More fantastic Carolina hockey coverage

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

I'm so sick of reading about all the low blows the Caniac faithful are dishing out to Buffalo fans.

 

First it was wide right and 4 super bowl losses joke on the jumbotron, then it was comment about how brawling outside the game happens all the time "up North" from the arena's GM.

http://www.newsobserver.com/122/story/442552.html

 

For the record I have been going to Sabres games for a long time and haven't seen a fight since I was a kid watching games in the Aud. I have no idea where this blanket, matter-of-fact comment came from, except maybe from his own blissful ignorance.

 

Then you have hockey expert extraordinaire Ned Barnett (available at nbarnett@newsobserver.com to field any inquiries or comments about his article http://www.newsobserver.com/122/story/442905.html)

 

He dedicated a whole article complaining that Sabres fans are emailing him too much with their opinions on the series and that hockey is not as complicated as we Sabre fans make it out to be:

 

"My first problem is I don't know how you can be an expert on this sport. How can you know a lot about something that there's not that much to know about?

 

Here's hockey: Ice. Two goals. Two goalies. Ten skaters with 10 sticks. One puck. One objective. Get the puck in the other team's goal.

 

When there are more players on offense than defense, the likelihood of a goal goes up.

 

There's not much more to it than that, folks."

 

How the hell does this guy have a job writing hockey analysis for a major area newspaper? Oh that's right, he works in Raleigh, NC. When your staff writers are belittling a sport, how do you expect to build a fan base? Write about player profiles, write about the great saves by your goalie or goals by your skaters, write about how the Hurricanes sold out their games even in a small market southern town and how proud the fans are of there team. But this douche bag bad-mouths the entire sport of hockey, the players, and the fans.

 

I would be calling ol' Neddy up if I was the owner of the Hurricanes right now and mf him up and down.

[IKnowPhysics]

In my unbiased and unexaggerating opinion, Ned Barnett has just written the worst sports article in the history of man.

 

He insults directly every hockey fan in Buffalo, and indirectly every hockey fan in the Carolinas.

 

Hockey fans that truly appreciate the game know that hockey strategy and execution thereof requires a commanding mastery of the details of the game. He's insulting the true fans of the NHL, many of which are Buffalo-born. He's also continuing to fuel the stereotype that hockey fans from Carolina will never understand hockey as more than a simple game with ice, sticks, and pucks.

 

Columnist Ned Barnett can be reached at 829-4555

That's area code 919. Make sure he's too busy answering his phone at work to make his next deadline.

[X. Benedict]

I'm so sick of reading about all the low blows the Caniac faithful are dishing out to Buffalo fans.

 

First it was wide right and 4 super bowl losses joke on the jumbotron, then it was comment about how brawling outside the game happens all the time "up North" from the arena's GM.

http://www.newsobserver.com/122/story/442552.html

 

For the record I have been going to Sabres games for a long time and haven't seen a fight since I was a kid watching games in the Aud. I have no idea where this blanket, matter-of-fact comment came from, except maybe from his own blissful ignorance.

 

Then you have hockey expert extraordinaire Ned Barnett (available at nbarnett@newsobserver.com to field any inquiries or comments about his article http://www.newsobserver.com/122/story/442905.html)

 

He dedicated a whole article complaining that Sabres fans are emailing him too much with their opinions on the series and that hockey is not as complicated as we Sabre fans make it out to be:

 

Hockey fans down there must be proud of that stooge. He believes hockey has less nuance than

lawn jarts.

[frisky]

I also noticed it this morning and commented on the other topic about this. Sound like the guy is bitter about having to cover a sport that he doesn't like. To me anything can be put in those kinds of simplistic terms. Like basketball...ball goes in hoop...more ball in hoop...you win. Being rich is simple...make more money. Being a good journalist is simple...write better. Life is simple...be happy. Happiness is simple...win the Stanley Cup. Like I said, I think the guy is a f**ktard. But I'm not going to waste any more time on the guy...moving on.

[envirojeff]

What kills me is that this idiot is making light of hockey and the #1 sport (?) ing event in the South is.......NASCAR????? WTF? Checkers and Tick-Tack-Toe are more difficult that turning left all day?

 

Jeff

[The Goat]

What kills me is that this idiot is making light of hockey and the #1 sport (?) ing event in the South is.......NASCAR????? WTF? Checkers and Tick-Tack-Toe are more difficult that turning left all day?

 

Jeff

 

The numberr one spectator sport in the entire country is NASCAR.

Last time I checked you guys have got a few race tracks in Western NY too.

 

The Goat

[Orange Seats]

The numberr one spectator sport in the entire country is NASCAR.

Last time I checked you guys have got a few race tracks in Western NY too.

 

The Goat

 

 

Most Buffalonians I know would prefer stabbing themselves in the eyes to watching NASCAR. It would at least be much more interesting. There is a track at Watkins Glen, but you find that that is attended more by folks in the Southern Tier and people who travel to it from out of state than anyone in the direct Buffalo metro area. There is a dragstrip in Lancaster, but thats pretty small. Football and hockey really dominate Buffalo and Rochester.

[The Goat]

Most Buffalonians I know would prefer stabbing themselves in the eyes to watching NASCAR. It would at least be much more interesting. There is a track at Watkins Glen, but you find that that is attended more by folks in the Southern Tier and people who travel to it from out of state than anyone in the direct Buffalo metro area. There is a dragstrip in Lancaster, but thats pretty small. Football and hockey really dominate Buffalo and Rochester.

 

Glad to hear that you guys still have your priorities in proper order. :)

 

The Goat

[LabattBlue]

Most Buffalonians I know would prefer stabbing themselves in the eyes to watching NASCAR. It would at least be much more interesting. There is a track at Watkins Glen, but you find that that is attended more by folks in the Southern Tier and people who travel to it from out of state than anyone in the direct Buffalo metro area. There is a dragstrip in Lancaster, but thats pretty small. Football and hockey really dominate Buffalo and Rochester.

Nobody would ever try to compare NASCAR popularity to the Bills & Sabres here in WNY, but don't underestimate the racing fan base here in WNY.

 

That being said, the only way I am watching a NASCAR race is if you tied me to a chair and pried open my eyelids with toothpicks. :D

[topshelfcookies]

I think while what Bartlett wrote certainly is agregious it doesn't make sense. Any sport can be dumbed down to essentially one team/person trying to do something better than their opponent. It's a stupid premise to write about, especially during the midst of a special season for the Canes, and what could be a really good playoff series.

 

Personally, I'm getting sick of all this crap between fans and between cities. The Raliegh/Charlotte area might have some more people than WNY that enjoy NASCAR, but get with it...it's the fastest growing sport in the country. The number of Motorheads in WNY is increasing as well.

 

In my opinion, the NHL could learn a thing or two from the NASCAR execs who have transformed their sport from a redneck boozefest to a multi-million dollar attraction that draws fans from across the country. NASCAR has a better TV deal, probably outdraws the NHL (cummulative attendance), sells more merchandise and brings in more sponsorship money. I'm not asking for the NHL to start renting out jersey space for M&M, Viagra and Home Depot ads, but NASCAR has successfully marketed itself into mainstream sports.

 

To me, the proof of popularity of a sport is evidenced by it's following in a city/area without a team. For instance, baseball is still popular in WNY, despite our lack of an MLB team, yet the NBA has practically no following whatsoever here. NASCAR has enough of a following in WNY for the Buffalo News to devote an entire sports page in covering it, for WGR to re-broadcast a NASCAR show most weeknights. ESPN gives NASCAR plenty of time, despite not having a TV deal.

 

My point is that the NHL is currently a niche sport. I'm fine with that, to a degree, but NASCAR was a niche "sport" as well, just 15 years ago. However, in that time, NASCAR has built itself into a serious "franchise" that is much more popular throughout the country than the NHL has been in a long time. NASCAR thrives despite lots of fans having 1- never driven a race car and 2- never having gone to a race. Every person who talks about growing hockey says that the reason people don't "get" or "appreciate" hockey is because lots of people never played the game or have never been to a hockey game. And don't tell me that NASCAR is any easier to watch on TV than the NHL is.

 

Quit the bashing...get with the program.

[apuszczalowski]

Personally, I'm getting sick of all this crap between fans and between cities. The Raliegh/Charlotte area might have some more people than WNY that enjoy NASCAR, but get with it...it's the fastest growing sport in the country. The number of Motorheads in WNY is increasing as well.

Please never refer to NASCAR as a sport, cause it is not, it is a race, an event, etc. It is not a sport. Dale Earnhardt is not an athlete when he hops into his car and drives in circles.

 

Don't get me wrong, most of my friends refer to me as a gear head, and I would love to drive a race car, but I will never refer to it as a sport. Its like calling a dog show or poker a sport, they aren't and I have no idea why ESPN (or TSN in Canada) broadcast both seeing as how they are sports networks.

 

Sports require athletes to play them, and requires a person to have some physical skills to play them.

[kingcongkorab]

[

Quit the bashing...get with the program.

 

Very true. The NASCAR cliches around here are getting trite. Lots of people from all walks of life like NASCAR not just hayseed redneck hicks.

[envirojeff]

Please never refer to NASCAR as a sport, cause it is not, it is a race, an event, etc. It is not a sport. Dale Earnhardt is not an athlete when he hops into his car and drives in circles.

 

Don't get me wrong, most of my friends refer to me as a gear head, and I would love to drive a race car, but I will never refer to it as a sport. Its like calling a dog show or poker a sport, they aren't and I have no idea why ESPN (or TSN in Canada) broadcast both seeing as how they are sports networks.

 

Sports require athletes to play them, and requires a person to have some physical skills to play them.

I agree 100%! It's not a sport if I can do it!!

 

Jeff

[Saber61]

A car is just a piece of equipment like a hockey stick is.... driving around turning left is not as easy as it all looks... and guess what i can pick up a hockey stick and go play outside just like you guys are saying you can get in your car and drive on the highway... so what... so by your argument your not playing a sport when your out playing road hockey... neither are you when your driving your car... the two items are merely pieces of equipment that the person there are using... without the player the stick does nothing... without the driver the car just sits there....

 

And on top of that... driving a nascar is not like driving a street car... its 200 mph at just inches apart on tires that could start to slide if someone just puts there nose behind the rear of your car and takes the air and downforce off your spoiler... people need to watch and understand the sport before they can pass judgement... most people who say nascar is easy and all about turning left would piss there pants a lap into a race if they were driving those cars...

[Rabbit151]

I have to admit, living out here in western canada, I just don't get this fascination with NASCAR. I mean, it's mind-boggling to me. I thought all Americans liked it, sounds like it's more of a south thing.

 

Good for you Buffalo.

 

At my work, Budweiser gave all our staff some kind of Bud shirt with (? #3, #8, I think it was a guy who died in a crash a few years back ?) on it, with the guys signature embroidered on it. We added the name of our bar to it and made it a staff shirt.

 

We get a fair number of Americans from the south who stop here on their way to hunting trips. I had one of these guys offer me 500 bucks for it. I wouldn't sell it. I thought he must be wasted and I didn't want to take advantage of his drunkeness. This guy was begging me to sell this shirt to him. I couldn't understand it. Looking back on it, I guess he wasn't that drunk, just obsessed with NASCAR. I'm still shaking my head in disbelief at that. 500 bucks?

 

Any of you NASCAR groupies out there now who want that shirt, I've still got it. I think it was a #8 that the guy was. Jarrett? Does that sound right to anyone?

[kingcongkorab]

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

[Colesy26]

Hey folks. Canes fan here snooping around in a Sabres board.

 

I agree, Barnett's column was moronic. I read it this morning and just shook my head. He's a columnist for pete's sake!! If he can't take criticism, time to quit wasting ink. He should go and ask Laviolette or one of the players if hockey is that simple! I'm sure they'll all agree that it only took them a year or so to learn the finer points of the game...yeah right!

 

Should be another great game tonight!

 

GO CANES!!

[X. Benedict]

Hey folks. Canes fan here snooping around in a Sabres board.

 

I agree, Barnett's column was moronic. I read it this morning and just shook my head. He's a columnist for pete's sake!! If he can't take criticism, time to quit wasting ink. He should go and ask Laviolette or one of the players if hockey is that simple! I'm sure they'll all agree that it only took them a year or so to learn the finer points of the game...yeah right!

 

Should be another great game tonight!

 

GO CANES!!

Was that some kind of joke? What is the guy's reputation? Was he trying to provoke a response to something that silly.

[apuszczalowski]

A car is just a piece of equipment like a hockey stick is.... driving around turning left is not as easy as it all looks... and guess what i can pick up a hockey stick and go play outside just like you guys are saying you can get in your car and drive on the highway... so what... so by your argument your not playing a sport when your out playing road hockey... neither are you when your driving your car... the two items are merely pieces of equipment that the person there are using... without the player the stick does nothing... without the driver the car just sits there....

 

And on top of that... driving a nascar is not like driving a street car... its 200 mph at just inches apart on tires that could start to slide if someone just puts there nose behind the rear of your car and takes the air and downforce off your spoiler... people need to watch and understand the sport before they can pass judgement... most people who say nascar is easy and all about turning left would piss there pants a lap into a race if they were driving those cars...

I am not saying driving a Nascar is easy, or that anyone can do it, what I am saying is its not a sport no matter how you put it. Sure the car is just a piece of equipement, but it is what does all the serious work, the driver provides the mental thinking and guides the car. You do not have to be born an athlete to be a professional race car driver, but you will if you wanna play pro hockey.

[The Goat]

Was that some kind of joke? What is the guy's reputation? Was he trying to provoke a response to something that silly.

 

Benedict,

 

Barnett is a joke and his column really speaks for itself.

With its talk of "Buffalo fans being experts" its clearly meant to provoke.

But with his talk of hockey, he just lost any credibility he might have ever had as a hockey columnist.

Yeah, it's just a simple game Ned, no strategy or forethought required.

Another poster on here put it best by suggesting that he ask Laviolette or some of the players their thoughts on the topic.

Not that he was ever alive but Ned Barnett is dead to me.

 

The Goat

[reptilia]

Carolinans are giving us all the exact reason as to why NASCAR is as much a regional sport as hockey: NASCAR's major selling point is that they make the most difficult left turns in the world.

 

It's still a left turn.

[kingcongkorab]

Should'nt he be covering the ACC vollyball tourney?

[Barnabov]

Hey all,

 

I was born & raised in Watkins Glen (now am a Texas Yankee) - my parent's farm is the next hill over from the racetrack. Agree with you all that I don't understand the fascination with NASCAR (when I was little it was Formula One & Grand Prix).

 

Only explanation I might offer is that it's a great excuse to tail gate for like 3 days straight - everyone camps out and drinks beer from sunrise to sunrise.

 

Seems like you never much know what's going on with the actual race unless you sit in the grandstands at the pits and watch the finish - otherwise you see a pack of cars like every 5 minutes go flying by and that part is really boring but the party is always good (not as good as being at HSBC though but lasts longer).

 

Anyway, maybe it's different at other tracks - Watkins Glen is a road track (even has some S curves to make them turn right occasionally) and there are tons of spots to hang out - still I'd think seeing a race on an oval would really be boring even if you could see the cars the whole time. As I said, it's a mystery to me how NASCAR became one of the biggest spectator events but it's been a good thing for my home town (800,000 attendance for 3 days in a town of 3,000 sure helps the economy).

 

Any other fans down in the Texas Hill Country (San Antonio / Austin) area? Loving the success but missing the atmosphere - at least we got to catch a game at HSBC right before New Years and see Atlanta get thrashed.

[Jeff]

When I read Barnett's article today I was embarrassed for him. As a sports journalist covering hockey for your own city, you don't say that about the game. He sounded like an absolute idiot. He can be emailed at Columnist Ned Barnett can be reached at 919-829-4555 or nbarnett@newsobserver.com. Anyways, here's what I wrote to him. I was pretty pissed at the time, but all in all got my point across:

 

A few thoughts crossed my mind when I read your article entitled "Sorry WNY

experts, but hockey is child's play" (link:

http://buffalonews.com/editorial/20060524/1042869.asp). For brevity's sake, Im

just gonna say it- Your column made me feel embarrassed for you as a sports

journalist. Granted, you probably spend most of your time writing columns on

how many Duke basketball players grow moustaches in the offseason, but my take

on your column was that many Buffalonians did bring up valid points which most

likely went against your thinking. Instead of looking into these points, or

offering a valid counter-argument, you essentially said "duh - understanding

hockey is easy **duh**, the team that scores the most goals wins **duh**". Im

sure the writing of the aforementioned column took all of 10 minutes. And I'd

venture a little further and guess that a few of your colleagues down in NC got

a crack out of it too. But just remember this - while you were coming off as a

pompous, "I know more than you because Im a journalist and you're not and

hockey is a simple game for simple people attitude" in your article, other

sports journalists were writing columns which actually contained some

substance. For example, take Al Strachan's column in the Toronto Sun (link:

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Playo...95313-sun.html). In

it, he discusses the current defensive system that is the fad right now in the

NHL. He goes on to say why so many shots have been blocked this season. Im

sure you wouldn't have liked it, though, since it was full of valid points and

lacked a sarcastic, arrogant tone.

 

--Jeff

[Eleven]

When I read Barnett's article today I was embarrassed for him. As a sports journalist covering hockey for your own city, you don't say that about the game. He sounded like an absolute idiot. He can be emailed at Columnist Ned Barnett can be reached at 919-829-4555 or nbarnett@newsobserver.com. Anyways, here's what I wrote to him. I was pretty pissed at the time, but all in all got my point across:

 

A few thoughts crossed my mind when I read your article entitled "Sorry WNY

experts, but hockey is child's play" (link:

http://buffalonews.com/editorial/20060524/1042869.asp). For brevity's sake, Im

just gonna say it- Your column made me feel embarrassed for you as a sports

journalist. Granted, you probably spend most of your time writing columns on

how many Duke basketball players grow moustaches in the offseason, but my take

on your column was that many Buffalonians did bring up valid points which most

likely went against your thinking. Instead of looking into these points, or

offering a valid counter-argument, you essentially said "duh - understanding

hockey is easy **duh**, the team that scores the most goals wins **duh**". Im

sure the writing of the aforementioned column took all of 10 minutes. And I'd

venture a little further and guess that a few of your colleagues down in NC got

a crack out of it too. But just remember this - while you were coming off as a

pompous, "I know more than you because Im a journalist and you're not and

hockey is a simple game for simple people attitude" in your article, other

sports journalists were writing columns which actually contained some

substance. For example, take Al Strachan's column in the Toronto Sun (link:

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Playo...95313-sun.html). In

it, he discusses the current defensive system that is the fad right now in the

NHL. He goes on to say why so many shots have been blocked this season. Im

sure you wouldn't have liked it, though, since it was full of valid points and

lacked a sarcastic, arrogant tone.

 

--Jeff

 

 

You're right, of course. But don't feed the troll, even if the troll is stuck writing a hockey column in a third-rate city whose residents aren't natives AND don't give a damn about the sport.

 

In the eternal words of Homer (Simpson, not the blind guy), "let the baby have its bottle."

 

Let's talk some hockey and not worry about why other people don't know that this city kicks ass.