Sports venting

 

Every Sunday sports fans sound off

 
 
 
 
Edmonton Oilers Sam Gagner celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with Tom Gilbert during first period NHL action at Rexall Place on March 3, 2011, in Edmonton.
 

Edmonton Oilers Sam Gagner celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with Tom Gilbert during first period NHL action at Rexall Place on March 3, 2011, in Edmonton.

Photograph by: Greg Southam, edmontonjournal.com

The Oilers players have to get beyond their coach's over-philosophical approach, play the game with some reckless abandon and then each dedicate themselves to becoming better players, on their own, in as many aspects of the game as they can.

Most girl ringette teams are more physical than the Oilers. I've seen more hits at a no-contact beer-league game.

Is it true that Daryl Katz's drugstore chain is providing free Aspirins with your season-ticket package next year?

The Oilers' glory years have been replaced with gory years.

When the Oilers demonstrate their horrible judgment in keeping Ales Hemsky over Dustin Penner, it's clear that Kevin Lowe's hands remain firmly on the switch.

The Oilers gave Hemsky a great vote of confidence when they kept him over Penner, but does any Oilers fan truly think it will translate into performance?

Dustin, I can't say that I blame you, but it's hard to believe that you're sad to leave when the grin on your face is telling a different tale.

Penner inks a multi-year, multimil-lion-dollar deal in Edmonton, then fails to perform consistently or up to fans' expectations. So we ship him off to a team in the thick of the playoff race in southern California. That will show him who's boss!

First it was Radek ? ? Dvorak, then Ethan Moreau, now Penner. If you're a hot, handsome Oiler, your days on the team are numbered.

Guess I should switch my allegiance to the Los Angeles Kings. They have most of my favourite players: Ryan Smyth, Jared Stoll and now Penner.

It's hard to believe the Oilers would trade their leading goal scorer and one of the very few forwards with size. The youth could benefit from the character and experience of veterans like Penner.

Our news media criticize NHL players and coaches whenever they feel someone isn't doing an adequate job. Why are the referees immune to criticism? The standard is getting worse, and then they wonder why players fight to mete out justice on their own.

If the NHL is really concerned about fighting, why don't they simply break up a fight once it starts instead of allowing it to continue?

If Edmonton does not build a new arena and Daryl Katz moves the Oilers in 2014, how will the NHL decide which of the 21 playoff-bound teams that play in arenas that generate less revenue than Rexall Place would have the privilege of moving into Rexall the next day?

Memo to TSN: Please ship Pierre McGuire and Russ Howard to Algeria or somewhere.

Nothing made me laugh harder than watching the 14 analysts twiddle their thumbs and try to create news during the trade-deadline-day-thatwasn't on TSN.

Does the Oilers Sportsnet West play-by-play crew work for the Oilers? The way they call a game you would think the Oilers are competing for first overall instead of the bottom of the league.

Nothing made me laugh harder than watching the 14 analysts twiddle their thumbs and try to create news during the trade-deadline-day-thatwasn't on TSN.

E-mail us at venting@edmontonjournal.com or call 780-429-5196. You can also vent on Twitter at @ EJ_Venting or with the #yegventing hash tag . Check out our Face book page at facebook.com/EJVenting.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Edmonton Oilers Sam Gagner celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with Tom Gilbert during first period NHL action at Rexall Place on March 3, 2011, in Edmonton.
 

Edmonton Oilers Sam Gagner celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with Tom Gilbert during first period NHL action at Rexall Place on March 3, 2011, in Edmonton.

Photograph by: Greg Southam, edmontonjournal.com

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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