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Wednesday, January 16, 2013 Promoting Stettler in the tradition of Carl Stettler
Short schedule more sensible
1906 ❤ 2012 Established 1906 The leading weekly newspaper of Central Alberta Dedicated to the advancement of the well-being and the preservation of the heritage of our community, which includes Stettler and the County of Stettler.
By Joe McLaughlin Black Press I’m glad to see the National Hockey League returning this weekend and the shortened schedule doesn’t bother me one bit. This season will be 48 games per team, followed by four playoff series that typically add about 20 more games for the two finalists. I wish a full regular season was closer to that range than the ridiculous 82-game standard. Over the years, the NHL season has become too long and tedious. As teams were added through league expansion, the number of games each team played rose. It shouldn’t take 82 games to determine which half deserves to qualify for the championship tournament. Nowadays, 16 of 30 NHL teams make the playoffs. In Major League Baseball, only eight of the 30 teams generally advance. This year, the entire baseball playoff round was completed in 24 days, as San Francisco swept Detroit in a fourgame final. There’s no question that baseball players can compete more often than hockey players, because the game demands less physical exertion for everyone except for the starting pitchers. Football players, by comparison, play far fewer games — about 20 from the regular season kickoff through the Super Bowl for the two finalists. The National Football League completes its season in 22 weeks from start to finish. No weak or lax teams make the NFL playoffs — 12 of 32. That’s 37 per cent, versus 53 per cent in the NHL. Last year, the Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup in mid-June, 35 weeks after opening night. The entire NHL season — which can entail more than 100 games from training camp through the Stanley Cup final — is not in the best interests of the players or the fans. In this overextended marathon, players’ bodies break down because of constant strain in a high-speed contact game. Ticket-buying fans, paying premium prices, are shortchanged for games where players are too worn out to consistently give their best effort. Fans watching on TV routinely endure such tedious snooze fests. Don’t expect the NHL season to be shortened anytime soon, however. It’s not designed for the players or ticket-buying fans. It’s designed for team owners, television networks and corporate sponsors who drive the game. From their perspective, the more games, the better. They don’t have to sweat or bleed. More games mean more gate revenue, more television money, more eyeballs watching beer and truck commercials. In olden times, when I grew up, there were only six teams in the National Hockey League. When my boyhood hero Bobby Hull and the Chicago Blackhawks won the 1961 championship, the regular season was 70 games, the playoffs were two series and the Stanley Cup was presented on April 16. In 1967, the last year the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup, the regular season was 70 games and the season was finished on May 2. The year before, the Montreal Canadiens won the Cup on April 29. In those days, of course, the owners were just millionaires instead of billionaires and the players were neither. Most players worked summer jobs, partly to keep in physical shape, but mostly to supplement their hockey incomes. These days, professional hockey is a 12-month sport. If the players don’t train constantly, they can’t compete against younger guys who desperately want their jobs, and the big salaries that go with them. But athletes’ lives would be better if they were not forced to play such torturously long regular seasons. All the players would likely earn less per season, but careers of the most skilled would likely be longer. For fans, the game would improve, because players would not be so exhausted. They play too many games in too short a time frame, coupled with constant travel to all four quarters of North America. Keen observers may note that the Los Angeles Kings started their championship season in Sweden, captured the final playoff spot on the last weekend of the 2011-12 season, and still went on to win the Stanley Cup. Very true. It’s equally true that they played some lousy hockey and coasted through games knowing they didn’t have to give their best effort every game to qualify for the playoffs. That shouldn’t be allowed to happen to satisfy corporate ownership greed. Fewer regular-season games would mean more intensity, better competition and higher value for fans who love the game. It probably won’t happen, but it could, just like some day in the distant future, the Maple Leafs could win the Stanley Cup again. Joe McLaughlin is the retired former managing editor of the Red Deer Advocate. The Stettler Independent welcomes letters to the editor, especially those dealing with topical or local issues. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words in length and must have the writer’s signature over a printed name, along with the writer’s address and telephone number. The phone number won’t be printed. This newspaper reserves the right to edit letters for length and legal considerations. The deadline is noon the Friday prior to publication. Send your letter to: The Editor, Stettler Independent, Box 310, Stettler, AB, T0C 2L0. Fax: 403-742-8050 Email: editor@stettlerindependent.com
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Foreman an ordained minister George Foreman (Big George), born on Jan. 10, 1949, was well-known to my generation as a professional boxer and two-time world heavyweight champion. He lost his title to Muhammad Ali in “The Rumble in the Jungle” in 1974. Remarkably, in 1995, at 45 years of age, he regained the title from Michael Moorer and remains the oldest heavyweight champion in history. In recent years, Foreman has become famous for his entrepreneurial efforts and marketing of the popular “George Foreman Grill.” It is noteworthy that he has made more money with the grill than he ever did in the ring. It’s estimated he has netted $200 million promoting the grill. There is another side to Foreman that has not been as widely known or publicized. He is a serious follower of Jesus and an ordained minister. A dramatic transformation took place after his loss to Jimmy Young in 1977. He shares this lifechanging encounter with God in his book entitled, “God in My Corner,” published in 2007. The change in Foreman was dramatic. In 1974, before his match with Muhammad Ali, someone gave him a Bible for good luck. He knew nothing of the Bible, expect “the Lord is my shepherd” from the 23rd Psalm. In his book, George writes, “I was always looking for luck, so I carried that Bible with me. I had lucky pennies and good-luck charms, so now I added the ‘lucky’ Bible to my collection of superstitious items.” When Foreman lost the fight to Ali, he threw the Bible out. He said, “I never even
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opened it. I thought, the Bible didn’t help me win, so why do I need it? I thought I’d get power simply from owning it; I didn’t realize that I needed to read it and believe what it says. Since then, I’ve come to understand that the Bible is my road map, not my good-luck charm.” Elaborating on the change Jesus made in his life, he said there was a time when he considered hiring contract killers to eliminate his enemies. From his new perspective, he said that his loss to Ali in 1974 was one of the best things that ever happened to him. And he adds that his favourite answered prayer is that he had the opportunity to meet with Ali and read the Bible to him. Foreman was asked if he had ever considered making a comeback to the ring. His response was that he had already made a comeback and that was with Christ. “... Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Pastor Ross Helgeton is senior pastor at Erskine Evangelical Free Church.
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TIME CAPSULE
Donalda’s Klondike Nites on stage 1983 — 30 years ago — Capacity crowds of 400 attended both performances of Stettler’s Gilbert and Sullivan production, “Oklahoma,” under the direction of Noeline Brockley. Holly Barnec and Gordon Moorlag played lead roles. — Citizen-of-the-year Jessie Cox dropped the puck to officially open minor hockey week in Stettler. — The Stettler Legion and Ladies Auxiliary donated $28,505 to local and charitable causes. — A stage show produced by Bill Simon will be a feature attraction of Donalda’s Klondike Nites. Queen candidates are Sandy Sanderson, Judy Green, Belinda Purves, Carol Frank, Tammy Imbery and Lorraine Sampson. — Yellow ribbons tied throughout Alix welcomed Corey Campbell home from Mali, West Africa. — Bill Brown became Donalda’s new fire chief. — Tim Phillips’ three goals helped the Stettler Legion midgets defeat Leduc in Central Alberta Hockey Association play. — Jack Rairdan threw the first rock to open the Stettler 76th annual men’s bonspiel. There were 40 rinks entered. — Bud Rowland was elected president of the Halkirk seniors’ group.
Les-sons from the past By Les Stulberg Independent reporter
— Mr. and Mrs. Fritz Bauman of Erskine celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their nine children, other family members and friends at a social in Erskine. — The new motor vehicle licensing office opened in an outlet at the Stettler Auction Mart. 1973 — 40 years ago — Dick Chan of the Club Café held a grand opening of his new grocery store, Bill’s MM Store, managed by Bill Yee in the old Style Shop building. — Stettler Legion members voted to proceed with a plan to purchase the Family Recreation Centre and convert it into a private club. — The annual auction planned at the Stettler Auction Mart will aid “the retarded children of Alberta.” — Laura Lee of Donalda participated in an agricultural youth exchange in Denmark. — Alberta lost a great cattleman and pioneer with the passing of Thomas Usher of Scollard at age 90 in late December.
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— Canada’s highestselling three-quarters Limousin heifer calf was sold for $5,650 by McNalley’s LV Ranches of Erskine. — The team of Merv Harvie, Grant Kossowan, Harvey Weitz, Vern Radke and substitute Norman Horney won the Stettler men’s bonspiel. — Stettler Tire Service offered a tire sale: installed Firestone re-tread for $12.95; Firestone belted for $24.95; and Firestone Lifetime Supreme for $28.88. — Lloyd Iles was elected president of the Progressive Conservative association of the Stettler constituency. 1963 — 50 years ago — Fire destroyed the old Purity 99 Garage building, which housed Arnie’s Electric and Ralph’s Auto Body Shop. — Stettler’s first baby of the year was a girl born to Walter Befus and wife. — Ambitious members of the Stettler Camera Club climbed to the top of the water tower to a take a few shots of the town. — Stettler hosted the first Buffalo Lake District Scout Ice Stampede, which involved 10 central Alberta communities. — Fire at the farmstead of Les Robinson near Halkirk destroyed the home, the garage, a truck and a tractor.
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