Pierre the Great Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/6044294...CP>1=8705 "More than a quarter century after an Olympic semifinal looked like solid gold for the National Hockey League and its popularity in the United States, the Stanley Cup finals can draw fewer people to the television screen than a college softball game." http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/6044294...CP>1=8705 Time for Bettman to go and bring the game back to where it belongs: Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanpuck33 Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 Yes. Let's totally ignore the fact that "The league scored a record $2.15 billion in revenues, and set an attendance mark by filling nearly 92 percent of its available seats." Ask anybody who isn't a die hard hockey fan what they think about hockey, and a large majority of them will say, "It's a great game in person, but isn't that great on television." To us diehard fans, that makes no sense, since we love the game so much. We wonder why baseball, football, and basketball are more watchable than hockey to an American audience. The answer is simple: baseball is the American past time and is a part of the culture. Football is a sport that was born in America, an off-shoot of rugby, among other things. Basketball, invented in America. Hockey, on the other hand, did not originate in America. The best players in the world are, largely, not American. Americans like sports where they can identify with the league. Americans find it difficult to become interested in a game where the best players were from Canada for most of the 20th century, and now from all over the world. Call it self-centered, but you know that Canadians would feel the same way if the game had its origins in the US and if 95% of the best players were American or foreign. Also, the league has no face. The league needs more Jeremy Roenicks, guys who speak their minds and get on SportsCenter. Alex Ovechkin is a great kid that just overflows with personality, even though he barely speaks English. This is a guy we need in commercials and press conferences. The league needs players who make headlines for things other than trying to kill other players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromage Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 Basketball was invented by a Canadian at McGill university. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
House11 Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 I don't think i'd ever want the NHL to be like the NFL , NBA or even baseball. they can have all the glitz, glamor , spoiled players , bling bling etc etc. Even the article said that all the buildings sold up to 92% capacity for the whole year ... what's the problem ? who cares if not every person in the US is watching on tv ... hockey has alot of LOYAL fans in all markets. it will be just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonus Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 Basketball was invented by a Canadian at McGill university. naismith was from canada, but invented the game in Springfield, MA. there is an argument that the first football game was between harvard and mcgill (but I believe it took place at harvard). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted October 9, 2006 Author Share Posted October 9, 2006 McGill had one of the first football teams. Basketball is Canadian Americans have never created a sport. They steal them. But the point of this article is that the only people remember about hockey is 1980. Bettman's idea of turning the US into a hockey country is over. The NHL needs to go back to its roots. Northeast, Canada, Northern Plains, Rockies and Pacific Northwest. What Bettman has done to the sport is pathetic. Yes the attendence is up but in a town like Miami. The only people that care about the team for example are in the arena. Thats like counting fans on one hand. That is pathetic business practices if the only fans you can get can fill an 18,000 seat arena. That does not support or grow the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanpuck33 Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 Basketball is Canadian Americans have never created a sport. They steal them. So if it had been an American living and working in Canada who invented hockey, I suppose you'd give credit to the US for inventing hockey. Football is referred to by the rest of the world as "American football." I wonder why that is. Baseball not an American creation? Give me a break. Baseball is just as American as hockey is Canadian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonus Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 McGill had one of the first football teams. Basketball is Canadian Americans have never created a sport. They steal them. But the point of this article is that the only people remember about hockey is 1980. this is dizzyingly hyperbolic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markierung Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 I think you guys are generalizing the fact that hockey isn't huge in the states. In cities like New York, Detroit, Philedelphia, Colorado, San Jose, Dallas and LA. The sport is doing fine. The NHL just has to make sure that they have teams in huge markets. Atlanta and Sunrise aren't huge cities and never should have been included in the league. Hockey is doing fine. Who cares if it isn't the number 1 sport in the US? If it were, we wouldn't hear the end steroid allegations and about how violent the sport is and how these athletes have to be role models and bla bla bla. It's mainly the American Media that hates fighting in hockey. It could ruin the game. Also, if it were a number 1 sport, ticket prices would be even higher! Personally, i'm glad it's the number 4 sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbr93 Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 Time for Bettman to go and bring the game back to where it belongs: Canada. Yes. I think Bettman should be hung by the scrotum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted October 10, 2006 Author Share Posted October 10, 2006 Personally, i'm glad it's the number 4 sport. Problem is its not even the number 4 sport anymore It goes NFL NASCAR MLB College Football College Basketball NBA MLS NHL Papers don't cover hockey anymore. Sport Stations don't talk about hockey. The american media has decided to kill the sport slowly. Because the less exposure the league gets the less people will know about it and the less people will care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanpuck33 Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 It goes NFL NASCAR MLB College Football College Basketball NBA MLS NHL Papers don't cover hockey anymore. Sport Stations don't talk about hockey. The american media has decided to kill the sport slowly. Because the less exposure the league gets the less people will know about it and the less people will care. NFL + College = Football, same thing MLB NBA + College = Basketball, same thing NASCAR NHL MLS, a distant 6th You are mistaken if you think the MLS is more popular than the NHL. I live in a city with both, and I hardly know the Crew still exist. The Jackets are consistently on the front page and have extensive coverage in the Dispatch. The TV coverage includes broadcastin 75 of the 82 games, including a half hour pre-game show before each and every game televised. The Crew? Maybe one game is on every two weeks, on the Ohio News Network, of all places. They get a page 6 story that's less than a quarter of a page. Again, its a case of all the best soccer players being foreign. US hockey has at least had success in the past and is normally at least competitive. In soccer, the US has finished no higher than 3rd in the World Cup, and that was in 1930. Soccer isn't even close to hockey in terms of popularity in the general public, at least in regards to the MLS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLP Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 soccer is more popular than sumo now in japan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromage Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 MLS is very popular in the States. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzer Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 MLS is very popular in the States. What state? They have to give away tickets to get people to go to the games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted October 10, 2006 Author Share Posted October 10, 2006 What state? They have to give away tickets to get people to go to the games. California, Florida, Texas. anywhere there is a latino influence. The big elephant in the US that nobody seems to care about is spanish speaking americans. 7 million people watch La fea mas Bella on Univision. If the NHL is to survive and actually grow they need to shift focus. Put games on Telemundo (owned by NBC). Do something. Because there's only 2 channels that are spanish speaking in America. Telemundo and Univision. Talk about reaching a new fan base. You put it on Telemundo or Univision and they will watch. Why? Because its interesting and its the only thing on. They will like it. Hockey would then survive. And they'd have somebody to root for: Scott Gomez. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzer Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 California, Florida, Texas. anywhere there is a latino influence. The big elephant in the US that nobody seems to care about is spanish speaking americans. 7 million people watch La fea mas Bella on Univision. If the NHL is to survive and actually grow they need to shift focus. Put games on Telemundo (owned by NBC). Do something. Because there's only 2 channels that are spanish speaking in America. Telemundo and Univision. Talk about reaching a new fan base. You put it on Telemundo or Univision and they will watch. Why? Because its interesting and its the only thing on. They will like it. Hockey would then survive. And they'd have somebody to root for: Scott Gomez. Colorado has a very large Hispanic population, trust me I live here. They still have to give away tickets to Rapids games here. They will never fill stadiums like Europe, especially stadiums that are designed to hold 70.000 football fans. The Rapids? There are more latino fans for the Broncos and Rockies than there are for soccer. Talk about a stereotype..."where there are hispanics, soccer is big". Definitely not the case here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonus Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 i question using some random foxsports contributor whose writing is devoid of stastical citation to show the unpopularity of hockey in the US Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted October 10, 2006 Author Share Posted October 10, 2006 I know Denver has a lot of hispanics. The problem is I don't think they know there is a team in Denver. Sports in america just think they'll turn on to the english channel to watch the games. Thats simply not the case. For example NHL games don't have the 'SAP' button option. The game in america is lacking exposure. NHL on Telemundo and or Univision would get hockey into a family room that most likely it wouldn't have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzer Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 i question using some random foxsports contributor whose writing is devoid of stastical citation to show the unpopularity of hockey in the US I agree. I'd actually like to see baseball ratings other than games in the month of October. Tell me how many people buy Center Ice, what are the local ratings for Foxsportsnet coverage of local teams? The media always talks about how passionate and loyal hockey fans are, then dismiss it as being unimportant. Personally, I still find it funny that NBC stole the idea for their Sunday football show from hockey. "Football Night in America" just doesn't have a ring to it like Hockey Night in Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted October 10, 2006 Author Share Posted October 10, 2006 Personally, I still find it funny that NBC stole the idea for their Sunday football show from hockey. "Football Night in America" just doesn't have a ring to it like Hockey Night in Canada. Of course they stole it. If CBC copyrighted the name. I think they could have a case with 'Football in Night in America'. when you talk about local games played here. I know they are low. There's a media column here in the paper that is posted every saturday. Shows the ratings for games. Blues games get about 20 to 30 thousand people watching the game. While a Cardinals or Rams game gets around 800,000 to 900,000 people watching every game. This brings my thread full circle about people actually being hockey fans. Yeah you've got a full arena. But those are your only fans. The big negative I've heard about more teams in Canada is that they couldn't support a team. Support a team? The Saint Louis Blues if you go by fans watching and going to the game have roughly 30,000 fans. 30,000 FANS!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
House11 Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 Of course they stole it. If CBC copyrighted the name. I think they could have a case with 'Football in Night in America'. when you talk about local games played here. I know they are low. There's a media column here in the paper that is posted every saturday. Shows the ratings for games. Blues games get about 20 to 30 thousand people watching the game. While a Cardinals or Rams game gets around 800,000 to 900,000 people watching every game. This brings my thread full circle about people actually being hockey fans. Yeah you've got a full arena. But those are your only fans. The big negative I've heard about more teams in Canada is that they couldn't support a team. Support a team? The Saint Louis Blues if you go by fans watching and going to the game have roughly 30,000 fans. 30,000 FANS!!!! Soooo your saying that the Blues should just pack up and go to Canada ? I'm sure they have more than 30,000 fans at or watching the games ... I know I try to watch as many games as possible but I dont' watch every Habs game or every Kings game every season. the sad thing is I watch the Habs from California on Center Ice ... I don't think they even take that into effect when they pull viewership numbers in Montreal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mils Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 Problem is its not even the number 4 sport anymore It goes NFL NASCAR MLB College Football College Basketball NBA MLS NHL Papers don't cover hockey anymore. Sport Stations don't talk about hockey. The american media has decided to kill the sport slowly. Because the less exposure the league gets the less people will know about it and the less people will care. Pierre's hatred of his country surfaces again and blurs his vision. When was the last time you saw MLS covered in any sort of adequate manner on ESPN or other major network? MLS is definitely on the bottom rung along with the NLL, MLL, AFL. The NHL is in the dumps, but it hasn't fallen into this category yet. You also totally forgot Tiger Woods... I mean golf in your rankings. Read John Buccigross on ESPN.com, specifically his rationale for why he doesn't care that the NHL isn't knocking on the door of popularity. Very insightful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted October 10, 2006 Author Share Posted October 10, 2006 lol hatred for his country again. lol. okay whatever. I don't hate america for example I like Seattle and the state of Washington. I also love Colorado and the bareness of Kansas and Nebraska. Yeah I hate america. sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetsniper Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 You don't? Your tone around the board REALLY makes it sound like you despise your country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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