[CaptainCrunch]

So I've been thinking about this for a while and it comes back to the discussion. Does Hockey and specifically NHL hockey bring you the same joy and satisfaction as it used to. This isn't about how good or bad the team is, that's really irrelvant to the discussion.

Let me put it this way.

When I was a young lad in the mid 80's I was a fantatic. I used to watch every game that I could. I had a little radio digital wrist watch and when I had to take my dog out for a walk, I had that plugged into my ear. I knew every Flame, I knew their win loss record, I knew their schedule off by heart. Even in the days without Internet, I would race out and spend my hard earned money on the hockey news, and the hockey digest. Stay up late to watch Sports at 11:30 to see stories on the team.

It all lead up to the Win in 89, sitting in a bar watching the Flames hoist the cup. At least I think I did but I was far too drunk.

My fanaticism, continued into the 90's, with the pushing forward of the Internet and information at your finger tips. I became even more of a fan. I could follow prospects better, and do draft preparation, I knew more about other teams. All the games were being televised, and I would make time to either watch them or record them to watch later. From October to June it was hockey time. I participated in virtual hockey leagues like APBA leagues (Remember those).

Maybe it was the long years of bad hockey, maybe the game has changed too much for me.

But now, I just don't know if there's that hockey passion anymore. Even in a tight playoff race its not like I want to rush home, just to watch a game. I have a tablet with NHL.com's app on it, so I can see the highlights and even the stats. I can't remember the last time, I dove super deep into the prospects forum or the farm teams stats. I get excited about certain games.

But even last night watching that Pittsburgh game, halfway through I had a book in my face and I half listened.

Look I want to be clear. This isn't about the whole argument that you see on this board about the Flames sucking or not sucking.

I've just come to the realization, that somehow this game has gotten too monotone, in a way too serious, too stats oriented, and pretty passionless.

What do I think has happened to make the season too long and dropped my interest from super fan to fan to interested bystander

1) Advanced Stats discussion - I get it, and I applaud people who follow them. But I can't subscribe to it. It makes the game too video gamish and too dispassionate. I also wonder about the over all worth in adding to the entertainment value of the game. I guess I'm too old for it. But when someone goes into a lengthy discourse about Corsi, or Fenwich, or Possession, and all I can think about is why that player pulled off of a hit, or my eyes glaze over while the Golden Grahames theme song echo's in my head, it makes me think that I'm not the intended audience.

2) Passion Play - I just don't see it anymore. Hockey has become a systems game. It started in the 80's when coaches for bad teams took the concept of late game Kitty Bar the Door and spread it to the whole game. When coaches defensive strategies were to put a shadow on the best player for the opponents team, maybe it lost me. At some point, hockey has become too much like slot hockey. Its probably caused by coaches trying to hold onto their jobs by playing caution based systems, but what made hockey fun to follow was that it was a fast (for its time) mistake filled game with lots of hitting and passion. I'm not saying its sucks or its bad, but its a disconnect to me.

3) Money - The internet was/is great for getting information. But at this point, it just seems like the fan experience has shifted off ice and there's more excitement around things like Cap Management, and player salary levels and points per dollar. We spend out time talking about arena deals and TV deals. Its almost become like a business meeting when people talk about dollars.

4) Has hockey become a perimeter game? - I think that the move to get hockey off the boards has gone too far. Because hockey is now a donut game to me, it starts two feet from the boards and 10 feet from the slot. Its all about circle like basket ball around the key.

Ayways, is it me, I would happily accept that the game has left me behind. That my groaning when the calendar turns to march that I'm the only one saying, "I'm out of gas on these things".

For the most part, I love this community and the people here, but it seems to be that for the most part, I come to this board for the off topic stuff, the other sports stuff and because I love playing a over the top Oiler hater (Don't worry folks I actually do dislike the Oilers).

Does hockey need to worry about people like me, that have steadily decreased the dollars spent on actually watching the game (C class fan represent Yo).

And no, I 'm not saying, bring back goons and fighting because that's what I want to see.

Is the league missing the boat here by becoming too much like a robot hockey league?

Anyways, I thought it would merit a discussion.