2007-11-13 10:28:54 · 14 answers · asked by Scooter_loves_his_dad 7 in Sports ➔ Hockey
Definately someday i like the last answer it already has for me lol. Me too haha. For me there is no better sport. We have great players from all nationalities. Our womens game is even getting noticed. Cassie Campbell anyone. Hockey is a fast game that and you see the dekes and highlights reel goals. Want to see some hard hitting look at some Dion Phaneuf and by the way Phaneufs checks are clean. Scott Stevens is also a intense player. Want some finness ( i hope i spelt that right lol) Watch Ovechkin and Crosby. Every year we gain a rookie that just blows us away again. Kane this year and toews and they play on the same team. Its a great game and it keeps you watching. but thats just me lol
2007-11-13 10:58:15 · answer #1 · answered by JamieNova 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
To be fair, the NBA does have its charms, and will ALWAYS beat the NHL in certain parts of the country (sorry, you're not selling hockey as THE winter sport of record anywhere it doesn't snow). That right there is the biggest handicap the NHL has in the ratings war. If you just look at the northeastern US, the numbers for the NHL and hockey in general are much better compared to basketball than their national-level counterparts. The other big handicap against the NHL in the States at the moment is exposure. This isn't some stupid "You gottsta be on ESPN!" rant, it's a stupid "You've got to be on TV!" rant. Right now, the NHL can be seen as little as once in a given week on national TV (with an average between two and three games a a week). Compare this to the NBA, in which one can sometimes see as many as 8 or 9 games on national TV in a given week DURING THE REGULAR SEASON. The fact is, if you don't have Centre Ice in the US, you're pretty much dead in the water for watching anything but the home team (assuming you even have a home team). Accessibility breeds familiarity, familiarity breeds ratings. It's a slow process, but it's one the NBA is capitalizing on after years of laying the groundwork. For the NHL to touch their ratings (and by extension, their popularity), they need to get themselves out in front of the people. How many Americans were turned into hockey fans during the Olympics? If it's out there to be seen, people will watch it. OK, rant over. Anyway, those are the two biggest obstacles I see in front of the NHL on its slow climb to beat the NBA. If they can be overcome, there's no reason it can't happen.
2016-05-23 01:21:39 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I truly doubt it. especially if we follow stadtwerbung_evil's and his like's suggestions. How can hockey possibly become MORE popular if you host it in LESS venues? I have been a hockey fan for over 40 years, and when it was only shown in the North, as many suggest they do, it was so far behind the other 3 major sports it wasn't even on the radar. In fact the only reason it was number 4, was because at the time there were only 4 major sports in the US.
There may be a few cities that should and will lose teams, but Hockey's only hope is to broaden it's horizon, not contract it. In fact it is in danger, however small the threat at the present time, of falling to number 5 behind Soccer if they are not careful.
Getting rid of Bettman would be a step in the right direction. New leadership is sorely needed. But shrinking the NHL is a very bad idea. Don't forget, at one time there were only 6 teams, so over time many new teams in new areas were added. And they were not overnight successes either. It takes time to generate new fans in new areas.
On top of the fact that some of the supposed hockey hot spots lost teams, whether by owner greed or lack of support or both, it doesn't matter. Why would you want to put a team back in a place that has already shown it can't or won't support it?
2007-11-13 11:39:37 · answer #3 · answered by MajorTom © 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Does it really matter?
Really?
Personally, I am happy with hockey's popularity. I don't care if a suburban family of 4 in Shreveport likes hockey or not.
I also could care less if an inner City kid in Calgary likes hockey or not.
I love the game, I watch it 18 hours a day.............but only because I get paid to do so.
Yahoo! has the NHL as one of it's main sporting entries on their US website.
USA Today has all the hockey scores and standing during the year.
If you live in North America..............you can purchase NHL Centre Ice and see any game you want.
If you want to see a hockey game, the means is there for all of us to see it.
Does it matter if more people watch the NBA? or the NFL? or MLB? or Nascar? or NBC's Poker after Dark?
No, it doesn't.
- The number of children under 10 plaing in Canada is at an all-time high
- The number of children under 12 playing in America is at an all time high
- The number of people attending NHL games at arenas is at an all-time high
The sport isn't dying
The sport isn't going anywhere
It doesn't matter if it surpasses the NBA, or any other sport.
2007-11-13 11:49:48 · answer #4 · answered by Like I'm Telling You Who I A 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Nope, regardless if Bettman's gone or not. Culturally, the majority of the south will never accept hockey because it's not in their mainstream due to this one little thing called "ice." Now, once Bettman's gone and it's marketed the same way as NASCAR is (the man who markets NASCAR is a genius, by the way; made something as pointless as a bunch of guys driving around an oval track 400 times cool takes smarts), then maybe it'll surpass the other major sports.
2007-11-13 11:07:54 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
The NHL may surpass the NBA in popularity at some point in the future, but I think that's as far as their popularity will go.
2007-11-13 10:33:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
Unfortunately no. As much sa i think the NBA and NFL are ove and need s to get attention, people find those sports more entertaining than hockey. I dunno why. But in my eyes, hockey is the best sport ever, and to me, thats all that matters.
2007-11-13 14:30:40 · answer #7 · answered by McMoose--RIPYAHS 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The NHL had their chance a few years back, then Gary Bettman came in and ruined the league. I still suspect he was sent by David Stern to do just that. I doubt they will ever get back to where they were, especially not on VS.
2007-11-13 10:37:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
It's already ahead of the wildly popular sports of curling, lawn bowling, water skiing and dog sledding.
Number 5 and still trying!!!!
2007-11-13 10:58:40 · answer #9 · answered by PuckDat 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I feel like NHL and NBA are almost on the same level of popularity in the U.S. I don't think it will ever be as big as NFL or MLB though...
2007-11-13 10:38:08 · answer #10 · answered by Pens71 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋