Can we just accept hockey for what it is instead of trying to change every damn thing constantly?

[Nucker101]

Change is inevitable

 

[OtherThingsILike]

The only recent change that I dislike is the insertion of (mostly) left-wing politics into the game. If I wanted to hear about COVID or systemic racism or white privilege I'd flip to CNN. The whole reason I'm watching sports in the first place is to get away from that stuff. I think they alienate a lot of their viewers in doing this. I don't think Bob from Saskatoon tunes into the Habs/Leafs game to get lectured about his white privilege. Just leave it out of the game - there are plenty of other networks out there that are dedicated to covering those issues if people want to listen.

None of COVID, systemic racism, or white privilege are (inherently) political issues. Saying something like 'black people have been excluded from playing hockey due to them being bullied off of teams, and we have to work to change that' is not a political statement.

 

[rumrokh]

The only recent change that I dislike is the insertion of (mostly) left-wing politics into the game. If I wanted to hear about COVID or systemic racism or white privilege I'd flip to CNN. The whole reason I'm watching sports in the first place is to get away from that stuff. I think they alienate a lot of their viewers in doing this. I don't think Bob from Saskatoon tunes into the Habs/Leafs game to get lectured about his white privilege. Just leave it out of the game - there are plenty of other networks out there that are dedicated to covering those issues if people want to listen.

You're describing the broadcast, not the game.

 

[MikeyMike01]

Football has changed an insane amount of rules to protect people's heads.

NFL‘s gotten extremely dull over the last 10 years. Violence is extremely important in hockey/football. It’s unfortunate that it’s being removed.

If you want a boring, boring offense-only sport watch the NBA.

 

[Mathews28]

I can't imagine a sport that's constantly been changing as much as hockey has. Seems like every year people call for some form of change. Baseball isn't like this, and I don't think many sports are in general.

Let's take out predatory hits, let's take out fighting, let's take out headshots, let's bring in coach's challenges, let's start penalizing for bad coach's challenges, let's change how buyouts work, let's change how the cap is counted because Tampa is taking advantage, let's make the salary cap count on after tax income, let's make the ice bigger, let's change how powerplays work, let's change...

I grew up watching hockey in the 90s. Maybe it's nostalgia, but I found hockey much more enjoyable before we started trying to change every aspect about it. I remember all the concerned people complaining how hockey is too rough. Okay, so is the UFC, you don't have to watch it or partake in it. So we changed it and now gone are the series full of the small battles. Like Adam Foote chasing certain players whenever they were on the ice. Or when Detroit had the Maltby, McCarty, Draper line that would actually grind opponents down.

I don't know about others, I still like hockey but don't enjoy it nearly as much as I did before. It has gradually been becoming less interesting to me. Whereas I used to be a die-hard NHL fan before, now I am only a casual fan.

I think through the whole "grow the game" concept is BS and has done nothing but alienate the hardcore fans. Whereas something like UFC has grown by sticking to its roots.

I agree wirh some of this. One thing though. UFC? When MMA and all of that first was becoming popular
It was waaaaayyyyyy more savage than now. Now the ref jumps in quick. In the day, guys took multiple extra shots until it was very clear they weren’t coming back. Even UFC has moderated the violence. Why? To attract more attention, viewership, advertising revenue, PPV revenue. There’s a lot more people here that like moderate beatings than near death experience.

 

[jcs0218]

 

[LeProspector]

"I grew up watching hockey in the 90's"

Buddy you didn't have the brain capacity to care about things more than your toys or your friends at that age.

 

[Dough72]

neermind

 

[Zamknij kurwa ryj]

Sports evolve. This is the nature of progress.

Anybody arguing against taking out things like predatory hits and headshots completely dismissing the real-world consequences of CTE probably should hop in a time machine and go back to Rome so they can dabble in Gladiator bouts. Stuff like clamping down on staged fighting (I mean what is it with people's obsession of watching two guys fight like they're in a drunken barroom brawl) stops wasting everybody's time as well.

 

[Zamknij kurwa ryj]

NFL‘s gotten extremely dull over the last 10 years. Violence is extremely important in hockey/football. It’s unfortunate that it’s being removed.

If you want a boring, boring offense-only sport watch the NBA.

Violence is not "extremely important" in either sport. And honestly, if that's what you get/want out of a sport, it sounds like you're living some vicarious fantasy.

Plenty of big hits in both still. Just less targeting of the head.

 

[WaW]

If anything, hockey is changing slower than football, basketball, and soccer...and that's a bad thing.

Saying you want hockey to be more change resistant just like baseball might be the most "ok boomer" idea of all time.

 

[Number8]

When someone's go-to-complaint is that people are trying to reduce the risk that turn players' brains into mush then yikes.

No kidding.

Marc Savard, Pat LaFontaine, Eric Lindros, Rick Nash, Todd Ewen, Mark Rypien, Jeff Beukaboom, Mike Richter, Bob Probert, Wake Belak, Keith Primeau, Paul Kariya, Derek Boogarard.

Forgive my atrocious spelling but the League is littered with stars and warriors that paid the price with their brains.

How many concussions did we see this year? I saw at least four significant head injuries on the Bruins alone. Other fans of other teams have seen just as many, I’m sure.

It’s a problem.

 

[1989]

Whereas something like UFC has grown by sticking to its roots.

You're clearly younger than you let on, or never followed UFC in its early days.

The rest of the post is as much BS as the premise of the last sentence is.

Sports are nothing but an activity in which humans partake. Humans change, therefore everything they do changes too, in time.

 

[hobochangba]

I can't imagine a sport that's constantly been changing as much as hockey has. Seems like every year people call for some form of change. Baseball isn't like this, and I don't think many sports are in general.

Let's take out predatory hits, let's take out fighting, let's take out headshots, let's bring in coach's challenges, let's start penalizing for bad coach's challenges, let's change how buyouts work, let's change how the cap is counted because Tampa is taking advantage, let's make the salary cap count on after tax income, let's make the ice bigger, let's change how powerplays work, let's change...

I grew up watching hockey in the 90s. Maybe it's nostalgia, but I found hockey much more enjoyable before we started trying to change every aspect about it. I remember all the concerned people complaining how hockey is too rough. Okay, so is the UFC, you don't have to watch it or partake in it. So we changed it and now gone are the series full of the small battles. Like Adam Foote chasing certain players whenever they were on the ice. Or when Detroit had the Maltby, McCarty, Draper line that would actually grind opponents down.

I don't know about others, I still like hockey but don't enjoy it nearly as much as I did before. It has gradually been becoming less interesting to me. Whereas I used to be a die-hard NHL fan before, now I am only a casual fan.

I think through the whole "grow the game" concept is BS and has done nothing but alienate the hardcore fans. Whereas something like UFC has grown by sticking to its roots.

I do agree they are taking much of the physicality out of the game though thank god you still see it in the playoffs and for the most part they let them play. That part I miss, too since it's such an effective part of the game.

 

[SniperHF]

I'm sure I'm not the first to point this out, but MLB has been tweaking shit like crazy.

 

[D Wakaluk]

Just take out coaches challenge and I'm good to go for another 10 years.

Oh and maybe let goalies play the puck wherever.

What else? We COULD try calling the penalties like they should be called, I bet hockey could turn into a pretty damn nice thing at the top level. In the meantime I'll still watch these perimeter cycle, collapsing 5 man unit, one lucky bounce wins it all slugfests. Hockey just could be so much more

and get rid of Edzo

gah

 

[MessierII]

Ironically the 90’s was arguably the era that featured the most sweeping changes.

 

[Furio]

I can't imagine a sport that's constantly been changing as much as hockey has. Seems like every year people call for some form of change. Baseball isn't like this, and I don't think many sports are in general.

Let's take out predatory hits, let's take out fighting, let's take out headshots, let's bring in coach's challenges, let's start penalizing for bad coach's challenges, let's change how buyouts work, let's change how the cap is counted because Tampa is taking advantage, let's make the salary cap count on after tax income, let's make the ice bigger, let's change how powerplays work, let's change...

I grew up watching hockey in the 90s. Maybe it's nostalgia, but I found hockey much more enjoyable before we started trying to change every aspect about it. I remember all the concerned people complaining how hockey is too rough. Okay, so is the UFC, you don't have to watch it or partake in it. So we changed it and now gone are the series full of the small battles. Like Adam Foote chasing certain players whenever they were on the ice. Or when Detroit had the Maltby, McCarty, Draper line that would actually grind opponents down.

I don't know about others, I still like hockey but don't enjoy it nearly as much as I did before. It has gradually been becoming less interesting to me. Whereas I used to be a die-hard NHL fan before, now I am only a casual fan.

I think through the whole "grow the game" concept is BS and has done nothing but alienate the hardcore fans. Whereas something like UFC has grown by sticking to its roots.

Then go watch the ECW, tough guy.

 

[Rapsfan]

Hockey should not be based on tradition/history. At one point the old generation will disappear and those fans will be gone. Change is inevitible. Look at basketball. It's gone through the MOST changes of any sport. That's why it's so popular because of all the changes made to modernize its popularity. Marketing, protecting star players, play-ins, etc.

 

[AnInjuredJasonZucker]

Goalies shouldn't be allowed to drop to the ice, and forward passing should be outlawed again.

Regress into a new golden age of hockey!

 

[OtherThingsILike]

NFL‘s gotten extremely dull over the last 10 years. Violence is extremely important in hockey/football. It’s unfortunate that it’s being removed.

If you want a boring, boring offense-only sport watch the NBA.

It's entirely possible to play defense without using violence, and it's entirely possible to engage in physicality without violence, unless you're the type who defines all physicality as violence.

Furthermore, offense is a good thing in hockey, or any similar type of sport, and therefore can never be boring.

 

[Grifter3511]

I can't imagine a sport that's constantly been changing as much as hockey has. Seems like every year people call for some form of change. Baseball isn't like this, and I don't think many sports are in general.

Let's take out predatory hits, let's take out fighting, let's take out headshots, let's bring in coach's challenges, let's start penalizing for bad coach's challenges, let's change how buyouts work, let's change how the cap is counted because Tampa is taking advantage, let's make the salary cap count on after tax income, let's make the ice bigger, let's change how powerplays work, let's change...

I grew up watching hockey in the 90s. Maybe it's nostalgia, but I found hockey much more enjoyable before we started trying to change every aspect about it. I remember all the concerned people complaining how hockey is too rough. Okay, so is the UFC, you don't have to watch it or partake in it. So we changed it and now gone are the series full of the small battles. Like Adam Foote chasing certain players whenever they were on the ice. Or when Detroit had the Maltby, McCarty, Draper line that would actually grind opponents down.

I don't know about others, I still like hockey but don't enjoy it nearly as much as I did before. It has gradually been becoming less interesting to me. Whereas I used to be a die-hard NHL fan before, now I am only a casual fan.

I think through the whole "grow the game" concept is BS and has done nothing but alienate the hardcore fans. Whereas something like UFC has grown by sticking to its roots.

In the 90s you talked to your friends about hockey, you watched hilights and you read the paper. The actual 'voices' you heard from between friends and local paper and TV was probably 20-30?

Now its 2021 and you have the internet, message boards, access to online publications of every paper available, etc etc etc. The amount of voices you are now listening to has grown exponentially, as has the amount of topics and opinions around the game itself.

Stay off social media and you will not hear 90-95% of the stuff you are not wanting to hear.

 

[LeProspector]

In the 90s you talked to your friends about hockey, you watched hilights and you read the paper. The actual 'voices' you heard from between friends and local paper and TV was probably 20-30?

Now its 2021 and you have the internet, message boards, access to online publications of every paper available, etc etc etc. The amount of voices you are now listening to has grown exponentially, as has the amount of topics and opinions around the game itself.

Stay off social media and you will not hear 90-95% of the stuff you are not wanting to hear.

Wow! A logical, thought out response on HF. Never thought i'd see the day.

 

[William Hylander]

Just call the damn penalties that happen. None of this sacred playoff hockey bs. Just call it if its a penalty.

Thats the only change I want but crooked NHL would never allow the game to flow like it should. More benefits to rig outcomes via refs.

 

[pabst blue ribbon]

By what logic has the UFC stuck to its roots but the NHL hasn't?