10 Arguments Against the Shootout

My feelings on that glorified skills competition that turns a thrilling team sport into a made-for-TV sideshow the overtime shootout have been well-documented. Yet for some critics of the format, its obvious failings as a mechanism for artificially determining a victor can be forgiven by perhaps its greatest virtue: Providing a showcase for the NHL's brightest offensive stars to score highlight-reel goals without such petty annoyances as defensemen and passing involved.

Oh, were it only that easy. As we've discussed here on FanHouse, there are plenty of awesome players who actually suck at the shootout. These "Top 10 Worst Shootout Moments" from TSN (via YouTube) really aren't all that awful -- I'd say "slightly embarrassing" would be a more appropriate term for botched attempts from players like Alex Ovechkin and Peter Forsberg. But the No. 1 worst moment is simply hilarious, and the video does offer a rather rare sight for hockey fans: A shootout that Jaromir Jagr apparently didn't bitch his way out of partaking in.



Hat tip: Hockey Hype, for the video find.