How can people not like hockey?

[jballa838]

Originally Posted by Man_Of_Steel

Do you guys in the States get Hockey Night in Canada? Saturday Nights. Even if you dont Saturday is when most games are played in the NHL.

I dont think so. I remember ESPN used to use Wednesdays. That was a great idea. But Hockey needs to be on the lesser nights than a Saturday, like a Tuesday for example. Tuesday I have nothing ever planned, yet Saturday's are usually more planned. NBC is a bunch of idiots though. They show every damn Notre Dame game, and don't go out of their way to make the consumer happy.

[WinslowBodden]

Because there isn't a professional team in Cleveland.

[Man_Of_Steel]

Originally Posted by doingthisinsteadofwork

at least in hockey theres hitting and fights.
In soccer they just kick the ball around for a long time before theres finally a goal.Theres nothing to get excited about from watching soccer.

A little off topic but have you guys ever seen the Simpsons episode where they show a pro soccer game where the players are passing around in a triangle. The US announcer is bored to death and the Europe announcer is going crazy with excitement. Very funny stuff.

[jballa838]

Originally Posted by Man_Of_Steel

Which I disagreed with. To me the reason hockey hasnt caught on in the states is due to a few reasons, none of which being lack of goals which I feel is an easy scapegoat.

1. Lack of culture

In Canada hockey is the culture. In th US its not, football is, basketball is a way of life for many urban raised people. Hockey is not catching on in the states because of titles like "Americas Game". Its fun to discuss sports, the problem is that no one in the States wants to watch something that has little to no importance to their friends and people around them. Thats why there is such differencial between places. For instance Minisota and Buffalo love hockey, generations are raised into and because so many people watch it its a popular discussion and is easily socialble. In place like Texas its the opposite, if you were a kid growing up in Texas after watching a hockey game you might be like wow that was pretty good, however when you went to discuss it with friends or such you would be met with a wall. That stunts the popularity.

Lack of Importance/Exposure

I have yet to come across a Sports Illustarted, ESPN broadcast, etc that consistantly feeds hockey info. In fact a month ago PTI had a 2 minute thing on hockey, I was excited. This ties into number 1. People want to follow a sociable, important sport. The media oulets in the States dont treat it as such and therefore leaves very little breeding ground for hockey enthusiasts.

Agreed. It is somewhat a taboo subject, and I use my hockey knowledge (tiny) sparingly, but they are usually good conversation pieces. People that have Ice Skated and touched a hockey stick and messed around before have an appeciation for the moves someone like crosby has, but not really someone casually watching.

[Man_Of_Steel]

Originally Posted by jballa838

I dont think so. I remember ESPN used to use Wednesdays. That was a great idea. But Hockey needs to be on the lesser nights than a Saturday, like a Tuesday for example. Tuesday I have nothing ever planned, yet Saturday's are usually more planned. NBC is a bunch of idiots though. They show every damn Notre Dame game, and don't go out of their way to make the consumer happy.

Hockeys on everyday of the week, just the largest amount of games are played on Saturday.

[Billingsley26]

Originally Posted by Man_Of_Steel

Please dont tell me what people want to see, hockey is my culture and your dead wrong. Let me ask you a question, who would you say is your favorite player on the Senators (boooo) Alfredson, Heatley, Spezza? Where Im from most people would say Mike Fisher, a role playing, grinder, worker. Back to your point about people want goals not passes like Sid. I for one much prefer to see a guy move the puck around like its his playground and make passes through lanes I didnt know existed. Yeah call me crazy but Id rather see someone who engages me with imaginative and briliant plays goal or no goal than a snipe wrister from the slot. Not everyone of Ovecs goals is like the diving circus one.

i would have to disagree and say that fisher isnt even close tot he skill level of heatley, alfredsson and spezza. by the way, im proud to say that spezze went to my elemnatry school. and i got in a fight with his brother. who i believe was playing with the kingsotn frontenacs.

[M.O.T.H.]

Originally Posted by Man_Of_Steel

Which I disagreed with. To me the reason hockey hasnt caught on in the states is due to a few reasons, none of which being lack of goals which I feel is an easy scapegoat.

1. Lack of culture

In Canada hockey is the culture. In th US its not, football is, basketball is a way of life for many urban raised people. Hockey is not catching on in the states because of titles like "Americas Game". Its fun to discuss sports, the problem is that no one in the States wants to watch something that has little to no importance to their friends and people around them. Thats why there is such differencial between places. For instance Minisota and Buffalo love hockey, generations are raised into and because so many people watch it its a popular discussion and is easily socialble. In place like Texas its the opposite, if you were a kid growing up in Texas after watching a hockey game you might be like wow that was pretty good, however when you went to discuss it with friends or such you would be met with a wall. That stunts the popularity.

Lack of Importance/Exposure

I have yet to come across a Sports Illustarted, ESPN broadcast, etc that consistantly feeds hockey info. In fact a month ago PTI had a 2 minute thing on hockey, I was excited. This ties into number 1. People want to follow a sociable, important sport. The media oulets in the States dont treat it as such and therefore leaves very little breeding ground for hockey enthusiasts.

There are plenty of reasons it hasnt caught on...but, scoring is very important to it's success. Like Sarf said, this is a big reason why soccer fails in the States as well. Yes, culture has an important role but, it's going to be hard to garner attention w/ low scoring games. The shootout was implicated to add some excitement to the game...more shots on goal/scoring opportunities. People just find it boring...most Americans like and are used to, high scoring games....that's just the way it is.

[Man_Of_Steel]

Originally Posted by Billingsley26

i would have to disagree and say that fisher isnt even close tot he skill level of heatley, alfredsson and spezza. by the way, im proud to say that spezze went to my elemnatry school. and i got in a fight with his brother. who i believe was playing with the kingsotn frontenacs.

Read closer man. I never said anything about talent I said favorite player on the team.

[jballa838]

Originally Posted by Man_Of_Steel

Hockeys on everyday of the week, just the largest amount of games are played on Saturday.

I meant to say televised.

[Billingsley26]

Originally Posted by Man_Of_Steel

Hockeys on everyday of the week, just the largest amount of games are played on Saturday.

in canada that is. i know tsn, sportsnet, the score and cbc are ape crazy about hockey, but i get the best of both worlds, and i can tell you that espn doesnt give two lick about the nhl. they will spend the last 5 minutes going throught the scores of the games that night. (im being sarcastic, but it isnt a lot).

espn really doesnt care. and most us networks for that matter. with the exception of maybe msg.

[M.O.T.H.]

Originally Posted by Man_Of_Steel

Do you guys in the States get Hockey Night in Canada? Saturday Nights. Even if you dont Saturday is when most games are played in the NHL.

No...but, i'm Rangers fan that lives in jersey so, i have the MSG channel...whenever I feel like watching.

[Billingsley26]

Originally Posted by Man_Of_Steel

Read closer man. I never said anything about talent I said favorite player on the team.

lol, i know.

[Man_Of_Steel]

Originally Posted by M.O.T.H.

There are plenty of reasons it hasnt caught on...but, scoring is very important to it's success. Like Sarf said, this is a big reason why soccer fails in the States as well. Yes, culture has an important role but, it's going to be hard to garner attention w/ low scoring games. The shootout was implicated to add some excitement to the game...more shots on goal/scoring opportunities. People just find it boring...most Americans like and are used to, high scoring games....that's just the way it is.

Baseball, Americas pastime. It isnt by any means a fast paced high scoring game, how does that point hold up here?

[M.O.T.H.]

Originally Posted by Man_Of_Steel

Baseball, Americas pastime. It isnt by any means a fast paced high scoring game, how does that point hold up here?

Well...I said, there are other things that tie in. One as you said, it's america's past time...it's American made. Of course, it's going to have success here. It's hard to even compare the two sports really.

[Man_Of_Steel]

Originally Posted by M.O.T.H.

Well...I said, there are other things that tie in. One as you said, it's america's past time...it's American made. Of course, it's going to have success here. It's hard to even compare the two sports really.

Not really. It ties into my previous post in this thread. Baseball is a sociable sport that people can talk about in mostly every state. Baseballs best ball players (arguably) are coming from the dominican, puerto rico, etc. Its American made but its not american dominated like basketball and football. If baseball were to have originated somewhere else and put into the spot hockey is now trying to push into the american market I guarentee it wouldnt do well. The fact is that because its a sociable established sport in US it will always be popular, hockey not having those values in the States I say once again is its downfall.

EDIT- Just realized it was past 1:30, I gotta get to bed.

[M.O.T.H.]

Hockey used to be popular in the states. It had a firm fan base...but, the game itself didnt have a long lasting appeal....among the next generations. In comparison to other sports in America...it was low scoring and oft-considered, a defensive game and thus, boring....the interest started to die down. If you polled 100 americans, I'm sure the main reason given for not watching/liking hockey would be the lack of scoring....same goes for soccer. Factor in that hockey is dominated by foreign players and you really have a sport that doesnt look too attractive to the American fan.

[TitleTown088]

I'm not much of a NHL fan, but ever since moving to the great white north i have become especially fond of college hockey.

[kwilk103]

trying to go to a pens game in mid march---so hard to get tix, plus theyre expensive; try to go to 1 a year; a few years ago when we sucked, it was easy to get tix

playoff hockey is so much different than the regular season; much more physical

[djp]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MsnrZPma4dM

That's what I'm talking about.

[roughrider30]

Originally Posted by M.O.T.H.

No...but, i'm Rangers fan that lives in jersey so, i have the MSG channel...whenever I feel like watching.

I hate you! I have to wait til a game is nationally televised to see a Rangers game :( Stuck out here in North Dakota all we get consistently is Wild games

[Forenci]

Pretty cool thread.

For me personally, hockey is one of the sports that I love to play, but I don't watch it a ton on TV. As some other posters have alluded to, it loses it's appeal being watched on television.

Another thing is, I feel like hockey plays too many games. Kind of like baseball and basketball. I mean, it's fun to watch a game during the regular season for any of those sports, but is it really meaningful outside of rivalry or division games?

To me, that's why football will always be one of the best sports. Every game matters. You can't go on a ten game losing streak and turn it around to get into the playoffs. Although football couldn't play a lot more games, even if they wanted too, as there are just too many injuries.

Another thing is I think people don't feel connected to it like they do baseball, basketball, or football. It's easy for people to pick up a basketball, football, baseball along with maybe a few other pieces of equipment and just go out and play with some friends. Hockey (true ice hockey that is) generally requires a rink, skates, sticks, pucks, etc. And that's all assuming you can find an ice rink that lets you play hockey on it.

Of course, I'm talking mainstream. Obviously there will always be places were hockey is built into the culture, and thus is played a lot more at an amateur level - but in your average American city I don't really think that's the case.

[Bills2083]

Originally Posted by Man_Of_Steel

Do you guys in the States get Hockey Night in Canada? Saturday Nights. Even if you dont Saturday is when most games are played in the NHL.

I get Hockey Night in Canada, because I live so close to the Canadian border.

[Thunder&Lightning]

NHL is 10X more exciting than NBA. Besides football NHL has the most exciting plays in sports.

[Xiomera]

There is no sport out there that is better to watch live. Hockey is tops.

[wingboy2999]

Originally Posted by Man_Of_Steel

A little off topic but have you guys ever seen the Simpsons episode where they show a pro soccer game where the players are passing around in a triangle. The US announcer is bored to death and the Europe announcer is going crazy with excitement. Very funny stuff.

HALFBACK PASSES TO CENTER!
CENTER PASSED TO HALFBACK
HALFBACK HOLDS IT.... HOLDS IT.... HOLDS IT!!!!!