7 replies to this topic

[Just Duckie]

From ESPN :

Just in case you didn't notice -- and not many of you did -- the Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup.

The Stanley Cup, by the way, is a big silver trophy given to the NHL champions. Since the Ducks won the championship 10 days ago, the Cup has already been to hospitals, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," a swim meet, the Newport Beach pier and a barbecue. Defenseman Sean O'Donnell told the L.A. Times he's using part of his 24 hours with the Cup to let his 10-year-old black Labrador, Buddy, eat dog food out of it. Buddy is short a front leg because of cancer. And forward Shawn Thornton says he's taking the Cup with him during a round of golf in Ontario. He says he's going to use it as a ball-marker.

See, this is why I like hockey players.

The problem is, almost nobody in this country watches the NHL on television. And just in case you didn't notice -- and not many of you did -- the NHL is a professional organization that stands for National Hockey League.

And if they do know, they're not watching. At least, not on this side of the North American border. The TV ratings were so underwater for the recent Stanley Cup finals and, before that, the NHL All-Star Game, that you wonder about the league's relevancy in America. Does it still qualify as a mover and shaker, or is it simply a boutique sport, like pro bowling?

(ESPN article)


Geez with with people like this, writing stories like this, the NHL is in trouble. Why can't more writers promote the sport, or at least say to their readers, wake up, you're missing something great? There' s nothing like watching the speed and skill of hockey players, the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Stanley Cup itself. The players are for the most part, the best, most fan and media accessible pro athletes around. Yet the average sports fan never hears the good things about the sport. The only time we hear anything is when there is controversy (i.e., Bertuzzi, and maybe even our own CP), or when it's to talk about how terrible the t.v. ratings are etc.,

[MallardFillmore]

I blame the media for everything from global warming (hot air) to the rise of mad cow disease (irritating bovine a**es)!!! Go ahead,prove me wrong on that one!!!

[Maverik]

Well in all fairness, the ratings for the NBA finals plummeted 21% from last years' Final.

I don't think the NHL is in trouble forever. Right now they are, and will be until Bettman is in charge. The minute he gets fired and someone with a much better mind for hockey than him comes into the picture, the league will be fantastic.

I, for one, would gladly vote Don Cherry in Bettman's spot. The man knows hockey. He's a smart man and he's got a heart, definitely. I like Grapes a lot and think he would do the sport so much good.

[MallardFillmore]

Vherry sure couldn't hurt. He would draw ;pts of attention and be a media darling,we kmnow that. And you are correct,sir, one live game is all it takes!! I've been saying that for years!

[LightItUp4126]

Quality, not quantity.

Do we really want people like the Red Sox have to deal with, who just show up because it's the thing to do? I mean, sure, money's money, but they won't follow the sport all the same. Hockey has its roots, and the people who appreciate the game would never leave it. Eventually things will change for the better, but for now, stop worrying about the future of the league, and whether or not we'll make it to see 2025. If we can be the best fans we can be, welcoming, passionate, intelligent fans, more will start to respect the NHL. For now, it's out of our hands.

As for Bettman, there's nothing we can say or do to change his mind. He's lost touch entirely with the fans. He won't pick up a newspaper or watch television, and he probably doesn't listen to his group of advisers. There is absolutely no way around having a horrible commissioner, and it absolutely sucks that he's willing to leave the sport to slaughter to make a quick buck for his owners. I'm pretty sure if I went to SubWay right now, and picked up a Cold Cut Combo with all the fixin's, and put it in his chair, it could run the NHL better than he does. Know why it would? Because it wouldn't do anything borderline retarded. Somewhere along the way, they lost his med's, and just never told anyone about it. I don't know what we can do to get him to listen to us, the fans, the lifeblood of the sport, but we need to find a way to fix this, a way to fix him. I don't want to just sit here and watch the sport end without ever actually doing anything. The NHL is not bowling, curling, extreme dancing, or air guitar. The NHL is one of the best sports ever created, and needs to be returned to such status.

[Stuntman]

i think it's because the media, if the media doesn't care about it then there is no way for people to see it....look at the NBA has ABC, ESPN, TNT, FOX Sports Net broadcasting their games all four of those channels are very well known and watched. all we got is NBC and versus....i am guessing one day people will migrate to the NHL because of something.

So yeah, maybe if he is gone the future of the NHL might be bright...only time will tell

[HockeyDame]

I think it has to do with how much it cost to play the sport, too. Many American viewers watch basketball and football more because they grew up playing the sport. It's easily acessible; just go buy the ball at Target or Walmart. Hockey is an expensive sport to play and unless you live where it snows and the lakes freezes during the winter, you'd have to go to the ice rink and pay just to get in to use the rink. With football or basketball, you can just play right outside your house.

Oh and another thing... most of hockey games here are played on CABLE, and not everybody has cable. With football and basketball, it's almost always on regular tv.