Also, McCarver's wardrobe is too stale.

I've been ambivalent about the hcokey strike up until now, but since Cherry's need to be a blowhard must be satiated regardless.....please start playing hockey again!!!!

When DON FREAKIN' CHERRY thinks you're past your sell-by date...

I noticed watching Game 7 that McCarver isn't too bad when it comes to analyzing a certain situation, such as where to put the fielders or what to throw in a certain count, but he's almost totally checked out from knowing the players. I'd be shocked if he watches more than a handful of games a year that he's not working at.

I would have guessed Don Cherry was dead.

That's as close to defending Tim McCarver as I will ever get.

I read the headline as a quote from Tim McCarver and got excited that he was about to retire.

I read the headline as a quote from Tim McCarver and got excited that he was about to retire.

I saw "Tim McCarver", "lost his" and "cherry" in the same sentence, and I was decidedly not excited.

Shudder.

Totally thought this could be trumpeter Don Cherry - from the Ornette Coleman groups of the 60's.

That would be a cool conversation.

The NHL thread has closed commenting, so I'll drop it here: The Islanders are moving to Brooklyn.

works out well; they're still on Long Island, and there's an LIRR stop down the block.

Any word on whether the Isles be still keeping the name?

Anyone care to handicap the chances of another full-season lockout? From following a few folks on twitter, it doesn't look like the sides are particularly close, although going off of what I remember from NBA's short stoppage last year, things can seemingly change rather quickly. I think part of me would like to see a doomsday scenario of sorts where the players really dig in, the various Euro leagues and the KHL prove to be somewhat capable Plan Bs to NHLers, and a new, smaller NHL with fewer salary restrictions emerges (or, even more radically, a larger one with a promotion/relegation system)*.

* More than a bit pie-in-the-sky, I know.

Any word on whether the Isles be still keeping the name?

According to FA, and by league directive, they will.

Anyone care to handicap the chances of another full-season lockout?

I think it's likely enough to be troubling. That the NHL has allowed it to get to this point is the height of incompetence. Contrast this with MLB and 1994, the loss of the World Series was catastrophic but we're heading toward 25 years of labor peace. The NHL by contrast couldn't even get to the first renewal post-2005 without going to the mats again.

I still think the league is doing well enough that in the end they'll reach an agreement and play starting on January 1. That in itself is a failure in my view though. They've got a good TV deal with NBC, an exciting league where some rule changes have shaken things up and a pretty passionate fan base. Despite that passion I think the fan base is going to be hard pressed to stay committed with another lost season.

Part of the problem that the NHL and NBA have in these matters is the lack of a fixed schedule. With MLB I know every night (just about) I'm going to have a game to watch. If I'm an NFL fan I know that Sunday is my day. With the NHL and NBA they have no such appointment viewing. It becomes a bit less obvious what you're missing when the schedule is more haphazard. I'm not saying they should change the schedule or anything, just noting one of the issues with keeping fans engaged after a strike.

Gary Bettman's in charge. It's entirely possible the lockout may extend beyond one season.

Interesting on Islanders; I was thinking the Devils would make the move first.

Interesting on Islanders; I was thinking the Devils would make the move first.

Except the devils just got this five seasons ago.

Yes! Forgot that!

It was so obvious a move I'm surprised it happened. With the LIRR stop right at Atlantic Yards you can keep a lot of the old fanbase while moving into New York proper. And anything sports with the word Brooklyn in it's name will be big. But don't worry, they ###### it up already when they cut back from the original design and the existing Barclays center seats only 14,500 for hockey (even smaller than Winnipeg's literal AHL arena) and with horrible sight lines to boot.

Also the move isn't till 2015.

I still think the league is doing well enough that in the end they'll reach an agreement and play starting on January 1.

After the NBA's season opening was delayed until Christmas last year, I thought: maybe the NBA should always start their season on December 25, and play only a 60-game schedule. I mean, does anyone except hard-core basketball fans really pay attention to the NBA before then?

And maybe, just maybe, the NHL should do the same thing: start on New Year's Day, play a 60-game season. (I'd hate it, because I love hockey, but...)

When DON FREAKIN' CHERRY thinks you're past your sell-by date...

That's like rLr saying you need a haircut.
Bernal saying you need to be a little less agressive.
Dial saying he's worried about how much you drink.
Nieporent saying that you're a little too anti-government.

I hadn't seen any pictures of the Barclays Center until reading about the Islanders' move today. Boy, that is one ugly building.

And maybe, just maybe, the NHL should do the same thing: start on New Year's Day, play a 60-game season. (I'd hate it, because I love hockey, but...)

I wouldn't complain if they shortened the season a bit, but if they do it should be off the end not the start. Stanley Cup in June is ridiculous.

I still think the league is doing well enough that in the end they'll reach an agreement and play starting on January 1.

If you look past the rhetoric a little, they're actually pretty close on the numbers already. At this point they're within $500 million of each other, which over a 6 year deal works out to a couple million per team per year. Obviously as the NFL referees' lockout shows, a few million a year per team is still enough to make these things drag out much longer than is healthy for the sport, but I really do think they'll figure this out in time to save at least part of the season.

The NHL by contrast couldn't even get to the first renewal post-2005 without going to the mats again.

What's truly odd about this is that they broke the union, wrote the contract they said they needed and are now headed back to all out war.

And anything sports with the word Brooklyn in it's name will be big.

They're keeping the current "New York Islanders" moniker.

The concept of an announcer jinxing a no hitter and having some concrete role in the outcome of a baseball game is a backwards superstition.

And even if it weren't superstition...

"We don't work for the pitcher." -Dana Whitaker

Donnie Baseball: Tim McCarver 'Has Lost His Feel For Cherry'

I thought Atlantic Yards was too small for a hockey rink... How are they solving that?

It was so obvious a move I'm surprised it happened. With the LIRR stop right at Atlantic Yards you can keep a lot of the old fanbase while moving into New York proper.

Except that the upcoming renovations to the Jamaica transfer station due to the East Side Access project will force anyone coming in from the Island to switch trains.

I thought Atlantic Yards was too small for a hockey rink... How are they solving that?

As noted above, they're not. The hockey set-up will shrink capacity to 14.5K fans. In fairness, when was the last time that number showed up to see a game at the Coliseum?

If you look past the rhetoric a little, they're actually pretty close on the numbers already

Yup. I agree with this. I think they'll settle in time to save the Winter Classic. All the rest is theatre.

That the NHL has allowed it to get to this point is the height of incompetence.

I would agree, and add that it's also the height of greed. The owners have some balls signing players to big contracts that they never had any intention of honouring.

With the NHL and NBA they have no such appointment viewing.

I know many would consider Hockey Night in Canada to be appointment viewing.