The NBA has opened the door to the possibility of making radical changes to the league. Now, NHL analyst and podcast host Paul Bissonnette suggests the NHL should do the same, claiming the league would be “f—king idiots” if they don’t listen to him.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver stunned basketball fans a few weeks ago by proposing drastic changes to the league. One of his suggestions is to shorten the length of a quarter from 12 minutes to 10 minutes.
“I mean, putting aside what it means for records and things like that, I think a two-hour format for a game is more consistent with modern television habits,” Silver said per CBS.
Paul Bissonnette’s wild suggestion
Silver’s proposal has also sparked a debate within the NHL about whether the league should consider changes to shorten its games. While altering the 20-minute periods seems unthinkable, Bissonnette, a popular NHL analyst for TNT and co-host of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, has another idea: reducing TV timeouts during games.
“Yes, they should, and I’ve said it before—if they don’t do it, they’re f—king idiots,” Bissonnette said on Spittin’ Chiclets.
“Enough with the TV timeouts. Reduce them. I think right now, we have three TV timeouts per period. Sometimes, the way they’re scheduled, you’ll have one, and then a minute and a half later, there’s another whistle, and they go to another TV timeout. It’s brutal. It’s like going to an NFL game.”
Bissonnette’s response to critiques
Bissonnette also addressed those who argue that TV timeouts are essential due to advertising revenue, offering a blunt response.
“‘Oh yeah, but the commercials, the amount of money you make.’ Buddy, make the intermissions a little bit longer. Give people more time to grab a beer. And then, when the game starts, you’re f—king dialed in, and it’s moving.
“And then some people say, ‘Oh, we don’t come to watch the fourth liners. The breaks give the top guys more time to rest.’ Shut the f—k up.”
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