USATODAY/Gallup Poll

[Motown Beatdown]

50% of Americans dont care if the NHL season is canceled. And the billionaires and millionaires still fight ove money.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2005-01-10-fan-poll_x.htm

Click to read more...

 

[Lanny MacDonald*]

I'm shocked 50% of Americans even know what the NHL is. That poll holds no value IMO. Its like asking Americans if they are in favor of the Saskatchewan Seal Harvest. They have no idea what the question is about.

 

[chiavsfan]

Americans (myself included) are busy *****ing about Randy Moss fake mooning a pole (which I thought was very funny, uncalled for but funny). They are busy calling for his head...

 

[tantalum]

To even worry about the Moss thing is funny but there is background to that moon. It is fan tradition in Green bay to moon the visiting teams bus at it leaves. Moss just gave it back to them. Completely funny and really the US public has to wake up a bit on these things...a breast and fake moon do not signify the end of the world.

 

[justapantherfan]

Completely funny and really the US public has to wake up a bit on these things...a breast and fake moon do not signify the end of the world.

Man I have to agree. The census is getting out of control with all the BS of what people can say and do. Makes you wonder if this is a free country or not.

 

[Pepper]

OT continues but it really amazes me everytime I hear about something like that, whether it's Janet Jackson's breast or fake mooning or whatever causes a huge public outcry, I mean we're talking about a country which takes pride of it's so-called freedom yet it's extremely narrowminded & conservative compared to Europe for example.

 

[windowlicker]

I'm shocked 50% of Americans even know what the NHL is. That poll holds no value IMO. Its like asking Americans if they are in favor of the Saskatchewan Seal Harvest. They have no idea what the question is about.

What sort of ridiculous statement is this? Of course they have an idea of what the question is about. That's the point. Most Americans realize there is a major professional north american hockey league, just like there's a professional basketball, football & basketball league. Whether they know its name or logo is immaterial. What is material is the fact a very large majority of them does not care about Ice Hockey as a sport in this country. Ergo they could care less if the "NHL" season is cancelled. (or the AHL season, or the ECHL season for that matter)

 

[RangerBoy]

Americans (myself included) are busy *****ing about Randy Moss fake mooning a pole (which I thought was very funny, uncalled for but funny). They are busy calling for his head...

I like Randy's fro.Joe Buck is such a dick

 

[RangerBoy]

To even worry about the Moss thing is funny but there is background to that moon. It is fan tradition in Green bay to moon the visiting teams bus at it leaves. Moss just gave it back to them. Completely funny and really the US public has to wake up a bit on these things...a breast and fake moon do not signify the end of the world.

We live in the sexually repressed society of Bush and his FCC where Nicolette Sheridan dropping her towel becomes a scandel.Every parent complains about their children becoming corrupted by watching TV

 

[FLYLine27*]

Its all about Baseball and Football in the US. :Sigh:

 

[Schlep Rock]

The NFL should fine him, end of story. FCC? No... if Friends can say the "b word" then why the heck would you fine Moss?

Now if the FCC WAS to fine anybody in all of this... it should be Randy Moss. Confused? In the first quarter they showed Randy yelling on the sideline to Green Bay fans. At one point he yelled (and I quote) "look at the ****** ****ing score" and repeated it 2 or 3 times. Fox did a decent job fading the sound out but I could still hear it.

If the FCC is going to fine anybody it should be Moss for this, not for the stupid mooning.

The NFL will fine him for taunting, etc. as they have many other players for ridiculous "celebrations", etc. but FCC fine for that? That would make zero sense.

 

[misterjaggers]

What sort of ridiculous statement is this? Of course they have an idea of what the question is about. That's the point. Most Americans realize there is a major professional north american hockey league, just like there's a professional basketball, football & basketball league. Whether they know its name or logo is immaterial. What is material is the fact a very large majority of them does not care about Ice Hockey as a sport in this country. Ergo they could care less if the "NHL" season is cancelled. (or the AHL season, or the ECHL season for that matter)

That isn't news.

 

[Lanny MacDonald*]

What sort of ridiculous statement is this? Of course they have an idea of what the question is about. That's the point. Most Americans realize there is a major professional north american hockey league, just like there's a professional basketball, football & basketball league. Whether they know its name or logo is immaterial. What is material is the fact a very large majority of them does not care about Ice Hockey as a sport in this country. Ergo they could care less if the "NHL" season is cancelled. (or the AHL season, or the ECHL season for that matter)

No, they don't. I just asked a room of seven guys if they cared if the NHL season was cancelled. Two of them said, "What's the NHL?". Five of them said they could careless as they had never seen a hockey game. Two of them said it didn't matter and they knew what the NHL was. One of them said he was fan and that he cared but said it was a necessary evil for the Coyotes to survive (I didn't realize one of my co-workers was a hockey fan).

What may be thought of common knowledge to you is not common knowledge to someone else. You were brought up watching the game and being exposed to the NHL, likely live an area where the game is king and followed like a religion, so it is hard for you to fathom that someone does not know what the NHL is. But there are parts of the United States who have never been expsoed to hockey, don't know about hockey, and don't care about hockey. The NHL is a term they would never know, especially if they are not a sports junkie or from a region where a franchise is located.

 

[windowlicker]

No, they don't. I just asked a room of seven guys if they cared if the NHL season was cancelled. Two of them said, "What's the NHL?". Five of them said they could careless as they had never seen a hockey game. Two of them said it didn't matter and they knew what the NHL was. One of them said he was fan and that he cared but said it was a necessary evil for the Coyotes to survive (I didn't realize one of my co-workers was a hockey fan).

What may be thought of common knowledge to you is not common knowledge to someone else. You were brought up watching the game and being exposed to the NHL, likely live an area where the game is king and followed like a religion, so it is hard for you to fathom that someone does not know what the NHL is. But there are parts of the United States who have never been expsoed to hockey, don't know about hockey, and don't care about hockey. The NHL is a term they would never know, especially if they are not a sports junkie or from a region where a franchise is located.

Wow, you really proved your point there. Next time I'll fill my response with assumptions & innuendos as well.

(Ps. Surprisingly, there's very little NHL coverage in Wisconsin)

 

[Lanny MacDonald*]

Wow, you really proved your point there. Next time I'll fill my response with assumptions & innuendos as well.

(Ps. Surprisingly, there's very little NHL coverage in Wisconsin)

And you really supported your argument as well. Using Wisconsin as an example of places that get little coverage. Allow me to one up you and add these states that are flooded with coverage.

Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Nebraska, etc. I know all of these locals are just GLUED to the NHL lockout and the papers filled with coverage every day. Hockey gets covered in the US like Nascar does in Canada. Actually, it probably get covered less. Nascar is a major sport, hockey is not.

 

[A Good Flying Bird*]

I'm shocked 50% of Americans even know what the NHL is. That poll holds no value IMO. Its like asking Americans if they are in favor of the Saskatchewan Seal Harvest. They have no idea what the question is about.

Heh.

But here's some bad news.
College basketball, women's billiards, and other things have replaced the NHL on ESPN2.
Ratings are twice as high

 

[Lanny MacDonald*]

Heh.

But here's some bad news.
College basketball, women's billiards, and other things have replaced the NHL on ESPN2.
Ratings are twice as high

Exactly. The NHL is not exactly a household name in a lot of the United States.

 

[A Good Flying Bird*]

Wow, you really proved your point there. Next time I'll fill my response with assumptions & innuendos as well.

(Ps. Surprisingly, there's very little NHL coverage in Wisconsin)

Hey dude. Could Milwaukee or even Madison support an NHL team?
I've been wondering why Wisconsin isn't talked about more as an NHL location

 

[CoolburnIsGone]

Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Nebraska, etc. I know all of these locals are just GLUED to the NHL lockout and the papers filled with coverage every day. Hockey gets covered in the US like Nascar does in Canada. Actually, it probably get covered less. Nascar is a major sport, hockey is not.

Depends on the part of Virginia because I would bet that people in and around the D.C. area could very well be Capital fans. And I know the poll was not taken out of the entire US population and the article only stated sports fans. Now you took a poll of 7 people in your office...are they all sports fans? Do you think taking a poll of 7 people is enough to get any accurate data to draw a conclusion about?

 

[Lanny MacDonald*]

Depends on the part of Virginia because I would bet that people in and around the D.C. area could very well be Capital fans. And I know the poll was not taken out of the entire US population and the article only stated sports fans. Now you took a poll of 7 people in your office...are they all sports fans? Do you think taking a poll of 7 people is enough to get any accurate data to draw a conclusion about?

Of course 7 people is not a good sampling, but it was just a quick example, one that bore a lot more fruit than I had suspected. And yes, they are sports fans. I have lived in enough cities in the United States to have a good feel where the game of hockey is followed and where it is not. Even in the big market cities up north there are people who don't follow hockey or care about it (but they know about the NHL). To say that 50% of the population does not know what the NHL is not a stretch IMO. I bet you that many people can't find Iraq on a world map, and that consumed this country for almost two years.

 

[fan mao rong]

The poll is worthless. This situation doesn't require 50% of the population to be followers for success. Even 1% of the population would be enough , really, let alone 50%. Most sports fans don't have the mental capacity for change from what they know ,regardless. The media will cover what they choose to , according to their personal interest. According to what I have seen, every team in NHL had at least 90% attendance, and there are numerous (1,000) TV channels to accomodate the interests of groups going to 1% of the populace. The masses don't need to approve of anything. If 50% don't care, that means the other 50% have some level of care. If League got anything within a mile of 50% of the population interested enough to spend a buck on it , the League would be successful beyond any partys imagining. What is the relevance of the opinion of general sports fans, or the general population? The poll means nothing, why would anyone think it did?

 

[CarlRacki]

We live in the sexually repressed society of Bush and his FCC where Nicolette Sheridan dropping her towel becomes a scandel.Every parent complains about their children becoming corrupted by watching TV

Yeah, because loony parents complaining about what appears on TV is a relatively new phenomenon with a history linked directly to the Bush inauguration in 2001. Nobody complained about Elvis' hips on Ed Sullivan or John and Yoko on Dick Cavett or Archie Bunker or Married with Children.

 

[CarlRacki]

Hey dude. Could Milwaukee or even Madison support an NHL team?
I've been wondering why Wisconsin isn't talked about more as an NHL location

Tough call on Milwaukee. It has the facilities (Bradley Center, home of the Bucks and my Marquette Warriors/Golden Eagles) but not necessarily the market size. Milwaukee is the 32nd ranked U.S. market, larger than only Columbus and Buffalo in terms of places with NHL clubs.
However, I think Milwaukee is a better "hockey" town than some slightly bigger markets, i.e. Nashville, Raleigh. But with it's close proximity to Chicago (meaining Dollar Bill Wirtz would try to block it) I doubt the NHL will land there anytime soon.

 

[PecaFan]

We live in the sexually repressed society of Bush and his FCC where Nicolette Sheridan dropping her towel becomes a scandel.Every parent complains about their children becoming corrupted by watching TV

That whole kaffufle was because of race, actually. Had it been a white football player, hardly anyone would have noticed.

And it's actually just one tiny group that does all the complaining. 99.8% of all complaints to the FCC come from the same group, the PTC (Parents Television Council).

http://www.mediaweek.com/mediaweek/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000731656