THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996 TAG: 9602280510
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Now that they've introduced the world to the blue-glow, red-streak electronic puck, we only can wonder how the wacky futurists over at the Fox Network might handle coverage of Wayne Gretzky's celebrated move.
When the time comes for the Great One to transfer his furniture from Los Angeles to St. Louis it would be disappointing if Fox didn't wire up the Gretzky moving vans in the name of computer-enhanced, fan-friendly reporting.
Who wouldn't be impressed by aerial shots of large trucks moving down the highway, each one surrounded by a blue halo?
People at home will be fascinated. They'll say to themselves, ``Those must be some important trucks they've got there.''
Let the drivers really step on the gas and - Whoosh! - the trucks will turn red.
And when the vans exceed the speed limit, people at home can marvel at the sight of comet tails shooting from exhaust pipes.
If hockey-impaired America is to understand the magnitude of the Gretzky trade, nothing less than state-of-the-art technology is needed.
For so many years now, Gretzky has been hockey to people who couldn't pick out a goalie from a roomful of overstuffed sofas.
Mario Lemieux is an artist in his own right. Eric Lindross has superstar appeal. But whatever advances hockey has made into America's popular culture can be traced back to Gretzky alone.
For most of his career, Gretzky has been bigger than the NHL. In the '80s, he was his sport's Magic Johnson and Larry Bird wrapped up into one.
But while Magic and Bird have been followed by Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and other ubiquitous product pitchmen, hockey has yet to identify a player capable of assuming the Great One's mantle.
When Gretzky left Edmonton for Southern California, Canada went into shock. As for L.A.'s hockey fans, you can imagine them mourning in their own way; maybe by burning the lights on their BMWs.
What matters most to hockey, of course, is that Gretzky remains in the game and in the U.S.
Regardless of his zip code, he's still around to thrill purists and entice the curious.
Comparisons between Jordan and Gretzky are mostly on target. But when he retires, Gretzky will be missed more by hockey than Michael will be by the NBA.
It's easy to see why. The deep end of the NHL's frozen talent pool is populated by the likes of Sergei Fedorov, Alexander Mogilny, Ulf Samuelsson, Pierre Turgeon and Jaromir Jagr.
At this rate, the NHL won't be attracting Pat Buchanan voters.
What hockey could use is its own version of Deion Sanders. But instead of a player named Neon, the best the NHL and Fox can offer is a neon puck.
Hockey on TV defies Yogi Berra's belief that, ``You can observe a lot by just watching.''
Nobody watching TV can see the puck. The puck is too small. This is one more reason why hockey needs someone with Gretzky's charisma to loom large over the game.
If there were only a way for Fox to wire the Great One, so that where ever he moved the TV camera would capture him encircled by a blue halo.
A halo would fit him just fine. by CNB