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Originally posted by andrzejpw
Anyone else here sort of against the Wings? I mean, personally, I dislike teams with practically NO LIMIT on salaries. . . |
From sports writer Philip Ware:
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| I've heard such nonsense as “if the Red Wings win, it's because they bought the Cup.” Come again? Isn't that what people said about Colorado, last year, with the mega-million dollar signings of potential free agents Forsberg and Sakic along with the signing of Hall-Of-Fame shoe-in Ray Borque? Isn't that what people said regarding the Devils? It's the same, every year...any team that has signed any free agents or spent more than $2 on a player has suddenly “bought” the Cup. Work with me, here. Could it be that, perhaps, that's the job of the GM? You know, architect a team to win the Cup? Naw...couldn't be – that would wrong, wouldn't it? You know, trying to assemble the best players to give a team the best chance? No team worth a darn would ever do anything like that... |
The article is actually very interesting, comparing team payrolls and performance in the playoffs.
http://www.allsports.com/cgi-bin/sho...story_id=31469
And the Red Wings have the market to support the team. Detroit Red Wings merchandising revenue is among the best in the league (if not the best). In fact, I believe it's the only team with official team jerseys available for sale for
every player on the team. I believe Detroit also has one of the best records of consecutive sold out home games. Yeah, it's big business, but so is the rest of sports. Formula 1 (five syllables -- Michael Schumacher). NASCAR. Basketball. Baseball. Hockey.
Of course, as a Metro Detroiter (and a lifelong Red Wings fan), I'm biased. But I also find the pursuit by some of the veteran players very interesting. Robitaille and Hasek could have made more money elsewhere; but both of them put Detroit at the top of their list of teams to play for because they wanted to win a Stanley Cup in the last stages of their careers (something neither had previously done). Hull also signed on for a shot at another cup late in his career. Say what you will about the salary issues -- it's said almost every year, and in most major sports -- but this, the oldest team in the league, has been nothing but impressive, and, like Robert Horry of the Lakers, has come through so far when absolutely needed. Any way you cut it, if you've followed their run through the playoffs, the Red Wings have been at least as compelling a sports story as any other.
Go Red Wings!
