Right after that incident occurred, the New York Rangers Chapter of the PHWA – which Botta and I are members – decided to see about forming a protest and not vote in the NHL postseason awards. At that time is was an informal vote, because no one suspected Botta’s ban would last.

But the NHL didn’t do anything about it and the PHWA “discussed” the situation, yet nothing formal happened.

So last week, Chapter President Larry Brooks put it to a formal vote, where the Rangers chapter decided 7-3 not to participate in the voting.

For the record, I was a member of the three. I voted that way at the time, because I perceived it as an Islander issue and why should the Rangers be punished for something that happened in Uniondale. Certainly the Islander Chapter should take the lead on the matter, but not the Rangers.

Furthermore, since Botta was an executive with the club, this is a personal matter between him and the team. Remember, Botta was the PR Director for 20 years and during that time, he performed the same actions on various writers – including myself –  as the team did to him. Yet now, because the shoe is on the other foot, it’s some sort of national crime.

I also felt any protest would fall on deaf ears, since nothing was done about the Botta situation since October.

So I voted no to the boycott, yet told the group, I would abide by the decision of the majority.

My opinion has changed in the past 36 hours.

After Brooks informed the PHWA and the NHL of the chapter’s boycott, PHWA president Kevin Allen released these statements.

“The idea of a national boycott was discussed briefly, but my sense was that the majority of our members opposed the disruption of the voting process. But no motion was ever made to boycott,” Allen said. “In talking to members, it’s clear to me that they consider the voting process to be highly important.

“Although the Rangers’ chapter doesn’t reflect the sentiment of the other 30 chapters, I’m respectful of its decision. In America, the idea of using one’s vote as a means of protest is as old as the country itself. And the issue here is important. The PHWA doesn’t believe that a NHL team should be able to deny access to one of our members. Chris Botta is one of our members. And he was denied access by the New York Islanders.

“I’m satisfied that the New York Rangers chapter conducted its vote in a democratic, professional manner. I have been informed that it was a 7-3 decision. There will be no effort made to change anyone’s mind. As president, I am willing to say who is eligible to vote, but I’m not going to suggest how someone should vote, or say whether he or she should vote at all.

“I’m confident that the integrity of the voting procedure will not be compromised by the loss of one chapter. Every year, we have some voters who don’t exercise their right to vote for a variety of reasons.  Even without the New York Rangers chapter, there will be 160 eligible voters.  At some points during my 25 years in the organization fewer than 60 voters decided trophy winners. I believe we have more than enough voters to get the job done.”

It seems to me the PHWA is more concerned about voting rights than protecting its members. The first and foremost mission for any writing organization is advocacy of its members. By not looking out for its own, the PHWA exposes its writers to the whims of the various organizations it covers. Teams want positive news, but our readership demands fair and accurate reporting. The association is supposed to protect writers and allow them to do their jobs.

Even if Botta’s situation is unique and may come with unclean hands, the association should have been more concerned about a writer doing his job rather than who should get the Hart Trophy.

And apparently the Rangers chapter’s statement is echoing through the NHL. Yesterday, the Islanders and Devils chapters – both of which voted 5-0 – decided to join the boycott and now we are told the NHL is weighing its options.

So maybe some good will come out of this and maybe this boycott will make the PHWA a stronger organization. If that’s the case, then this protest is worth it and I am glad my fellow writers voted for it.

It’s not every day that you’ll find a DC sports team favored to win much of anything. Although it’s America’s capital and the place where most major decisions are made, it’s certainly not a city considered to be prime in the realm of sport. No one’s really sure why, but DC teams always fail to impress.

In the big four sports—baseball, basketball, football, hockey—Washington DC has four well-known teams. MLS is out, so DC United, although it still has a relatively large fan base, doesn’t quite make the national radar.

Speaking of national – DC’s baseball squad, the Washington Nationals, are also out for the time being. Although they’ll probably get Strasburg back next year, the fact remains that we’re now in the League Championships, and the Nationals long missed the playoffs.

Then you have the Wizards in the NBA. The Washington Wizards, although able to compete with the big boys when healthy, habitually underachieve in a way that makes you want to pull your hair out. Now they have Wall, a (mentally) healthy Arenas, and a real opportunity to make up some ground. Things are looking better.

But don’t go crazy just yet. Betting on the Wizards to make the playoffs is about the same as playing online craps. It’s just too much of a gamble. The Eastern Conference in the NBA, with the Celtics, Heat, Bulls, Magic and Hawks, is just too strong.

So, there are three of Washington’s squads on the nowhere list.

Next up we have the Redskins. This storied NFL franchise is revamped and ready for big things with McNabb at the helm and Mike Shanahan coaching. The ‘Skins’ defense is tougher, their offense is more explosive, and they seem to be playing with more focus.

Here we have a DC team with a solid chance of doing well. They’re favored to make the playoffs which, for all intents and purposes, will be a big success for the McNabb/Shanahan combo in its first season. But a Wild Card round is really as far as the team is expected to go. So in the big picture, mark a Washington parade off the list.

You don’t need to be a player at the best online casinos to know that 5:1 (20%) is pretty bad odds for most games. For sports, however, 5:1 is a really high number, and the Washington Capitals, the cream of the NHL crop, are currently 5:1 to go to and win the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Caps had their best season last year, although falling short, and only the Chicago Blackhawks are even remotely close to Washington in the odds polls at this early juncture. They scored more goals by far than any squad last season, and they’re looking strong again through the early going.

Out of every franchise in DC, the Capitals are undoubtedly the best right now.