The End of the NHL Lockout

On January 6^th, the NHL ended its 113 day lockout when a tentative deal was reached between the players and the owners. This was the third lockout to hit the league after ones in 1994-1995 and 2004-2005 the latter of which wiped out the entire season. The NHL was really riding a slippery slope this time after the previous work stoppages so it is good that this dispute was resolved. If the season had indeed been cancelled outright, the effects would have been devastating. The fans have been through one cancellation and were certainly not wanting to go through another one. The NHL owners and players did right by coming to an agreement and there will be labor peace for at least eight years. Despite the end of the lockout, many fans are not happy and have thought about boycotting some games in protest. Whether or not it will work remains to be seen.  While the popularity of the NHL is smaller compared to the NFL and MLB, it is still a popular sport in North America. If the NHL wants to keep its fans, it has to make a concrete effort to reach out to them. Discounts on merchandise and players signing autographs are a good thing. The NHL and its teams need to capitalize on that goodwill otherwise it will never learn from its mistakes.

My Thoughts on Doug Marrone Being Named the Bills Head Coach

On Monday January 7, the Buffalo Bills named Syracuse coach Doug Marrone their new head coach. It’s a little strange to see how this came to fruition. I saw his name mentioned as a possible candidate but didn’t think much of it. After there was a report that he was staying at Syracuse I thought, “Ok lets move on.” The Bills did interview other candidates including Oregon coach Chip Kelly and eventually made their choice of Marrone. Marrone represents a much different choice for the Bills as they have never made a college coach their head coach. As much was I wanted a head coach with experience (Lovie Smith) or an offensive minded coach (Mike McCoy), I like the choice of Marrone and what he brings to the team. As noted elsewhere it was not the retread coach route but something fresh and different.  I liked what Jerry Sullivan from the Buffalo News said, “It was not the safe choice and safe is what got them in this fix.” The enthusiasm that Doug Marrone brings is much welcomed and I’m excited to think about what he can bring to the Bills.