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Post by LoneStarLady on Jan 27, 2015 9:50:15 GMT -5
Live hockey is fantastic! I used to go to all our college's hockey games. Even saw the Frozen Four live once.
Hockey on TV isn't the same. If you could see the entire rink all the time, it would be better.
I also agree with everyone that the pro season is too long.
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Post by Sonny Werblin on Jan 27, 2015 10:02:45 GMT -5
hockey is easily the most exciting of the 4 major sports. why isn't it more popular? thoughts? Pretty sure for the same reason Lacrosse is not. Not enough people grow up playing it to have enough familiarity to become a fan. Another reason is the same reason other football leagues have failed. The sports market is saturated. People only have so much time they can dedicate to being a sports fan. The total amount of time a person can spend on being a sports fan is basically that fans total market share. Any sport that wants to succeed needs to gain a portion of each persons "sports fan" market share. This is why Tiger Woods was so valuable. People who were not golf fans watched when he played. So, the reason Hockey is not more popular is because there simply is no room for it to increase its market share of "fan time". Their is only so much time a fan can spend "being a fan". It is a finite figure. Football (college and pro), Basketball (college and pro), and Baseball have too solid a foothold for any other sport to increase it's share. While I love hockey, they should be worried that soccer will begin to steal its meager market share. After all, their are literally millions of kids who grew up playing youth soccer, and comparatively few who played ice hockey. |
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Post by BEAC0NJET on Jan 27, 2015 11:42:31 GMT -5
To combine Sonny and Apaches thoughts, hockey is expensive to play, regional, etc. where soccer is cheap and played and followed by a fast growing demographic, so hockey may need to be worried.
Hockey is definitely better in person than on TV as well.
Its funny, Bonhomme's comments about hockey are exactly what I say about soccer. I love hockey, but sit down to watch soccer and it looks like a bunch of guys running around chasing a ball. Guess its all perspective.
I think the number of teams that make the playoffs is fine, but I can see the argument for less regular season games. Although Ive watched most of the Islanders games so far this season, and seen one in person.
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Post by southside on Jan 27, 2015 12:44:07 GMT -5
They stole the Thrashers. They can go fuck themselves. Used to watch every game on TV or at The Bulb. Now I don't watch a single game. Passion eliminated. Fuck those cold dick assholes.
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Post by Brady's a catcher on Jan 27, 2015 12:57:49 GMT -5
Because it sucks...
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Post by Big L on Jan 27, 2015 21:08:08 GMT -5
Dunno, hockey has displaced NFL football for me. Seems more like your best players vs my best payers,and we'll see who wins, no bullshit. As the NFL seems more like entertainment than sport now.
It is a costly sport to play. And ice rinks are few and far between in most places. Most of the country doesn't even have frozen ponds at all during the year, so it's not something that you can just go outside and play, like you would more so in Canada. So most people in this country don't grow up playing it, so it goes unnoticed. I played soccer when I was a kid, though, and I don't watch soccer at all cept for the world cup.
It's much faster than baseball, so if you like baseball a lot, then you'll probably not understand hockey. As mentioned earlier, I can't sit through 9 innings without beer. We have a minor league team near me, and to be honest, it's the shit. Park right out front the main gate for $7, and tickets are like $12, beers are $5, and the food isn't bad. Foul balls aplenty. Fireworks on Friday nights.
The season is too long, but once football season is over, I got nothing until preseason football starts again except hockey, so I wouldn't care if they lengthened the season and the Cup finals are over in July.
And those who say hockey sucks, don't know a thing about it.
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Post by Bing© in Buffalo Chairman on Jan 27, 2015 21:13:23 GMT -5
My family had season tickets at the Aud for the Sabres in 1975...
Front row glass, in the corner....unbelievable view from there...
The French Connection was so very talanted.
Back then the fans were passionate about hockey.
The players didn't wear helmets and I think the fans could see the players and relate more.
Sadly, I was at the game when Rick Martin went down behind the net and Don Luce had to keep him from swallowing his tounge after he hit his head on the ice...
Nothing was cooler than watching Perrault skate up ice, hair flying....ala Ron Dugay....
I've loved hockey for 40 years but the talent pool is diluted.
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Post by afceastfan on Jan 27, 2015 21:24:56 GMT -5
My family had season tickets at the Aud for the Sabres in 1975... Front row glass, in the corner....unbelievable view from there... The French Connection was so very talanted. Back then the fans were passionate about hockey. The players didn't wear helmets and I think the fans could see the players and relate more.Sadly, I was at the game when Rick Martin went down behind the net and Don Luce had to keep him from swallowing his tounge after he hit his head on the ice... Nothing was cooler than watching Perrault skate up ice, hair flying....ala Ron Dugay.... I've loved hockey for 40 years but the talent pool is diluted. Totally agree with this. I became much less interested in hockey when the players started wearing helmets. On the other hand, that never stopped me from watching football.... Speaking of the Aud, I've always had a soft spot for Braves, their "Columbia Blue" unis, and their link to the Celtics. Wish I had had the chance to see them play at the Aud. |
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Post by Bing© in Buffalo Chairman on Jan 27, 2015 21:27:17 GMT -5
Saw them play once there.....I think it was 1976....2 for Macadoo....
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Post by Peebag on Jan 28, 2015 0:12:09 GMT -5
Saw them play once there.....I think it was 1976....2 for Macadoo.... Randy Smith and Ernie D - that team was the bomb! |
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Post by Hotman on Jan 28, 2015 3:53:51 GMT -5
I love hockey. Playoff hockey is the fucking shit. Blues/Kings playoffs a couple years ago was so fuckin tits lemme tell ya.
I can understand why it's not so popular in NE, because there are no raging homosexuals in the game typically, and there really isn't much of a way to cheat, like the Pasts* and the Boston Marathon traditions.
It's a sport for grown ass men. By grown ass men.
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Post by leftturn3 on Jan 28, 2015 7:44:08 GMT -5
Dunno, hockey has displaced NFL football for me. Seems more like your best players vs my best payers,and we'll see who wins, no bullshit. As the NFL seems more like entertainment than sport now. It is a costly sport to play. And ice rinks are few and far between in most places. Most of the country doesn't even have frozen ponds at all during the year, so it's not something that you can just go outside and play, like you would more so in Canada. So most people in this country don't grow up playing it, so it goes unnoticed. I played soccer when I was a kid, though, and I don't watch soccer at all cept for the world cup. It's much faster than baseball, so if you like baseball a lot, then you'll probably not understand hockey. As mentioned earlier, I can't sit through 9 innings without beer. We have a minor league team near me, and to be honest, it's the shit. Park right out front the main gate for $7, and tickets are like $12, beers are $5, and the food isn't bad. Foul balls aplenty. Fireworks on Friday nights. The season is too long, but once football season is over, I got nothing until preseason football starts again except hockey, so I wouldn't care if they lengthened the season and the Cup finals are over in July. And those who say hockey sucks, don't know a thing about it. You hit the nail on the head and you sound like you mirrored my life with sports. With football they are ready to go through what wrestling went through, by the way, a pair of spandex underwear away from gay sex, where they will have to start calling football entertainment rather than a sport, thanks Goodel. Hockey is best live, I love going to games but have a hard time watching on TV, don't know why. I realy love girls Olympic hockey, if it was played like that I would watch, much more technical because of the way it is spread out and no big hitting. Maybe opening up the rink would help, mY slow down the game. I too too grew up playing soccor and only watch WC and there is nothing like a minor league stadium. A nice night where the kids just run and do what they want and plenty of interaction with the players. We have Rodger Dean right hear we go all the time, my so has thrown the first pitch out twice. My sons old batting and pitching coach used to play for the Hammer Heads, marlins minor team and we would just have a blast. I suggest attending a minor league game if you have never. |
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Post by Sonny Werblin on Jan 28, 2015 7:59:54 GMT -5
Dunno, hockey has displaced NFL football for me. Seems more like your best players vs my best payers,and we'll see who wins, no bullshit. As the NFL seems more like entertainment than sport now. It is a costly sport to play. And ice rinks are few and far between in most places. Most of the country doesn't even have frozen ponds at all during the year, so it's not something that you can just go outside and play, like you would more so in Canada. So most people in this country don't grow up playing it, so it goes unnoticed. I played soccer when I was a kid, though, and I don't watch soccer at all cept for the world cup. It's much faster than baseball, so if you like baseball a lot, then you'll probably not understand hockey. As mentioned earlier, I can't sit through 9 innings without beer. We have a minor league team near me, and to be honest, it's the shit. Park right out front the main gate for $7, and tickets are like $12, beers are $5, and the food isn't bad. Foul balls aplenty. Fireworks on Friday nights. The season is too long, but once football season is over, I got nothing until preseason football starts again except hockey, so I wouldn't care if they lengthened the season and the Cup finals are over in July. And those who say hockey sucks, don't know a thing about it. You hit the nail on the head and you sound like you mirrored my life with sports. With football they are ready to go through what wrestling went through, by the way, a pair of spandex underwear away from gay sex, where they will have to start calling football entertainment rather than a sport, thanks Goodel. Hockey is best live, I love going to games but have a hard time watching on TV, don't know why. I realy love girls Olympic hockey, if it was played like that I would watch, much more technical because of the way it is spread out and no big hitting. Maybe opening up the rink would help, mY slow down the game. I too too grew up playing soccor and only watch WC and there is nothing like a minor league stadium. A nice night where the kids just run and do what they want and plenty of interaction with the players. We have Rodger Dean right hear we go all the time, my so has thrown the first pitch out twice. My sons old batting and pitching coach used to play for the Hammer Heads, marlins minor team and we would just have a blast. I suggest attending a minor league game if you have never. Totally agree as to minor league baseball. Frankly, I'd rather go to a minor league game than MLB. |
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Post by Fishooked on Jan 28, 2015 9:53:47 GMT -5
I tried getting into it, but I just can't. On tv, to a novice, there's no order to it. No set plays or well established formations; the puck is constantly flying all over the place making it hard to follow. If you look away for a second (after minutes of the same thrashing back and forth) you might miss the deciding goal of the game. I get why people like it, but I don't. Then again, I watch golf on tv. I like Vaseline on toast. I bet you like you like your nachos Flanders-style too, cucumbers with cottage cheese. |
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Post by morite on Jan 28, 2015 13:15:45 GMT -5
Hockey was always a passion. I became hooked in the mid-70's...I traveled to alot of cities to see games at the different barns (Montreal, Boston, Chicago, Buffalo, Detroit, Hartford, Philly, Minnesota, etc). I started losing passion for it after the strike in 94-95, then again in 2004-05 when they canceled the whole season. Combine that with league expansion and the influx of international players, and I stuck with it mainly out of habit. Still a strong Rangers fan, but I could remember knowing most (if not all) regular players on all of the teams. I loved the fighting for sure, but mostly as a way to get on-ice justice. I could do without the staged fights. Now, no one fights at all (and there should be a lot more gloves being dropped, IMO, with the liberties some of these players take with their sticks). While I like the fighting, I loved the clean, physical hits more.
The skill level is incredible. The size and speed is scary compared to days gone by. But I don't know if I'd be as big a fan if I was growing up in today's era.
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