Lockout threatens the 2o06 Olympics

[Poignant Discussion*]

Good I'd like to see the amatures playing anyways.

 

[Steve L*]

Good I'd like to see the amatures playing anyways.

Have you ever been to the Mellon Arena?

 

[Poignant Discussion*]

Have you ever been to the Mellon Arena?

Hehe, way back when it was called the Igloo

 

[RorschachWJK]

Screw the NHL players in the Olympics.The biggest waste of time.The NHL received no benefit from sending players to the Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002.1998 in Nagano was a disaster.2006 in Turino is a six hour difference from the eastern time zone.No more NHLers in the Olympics Shut down the NHL for three weeks was and still is foolish

Who cares about the benefits NHL gets or doesn't get, sympathy for them is wearing thin. People want to see the highest possible level of international hockey being played. Nagano was a disaster?

Shutting down the NHL for three weeks is not a big deal. The NHL and the players seem to have no problem shutting it down for an entire year

 

[Jazz]

Personally, I don't think the Pro Players belong in the Olympics...Amateurs only IMO...

Good I'd like to see the amatures playing anyways.

Too bad there are no real amateur leagues of significance left in europe. We'd have to fill out our team with plummers, policemen and unsigned high school kids..

The amateur/pro thing in the OG is a dead issue, I don't get why people keep bringing it up... The point of the Olympics is to bring the best in the world together to compete, so finally introducing professionals was correcting a wrong...

 

[BLONG7]

The amateur/pro thing in the OG is a dead issue, I don't get why people keep bringing it up... The point of the Olympics is to bring the best in the world together to compete, so finally introducing professionals was correcting a wrong...

Amateur sport vs professional sport...??? I always thought that the olympics were about amateur sports...drugs not included...

 

[grego]

I guess with the whole bringing the best they will assume next that they bring in professional boxers to the Olympics. Shouldn't they have the Heavy Weight Champion of the World there???

Of course that shouldn't happen, and neither should pro NHL players be there. I hated to see the pro players in any sport go. It is entertaining hockey, but that still isn't much reason to justify it. IF they want a time for the best in hockey to play do it during another tournament.

As to why I think the NHL is saying they may skip the Olympics, it is partly to put pressure on the players. Not only do they risk the chance of making money for a year or more, but they can jeopardize their chance to represent their country. It is in fact a very smart move by the NHL and if I was in their position I would reiterate that view occasionally as they have done through the negotiations to try and see if you can intimidate a few players or not. Not sure if it would work, but I doubt they are beyond trying it

 

[Epsilon]

People make it sound like the only pro athletes in the Olympics are hockey and basketball players...

 

[Riddarn]

People make it sound like the only pro athletes in the Olympics are hockey and basketball players...

I thought about that too. The best athletes of the '70s and '80s were more or less full time professionals too. There are no real "elite" amateurs anymore.

 

[helicecopter]

People make it sound like the only pro athletes in the Olympics are hockey and basketball players...

My thoughts as well.
This argument is just ridiculous.

 

[RangerBoy]

Who cares about the benefits NHL gets or doesn't get, sympathy for them is wearing thin. People want to see the highest possible level of international hockey being played. Nagano was a disaster?

Shutting down the NHL for three weeks is not a big deal. The NHL and the players seem to have no problem shutting it down for an entire year

Excuse me but the 1998 Olympics in Nagano were a disaster.The games were played in the middle of night in most of North America.The NHL is an North American league.It did not benefit the NHL at all.Maybe some Czechs got but who really cares about that.When the games started at 1:30am in the eastern time zone,nobody watched the games.What financial benefit did the NHL receive from sending the players to the Olympics?

 

[RorschachWJK]

Excuse me but the 1998 Olympics in Nagano were a disaster.The games were played in the middle of night in most of North America.The NHL is an North American league.It did not benefit the NHL at all.Maybe some Czechs got but who really cares about that.When the games started at 1:30am in the eastern time zone,nobody watched the games.What financial benefit did the NHL receive from sending the players to the Olympics?

Sorry, but that's the way it goes. The olympics are not arranged according to the wishes of one nation's spectators. It all depends on who gets to arrange the thing, and the idea is that the Olympics tour the globe. Italy 2006 should be better already for North American spectators, as games that are played there during the evening (local time) can be watched here during the afternoon.
And by the way: a true hockey fan should have no trouble at all watching Olympic hockey at 1:30am...I wouldn't.

The financial benefits/losses are secondary here. It is a perfect opportunity to showcase the sport at it's best to a global audience, and get new people and countries interested in the game. Three weeks of lost NHL time is nothing in comparison.

 

[helicecopter]

It is a perfect opportunity to showcase the sport at it's best to a global audience, and get new people and countries interested in the game. Three weeks of lost NHL time is nothing in comparison.

It's as simple as that. And i don't know how it is so difficult for many (as it seems) to understand.

To make it easier, more popularity for a sport, EVEN outside North America , means better marketing for TV rights' value and gadgets.

The long term benefits are easily more than the short term (couple of weeks) losses.

 

[Jussi]

Good I'd like to see the amatures playing anyways.

Define amateur.

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

Ok...try to put yourself in my shoes: i'm an italian hockey fan and i'm from turin...yes, from turin, the olympics town.
I think it's easy for you americans/canadians, who get nhl everyday and who can see a live nhl match almost everyday...it's easy for you to wake up, go to school/work thinking "in 7/8 hours time i'll see colorado avalanche vs new jersey devils 3 yards from the ice and after the game i'll get an autograped forsberg's jersey". It's really easy...
But for us italians...that's the unique opportunity in a lifetime to get some nhl action, there wont be any other nhl game in italy in my life that i could see at the stadium, the only opportunity to have nhl big stars in my town and try to see em and maybe talk with em in my whole life, and i cant get it because of what??

And someone says "who cares about it"...for this kind of people...would you like to swap our hockey situation??

 

[helicecopter]

Ok...try to put yourself in my shoes: i'm an italian hockey fan and i'm from turin...yes, from turin, the olympics town.
I think it's easy for you americans/canadians, who get nhl everyday and who can see a live nhl match almost everyday...it's easy for you to wake up, go to school/work thinking "in 7/8 hours time i'll see colorado avalanche vs new jersey devils 3 yards from the ice and after the game i'll get an autograped forsberg's jersey". It's really easy...
But for us italians...that's the unique opportunity in a lifetime to get some nhl action, there wont be any other nhl game in italy in my life that i could see at the stadium, the only opportunity to have nhl big stars in my town and try to see em and maybe talk with em in my whole life, and i cant get it because of what??