The NHL Column: Embrace the Winter Classic Overhype

by Christopher Botta

Filed under: Capitals, Penguins, Eastern, Winter Classic

By the time the NHL Winter Classic is played on New Year's Day, this could be one of the most overhyped, one-in-82 regular season games in the history of major professional team sports in North America. That is, if HBO, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Washington Capitals, and the National Hockey League's PR and marketing machine do their jobs.

That is, as long as everyone in Hockey Nation doesn't waste time tsk-tsking about the endless exposure for Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, Dan Bylsma and Bruce Boudreau, Mario Lemieux and Ted Leonsis.

Dear friends in hockey: Even if the Caps and Pens are only playing for the same amount of points Nashville and Columbus battled over Wednesday night, embrace the hysteria. The NHL may never get the chance again to tap dance on a grander stage. Even if you don't have a skin in the game, even if you don't care about the Capitals and the Penguins, we're all in this together.

 

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