- EnzoD

Yessir!!

Yessir!!
- 35Tony0

If the NFL zebras keep calling “head contact” or “unsportsmanlike” on any hard hit, people will stop watching in even greater numbers. Fantasy football is one of the main reasons the NFL is still so successful. An NFL game
is 75% commercials/halftime show and game clock running down between snaps....

If the NFL zebras keep calling “head contact” or “unsportsmanlike” on any hard hit, people will stop watching in even greater numbers. Fantasy football is one of the main reasons the NFL is still so successful. An NFL game
is 75% commercials/halftime show and game clock running down between snaps....
- EnzoD

Worse.

The WSJ calculated (in 2010) that an average 3:12 football game has about 11 minutes of game action.

Even baseball has more action: almost 18 minutes in a 2:56 game.

Worse.

The WSJ calculated (in 2010) that an average 3:12 football game has about 11 minutes of game action.

Even baseball has more action: almost 18 minutes in a 2:56 game.
- StLBravesFan

What is time of action for hockey ? Just wondering?

What is time of action for hockey ? Just wondering?
- Scott1977

60 minutes

60 minutes
- EnzoD

And basketball has 48 minutes (actually more, I guess, if you count free throw time).

Hockey also has the second highest percentage of in-play action to total elapsed time of a game - 60 minutes of about 2:19 of clock time. Soccer had a higher percentage (57.6 minutes out of 1:55).

- EnzoD

That's only because Ohio is having issues! Go Blue! ''

Maybe this year "The Game" will mean something!

Well, with the Cubs being the toast of the town, and the White Sox, the Bears, and maybe even the Bulls back on the upswing, looks like the BLACKHAWKS are going to return to the bottom of the pile regarding relevance in Chicago sports.
Regarding each team’s general manager, looks like Stan Bowman could easily be voted the worst in the city. Most experts say BLACKHAWKS dont even reach 80 points this year Or for that matter, will probably be a bottom feeder for the next several years. Nice going Stan!

Well, with the Cubs being the toast of the town, and the White Sox, the Bears, and maybe even the Bulls back on the upswing, looks like the BLACKHAWKS are going to return to the bottom of the pile regarding relevance in Chicago sports.
Regarding each team’s general manager, looks like Stan Bowman could easily be voted the worst in the city. Most experts say BLACKHAWKS dont even reach 80 points this year Or for that matter, will probably be a bottom feeder for the next several years. Nice going Stan!
- wonthecup10

Hawks got 3 cups in a 10 year span be happy with that. Don't get me started on Bowman, we all know he is not a top tier gm his cons outweigh his pros. So my question is if the hawks do finish in the bottom of the league does Rocky have the stones after the year to clean house from Mcdoungh down? Because the roster right now as comprised is not a playoff team, not even close IMO. A lot of things would have to right for the hawks just to get in and some would argue that just get in and anything could happen, but honestly does anyone on this panel really believe this is a playoff team

Hawks got 3 cups in a 10 year span be happy with that. Don't get me started on Bowman, we all know he is not a top tier gm his cons outweigh his pros. So my question is if the hawks do finish in the bottom of the league does Rocky have the stones after the year to clean house from Mcdoungh down? Because the roster right now as comprised is not a playoff team, not even close IMO. A lot of things would have to right for the hawks just to get in and some would argue that just get in and anything could happen, but honestly does anyone on this panel really believe this is a playoff team
- Scott1977

We do?

We do?
- Ogilthorpe2

Seconded. Montreal, the N.Y. Yankees of the NHL hasn't won the Cup since the early 90's, if memory serves.
Calling Scotty Bowman a bad GM seems almost entirely like a "yeah, but what have you done for me lately" whine.

If the NFL zebras keep calling “head contact” or “unsportsmanlike” on any hard hit, people will stop watching in even greater numbers. Fantasy football is one of the main reasons the NFL is still so successful. An NFL game
is 75% commercials/halftime show and game clock running down between snaps....
- EnzoD

That's why I DVR it, and start watching an hour after the game starts Fast forward thru commercials, can back up and focus on a particular player I want to rewatch, and still finish game within 5 mins of actual finish.

If it goes to OT, I have to watch it live, but, they aren't showing as many commercials in OT.

Seconded. Montreal, the N.Y. Yankees of the NHL hasn't won the Cup since the early 90's, if memory serves.
Calling Scotty Bowman a bad GM seems almost entirely like a "yeah, but what have you done for me lately" whine.
- 35Tony0

Stan was the right GM for the team after 2010 - taking a core with diminished depth and retooling them for two more Cups in 2013 and 2015.

I give him full credit for that - and not complete blame for the distinction of the past couple of years - much (but probably not all) was an unavoidable result of needing to reward two or three time Cup winning players in a hard cap league. Not every GM can do what he did to bring two additional Cups to this town - even tho the “core” was mostly in place when he became GM, it certanly wasn’t a Cup contender after the Phoenix disaster in 2012. He retooled it into one.

Now we will see (over the next couple of years, whether Stan is here or not) whether he can do the job of a more complete rebuild with an aging (and deteriorating) core - a much different task than the one he faced after 2010.

Good GM? Yes, for the situation that existed seven years ago - we will see for the situation that exists today.

We do?
- Ogilthorpe2

It's common knowledge that the three recent Cup can all be 100% attributed to Dale Talon. Since then what has Stan done? Drafted nothing but Euro-smurfs and college kids who can't make the jump to the NHL. He's traded away players too late (Sharp/Leddy) or signed them too soon (Anisimov). He overpays for players and hands out NTCs and NMCs like they're candy. These overpayments have lead to including our best young talent (Johns, Leddy, Teravainen, Hinostroza) as sweeteners in salary cap dumps. Stan's traded away all the Hawks drop draft picks (not that he can draft well anyway) and has left the team's prospect pool totally baron. The only move that could be perceived as positive was signing Panarin, but that was all due to Scotty Bowman's influence. Regardless, he screwed that up with the worse trade in Blackhawks history by moving him to Columbus for Saad.

Well, with the Cubs being the toast of the town, and the White Sox, the Bears, and maybe even the Bulls back on the upswing, looks like the BLACKHAWKS are going to return to the bottom of the pile regarding relevance in Chicago sports.
Regarding each team’s general manager, looks like Stan Bowman could easily be voted the worst in the city. Most experts say BLACKHAWKS dont even reach 80 points this year Or for that matter, will probably be a bottom feeder for the next several years. Nice going Stan!
- wonthecup10

Yea but all analysts are so much last year. They said the same thing about the Kings 2 years ago. If Corey is not able to go then i agree with the analysts and i hear it's not looking good for Corey, but if he's back and resembles himself the Hawks will compete for a play off spot.

It's like i haven't even been gone a month with the same things being posted, Haha Haha

Stan was the right GM for the team after 2010 - taking a core with diminished depth and retooling them for two more Cups in 2013 and 2015.

I give him full credit for that - and not complete blame for the distinction of the past couple of years - much (but probably not all) was an unavoidable result of needing to reward two or three time Cup winning players in a hard cap league. Not every GM can do what he did to bring two additional Cups to this town - even tho the “core” was mostly in place when he became GM, it certanly wasn’t a Cup contender after the Phoenix disaster in 2012. He retooled it into one.

Now we will see (over the next couple of years, whether Stan is here or not) whether he can do the job of a more complete rebuild with an aging (and deteriorating) core - a much different task than the one he faced after 2010.

Good GM? Yes, for the situation that existed seven years ago - we will see for the situation that exists today.
- StLBravesFan

Well said, this is how i feel. We will know soon enough.

That's why I DVR it, and start watching an hour after the game starts Fast forward thru commercials, can back up and focus on a particular player I want to rewatch, and still finish game within 5 mins of actual finish.

If it goes to OT, I have to watch it live, but, they aren't showing as many commercials in OT.
- vabeachbear

Yea don't have a dvr, but I'm a big Bears fan so i endure the commercials. Due to the down turn in viewership they have supposedly eliminated the commercial between the kickoff and first offensive possession. We'll see, honestly very optimistic about this year's team i believe they will make some noise.

Yea don't have a dvr, but I'm a big Bears fan so i endure the commercials. Due to the down turn in viewership they have supposedly eliminated the commercial between the kickoff and first offensive possession. We'll see, honestly very optimistic about this year's team i believe they will make some noise.
- BetweenTheDots

At the very least they will be way more interesting on O than we’ve seen the last couple years.

Preseason games are hard to decipher but I think it’s at least somewhat encouraging that the 2nd team offense and defense kind of had their way with the Chiefs starters yesterday.

I’m with a lot of you guys, just wait and see what shakes out like in October, but for some reason that stuff back in the late 90s to the early 2000’s starting to creep been ever so slowly, especially in this day and age every game we walk into at the United Center before we hear the first verse of the national anthem we have already spent close to $300. Not saying we need a Stanley Cup winner every year but I feel that a little more could be done while the score is still around to win now. Just my opinion.

I’m with a lot of you guys, just wait and see what shakes out like in October, but for some reason that stuff back in the late 90s to the early 2000’s starting to creep been ever so slowly, especially in this day and age every game we walk into at the United Center before we hear the first verse of the national anthem we have already spent close to $300. Not saying we need a Stanley Cup winner every year but I feel that a little more could be done while the score is still around to win now. Just my opinion.
- wonthecup10

And to add insult to injury - then you have to listen to Cornelison....

If the NFL zebras keep calling “head contact” or “unsportsmanlike” on any hard hit, people will stop watching in even greater numbers. Fantasy football is one of the main reasons the NFL is still so successful. An NFL game
is 75% commercials/halftime show and game clock running down between snaps....
- EnzoD

I have my four corner neighbors over for a Soup Bowl party before the last Super Bowl and one fella said, with all the concussions and rules, the sport will radically lose viewers and is destined to be sport with dismissed viewership...then when the goofy Hall of Fame game (where the 4th strings of the teams played) had more TV viewers than the last Stanley Cup Final, I kinda think it is not where things are going.

I don't think the interpretation of the helmet rule will become a video review, because that is further time consuming, so the zebras will try and consult each other quickly after each flag and pick up many of those flags.

I think they are going hard now enforcing a rule so they get everyone thinking. '...don't hurt the team."

Think of how it took time to teach the NHL defenders that the new interference penalty after the lock out.

In hockey all levels t is simply too bad we cant end the late hits and the finish your check concept, that during the playoffs, seems like a 4 second excuse to give the opponent free lunch / slam sandwich.

I’m with a lot of you guys, just wait and see what shakes out like in October, but for some reason that stuff back in the late 90s to the early 2000’s starting to creep been ever so slowly.
- wonthecup10

That is why reading the pages of this current blog are tough for me with all the hopes of signing a RFA from a trade or adding a vet who hasn't been signed.

I don't see that as a big part of the direction...it is try and improve with your own assets, with the ones already in the league needing qualitative improvements and the new farm guys showing they are here to stay no matter where they slot line wise now.

The minute we won one championship, the pressure was on from the Cap.

The management miscalculated the rise we all thought the Cap was going to jump.

You suddenly can't keep everyone.
EVERY team has fans shaken their heads not understanding why their team didn't back up the truck with loads of cash to keep their mid-level fan favorite guy.

Teams who haven't won are experiencing it already decisions that could end up looking bad when a guy drafted mid rounds they feel cant get paid SO much right now until he actually becomes a rounded impact player (like Buff sorta has turned into).

Nashville's emergence didn't happen overnight, or the Jets, but Nashville drafted well with late and second rounders and the jets (and every other "bad" team) by virtue of the luxury of more than one very early pick, another at slot 9, and the jets having seven drafted players before pick 20...and Jack Roslovic @25...it helps.

Wasn't that partially OUR team formula?

So despite the fact I can't be bothered trying to be optimistic or pessimistic, I do know there will have to be growth, improvement, and experience in whatever the results are.

I can't begrudge any organization or team member for the backslide, but the result of not going to the playoffs means a shot at a top three player via the lottery, and 13 other really good "others in the 2019 draft class (DraftSite all 7 rounds are up).

So that is things will happen.


No other outside guy is going to be able to carry the load of post season and even regular season success.

I’m with a lot of you guys, just wait and see what shakes out like in October, but for some reason that stuff back in the late 90s to the early 2000’s starting to creep been ever so slowly, especially in this day and age every game we walk into at the United Center before we hear the first verse of the national anthem we have already spent close to $300. Not saying we need a Stanley Cup winner every year but I feel that a little more could be done while the score is still around to win now. Just my opinion.
- wonthecup10

I hear your frustration, like Wiz said, the cap is what pretty much screwed us. Im encouraged, unlike many other organizations, this one is aggressive and decisive, to me it's refreshing that they aren't in denial and believe one piece will put them over the top so they assembled one of the youngest rosters, when everyone is drafting forwards they go against the grain and are drafting a bunch of defenseman in top rounds. They saw talent sitting in the draft and traded up to get those players. So many teams follow in all of these sport leagues, it's refreshing to see an organization who leads, takes chances and has a plan.

Really curious to see how the kiddies will play with one year of pro experience under their belt

Livestream for Stars & Stripes Showdown in honor of Jim Johannson

https://www.usahockeyarena.com/starsandstripes

Kane, DBC, Murphy on the ice