Unlocked

For months, fans of the National Hockey League have been deprived of the game they love because of a painstaking lockout. They’ve had to turn elsewhere for the entertainment that previously glued them to their televisions at the onset of past NHL seasons. In need of big hits? The NFL would have been your best bet, taking the place of Zdeno Chara slamming Marian Hossa into the boards. Want some overtime to quench that thirst for extra minutes? You’d probably have to watch an NBA game instead to find that game-winning shot, rather than sitting awe-struck as Steven Stamkos dekes two defenders and flips the puck over Martin Brodeur’s left shoulder and into the net just before the horn sounds. And what about that sought-after hat trick? Professional soccer (I can hear your groans now, hockey fans) would have been most likely to provide as there would have been no Evgeni Malkin to light the lamp three times and warrant the downpour of headgear up and down the ice.

However, after weeks of desperately pleading with the hockey gods for a return to the rink, fans have finally been granted their wish. Approximately one week ago on January 6, 2013, Commissioner Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr, NHL Players Association Executive Director, reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that would likely end the lockout. On the following Saturday, the league and its players agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding, allowing the NHL to release the new schedule and, more importantly, end the 113-day hockey hiatus.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (left) and NHLPA Executive Director Donald  Fehr (right)
squared off many times during the lockout.

With a new CBA in place, the deal is set for 10 years, but either side can opt out of it after eight, giving a fresh guarantee to at least a few more years of uninterrupted hockey. In total, 720 games will be played over a 99-day regular season, which will end on April 27. The playoffs will subsequently begin on April 30, and the latest date the Stanley Cup Finals can end is June 28.

Okay, okay. Enough of that. You can rejoice now.

“Hurrah!”

“Praise Thor!”

“Phew, I don’t know what I would have done if I had to watch one more dunk on Sportscenter’s Top 10 Plays!”

Whatever method of jubilation you choose, there is no denying the fact that an end to the lockout has brought immense joy to owners, players, and fans alike. No longer do owners have to worry about lost revenues from nonexistent ticket and merchandise sales. No longer do players have to  play internationally in European leagues. And no longer must hockey sweaters lay dormant, gathering dust in your closets, begging to see the light of day.

Now, fans can proudly sport the names of the favorite players as they walk down the street and again cast furtive, disrespectful glances at someone else wearing a rival team’s jersey. There’s nothing better than watching a Sidney Crosby fan’s hate-filled eyes bore into the soul of a Claude Giroux supporter, who gazes back with equal enmity. A hockey rivalry is a special thing.

And then there’s the atmosphere. Say what you will about the scale and enormity of an NFL game or the relaxed, summer scene of Major League Baseball. There are few superior venues to watch sporting events than an NHL arena, and with the resurrection of the 2013 season, fans can again bask in the glory of experiencing all the electricity and excitement of a professional hockey game.

CONSOL Energy Center, home ice of the Pittsburgh Penguins, is one of the loudest
and most exciting venues in the NHL.

There’s just something about the moment when that 10-second timer appears on the Jumbotron and counts down until the players explode out of the locker room and onto the ice, amidst the symphony of pump-up music and a chorus of screaming enthusiasts (fans and opposing fans alike). Bright lights expel the team’s logo onto the ice and circulate it around the rink as the players do one more last minute skate around before the singing of the National Anthem (“America the Beautiful” or “O Canada”) and the eventual puck drop, when the crowd settles down just a bit, until the next frenzied burst of action.

At the heart of this vibrant and exhilarating environment, the actual 2013 NHL storylines are sure to steal the show and keep the hockey world buzzing throughout the coming months. Some of the more riveting scenarios this season include a number of players signing with new teams.

Former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash will be donning the blue and white of the New York Rangers, adding another star to an already talented lineup of Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan,  and goalkeeping phenom Henrik Lundqvist . And what about Zach Parise leaving the New Jersey Devils and joining forces with defenseman Ryan Suter, formerly of the Nashville Predators, to play for the Minnesota Wild? Their new-found alliance could pay dividends for a team that finished the previous season 12^th in the Western Conference. Jordan Staal also abstained from signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins again, instead choosing to join his brother Eric on the Hurricanes, giving hope to Carolina faithful that this sibling duo, combined with newcomer Alexander Semin and longtime goaltender Cam Ward, can drastically improve their team’s success. And last, but most certainly not least, will perennial all-star Sidney Crosby remain free from concussion-like symptoms, finish the truncated season, and lead the Penguins deep into the playoffs? Only time will tell.

Jordan Staal wearing new colors soon after leaving the Penguins
and signing with the Hurricanes.

But at least there is time. There is time again for owners to sell tickets, for players to lace up their skates, for fans to cheer (or jeer) at goal after goal after goal. And if there is one positive aspect to mull over as this whole ordeal comes to an end, perhaps it is that the lockout compels us to remember why so many impassioned people clamored for the return of the National Hockey League. It reminds us why we love this game, why we need this game, and why we never want to let it go.

The Fall of Joe Paterno

He had more Division 1-A College Football wins than any other coach. He led the Penn State Nitanny Lions to two national championships. He stood as an icon for the NCAA for decades and cemented such a storied legacy within the university that he was even memorialized as a statue in front of Beaver Stadium to remind those of his accomplishments and contributions… until now.

Amidst one of the most shocking and repulsive scandals in the history of collegiate or professional sports, Joe Paterno witnessed the reputation he had crafted for himself and his football program collapse. The cracks in Paterno’s armor became ever more prevalent as a myriad of child sexual abuse allegations were levied against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky over the past year. Sandusky was eventually found guilty on 45 of 48 counts and will likely be sentenced to life in prison later this year.

Jerry Sandusky and Joe Paterno

Some may not be able to connect the dots as to how Paterno could possibly be involved in such a scandal, an affair so damning that it resulted in a $60 million fine, a four-year football postseason ban, reduction of football scholarships, a vacation of all wins dating back to 1998, and the dismantling of the famed statue of the coach. Various analysts, former players, and fans have voiced their opinions about how Paterno’s involvement in the scandal should have been handled. They bickered back and forth, some defending Paterno and others harshly condemning him.

Regardless of your own personal sentiments in the matter, facts have recently been unearthed that reveal the steps taken by Paterno, and other members of the Penn State administration, to impede the process of justice for the victims abused by Sandusky. The investigation took the form of a scathing documentation assembled by an investigative council led by former FBI director Louis Freeh. The results of the report stated that Paterno, suspended athletic director Tim Curley, former university president Graham Spanier, and former vice president Gary Schultz failed to protect against sexual abuse being committed by Jerry Sandusky for over a decade, thereby enabling him to remain in contact with young boys, a number of whom came forward as additional victims.

Needless to say, the entire ordeal is one of the most unfortunate incidents ever encountered by the sports world. Yet even more mind-boggling to me is the fact that a multitude of Penn State supporters are still standing behind Paterno despite the evidence that he and three other men directly impeded law enforcement from descending on Sandusky.

Let me get something out into the open before I continue: Joe Paterno was one of the best coaches of all time. Prior to the Sandusky scandal, his name was one of the most revered throughout all of collegiate athletics. However, that same honor and respect that Paterno garnered will now wane, and deservedly so. But how can even the most dedicated Penn State fan stand up for a man responsible for covering up such a heinous crime?

From what I can gather right now, the large majority of the pro-Paterno audience is arguing that the Sandusky affair was not football-related. And I agree... to a point. Concerning the sanctions imposed against Penn State, I'd say most of them are warranted. I don't approve of the bowl ban for the next four years nor do I condone the limiting and rescinding of athletic scholarships. I can't see where the NCAA derived that logic. Punishing the players and coaches present on the team that weren't involved to any degree just seems wrong.

Before: Joe Paterno's statue at Beaver Stadium

On the other hand, though the $60 million fine, vacation of wins, and removal of Paterno's statue  are  extremely harsh measures, their degree of intensity runs parallel with the unprecedented nature of the violations incurred at Penn State.  Given that this is likely the most serious collegiate athletics scandal ever, the NCAA used what resources were at its disposal to create what they believed was a fitting punishment. Since nothing of this nature has ever taken place, many people's natural reactions are sure to be shock, outrage, and disappointment. Those emotions are certainly understandable, but fans  who back Paterno even now are doing so in incredibly poor taste.

After: Joe Paterno's statue removed

I'm not suggesting that they completely abandon their admiration for Paterno but rather scale it back to a semi-reasonable level. Examples of such overly supportive behavior can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites. People clamor about why the statue should stay, and that removing it directly infringes upon Penn State's legacy. What legacy? The legacy that has now been tarnished by the blatant cover-up of systematic child rape? Displaying the statue of the man who, with a few others, had the power to bring Sandusky to justice would have been a terribly inconsiderate move for Penn State, and, most importantly, acted as a direct affront to the victims.

I applaud Penn State for removing the statue from its position near the stadium and placing it in private storage. I'm sure it was a difficult decision to make, but it simply had to be done. This entire scandal is bigger than football, and it's also bigger than Penn State. With that said, action had to be taken to make an example out of those responsible for the mishandling of Sandusky's behavior. As stated earlier, I most certainly disagree with some of the sanctions against the university and believe they punish people who had no involvement in the affair. Regardless, I believe the rest of the action taken against Penn State is appropriate and rewrites the NCAA rulebook as to how to deal with situations that approach such gravity.

Joe Paterno's dramatic fall from grace will inevitably be looked upon as one of the most unsettling demises in the history of sports. The man was looked upon as a god at Penn State, a being who could do no wrong, who epitomized an incomparable moral integrity. And that's what makes this entire thing all the more shocking. No one expected it from Paterno. He had been around for too long and accomplished too much for the university. The reputation that he carved into Happy Valley is now tainted with the dark mark of covering up Sandusky's abuse. I understand that hero worship in the form of athletes often results in following them blindly and pushing aside their shortcomings, but supporting Paterno in this plight is a crude and immature way of dealing such a hideous chain of events.