So, the NBA is a league I despise. I actually like the sport but it has A LOT of different aspects of it that made me not want to watch them other than a game here or there. That said their marketing is on point. They try to be the young and hip league that cares about its fans and players. There are examples that I probably shouldn't mention here but a non-controversial example is the lame new jersey every game these guys have. It's really transparent what their marketing is, but it works.
Meanwhile it feels like despite their "hockey is for everyone" campaign the NHL is not even trying to stop being the "old uneducated man" league. The way the league treats players like Tom Wilson and their actions can only be defended if you have a vested interest in the Caps or the lowest common denominator. But it seems like that's culture that permeates the league, as if it's still the 70s. They put an ex-goon as the head of the DPOS. The NHL seems permanently stuck in their ways and are not trying to evolve. The culture of dirty play and violence just doesn't appeal to younger fans that know about CTE and that just have a different look at life.
Thoughts on this? Will the NHL ever join the 21st century beyond wearing rainbow colored jerseys and other surface level initiatives?
Meanwhile it feels like despite their "hockey is for everyone" campaign the NHL is not even trying to stop being the "old uneducated man" league. The way the league treats players like Tom Wilson and their actions can only be defended if you have a vested interest in the Caps or the lowest common denominator. But it seems like that's culture that permeates the league, as if it's still the 70s. They put an ex-goon as the head of the DPOS. The NHL seems permanently stuck in their ways and are not trying to evolve. The culture of dirty play and violence just doesn't appeal to younger fans that know about CTE and that just have a different look at life.
Thoughts on this? Will the NHL ever join the 21st century beyond wearing rainbow colored jerseys and other surface level initiatives?
Last edited by a moderator: