I've learned to keep tabs on this dude in Toronto for my TV hockey news, such as Don Cherry (!) contributing to ESPN.
I could never get away with writing as much about hockey as they do in Toronto, of course. Unless perhaps I was in Detroit, which still really cares quite a lot about the NHL, perhaps second only among American markets to Buffalo. (Scroll down a bit for the Detroit reference in the above link.)
Anyway, enjoy the conference finals, even though Our Rangers are through.
Speaking of which . . . the fact the Rangers' elimination was not the featured back page element of ANY of the three New York tabloids Monday was a shocking, collective diss of the sport.
That's it for me today. I've got stuff to do. If I'm not back Wednesday, it's because I got fired for publicly complaining about the lack of hockey on the back page.
At least I sacrificed my career for a worthy cause.
Comments (6)
Well said Neil....however, I would have called it disgraceful in lieu of shocking. Earlier this year all 3 metro ice teams were at home one Saturday night and all 3 arenas were sold out....nearly 60K fans. But it was all about football in the publications the next day.
(Although a lot of that "perception deficit" is the fault of Bettman and the NHL imho).
And add Minneapolis/St. Paul to the list of American cities that cares about hockey. (Moreso than Detroit in my opinion).
Versus should pick up Cherry with Ron Maclean on Coach's Corner during the telecasts of the Eastern Conference finals instead of that limp studio show with Brian Engblom and Keith Jones...I also hope they use Doc Emrick on the Eastern finals and leave that other clown, the Washington Caps broadcaster, totally incompetent for the West.
One 10 minute episode of Don Cherry in front of an American Hi Def TV audience and the next day there will be lines extended out from eye doctor offices all across the country.
The FCC will be issuing warnings to sit no closer than 25 feet away from the screen when Cherry is on the air.
Nina Garcia and Michael Kors will be found dead in Elle Magazine's penthouse suite after massive heart attacks.
Tim Gunn will swear off homosexuality if he is allowed to dress "Grapes" for the next game.
A new era in CanUsa relations will evolve, as Canada discovers that they have a WMD that we have no defense for.
Putting Don Cherry on ESPN makes about as much sense as giving Neil Best a magazine column in "O". Real hockey fans don't watch ESPN, and real TV sports fans don't follow Oprah.
Great move by ESPN in hiring the Seventh Greatest Canadian of All-Time. ESPN hasn't had such a wonderful intelligent cantankerous truth-teller since Robin Miller left RPM 2night.
Don Cherry must be paired with John Buccigross, Steve Levy, or Linda Cohn since they're the only ones who have modicum of hockey IQ, Buccigross preferaby since he's only useful with this sport.