Bob McKenzie: Deal Next Week, Maybe Week of July 11th

[KOVALEV10*]

Oh please hockey is america's sport. I bet Anaheim and Phoenix and Carolina have much more fans then Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Hell who am I kidding.....if those 3 cities and pretty much most of the american hockey cities have a total of fans that Montreal has that would even surprise me.

 

[kdb209]

They aren't. There's a new slogan and Bob mentions what it is.

And JR is already marketing it and posing for the new logo.

 

[oildrop]

Man, they say great minds think alike

That they do!

Canada supplies the NHL with the most NHL players. Canada is known for hockey and the U.S is known either for their football or baseball as their top sports.

I don't think Bob was trying to say the American fans don't care either. He's just pointing out that Canada has a stronger passion for the game and that Canadians miss it more then the U.S does. I agree with him on this. I'm sure lots of people do.

 

[oildrop]

And JR is already marketing it and posing for the new logo.

 

[GSC2k2*]

Man, they say great minds think alike

... and fools seldom differ ...

Try taking a poll of the half a million or so asian immigrants in Toronto and Vancouver. Ask them their favourite sport. Or the tens of thousands of people who have emigrated from the continent of Africa. Or the fifteen or sixteen million women in Canada (again, due respect to critter/kritter ).

In each of those demographics, sure you will find hockey fans. You will also find a ton of apathy.

Speaking as a maritimer who has lived in Canada for all but 4 of his 42 years, I know well of hockey's popularity in my country. I also have contact with more people than those who look and sound exactly like me.

Have you figured it out yet?

 

[RR1107]

Not to be a butthead (yeah, actually to be one), but aren't we all technically "Americans" lol? I mean, both countries are in North AMERICA ;D

 

[Kritter471]

I don't think Bob was trying to say the American fans don't care either. He's just pointing out that Canada has a stronger passion for the game and that Canadians miss it more then the U.S does. I agree with him on this. I'm sure lots of people do.

I missed the NHL just as as much as any Canadian (perhaps more if you consider I had significantly less access to hockey on tv or local minor leagues than the average NHL-city Canadian). Don't get into which nationality has more passion, because that will very quickly tern into jingoistic name-calling on both sides.

I think what you meant to say is that more Canadians than Americans missed the NHL, which I wouldn't have much of an issue with. I think the numbers are a closer than you imagine (because of the larger population in the US), but I wouldn't argue that more Canadians miss the NHL (at least not publically ).

 

[oildrop]

Not to be a butthead (yeah, actually to be one), but aren't we all technically "Americans" lol? I mean, both countries are in North AMERICA ;D

People in the U.S are always referred to as the "Americans" and us up here in Canada are always referred to as Canadians.

 

[Scoogs]

... and fools seldom differ ...

Try taking a poll of the half a million or so asian immigrants in Toronto and Vancouver. Ask them their favourite sport. Or the tens of thousands of people who have emigrated from the continent of Africa. Or the fifteen or sixteen million women in Canada (again, due respect to critter/kritter ).

In each of those demographics, sure you will find hockey fans. You will also find a ton of apathy.

Speaking as a maritimer who has lived in Canada for all but 4 of his 42 years, I know well of hockey's popularity in my country. I also have contact with more people than those who look and sound exactly like me.

Have you figured it out yet?

While what you say is true. You're making the point of favouritism. Canada isnt the only country with immigrants. The US has alot of them too, you know? Go ask the minorities in New York what their fav sport is.

Or go ask people in Nashville what theirs is. Southern US isnt exactly "Hockey Crazed"..

Football, and Basketball is definately a bigger presence with the black community. So you can strike that out there. Spanish community prefer Baseball more than any other sport. Soccer is also huge in both countries.

Im not saying Canada doesnt have any blacks or Spanish people, but there are definately alot more down in the US.

There are many more examples but it would be a waste of time.

 

[X8oD]

Oh please hockey is america's sport. I bet Anaheim and Phoenix and Carolina have much more fans then Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Hell who am I kidding.....if those 3 cities and pretty much most of the american hockey cities have a total of fans that Montreal has that would even surprise me.

United states has higher TV ratings per person than Canada does.

Of corse the reply is, "well the US is bigger, of corse they have more people watching." There for you can cling to the fact that you have a higher % of your country watching hockey. The bottom line is, even the casual US viewers out draw the hardcore "98%" canadian audience. [which kinda blows that figure out of the water]

Hockey is big in canada, no doubt. But even if you want to stick with the population difference, the "awful, terrible fans in the US" Out draw The Canadians, i think its nearly a 2-1 margin if i recall the numbers.

its why canada cannot support thier teams, its why they move to the US, and its why Contracts are signed in the US Dollar. More money is in the US because the Fan Base is bigger.

 

[oildrop]

I missed the NHL just as as much as any Canadian (perhaps more if you consider I had significantly less access to hockey on tv or local minor leagues than the average NHL-city Canadian). Don't get into which nationality has more passion, because that will very quickly tern into jingoistic name-calling on both sides.

I think what you meant to say is that more Canadians than Americans missed the NHL, which I wouldn't have much of an issue with. I think the numbers are a closer than you imagine (because of the larger population in the US), but I wouldn't argue that more Canadians miss the NHL (at least not publically ).

Yes. I didn't really explain it as well as I would have liked. But that's the jist of it.

 

[nomorekids]

Man, the one guy who we've all appointed "voice of reason" throughout this whole mess has finally given the green light to be optimistic\relieved...and we're bickering about which country has better fans?

Give me a break. This is big news. Act like it.

 

[ceber]

"Of 1,000 Canadians surveyed, 629 said they were hockey fans. When the fans were asked how much NHL hockey they'd be watching when the lockout ends, 16.4 per cent nationally said they would be looking for something else to do.

The poll was conducted between Jan.28 and Feb. 2 and is accurate, plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20."

So, according to that poll about 63% of Canadians are hockey fans. A pretty good percentage, but certainly not everyone.

 

[ceber]

Man, the one guy who we've all appointed "voice of reason" throughout this whole mess has finally given the green light to be optimistic\relieved...and we're bickering about which country has better fans?

Give me a break. This is big news. Act like it.

It's kinda like the Stockholm Syndrome. Bickering is bonding.

 

[Boltsfan2029]

I would have thought the sport belonged to its fans, no matter where they live.

I personally don't give a damn which country has more/less fans or better/worse fans or more/less deserving fans or anything else. I want hockey back. American hockey fans want hockey back. Canadian hockey fans want hockey back. Hockey fans from both countries love the sport. Enjoy the common ground instead of trying to one-up the other guy.

All of you bickering kiddies grow up already!

 

[Scoogs]

"Of 1,000 Canadians surveyed, 629 said they were hockey fans. When the fans were asked how much NHL hockey they'd be watching when the lockout ends, 16.4 per cent nationally said they would be looking for something else to do.

The poll was conducted between Jan.28 and Feb. 2 and is accurate, plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20."

So, according to that poll about 63% of Canadians are hockey fans. A pretty good percentage, but certainly not everyone.

For sure not everyone is a hockey fan. In a perfect world, maybe...

But there are factors in that poll that make a difference. I think that a good percentage of the people that say "I'll never watch the NHL again" just give those answers because they are angry that their sport that they loved in the first place was taken away from them.

So if anyone was a fan before, they'll be a fan afterwards. Just maybe not a fanatic, like we seen in the MLB in 1994.

 

[Kritter471]

Man, the one guy who we've all appointed "voice of reason" throughout this whole mess has finally given the green light to be optimistic\relieved...and we're bickering about which country has better fans?

Give me a break. This is big news. Act like it.

*whines* We're bored and stir crazy and trying to not get our hopes up again. Least, that's what I'm doing.

 

[Bruwinz37]

Man, the one guy who we've all appointed "voice of reason" throughout this whole mess has finally given the green light to be optimistic\relieved...and we're bickering about which country has better fans?

Give me a break. This is big news. Act like it.

Agreed. McKenzie has been pretty conservative throughout. This is the news we have been waiting months for....and it came from one of the best sources in the business. Time to celebrate.

 

[Scoogs]

Like I said before, I think we should all go somewhere far for the weekend, get our minds off of this whole situation, and when we come back we can be geared for a potentially big week.

 

[NYIsles1*]

All due respect to Mr Kenzie who does a great job trying to keep folks informed here but it seems like today's update was overzealous on his part claiming something is about to be done within a certain time frame with absoultely nothing new from inside these meetings to back it up.

I know media people need to write and many want to go out of their way to try and keep us informed (with good intentions) but this reads like jumping the gun and completely contrary to what Stan Fischler wrote. (even though I do not think much of Mr Fischler's work)

Personally I would rather Bob McKenzie to be the last to break the news of a lockout ending because we do not need someone of his credentials to be first, all I require is that he get's it right.

 

[oildrop]

Agreed. McKenzie has been pretty conservative throughout. This is the news we have been waiting months for....and it came from one of the best sources in the business. Time to celebrate.

I want to celebrate soooo badly, but I just don't want my hopes to be squashed again. It's happened too many times and it's happened a couple times in the past month or two too. 2 or 3 weeks ago Bob himself said the deal would be done in "2 weeks" and it wasn't. Now again he's saying it'll be done in "2 weeks". Now, I know Bob knows his stuff and he's one of the guys I like to listen to when it comes to rumours and everything else involved with hockey but I'm just not celebrating too hard just yet.

I'm waiting until a FINAL announcement before I bring out the whiskey to celebrate the beginning of a new era in the hockey world.

 

[GSC2k2*]

"Of 1,000 Canadians surveyed, 629 said they were hockey fans. When the fans were asked how much NHL hockey they'd be watching when the lockout ends, 16.4 per cent nationally said they would be looking for something else to do.

The poll was conducted between Jan.28 and Feb. 2 and is accurate, plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20."

So, according to that poll about 63% of Canadians are hockey fans. A pretty good percentage, but certainly not everyone.

Fair enough, but that number shocks me, frankly. If anything, it is elevated since saying you are Canadian and NOT a hockey fan carries a little bit of stigma given the fanaticism of many.

THAT BEING SAID, that was not the statement. Here it was:

hockey is the no.1 sport for 98% of the Canadians

Being a "hockey fan" and having it be your #1 sport are two entirely different things. I am a fan, but I prefer baseball and golf. That is just me.

Regarding the comparison of percentages of Canadians to Americans, it might be noted that I took no issue with that. I take issue with the mindset of some posters here that hockey is the be-all and end-all, and pointing out that such a mindset is a huge obstacle to any kind of cogent discussion as to what ails hockey.

 

[Kritter471]

I'm waiting until a FINAL announcement before I bring out the whiskey to celebrate the beginning of a new ear in the hockey world.

Best. Typo. Ever.

 

[MykeAbner]

... and fools seldom differ ...

Try taking a poll of the half a million or so asian immigrants in Toronto and Vancouver. Ask them their favourite sport. Or the tens of thousands of people who have emigrated from the continent of Africa. Or the fifteen or sixteen million women in Canada (again, due respect to critter/kritter ).

In each of those demographics, sure you will find hockey fans. You will also find a ton of apathy.

Speaking as a maritimer who has lived in Canada for all but 4 of his 42 years, I know well of hockey's popularity in my country. I also have contact with more people than those who look and sound exactly like me.

Have you figured it out yet?

Considering how defensive you get about generalizing Americans and hockey, you sure seem to be generalizing females and hockey a lot. Every single female I know likes hockey more than any other sport.

 

[Vic Rattlehead*]

Why Canada can not support their teams is because the USA is the richest city in the world. It has nothing to do with american hockey fans. I could name more then 12 american teams that shouldn't even be in those cities. Canadians love hockey as a passion because that's only thing we have. Americans have football, basketball and baseball. Canadians have hockey, that's all. For a lot of canadians there are 3 things in life. Religion, Politics and hockey. Same can not be said about the USA.

I agree with this, although I don't have Religion in my life.

Back on topic, I can't really comment on this. As much as I want to believe that a deal will be done, haven't we heard this same tune before?