Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
Probably both. There is less emotion in the game today. Except during a tough play-off series, the players today don't hate their opponents the way they used to. There's so much player movement, guys always have friends on the other team. They have the same agents, they train together in the off-season. Players no longer bleed for the jersey they wear and want to shred the jersey of the other team.
Combine that with the intensive coaching and need to play error-free hockey, and you have a game that is technically excellent, but often flat and boring as a spectator.
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Yup, now you'd never see a player rush into the stands and using a fan's shoe to beat said fan, or using a skate to rip an opponent's jersey. Of course, those were rare occurrences even in the old(ish) days, but now there's nothing even approaching that kind of thing.
That's not to say I ever enjoyed goons hammering on other goons. I'm glad that's gone. There just doesn't seem to be any on or off-ice craziness (Bryzgalov might be the last one I can recall).
In the 90's I remember wanting to see a more technically-oriented game coupled with getting rid of obstruction. Maybe it's too much of a good thing now, but I'd generally agree that players being over-coached and the business aspects of sport have drained some of the unpredictability and explosiveness from the on-ice/on-field product.