One NHL General Manager Has The Worst Idea In Sports Right Now
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Everyone wants sports back. Obviously. But with the millions of uncertainties regarding the coronavirus pandemic, figuring out how and when that return might be possible is very, very difficult.
That being said, in a world where the mantra might be "there's no such thing as bad ideas," well, I think we found a bad idea.
I think we actually found the WORST idea.
The idea comes from reporting by Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger for TSN. The reporting details how the NHL would like to resume play, if and when possible. The story detailed that the NHL very much wants to play regular-season games upon a theoretical resumption of play, rather than jumping directly into the postseason.
That's a sensible desire. Having players go from 0-100 would be asking a lot of their bodies, and having some sort of finish to the regular season would allow all 31 markets to host some games and get a bit of an economic boost while also engaging fans before going away for the offseason.
Fair enough.
Playing regular-season games, though, would likely limit the number of postseason games that could be played, as a Stanley Cup Final in August already makes an on-time start to next season seem dubious.
And so, Dreger polled 24 NHL general managers. All of them would like to have the traditional four rounds of seven-game series, but all understand that a perfect outcome likely won't be possible. Of the 24 GMs, 20 of them were open to the idea of having best-of-five series for the first three rounds instead of best-of-seven series. That's somewhat radical, but understandable, considering the circumstances.
Another creative GM suggested a best-of-three first round, a best-of-five in the second round, and then a best-of-seven series for both the conference finals and Cup Final. Creative, but not that far out of bounds.
All of which gets us to his, the worst idea we've heard yet for any sport trying to get restarted.
"One creative general manager suggested one-game series for the first three rounds, and then a best-of-three in the Stanley Cup Final," Dreger reported.
Let's blow that one up in lights, to really let it shine:
"One creative general manager suggested one-game series for the first three rounds, and then a best-of-three in the Stanley Cup Final."
Have you ever heard of an idea as bad as that? You'd have to think long and hard to find one. That is a bad, bad idea.
We don't know which NHL GM suggested that. But that NHL GM needs to know this: That idea stinks.
Take that idea, and throw it in the garbage.
We all want sports back. We do not want one-game series. That's almost worse than not having sports back at all.
A setup of one-game "series" for three rounds, followed by a best-of-three Cup Final? Walk that idea out to the trash pin, bury it underneath last week's garbage bag, roll it out to the curb and never think or speak of it again.
Again, this is a world where everyone needs to get creative, where there's no such thing as a bad idea. Except for that one. That idea is so, so bad.
Bad idea, unnamed NHL GM. Bad job. Bad!
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
