Stammbäume » ll. The NBA abandoned short shorts and the NHL

VANCOUVER, BC – Theyre not quite at the midway mark of their season – that will come Tuesday night in Nashville – but the Vancouver Canucks have lurched to the 40-game mark which offers a nice round number with which to work when assessing their season so far. And all things considered, the first 40 games have offered a little bit of everything from a hockey club that faced many questions in its first year under new management, with a new head coach and with a number of new faces in the lineup. However, with a recent dip in scoring, it seems some of the same old questions persist and several new ones have been raised after a somewhat troubling homestand. Professional sport is a what have you done for me lately business and unfortunately, there are too many Canucks who havent done much in recent weeks. With just one goal in their past seven periods – on 71 shots in that span, I might add – the Canucks have to start asking themselves where the offence has gone and where its going to come from when teams get into lockdown mode as the battles heighten for playoff spots down the stretch. The Canucks opened the season with 13 wins and a shootout loss in their first 20 games (13-6-1 for 27 points). They scored 59 goals and allowed 59, spreading the offence and finding ways to win the close games while a few blowout losses accounted for the higher than desired goals against. As theyve done for the better part of a decade now, Henrik Sedin (5+15=20) and Daniel Sedin (4+16=20) led the Canucks offence and produced at a point-a-game clip over the first 20 outings and new linemate Radim Vrbata came out firing with nine goals in his first 20 games. Vrbata was followed closely in the goal-scoring derby by fellow newbie Nick Bonino (7+8=15) while another newcomer Linden Vey (4+5=9) chipped in capably in the teams first 20 contests. The second 20-game portion of the schedule started with three straight victories over Chicago, New Jersey and with a 5-0 win in Columbus on November 30th, the Canucks slept on the NHL lead with a record of 16-6-1 and 33 points in their first 23 games. However since that night in mid-Ohio, the Canucks have been spinning their wheels with seven wins in their past 17 outings (7-8-2). All told, the team went 10-8-2 (22 pts) in its second 20-game stretch of the season with the offence dropping to 52 goals while the Canucks managed to tighten up defensively -- even without Dan Hamhuis, who was injured in Game 20 and hasnt played since -- surrendering 44 goals. As they did in the first 20-game segment, the Sedins paced the Canucks offensively with Daniel (4+12=16) leading the way and Henrik (3+12=15) just a point back. Linemate Vrbata was again the Canucks leading goal-scorer in the second 20-game stretch, registering seven goals during the span. So across the board, there was slippage in scoring from the Canucks top trio, but not significantly enough to sound the alarm. No, the alarm is needed for the next six forwards, particularly the second liners. While Nick Bonino settled in nicely in his new surroundings in the first six weeks of the season, he has gone into hiding offensively in the past month. After recording 15 points in his first 20 games, Boninos contributions were cut in half in the second segment with just seven points while Chris Higgins, who had opened the season with 12 points in his first 20 games, dried up in the next 20 with five. Alex Burrows, who has shuttled up and down the lineup in recent weeks, has held steady from segment to segment with nine points in the first 20 games and eight in the past 20. Brad Richardson and Shawn Matthias were both strong in a 10-game stretch (Games 21-30), but have seen their offensive contributions all but vanish in the past 10 games. Segment over segment, Richardson started the year with seven points and Matthias had five in the first 20 games. Richardson upped his output to 12 and Matthias chipped in with seven in the most recent 20-game stretch. Zack Kassian missed most of the second 20-game stretch of the season with an injury and only recently returned, but he has just five points on the season and has just one goal since opening night so he gets lumped in with the rest of the struggling scorers. Fourth liners Jannik Hansen (5+1=6/4+5=9) and Derek Dorsett (2+4=6/2+5=7) have remained fairly consistent in their production and have chipped in with timely scoring – although like many others on the team, the goals have dried up in recent weeks. The concern for the Canucks is the past 10-game segment was played primarily on home ice and did not include any back-to-back games. The team went 5-4-1 scoring 24 goals while giving up 18. However, seven of the 24 goals came in one game against Arizona and the stretch also included two empty net goals against Detroit and an own-goal versus Calgary. Take those scoring plays out of the mix and that leaves 14 goals over nine games. Overall, the Canucks have 18 goals from their forward group in the past 10 games led by Radim Vrbata with four, Alex Burrows three, Daniel Sedin has two and Henrik Sedin scored both of his goals in that stretch into an empty net against the Red Wings. Seven other forwards have netted a single goal over the past 10 games. And on too many nights of late, this years Canucks resemble the team of a year ago that struggled so mightily to put the puck in the net. Willie Desjardins and his coaching staff have to figure out how to get this group scoring again or it will be a monumental challenge in the second half of the season to stay with the pack in the Pacific Division and in the Western Conference wild card race. The Canucks have received sensational goaltending since Christmas and have had one of the leagues top penalty kills all season long and those elements have helped them pick up points over the past two weeks. But that can only take a team so far. They could certainly use a few more chances on the power play in the next segment of the schedule – they had 67 power plays in the first 20 games but just 52 in the past 20 as their power play goals dropped slightly from 13 to 11. So the power play percentage rose segment over segment, even though the number of goals declined. On Saturday against Calgary, the Canucks didnt have the chance to work with the man-advantage – the second time that has happened in the past six games. That was the latest example of the Canucks struggles to score. They outplayed their Alberta rivals – and held a wide 36-23 edge in shots. But at the end of the night, none of that mattered. The bottom line was the Flames found a way to put a puck in the net while the Canucks were left to wonder where the offence that was there for them early in the season has gone. And it has some observers wondering whether they can get it back or if changes will have to be made to keep the Canucks competitive as they begin the third 20-game segment of their season. Doug McDermott Jersey .com) - The Denver Nuggets snapped a losing streak last time out and will try to carry that momentum Saturday night when they welcome the Indiana Pacers to the Pepsi Center. Domantas Sabonis Jersey . -- The Denver Broncos locked up a shutdown cornerback, only his name wasnt Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. http://www.cheappacersjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-reggie-miller-jersey . - Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis said Wednesday hes "nodded off" during meetings, but he said its something every player does. Cheap Pacers Jerseys Authentic . -- Mike Shanahan gave Robert Griffin III a rest, and may have turned up the pressure on himself, too. Cheap Pacers Jerseys . His big 2-minute outburst in the fourth quarter Tuesday night is all that really mattered for the Dallas Mavericks.The NHL has once again said no - for the time being - to selling prime space on team jerseys to sponsors, a move the league estimates would generate at least $120 million. During a recent meeting of NHL team presidents in New York, league officials estimated they might raise $4 million per team by allowing corporate sponsors to put their logos front and centre on jerseys, a person familiar with the matter told TSN. "Gary (Bettman) and owners like the money, but they dont want to be first out of the box with this in North America," the person told TSN. "Theyll wait for the NBA or baseball to do it and then be second or third." The NHL, like other mainstream North American sports, to this point has resisted breaking with tradition, even though NHL jerseys already carry advertising since jersey maker Reeboks logo is so prominent. Major League Baseball may have been the first major North American sports league to consider the money-generating move. In 1999, MLB considered putting logos on the sleeves of player uniforms, but commissioner Bud Selig said no. As recently as 2012, the NBA made up mock Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls jerseys with sponsor logos in place of the Celtics and Bulls names on the front. The NBA ultimately decided against the move. Sports marketing experts say a corporate presence on NHL jerseys is inevitable. Traditions change, after all. The NBA abandoned short shorts and the NHL, too, has tinkered with its uniforms through the years, at times allowing teams to wear white skates and long hockey pants called Cooperalls that ran from the waists of players to their ankles. "The AHL added patched in the late 1980s and it really wasnt a big deal," said Bob Stellick, a former Toronto Maple Leafs marketing official whose clients have included McDonalds and the Royal Bank of Canada. "Look at English soccer or TFC. They ask people to purchase jerseys with a huge BMO logo and it doesnt seem to be a deterrent." Some NHL teams already feature corporate ads on practice jerseys. "Its inevitable but will be perceived as a sell out and weakness by the first North American league to do so," said Brian Cooper, president of S&E Sponsorship Group. "Even though English Premier League, Nascar and Euro hockey have done it. Its the blatant commercialization of sport. Its almost too close to the heart of sport." An NHL spokesman declined to comment. During the meeting of NHL team presidents, NHL executive John Collins, who has fostered the leagues popular outdoor games, discussed plans to use technology to sell rink board ads in a different way. The so-called erase and replace rink boards feature ads that can be replaced on TV, meaning the NHL can sell region-specific ads to advertisers. An NHL final could feature rink boards with Swedish ads for viewers in Stockholm, or Cyrillic ads for those in Russia. The Philadelphia Flyers discussed the possibility of adding more ads on the ice surface, and league officiials discussed ways to generate more revenue from jersey sales, which have been relatively flat in recent years.dddddddddddd Reeboks jersey contract with the NHL expires in 2016, and companies including Bauer and Under Armour are expected to pursue a new deal with the NHL, several sources told TSN. The team presidents also heard from several clubs including the New York Rangers who are planning to use jerseys this year that have computer chips built in. The chips will allow teams to more accurately track a players speed and movements on the ice for use in advanced statistical analysis. Some NHL players have reconciled the prospect of ads on jerseys. In 2008, a group of influential NHL players that includes New Jerseys Martin Brodeur, Dallass Marty Turco, Detroits Dominik Hasek and Edmontons Dwayne Roloson urged the NHL to alter league uniforms, perhaps starting first with goalie jerseys. "When you can add additional revenue, it creates options," said Ritch Winter, an Edmonton player agent who worked on the goalies efforts. "It doesnt have to start with ads on every jersey. Maybe you have a third jersey or maybe ads are just on goalie jerseys. Whats wrong with a new tradition? The majority of immigrants to North America come from Europe and Africa and Asia, where they are used to seeing ads on jerseys. Is Manchester Uniteds jersey any less popular around the world than the New York Yankees jersey?" In professional leagues throughout Europe, player uniforms are covered in ads. When former Leafs star Doug Gilmour played in Switzerland during the 1994-95 lockout, he was reportedly asked by his team to put advertising stickers on the shaft of his hockey stick. Once, when he skated out for a pre-game warm-up, a team trainer asked him to adjust his socks to make a sponsors logo more prominent. The introduction of ads on arena rink boards in the late 1970s was a turning point for the NHLs ties to corporate North America. The Minnesota North Stars were the first franchise to debut rink board ads, selling eight pairs at $3,000 a pair. Cooper and other marketers said the money may be too rich for the NHL to resist for long. In the English Premier League, teams are expected this season to reap a collective $341 million worth of jersey sponsorships, the London Independent newspaper reported. In a new deal with Chevrolet, Manchester United will bring in $84 million a season, more than double the $35 million the team got during the previous season from the insurance company Aon. Its worth noting that soccer uniforms havent always been emblazoned with ads. In 1976, a soccer team in Kettering, England, became the first in British soccer to compete in a game with a sponsors logo, Kettering Tyres, on their jerseys. Britains Football Association demanded the corporate logo be removed from the team uniform and TV networks refused until 1983 to show teams wearing uniforms with corporate logos. That resistance eventually disappeared. Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '