Jan Levine: Marc Staal: solid campaign after benching, Brooks on resuming game action Reaching the tail end of the series

Jan---

We are going to have to agree to disagree on Marc Staal. He had a decent season this year but he is no longer part of the future here.

Is he an NHL defenseman? Yes he is. There are 31 teams in league, if each carries 7 defensemen, that equals 217 NHL d-men. He belongs in those 217. However, he is being paid too much in this cap era for what we are getting in return for that cap hit.

He has no lateral speed. When he locks on to a man near him, he can play. The problem is when he has to slide to cover someone else. He has no foot speed to move to another player or recover when his man beats him. He also lacks peripheral vision to see who is open.

Staal has been a good career Ranger. However, currently he is just a shell of himself. He is not getting any better, he continues to deteriorate. In our current rebuilding situation, I would rather see a young player with upside struggle, learn and get valuable experience rather than another year of Staal. Hajak, Rykov etc. are being blocked out of a roster spot by him and I hope that will change for next year.

I’m gonna agree with Jan here. Yes I’m terms of his contract, he vastly falls short. However he’s a perfectly palatable 3rd pairing defender who can play pk and add leadership. Remember boys, he’s off the books in one year. If we are allowed to clear Shatty cap hit with the free buyout, we should easily be able to squeeze him under cap. I think it behooves is not to burn bridges with him, if you are thinking out of the box, I wonder how viable he would be as a replacement for Ruff. We’d know he’d already have the respect of the room

I thought Brooks view on restarting the season was overly negative.

if you think sports should not return until there is a test for everyone, you won’t be seeing the NHL, or any other sports until who knows when. It certainly won’t be this year. You tell that to the people directly involved making a living from pro sports. It’s not just about players and owners. Although no games, no pay. Not every player is making 25 mil a year.

This notion that professional sports is not vital to the US economy and should take a back seat to other entities is absurd. MLB itself is a 10 billion dollar mega business

I don’t know the answer to this dilemma, but the idea of not playing until such time as this virus is completely wiped out or 100% controlled is just not practical.

I hope and pray someone has an answer, and it better be soon. Society is being stretched as far as it can go.

I thought Brooks view on restarting the season was overly negative.

if you think sports should not return until there is a test for everyone, you won’t be seeing the NHL, or any other sports until who knows when. It certainly won’t be this year. You tell that to the people directly involved making a living from pro sports. It’s not just about players and owners. Although no games, no pay. Not every player is making 25 mil a year.

This notion that professional sports is not vital to the US economy and should take a back seat to other entities is absurd. MLB itself is a 10 billion dollar mega business

I don’t know the answer to this dilemma, but the idea of not playing until such time as this virus is completely wiped out or 100% controlled is just not practical.

I hope and pray someone has an answer, and it better be soon. Society is being stretched as far as it can go.
- OLDSCHOOL#6

I don't pretend to have any answers either. But if the play resumes the way they're talking - neutral sites, empty arenas.... who is getting paid what? There are no ticket sales, no concession sales, etc. I guess it would just be TV viewing dollars. Do the players still get paid their normal salary for this?

There are no easy answers at all, the whole thing sucks. Personally, I don't think they are playing again this season, I think it's lost. I hope I'm wrong.

Only sport that can afford to do empty arenas is football. The TV contract is massive. NHL has no real TV income.

Baseball needs arenas filled more then any other sport avg. It's 35k avg. fans per game x 81 home games x 30 teams!!!!!

Only sport that can afford to do empty arenas is football. The TV contract is massive. NHL has no real TV income.

Baseball needs arenas filled more then any other sport avg. It's 35k avg. fans per game x 81 home games x 30 teams!!!!!
- rrentz

The MLB Owners want their tv money, and if the players don’t play, they don’t get paid. True, the owners lose the gate, but their tv money is huge.

Jan---

We are going to have to agree to disagree on Marc Staal. He had a decent season this year but he is no longer part of the future here.

Is he an NHL defenseman? Yes he is. There are 31 teams in league, if each carries 7 defensemen, that equals 217 NHL d-men. He belongs in those 217. However, he is being paid too much in this cap era for what we are getting in return for that cap hit.

He has no lateral speed. When he locks on to a man near him, he can play. The problem is when he has to slide to cover someone else. He has no foot speed to move to another player or recover when his man beats him. He also lacks peripheral vision to see who is open.

Staal has been a good career Ranger. However, currently he is just a shell of himself. He is not getting any better, he continues to deteriorate. In our current rebuilding situation, I would rather see a young player with upside struggle, learn and get valuable experience rather than another year of Staal. Hajak, Rykov etc. are being blocked out of a roster spot by him and I hope that will change for next year.
- TommyGTrain

I understand your view and his deficiencies. But I also don't believe Hasek or Rykov are ready, same likely with Lundkvist, which is why Staal should complete the final year of his deal in New York.

I thought Brooks view on restarting the season was overly negative.

if you think sports should not return until there is a test for everyone, you won’t be seeing the NHL, or any other sports until who knows when. It certainly won’t be this year. You tell that to the people directly involved making a living from pro sports. It’s not just about players and owners. Although no games, no pay. Not every player is making 25 mil a year.

This notion that professional sports is not vital to the US economy and should take a back seat to other entities is absurd. MLB itself is a 10 billion dollar mega business

I don’t know the answer to this dilemma, but the idea of not playing until such time as this virus is completely wiped out or 100% controlled is just not practical.

I hope and pray someone has an answer, and it better be soon. Society is being stretched as far as it can go.
- OLDSCHOOL#6

I really don't think you took Brooks comments correctly. What he's talking about is that everyone involved in playing, would have to be isolated. Testing would have to be done on a regular basis. How can that be justified when regular citizens aren't getting tested? Let's say one player on a team tests positive. Then what? Everyone who had contact with that player would need to be quarantined for 14 days. That includes the coaches, players, staff, arena workers of multiple teams. How can they do that and continue to play? Bottom line is that the chances of the season resuming are remote at best. MLB is not going to play. They cancelled Wimbledon, which is played in one venue with limited people and that wasn't scheduled until late June.

Experts say one person who is positive will infect up to 5 people. Tell me how they isolate everyone? Including the travel people, pilots of charter planes. Everybody! Once one player is infected, that's the ball game. Lets face reality. The season is over.

I really don't think you took Brooks comments correctly. What he's talking about is that everyone involved in playing, would have to be isolated. Testing would have to be done on a regular basis. How can that be justified when regular citizens aren't getting tested? Let's say one player on a team tests positive. Then what? Everyone who had contact with that player would need to be quarantined for 14 days. That includes the coaches, players, staff, arena workers of multiple teams. How can they do that and continue to play? Bottom line is that the chances of the season resuming are remote at best. MLB is not going to play. They cancelled Wimbledon, which is played in one venue with limited people and that wasn't scheduled until late June.

Experts say one person who is positive will infect up to 5 people. Tell me how they isolate everyone? Including the travel people, pilots of charter planes. Everybody! Once one player is infected, that's the ball game. Lets face reality. The season is over.
- MJL[/quo

You’re so right, what was I thinking.

If the season is over, and I have no reason to assume otherwise, let Mr. Bettman release a statement tomorrow morning indicating the season is over.

You’re so right, what was I thinking.

If the season is over, and I have no reason to assume otherwise, let Mr. Bettman release a statement tomorrow morning indicating the season is over.
- OLDSCHOOL#6

The NHL of course is not going to make any announcement until they have. Instead of replying with sarcasm, address the points I made.

The Florida Panthers are going to play the Rangers at MSG. How does the league keep all the Panthers personnel isolated and everyone involved? What hotel do they stay to keep isolated? How does the plane crew stay isolated. That's just one game.

All I'm saying is that tv is approximately. 35% revenue and over 55% total for Tix sales, parking, concessions and merchandise for MLB
Other 10% is advertising, so alot of that is at ballparks.


MLB attendance last year -72 million people
NFL attendance last year:. 17 million


Hockey is much less for TV.

Bottom line.....not worth it if fans can't attend NBA, NHL, and MLB.

NFL would still make a ton with such a crazy tv contract

Staal has been unjustly maligned for years. Now he’s getting excessive cred. It is what it is, but at this point, he’s one of several net negatives we have to deal with. Not for nothing, though, I’ll always have a soft spot for him, particularly because he enjoyed keeping Cindy (semi) honest. Good on Ye for that, Marc.

All I'm saying is that tv is approximately. 35% revenue and over 55% total for Tix sales, parking, concessions and merchandise for MLB
Other 10% is advertising, so alot of that is at ballparks.


MLB attendance last year -72 million people
NFL attendance last year:. 17 million


Hockey is much less for TV.

Bottom line.....not worth it if fans can't attend NBA, NHL, and MLB.

NFL would still make a ton with such a crazy tv contract
- rrentz

I think you are forgetting though that MLB has pretty significant revenue sharing. The Yanks, Bo Sox, and Dodgers pretty much prop up the rest of the league, and when half the league is tanking because it's more profitable to be mediocre than to put a competitive product on the field, I'm sure the Rays are just fine getting a portion of YES money and the Yankee Stadium gate.

I think you might be right for hockey, though I have to agree they would rather have a small loss than a total loss. I'm guessing if they cancel the season, they would have to refund a pretty significant money to the national networks, in that case yeah they probably "lose less".

I'll be the first to say there probably isn't a perfect solution. I don't think the league wants a season where the Stanley Cup is awarded in a non traditional way, but having a lost season isn't really ideal either.

I think you are forgetting though that MLB has pretty significant revenue sharing. The Yanks, Bo Sox, and Dodgers pretty much prop up the rest of the league, and when half the league is tanking because it's more profitable to be mediocre than to put a competitive product on the field, I'm sure the Rays are just fine getting a portion of YES money and the Yankee Stadium gate.

I think you might be right for hockey, though I have to agree they would rather have a small loss than a total loss. I'm guessing if they cancel the season, they would have to refund a pretty significant money to the national networks, in that case yeah they probably "lose less".

I'll be the first to say there probably isn't a perfect solution. I don't think the league wants a season where the Stanley Cup is awarded in a non traditional way, but having a lost season isn't really ideal either.
- 2sticks1puck

I get your point non revenue sharing, but revenue sharing minus profits frim 72 million people not being at ballparks is nutzo

I get your point non revenue sharing, but revenue sharing minus profits frim 72 million people not being at ballparks is nutzo
- rrentz

What both of us don't know though, is how is that TV money distributed? If they got an advance, then it's possible teams would have to give back money. Most of the money that comes from fans isn't necessarily from gate, but when they buy actual concessions. Tons of teams don't have huge average attendance and charge realtive little per ticket, but that 10/beer really makes up for it. I'm sure they will still get some in merch sales, but that would be the real loss from no fans, not really the ticket revenue.

I think you are forgetting though that MLB has pretty significant revenue sharing. The Yanks, Bo Sox, and Dodgers pretty much prop up the rest of the league, and when half the league is tanking because it's more profitable to be mediocre than to put a competitive product on the field, I'm sure the Rays are just fine getting a portion of YES money and the Yankee Stadium gate.

I think you might be right for hockey, though I have to agree they would rather have a small loss than a total loss. I'm guessing if they cancel the season, they would have to refund a pretty significant money to the national networks, in that case yeah they probably "lose less".

I'll be the first to say there probably isn't a perfect solution. I don't think the league wants a season where the Stanley Cup is awarded in a non traditional way, but having a lost season isn't really ideal either.
- 2sticks1puck

How about the tickets that have been sold? Refund or credit?

What both of us don't know though, is how is that TV money distributed? If they got an advance, then it's possible teams would have to give back money. Most of the money that comes from fans isn't necessarily from gate, but when they buy actual concessions. Tons of teams don't have huge average attendance and charge realtive little per ticket, but that 10/beer really makes up for it. I'm sure they will still get some in merch sales, but that would be the real loss from no fans, not really the ticket revenue.
- 2sticks1puck

Just researched. More then 55+% of total revenue for MLB comes from Tix sales, merch, parking, and concessions at games. That's alot of lost $$.

What's crazier is that if players don't get paid, many will be broke, even with the $$ theyve already made, many don't have a pot to piss in because many spend every $$ they make

Just researched. More then 55+% of total revenue for MLB comes from Tix sales, merch, parking, and concessions at games. That's alot of lost $$.

What's crazier is that if players don't get paid, many will be broke, even with the $$ theyve already made, many don't have a pot to piss in because many spend every $$ they make
- rrentz

Well yes, a bunch of them spend on dumb stuff. I think what people forget is a fringe players makes 6 figures. I'm not saying that isn't a huge amount of money, but if they have an agent I think they take 1/3 of that. They are also in the top tax bracket so that's another huge chunk of change gone.

I don't defend the players who make millions and blow it all.

Well yes, a bunch of them spend on dumb stuff. I think what people forget is a fringe players makes 6 figures. I'm not saying that isn't a huge amount of money, but if they have an agent I think they take 1/3 of that. They are also in the top tax bracket so that's another huge chunk of change gone.

I don't defend the players who make millions and blow it all.
- 2sticks1puck

Yup. Crazy times.

Honestly,. Majority of country would be fine open for business with some common sense safety precautions put in place....but everyone seems to think that what's happening in NYC is occurring everywhere in the US

LOL at Brooks. Still bitter over losing the 2005 draft lottery. If Crosby has gone to the Rangers then of course it would have been legitimate. But since he went someplace else of course there is a conspiracy.

LOL at Brooks. Still bitter over losing the 2005 draft lottery. If Crosby has gone to the Rangers then of course it would have been legitimate. But since he went someplace else of course there is a conspiracy.
- Sams_Dog

I have never subscribed to this particular conspiracy theory. But, you fail to mention here the optics of the fact that the Crosby lottery was one by a team whose owner was threatening to move his franchise at the time. A convenient coincidence, to be sure.

Can anyone think of a more washed up player than marc staal???

Me neither.

Can anyone think of a more washed up player than marc staal???

Me neither.
- bruceflyers

Think harder

Think harder


- eichiefs9

Haha. That was bad even before he played his first r game