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G E C <(\\\ â€"Â¥2 c~ C\C‘)C‘d\ Volvo C P _ Rabbit O Mercedes PAGE 26 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1982 mavreq _ Daily 9: 30â€"5: 30; 9: 30â€"9: 00 Friday mm 183 Louisa (at Weber W.), Kitchener Dissatisfied with present service? For expert repairs. call Mike or Kiaus at 435 Conestogo Rd W Waterion N. American models. 884â€"7640 Prices in effect YOUR MEMORIAL SHOULD BE ORDERED NOW SUPERIOR MEMORIALS Medical Dental and Nursing Home Supplies. Sales and Rentals of wheelchairs, walking canes, crutches and cammodes. Mon.â€"Fri. 8â€"5 Sat. 81 745â€"8346 528 Victoria St. N., Kitchener (Beside Weston Bakeries) 145â€"6136 After hours 578â€"7154 Large Indoor Showrcoms G.G.M. MEDICAL SUPPLIES 637 Colby Dr., . Wateriloo My, oh my, nothing like an upset in sports to bring out the bleeding hearts in the crowd, is there? Why, without even touching on the ramifications of the Falkland Islands crisis, events of equallyâ€"cataclysmic proportions right here on Nortth American soil have us up in, to say nothing of taking up, arms. It would seem the early returns on the Stanley Cup sweepstakes, that woebegone 885â€"2457 P AC YeZ V S 2Â¥ L °* .g fi"* .LQI\Q,J@ aC/aRZFS .& 5’2}?5" WWEAAZEA q Y / .6 C 4,.@ s°‘j Funny, but it also seems to me many of the most loquacious loudmpuths blasting the Blues, the Canucks, the Kings and so on for upsetting the system are the very people that heralded the emergence of Oilers as the Cinderella story of 1981, the Davids who smate the Goliathonian Habs before bowing to Islanders despite herculean efforts. Good story, wasn‘t it? Sure was. One you would hardly think possible from a team that finished the regular season in I4th place with a 29â€"35â€"16 record. I‘m of the belief that the present format. stupid as it is, gives all "class" clubs chance to redeem themselves from a "bad game", that playoff catchâ€"all that excuses the heavyweights after losses to lesser lights. If a club like Canadiens can‘t beat oneâ€"way wonders like Quebec Nordiques over a fiveâ€"game series, if Oilers can‘t rise above the robust rambunctiousness of the bornâ€"again Kings in a similar set, then all I can say is that they have no right to ascend closer to the throne. The ability to over come adversity is the hallmark of a sucopssful sports team, and that will always remain true whether 16, 21 or two teams make up the playoff format. , _ Let‘s face it. Of course it is ridiculous that a team that won exactly 24 of 80 games this year, Los Angeles Kings, have twice been given the opportunity to oust a club (Edmonton Oilers) that has done more in two seasons to restore faith in firewagon hockey than any other in recent time. In the first round of the playoffs, yet. But then, if Kings have the ability to rise to those heights, not once, but twice in a bestâ€"ofâ€"five series, where then does one draw the line as to how many clubs should be herded into postâ€"season action? Should the number be reduced to 15? 12? Eight? The sad story is, aside from the possible exception of Isâ€" landers, who of course were tipâ€"toeing the tightrope themselves last night, not one of the teams advancing to postâ€"season purgaâ€" tory has the right to thumb its nose at any other. Including Montreal Canadiens, Oilers and so on down the line. To extrapolate even further, it is no secret a club like Boston Bruins, a team guaranteed at least of the label of division finalist, was thrilled that pesky Hartford Whalers were among the futile five units foresaken after the 80 jousts of regular season play. Thirdly, although there are many more arguments in favor of ditching the present playoff format, it is essentially beneficial not only to NHL owners and players (moolah, man, moolah), but also sustains interest seasonâ€"long in NHL cities that won‘t see a Stanley (as in Weir) Cup til hell freezes over. Firstly, because Leafs opted not to grovel with the riffâ€"raff chasing Lord Stanley‘s stainless steel. Secondly, because ever since I was unanimously ridiculed in the 1978 WLU playoff draft for my 14th round selection of Stan (the Man) Weir, I have opted not to grovel with the riffâ€"raff chasing firstâ€"place prize money which never seems to surface anyway until after the Hockey News final stats in early June. I, being of sound mind and Maple Leaf persuasion, (in some camps the ultimate contradiction), am thoroughly enjoying this year‘s battle for the basin, especially those series with Rocky Balboaâ€"ian overtures. ‘‘Horrors!‘"‘ comes the cry of millions. How blasphemous that clubs like Minnesoâ€" ta, Buffalo, Calgary, Philadelphia and Winnipeg, all with strong tradition or supposed promise, have been shunted so rudely to sideline city! To say nothing of the possibility they may have been joined last night by Edmonton, Montreal and sayâ€"itâ€" isn‘tâ€"so Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders (darn press deadlines) while misfits like Vancouver, St. Louis, Chicago (apologies to Mr. Dean Woelfle) and others pass go and collect 200 media hollers. lottery that has Pacâ€"manned (trans. gobâ€" ble) what used to be a prestigious test of athletic ability, bhve the sweep second hand on Doomsday Clock racing like Chariots of Fire to dreaded 12 o‘clock high. I love it. : © While the National Hockey League tosses and turns in its selfâ€" made bed, while boozebelilies hurtle themseives from thirdâ€" storey windows clutching their abysmal hockey pool picks, and while sports scribes assail a format that allows 76.2% of the NHL‘s teams free admission to Slash for Life each spring whether they need it or not, I sit back. And laugh. matey.