In an attempt to claw back some of its eroding market share from viewers of televised women's lacrosse and fishing-with-dynamite enthusiasts, the National Hockey League has turned to the advertisers' favorite option for product promotion: Celebrities. Luminaries such as Christie Brinkley, Lil John, and one of the guys from "Brothers & Sisters" will "write exclusive blogs and provide original video content to offer fans a unique perspective of the Stanley Cup Playoffs." Ooh, famous people and interactivity! Let's see how it's going! From Brinkley's blog:

I feel like there is so much skill here. They're doing the most amazing things and they're on the slippery ice doing it! It's so exciting. I can't help it, I'm hooked. It was incredible action. These giants that become so graceful on the ice, they're all pure macho grace - amazing speed, lightning turns, and their size is amazing. But if you step away from the action and look around, you really get a treat. The arena itself is so alive; every inch of the volume of the interior is full of action and sound. Whether it's the flashing lights, the horns, the giant car floats that go through the air, or the fans themselves who are all so fun and friendly, it's just a huge loud 'fun.' Every inch of that arena is a spectacle. The game brings the entire place to life. And I've lived in that {Nassau} Coliseum for a long time. I've been there for all different kinds of events, but the way hockey fills it up, there is nothing like it.

Not a Billy Joel concert, that's for goddamned sure.

Christie Brinkley's confusing-to-navigate blog [NHL.com]