Eye Test

Ever wonder why ESPN gets blasted for their (lack of) hockey coverage?  Well, one column writer for the ESPN website gives New York Islanders announcers Howie Rose and Butch Goring some ammunition when responding to the snub of John Tavares in a recent article about the best 25 players under the age of 25.  Who does the list include and who does it exclude (besides Tavares)?  Well, ahead of Tavares would be Patrik Berglund, Bryan Little, and Sergei Kostitsyn.  Not on the list?  Tyler Seguin, Matt Duchene, Jamie Benn, and Jeff Skinner.  Now, the stats this "sports columist" uses are those that the conventional sports fan wouldn't even begin to use, ignoring the ever accurate "eyeball test."  Tavares is currently 12th in points IN THE LEAGUE!  Yes, the entire NHL, despite playing for a piss poor Islanders team that has seen Rick DiPietro suffer yet another season ending injury (if you're playing Rick DiPietro injury BINGO, it was a sports hernia).  Benn has 42 points, Seguin 40, Skinner 26, and Duchene 24, with Skinner and Duchene having missed time due to injury.  As for the guys put on the list?  Kostitsyn has 26 points, Little has 22, and Berglund has 18.  Now, how this "writer" somehow has Kostitsyn, Little, and Berglund on the list even with the points stat is beyond even the most casual hockey fan.  Let's keep in mind that no Predators fan could name Kostitsyn as their first five on the "Name five Predators" question, Little is not even a cornerstone player on the Jets team, and Berglund is practically invisible to the casual Blues fan.

Now, the usual response to practically anything ESPN spouts off in terms of hockey is to take it with a grain of salt, which isn't all that hard to do.  However, not even watching the games is an inexcusable thing to do, especially when your area of expertise is sports.  I guess this is what happens when a network values World's Strongest Man competitions and stock car racing over a sport that provides more excitement than the two combined.