Defending the Barber-Pole

The man with an amazing Andre the Giant impression, Greg Wyshynski, and his crew over at Yahoo's Puck Daddy unveiled the first of their "Best and Worst of the Decade" session with the best and worst jerseys. It was a tough task, as I don't think there has been more changes in jersey style, design, and fabrics as it has been in the past 10 years. Yet, I have to disagree with the Montreal Canadiens' barber-pole jerseys as the worst in the last decade. I'm not going to say it's the best, but hardly the worst; especially considering the Predators' mustards were not included, nor were the Coyotes' green jerseys-- though I liked the greens for a small time. Lest we forget the Canucks' gradient thirds or Penguins robo-penguin, either.

But, like I said-- plenty of jerseys in the past 10 years, and I don't even Wysh for not tapping on all of the jerseys that have been thrown out to the public for the decade.

However, if you want to talk about the whole retro movement when it comes to the culture of sports-- fact of the matter is that nothing says more retro than the barber-pole jersey when it comes to hockey. For the most part, the barber-pole was the template at the time. Most of the original teams used a form of the barber-pole design, with the original Ottawa Senators using them in the inaugural season of the NHL in 1917-18, with the Hamilton Tigers adding to it in 1920-21. In 1925-26, the Boston Bruins and Montreal Wanderers developed a form of the barber-pole, with moderations here and there-- whether it be just on the sleeps or thicker lines and broken up patterns. By the 1927-28 season, the Senators, Bruins, Montreal Maroons, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Cougars, and Toronto Maple Leafs had a variation of the barber-pole in their motif. Not as wild as the New York Americans, who were basically wearing the United States flag as a jersey.

Through the 20s and 30s, the jersey style stayed in tact, with many teams trying it out and many keeping it for quite a while. However, but the 1938-39 season, the Chicago Blackhawks were pretty much the last to have a barber-pole jersey in the traditional sense of the style. The Hawks then retired their barber-pole at the end of the 1954-55 season. The style had laided dormant for many years, until the NHL's 75th anniversary, when the Hawks, Bruins, Red Wings and All-Star jerseys all had a retro barber-pole design to them, even if the ASG ones only had them in the arms. Even in the junior ranks, the Ottawa 67's used the barber-pole for numerous amount of years in the OHL, as did the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the QMJHL.

While most of the retros are brought back because of how hideously classic they are (Canucks' flying V, Pens' baby blues, Flyers' mismatched nameplates, Cooperalls), I believe the barber-poles are more tradition than tacky. They bring the game back to a simpler time when you didn't need the flash and dash to sell jerseys, you just needed the team colors and maybe a logo. Most the time, the logos were only letters and it couldn't be simpler than that. I know that many have called for the Ottawa Senators to change their third jersey look to incorporate the shoulder patch logo in a mini-barber-pole design. We all know Pascal Leclaire is into the barber-pole, as his pads definitely say.

If you haven't already-- check out NHLUniforms.com, where I got all the hotlinks and historical rundown from it all. Great site for jersey and logo freaks.

Face Off Hockey Show 2009 Draft Show-- Portion Two

This is the second part of the update of the FOHS Draft show with Lyle Richardson, Greg Wyshynski, and Princess Curl. Of course, Montreal will bring out the best in everyone, which is why you can tell we’re getting a little wild, which is when the fans came in because they knew the game was on.

Like I said in the first part, caution due to some language-- if you’re opposed to that.

In this first part, we continue to talk about blogging, but this time when it comes to the perception given off from the mainstream media types. The second video in this cluster has to do with what’s going to happen in the off-season when it comes to topical ideas and how to keep the creative juices flowing.





This third part is a little dated, but it’s a hardy debate. When the topic of the Sedin twins came up and the length of the contract, it sparked the question about how long is too long (wocka) and whether spending that amount of money on two players is rational at all in a salary cap world.

Face Off Hockey Show 2009 Draft Show-- Portion One

So, we at the Face Off Hockey Show went to Montreal for the Draft, Jonny P and I got credentialed, and we did a show. For the show, we got long-time colleague Lyle Richardson, Puck Daddy czar Greg Wyshynski, and lady-of-all-trades Princess Curl to come in and do the show.

Here's a portion of the insanity where we talked about this draft being the "Twitter Draft", as well as bloggers being put into play when it comes to being credentialed. This portion is about 30 minutes long in four segments because YouTube doesn't like anything over ten minutes-- which most guys would love.

Also, caution because some language is a little bit gritty at times.

From left to right: Greg Wyshynski, Marc "with a 'C'", Lyle Richardson, myself, Princess Curl (off-cam most the time and raspy voiced) and Jonny P as the rover.

Enjoy.

My Five Things

So, Greg Wyshynski has started a wild-fire in the blogosphere with his "Five Changes" series on his Puck Daddy Blog. I mean, the likes of Matt Bradley, Lil' Jimmy Mirtle, and Ross McKeon; who drew the ire of Washington Caps' owner Ted "Teddy Ballgame" Leonsis.

Now, since I'm not too prominent, except in my own mind-- I'll steal this time and writer's block to air out my ideas and what needs to be done to change the NHL.

1. Get rid of the nets: As tragic as the Brittany Cecil incident was, I think enough time has passed that we can get rid of the nets and give the fans better sight lines to the game. It's one of the things that is a risk of going to a hockey game, but they announce it all the time during the game and have signs posted in the arena; read and listen, folks.

2. One ref is enough: There's two refs out there and we still have to go to instant replay for goal calls and possible suspensions. If they're still going to technology to get things right, why have the extra clutter on the ice?? If this is going to be a game of speed and skill, one less person on the ice will allow players to be more free flowing and give that extra space they need in order to dangle.

3. Move Columbus to the East: With the except of Detroit, the Jackets are the only team in the West that plays in the Eastern Time Zone. Now there's a couple reason the Jackets would move East over the Wings. First, the Wings have plenty of rivalries out in the West to leave behind, while the Jackets don't really have any. Second, the Jackets are another young team that's coming up the ranks and could flourish in the wide-open East. It would give the Jackets a chance to make the playoffs and actually make for even more exciting hockey out East with all the talent there. Now, not to make the Conferences unbalanced....

4. Relocate the Panthers: Sorry Panthers fan, but you aren't cutting it. Albeit, Miami is a fickle sports town-- just ask the Marlins and Heat, even after they won championships. In light of the short-comings of the franchise, maybe it's time for the current ownership to put the Panthers up for sale and maybe get some investors for Kansas City to buy the team and put it in that vacant arena they build "Field of Dreams" style. And let's not kid anyone, the actual Florida panther is almost extinct, may as well have the team of its namesake go by the wayside, too.

5. Ice Girls for ALL: Who doesn't like decent looking women in tight clothing in an ice rink to help pep things up. Sure, there's people who hate them and say they ruin the tradition of the game...but they also said that hockey below the Mason-Dixon line wouldn't work; though the jury is still out on that one in some cases (see #4). But in the end, some fans in some buildings need a little motivation to cheer along. Enough with the lethargic fans out there. For more ice girls, check out Hotties of Hockey-- good times, good times.

So, that's that. It's a now hack-move just going with the trend of others and coat-tailing their noterity, but it's how I roll.

Oh, and by the way-- if anyone knows the name of the Hurricanes Storm Squad girl in the picture, let me know.

Ladies and Gentlemen....Greg Wyshynski

It's an epic time for me, mostly because it's almost the end of the work week. But still...

I usually don't do pre-interviews when it comes to FOHS, but this week's guest is one whose mind I had to tap into on a deeper level-- Yahoo's Puck Daddy Editor, Greg Wyshynski. Shynner (as no one calls him) has done it all from writing a fantastic collection of essays to what he does now for Yahoo-- everything in-between is a blur, but it will more than likely come out in some kind of drunken rambling.

After wheeling and dealing with his people, I was able to do a little dialogue with Mr. Wyshynski from his plush NoVA (Northern Virginia for those not in the loop) grotto. I, sadly, was still in Calgary.

And yes, I had to use one of the most awkward-looking pictures of Greg out there.

SW: First Greg, thanks for taking the time out to do this.

GW: Well, you’ve caught me at a good time, having just completed a 50-foot mural of Michael Phelps in my rec room. I used Gatorade-colored paint and gelt for the gold medals.

SW: As you have mentioned a number of times, you’re a Devils fan. When you go to a game, do you go full “David Puddy” for it or are you a little more laid back??

GW: I don’t go the full David Puddy, because I’m not a face-painter. I painted my face once for a basketball game while attending the University of Maryland, and I got a nosebleed. I have no idea if one had to do with the other; but it’s sort of like when you go to a restaurant and end up with massive diarrhea afterwards -- why chance another trip to the well??

I’m embarrassingly vocal at games. It’s my goal to make the person in the row in front of me laugh at least once, usually at an inappropriate joke about one of my own players. I also try to start chants. Here in D.C., I’m legend for being the guy who screams out crap on the escalator after the game. Mostly because, at that point, it’s the Smithwick's talking.

SW: What is it with the Devils not getting any respect in their own state?? I mean, South Jersey fans are usually Flyers fans, Northern Jersey goes with NYC, and the Central folks seem to care less. Why are people so down on this team??

GW: First off, Central Jersey represent: We care about a lot of things. Jovi tickets, shore traffic, the mall closest to a White Castle. All of it.

One aspect to the Devils’ problems is that buffet of other sports options. The Devils aren’t just competing with three other hockey teams; they’re competing against all of New York’s teams and all of Philly’s teams for attention, too.

I think the new arena will help, because it’s finally a destination worthy of a pro team. It’s just a matter of adding some basic elements around the place. Like a good bar or two.

In the end, the Devils only have themselves to blame, because marketing was a foreign concept for that franchise for decades. There’s a distance between Devils fans and that team that doesn’t exist for Islanders fans or for Capitals fans. They don’t feel like part of the community. It’s Lou Lamoriello’s fault, because he created so many barriers for fans and for the media. But he’s also the reason the team has three Stanley Cups, so it’s hard to argue with that approach.

SW: Switching gears to the internet; with all the blogs and podcasts pertaining to hockey, is it safe to say that hockey fans are the most tech savvy??

GW: There’s no question hockey fans are the most tech savvy. We’re also the smartest fans, because you need a degree from M.I.T. to figure out the 27 columns in the NHL standings. Wins and losses?? That’s for morons. Make mine overtime defeat points!

Hockey fans also have the ability to edit together highlights, set them to a System of a Down song and put it on YouTube. Let’s see a golf fan do that.

SW: As a follow up, do you think that fans in the states almost have to rely on the internet due to possible lack of coverage by national outlets??

GW: Yes, but not strictly in a blogging way. The Canadian newspapers and sites like TSN drive the narrative as much as any blog does, so for U.S. fans to have access to that is critical.

I worked for a newspaper for nearly a decade. It sucks to see that medium struggle, because it gave me everything I have (because I gave it everything I had). But part of that struggle comes from a misunderstanding of their audience. I’m sorry, but if the Washington Post stops covering the Stanley Cup playoffs with a reporter after the Capitals are eliminated, that’s not serving its audience. That’s serving its editor’s interests, of which hockey is not a primary one. And readers are like, “I really don’t care about what you’re giving me, so I’ll be leaving for the summer.” And then the paper shrinks.

SW: Speaking of internet blogs, it seems that the Puck Daddy portion on Yahoo has been a rousing success. What’s in store for the season ahead??

GW: Really, is there any way to top our “Gary Bettman: Portraits in Heroism” contest?? I might as well hand in my resignation right now.

This season will be the first full one for Puck Daddy, as we came online in April. I can tell you we’re planning to have some rather interesting names guest-blogging for us throughout the season, should deals become sealed.

But we’re going to be a daily, topical and controversial as we’ve been all summer. The goal has always been to be a site that offers you something new whenever you come to visit us.

SW: As the author of the critically acclaimed Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer, is there anything you’d like to add to the 101 Worst Ideas in Sports??

GW: The tragedy of that book is that it could have been the “901 Worst Ideas in Sports History,” because as I was writing it more and more idiocy occurred. Were I to write a sequel, I’d add three right away: The AHL Iowa Chops, the congressional steroid hearings and ThunderStix. Seriously, god gave you palms. Clap them, stupid.

You are correct, by the way, that “Glow Pucks” was critically acclaimed. It’s the most well-reviewed bathroom book in the history of sports journalism. Mostly because I’m the only author who dares admit he wrote a collection of essays for the crapper.

SW: Hypothetical portion of the show, say you’re the mad scientist, make your ultimate hockey player.

GW: First off, he’d have Jiri Tlusty’s penis, for the inevitable Facebook photo scandal.

My favorite skater remains Jagr, simply because he used to drag defenders like he was Mark Bavaro when he was with Pittsburgh. My player would have Brett Hull’s shot, Gretzky’s vision, John Madden’s tenacity, Yzerman’s two-way responsibility, Scott Stevens’s hitting ability, Lindros’s size and Forsberg’s hands. I’d also give him Ricci’s smile and Sean Avery’s way with the ladies, for the pure dichotomy of it.

SW: Now, let’s say you’re a wrestler. What’s your entrance music and why??

GW: I’d have to go with two that have already been used: Steve Austin’s music was, perhaps, the best in the history of wrestling because the arena would pop so epically when the glass would break.

But my favorite entrance music has to the “Hollywood” Hogan use of “Voodoo Chile,” from the opening notes to the way he just took it all in when strolling to the ring. It was a white man’s pimp walk them.

Honorable mention: The Bushwackers song, because it fit so well with Vince McMahon’s fake laughter as their antics, back when he was a face announcer.

SW: Now, let’s say you’re at a blackjack table and have a pair of threes—do you split or hit??

GW: Ha!! I’ll have to ask Glenn Anderson his advice, which will in turn just be Gretzky’s advice anyway.

SW: Finally, it’s your time, Greg—if you have anything to plug; plug away.

GW: First, I want to thank all the puckheads who’ve found their way to Puck Daddy, dug it, hung around and continue to support the site. It’s been a pleasure to see this thing grow like an angry sea monkey for the last few months. (This includes those pricks who post “Slow news day, huh?” on every comedy piece we do. Because even if you’re a prick, you’re still reading, which is fundamental.)

In closing, I’d like to spotlight the four most underrated comedic performances in recent cinematic history: Anna Faris as Samantha James in “Just Friends”; Tim Curry as Wadsworth in “Clue”; Stephen “Flounder” Furst as Harold in the early 1980s scavenger hunt film “Midnight Madness”; and Matthew McConaghey in “Reign of Fire,” which probably wasn’t supposed to be a comedy now that I think about it.

Ladies and Gentlemen-- the man, the myth, the blogging legend-- Greg Wyshynski. What more needs to be said that hasn't been said about The Ten Commandments, CATS, and anything that Michael Winslow did after Police Academy??