James Tanner: International Tournaments Are Outdated, Unnecessary and Only About Greed Why I have zero interest in the Olympics or the World Cup.

for once, I completely agree with you.

Holy crap, aside from our apparent age difference (the Cold War was alive and well in my youth) and your affinity for Bob Seger, I agree with you.

Holy crap, aside from our apparent age difference (the Cold War was alive and well in my youth) and your affinity for Bob Seger, I agree with you.
- Scoob

Sweet. Wasn't really expecting anyone to. I am going to turn 34 next month, by the way.

We are glad Torontonians feel they have more in common with prople from New York than they do with people from other parts of Canada. in my experience most people I meet from New York are arrogant, rude and think the world revolves around them so that fits the bill.
I know you're just trying to stir the pot, but if the players buy in then this could be great hockey to watch. Once the weaker competition has been weeded out of the last couple of Winter Olympics the hockey was great to watch. The North American young stars team and a team Europe are kinda weird, but you're telling me if there's a Canada vs USA or Canada vs Russia final, you're not going to watch?

You really need to stop posting total not nonsense, your just coming across as an idiot. No international hockey!?!? Honestly almost as dumb as when you said the oilers were the best team in the salary cap era. International hockey is amazing, show some pride in your country you unpatriotic turd. The more hockey the better for the fans, and don't give me this "they make too much money" null. They're professional athletes who dedicated their entire lives to what they do, sacrificing more then their fair share along the way. They may be overpaid but we're the ones who spend to see them and wear their jerseys, and this isn't a site to complain about poverty in our country, it's a hockey website. International hockey is a great thing, and it brings countries together like only international competition can.

Having some of the best hockey players in the world play against each other and trying to get the target audience emotionally involved sucks because it's all about making money.....

Kind of sounds like any professional sports league to me. Pitching your allegiance to a country, professional team, particular player....who cares. It's all a business to provide entertainment to a market of viewers.

At least the players are actually interested and play with intensity. It's not like the all-star game. Watch it if it interests you, don't if it doesn't.

Well done sir.

I like international hockey, but understand why some don't. It's the only time I get to cheer for a winning team.

There should only be one international tournament and it should be the Olympics.

When it comes to this world cup, the NHL pretty much agrees with James that there is no country rivalries.

Why?

Cause they have a young stars team and a best-of-the-rest-of-the-world team.

This world cup has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. An international tournament, where two teams don't have national anthems.

I will watch cause I'm a hockey junkie and I like watching the best players in the world. But to say I'm going to cheer for anyone in particular? Doubt it.

If anything, I'll probably cheer for all the misfits on the best-of-the-rest-team.

Plus, I think my head will explode if I have to cheer for Cindy more than once every four years.

If you are going to inject the Box Tops into the blog, wouldn't the logical Replacements song to pair with them be Alex Chilton?

My personal thoughts...whether its international or not...done for greed or done for the personal satisfaction of Vladimir Putin

Hockey > No Hockey

We are glad Torontonians feel they have more in common with prople from New York than they do with people from other parts of Canada. in my experience most people I meet from New York are arrogant, rude and think the world revolves around them so that fits the bill.
I know you're just trying to stir the pot, but if the players buy in then this could be great hockey to watch. Once the weaker competition has been weeded out of the last couple of Winter Olympics the hockey was great to watch. The North American young stars team and a team Europe are kinda weird, but you're telling me if there's a Canada vs USA or Canada vs Russia final, you're not going to watch?
- iknowbest

I am guessing the irony of that sentence is lost on you. And no, I am not trying to "stir the pot," but rather I am expressing my real feelings. I find it incredibly offensive that people think that anyone who doesn't follow the conventional brainwashed idiocy of the status quo is only "trying to get a reaction."

Fact is, thinking for yourself is a very important trait. Having a platform to express those thoughts is a blessing and I'm glad I have it. But how people will react could not have any less to do with my motivations.

Can't disagree more. What's wrong with having pride in Canada being the best at hockey? I love that we're the best. It's our sport and I like proving it year after year.

Who cares if people are making money off of it?

On the contrary, International hockey is more relevant now that in decades. Canada, Russia, US, Sweeden, Finland, Czech are all putting out great NHL'ers and it can be a toss up any time out. I think it makes it more exciting and you know each and every player in the league loves representing their country. It is good for the game.

You really need to stop posting total not nonsense, your just coming across as an idiot. No international hockey!?!? Honestly almost as dumb as when you said the oilers were the best team in the salary cap era. International hockey is amazing, show some pride in your country you unpatriotic turd. The more hockey the better for the fans, and don't give me this "they make too much money" null. They're professional athletes who dedicated their entire lives to what they do, sacrificing more then their fair share along the way. They may be overpaid but we're the ones who spend to see them and wear their jerseys, and this isn't a site to complain about poverty in our country, it's a hockey website. International hockey is a great thing, and it brings countries together like only international competition can.
- Turchet

I don't really care about spelling and syntax errors, but if you're going to call someone an idiot, at least proof read the sentence where you do so.

Also, just because you disagree with me doesn't make me an idiot - you clearly can't express yourself as well as I can - and you know it - so instead of lashing out, why not ask yourself "this clearly educated guy thinks different than I do, is there something at all to what he is saying?"

Because I could be wrong. I could be an ass. I could be misguided, under the influence or brainwashed - there could be many reasons why I might not be correct here, but none of them are that I am an idiot.

As for being an "unpatriotic turd" I take pride in the fact that I am not patriotic in any way, shape or form. I think patriotism is a drug used to get people to do horrible things. I see absolutely no good things about patriotism and would be embarrassed to be seen as such.

Also, it is not the players making money I have a problem with - though they have enough of it and these tournaments should be 100% charitable. I actually agree with you that, in general, players are underpaid.

And this is definitely a site to bring up politics and poverty - to pretend that those things don't permeate everything we do, say or think is incredibly naive. Sorry if you don't like it, but that's just the way it is.

If you are going to inject the Box Tops into the blog, wouldn't the logical Replacements song to pair with them be Alex Chilton?
- NewToHockey

Thought about it, seemed a little obvious.

On the contrary, International hockey is more relevant now that in decades. Canada, Russia, US, Sweeden, Finland, Czech are all putting out great NHL'ers and it can be a toss up any time out. I think it makes it more exciting and you know each and every player in the league loves representing their country. It is good for the game.
- MacPatty

Everything else aside, if you think it can be a toss up every time, you're kidding yourself. The rest of the world could ice the best team possible and Canada's second best team would still probably be better.

Everything else aside, if you think it can be a toss up every time, you're kidding yourself. The rest of the world could ice the best team possible and Canada's second best team would still probably be better.
- James_Tanner

there is a long stretch of time at least on the Olympic side being from 1952 to 2002 where i would disagree with you.. certainly the last two though i can't disagree

James - I'm interested in how you would rationalize being a fan of the Leafs where the only constant is their geographic location within Toronto vs being a fan of team Canada (any sport).

Make Tanner James Again!

James - I'm interested in how you would rationalize being a fan of the Leafs where the only constant is their geographic location within Toronto vs being a fan of team Canada (any sport).
- magmoo

It's easy. I just pretend that I am cheering for something other than a convenient geological location and a uniform. Don't think about it too much and it's fine.

Everything else aside, if you think it can be a toss up every time, you're kidding yourself. The rest of the world could ice the best team possible and Canada's second best team would still probably be better.
- James_Tanner

Obviously we're the best, but we don't win every year. It's still worthwhile to enjoy the games, watch some unreal hockey, and show some national pride.

'98 - Didn't medal.

'02 - Gold

06' - Didn't medal.

'10 - Gold. (barely eked out the win over the US; game for the ages)

'14 - Gold, destroyed everyone.

Make Tanner James Again!
- AdamFrench