Hockey barbaric?

[Ginger]

just thought I'd link to another great hockey song they always play at the games here....good ole' Stompin' Tom Conners

[Moe418]

I was born and bred in the hockey hotbed of Northern California and I absolutely love the game! For the life of me, I cannot understand how anyone can sit through the dull monotony of basketball, but not like hockey! Hockey is second in my heart only to the NFL. I grates me to no end to hear the endless drivel about the prima dona thugs in the NBA while all the NHL gets in a mention and a 3rd grade smirk from the US sports media. While soccer (yes, I love futbol too!) hails itself as "the beautiful game." I believe that title belongs to hockey! GO SHARKS!!! Got Thornton?

[hockeyman99]

There have been over 1,000 NHL games played this season, and to my recollection, this is the only "ugly" on-ice incident this season. How much of the regular season gets reported on television? Unfortunately for the NHL, it takes an incident such as this for the NHL to make it onto the news, and the NHL is portrayed as barbaric, turning off the "fringe" fans.

The NFL had almost 250 regular season games, and there was the Albert Haynesworth incident where he stomped on Andre Gurode's face. I don't follow the NFL (or any other major sport, for that matter), so I can't remember if there were other "ugly" incidents such as that one. Was the NFL portrayed as barbaric due to that incident? That's 1-in-1,000 games versus 1-in-250 games.

Originally Posted by Babaloo

it's been a fringe sport
it will remain a fringe sport
it can't get a network tv contract
it can't even get a decent cable contract

Hockey on TV will never attract new fans. If you're not familiar with the sport, it is next to impossible to follow the puck due to the camera angles and the inability of the cameras to focus on the puck when it is along the boards.

I can say that hockey is exceptionally popular here in Dallas. Just this past weekend, there were in excess of 150 youth hockey games on the 25+ sheets of ice in the area. That doesn't include any practices that might have been scheduled, any of the junior varsity or varsity high school games (34 varsity teams and 35 junior varsity teams), or any of the men's league games. It also doesn't include any of the "Tier I" games between the AAA teams that may have been played.

I will often head to a local rink to watch the kids play, even if my son isn't playing, just to watch hockey. I don't care if it's the NHL or a youth game, if there's hockey being played, I'll watch it.

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by Ginger

just thought I'd link to another great hockey song they always play at the games here....good ole' Stompin' Tom Conners

good ole Stompin' Tom! Margo's got the cargo, byes, and Reggie's got the rig...da da da da da da da da da da da......
In our blood is right.....almost every man I know grew up playing it, and many play it on Oldtimer's Teams until they are well into their 50s...all year long here you will see groups of neighborhood kids playing shinny on cleared ponds or in street culdesacs .......and isn't it every Canadian parents' dream for their boy to grow up to be an NHL player (yes, judging by all the hockey parents around here )?

[ThrushJockey]

Was a hockey fan all my life and a die hard MN North Stars fan!!!!! That was until the NHL allowed the North Stars to be turned into the Dallas Star.

I have not watched a NHL game since and never will. I hope it just fades away. I know that sounds harsh, but that's the way I see it.

College hockey RULES!!!!

Here's where the action is............

WCHA final five - March 16 -17
NCAA regionals - March 23 - 25
NCAA finals - April 5 - 7

[Babaloo]

Originally Posted by hockeyman99

I can say that hockey is exceptionally popular here in Dallas. Just this past weekend, there were in excess of 150 youth hockey games on the 25+ sheets of ice in the area. That doesn't include any practices that might have been scheduled, any of the junior varsity or varsity high school games (34 varsity teams and 35 junior varsity teams), or any of the men's league games. It also doesn't include any of the "Tier I" games between the AAA teams that may have been played.

participation doesn't equate to success of a sport on the grander ($$$) level

Bowling has more leagues with more participants than most any sport,
...and it ain't exactly breaking records for attendance on the pro level.

[PlayadelSoul]

Hockey's biggest competitor, for major sport status, is soccer. Looking at the changing dynamics of the US, I think soccer is a shoe-in. Besides, its a lot more interesting, IMHO.

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by PlayadelSoul

Hockey's biggest competitor, for major sport status, is soccer. Looking at the changing dynamics of the US, I think soccer is a shoe-in. Besides, its a lot more interesting, IMHO.

I like soccer, it's a good spectator sport ....but the players sure whine and take pratfalls a lot.

[UGAplaya]

While I love hockey (going to see the Thrashers on 4-22), it will NEVER be on par with the NFL in the U.S. Not even close. Attendance keeps declining and the NHL All-Star is always a ratings disaster. I love to go to the games but rarely do I watch them on TV like I would a MLB or NFL game. Great sport though.

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by PlayadelSoul

Hockey's biggest competitor, for major sport status, is soccer. Looking at the changing dynamics of the US, I think soccer is a shoe-in. Besides, its a lot more interesting, IMHO.

I find soccer more exciting also.

I also love football. I think non-football fans don't really give it the credit it deserves. I never did until my son started to play, and I saw how much there really is to the game...how much strategy is involved. Perhaps not as much pure skill...but it is like a giant chess game out there.

[Ginger]

I think it's just hard for Canadians to think that there are people out there that think of hockey as a fringe sport. Like previous posters have said, it is so much a part of our way of life up here, it is in our blood. The hockey songs, the hockey sounds, they all bring us back to our youth and playing or watching the kids playing pickup on the pond, or in the street (CAAARRRRR!!! ). And I don't think most Canadians are concerned about TV contracts, globalization of the sport, or anything else...they just want to enjoy the game.

[UGAplaya]

Originally Posted by Ginger

I think it's just hard for Canadians to think that there are people out there that think of hockey as a fringe sport. Like previous posters have said, it is so much a part of our way of life up here, it is in our blood. The hockey songs, the hockey sounds, they all bring us back to our youth and playing or watching the kids playing pickup on the pond, or in the street (CAAARRRRR!!! ). And I don't think most Canadians are concerned about TV contracts, globalization of the sport, or anything else...they just want to enjoy the game.

I totally believe that and I think it's so cool how crazy Canadians are about hockey. I would love to go to Canada and see any of the Canadian teams play live. To me it's the same as the Europeans and the Latin Americans love for soccer. Soccer has grown by leaps and bounds in the U.S. over the past 10-15 years BUT it tends to fade out once kids get to high school age. It doesn't have a big draw nationally in the U.S. still and I'm not sure it ever will.

[Tommygurl]

Originally Posted by Ginger

I think it's just hard for Canadians to think that there are people out there that think of hockey as a fringe sport. Like previous posters have said, it is so much a part of our way of life up here, it is in our blood. The hockey songs, the hockey sounds, they all bring us back to our youth and playing or watching the kids playing pickup on the pond, or in the street (CAAARRRRR!!! ). And I don't think most Canadians are concerned about TV contracts, globalization of the sport, or anything else...they just want to enjoy the game.

Very well said Leasa...
Pro Soccer (or Football) is not as popular here as Hockey....I wouldnt knock it though for not having a CBC primetime contract...who cares? People love it all over the world. Who cares who has a US Network contract?...that doesnt make a sport good or not.
So many of my great childhood memories revolve around Hockey....Dad taking us to Vancouver for Canucks games, hockey night in Canada on tv, going to watch the Midget Hockey tourneys when I was a teenager...sigh....Its not just about watching it on tv.

[Rissask]

So many of my great childhood memories revolve around Hockey....Dad taking us to Vancouver for Canucks games, hockey night in Canada on tv, going to watch the Midget Hockey tourneys when I was a teenager...sigh....Its not just about watching it on tv.

Ah, you were one of those girls...you puck, you! Naughty bitch! (said in my bestest Hugh Grant voice. )

[Tommygurl]

Originally Posted by Rissask

Ah, you were one of those girls...you puck, you! Naughty bitch! (said in my bestest Hugh Grant voice. )

A puckbunny.....
Trevor Linden is my favorite....has been for years...