I am a sports fan.
I love all sports, particularly the team sports. Watching the New York Yankees win again last week was remarkable. With my past few years living part-time in that city, I know how important that baseball team is to New York.
But what amazed me last Wednesday night, was that same thing that amazed me at last June’s NBA championship in Los Angeles and the Super Bowl in Phoenix last February. Please Mr. Selig, Mr. Goodell and Mr. Stern, tell me why the trophies are presented to people who don’t play the games?
Fans want to salute their warriors, they don’t want to applaud a few people who might have sacrificed their wallets. Heck, when the Yankees won, there were 12 people I didn’t even know and the mayor of New York on the dais. What position was he playing?
You know, hockey has its faults and sometimes the NHL succeeds in spite of itself. However, the game’s greatest moment, its annual pinnacle is the presentation of the Stanley Cup to the people that play the game. The moment that the commissioner presents the Cup to the captain, it becomes an iconic moment for the player, the team and the fans.
In a single frame, a season is encapsulated by that shot of success and the passing of the Cup from player to player is something we all remember. We all wonder who will receive it after the captain. We remember Steve Yzerman passing the cup to Viacheslav Fetisov and Scott Niedermayer to Rob Niedermayer. As well, who can forget Mark Messier jumping up and down like a child or Rod Brind’Amour literally snatching the Cup out of the Gary Bettman’s hands. Those are truly great emotional sports moments, the players who have played the games know the cost to their bodies and careers. They deserve the chance to celebrate with the trophy first.
There isn’t one hockey fan who ever demanded that the Cup be presented to Red Wings owners Mike and Marion Ilitch or Ducks owner Henry Samueli. I truly believe if the owners were ever asked to receive it, they would say no.
It belongs to the players.
And just remember, hockey does it right.