The NBA and NHL playoffs are upon us, the MLB season is just starting to pick up steam, the UFC is setting it's biggest stage in my hometown, and all I seem to hear on TV and radio are "headshots", "concussions", and "suspensions". This is getting fucking ridiculous. Correction, it's been ridiculous for some time now, I've just had enough of it.
It seems like there are daily segments on my favorite TV and radio stations discussing the questionable hits of the previous night, and whether or not the league handled them properly. Should we not be enjoying and discussing the amazing action that is the first round of the playoffs? The Knicks and Celtics, the Bruins and Habs, not Colin fucking Campbell and his credibility as a disciplinarian.
The NHL (and the NFL, if and when they return) needs to cut the shit and redefine their stance on the issue of headshots. It is starting to become a serious detriment to their overall product. San Jose manufactured an epic comeback the other night to win in overtime, and what am I listening to on the radio? A James Cybulski interview with Colin Campbell discussing headshots. An interview in which Colie more or less lost his shit and called out Cybulski and writer Dave Feschuk on the ridiculousness of the subject.
Do I believe that headshots should be ignored or swept under the rug? Absolutely not, they're a huge problem that needs to be addressed immediately because it's been going on far too long. My issue is that it has taken the league this long to just put their foot down and say "we're in charge, and we're not going to deal with this shabby bullshit". Make clear and definitive rules about the supplementary discipline involved in dealing with these incidents, and implement new some rule changes to help curb the amount of incidents occurring. Players should not have to keep dropping like flies in the meantime while they continue to waffle over what to do.
The people who really suffer in this are the fans (that's not counting the people who actually endure this horrific brain trauma for our enjoyment). What I mean by that is that these things should not be clouding up the sports atmosphere at a time when there is so much legitimate, juicy, engrossing sports stories that deserve our attention. With anywhere from six to ten hockey / basketball playoff games going on every single night, there is no shortage of narratives, epic finishes, and upsets that should be painting brilliant tapestries of the wonder of meaningful games. Instead we're locked in this perpetual debate of "whatever should we do". Cut the shit, that's what. Just cut the shit.
They say any publicity is good publicity, but when there is an overwhelming amount of actual good publicity you should be trying to embrace that and cut down on the stupid shit that makes you look stupid. It's unnecessary, and it's a slap in the face to fans who just want to enjoy the games they love. It's bad enough we have to hear about NFL court proceedings, and about Phoenix relocating to anywhere but Phoenix, we shouldn't have to be constantly reminded of the incompetence of the people running the show.
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