I'm going to flat-out say it—I am disappointed in the league's decision to have this game in Chicago.
I know, I know, there's a lot of young talent on the Blackhawks, and the Red Wings are the defending Stanley Cup champions—but I honestly feel for the people in New York City.
Well, the Rangers fans, I mean.
I rarely give them any empathy, but this time I'll agree—the next outdoor game should be in Yankee Stadium as a commemorative send-off to the old icon.
And what better place to have a 'classic' than in the Big Apple on New Year's Day? It would have been a perfect finish for not only the stadium itself, but the celebration of the New Year in the city where the biggest party happens annually.
It would have been exciting to see a Detroit Red Wings-New York Rangers match. It still follows suit with an Original Six theme.
I guess I will cease my complaining and accept that this thing is going to happen, and in a venue with roughly 20,000 less seats than Ralph Wilson's Stadium in Buffalo, NY. Soldier Field might be a better attendance insurance—but I guess Wrigley has an unknown precedent in hosting this 'Classic'.
I keep quoting the word 'classic' for a reason. What is the definition of this word? Let us look at one: "exhibiting timeless quality." Well, timeless quality would mean something that happens sparingly and is yet memorable. Timeless. It stands out, and holds a meaning, in which the qualities of the event is exhibited through the timing of such an occurrence.
I think I've made my point here. Alberta, Canada and Buffalo, USA were Classics. Those two outdoor games emulate a timeless and rare example of going back to hockey's roots.
This game in Chicago should be better defined as a classic in the sense of "A perfect and/or early example of a particular style". I'll go with the 'early example of a particular style' and call it 'taking hockey back to its roots'. So, don't expect anything 'Classic' in terms of exhibiting timeless quality, but rather an early example of how hockey began. Thank you. That is my soap-box speech for the week. The main reason I posted this is because the blog had three visits from people using search engines seeking out tickets for the 'Winter Classic'. Funny enough, the google searches they were getting had mostly Buffalo versus Pittsburgh instead of Chicago versus Detroit. Enough said.
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2 months ago
Good argument. I couldn't agree more.
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