Beyond the Rhetoric

Much to the dismay of just about everyone in Vancouver, the Canucks were eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks from the NHL playoffs this week. Not surprisingly, just about everyone is chiming in with their opinions on how and why it happened. Pick up today’s Province newspaper and you’ll see that the sports section is busting at the seams with Vancouver Canucks analysis.

But those columnists are supposed to be experts in the area. They eat, sleep, and breathe sports all day long, because that’s their job. It would be the same if you approached me about certain video games or cell phones. However, you’ll find that nearly everyone — expert or not — seems to know what the Canucks should do to better prepare themselves for next year.

Yes, the title of today’s blog post is a reference to the Andy Sutton interview, but it goes well beyond the arena of professional sports. Many bandwagon jumpers may place the blame on goaltender Roberto Luongo or head coach Alain Vigneault, but do they really know what’s happening in the locker room? Do they really understand the sport?

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but this does not make everyone an expert. In this way, the onus is on you to form an educated opinion and to challenge the opinions expressed around you. You also have to recognize that circumstances can change very quickly.

I grabbed Henrik Zetterberg as my first fantasy hockey pick at the beginning of the season, thinking that he’d deliver big numbers. That didn’t work out. Patrik Elias didn’t pan out for me either.

As for the Vancouver Canucks, I don’t know what they need to change for next year. They might need a bigger “enforcer” type player in the front. They might need to pick up a couple more defensemen. Or perhaps they need to pull Luongo in favor of Quatchi between the pipes. Who knows? I’m not an expert, but I did see the replay.

Tags: expert, hockey, knowledge

Filed under Sports and Games.