Teal Zebras
08 May 2010I’ve been a hockey fan all of my life. That’s 30 years of die hard hockey fanaticism. I’ve cheered on many teams. I own jerseys for half the teams in the league.
I just love the sport. Plain and simple. I love the passion of the players and the fans. There is no other sport like it.
The series that finished tonight between the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks is only the second playoff series I have ever seen that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The first one was when the Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup over the Buffalo Sabres in 1999 on a goal that should never have counted.
I have no problem with a series that is decided because of a team running into a hot goaltender. I have no problem with a series that is decided because a lesser team simply outworks a better team. I do have a problem when a series is decided by poor officiating.
This series from the very beginning was clearly one sided in that department. A Red Wing gets tripped? No call. A Red Wing takes an elbow to the face? No call. A Shark closes his hand on the puck? No call.
I am not one for conspiracy theories, but it is clear that there was some favoritism shown to the San Jose Sharks in this series. Was that because of the individual officials? Was it a directive from the NHL head offices? Are people tired of seeing the Red Wings just keep winning? I don’t know. I do know that I have no interest in watching a tournament that isn’t officiated fairly.
The way that the series was decided leaves me thinking that it isn’t worth watching the rest of the playoffs. Something that I always watch. Each and every year. As many games as I can. I can honestly say that I only have cable so that I can watch hockey.
In fact, I believe I will be turning the dial away from the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs this year and focusing on what will hopefully be some fair hockey. The 2010 IIHF World Championship of Hockey. I hope everyone else does the same.