, although, more so from the standpoint of the sport itself.

That is why it was so important and vital to the game itself that the Crosby/Ovechkin rivalry flourished for the time that it did.  Not since the time of the Wayne Gretzky era have we seen another very talented individual (Crosby) set a name for himself (and subsequently) the sport of hockey both in the U.S. and  abroad (Olympics); and, Alex Ovechkin's at times 'controversial' and unorthodox demeanor gain attention not unnoticed amongst U.S. fans of the game, at least.

While true that hockey remains at the bottom in terms of the "Big Four" sports south of the border -- Footbal (NFL), basketball (NBA), baseball (MLB)  and hockey (NHL), here in Canada, it being "our game", there is a monumental difference between attitudes when compared to the rest of the world for that matter. 
 
I'm surprised neither Stamkos or Kessel are in the hardest shot competition.
check this out:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2BxPBqcuhU[/youtube]
 
There were some kinda strange choices for some of the challenges.

Alfie and Spezza doing hardest shot jumped out at me.  Both are known more for accurate wrist shots, rather than fast slap shots.  It's really gonna be a two horse race between Chara and Weber.
 
Chazz-Micheal Liles said:
Sucker Punch said:
Corn Flake said:
I don't fault Sens fans for booing, but Lupul getting more boos than Chara was hilarious and typical Ottawa.
Click to expand...

Why on Earth would we boo Chara?  On top of that, why should be boo a beloved ex-player more than someone who plays on a rival team?  I heard a spattering of boos for him when he was announced, and thought that was shameful.  Luckily, he was getting plenty more cheers than boos.

Do you hate every ex-Leaf or something?  Should we have booed Hossa too?
Click to expand...

Do you boo Heat Lee?
Click to expand...

or Wade Redden?
 
Sucker Punch said:
Carey Price is cracking me up.

EDIT: And thank God, because the shooters are just awful.
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Yeah, I hate to say it, but Price appears a lot less douchey than I imagined. Funny guy.
 
Bullfrog said:
I'm surprised neither Stamkos or Kessel are in the hardest shot competition.
check this out:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2BxPBqcuhU[/youtube]
Click to expand...

Where the heck did that slap shot come from?
 
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