Stop the lying!

[PASabreFan]

I just read on WGR's web site that, according to Paul Hamilton, Lindy Ruff said Tim is still not recovered from his concussion. I remember after Game 2 that players said Connolly was looking good and Ruff said there was a good chance he would play in Game 3.

 

These lies are not good for the game, not fair for the opponent, and not fair for the player in question, since it encourages talk about such and such being a "slacker" -- we heard a bit of this about Connolly toward the end of the conference finals -- but most of all it's not fair for us, the fans.

 

I don't think you can ever force a team to be completely honest about the nature of an injury and prognosis for return. But the outright lying -- the league should put a stop to it.

[RayFinkle]

Are you a bookie or something?

[X. Benedict]

I just read on WGR's web site that, according to Paul Hamilton, Lindy Ruff said Tim is still not recovered from his concussion. I remember after Game 2 that players said Connolly was looking good and Ruff said there was a good chance he would play in Game 3.

 

These lies are not good for the game, not fair for the opponent, and not fair for the player in question, since it encourages talk about such and such being a "slacker" -- we heard a bit of this about Connolly toward the end of the conference finals -- but most of all it's not fair for us, the fans.

 

I don't think you can ever force a team to be completely honest about the nature of an injury and prognosis for return. But the outright lying -- the league should put a stop to it.

 

I don't know. Recovered and ready to play can mean very different things in the playoffs.

Also with concussions - sometimes it is one step forward and two steps back, but I do see your point.

[apuszczalowski]

Whats the big deal?

 

He could have had his head cut off by a skate and after the game Ruff is still gonna say he may be ready to play in the next game. Its not giving the other team the advantage of knowing who to expect in the next game. We all knew Conolley would not be able to recover quickly from a concussion and considering that last one he had put him away for over a year, I really can't see him as a Sabre next year, or ever again, I think he is done like Brett Lindros

[nfreeman]

 

I really can't see him as a Sabre next year, or ever again, I think he is done like Brett Lindros

 

 

Now you're in the doghouse.

[Corp000085]

Whats the big deal?

 

He could have had his head cut off by a skate and after the game Ruff is still gonna say he may be ready to play in the next game. Its not giving the other team the advantage of knowing who to expect in the next game. We all knew Conolley would not be able to recover quickly from a concussion and considering that last one he had put him away for over a year, I really can't see him as a Sabre next year, or ever again, I think he is done like Brett Lindros

 

you know, in 1989 that actually happened... Malarchuk had his head almost cut off (or at least a skate cut across a couple arteries)... He came back. Shortly yes, but he came back.

 

 

As to the original topic, i agree that the NHL needs to get out of the stone age for injury reports. They need to incorporate a legitimate injury report like the NFL has. How they do that? i don't know... But proclaiming that a guy might be back for a week long series when you know 2 months down the road that he's still hurting is just not good business.

[apuszczalowski]

you know, in 1989 that actually happened... Malarchuk had his head almost cut off (or at least a skate cut across a couple arteries)... He came back. Shortly yes, but he came back.

As to the original topic, i agree that the NHL needs to get out of the stone age for injury reports. They need to incorporate a legitimate injury report like the NFL has. How they do that? i don't know... But proclaiming that a guy might be back for a week long series when you know 2 months down the road that he's still hurting is just not good business.

I don't see how it isn't good buisness. Coaches can announce the injury if they want, but alot chose not to cause they don't want their opponents to have the advantage of being able to gameplen knowing that a certain player will not play. They typically are very vague as to what kind of injury lik an upper body injury. Is it not good buisness cause fans and the media are left in the dark not knowing who to put in on their fantasy hockey teams?

 

As for me being in the doghouse know, I'm just calling it like I see it, he has a bad history of concussions and usually its not a type of injury that is easy to bounce back from. THe last one kept him out over a year, and sadly I think this one could keep him out longer. If it is anywhere as bad as the last one, I could see him having to call it quits if he wants to live a normal life, and what is turly said was that he finally became the player everyone was waiting for him to become.

[Corp000085]

I don't see how it isn't good buisness. Coaches can announce the injury if they want, but alot chose not to cause they don't want their opponents to have the advantage of being able to gameplen knowing that a certain player will not play. They typically are very vague as to what kind of injury lik an upper body injury. Is it not good buisness cause fans and the media are left in the dark not knowing who to put in on their fantasy hockey teams?

 

As for me being in the doghouse know, I'm just calling it like I see it, he has a bad history of concussions and usually its not a type of injury that is easy to bounce back from. THe last one kept him out over a year, and sadly I think this one could keep him out longer. If it is anywhere as bad as the last one, I could see him having to call it quits if he wants to live a normal life, and what is turly said was that he finally became the player everyone was waiting for him to become.

 

by "not good business" i meant for the league, not for the team. Sure, the sabres certainly benefited by wavering on the connolly injury during the ottawa and carolina series. However, it just makes the league look pretty bush. There isn't a good solution though. Unlike the nfl,. which plays games on one night a week, the nhl had a nightly schedule. Having a specific time for long term injuries becomes difficult to manage. Maybe a once a week/once a playoff series report would help? I don't know. It is a crime for the nhl to continue the practice of lying about injuries. In the age of up to the second information, it just doesnt' make sense to follow a 1950's system of injury reports.

[apuszczalowski]

by "not good business" i meant for the league, not for the team. Sure, the sabres certainly benefited by wavering on the connolly injury during the ottawa and carolina series. However, it just makes the league look pretty bush. There isn't a good solution though. Unlike the nfl,. which plays games on one night a week, the nhl had a nightly schedule. Having a specific time for long term injuries becomes difficult to manage. Maybe a once a week/once a playoff series report would help? I don't know. It is a crime for the nhl to continue the practice of lying about injuries. In the age of up to the second information, it just doesnt' make sense to follow a 1950's system of injury reports.

Why does a team HAVE to announce the exact nature and the timeframe a player will be out for?

 

The player is hurt, he will be out for an estimated period of time, or he may be back the next night, I don't see why it has to be made known to the entire world the exact nature of the injury and full time frame of recovery. Do you want them to also have to post somewhere the medical report on the player?

[Corp000085]

Why does a team HAVE to announce the exact nature and the timeframe a player will be out for?

 

The player is hurt, he will be out for an estimated period of time, or he may be back the next night, I don't see why it has to be made known to the entire world the exact nature of the injury and full time frame of recovery. Do you want them to also have to post somewhere the medical report on the player?

 

For the simple fact that the NFL does this exact thing. If willis twists his knee, the world knows the next day the results of his MRI and his status for the next game. I do believe that the NHL's injury reports gives it a certain quirk that is very interesting. I for one, love the "upper body injury"=torn ACL in the playoffs. However, for the better of the league, and the development of its popularity in america, the injury thing must be removed.

[PASabreFan]

I don't have a problem with vague descriptions of injuries and return times. Saying Dmitri Kalinin had a lower body injury and was week to week was fine with me. It's the outright lying that makes the NHL look, in Corp's words, "bush." Saying Connolly was "looking good" and had a "good chance" to play in Game 3 is criminal. Again, it hurts the fans more than anything.

[apuszczalowski]

For the simple fact that the NFL does this exact thing. If willis twists his knee, the world knows the next day the results of his MRI and his status for the next game. I do believe that the NHL's injury reports gives it a certain quirk that is very interesting. I for one, love the "upper body injury"=torn ACL in the playoffs. However, for the better of the league, and the development of its popularity in america, the injury thing must be removed.

So the NHL is going to win over more fans if they start declaring what injuries players have and their progress instead of just saying player X is hurt?

 

PA - I understand how lying about the injury is a stupid thing to do during the offseason, but in the playoffs I completly understand. By saying Connolley is looking good, it kept Carolina planning to possibly have him in Buffalos line-up. Also with the injury Connolley has, he may very well have looked good the next day, but that doesn't mean is is good.

 

I just don't understand why there is a big fuss on letting the fans know all this information about the injury, Why is it any of our buisness?

[PASabreFan]

So if Ryan Miller had an upset stomach on the morning of Game 7 (who didn't?), you wouldn't have had a problem with the Sabres announcing that he was ill and "not likely" to play, even if they knew he would?

[X. Benedict]

I don't have a problem with vague descriptions of injuries and return times. Saying Dmitri Kalinin had a lower body injury and was week to week was fine with me. It's the outright lying that makes the NHL look, in Corp's words, "bush." Saying Connolly was "looking good" and had a "good chance" to play in Game 3 is criminal. Again, it hurts the fans more than anything.

 

From the interview on Channel 2 sports in Buffalo last night - it sounded like Lindy believed that Connelley had a good chance to play.

 

That is not to say that NHL injuries don't get to be silly in the Playoffs.

It just didn't sound like it was just gamesmanship. There may have been a legitimate hope.

[SCSabresFan!]

Listen to the Sherpa good people.

[Bmwolf21]

I have no problem with tougher rules on injury reporting, but ones that have enough leeway to allow some gamesmanship. For instance - instead of a broken ankle, the Sabres could have released the injury as a bruised foot or stress fracture and listed him as day-to-day.

 

While we are bitching about the NHL, I have a simple request - when a goal is reviewed, and a decision is made, tell the fans and announcers what the heck the reason is. Why was the goal disallowed? Why was the goal in game 7 of the SCF disallowed? I'm not saying explain every single penalty, whistle, etc., but when it involves a scoring play, tell the fans WTF is going on... heck, I'd even settle for them lying to me - tell me the whistle blew early, tell me the ref lost sight of the puck - just tell me SOMETHING...