Has the Bundesliga surpassed La Liga?

When the draws were set, all the talk was about the seemingly inevitable Champions League final between Real Madrid and Barcelona, another installment of the El Clasico but with the greatest stakes in Europe on the line (For my hockey followers, imagine Colorado vs Detroit at its Claude Lemieux prime, and then play the game in front of 90,000 fans).

Well having watched Bayern Munich handily dismantle my Gunners in the quarter finals, I wasn't so sure.  I thought they looked like one of the strongest teams I had seen in a long while.  Then I watched Borussia Dortmund play for the first time this season - They looked as good if not better.

While I believe that the Barclay's Premier League is the strongest overall league in the world, Real Madrid and Barcelona were arguably the two strongest club teams over the past few years.  The Bundesliga is also top-heavy, but seeing the way the two German teams tore apart the top two Spanish teams in the first leg by a combined 8-1 score, I wonder, has the Bundesliga surpassed La Liga in quality?

You have to go back six years to find the last time Barcelona lost by a 4 goal margin in any competition (May 10, 2007 to Getafe, also 4-0).  Meanwhile Dortmund hung on and scraped by a strong pushback from Real Madrid in the second leg and advance to the Champions League final. Looking at how young this squad is, it is possible that they could become a powerhouse if the team can afford to keep the emerging stars such as Hummels, Lewandowski, Gundogan, and Reus, having already lost Gotze to their German rivals (starting next season).  The reported 37 million euros for that transfer will be a good start.

If any team can bounce back from a 4-0 deficit, it is Barcelona, but failing that we seem poised to see the first ever all-German Champions League final.  Looks like the other leagues have some work to do.

A Guide to the Playoffs for Leafs Fans

By Mark Baldwin

The recent image of Rihanna wearing a heritage Senators jersey around Beverly Hills sent tweets flying all over Ottawa, but also drew a lot of ire from Leafs fans. “Why would she choose the jersey of our bitter rivals instead of the classic blue and white?” so many have asked.  While only "Riri" knows for sure, there is one fact that cannot be overlooked: The last time the Leafs played a playoff game, she was just a 16-year old Barbadian high-school student with a demo tape. She didn't even know what hockey was.  Rihanna is 25 now, a ripe old age for a pop icon; however, the next generation of pop stars could be inspired by the recent groundbreaking news – The Leafs will play in the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs.

You may be surprised to learn this, but I – a Senators fan – welcome the Leafs back.  Granted, after so many defeats at the hands of the Leafs back in the old NHL, I took some pleasure in those first three or four seasons of failure.  Since then, however, I feel like there is something missing.  The “Battle of Ontario” had become a cold war, but finally, there are some signs of life again.

The playoffs begin shortly, but bear in mind that a lot can change in nine years.  To put things into perspective, as of May 4^th, 2004, the day of the last Maple Leafs playoff game:

·         Downtown Torontonians were outraged that gas prices had risen to 72 cents a litre.

·         The Montreal Expos still existed.

·         Paul Martin was Prime Minister, and Canada had a $9.1 Billion surplus.

·         You had never seen Janet Jackson’s nipple.

The world has changed, and the game itself has changed, and since Ottawa have played in 46 playoff games since 2004, I figure it would only be neighbourly of me to bring all of the Leafs fans up to speed on the modern day ins-and-outs of cheering on your team in the playoffs.

 

The Experience

 

Technology has played a major role in enhancing the playoff experience.  Since 2005, CBC has been broadcasting playoff games in spectacular, crystal clear High Definition Television.  The next best thing to being at a playoff game live, is watching it in High Definition.  You may have gotten a glimpse of the wonders of HDTV in one of the 5 Olympics that have taken place since the Leafs last playoff appearance.

 

Another guilty pleasure that you have been missing out on for the past nine years is the joy of gloating to your friends after a big playoff win.  But wasn't it annoying, time consuming, and expensive to phone all of your friends individually?  Well you are in for a treat.  In 2004, some enterprising business students from Harvard invented a web-based program known as “Facebook” which kicked off the social media revolution.  Now you can use Facebook or Twitter to share your clever quips with all of your friends at once!

 

But won't I need a computer to access these new web-based social media sites?  A valid question from someone who hasn't been to a playoff game since 2004, given that fewer than 5 million people in the world even owned an iPod then.  Little did we know that the iPod would later become the iPod video, and then the iPod touch, and now the iPhone. Since 2008, smartphones like the iPhone have gained more and more market share and are now ubiquitous.  For a low monthly fee, you can access all of the wonders of the internet via your cell phone, right in the Air Canada Centre.  Monitor the scores of the other games, check your email during intermission, tweet photos of the action in real-time – These days, the world is literally at your fingertips.  Budget some time to make the adjustment so you don't find yourself too overwhelmed at that first home game.

 

The Game

 

The game of hockey itself has changed since 2004 – Actually it has changed a number of times.  Here are some of the significant rule changes to keep in mind during the playoffs:  In 2005, a rule was introduced which required teams to play 4-on-4 in overtime, and if five minutes of overtime solved nothing, a shootout would ensue to determine the winner of the game.  What is important for you to note, is that these rules do not apply in the playoffs!  Don't stand up and yell “Too many men!” when the overtime starts, or you will instantly give yourself away as a playoff newbie.

 

There was a time when shooting the puck over the glass was considered a legitimate defensive play, and an effective one for players like Ken Klee and Aki Berg.  Today, heaving the puck into the stands will earn you an automatic two minute stay in the penalty box, even in the playoffs.  Speedy players like Alex Mogilny and Doug Gilmour would have loved playoffs without the 2-line pass rule, but a new generation of Leafs players will finally get to benefit from this new freedom in 2013. In 2005-2006, the NHL began cracking down on holding, hooking, and interference.  For example, if the last Maple Leafs vs. Flyers playoff game from 2004 was replayed today, 83 power plays would have been awarded, and Brian McCabe alone would have amassed 46 penalty minutes.  Fortunately, the Leafs players have had 622 regular season games to adjust to these changes in officiating.

 

In 2012, new rules were introduced concerning faceoff infractions, but since no one understands these rules, including the players, coaches, and referees, you will be no more bewildered by the calls than the fans of the other 29 teams.

 

There you have it Leafs fans – I hope you have found this guide educational and informative.  Having never experienced a playoff drought this long, I can only imagine your level of excitement!  Although a Battle of Ontario seems unlikely for the 2013 playoffs, you know the old saying, make the playoffs and anything can happen... Good luck!