It is fairly sad when the Olympics rank as the third most interesting sporting event (after Golden Nugget Old Timers soccer) of the summer but its definitely true. Euro 2004 was a real treat that had great coverage here in Canada. A high play to analysis ratio was a big part of it. As discussed, the Olympics are largely the opposite - too much talk, too little sport. With the likelihood of a delayed or even abandoned NHL season, the impending World Cup of Hockey is coming and Canada announced that the object of my manly affection, Mario Lemieux, is el capitaine.
I've seen him play twice. Halifax used to get preliminary games for international hockey and in 1986 Lemiuex, Wayne, and every other NHL bubble gum card face in the game at that time met at the Metro Centre so Canada could smoke the USA 28943 to 1. Mario made the greatest goal I have ever seen with his butt to the net from the left side circle picking a corner by batting a lobbed puck out of the air. The other time was his last appearance in Ottawa in the spring of 1997 before his first retirement when he and Jagr beat the Sens by stoking it for about 4 minutes in the second period. He is as far as I am concerned the greatest as he did not need others around him to win. I do believe, at 1.91, he still has the highest points per game ratio - which for me is the most important stat.
Comments
Wayne - August 21, 2004 10:05 AM
You are obviously too young to have either known about or appreciate the fact that the greatest ever came from Parry Sound, Ontario.
Wayne - August 21, 2004 10:06 AM
Plus-minus ratio is a better stat.
Alan - August 21, 2004 11:23 AM
+/- is a team-reflective stat. Check out Bill Root's +25 or so season in the mid-80s.
Wayne - August 21, 2004 11:36 AM
Hockey is a team sport. Choose your linemates well, and you, too, can have a high points per game ratio. Would you rather play soccer with Pelé, or moi?
Alan - August 21, 2004 1:13 PM
Right now, if you can run faster than Pele in his late 60s, likely you. But that is not the point. Mario pulled others along with him to make the team. Big Wayner was surrounded in the mid-80s by others who were a little superior to the Pittsburg guys in the early 90s. What we are doing is comparing the excellent which is a mugs game but for my money, Mario was ahead by a nose. I did see Orr but too early in my life to appreciate the fact that just because my older brother was a big Bruins fan was no reason not to believe they were he and the rest of them all worse than my hero Dave Keon.
Ben - August 21, 2004 7:49 PM
Plus-minus is a horrible stat. A good defensive player can have a horrible -/+ just because he plays against top opposing players all the time. Meanwhile a top line forward can have a nice fat +/- because he plays on a defensive team or in front of a hot goalie and solid defenders. Then you get the powerplay specialists who score 40 points with a man advantage and don't see it reflected in the stat at all. It's complete bunk.