Personally, I think the NHL shootout is stupid. The shootout is necessary in tournaments that are being played on a single sheet of ice, where a winner needs to be determined but teams can't be allowed to play indefinitely because the next game needs to go on. In the NHL, there is no such need. The NHL instituted the shootout because fans don't like games that end in ties. This, to me, is completely fucking dumb. Fans don't like losing either, but that's the nature of sport. I don't see anybody trying to eliminate losses from the NHL.
Oh wait--Teams get points for losing, now. I forgot.
Okay so anyway losses are being marginalized a little bit and wins are being inflated and ties are a thing of the past. Thanks, NHL! You've made your league a happier place to be a fan. Now will you please expand the playoffs to allow 30 teams? Fans hate it when their teams miss the playoffs.
Despite the NHL's best efforts to make the fans happy by allowing more than half the league's teams to have winning records, there has been some push-back from people who don't like tie-breaking shootouts, but still don't like ties. With these idiots in mind, I write an open letter to the NHL...
