Yay Hockey!

THE NHL BETS IT ALL ON SIDNEY CROSBY

FITSNews – May 24, 2008 – Since we’re pretty much the only hockey fans in the whole state of South Carolina, we’re probably not doing our hit counters any favors by writing about how the National Hockey League (a.k.a. National Huh? League) ended up getting its dream match-up for the 2008 Stanley Cup finals.

South Carolinians don’t know what the Stanley Cup is, people, although here’s a picture of Hayden Panettiere making out with it if you want a look. Oh, and here it is chilling with the cast of CSI Miami.

Anyway, this year’s Stanley Cup features the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, two of the fastest, highest-scoring teams in the league. It also features Penguins’ star forward Sidney Crosby (above ), the 20-year old wunderkid that the NHL is pretty much banking its entire existence on.

After enduring a debilitating lockout that cost the league its entire 2004-05 season, the NHL is looking to revive its sagging fortunes by hitching a ride on Crosby’s back. And why not? He’s young, good-looking and easily the most talented player on ice right now. Plus his name is “Sidney Crosby,” which is a lot more digestible to American TV audiences than Vladimirovich Paveldmitriov or Uwetarja Krupptominen.

Game One gets underway tonight at 8:00 p.m. on the Versus network, a cable billing which in and of itself is evidence of how far the NHL has to go. The Stanley Cup’s network TV debut won’t come until Game 3, on NBC.  And yes, the network is using sex to promote the series.