Sports Illustrated
June 20, 1994
Why the NHL's Hot and the NBA's Not
While the NBA's image has cooled, the NHL has ignited surprising new interest in hockey
by E. M. Swift
LET'S SEE if we've got this straight. NBA basketball, as played by the Eastern Conference champions, the New York Knicks, is called “butt-ugly†and “thuggish†by USA Today, while the erstwhile black sheep of professional team sports, the National Hockey League, appears in the “Styles of the Times†section of The New York Times, where it is described as “hipâ€, “sexy†and cutting edgeâ€.
The Los Angeles Times, citing a 30% drop in prime-time television ratings during the conference finals, denounces the NBA playoffs as “a game of mud wrestling†and host to “the occasional near riotâ€, while the trade magazine Sports Licensing International gushes that “the convergence of an exciting sport, a new executive team at the NHL itself and a renewed marketing emphasis an NHL Enterprises has made hockey the place to be.â€
Basketball, thuggish? Hockey, the place to be? Talk about your role reversals. When former NBA executive Gary Bettman took over as commisioner the NHL last year, everyone predicted hockey would assume the NBA look: hip music in the stadiums; an influx of young, energetic marketing whizzes in the league offices; zippy new promotions. What no one foresaw, however was the simultaneous and inexplicable NHL-ing of the NBA: on-court brawls spreading into the stands; a sudden and embarrassing franchise shift; bizarre, pugnacious behavior by out-of-control owners; outrageous refereeing gaffes; and spin-doctoring denials from the league.
