2020 Playoffs

[lightupdadarkness]

Tuukka opts out

[Tony]

Tuukka opts out

[Da_Hawks]

Certainly not someone from this league because they'd have known that I drafted Brisson, then traded him almost right away in a ''trade down'' scenario to pick up Similac and company.

Happy to get an A in my draft though, though I imagine removing Brisson from my pool brings me down a few notches.

Edit: somehow managed to post this in the wrong thread.

[Shoalzie]

Jackets-Lightning is one of the better 5-game series that I can remember.

[Tony]

Go Knights. (pretty meh series, but whatever)

[The BBKL Insider]

Tuukka opts out

Rumor is he may even retire or take time away from hockey.

[kimmer]

'Euro factor' may be a new thing now

[KapG]

Certainly not someone from this league because they'd have known that I drafted Brisson, then traded him almost right away in a ''trade down'' scenario to pick up Similac and company.

Happy to get an A in my draft though, though I imagine removing Brisson from my pool brings me down a few notches.

Edit: somehow managed to post this in the wrong thread.

Atta boy!

[Shoalzie]

I'll be honest, I didn't bat an eye last night that the NHL kept playing. The NBA has now decided to press on with the playoffs after yesterday's pause but there's some opposition. Sitting out yesterday for the NBA got attention for sure but what did it accomplish?

I think these social issues and discussions become a bit more of a sticky subject when you mix in the bubble dynamic. If any player wanted to go out and protest in the streets with other citizens, they're basically nuking their eligibility to return. The bubble isn't meant to hold anyone against their will...see a guy like Rask who left because of a personal choice.

If a player or group of players want to leave and take a stand or get in front of this issue...what's stopping them? The NHL doesn't look very organized on this front so I'm glad they didn't clumsily sit out last night's games and just repeat what the NBA is doing. It would've come off as phony and insincere. I hate to say it but this will still be a problem after the playoffs end so you can protest after you leave the bubble.

[Shoalzie]

Back to less heavy talk...(coming from a Wings fan) nice to see the Avs get a win in that series last night but man, do they look wobbly. If you were to tell me any series would be 3-0 at this point...I sure wouldn't have guessed Stars over the Avalanche.

I think all four series have the vibe of "they could go either way". The Lightning do look like they're strengthening a bit like they did when they broke through and closed out the Jackets. So much talk about Stamkos' absence...that team is loaded with or without him.

[Da_Hawks]

If players in any sport really want to make a change, they can start pumping some of their millions of dollars back into the system to help fight the inequalities. 99% of them won't, so protesting by not playing doesn't mean anything either.

Actions with $$ speak louder than gimmick protests.

[Shoalzie]

...and the diversity council is putting the heat on the league to not play today. Now that there's been time for this idea to marinate and the league and it's players what talk about it, then okay. Ryan Reeves is supposed to play tonight and I wonder how he's feeling about all this.

The NBA isn't playing today but sounds like they'll be back on Friday.

Again, if you choose not to play tonight...fine...whatever...but what do you do next? It's almost as (un)impactful as playing.

[dave1959]

Racial inequality WILL stop tomorrow if they cancel the games tonight /s

[Shoalzie]

Intolerant people are just that. Those aren't the people that these actions will change their point of view because generally they're not open to change.

I really don't know how all of this will play a part in solving a much deeper issue than just police officers making bad decisions. Just like the gun control/mass-shooting issues or the #MeToo stuff...it comes down to individuals and I've long believed we're all accountable for our own behavior and actions. Policy changes are all well and good but expecting to wave a wand and change people's minds...I don't know if that's possible.

Intolerance is something that has to die off with a generation of people who were raised to think a certain way just like I think the younger generation today are coming up more as open-minded and accepting of all people.

I look inside my own home and I see my young son and the way to stamp out intolerance and close-mindedness is within your own families and to raise your kids right. Bad points of view grow within an environment that feeds those bad points of view. Racism is a learned behavior.

[Tony]

Needed the distraction tonight... but hey, fuck me right?

[Shoalzie]

Well, this is the ripple effect of this. You take away something people like...how do we respond? This is different than the pandemic when shutting it down was a matter of actual safety.

Not sure how long they want to sit out. I have a bad feeling if they want an audience with the pumpkin in chief, that's not going to happen. The Bucks players talked directly to members of the Wisconsin government. Not sure what was said or what needed to be said. Some times you just need to listen.

I'm not the one in the group of people that needs their point of view changed...I don't look at this move as an act of defiance against me. Do I support this? I definitely don't not support it.

I hope there's a plan for all this because it is a bold step to take.

[Tony]

I'm in the same mind set. Hockey was about the only joy I was finding, unfortunately.

Hopefully things change.

[kyuss]

Well, this is the ripple effect of this. You take away something people like...how do we respond? This is different than the pandemic when shutting it down was a matter of actual safety.

Not sure how long they want to sit out.

two days

[Loki]

I think people are missing the point of the strikes, yes there will still be racial inequality after the strikes are finished, it's not athletes job to fix it, nor can they with anything they do. That said they have a massive platform by which they can make these things harder to ignore like they've been ignored every time they've been brought up for decades. It's got you all talking about it, so it's achieved what it set out to do.

[Jordan (VGK)]

I think people are missing the point of the strikes, yes there will still be racial inequality after the strikes are finished, it's not athletes job to fix it, nor can they with anything they do. That said they have a massive platform by which they can make these things harder to ignore like they've been ignored every time they've been brought up for decades. It's got you all talking about it, so it's achieved what it set out to do.

Agreed. Also no one took COVID here seriously until the NBA cancelled. We look at sports for more than sports.