My All-Star Game Rant and No TV Broadcast Rant

The All-Star game is such BS. The starting lineups were announced yesterday and only include players form four, yes four, teams: Chicago, Montreal, Anaheim and Pittsburgh. It will be interesting to see who the league chooses to round out the lineups.

The actual players are:
Montreal - Alexei Kovalev (Forward), Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek (Defense) and Care Price (Goalie)
Pittsburgh - Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (Forward)
Chicago - Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews (Forward) and Brian Campbell (Defense)
Anaheim - Scott Niedermayer (Defense), Ryan Getzlaf (Forward) and Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Goalie)

Now, I understand that this is the Canadiens 100th year and that the All-Star game is in Montreal, but seriously four Canadiens on the team? And why are there three Ducks on the West? Why not just make the All-Star game Habs vs Ducks? Why even have an All-Star game at this point? I think it would be cool if each person on the starting lineup was from a different team. Each line/pairs could then be five players from different teams. To me that would be more exciting.

In reading some blogs and comments, many people are outraged about the way the starting lineup turned out. Others are calling those people racist and jealous. As far as the racist goes, I do have to agree that the name-calling (frogs) is uncalled for. I am not jealous that the Habs fans had more time to vote than me. I have a life and can’t sit and vote online/by text every second of every day. I did vote and I only voted for one of my teams players, the rest were players from other teams. I voted for Doan. He deserves to go. He is the epitome of an All-Star, unlike Crosby.

How can you be an All-Star when you cheap shot people on a face-off? He shouldn’t even be a captain in this league. Yes, he is a good player but he ruins himself by doing the cheap shots and whining. I don’t want to see a hockey player whine. I want to see them stand up and defend the honor of his team. I don’t want an All-Star who leaves a game when his team is losing and says, I need to review the tape to figure out why how I got injured. Way to leave your teammates out to dry, way to be a captain, way to be an All-Star.

In trying to think of a way to do this more fairly, I haven’t been able to come up with anything. It seems that the league (and other sports) have tried just about everything. Maybe limit the voting to one from each person. Plus, I think the league likes having Crosby on the starting lineup. They think having a big name like him will draw new fans. If I was a new fan and I watched the All-Star game, I think I would never watch another hockey game again. It is not the most exciting game to watch because the players are being cautious (which I totally understand) and is nothing like a real NHL game where everyone is fighting for the win. I am a huge hockey fan and I usually shut it off after two periods. I do enjoy having the goalies micd up though. That is always fun, especially when they get distracted and let in an easy goal (I believed this happened to Dipi last year). I do like the skills contests also; those are fun to watch.
Ok, I am done ranting about the All-Star game.
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But I do have one other rant… WHY IS THE DUCKS/COYOTES GAME NOT BEING BROADCAST ON TV FOR EITHER TEAM?!?!?! Seriously, someone dropped the ball on this one. And it’s not even being radio broadcast on the Coyotes “official” radio station; it‘s on 1510 am (whatever station that is). This is like one of the biggest games of the season and its radio only. Why? I am so pissed that I can’t watch this game and I hate radio broadcasts. I like to be able to see what is going on! I’m a visual person.
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Last night I went and watched my friends hockey practice for the MotherPuckers (as we haven’t been able to see any of her games) and we have (Ok, I have) officially named her Jovo. Next time I am bringing signs that say ‘Go Jovo”.

Coyotes 4 Blue Jackets 2

Please stay tuned for a Rampage update. I have a guest blogger who will be answering some questions that we fans put together.

As for tonight’s game, the Coyotes beat the Blue jackets 4-2. As this was a radio only broadcast (and I don’t have Center Ice), I wasn’t able to see it. I did hear bits and pieces of the game. I listened on the way to the gym and the Coyotes were up 2-0. I listened on the way home and Porter and Doan scored, making it 4-0.

Somehow, from the time I got out of the car, went to get the mail, and got the game going on the computer, it was 4-2. I am still not sure how the blue jackets got those goals. No one would tell me. I think Jovo was going to the box when I got out of the car. So maybe a PP goal?

However, when I finally got the radio broadcast going at home, Hanzal got his first goal of the season to make it 5-2 with about 20 seconds left. It was an empty netter, but still, he got his goal! Way to go Hanzal.

It sounded like Yandle was having a good game. He may have been credited with one of the goals. From what the broadcasters said, Turris passed the puck to Yandle who put the puck on net. He either put it in, or Rhino tipped it in. I never did hear if the goal ended up credited to Rhino. This is why I hate radio broadcasts, I like to actually see for myself what happened. One of these years, I may have to invest in Center Ice, but it is so much money just to watch a couple of yotes games.

Scratches were Carcillo, McGrattan and Hale. Apparently Carcillo was scratched because of the stick he took to the face in Sunday night’s game (although, he was at practice on Tuesday and looked fine to me). I really would like to see McGrattan get another game but being up against Minnesota, I don’t see that for tomorrow but maybe Saturday. Hale, well he can just stay a scratch. Yandle seems to be doing much better after his benching.

Bryz was in goal tonight. I can’t assess his performance but it sounded like he didn’t do too badly. Maybe he has finally figured out how to be a starting goalie.

All Star voting starts today. The coyotes have three players on the ballot, Bryz, Jokinen and Doan. I will be voting for Doan as much as I can remember. He deserves it. He deserved it last year but Jovo got sent instead (thank god he’s not on the ballot). I am not sure that Bryz is an NHL all star goalie. There are so many other goalies out there that are much better and much more consistent. And I am still not sold on Jokinen and figure he will get it just purely because of his name.

On a side note, this morning Yandle was second for DMen for the all star game. How does that happen? Does he have an exceptionally large family and they all got on and voted multiple times? Anyway, kudos to whoever got Yandle to the top of that list, I never would have saw that coming!