from Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star,

The NHL dot-com website’s attempts at advanced stats have rendered hockey nerds whiter-faced with rage. In the NBA, the website is . . . astonishing. Who is the best pick-and-roll player? Which teams pass the most? They have you covered. Hockey’s playoff format will match two of the league’s best four teams in the first round: the NBA will reward its teams for the regular season, and therefore have a better chance that the best teams will play more playoff games.

The patterns repeat, and repeat. One sport pushes its own envelope; one seems content to scrape along without too much vision, without too much verve. Forget whether you like basketball or hockey better; in this country, it’s not the question.

No, think about what the league actually offers you, versus what it could. The NHL has eliminated the gong-show stuff people loved, let offence wither, suppressed personalities and limited itself in a thousand different ways, and we Canadians eat it up regardless. It’s our fault, in a way.

more