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Silverman: NHL's Winter Classic Is A Gimmick That Needs To Go Away

By Steve Silverman
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Do you remember the children's story called "The Emperor's New Clothes?" I don't believe I told that story or read it to my own two children, who are now 23 and 15.

But I certainly remember hearing it when I was a kid, and like most children's stories back in the day, there was a real point to it. The emperor in this story was basically an egomaniacal fool. He wanted all of his subjects to tell him how everything he did was wonderful and that he always looked remarkably well.

However, when two salesmen realized he was basically an idiot with an unlimited bank account, they pretended to dress him in the most beautiful suit ever made. However, there was one catch to it. He was naked. The salesmen duped the king and said he was dressed in the finest golden threads, and only the smartest and sharpest people could see the suit.

The emperor did not want to appear foolish, so he claimed he could see it. All of his officers and the other royals didn't want to appear foolish, and they said they could see it. None of his subjects wanted to appear stupid, so they all said they could see it. Only the most innocent and naive child spoke honestly and said that the king was completely naked.

There's a lot of hooey and B.S. in the world of sports, and many of us go along with it. This is basically a way of life in the NFL, but the NHL is also guilty.

The league is trying to fool the world with the annual Winter Classic and its other outdoor games. The NHL sells it as a wonderful romantic throwback to childhood and yesteryear, but it's really just a great big commercial. The games have been a big joke.

Including Thursday's "classic" in Nationals Park in Washington D.C. The game was not delayed because of glare, but the Chicago Blackhawks and the Washington Capitals had to switch ends of the ice after 10 minutes in the first period.

Glare was also a problem three years ago when the Rangers played the Flyers in Philadelphia.

This so-called classic has had problems with the elements nearly every time. The Caps' previous outdoor venture with the Penguins was played in driving rain four years ago, and the first Winter Classic played in Buffalo was contested in a driving snowstorm.

While the league likes to talk about "the game getting back to its roots" and the players all play the PR game and say how much they enjoy it, it's pure bunk. It destroys the competitiveness of the regular season because the outdoor games are never played in optimum conditions.

The rain, snow, sun, glare and wind keep the best players in the world from performing at their best. Everybody connected with the game knows it, but the NHL will keep playing these games because they can get crowds of 40,000, 50, 000 or even 100,000 – last year's game between the Maple Leafs and the Red Wings was played at huge Michigan Stadium – and that's a lot more revenue than the crowds of 17,000-20,000 that most NHL games produce.

The Winter Classic has also been a television boon for the NHL. The league was smart enough to realize that college football had given away the stranglehold it had on New Year's Day as it spread out its most important bowl games.

Sports fans may have wanted to watch big-time college football as they nursed their hangovers, but the sport was not obliging and the NHL stepped into the breach with its "counter programming."

I have not seen the ratings for this year's game between the Blackhawks and the Capitals, but there's a very good chance that the ratings will slip or at least be stagnant compared to recent games. That's because college football reclaimed the day with its new playoff system.

Instead of settling in to watch hockey at 1 p.m., sports fans could prepare for the two semifinal games to be played in late afternoon and evening. While they waited for Oregon to blow out Florida State and Ohio State to upset Alabama, they were treated to Michigan State's incredible come-from-behind victory over Baylor.

I guess there's nothing wrong with the NHL wanting to produce an extra-long commercial to showcase the sport. But that's all that it is. We want to see the best hockey players in the world, and we want them to play in the best conditions possible.

While everyone likes to say how wonderful it is, it's time for a little truth. These classics are ridiculous, and it diminishes the sport.

Keep the game indoors, where it belongs.

Gimmicks are no longer needed.

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