Well, there would be a lot to do in 24 hours! Queen Sandra would rule...
1. NHL teams would go back to wearing white uniforms at home. That's what I grew up with. I still can't get used to the way it is now.
2. The Go away-Landers would go away. Forever. Move them to Ontario where people would care more. Or even Fiji.
3. The NHL would stop with the additional point for an OT or shootout loss. If a game is tied with 10 minutes left, you can turn it off and come back for the OT. Teams play it safe at that point.
4. NHL goalies would keep the equipment that protects them, but lose the oversized gloves and gigantic shoulder pads that only serve to block the goal.
5. Henrik Lundqvist would call me tonight.
6. College football coaches would stop complaining about the BCS system AFTER they think it has wronged them. They knew the rules back in August. If you have a problem with the rules, complain about it then. If Texas doesn't like the Big 12's tiebreaker system, lobby to change the rule in the Spring. But at that point, there is just as good a chance Texas would benefit from the rule next year, so they won't. This is like complaining Obama is going to be President because you didn't vote for him. You know the voting rules, live with them or lobby to change them.
7. All college football teams would play each team in their conference every year. All basketball teams would play each team twice. If that's not logistically possible, reduce the size of the conference. The Big East is a joke in basketball. It just doesn't even seem like a conference. Not enough familiarity with the other teams.
8. The venerable teams in each sport would never change their uniforms. Teams like the Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers, Packers, Cowboys, Steelers, Browns, Celtics, Lakers, Knicks, and hockeys' original six should never alter their uniforms in a major way. The color the Celtics are wearing right now just isn't right. Who cares what players on teams like the Heat and the LA Kings are wearing? But leave the venerable teams' uniforms alone.
9. England would play a Premier League game or two in the US, just like the NFL plays a regular season game at Wembley. I'm thinking Man U - Arsenal at the Meadowlands in March. Nice.
10. A Canadian would convince me why the World Junior Championship is just as exciting as March Madness. I'm just not getting it from down here.
11. Anyone who proclaims soccer boring or whatever would have to go to a game at the Maracana in Rio, Old Trafford at Manchester United, Stadio Olympico in Rome, Azteca in Mexico City, Nou Camp in Barcelona, Ibrox in Glasgow, etc., before making such a statement. If you still think soccer is boring, your opinion would be valid. It's like telling people in England they really need to go to Yankee Stadium, Wrigley or Fenway before proclaiming baseball is just a sport where everyone spends 95% of the time standing around doing nothing. They do think that, by the way.
12. Chris Marlowe would go back to broadcasting AVP Volleyball on a full-time basis, not just on NBC's telecasts. And bring Paul Sunderland back with you. They were the best combo in any sport bar none.
13. Jim Hughson would become full-time play by play guy for the Rangers. I love Sam, but he's not Jim Hughson. I know he's the lead guy on Hockey Night in Canada, which is a lot more high profile than the Rangers, but if JD can move from HNIC to the Rangers booth, why can't Hughson?
14. The NHL would go back to when each team played each other team at least twice, home and away. This year's schedule is much better than last year's, but if the NBA can do it, so can the NHL.
15. Aaron Voros would call me tonight (Sorry Hank, I can't wait all life!)
16. The Jets will make a Red Sox-like turn around and start doing everything right instead of wrong for a change.
17. St. John's will become relevant again. Beating Notre Dame over the weekend was a good start, though. The Garden used to rock for the Red Storm.
18. Same thing for Princeton. Come back Pete Carill!
19. The guy who asked Rob Marinelli if he wished his daughter had married a better defensive coordinator would resign from the paper. Check.
20. Baseball would reduce to 28 teams, each league would then have an equal number. Pitching would improve around the league, as there just isn't enough right now. Who should they lose? I think the choices are obvious.
21. The Pro Bowl would go away. I don't really like the NBA and NHL all star games either.
22. NFL teams would have a team representative at cheerleader tryouts. Someone other than the brain trust that runs the tryouts and picks the teams. I'm not sure if the teams know what goes on at the tryouts. I tried out for two different teams and didn't make either one, and this is not sour grapes...I was not good enough to make either one. So many of the girls are such amazing dancers I don't understand why they're not on Broadway instead.
This may sound strange coming from a woman, but I think there needs to be male involvement from the team. Both times I tried out there were 4-5 women running everything, and they were beyond mean. If you're going to cut a girl, it's OK. There are 200-300 girls trying out, we can do the math and we know most of us won't make it. If you want to cut someone or tell them what they need to get better at, fine. But the personal attacks, especially when it's already been decided a girl hasn't made the team, were totally uncalled for. It was like they wanted everyone who didn't make the team (and perhaps even those who did, I don't know) to know they were not even close to as good as the evaluators (most of whom were former cheerleaders) were.
They weren't so bad to me...although it was implied I would be well-suited for another line of work. One where you wear a lot less clothes than cheerleaders. But that was nothing compared to what they told some of the girls. It was terrible. At the very least the teams should know what's going on, I have no idea if they do.
23. Derrick Thomas will make it into the Hall of Fame this year. He was one of my favorite players.
24. NBA teams would get reduced to one timeout each in the last two minutes of games. But they get to call for an advancement of the ball (like they would if they called timeout) to inbound in the frontcourt, anytime they want in the last minute. That's the reason for a lot of the timouts. Usually there isn't even a commercial, so it's not done for money. Too often it becomes tedious.
25. Everyone on the Satellite Guys forum would be nice to each other. Not worry about getting the last word in. Or get all flustered when someone has an opinion that differs from yours. Or go for the jugular when a person's team is down. Or talk down to each other. Or treat a difference of opinion like it's a battle that must be won. This is sports. It's supposed to the fun part of our lives.
Had to get that off my chest...so to speak.
Sandra
1. NHL teams would go back to wearing white uniforms at home. That's what I grew up with. I still can't get used to the way it is now.
2. The Go away-Landers would go away. Forever. Move them to Ontario where people would care more. Or even Fiji.
3. The NHL would stop with the additional point for an OT or shootout loss. If a game is tied with 10 minutes left, you can turn it off and come back for the OT. Teams play it safe at that point.
4. NHL goalies would keep the equipment that protects them, but lose the oversized gloves and gigantic shoulder pads that only serve to block the goal.
5. Henrik Lundqvist would call me tonight.
6. College football coaches would stop complaining about the BCS system AFTER they think it has wronged them. They knew the rules back in August. If you have a problem with the rules, complain about it then. If Texas doesn't like the Big 12's tiebreaker system, lobby to change the rule in the Spring. But at that point, there is just as good a chance Texas would benefit from the rule next year, so they won't. This is like complaining Obama is going to be President because you didn't vote for him. You know the voting rules, live with them or lobby to change them.
7. All college football teams would play each team in their conference every year. All basketball teams would play each team twice. If that's not logistically possible, reduce the size of the conference. The Big East is a joke in basketball. It just doesn't even seem like a conference. Not enough familiarity with the other teams.
8. The venerable teams in each sport would never change their uniforms. Teams like the Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers, Packers, Cowboys, Steelers, Browns, Celtics, Lakers, Knicks, and hockeys' original six should never alter their uniforms in a major way. The color the Celtics are wearing right now just isn't right. Who cares what players on teams like the Heat and the LA Kings are wearing? But leave the venerable teams' uniforms alone.
9. England would play a Premier League game or two in the US, just like the NFL plays a regular season game at Wembley. I'm thinking Man U - Arsenal at the Meadowlands in March. Nice.
10. A Canadian would convince me why the World Junior Championship is just as exciting as March Madness. I'm just not getting it from down here.
11. Anyone who proclaims soccer boring or whatever would have to go to a game at the Maracana in Rio, Old Trafford at Manchester United, Stadio Olympico in Rome, Azteca in Mexico City, Nou Camp in Barcelona, Ibrox in Glasgow, etc., before making such a statement. If you still think soccer is boring, your opinion would be valid. It's like telling people in England they really need to go to Yankee Stadium, Wrigley or Fenway before proclaiming baseball is just a sport where everyone spends 95% of the time standing around doing nothing. They do think that, by the way.
12. Chris Marlowe would go back to broadcasting AVP Volleyball on a full-time basis, not just on NBC's telecasts. And bring Paul Sunderland back with you. They were the best combo in any sport bar none.
13. Jim Hughson would become full-time play by play guy for the Rangers. I love Sam, but he's not Jim Hughson. I know he's the lead guy on Hockey Night in Canada, which is a lot more high profile than the Rangers, but if JD can move from HNIC to the Rangers booth, why can't Hughson?
14. The NHL would go back to when each team played each other team at least twice, home and away. This year's schedule is much better than last year's, but if the NBA can do it, so can the NHL.
15. Aaron Voros would call me tonight (Sorry Hank, I can't wait all life!)
16. The Jets will make a Red Sox-like turn around and start doing everything right instead of wrong for a change.
17. St. John's will become relevant again. Beating Notre Dame over the weekend was a good start, though. The Garden used to rock for the Red Storm.
18. Same thing for Princeton. Come back Pete Carill!
19. The guy who asked Rob Marinelli if he wished his daughter had married a better defensive coordinator would resign from the paper. Check.
20. Baseball would reduce to 28 teams, each league would then have an equal number. Pitching would improve around the league, as there just isn't enough right now. Who should they lose? I think the choices are obvious.
21. The Pro Bowl would go away. I don't really like the NBA and NHL all star games either.
22. NFL teams would have a team representative at cheerleader tryouts. Someone other than the brain trust that runs the tryouts and picks the teams. I'm not sure if the teams know what goes on at the tryouts. I tried out for two different teams and didn't make either one, and this is not sour grapes...I was not good enough to make either one. So many of the girls are such amazing dancers I don't understand why they're not on Broadway instead.
This may sound strange coming from a woman, but I think there needs to be male involvement from the team. Both times I tried out there were 4-5 women running everything, and they were beyond mean. If you're going to cut a girl, it's OK. There are 200-300 girls trying out, we can do the math and we know most of us won't make it. If you want to cut someone or tell them what they need to get better at, fine. But the personal attacks, especially when it's already been decided a girl hasn't made the team, were totally uncalled for. It was like they wanted everyone who didn't make the team (and perhaps even those who did, I don't know) to know they were not even close to as good as the evaluators (most of whom were former cheerleaders) were.
They weren't so bad to me...although it was implied I would be well-suited for another line of work. One where you wear a lot less clothes than cheerleaders. But that was nothing compared to what they told some of the girls. It was terrible. At the very least the teams should know what's going on, I have no idea if they do.
23. Derrick Thomas will make it into the Hall of Fame this year. He was one of my favorite players.
24. NBA teams would get reduced to one timeout each in the last two minutes of games. But they get to call for an advancement of the ball (like they would if they called timeout) to inbound in the frontcourt, anytime they want in the last minute. That's the reason for a lot of the timouts. Usually there isn't even a commercial, so it's not done for money. Too often it becomes tedious.
25. Everyone on the Satellite Guys forum would be nice to each other. Not worry about getting the last word in. Or get all flustered when someone has an opinion that differs from yours. Or go for the jugular when a person's team is down. Or talk down to each other. Or treat a difference of opinion like it's a battle that must be won. This is sports. It's supposed to the fun part of our lives.
Had to get that off my chest...so to speak.
Sandra
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