The NHL, from East to East

Published as, “Eastern teams get more coverage in NHL”

Ever heard of the East Coast bias? Sport leagues and media outlets are often accused of it, and often that’s because it exists.
It’s no secret, really. The concept involves organizations such as the National Hockey League and its media outlets having biased viewpoints in favour of eastern teams.
In a world where the dollar reigns supreme, the bias is almost justifiable.
There are a few variables that lead to this inequality, one of them being that the NHL is simply trying to make as much money as possible.
From the NHL’s standpoint, directing most of the attention to the eastern teams makes sense. More teams mean more fans, and more fans means more money.
Only eight of the 30 teams in the NHL lie in the west. With Winnipeg and Dallas being right in the middle, that leaves 20 teams in the east.
What the league’s commissioner, Gary Bettman, seemingly fails to recognize is that the western teams, specifically Canadian teams — the Oilers, Flames and Canucks — are like lotto tickets that always have the right numbers, a cash guarantee.
Bettman isn’t the only one who’s guilty of the bias — some western fans are also upset with how their teams have been represented in the media.
Media outlets such as NHL.com, the league’s official website, direct most of their attention towards eastern teams for the same reasons the NHL does — the fans.
For example, if it were up to the NHL.com analysts, the All-Star Game would be heavy with eastern players. One day prior to the actual selection for the All-Star Game, the analysts released their version of the roster and 61 per cent of it consisted of players representing eastern teams, including nine of their 12 selected defencemen.
It doesn’t stop with giving eastern teams more attention. Catering to the fans is understandable, but questions have been raised as to whether the NHL is swinging games to make them more entertaining.
John Tortorella, the coach of the New York Rangers was recently fined for accusations made toward the NHL and its referee’s for trying to extend the Winter Classic into overtime for entertainment purposes.
Tortorella later apologized and retracted those accusations but was still given a fine worth $30,000.
Despite what Bettman seems to think, the NHL’s focus should be on building the presence and appreciation for hockey in North America, not sacrificing the integrity of the NHL to make a good buck.
With the integrity of a national sports league in question, it might be time for the NHL to step back and evaluate its priorities.

 by Andre Lodder, published in The Pioneer, Jan 19, 2012.

Back and Bussed out.

I just got back to Belleville for the fourth and final semester of the Photojournalism program here at Loyalist.

The trip marked the seventh time I’ve made the journey between B.C. and Southern Ontario in the last year and a half and the ninth time since I turned 15.

Back then my family drove to Ontario for our family reunion. My dad moved west so most of his side of the family resides in Ontario. Because my sister was in Ontario already there wasn’t going to be enough room for all of us in the Van on the way back so my Parents bought Bus tickets for my 13-year-old brother and I.

That makes twice, once by Vehicle and once by bus.

Despite our family reunions being planned every five years I was unable to make it to the most recent one 2.5 years ago. However, I made my return to Ontario a year later to work for the summer prior to starting the photojournalism program. The trip was made by plane, probably my favorite method to do the trip because how fast it is despite the damage to the wallet.

That’s three.

Last Christmas I was running a little low on funds but decided to make the trip home for Christmas anyways and chose to do it by Bus because it only cost me $260 after tax.

That’s five

Then there was driving home to work for the summer and eventually driving back for school again. The first was with a fellow student who took me to Calgary and the second was driving the van also known as my home from BC.

That’s seven

Then there was my most recent trip home. I decided before the year started that this would be my first Christmas away from home, but a week or two before winter break I looked at some ride-shares on Craigslist and managed to catch a ride with someone making a move to the west coast. I told him I couldn’t afford much but I guess it was enough because on December 17^th I found myself on my way to BC to surprise my family.

Now, Less than 24 hours ago I returned to Belleville after the bus ride home.

That’s nine… one plane ride, four times in a van and four times by bus.

Is it a bad thing when you know what shops/convenience stores are at the majority of the stops along the way?

Anyways I’m going to take some time to give some tips to anyone who’s thinking about making the journey without taking to the air.

There are a few essentials that apply to both driving and bus.

1a. It’s hard to define the most important thing when it comes to planning your trip, I have a tie for the most important things. The first being comfy clothes. You don’t want to be sitting in a seat for 48-72 hours wearing tight jeans and underwear that rides high. Comfort is the most important thing to keep in mind.

1b. Toothbrush and toothpaste, it’s not always easy to find good food on long trips, so it’s essential to keep your mouth clean, it’s also probably one of the best feelings when you’re on the trip.

3. Spare clothes, SPECIFICALLY SOCKS. Clean replacements for your clothing are important, though not essential, except maybe socks and underwear. A clean pair of socks on your feet and a clean pair of undergarments are a close second as far as the best feeling on long trips go.

4. Alkaline forming foods. Again the food available on long trips especially on buses won’t be the greatest, most of it is acidic which leads to an uncomfortable feeling, and possibly heartburn making for an uncomfortable trip. Not sure what Alkalizing foods are? Just Google “alkaline forming food” and there should be a good explanation. Basically, alkaline forming foods even out your pH level, which includes acidic foods. Some Acidic foods include chocolate, soft drinks, coffee, and pretty much anything sugary. Alkaline forming foods include most fruits, green vegetables, peas, beans, lentils, spices, herbs and seasonings, and seeds and nuts. One of the most surprising Alkaline forming foods are oranges because they are pretty acidic, but when consumed is indeed alkaline forming. It’s also a good idea to keep your pH level in mind at all times.

5. Lip Chap, and Fisherman's Friends. Alright this one might seem a bit odd, but I’m serious. The air in buses and vehicles gets so dry from air-conditioning and heating. The air causes your lips to chap and causes an irritating throat, hence the chap and throat lozenges. I prefer Fishermans Friends, they're super effective! Chap and lozenges will make your life so much better on trips, but they’re often overlooked!

And here are some other non-essential but strongly recommended suggestions:

Blanket and Pillow,

Books, and laptops (if you have them, their good for movies)

Turn your phones off between major cities, it wastes battery searching for service, oh and don’t forget, CHARGERS!

I usually bring two bags as carry on, one carries stuff like toothbrush/paste, lip chap/lozenges, laptops, headphones iPod’s and cell phones while the other one carries all your food and other essentials

Snacks of course (keep in mind alkaline forming foods) Nuts are key, seeds are good, and anything you can put peanut butter on (crackers work best). Also Hummus is also practically a meal.

Don’t over eat! Your sitting down your not moving much you don’t need to eat much!

Anyways that’s it, now if you go on a long trip you can add a few more things to your checklist.

Enjoy!

Andre