Imagine a team from a Canadian city so far north that pond hockey is still played outside in July is being spanked by a team from a state best known as the home of Barney Fife and the good old boys of NASCAR.
The next thing you know those damned Johnny Rebs will be looking to rename the world's most revered trophy the Stonewall Cup. And "Oh, Canada" will be replaced by "Dixie."
Frank Cannon and Richard Lessner with another great sports article at the Weekly Standard. Something strange has been happening to hockey: Dixie is taking over.
Now being an unreconstructing Northerner and all, I love the South and all of its glories - the weather, people, culture, grits and muscadine jelly, Waffle House, Eudora Welty, y'all, and even being called Miss Karen. But...hockey? Being a border lurker all my life, I *admit* I found it a bit disconcerting when one Canadian franchise after another dropped from sight. When Quebec went, that was the last straw. Then came Dallas (replacing Minnesota - huh?), Carolina, and heaven forbid, Florida and Tampa Bay. Thus I admit to being an "Original Six" snob. It's a fault, I know. But so far I just haven't been mature enought to accept the alternative. So I'll blame it on the socialist nature of professional sports that has rearranged business in the name of equality through revenue sharing, salary caps, free agent rules, etc. The day when the NHL announces a team in Little Rock, I think I'll just have to turn to arm wrestling or "Rock-Paper-Scissors," or something.
