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Well, some of them have, the ones who take their sport seriously enough that they've joined the now 10-year-old, 30,400-member NHL Fans Association.
What do they say?
Among other things, results of a November mini-poll indicate there's a split on many issues, agreement on others, according to the association members' nationality (roughly 60 per cent of the Ottawa-based organization's membership are Americans, 40 per cent from Canada).
So, what would your answer be if asked, "Should the NHL relocate struggling franchises from the U.S. to Canada?" Is it any surprise that 92 per cent of the Canadian respondents thought more teams up here would be a good idea? Perhaps more surprising is that 52 per cent of Americans thought so, too. (Then again, perhaps the "struggling" franchises are as under-represented in the fan group polled as they are at the turnstiles.)
If a team were relocated northward, southern Ontario consistently tops the most-likely list. To the question, "Do you think it is a good idea if Toronto (or the Greater Toronto Area) had two NHL franchises?" 67 per cent of Canadian voters agreed, as did 42 per cent of Americans.
As for expansion to Europe, a scant 7 per cent of Americans thought it was a good idea, 15 per cent of Canadians voted yes.
Another interesting Q&A: "In your opinion, do you think the NHL needs a new commissioner?" Sorry, Gary Bettman, but nearly eight out of 10 Canadians who voted thought he has to be replaced, 64 per cent of Americans.
The only votes that really count to Bettman and his job security belong to the NHL's board of governors. But they would be well advised, always, to listen to the folks who pay the bills.
AND FURTHERMORE: The surest thing in sports in 2008 is who will be named in a couple of days as Sports Illustrated's athlete of the year. Hint: His name rhymes with Yelps. ... Going from John Ferguson Jr. to Brian Burke is like going from mush to muscle, hush to harsh. ... Speaking of hush, it's quiet on the baseball free-agent front. Too quiet. Doesn't anybody want the Yankees' money? ... Or the Dodgers dough? ... Is it a question of priorities? Should pro sports be lavishing enormous contracts on athletes when people are losing their jobs in these tough economic times? That's a question being asked by, of all people, Los Angeles Dodgers president Jamie McCourt, wife of team owner Frank McCourt. While announcing funding support for kids' playing fields, she said: "If you bring somebody in to play and pay them, pick a number, $30 million, does that seem a little weird to you? That's what we're trying to figure out. We're really trying to see it through the eyes of our fans. We're really trying to understand, would they rather have the 50 fields?" ... Is it too soon to ask what Brett Favre will be doing next year? ... "I get the luxury of playing with somebody who's almost my dad's age. I was watching him when I started growing my adult teeth. When my mom was starting to help me walk, he was on the field playing." That's nose tackle Kris Jenkins of the Jets, on Favre. ... Among Favre's many talents is butt-slapping. "You have to watch out for him," says Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery, " because you may be stretching out or something and he just comes out of nowhere."
