Good stuff.
When it comes to NHL hockey, Americans often accuse Canadians of being provincial, and on rare occasions, it is merited. However, it is Americans - US media specifcially - who are terribly provincial when it come the the NHL. A naive, perjorative (not to mention terribly outdated) stereotype exists when it comes to the topic of NHL hockey among mass media in the States. I've seen it evolve through the decades from the "they are all a bunch of lughead goons" to today's condescending mindset of "We don't talk hockey on this sports show/station."
For that and other reasons, I personally do not think that the NHL will ever be "popular" in the U.S. and I gave up worrying about it long ago. I wish it was, but not at the price of selling the sport out. That is, no lacross-size nets, no tricycles on ice and no pining for more "dynamic" personalities, thank you.
The latter is my biggest annoyance - because you hear/read such superficial observations from time to time from so called "fans" of this sport, those who should know better, but instead mimic what pop culture (ESPN) instructs them is "cool". Specifically, per your observation above, the insufferable and misguided wish for modest, well spoken and respectful NHLers to morph into egotistical reprobates....in order to better "sell the sport to casual fan". As if.
Just me, but I prefer an athlete who can look the interviewer in the eye and articulate a sincere (if not tabloid) response. It may not be "ghetto" or "controversial" enough for some lilly white suburban 13 y/os.
But it's real and works for me.
This is a beautiful sport with devoted and appreciative athletes. (The sterotyping of NHLers with select athletes of other sports who give off the air of entitlement is way off base, IMO.)
Much of the US does not appreciate that fact, nor ever will.
As such, waiting for good US TV ratings for the NHL is a fan's equivalent of Waiting for Godot.
I think the bigger question here is do Americans who currently do not follow hockey want to and/or is willing to be educated about the sport or do they simply want to keep a closed mind about it.
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If you're not good enough for the NFL or if you have serious drug problems (Ricky Williams) you simply head up north where the talent is much inferior.
Yes, I know.Jazz: Yes, but the topic of discussion here is hockey NOT football. My answer was geared toward the topic at hand.....
I would take this one step further and have the NHL work this in cooperation with every possible league out there (AHL, USHL, College, ECHL etc) to not only cover the NHL markets, but a wider area in general.Well, I'm temped to rant about the "closing" of the modern mind in general, but I'll resist.
We're in agreement. As I've stated before I believe firmly that the best thing this league could do is inve$t significant marketing dollars in grassroots youth hockey programs (ice, inline, street) in the US. I know that individual teams partake in youth programs, but the league has to spearhead a meaningful leaguewide grassroots effort, IMO.
(As a marketing professional, it annoys me to no end that the NHL has, far as I know, not pursued this strategy aggresively. It's not rocket science. It will take work and $$$, but it will work. But an effort like that has to be run out of "NHL Corporate", with execution on the ground by each franchise.)
Clearly, there is no single marketing tactic that will win the day for the league in the States. And any progress will be incremental. But the idea that a snappy ad campaign or increasing scoring, etc. is going to be a shortcut to increased popularity is mythology.
Get kids playing the sport early and often and it helps brand the league. And, as you suggest, you are cultivating a larger generation of future US fans who will be "pulling" (demanding) your "product", as opposed to simply trying to "push" it on them, amidst a sea of other, more popular and well entrenched entertainment options.
I would take this one step further and have the NHL work this in cooperation with every possible league out there (AHL, USHL, College, ECHL etc) to not only cover the NHL markets, but a wider area in general.
As an aside, I still find it incredible that Mario Lemieux's comeback from cancer to win the scoring title and league MVP in 1993 did not resonate in the American sports landscape, despite all misconceptions there are with hockey.
The CFL champ would have a tough time beating Ohio State, let alone the worst NFL team in the league.
Please stop the CFL vs NFL debate, it really is laughable. Before the NFL got a tv contract a debate could have been warranted, but not anymore. I know if the NFL wanted to expand into Canada you football fans would be ecstatic (see Toronto for instance). A part of me believes that a lot of Canadians want to believe that the CFL is comparable to the NFL because they know they aren't going to get anything better.
So, let's take a look at some of the reasons.
First, ask any American sports fan who is not a hockey fan why they don't follow hockey and these are some of the answers you'll get:
1) The sport is too violent (this seems to be a very popular answer)
IMO, the only way you can justify it is by knowing nothing about hockey.That's beyond hypocritical.
For a country in which an even more violent game is the real national pastime, the only way someone can justify the above POV is if they don't like our national pastime either.
if basketball can sell on tv, then hockey can sell
mlb and nfl are american pastime behemoths so theres no point comparing
but cummon, the nba isnt fun to watch at all. its largely being filled with non-americans and has struggled its fair bit as well.
if the NBA can be a top sport, then so can hockey
That's beyond hypocritical.
For a country in which an even more violent game is the real national pastime, the only way someone can justify the above POV is if they don't like our national pastime either.
One reason why football and baseball are so popular in the US. Its called
GAMBLING
I think that one of the main reasons that TV ratings the NHL are so low is that the teams in the major TV markets have generally done very poorly over the last ten years.
In New York, the #1 TV market, the Rangers missed the playoffs eight straight years before getting swept in the first round last year and the Islanders haven't won a playoff series since 92-93. Only the Devils have done well, and they have the smallest fan base of the three NY teams.
In Los Angeles, the #2 TV market, the Kings have won only one playoff series in the last twelve seasons and missed the payoffs entirely eight of those seasons. The less popular Ducks have made long postseason runs two of the last three years, but have a much smaller fan base than the Kings due to their more abbreviated history.
In Chicago, the #3 TV market, the Blackhawks have made the playoffs only two of the past nine seasons and lost in the first round both times.
When you consider that the Rangers, Islanders, Kings, and Blackhawks have won a combined 15 playoff games in the last eight years, its no wonder that the overall TV ratings suck.
The thing is ratings weren't much better when the Kings and Rangers were in back to back finals. Although they both played Canadian teams in which that market wasn't factored into ratings.
As for NCAA point NCAA Baseball isn't popular at all. It's a lot like hockey in that many players don't play in College they go straight to pros. Plus they usually play a few years in the minors.
That said I do agree the NHL needs a grass root effort to build up participation in the game. I also think a part of should be to help build up the college game. I think the NHL should try to promote players to go through the NCAA system and help schools in NHL markets to get a hockey program started. This does a few things one it gets the best prospects in the US where they are more visible and builds a little more hype for them coming in. Also this also can help get a younger audience exposed to live hockey (which is the best way to get new fans). The might go see their schools team live because it's cheaper than an NHL or minor league game. Sure it might come at the expence of the Canadian Junior system but building up the collge game is a must.
NBC televised the final five games of the Carolina Panthers '4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in June's Stanley Cup finals, averaging a 2.3/4.
Wow... This is just a stupid mistake to make. They even link it wrong, making it worse.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-worldseries-ratings&prov=ap&type=lgns
I don't know, but Steve Smith is a speedy little devil with soft hands; he might make a good winger. Throw one of those O-lineman in net and you have the core for a Cup team.