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A difficult NHL decision
by Alex Birch
I encountered my first difficult decision of the NHL season on Monday evening, and it resulted in a choice I'm not proud of. Torn between watched Washington on CSN or Sidney Crosby's long, long, long awaited return on Versus, I took the hockey-fan-first route and chose the latter.
Living in DC and classing myself as a Caps fan, I probably shouldn't admit to this misdemeanour. But there you have it. I decided watching Crosby coming back from the dead to beat up the New York Islanders was much more interesting than tuning in to another disjointed Capitals performance. If Monday Night Football started just that little bit earlier I'd have had a get-out clause. If my wife had finished work earlier, she'd have saved me with The Simpsons. I'm scrapping the barrel with this one but, heck, even a power cut (the lights did flicker for a second) could have saved me from the shame.
I'd like to blame everything and everyone for my transgression, but this, I feel, is unrealistic. So I've narrowed the field down to two, very convincing, culprits. The media and fantasy hockey.
If I can tackle the media first, and I know what you're going to say. The media gets blamed for everything. Too right it does, and when it's over a matter as serious as this, I feel it deserves to carry some of the responsibility for my heinous act.
Almost as soon as Crosby was ruled out with a concussion, elements of the media decided Pittsburgh's captain was done forever. Others said it was the end of hockey as we know, the end of hockey as you know, or, most disturbingly, the end of hockey period. All very serious stuff. So serious in fact, that when he goes from being dead (in a hockey sense) to being completely alive again (a hockey miracle, if you will) how is it possible not to tune in and witness it? For miracles, as we know, don't come around too often (I've also watched the last four Capitals games using the media genre of television, which has been enough to make anybody turn over to another channel).
As easy as it would be to blame the media totally (and it would be easy, as most sporting stars, politicians etc.. will tell you), I feel fantasy hockey also deserves to be called out.
On October 5 I was dealt the cruel hand of ninth pick in my league's draft. Ninth! I may as well throw in the towel now, I thought. But as the best players began to disappear in front of my eyes, a shining light beamed out at me. SIDNEY CROSBY. The best player in the world was still on the board. Ignoring the bright red IR next to his name, I pressed 'select' without a moments hesitation. Unaware of what was to follow. You see, Monday night isn't the first time my loyalty to the Capitals has been questioned. StarleyCupChampians during fantasy game week four first planted the seed of doubt, hammering me in the trash talk section for picking Crosby. If only someone ahead of me in the draft had picked him. But no, he was left for me. Because of that I'm left with no option but to hope he succeeds, and to watch him from time to time to make sure he is.
Now that I'm questioning myself, as well as being questioned by others, I see only one route open to me. Log on to StubHub, get a ticket for Caps Pens on December 1, and go heckle Crosby as loud as I can. All along suppressing the thought that if he does score things aren't so bad, as it's fantasy points in the bag.
If I can manage all that, the difficult NHL decisions that crop up in the future can be made without any lingering questions of loyalty.
0-3 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-3 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-5 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-4 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
2-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|
5-8 |
||
| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-1 |
||
| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-1 |
||
| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-2 |
||
| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
3-7 |
||
| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|
- Adam Walker
- Alex Birch
- Andy Pierce
- Chris Gent
- Christopher Beal
- Craig Simpson
- Dave Simms
- Elliott Stanley
- Gareth Chalmers
- James Broughton
- James Gordon
- Katy Madgwick
- Luke Catterson
- Mark Briggs
- Mark Duell
- Mat Young
- Patrick Smyth
- Promotion
- Russ Morrell
- Seanna Murdock
- Stephen Dowson
- Stewart Roberts
- Tom Forster
- Vicki Smart
- William Lyon
