Paul Stewart: How's That Embellishment Crackdown Coming Along?

You are the man, Paul. This is another great blog, your incite is always appreciated.

insight. English can be hard, I no.

I remember during the run of the 24/7 show on HBO the players and officials were mic'ed up and the officials were swearing just as much as the players were and in one case the referee said "Shut the (frank) up, Cookie!" to Matt Cooke complaining about, in his eyes, a non-call. But usually it was other times where the officials used profanity in describing events to the captains on penalty calls "He hit him right into the (frank)ing boards!", or during scrums while separating players. So maybe the times have changed since Paul last officiated a game, but at no time did the players react like the officials were doing something abnormal. It's just the way the game is. I can remember games as long as 20 years ago when the officials and players were swearing at each other during scrums. Such is the reality of live TV coupled with trying to pick up as much sound as you can.

Thanks Paul. If the league wants to cut out swearing when the mic is on, then take the dumb mics off, and just let the announcers call the penalties. The stripes can use hand signals, no middle fingers though, to express the calls.
It seems like diving (amoung other things) is now, and has been for some time, accepted in the league. How many times do we see a hook, and then the hooked player grabs the stick to get the call? How many times have we seen a player throw back his head, and let his stick go flying? It's an accepted part of the game. Players get away with it more frequently, and are encouraged to do silly things like that. If the coaches were serious, then they would bench the player that does stupid stuff like that, but since it draws penalties, it's accepted.
Players will always push the line, if they can get away with it, or are rewarded for it.

I want to pay to have a premium sports channel so I can hear players and refs and coaches mic'd up!!


Kadri has to be one of the biggest divers I have ever seen

Thanks Paul,
Always a good read, Refs are human? Wow! Seriously that is something that is forgotten in all sports by fans and especially by media. I think the players, particularly older players get that aspect better then most. The embellishment rule is a tough one, and maybe if only the one who embellished was penalized that would do it, right now if you embellish you are still at even strength so while losing a PP, you do not put your team at an actual disadvantage. Risk vs Reward. Keep up the good blogs I look forward to them.

Thanks for the write-up, Paul. Diving is frustrating to watch as a fan.

Question for you on intentional offside during a delayed offside:
What is the rule here? I saw an intentional offside called during the Flyers / Islanders game yesterday during a delayed offside. The play resulting in the delayed offside seemed innocuous enough and, I don't believe, would have been called an intentional offside had the Flyers retained possession while entering the zone. A Flyers player swung his stick at the puck during the delayed offside (making contact) and the linesman called an intentional offside resulting in the faceoff being moved to the Flyers zone.

The call from last night just seemed inconsistent with what I have seen in the past where during a delayed offside the attacking team surely hears the linesman yelling offside (I can hear it on TV or the stands so I know they can) yet continues to pursue the puck and sometimes touches it resulting in the play being blown dead but no intentional offside being called.

99% of embellishment calls are offset by a hook, trip, high stick, etc.

Once the official sack up and give power plays for these dives then it won't matter.

it was nice to see Neal go to the box alone this time, however.

insight. English can be hard, I no.
- Zmloste

Oh dayum

I have a serious question. Has a goalie been called for embellishment yet? Almost every goalie flops around like a fish out of water when touched. So I'll take the rule seriously when its called regularly on goalies because they are very often guilty of it.