So I read a post over at Battle of California about getting more revenue for the league and I started to go off on a tantrum in the comment box. Which means I had a stronger opinion on the subject then I thought. If the comment box has an active vertical scroll bar, it's time to make a new post, in my eyes, lol. So here I go…

I am not saying anything to refute the idea above, but I believe it will not work. I come from an internet boom background, I am only 24 though so what do I know. But I do know about media management and information flow. The point I am trying to make, I can get all that you just said already, for free. The "underground" of the internet distributes this currently, you can get recent or classic games. Things like YouTube, I can watch that earth shattering hit on RJ Umberger, it's great.

The NHL needs to market a lot better. My family is a hockey family, everyone plays it, they are at the rink more then home. The Ducks players come to rinks to make appearances and it lights the kids faces up. More community events, better marketing on TV, around the city. Market in the areas it will actually effect. Market where people that see it, actually might give hockey a shot or are already fans. Look at your season ticket holders, where are they located, market in that area. Do some surveys, where people live and get a grid map of the surrounding areas of the arena. Come up with marketing plans for the weaker areas you might want to hit.

Some markets will always suck, California is one of those, we have too much to do here. Do I want to spend my time watching the next greatest reality TV showor do I want to go sit in a cold arena and watch something I don't know a thing about. The rules have to be made available to the fans. The new fan needs to be able to, after a few games, boo the ref because his opinion was different on that offside call or hooking penalty.

But at the same time, we need to be controlled in the arena. No throwing crap, no getting out of your chair, 15 aisles above to run into the players battling along the glass for the puck. You should get kicked out for doing that, along with brutal heckling. You are at the rink as a paid service, paid for the seat and entertainment. Not to be part of the show and annoy other people, goodbye. Baseball fans are generally good, heckle the players and umps, it's funny. Basketball, football, soccer…see ESPN highlights for crowd control.

Ugh, sorry, ill behave from now on. Hockey players aren't flashy, bitchy or whiners. They go out and play the game, it is a cultured sport. Grassroots efforts have to be take and that starts with the kids, get them to the rinks. Get them a hero in Scott Niedermayer and they will ask their dad to take 'em to a Ducks game. Mr. Everything and Sir Selanne, could you ask for a better tandem of leaders in the locker room or the community? Play hard, work hard…100%. How can you not market that? Every team has a few of them.

You also have to sell the game though, same grassroots effort though. Start at the rinks, make announcements to reach mass amounts of people at once, radio, TV, local news papers and get people to the locations. Anaheim Ice, California Roller Hockey Center, Anaheim Roller Hockey Club. These are locations the Ducks visit, but they need to do more. Ironically, the CRHC in Irvine has a former Ducks prospect, Torrey DiRoberto, as one of its rink pros. How about more events where, for a day, Scott Neidermayer runs a clinic for defense or whatever skill you want?

We love football and have a station just like you are talking about for it, 24/7 football. It sells itself now, big hits, whinny players, drama. Ben Roethlisberger gets a serious injury and the fans in Pittsburgh send death threats to the old lady whos car ROETHLISBERGER hit. What the hell, I don't want hockey to be mainstream. I don't want drama like. No in room coverage of the locker room, interviews outside, ok. But they market like hell, they are community driven, they have that NFL(random Google link). I hate you Paul Tagliabue, you are a smart man and did it right. Multiple layers of community service, ARGH!

This article has to end, because I could probably go on forever and I don't think anyone wants to hear me anymore. I think I had some good ideas, but who knows.

So reports are coming in that Iyla Bryzgalov is talking about being the #1 goaltender in Anaheim next season (here and here). No problem Ilya, not at all. You were pretty solid in goal during the last postseason, much like Giguere was in 2003, but do not say what you said. When you talk to a news outlet, no matter who they are, it is going to get published. The internet will spread the news and it will get translated to every language that cares, then your local media gets it, teammates, organizations. Honestly, it bothers me when you say "No one wants him", regarding J.S. You talked bad about your teammate, nothing else can be said.

In my opinion, both of the goaltenders are not THAT great. I think it is pretty easy to block a shot when they aren't coming from the middle of the ice or not at all. When the other team has to move so much, taking bad angle shots because your pretty solid defense is blocking other shots, it is easy to stop the shot. This last postseason, you never heard Giguere say "I should be playing". He said he would rather be on the ice, helping his team, but he wouldn’t cause any ripples by being a grouch, he was Team First.

To hell with both of them I say, if the Ducks keep Francois Allaire, it wont matter. You think it is a mystery that Anaheim has been strong in net for the past 10 years? Guy Hebert, Mikhail Shtilankov (for a little while), Giguere and now Bryzgalov. The only person I have seen not like what Allaire does is Martin Broduer, he is pretty good though. My opinion, whoever is cheaper, keep them. If it comes down to something close, get rid of Ilya, because he might not be a total team player.

If you keep Giguere, do it until his contract is up. If you sign Bryzgalov, do it short term as well. Long enough to let Mike Wall or some other prospect that they may develop, saving cap room…again.