On The Take #5: Why We Watch, Why We Play

Welcome to the latest On The Take column, and as with the last one, it's dual-sport.

Let's get started.

I have to say I was extremely happy with the third jerseys released by the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and St. Louis Blues of the NHL this past week. For years, they've been the Sabres, but their logo seems to say they're the Buffalo Buffaloes. And now, they've switched families from mammal to snail?? Whatever, NHL marketers. The point is, the logo that never should've been abandoned in the first place is back, and I'm so happy about that. The Blues new third is a mix of new and old, and looks fantastic. Then we come to Carolina's. Honestly, their third jersey should be their main jersey. The color scheme, to the logo used, everything just works.So third jerseys are back, and bold. Maybe now Gary can wake up and realize more teams in Canada aren't a bad idea, either.

Those who know me know I'm a big supporter of bringing back Winnipeg, and even Quebec. With 4 teams based in New York, why can't multiple teams exist in a huge province like Quebec?? Besides, that'd give me another team to boo. Isn't that what you guys want, fan interaction?? Halifax has a phenomenal arena, and lots of hockey fans willing to fill it. We saw the response at the recent World Juniors held there. That's something you don't see in Florida (where there are multiple teams representing the State) or even in the NY borough of New Jersey...despite the team's success. If I were to move teams to make room for the return of hockey in Winnipeg, Quebec or Hamilton or Halifax, etc., The Florida teams as well as a team in NY (New Jersey, likely) would be my first choices. Tampa has had success, although they never earned a Cup. Notice I said earned not awarded. There's a difference. In any event, Tampa has had success, but don't have staying power. Their division is the weakest in hockey, which doesn't help matters. The Florida Panthers have barely made the playoffs this decade, so on top of low attendance, they can't make it up with playoff revenue like the Devils have been able to do. It's time to go somewhere where the game is appreciated and respected, and above all, fan-friendly. Which is to say, the fans come to see a game, and no matter the score, they will continue to come to support their team.

This brings me back to Winnipeg. The franchise that moved to Phoenix in the mid 90s hasn't made it past Round 1 in 21 years. They moved in 1996, but had already hit 9 years by that team where they'd failed to win 4 playoff games. But, the support never wavered, fans not only filled the Winnipeg Arena, they were loud as anything, and the White-out was invented there. Simply put, Gary's need to appease fans has blinded him to the fact that the Jets were a marketing success no matter how bad they were ON the ice.

Now I know there are a lot of people out there who share my views in bringing hockey back to Quebec and Winnipeg. The best we can do is send letters and petitions, just make the suits of the NHL hierarchy understand our message: We want them back.

Now let's shift gears to WWE. Reading my magazines, I've noticed the Top 3 lists that wrestlers give to the mag as their favourite matches of all time. I've been watching 20 years next June. So I've seen a lot of matches just in that time, and I'm a student of the sports which is to say I love researching the past and looking at players/superstars of both NHL and WWE that I never got to see actually compete due to my age. Even so, Ricky Steamboat/Savage isn't in my top 3, although it is in my Top 10. But I have seen some great ones over the last decade alone, so I'm limiting my Top 3 to singles matches I've been on hand to see, or that took place during the two decades I've watched.

No. 3- Bret Hart vs Mr. Perfect for the IC Title-August 1991

This match was why I enjoy wrestling. There was comedy, great back and forth action, and nothing those two did or do didn't look real. That was Bret's bread and butter you know. He wrestled a physical style, but never hurt any of his opponents over a 20+ year career. Mr. Perfect, also known as Curt Hennig, was a second generation wrestler. He was more fit than his father and used his athleticism and confidence to drive a match rather than the brute force Larry The Ax Hennig incorporated. And everything he did seemed to work. When he met the Hitman in the ring, them together were a great match. Pick up the Mr. Perfect DVD for the match, and tell me you weren't on the edge of your seat as each traded control of the match. By the end, with Hennig in real pain due to a back injury, he not only finished the match as great as he started it, he allowed it to end with a move that made his back feel like it was gonna snap, which shows how much respect he had for the business and his opponent. The final minute saw Hennig using his leg to drop between the legs of the Hitman, once, then twice. He went to the well too often, and Hart caught him, turned him on his stomach, and won with the Sharpshooter. 5 star match if I ever saw one.

No. 2-Edge vs Randy Orton for the IC Title-Vengeance 2004-Orton's streak ends

The best one on one match of the 2000s so far IMO, this match made Randy Orton's career. Fast-paced, 20 minute match where both stars got a chance to shine. The near-falls in this match may have matched the Steamboat-Savage match everyone loves so much, and one other thing made this match great; aside from a title being defended, deeper than a feud, was the audience interaction. I'm not talking about the outside action, I'm talking about the audience changing their tune on the Legend Killer. It was back and forth, either man could've won. Orton is the closest so far to anyone breaking Honky's record as IC champion. Maybe he should have. But in this match the crowd started hating Orton, loving Edge...near the end, as Edge missed his spear due to Orton's athleticism, the crowd was screaming for the RKO, they wanted Orton to win!! But after the match, which lived up to everything, Edge still had his Edgeheads, and Orton tried not to cry as he left the ring without the title he'd held for 9 months. Great storytelling.

My favourite match of all-time happened in 1996. Shock, it happened at WrestleMania. Now whether there had been a time limit or not, I still would've enjoyed it...but the one-hour Iron Man Match stole the show, and 12 years later, it's still my favourite match ever.

The storytelling between a face Bret Hart and a face Shawn Michaels was riveting. Each had fans, but unlike Warrior/Hogan, both could wrestle so well, you knew it was going to be a classic and more fans would be made because of this match. HBK's entrance aside, the two wrestled a slow-paced match at the start, with Michaels surprising all of us and the Hitman by playing the ground game Hart used. HBK was supposed to be a Mexican jumping bean, according to the then-WWF Champion, and when Michaels started wrestling a more physical style, he not only succeeded, he excelled and had just shown us something new: Shawn Michaels could wrestle any game, and preparing for him just got harder.

With a half-hr gone, Bret Hart finally had caught Michaels and was in control, but Shawn deviated again and started the flashy Mexican style, tricking Hart one more time. By the end of the hour, when Shawn made that one mistake and was stuck in the Sharpshooter, no one could deny he deserved a world title run. Then the legendary Gorilla Monsoon restarted the match, saying there WOULD be a winner. One hour of action, no falls. And the audience wanted more. If that isn't the mark of a great match and two great workers I don't know what is.

So OT was needed at WM 12, and Shawn hit his superkick and started his longest reign with the title. Can he do it again in 2008?? There is a chance, him getting a Ladder Match with current champion Chris Jericho...Another great pair who've put on fantastic matches in the past....maybe they have one more in them, but as far as I'm concerned, I will never see a match any better than this one.

On the Take is going to be a weekly column, just to let you all know. If you'd like to ask me any questions, about wrestling/hockey today, that you'd like to see answers to in this column, I say give me a shout. I hope you enjoyed my look back at the NHL and WWE moments I'm thinking about this week.