A couple of weeks ago in this newsletter, I mentioned that legendary NFL reporter Peter King had published a new book, and I used that as a hook to reminisce on what I consider the glory days of internet sportswriting in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Fans of King’s work will remember that one of the best features of his beloved Monday Morning Quarterback column for the Sports Illustrated website was the “10 Things I Think I Think” segment in which he blended his reporting with opinions and observations on football and anything else that interested him. Besides being informative and entertaining, this gimmick proved quite influential in the sports media community as countless writers over the years have appropriated it in their own way.
Well, now it’s my turn to rip off Peter King! I always have a bunch of random thoughts and takes on the sports world rattling around my head, and I figured it might be fun to put them down in the newsletter from time to time. So here goes. Here are three things I think:
1. I think I’m not really enjoying the NHL’s new player-empowerment era.
In today’s more player-friendly media environment, we’re no longer supposed to shame anyone for wanting to go someplace else, contract be damned. But I’ll just point out that there’s a cost to the recent NBA-ification of the NHL, and right now it seems Canadian fans are the ones mostly footing the bill.
Within the last year, we’ve seen American stars Quinn Hughes (Vancouver), Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa) and, most recently, Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg) trigger a trade from their Canadian-based teams by telling them they wanted to move on. Each guy still had more than a year left on his contract, and Hellebuyck had five.
Tkachuk and Hellebuyck negotiated no-movement clauses in their contracts, and they leveraged them (as is their right) to reach a preferred destination. Hellebuyck, set to make his debut with New Jersey tonight, went to a Devils team that he believes is aligned with his goal of winning a Stanley Cup. Tkachuk joined his older brother Matthew on the Florida Panthers, a prime contender for their third Cup in four years. Hughes does not have such a clause in his contract, but his perceived desire to play in the United States may have made other Canadian teams reluctant to offer the Canucks an attractive trade package before they shipped him to Minnesota last December.
Canadian teams are not the only ones going through this sort of thing. Hughes has so far declined to sign an extension with Minnesota and could hit unrestricted free agency this July. And the Detroit Red Wings are currently shopping former captain Dylan Larkin, who requested a trade over the summer. But we pretty much know that Hughes doesn’t want to come back to Canada, while Larkin, wielding a no-movement clause, reportedly submitted a list of 10 acceptable destinations that does not include any Canadian teams.
If there’s a silver lining to all this rejection, it’s that Canadian fans are very good (and very funny) at expressing their emotions. For his first game back in Ottawa last week, Tkachuk was greeted by relentless booing, insulting signs and profane chants. Hughes’ long-awaited return to Vancouver this past weekend was a bit more muted (time heals wounds, I guess) but still delightfully cantankerous. And I can’t wait to see what Winnipeg has in store for Hellebuyck when the notorious playoff underachiever has to face one of hockey’s most passionate fan bases on Nov. 10.
2. I think the proposed law to restrict sports-gambling ads sounds like a good idea.
The federal standing committee on Canadian heritage is scheduled to meet this week to vote on Bill S-211, a law that proposes to develop “a national framework to regulate sports betting advertising in Canada and to set national standards for the prevention of risk for persons negatively impacted.” The bill states, in part, that the framework should include measures aimed at “restricting the use of such advertising… or to limiting or banning the participation of celebrities and athletes in the promotion of sports betting.” If it’s approved by the committee, the legislation, which has already passed the Senate, would go to a third and final reading in the House of Commons.
This is long overdue. Since the federal government legalized single-game sports betting in 2021 and allowed the provinces to manage it, there have been several foreseeable consequences — such as an increase in gambling by underage kids and other people “at a heightened risk of harms,” as the bill notes in its preamble. Research has shown that increased exposure to gambling ads can lead to an increase in gambling, which is not surprising in an age where all you have to do to place a bet is log into your phone, where any number of apps will provide you with a frictionless experience designed to take your money.
But one thing I don’t think we fully anticipated is the sheer amount of gambling ads we’re now subjected to any time we tune into a game. A recent study commissioned by CBC News found that gambling ads or logos appeared two to three times per minute during last season’s NHL playoffs.
Setting aside the potential societal harms, these ads are just really annoying — especially if you’re watching with kids. Hopefully we’ll soon look back at this era of unfettered gambling promotion the way we now view old cigarette ads.
3. This one is a bit esoteric, but I think you should not be allowed to just punch the football without repercussions.
NFL fans will be familiar with the “Peanut Punch,” a technique pioneered by former Chicago Bears cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman in which a defensive player uses a well-timed fist to dislodge the ball and cause a fumble. With turnovers having such a big influence over the outcome of games, the move has gained popularity over the years and now seems to be a regular part of most teams’ defensive tactics.
But it’s gone too far. Over the last few weeks, I’ve seen several instances of a defensive player going for a Peanut Punch, only to miss the ball entirely and strike the ball carrier’s body instead. An egregious example came this past Sunday when 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw punched Falcons star receiver Drake London right in the head.
I understand punching the football, but if your punch misses, should that be a flag? https://t.co/UrTc9tVIKB
I’m not saying ban the Peanut Punch. But, if you miss one and hit your opponent’s body (especially the head or neck), that should be a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness.
