New Year's Day in Buffalo

Did anyone else have a problem trying to watch the Islanders' pre-season game last night on Islanders TV? It would have been great to check it out even for a little while even though I really can't stand "watching TV" on a computer. Plus, (The Ninth Wonder of the World) Tivo has ruined me forever because we time-shift a lot and record everything we watch.

Everyone in my office seems to feel the need to come up and tell me that they are surprised that the NHL was able to sell 41000 tickets in a half-hour for the outdoor game in Buffalo on New Year's Day. To be honest, I was a bit surprised as well. I thought it would take an hour. Good for the Sabres fans who got first crack at the other 30000 seats for the game. I'll be watching intently on New Year's Day. It will be a great day for hockey.

Have we all noticed how the so-called non-hockey media are whining about how stupid it is to schedule this game on New Year's Day, when all of the big college football bowl games are played? I don't even care about college football and even I know that the BCS championship games are played on other days than New Year's Day? Really, if there is any stupid move here, it is by the college football people. They used to literally OWN New Year's Day and then they started shifting these games around to maximize TV revenue and all that and now the big games are not appointment viewing any more like they once were. Used to be that college fans could plop on the couch and settle in for an entire day of good games. Now they all get spread out over a week or more.

The NHL and their TV partners have a real chance to showcase a unique event here. Highlights will be all over local and national newscasts and the potential is there to have some really good TV if we get a little help with the weather. How fun would it be to see the Sabres and Penguins skating around with a little snow falling from the sky and 71000 hearty Buffalo souls enjoying the elements and the game as it was intended to be played? I can't wait.