CanadianChris

I would think Marshall, since he and Ted were already living there.

Glad you didn't overreact or anything. Fact is, of the 13 teams that have joined the league or moved since the 91-92 season, six have been fairly consistent draws (looking at % of capacity) over the last five seasons -- the five northernmost teams (Ottawa, Minnesota, Colorado, Columbus and San Jose), plus Dallas (Cup winner). One has gone from poor draw to good draw (Tampa Bay, another Cup winner). The other six have underperformed against the league average, and they all happen to be in the south (Anaheim, Nashville, Atlanta, Florida, Carolina, and to a lesser extent, Phoenix). Now, obviously, there are some poor draws in the north as well -- New Jersey, Boston, Chicago and the Islanders come to mind -- but when you stick ice hockey in a warmer climate, you're just not going to get consistently good attendance figures over time, because the hardcore fanbase isn't really there. Incidentally, why are there two days between games in the Sharks/Oilers series? Having to wait for Game 6 is a drag.

First round would have been the same, except with the Grizz advancing instead of the Clippers. I have to believe both second-round series would be squashes, too. That leads to the Spurs/Mavs series that we have right now.

What happened to him? Stiff neck.

Yeah, but how much interest are you going to get in a sport that can only be played during a small window of time during the year? Hockey is loved in Canada and the northern US because it's played by ordinary people for much of the year, and they understand and love the sport. If you don't get that grassroots support, it's only going to be a passing fancy for most people. It's a lot like what happened with professional baseball in Canada. There were six big pro baseball teams in Canada in the mid-90s -- the two major league teams and four AAA teams. In a couple of years, there will be only two (the Blue Jays and the A-ball Vancouver Canadians; the Ottawa Lynx will likely be moving closer to Baltimore in the next couple of years due to lack of fan support). A lot of that can be laid at the feet of the strike, but the fact is also that baseball is a sport that's only played here four or five months of the year, and people just aren't as into it. At least, not enough to sit outside on a freezing early-April night.

I've seen a few columns on this topic -- does Flutie belong in the Hall of Fame? I say no way. I like Flutie and all, but people comparing him to Warren Moon are dreaming. They played at a comparable level in the CFL, but Moon was a much better NFL QB than Flutie, who was a backup for most of his career. Everyone can say that it's the Pro Football HoF and not the NFL HoF, but the fact remains that if you weren't an elite-level player in the NFL at some point, it doesn't matter how well you did up here, you're not getting in.

Wow, that is some hideous acting on Vince's part.

Nice tits on the girl in the front row.

I'm so glad they've got the Shawn Michaels Kiss My Ass picture right in the centre of this shot.

Hey, it's Maria, come to save the show!

I can't believe how badly they missed the boat on Kane after the unmasking. Actually, yes, I can.

Foley talks about it in his first book. Funk ripped it off from an old promo he did on Bullet Bob Armstrong.

They need to kill Foley's car crash music now. Doesn't even remotely fit the character anymore.

Hey, it's the Bullet Bob trick!

This should get whatever they're trying to do over.

How the hell did Snitsky become a face?

Yeah, I hear the crew chief is from Boston. Geez.

Kill this gimmick already, for the love of God.

Bruno tribute. I wonder what Vince wants.

Did Kane really go in his ring gear?? Geez.

I love when they show signs that make people look like idiots.

That wasn't the worst ending to that match. Actually a little inventive.

Toronto sold out virtually every game in the 80s, when they were consistently the worst team in the league. They're a lot like the Cubs in that respect.

Summertime.

You can't be serious. The Jays could top 40 runs for the series, hitting the way they are. It's a broadcaster's dream. I can't believe, with two networks sharing coverage, that there are so many holes in the TV schedule. It's going to be just as bad next month, too, with the World Cup on everywhere all the time. I think it's because of the Memorial Cup. Right. But TSN could've picked up one game in this series, at least. Their Friday night schedule consists of poker and boxing, and Saturday they have a NASCAR race. Guess I'll have to flip on the Fan 590 channel on my TV.