Category: Sport

Posted on

NHL refs are getting makeovers as well

Ok, I’ve come to like the new uniforms that the players will be wearing next season, as long as the designs that are applied to them are not gaudy. Trust me, I’m going to hold my breath until then. Just got a bad feeling that some teams (I’m looking at you Nashville!) will go a tad overboard.

This, however, is something I didn’t notice at the All-Star Game last night.

While most of the uniform-based attention at the NHL All-Star Game was focused on the players’ new Reebok-designed attire, another uniform story went largely unheralded and unnoticed.

Referees were wearing silver armbands, instead of their usual orange, and ESPN.com has learned that this change will be made permanent next season.

“It’s coming for next season,” NHL spokesperson Nirva Milord said in an e-mail from the All-Star Game in Dallas. “We’re just giving it a consistent look with the new NHL logo.”

That logo, introduced prior to the 2005-06 season, is black and silver, while the league’s previous emblem was black and orange, matching the refs’ current armbands. [espn]

No!!! This is a change that I do not care for, and it completely kills an idea that Rebecca and I had for Halloween costumes.

McGeoughI like the orange bands, if not for look, but for function. When the ref raises his arm to call a penalty, it’s more noticeable to catch the movement. The little, orange floaties are the first thing I think of when it comes to a hockey ref. At the same time, the effects won’t be nearly as good when McGeough comes flying in to call a no-goal and appear to be ready to fly away because he’s flapping his arms like a mad man.

As a side note, check out this post to see how GZ Expat would change the NHL even further. If you saw the interview with Gary Bettman[wiki] on the CBC’s coverage of the All-Star Game last night, then, like me, you will feel like absolutely nothing is safe in the NHL anymore. He now embodies everything I can think of when it comes to slimy businessmen.

Posted on

The NHL 2.0

montreal canadian allstar
Photo credit: Love the 214 on Flickr

I know that I am not the first one to call “The New NHL” by something so geeky. Look at everything that is going on in the NHL right now, in addition to the revamped rules in this post-lockout era. It’s faster and way more competitive than before. Okay, I think all hockey fans can be in agreement on that one, right?

Then there is the Buffalo Sabres‘ new logo, aka The Buffaslug. I already gave my opinion on it when it was unveiled, and it still doesn’t sit well with me. When I think about it in relation to everything else going on in the world of Web 2.0[wiki], there is this nagging comparison that I’ve been wanting to make. However, one team making a change isn’t enough, but check out this post that examines Web 2.0 logos in general.

Enter the new uniforms that will take over the league next season[rbkedgeuniform.com]. Lighter, water resistant, aerodynamic, and Sidney Crosby approved. That last point can really be ignored, but I know for a fact that there are going to be loads of people who will be saddened, if not pissed, by this change.

These are not what you can consider sweaters anymore. They are jerseys, and all this new technology that goes into them makes them uber expensive. Of course, they’re still brand spanking new, but $300 for a jersey? No thanks.

teemu selanne
Photo credit: Love the 214 on Flickr

Tighter fit also means less real estate to paste a logo on the front of your jersey. So if you resize and lose detail, might this be a good time to rethink your logo altogether? That might be pushing it, but what better reason to make a change when everything else a player puts on is changing anyway? Remember, this isn’t just about the jersey as much as it is about pants and socks, too(better hip protection and no more tape). Could next season be the year the “stick in rink”[hockeydb] comes back to replace the Orca Bay logo[hockeydb] for the Canucks? I wouldn’t be surprised, and the change is something I would fully support as long as it looks good with those new threads.

One thing that sticks out to me is the similarity to baseball jerseys around the hips. The way that the front and back dip down will ultimately change the way long time fans think about the traditional sweater. To me, those curves would make it hard to do that horizontal line at the bottom of the jersey. Perhaps when we see them next season, it will be a straight cut across. However, I kind of doubt it. The league is sounding pretty harsh on the topic, and there is threat of fining players next season if they make individual adjustments. I’ve also heard that the third jersey might go away completely and teams will have to wear white when playing in their home rink.

Alex Ovechkin
Photo credit: julie_h on Flickr

This is why I’m starting to call this the NHL 2.0. New rules, new wardrobe, and a lot of new faces are changing the way the game is played. Just look at the All-Star Game and how many people are going for their first time, not to mention how young a lot of them are.

However, to any team that is going to start changing logos, I pray that they avoid the mindset that has given rise to the Buffaslug. If there is any comparison to the world of Web 2.0 going on here, this is one design concept that I do not want to see when it comes to forging new logos. This is where I have to plead for staying as traditional as possible, however strange that might sound or actually end up being.

I’m okay with change. I am not okay with something that makes me think of Hello Kitty.

Posted on

The Crazy Canucks #18 – First half of the season down

We recorded episode #18 of The Crazy Canucks last night. Hurry and go download it now!

The plan was to have us all be online for this episode, but Dave got held up at work and couldn’t make it in time. The rest of the crew gathered to go over the rest of the road trip out east. Two wins over Montreal and Ottawa, and a shootout loss to Buffalo that didn’t seem as bad as what losing should be.

Record as of this episode: 27-19-2
Northwest Division: 2nd
Western Conference: 7th

It’s the All-Star break, so we take a little time to talk about the festivities and the new uniforms that have been unveiled by the league. They ain’t so bad, but the change might result in more than just new threads. Also, we can’t help ourselves from talking about the Bullis rumors of him wanting a trade out of Vancouver.

64:39 minutes
The Crazy Canucks

Posted on

CCM is RBK

I’ve asked this question to Rebecca numerous times, and it totally drives her nuts when I do that. Today, I actually remembered to look it up.

CCM Does CCM still exist on their own or have they been gobbled up like Nike did to Bauer?

The answer is that they do exist, but the brand name is owned by RBK, or Reebok. However, there is no direct melting of the two brands when it comes to hockey equipment. This is particularly interesting because RBK is the big sponsor behind superstars like Sidney Crosby, but CCM[wiki] is a long time leader in the manufacturer of hockey equipment. Reebok uses superstars to push their company, but CCM is such a staple in the sport that the name is strong enough to exist on its own.

When Nike grabbed up Bauer, the brand almost immediately became “Nike Bauer“[wiki]. For now, CCM is still sold on it’s own name. However, “CCM RBK” or “RBK CCM” is just way too ugly to say. Good to know that they haven’t devoured the CCM namesake, yet.

The same can’t be said for Koho[wiki]. They were an offshoot of CCM, so that was turned into what is RBK today. I used to drool over Koho goalie equipment all the time, and it stands to reason that even Roberto Luongo[wiki] uses their stuff almost exclusively. However, there is just something about Koho that is just not as cool as having RBK’s logo on your pads. Who else to use a side by side comparison for this other than Mr. Koho himself, Patrick Roy[wiki].

KOHO vs RBK
Tell me that having “KOHO” written all over your pads isn’t a tad more menacing than the swooshing, almost flowing RBK designs. Comparatively, Koho even stands out a heck of a lot more, meaning quality advertising. At least Reebok knew enough to not mess with the CCM branding… yet.

Posted on

We’re not all like this

I’ve come to the conclusion that this is the reason why grudges about all Americans being stupid, ignorant, stuck up, and all of the above exists.

Who said David Beckham’s arrival in America would attract no attention? Not only has the erstwhile galactico and England captain made it onto the US equivalent of GMTV and elicited praise from Sly Stallone, he’s attracted the attention of Jayceon Taylor, aka gangster rapper The Game.

Showing a not entirely cohesive understanding of the game Americans call soccer, the South Central-based rapper (Beckham’s new side, LA Galaxy, is his local club!) was not entirely effusive about the arrival of the face of Gillette razors in his hood.

“I’d kick David Beckham’s ass on any given day,” the Game said when asked about Beckham. “I’d just pick the ball up and kick the shit out of the stadium, game over.”

Quite whether the Game’s expletive was referring to the ball, Beckham, or simply the action he was planning to take against LA Galaxy’s Home Depot Center remains to be seen. But The Game was on less steady ground when a follow-up question was put his way.

When asked his thoughts on Beckham’s ability as a footballer he responded simply: “Pretty good”. [guardian]

Dear rest of the world,

All Americans are not like this. Please don’t let our piece of crap version of popular culture influence you. I dislike this junk just as much as you guys do. There are some of us who look past it and enjoy other things in life that is not related to MTV, reality TV, and tabloid media.

This guy, on the other hand, is a moron. Feel free to rip on him.

Thank you.

Posted on

Where hockey becomes a holiday

Ok, it’s not an official holiday, but it damn near should be. And to me, this Tim Hortons commercial is what Hockey Day in Canada is all about.

Off we go to GM to watch the Canucks beat the Leafs on the big screen. Should be a good time. Hope your hockey day has been good for you.

Update: The game was pretty cool, and that’s more than just the 6-1 win over the Leafs(who, I might add, suck). It was close to a real game experience. They blew the horn when the Canucks scored, gave away some free stuff at random points, and a fair number of Leafs fans for us to heckle were actually brave enough to hang out for the game.

True highlight? The first intermission of the UBC game that followed the CBC broadcast was a mini-game of some pee wee hockey kids. Check out the video I posted onto YouTube here. We actually left after that. Regina was up by three goals at the end of the first. Good action, but we were a little beat and ready to head home.

I have pictures from the event on Flickr. Pending review for quality control, look for some audio that Rebecca and I recorded at GM Place on The Crazy Canucks in the next few days.

Posted on

Not the Canucks at GM Place

We’ve decided to go check out this new fangled jumbo-super-tron that they’ve installed at GM Place tomorrow. It’s not a bad deal. $12 to watch the Canucks take on the Leafs on the big screen above center ice, then we get to catch some college hockey between the UBC Thunderbirds and Regina Cougars[canucks]. Will make for a nice Hockey Day in Canada[cbc] for sure.

We got our tickets ahead of time so we could ensure some decent tickets. The guy asked us why we wanted to sit further away from the ice rather than the closer seats we could have got. I told him that I didn’t want to strain my neck to watch the CBC coverage on the mega TV up above. He said that made sense.

Should be good, and I will take the recording gear along as well. Never know what I can capture, but will probably push that content out The Crazy Canucks feed.

Posted on

I almost called it

No big secret that I’m not the biggest football fan in the world, but I do enjoy catching games from time to time. The Chiefs got eliminated, so the season is really over for a part-time fan like me. It’s tough to not be a Seattle fan in Vancouver though. And to tell you the complete truth, I’m with Rebecca on this one. We both like the color scheme on their uniforms, and that’s the main reason we dig the Seahawks. Other than that, couldn’t tell you much about the team.

Their playoff game against Dallas was on while she was cooking the other night. Late in the 4th quarter, Dallas was down by one point and setting up for a field goal attempt. Easy three points for the lead with just over a minute left to play in the game. I pretty much said that the season was over for Seattle. A bummer for sure, but just before the snap, I looked over at Rebecca and said, “it would be outstanding if they blocked the kick.” I didn’t expect this.

They played the botched snap over and over again, showing the guy who screwed the pooch, Romo, sitting there with his head down. Yeah, great for Seattle, but I’m surprised that Romo wasn’t crying somewhere in a corner. We both felt so horrible for him. You could just feel his pain.

I know I’m late to the post here, but the replay of that gets me every time. True pain might come next week for Seattle. Chicago’s next up, and the game is in the windy city. Odds are, my brother will say that the Bears will whoop the Seahawks.

Posted on

And the U.S. won the bronze

Very Canadian
I like to add that tidbit about the U.S. winning the bronze medal round against Sweden this morning because neither of their countries seem to care(World Junior Ice Hockey Championships[wiki]). There was probably a very slim chance of catching the game in the states, and there wasn’t much of a crowd supporting team Sweden in their home country. Lack of U.S. coverage and support is one thing, but Sweden? Come on. The core of the Canucks is made of guys from there.

Watching the young guys play is amazing. Truly the future of hockey to come. You just know that with the new rules in the NHL and the way these guys play in this tournament, the game will just keep getting faster and faster.

The other thing is, there is this new dynasty of hockey brothers in the game. I don’t think there are anymore Staals left, and little Tom Pyatt certainly shows some promise. I can’t be too sure about the boys from the states, but only three of those players don’t have pro statuses with the NHL listed yet. Still, not too many people there care.

Canada 4, Russia 2. Good game. I was hoping for a battle, and Russia fought hard to come back. Just wasn’t enough gas left in the tank to combat Canada’s onslaught. Combine this with Tim Ho coffee in my hand at 10:30 in the morning. Doesn’t get much more north of the 49th than that.

Posted on

The Crazy Canucks #14 – Five game streak high

Another one recorded tonight, and I think I’m really beginning to master Ubercaster more and more. You can download episode #14 now.

We all gather around for this episode, but Alanah has technical problems on her end that causes her to dip out early from the fun. You’ll have to ask her the full story, but let’s just call it a conspiracy by her furry friends of the four-legged kind.

Record as of this episode: 22-18-1
Northwest Division: 1st
Western Conference: 3rd

On a five game win streak right now, there is so much to rant and rave about. Edmonton, Calgary, and Dallas have all been our victims since the last recording. Linden’s hot, Naslund’s still struggling, and Burrows finally got that first (official) goal of the season. The rest of the team seems to be waking up, and fans are starting to love the Luongo. We also make some all-star predictions, dissect the mystery of the Northwest Division, and talk a little bit about the World Jr.’s.

44:11 minutes
The Crazy Canucks