The Blind Side...of the NHL

 The NHL continues to move forward as the most progressive of the 4 major professional sports with a new rule change today. The new Rule implemented today will punish any "lateral, back-pressure or blindside hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact." Kudos to the Mullet draped owners for implmenting it now in the middle of the season, as soon as it became a very evident problem bam! They were on it. The NHL wants to turn out the best product and seems dedicated to it; other sports (ahem: football) wait till the offseason to try and fix the oddities of the NFL...overtime...and baseball seems to wait till the playoffs to implement new exciting technology...and the NBA is just lost to me....MLS isn't real....

The move is very controversial, but definitly a necessary change to look out for the safety of the NHL players. With all the current controversey surrounding NFL concussions, the rule change shows a progressive movement towards protecting their athletes heads.

Unlike the NFL QB protection rules, this move does not take any of the bad assness out of hockey. It may simply save a few lives and who benefits when hockey players live to play another day? The owners. So a good move for both sides. Owners get their money, players get their heads. But, drunken mulleted-coifed Canadians will complain; because no one is tougher than a Canadian...

Either way this year the NHL continues to showcase how it is number 3 of the four major sports and possibly moving past MLB at some point. Well maybe not, our national past time will always have a place in our hearts; but hockey...lord hockey is exciting. No more Ties, Shootouts. No whiny players demanding more money, badass athletes who get hit by cars and play that night. And to be honest HDTV makes it easier to see the puck. So maybe the NHL should just thank High Definition television. Either way its nice to know the players will get to go home, watch the puck go back and forth, and not have their heads roll off.

Drop the Puck!
-Matt