I picked up The Sporting News Hockey Yearbook yesterday and was surprised
by the amount of college coverage; they blew away THN's one page.  TSN has
about 7 pages, a preseason top 20 (which *is* a joke), a list of All-America
candidates by position (which doesn't include BC goalie Scott LaGrand but
does include overrated BU goalie Scott Cashman) - but at least they made
an effort.  There is a little box for *every one* of the 45 Division I
teams that includes their 91-92 schedule, team facts, & key losses/returning
players/incoming players.  AND, unlike THN, they do this for the independents
too.  There are a few mistakes here and there, but you have to appreciate
their effort.
 
TSN's pro preview is not as good as THN's, but between the two you get a
good look at pro and college.  TSN's book sells for $4.95 and THN's is $7.95.
 
Unfortunately, TSN's yearbook also has a feature (FEATURE) article on GOONS.
Not only do they do things like rating the pro goons in different categories,
but they stoop so low as to give hints to young players, in a separate but
related article, on how to become a goon!  Let me quote the first paragraph
from that: "Do you have an aspiring goon playing midget hockey?  Here are
a few tips - some of which are even acceptable in today's society - on the
martial arts, compiled from current and future pros..."
 
It's attitudes like this that threaten to send hockey back to the dark
ages.  Don't they realize many of the readers of the yearbook are going to
be kids?  Everyone knows the game is physical and sometimes even in college
where there is supposedly no fighting, altercations do occur - but why
glorify it?
 
Too bad they have to try to cater to fans of this trash and not real fans,
as if they needed this to sell magazines.  Still, their college section
is much better than expected.
 
 
- mike