Plastic Joseph
Unregistered User
- Mar 21, 2014
- 1,988
- 445
Counterpoint:
Why?
Why is anything the way it is? Why do european soccer clubs care more about the season than the cups? Why do sprinters care so much more about the olympics than the world championships? Why is winning wimbledon or the masters more prestigious than becoming the #1 ranked player?
Its all based on the culture and historical context. Anyone who watches the NHL (or any NA big 4) they know that the title is all that matters. Nobody cares about the #1 seed any more than the fact that it gives you home advantage, which can help you win the Cup, which is again all that anyone cares about. Would you rather run your PB in a heat race and then get no medal or would you rather qualify for the finals and win the gold? This is more or less the approach the elite teams take. I don 't think anyone purposely avoids the presidents trophy, but you don't strain yourself reaching for it, you conserve for the playoffs.
When teams are resting guys in the regular season to prepare for the playoffs, its easy to see. I think the reason most fans/players aren't content or stoked with the presidents trophy is because players know that it is more like qualifying or seeing towards the tournament that matters. Its clear that all the competitors aren't going 100%.