The Conservative Cave
The Bar => Sports => Topic started by: BlueStateSaint on September 26, 2009, 05:26:34 AM
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It's almost time for the Winter Games in Vancouver . . .
U.S. Hockey: We're Going Medieval
SPORTS SEPTEMBER 25, 2009
New GM Burke Says Olympic-Style Finesse Is Nice, But Bruising Hits Work, Too
By MATTHEW FUTTERMAN
Brian Burke, the general manager of the U.S. Olympic hockey program, has a new plan to win gold in Vancouver. Forget the graceful, athletic style of play that dominates on Olympic ice. He's planning to conquer the world the old-fashioned way: by hitting people.
During his three decades in professional hockey, Mr. Burke has become the ultimate architect of teams that don't just win but are punishing to play, such as the 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, who led the league in fights and penalty minutes. Mr. Burke doesn't want his opponents simply to lose. He wants their postgame soreness to remind them just how unpleasant losing was. Anyone searching for grace and artistry should tune in to figure skating.
"I think every game I watch should be more physical," Mr. Burke said during a recent media summit in Chicago.
The Olympic hockey tournament usually takes place on the larger, international-size rinks, which are 98 feet wide by 200 feet long. The space provides a quadrennial respite from the bruising NHL for fans who prefer watching the speed and zig-zag skating usually identified with European hockey.
But this time around, Olympic organizers decided the best facility available was the home ice of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, which, like all NHL rinks, is just 85 feet wide. So the prospect of big, fast bodies in a smaller space—and the resulting tight, compact action with plenty of hitting—makes Mr. Burke's eyes light up.
The rest is at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204488304574433202003331132.html
There's a few other teams that could hit, too--the Russians, the Czechs, and especially the Canadians. Gonna be fun to watch.
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They need to clone Chris Chelios.