Home Forums Skybox Sports Bar Clearing the Zone 2011 - 2012 Season

Hi All,

Was hoping to get a chance to talk some 'puck' earlier but no such luck, been busy! I have no magic advice for you guys yet :)

But who do I like this season... Well, I think the Vegas guys have it pretty close

Vancouver is the favorite - the team every other fan loves to hate. They are my hometown team and it is where my heart is so if I ever recommend a bet on them, be warned, my heart could be leading me astray.

Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Washington round out the top 4

They have have some pros and cons but I think they are the contenders.

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Now, I have to digress because I was watching TSN - our 'National' Sports Network. What gets me is that on a night when the Canucks were doing a tribute to Rick Rypien, the almighty dollar wins out and the pisses me off about sports.

First off, the early game ran late so they miss part of the ceremony. Then, they had technical issues, then they show the end of the video tribute, and the go to the god damn commercial.

I wanted to see the whole tribute package, the players acknowledging him and his family etc. But no, we have to watch the commercials, one of which was for alcohol for crying out loud. Maybe I am in the minority but something like that is worth it to me to watch, not just for paying respects to his family and his contributions, but showing that the 'person' is more important than a few commercials and things like that. Have they not heard of tape delay or something like that.

For those that don't know, Rick was a professional hockey player (a cousin of Mark Rypien who you might be more familiar with). He was one of a few NHL players who lost their lives this past summer, unfortunately to suicide. I don't claim to be an expert on any of this but I know mental illness is a big issue and any chance of making people aware of it, how to maybe assist others who have it etc, should never be missed. Sounds corny but I do believe one life saved by these types of things DOES make it worth it.

Sorry guys, I am rambling now so will just sign off as I am so pissed that I know I may not be making sense.

Yea that sucks. Sort of like what they did covering halftime of the Cleveland/Oakland game and the tribute to Al. If there's no money to be made, they don't cover it on a national basis. Only if you are lucky will you see it on a local type coverage.

Should be an interesting season.