OTT #6- Defining "Quality"

Greetings from your Crowd Coach! Well nobody seems to need Q's answered, which is cool. I'll just keep writing about what I want instead of what you guys want me to talk about. Unless you want to leave questions or comments :)

Anyhoo, This week's On The Take is late, and I apologize. Sickness is to blame, a flubug that seems to be going around. This week's article will hit on both WWE and NHL as usual, and we'll be talking about quality, as the fans see it, as I see it and as some perceive those in charge see it.

First, I'll talk about some NHL news as the pre-season rolls along.

-Carolina Hurricanes part-owner Thomas Thewes passed away Sunday. He was 76, and had fought leukemia the last two years. Although Thewes, who bought the 'Canes when they were still known as the Hartford Whalers in 1994, was in his role when the team was moved, he seemed to be a well-liked and well-respected man, and again, the reasoning behind the move has always been money, so whether he was in charge or not, to yell at him now would be rude and in bad taste. Thewes was very successful in his position as well, winning a Stanley Cup (2006) and the OHL title as part-owner of the Plymouth Whalers in 2007. He was also co-owner of the ECHL's Florida Everblades. I don't much follow that league so I don't know how they've done.

Thewes lost his fight, but cancer is losing the war more and more these days. Let's hope one day, we can find a cure.

-We have a new captain in Vancouver, and he's not a skater. Not possible, you say?? Wrong! Roberto Luongo has been named team captain, and although he won't be wearing a C on his jersey due to NHL rules (a dumb one, that is), he will be recognized as such, following in the footsteps of Montreal Canadiens great Bill Durnan, who captained and backstopped the Habs in 1947-48. The three alternates are Mattias Ohlund, Ryan Kesler and Willie Mitchell. Luongo takes over for Markus Naslund, now a NY Ranger. On a side not, Luongo is the only goalie I took in Fantasy.

Alright, let's get to the column.

I watched Unforgiven, as some of you WWE fans did, and was mostly impressed with the new match type. What I was not impressed with was the Diva Title match between Michelle and Maryse. It was long, often-times sloppy and had even me hoping the match would soon end. It was also booked horribly, being the 2nd last match on the card, with barely any backstory to make the fans care other than the fact it was a title match.

Then I tuned in to ECW this past Friday (I get Global, not SciFi, the ECW show is on at 12 midnight) and saw another match between the two ladies and guess what?? It was incredible! Ok, so it wasn't match of the night, but it was so much better than the match on PPV. Let me say that again: a match featuring the Diva Champion was better when we got it for free than when we had to pay for it. The quality was amped up on ECW, with a nice story, great chain wrestling (new ground in ladies matches recently) and both characters shone through. Which is to say what they did had a purpose, and it worked.

Which got me thinking what is WWE doing?? The writing should be good always, but to pay $20-40 for a show, you would expect to get a little more than usual. So when the PPV match doesn't work and a free match does, there is something wrong. I'm hoping to see a much better outing from people like Triple H, Michelle and Maryse, and Big Show when No Mercy hits PPV in less than two weeks.

Switching gears, the NHL and WWE has something in common when it comes to quality, I guess so do all sports. It's called Pre-Season.

There are die-hards and there are casual fans and there are those who only watch the playoffs (like my dad and Uncle). But pre-season makes no bones about what it is: a lesser version of what is to come. Games don't mean a thing, except to the players fighting for spots on the main roster, and those die-hards who critique every play. Now, I'm not just blowing hot air here. In the poll on NHL.com, recently replaced, they asked us fans how many exhibition games we'd be seeing. One, Two, Three or Other. Other could mean more than three, in which case 65% of us are getting roped in from the start, However, it can also mean zero, which makes that stat a little less nice for the league. Other won easily, and fans picked One game as their second choice with just over 20%. That stat tells me that fans aren't all that interested in the the pre-season games unless something special is coming to town, like say, Hockeyville. They don't see many opportunities for quality games as opposed to the main season. But in a way, pre-season can be just as exciting. In the regular season, everyone is under contract and are fighting for the win, but they won't be as numb to losses until at least January, or till their coach gets fired. There are team rivalries, and games are tighter, which does mean more quality in the games and it doesn't resemble a lacrosse match-up where every second shot seems to go in.

However, pre-season's mystique is more personal, and in that regard so can be the games. Montreal and Toronto will play hard whether the game means nothing or a trip to the Cup Finals. But when roster spots are on the line, mistakes add up and dreams end or are held back for a time. That is not a feeling players want to have. I've been cut for sports teams, and let me tell you it made me feel worse than playing for a team simply for signing up and losing a game by one. Because, in pre-season, when you make it through a few rounds of cuts, you've earned it. And sometimes your team wins big or wins barely, the good feeling is still there no matter the score.

I tend to think that when contracted stars are early in a season where they know they're locked in to make so much no matter what, they don't play like they mean it all the time. Which is why I like pre-season a bit more every year. They can't afford to play like nothing matters. If they don't go into that corner in the regular season, you might hear, "Next time, fight harder, but I'll get you another chance." In pre-season when that rookie skates back to the bench with seconds left in a shift instead of fighting that player in the corner, you better believe it'll lead to, "Do that again and you're cut." Because in the real season that decision could also lead to a big honking goal buzzer on the other end.

I guess it comes down to perspective. We expect more from a PPV because of the hype surrounding it. So tuning in to a show like ECW and seeing that same match steal the show, I was a bit surprised. I laughed too, at how ironic it was. In sports, everyone knows games mean more to us in the regular season. But hey, a pre-season game may mean more to them. Why not watch a few...there's always the chance you may be surprised.