How Mark Cuban Would Save the NHL

Around the beginning of the year my friend Bill G. pointed me to former AOL executive and Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis’ blog. On the blog Leonsis was bemoaning the lack of season holders who actually lived in DC where the arena is and that most of the season ticket holders were from the surrounding wealthy Virginia and Maryland suburbs. With DC having a huge African American population and with hockey not being especially popular with ANY Americans, let alone African Americans, I thought what he wrote was ridiculous.

I wrote him to say basically that they should be thrilled to have season ticket holders period, regardless of where they lived and that I’d be more worried about the fact that in the popular culture, Hockey isn’t really a part of that. I got especially annoyed with him and was rather hard on him but my reasons were he was talking to me like I was a total dope, “We’re in good shape, the tv stuff will be fine…” etc. I told him I thought he was crazy and that what he really needed to do was make sure Paris and Britney showed up in the stands on TV.

Recently I wrote Cuban asking him for his quick thoughts on saving hockey, and whether it was dead, dead, dead like the 8-Track player of my youth or whether it could be saved. Here’s his response:

"It needs personalities. There is no one in popular culture. Sid the kid and Ovechkin need to get drunk w Paris and Lindsay."

And this is why he’s a billionaire and I’m some guy writing a blog that presently nobody is reading. That last little bit is critical. Showing up on TV isn’t enough. The alcohol IS necessary...for the sex tape that will save the NHL!

Come on Paris, turn your sites to a good cause. Save the NHL!