1. NFL - This whole Vick issue coupled with Pacman Jones and half the Bengals team have given the sports leader some trouble. They will still always be number one, but even still.
2. MLB - Bonds, steroids, enough said. This wont end till Bonds retires. I dont even know why people hate him, I dont.
3. NBA - Gambing officials and calling games may be the worst one out of all three, compared to a league standpoint.
So the big question, Can and How will the NHL be able to jump on this huge oppurtunity?
2007-08-21 16:31:07 · 22 answers · asked by xtrabigs 2 in Sports ➔ Hockey
While scandals create stories hockey has to market the 'good guy' thing to the masses.
The average NHL enforcer is known for being as tough as they come hell raiser on the ice and the nicest guy in the world off the ice (obviously, there are exceptions). Isn't that marketable? Guys who can do their job and not go beat their wives/girlfriends/dogs.
Hockey players have the guts, the toughness and skill they just need to be marketed better. American ad agency are afraid to use guys who don't speak perfect English in commercials - they shouldn't be, use their charisma - just look at the Ovechkin Lays commercial.
The three things the NHL needs to do to take advantage of the opportunity the other sports have given it (besides kicking Gary to the curb with a 'will ruin a league for food' sign):
1. The NHL needs to market the players better
2. Let franchises move where they'll be successful. I'd love the Preds to stay in Nashville but if they can't make it, allow them to go to Canada where they will be financially successful.
3. Don't expand any more. We've got 30 teams. That's enough. The talent pool is plenty deep but let's not water down the product anymore. 2 more teams would result in each team losing at least one decent player.
I'll get off my soapbox now.
2007-08-21 17:13:05 · answer #1 · answered by James 3 · 6⤊ 1⤋
NHL house is not exactly clean either. Don't forget that the Betuzzi incident was about the ugliest on-field incident in any major sport in recent memory.
And the NHL would like nothing more than the Rick Tocchet gambling story to go away, because it is way to close to their sacred #99.
In general, I agree that the other sports are in a moral free-fall, but if Bettman and the NHL continues their current marketing campaign, it is MLS, not the NHL, which will be capitalizing on it.
MLS has all the buzz with Beckham's arrival. ESPN is SO willing to put games on, since they probably got the TV deal for a song, and they need something during the week during NFL season. So how does the NHL decision to go with OLN/VS. look now? Just like most of the league's other decisions, like a Wednesday night All Star game...
2007-08-22 02:01:51 · answer #2 · answered by H_A_V_0_C 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
right now, it can't. the sport needs better exposure- ESPN, for example. then the commentators there could be allowed to promote the NHL some.
"good week to be an NHL fan, isn't it bob? Bonds steroids, vick..."
"yeah Jim, and the game is more interesting then ever since the lockout too. the Rule changes really worked!"
that kind of thing is what then NHL needs to capitalize. Exposure.
Ad buys too...
"sick of sports where players have no shred or morality? Watch the NHL, where the worst any of our players has done recently was get drunk at a party!"
OH: cold steel: Your team is the only one in pro sports that does not broadcast their home games. Assassinate your owner to change that. the rest of the nhl.... You can see them. Canes are on FSN, with a 30minute pregame show (boring) and a 30 minute post game show. (interviews are interesting)
pretty good exposure here. That's actually sad that the NHL gers better coverage in NC then chicago..
2007-08-22 03:40:06 · answer #3 · answered by The Big Box 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cold steel on ice is right. Kids these days in the states aren't raised with hockey in their lives. Therefore I have made an easy to follow list of instructions on how to fix this.
1)Find partner
2)Marry partner
3)Make babies
4)Raise babies to love hockey
5)Divorce partner
6)Repeat steps 1-5 until hockey is more popular
To answer the question though I don't think the NHL will every be able to compete with the MLB or NFL because they are already sooo popular in the US, but if the NHL really turns itself around they might be able to take a shot at the NBA. But the best thing the NHL can do now is to get back on major networks (ie ESPN) and not just VERSUS, and a couple games and playoffs on NBC.
2007-08-21 17:30:41 · answer #4 · answered by Brent H 2 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Don't forget the arsenal of weaponry that belongs to Tank Johnson, he's got enough guns to start a small war, lol. I heard something earlier today about other NBA officials that will also be questioned or something like that. In order for the NHL to capitalize, Bettman needs to either go find a brain, or resign. The league needs to get back on ESPN, and also do more TV commercials, on channels other than VS.
~
James makes a great point, the league should do a commercial with some enforcer showing how tough he is on the ice, then showing how nice he is in real life (i.e. helping an old lady cross the street or something). They should jump on this opportunity, show all their players in a positive light. The hotel/road trip commercial was great, but I only saw it on VS. and on the local hockey channel here in Denver, Altitude. If hockey were on ESPN, these commercials would be all over the place.
2007-08-21 16:41:32 · answer #5 · answered by N/A 6 · 11⤊ 0⤋
The NHL isn't a major sport and it shouldn't be. The owners and Bettman need to realize that the leagues best years were when they admitted hockey was a niche sport. It was all downhill once they tried to expand and change rules around trying to make it compete with them. Until the owners start caring about hockey and hire a commissioner that understands hockey things wont improve.
2007-08-22 02:11:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well a few incidents has happened in the NHL community like
1. Rick Tochett in the gambling thing
2.Mark Bell hit and run(maybe he will se Vick in Prison)
3.Staals arrested(nothing bad though, just a story for sports)
So NHL isn't totally free of scandals. However they aren't as bad as the NBA gambling scandal. Bonds was not proven guilty so how can people call him a cheater. He has never failed a steroid test. He is the Home Run King and people should at least give the guy some recognition, even if he did take steroids, you still have to hit the 90 mile and hour ball. But cheating is cheating.
2007-08-21 17:05:42 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
Hockey here in the states will never surpass those three mentioned sports. Hockey is just a sport not many kids grow up accustomed to playing. I'm a hockey fan through and through but these are just the facts. Think about it. To play baseball= mitt,ball, bat...football..well a football!!.. basketball...a ball and a hoop...ice hockey...gloves, chest pads ,elbow pads, shin guards,helmet, hockey pants, skates and a stick...pretty pricey gear for a lot of kids to afford. Also the sport I feel is not put out in the mainstream enough to attract more viewers. In the market I live in (Chicago) home games are rarely on t.v. ...What kid is gonna stay up late to watch an away Hawks Canucks game starting at 9:00 P.M.? I think the sport should promote more games on t.v. and show more rivalry games to bring some more excitement to the game...
2007-08-21 16:53:07 · answer #8 · answered by Cold steel on ice 3 · 7⤊ 0⤋
No question the NBA was suffering even prior to this. Most times any news is good news, people won't stop watching football because of a few bad apples and they won't stop watching baseball because of Bonds, instead they'll come out in droves hoping to see his 800th. The thing with these sports is that they are bigger than any individual but the NBA is different because there has been waning interest and some may think they are watching a bogus game. Also, how many people must be pi$$ed because that ref (Donaghy or whatever) lost them money? Their poor numbers could decrease further.
2007-08-21 16:38:49 · answer #9 · answered by Bob Loblaw 7 · 9⤊ 1⤋
As i was mentioning yesterday, the NBA scandal may get bigger and if it does Stern would be gone. This could mean Bettman may jump to the NBA since that is the league he really wants to run. If so, hockey fans everywhere will rejoice. Will it mean the league gets better? It can't hurt.
2007-08-22 04:45:48 · answer #10 · answered by PuckDat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋