Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Another outdoor game?



Oh, hello there. When Vic wasn’t looking, I pulled the plug on the jukebox. That’s what happens, Vic, when you give the night watchman the keys to the kingdom.

And, in a move that is not designed to rile Vic – but may do so, anyway – I am going to use basketball to make a point about hockey.

That’s because I think we have officially jumped the shark when it comes to these outdoor hockey games. When the Harlem Globetrotters swipe your idea and play their game outside on ice, then maybe it’s time to shelve outdoor hockey for a while.

The problem with outdoor hockey games is this: there are too many of them. The Winter Classic seems firmly fixed on Jan. 1. There are rumblings the NHL is considering adding a second outdoor game next season, something for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to televise, presumably involving two Canadian teams and most likely to be played on Hockey Day in Canada. If you missed Saturday’s outdoor college game at Camp Randall Stadium between Michigan and Wisconsin (scroll down for the video), Michigan and Michigan State will play outdoors Dec. 11 at Michigan Stadium, a reprise of their first outdoor meeting nine years ago (video above). In the American Hockey League, Binghamton will play outdoors at Syracuse on Feb. 20. Many NHL teams have outdoor practices.

Whoa, already. The novelty is gone. Over. Done.

There is no denying the Winter Classic has been a financial windfall for the league. If you liken the tenure of Commissioner Gary Bettman to a shootout, the Winter Classic has been that sharp wrister that never misses the five hole.

But how long before these outdoor extravaganzas turn into that fancy deke attempt that dribbles off your blade? At this rate, not much longer. Oh, yeah, it’s New Year’s Day and time for the outdoor hockey game. The Rose Bowl is on Jan. 1, too, and it used to be a big deal for a long time. Now, it is another televised moment, one that comes on shortly after the Outback Steakhouse Bowl concludes.

Give the fringe fan a reason to watch hockey being played outdoors. Make them want to see the game by doling it out in smaller amounts, maybe every other year if it must be played on New Year’s Day. This corner likes the idea of heading outside with the all-star game, a property that has been kicked hard to the curb by the rise of outdoor hockey.

The venues are also losing their lustre. The game has been played in a football stadium and on hallowed baseball grounds. What else is left? The cricket pitch?

Wait a minute, you could always bring the game indoors, you know, installing the ice over a basketball floor.

Oh, but who’d go see that?

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