Check out this tweet by Mike DeFabo, who covers the Penguins for the Post-Gazette:
DeFabo is exactly right. In sports, a good concept gets spoiled by coaching and strategy far too often.
Remember indoor soccer? The Major Indoor Soccer League, Pittsburgh Spirit, Stan Terlecki, Paul Child, etc.
When indoor soccer first started, it was goals galore. It was a new game. There were no systems. There was no strategy. The players just played. Skill dominated. It was wide open. Scores were 15-13, that sort of thing. That lasted for 2-3 seasons.
Then the coaches figured out how to play defense. They strategized. The game slowed to a crawl.
Suddenly the scores were 5-4. The MISL soon folded because what made the league unique and entertaining was gone. Nobody wanted to watch outdoor soccer played indoor.
The NHL’s three-on-three overtime format was great. Was. Play cascaded up and down the ice, odd-man breaks, lots of chances.
Now everybody retreats with the puck and plays tight man-to-man. The primary strategy is to stay ahead on line changes and catch your foe tired.
That really gets fans on their feet.
Coaching and strategy ruin so much in sports. Three-on-three OT is just another victim.