There are a lot of things in the world of sports I don’t understand. This is just the tip of a Titanic-sinking iceberg.
Fresh off the pile is the Edmonton Oiler brain trust. Sure, you axed the puppet, but the puppeteers are still pulling the strings. Once Mr. Katz cuts ties with the good ol’ boys Lowe and MacT there may be a revival in Oil Town but not before. Ken Hitchcock might not be far behind as it appears coaching wasn’t the problem. But until those boys (Katz and Nicholson) wake up and smell the oil the song remains the same. I don’t understand.
The National Hockey League goaltender interference rule is a puzzler. It always has been since its inception. Rule #78 states intentional contact with a goalie, in or out of the crease, is a minor penalty. It also notes it doesn’t matter if a goal is scored or not. How many times have we seen a forward initiate contact, goal is waved off and no penalty is assessed? Don’t answer. In the same vein, we have seen plenty of occasions where contact is obvious and yet the goal can stand. The decision room must have a top-secret camera only they can see in order to make some of these calls. I don’t understand.
CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie is working to expand the league into Mexico and over-seas. It is a lofty goal and I applaud his ability to look further down the road but how about clean up the backyard before inviting guests over to play. He can start with a very clear definition of domestic abuse, why a player is turfed from the league and not welcomed as a saviour (Johnny Football). Follow that up with dealing with a new Collective Bargaining agreement which has some very shiny objects in it to keep star players from coming north, getting their feet wet and bolting south. In addition to that, it just might employ a few more Canadians in the league which has Canadian in the name. I don’t understand.
Back to hockey for a moment. Why do players who leave a hotel or their homes which are heated, get onto a bus or into a car which is heated and for the most part said vehicle arrives at the rink and they get out under the stands in a heated building, yet many of these players are wearing toques and scarves? I don’t understand.
This year marked the start of new rules in the world of golf. Two such rules them seem to have more than a few PGA stars with their undies in a knot. The flag stick can remain in when putting if you choose. Jordan Speith is all in a lather over this one saying he won’t do it. He seems to forget the part of the rule where it says you have a choice. He is also fretting over the rule which covers dropping a ball from knee height in stead of shoulder height. His complaint is shorter players have an advantage. I am guessing Jordan doesn’t use a measuring tape very often. Knee height or shoulder height, the shorter player is still closer to the ground when dropping from either height. I don’t understand.
NBA players seem to be able to dictate where they want to play more these days. That of course is their prerogative, but the negotiating of any move seems to be getting done through the sports coverage on TV, radio and in papers, not to mention Twitter and other social media channels. I don’t understand.
The NFL really must gather its officials to hash out what must happen to call pass interference. As it stands right now defenders are getting flagged for contact which is less than what goes on at Walmart on Black Friday. Now that we really protect the quarterback, he has more time and defenders can’t hold that coverage for so long without making some contact. Having said that, I did watch the Rams /Saints game and I suppose if that contact is allowed as we saw near the end of the game then the line to cross is not so blurry. I don’t understand.
And finally, video replay needs to take a hike for the most part. If you need to slow down a play so it is frame by frame in order to see an offside in hockey, a catch in football or baseball or maybe a home run then what is the point? More times than not we are talking a fraction of an inch and many times it is inconclusive. Meantime we have wasted more time in sports which need to speed up and not slow down. Scoring plays are the only time video is needed in my mind if you are really hooked on that stuff. I don’t understand.
Have a great day!
