Terrible world cup ideas
- Thread starter Lolonegoal
- Start date
TSN is reporting now that the World Cup jerseys will have advertising on them.
Just one more reason not to watch this debacle of a tournament!
Just one more reason not to watch this debacle of a tournament!
JETZZZ
Registered User
perhaps they should get rid of the national team idea together and just send teams named after their sponsorship: team tylenol vs team redbull and team macdonalds vs team chevrolet. since putting together a national team for Switzerland or Slovakia has proven to be an impossible task for the nhl, down the road they might realize that they are unable to figure out how to put together a team USA or team Finland too?
QnebO
Wheel, snipe, celly
- Feb 11, 2010
- 9,763
- 644
QnebO
Wheel, snipe, celly
- Feb 11, 2010
- 9,763
- 644
What about changing it to all-star event after all? Its still quality hockey, good players!
Team Bettman vs Team Fasel, best of 7 series.
Other additions to make it more exciting:
First game has no touch icing
Second game has that and two line pass
Game seven has no mantadory helmets.
Didn't the WHC have ads on it a few years back? I recall "Skouda" (Czech auto company) being on helmets.
Eagle Eye Cherry
guitar player
therealdeal
Registered User
- Apr 22, 2005
- 4,742
- 383
Incredibly stupid tournament, what a shame, I might tune into the Canada games, but might just skip altogether.
It would be very awesome though if both throw together teams made the final, and no one watched. For me personally that would be the best outcome of the tournament.
It would be very awesome though if both throw together teams made the final, and no one watched. For me personally that would be the best outcome of the tournament.
TheTwelfth
Registered User
Jussi
Registered User
Every team is allowed to have one national team sponsor (usually domestic) on the sleeve.
Ivo
Registered User
They excluded Slovakia, because they were worried about blowout results? These are the results of Slovakia against the top-6 teams from the last 3 best-on-best tournaments:
Svk – Rus 5:3 W
Svk – USA 2:1 W
Svk – Swe 3:0 W
Svk – Cze 1:3 L
Svk – Cze 1:3 L
Svk – Rus 2:1 W (SO)
Svk – Swe 4:3 W
Svk – Kan 2:3 L
Svk – Fin 3:5 L
Svk – USA 1:7 L
Svk – Rus 0:1 L (SO)
Svk – Cze 3:5 L
Total record 5-6-1
Only one blowout loss with the US, otherwise never lost by more than 2. Worth noting that some big-6 teams also suffered big losses in the same period – US-Fin 0:5, Fin-US 1:6, Russia-Canada 4-7, Czech-Sweden 3:7, Sweden-Russia 0:5
In this period Slovakia beat Russia 2x (+one SO loss), Sweden 2x, USA 1x. There has been a decline since the mid 2000s, but in recent years they actually had a number of young guys making the NHL (Tatar, Jurco, Panik, Dano, Marincin)to supplement players like Hossa, Gaborik, Chara, Sekera, Visnovsky, Halak, and the junior team just finished 3rd in the WJC. Wouldn’t it be much better to have an actual national team, maybe a bit weaker, but still capable of playing a close game and even win a game against the top teams, instead of this mixed team that no one will care about?
I really hope that the best-of-the-rest players like Hossa, Gaborik and Chara refuse to play and eventually the rest of Europe team ends up worse than the actual Slovak or Swiss team. That would expose what a ridiculous idea this is.
Svk – Rus 5:3 W
Svk – USA 2:1 W
Svk – Swe 3:0 W
Svk – Cze 1:3 L
Svk – Cze 1:3 L
Svk – Rus 2:1 W (SO)
Svk – Swe 4:3 W
Svk – Kan 2:3 L
Svk – Fin 3:5 L
Svk – USA 1:7 L
Svk – Rus 0:1 L (SO)
Svk – Cze 3:5 L
Total record 5-6-1
Only one blowout loss with the US, otherwise never lost by more than 2. Worth noting that some big-6 teams also suffered big losses in the same period – US-Fin 0:5, Fin-US 1:6, Russia-Canada 4-7, Czech-Sweden 3:7, Sweden-Russia 0:5
In this period Slovakia beat Russia 2x (+one SO loss), Sweden 2x, USA 1x. There has been a decline since the mid 2000s, but in recent years they actually had a number of young guys making the NHL (Tatar, Jurco, Panik, Dano, Marincin)to supplement players like Hossa, Gaborik, Chara, Sekera, Visnovsky, Halak, and the junior team just finished 3rd in the WJC. Wouldn’t it be much better to have an actual national team, maybe a bit weaker, but still capable of playing a close game and even win a game against the top teams, instead of this mixed team that no one will care about?
I really hope that the best-of-the-rest players like Hossa, Gaborik and Chara refuse to play and eventually the rest of Europe team ends up worse than the actual Slovak or Swiss team. That would expose what a ridiculous idea this is.
To be fair, including results from Turin is bit of a reach, since by the time this joke cup rolls around, a full decade has passed from those games. That's a long time and the core of ones NT could be turned over at least once, if not twice.
In fact, those results kinda do prove that Slovakia has declined a bit, since their campaign in Sochi wasn't exactly the greatest. Though one could argue that some of their recent WHC results and the QF shocker against Sweden do prove that they're still capable of an occasional upset. Of course, this is somewhat pointless exposition, since the argument that giving Slovakia a team would lead to a fair amount of blowouts was promptly proven false.
While Slovakia is far from what they used to be, this "Rest of Europe" concept is still an insult to them. Actually, it's an insult to all hockey played in Europe and their traditions.
Ivo
Registered User
I agree that the team is not close to what it was in Turin, but they still finished 4th in Vancouver and while Sochi was a disaster, other than the blowout to USA, they always managed to play a close game with any opponent in the last 10 years, so the fear of blowouts is really not warranted. Actually even the lesser teams rarely suffer terrible blowouts nowadays. The quartefinals game of Canada v Latvia from the last Olympics speaks for itself.
Yes, it was, but even there, Slovakia played one excellent game, and almost beat the hosts, Russia, jam-packed with superstar players. 0-1 shootout loss isn't really a loss at all. I will remember that game for a long time (especially Laco's arse-check), because it was really exciting to watch, whereas whether that ridiculous Europe Leftovers team wins or loses, I will just shrug it off. Who could really care about a pre-season exhibition tournament? An 8-year-old hockey fan, maybe.
I never would have guessed that there are so many 8-year-olds with deep pockets living in Canada. The things you learn.
So, apparently Bettman had a presser in Vancouver yesterday where he, among other topics, defended these mickey mouse teams by stating how Team Leftovers is a great way to allow all European countries to take part, and called Team YoungGunz a potential "Cinderella story".
He also assured that every game will be sold out. And oh, actually had to gall the say that when they asked the fans, they liked this format more than others that were on the table. I don't even dare to think what those options were in that case.
So... Gary. Now we know you're a creature who obviously lives in some kind of alternate reality. Next time you face the press, hopefully somebody has the mind to ask what would it take for you to stay there.
He also assured that every game will be sold out. And oh, actually had to gall the say that when they asked the fans, they liked this format more than others that were on the table. I don't even dare to think what those options were in that case.
So... Gary. Now we know you're a creature who obviously lives in some kind of alternate reality. Next time you face the press, hopefully somebody has the mind to ask what would it take for you to stay there.
Ivo
Registered User
If my inside info is correct, the options they presented to the fans were the Under-23 NA team, the Euro leftover team, the All-mustache team, the All-married-to-a-topmodel team, team of players whose both grandma's are still alive, players-who-eat-suchi team and team mumps.
TheTwelfth
Registered User
Why the hell didn't the sushi team get in? If they combined them with players owning a microbrewery, they could really try to establish themselves as the hipster sport. Maybe even schedule a few exhibition games on Brooklyn?
Maybe it's all of us who are in a bubble and the WCup format has in fact been positively received by the public but I honestly haven't been able to find a lot of positive response. Most people's reaction seems to have been to get angry, express disappointment or just mock it. Out of the few people defending and supporting it many seem to be playing sort of a devil's advocate role as they don't like it personally but understand and accept why the NHL is going in this direction.
So like I said maybe we are all just in a bubble but anytime Bettman or anyone else from the NHL talks about the WCup, at least based on the response I have seen, it comes off as incredibly out of touch and IMHO the justifications they have given for going in the direction they have does not hold up well at all to any level of scrutiny.
TheTwelfth
Registered User
So he think the extra number of norwegian and danish fans will outnumber the loss in Swiss and Slovak fans that don't care for this? I tell you already now, they won't.
Truth is, he wants players like Kopitar and Vanek to play in front of the Toronto audience.
I have considered the possibility that we are simply a vocal minority that thinks it's a majority - but in that case, said majority is pretty well hidden. Well, I guess we are a minority in a sense that not so many people are actively panning it. Like I said earlier, the worst response I've witnessed has been open hostility, the best indifference. Hard to come by people who are actually excited about it. Not that there aren't any, but will there be enough to turn this into a success?
I guess I'd understand (somewhat) if that was a truly rare occurence... but don't they get to enjoy watching them when the Leafs host the Kings and the Wild?
Yeah, it's not like I'm going to naïvely buy every word Mr. Bettman says. It's all marketing - and pride, no way he wants to admit this idea is a bad one now that it's been officially announced. So what he's doing and will keep on doing is roll a piece of turd on his hands, put it in a colorful wrapper and call it a praline.
In other words, lying through his teeth.
Don't buy it. Kopitar and Vanek aren't so screamingly good that you have to make an entire make-believe team just to incorporate them. Claude Giroux missed out on the Olympics last year; St Louis was close to. Probably a few more snubs from last time that I can't be bothered to look up that are better than these players. There will probably be a number of better players at the World Cup that are going to miss the selection because the depth of some of the teams are so large.
Don't get me wrong. Kopitar is good, but the rationale that people all want to clamor and see him play so badly that you need to invent a team to accommodate him is BS. Shouldn't get that treatment unless you're Crosby or Malkin, and even then it's a maybe. Kopitar already had his day by being the lone star and rallying symbol on a Slovenian team that picked up two wins at the Olympics last year.
Back in Black
All Sports would be great if they were Hockey
I hate to say it, but I have to agree with a Leaf fan here...
Seriously (without the under 23 kiddy show), the World Cup is a great tourney along with the Olympics, 2 years apart means more players will get the chance to play for their Country!
Bring it!
Zine
Registered User
- Feb 28, 2002
- 12,547
- 2,819
The World Cup = 
Nonetheless, because hockey is a niche sport and because it rules in Canada, Bettman knows most NHL fans will watch this travesty regardless.
Unfortunately Bettman has the hockey world by the cojones. 'Tis the reason he can propose a tournament as ridiculous as this.
Nonetheless, because hockey is a niche sport and because it rules in Canada, Bettman knows most NHL fans will watch this travesty regardless.
Unfortunately Bettman has the hockey world by the cojones. 'Tis the reason he can propose a tournament as ridiculous as this.
