Pointless Criticism of a Pointless Post

by Ryan

"Every writer I know has trouble writing." - Joseph Heller

Sometimes you just have nothing meaningful to say. It happens to everyone, and it takes a change of pace topic or not writing altogether to get you back on track. As a blogger it's easy, if something isn't there you can post a picture or a YouTube video and you're set. However, when you have a "blog" on an NHL team's website, you probably have a requirement of some sort. Either that or you're really that uninteresting.

I'm guessing that's what this is all about, but it doesn't make it any better.

SYLVESTER'S BLOG: REDUCE THE SCHEDULE

The only reason I read this was because of the title, so I guess that was the most effective part of this thing.

There are too many regular season games in the NHL.

Strong lede. Let's see where he goes with this thing.

The evidence was Monday night at HSBC Arena when the Sabres and Predators trudged through the first two periods. Neither team had any legs because they were each playing their third game in four nights and for the Sabres, their fourth in six nights.

The result of the compact week is uninspired hockey and a poor product. It’s not fair to the owners, coaches, players or fans.

The owners want to provide the best possible product to the fans and pay huge sums in salaries to see it, coaches want the best chance to win, players want to compete at their highest level, and I don’t need to tell fans what they deserve. Playing three games in four nights does not allow any of that to happen.

I... I guess. So what's the plan?

So, what’s the solution?

There are two that I can think of: fewer games or a longer season.

First of all, I find it really hard to swallow the fact that the Sabres played an awful home game against a team just as tired as they are. Playing that bad has no excuse. But since Kevin's on the Sabres' payroll I suppose this is clever, if and only if he makes a strong case for his solutions. Let's see what he does with it.

To reduce the number of games in the regular season would take a seismic shift all the way around. The NHL and the NHLPA would have to agree on a reduction of games and that would mean a reduction in revenue.

Translation - less money paid in salaries to the players, and less potential profit for the league.

Yeah, that sounds like just what this league needs: less money all around. We should make rinks bigger and take out a few hundred of the most expensive seats in the house, too. Better product + less money = more money?

The only solution I can see would be to raise ticket prices for fewer games (supply and demand), but we are now officially in a recession and any price increases may force fans to go to Congress to beg for a bailout

So... no to the less games solution? Okay, what about a longer season?

As for a longer season, there is no chance of that. One could argue it’s already too long with the Stanley Cup Finals ending in mid to late June.

One just did. Hey wait, weren't these your ideas that you just completely destroyed? What was the point of all this if the only things you can come up with won't work at all? What's the point of this entire thing?

The bottom line is the system is not perfect and every owner, coach, player, and fan in the league has to live with it. I can’t imagine how complex putting together the NHL schedule is with 30 teams all looking for dates, some competing with NBA teams, and all competing with ACDC for primetime in their own buildings.

What I can imagine is an inspired effort by the Sabres on Thursday in Florida to make us forget all about the reason for this blog.

This was unbelievable. 376 words of nothing. I understand that Sylvester works for the Sabres and has to spin this for the better, but blaming a disgusting performance on the schedule, then coming up with stupid, impossible solutions to the "problem" does not fix the fact that the Sabres bombed on Monday. It doesn't make me forget it, and it doesn't make me forget the fact that this was a complete waste of time.

I mean, did he have to post something? Like, was there some imaginary blogging deadline the Sabres imposed and this was all he had? He started pretty strong and just... lost it. There was nothing here at all. No opinion, no answer, no anything. If you are going to bother posting anything you have to form an opinion of some sort. A summary of the things that won't work is stupid and pointless, which is the only thing it had in common with Monday's game.

The most interesting thing he had to say was this:

And if you ever go to TD Banknorth Garden in Boston do not trust the lids for the coffee cups in the press lounge. Prior to each game there in November (the 8th and 19th) I grabbed a cup of coffee and put the provided lid on to prevent spills. False security! The first time on the 8th wasn’t bad, but the one on the 19th was a soaker. The sad part was I didn’t even know until my cameraman said, “what happen to your tie” before rehearsal. It looked like a map of Florida! Coffee and silk do not mix. Consider yourself warned.

Uh, thanks?