I want ESPN to keep ignoring hockey

The NHL might not be mega-popular nationwide, but to say it's not a major sport is ridiculous.

 

I agree, it's still a major sport. Teams are selling a bunch of tickets and making money, to me that equals a major sport.

 

Whoops. Sorry, Rick. Not you. My bad. I quoted the wrong post.

Does anyone find newbie Jim Murray creepy?

 

He's more than creepy, he's commiting ouright blasphemy with every post. Can't the mods do something about this?

 

It's not a major sport in the context of the NFL, MLB and NBA.

 

Is hockey a major sport? Depends on your definition.

In the pockets of the U.S. where they ARE drawing 17-20,000 a game, maybe. No, yes.

But what Mr. Rick and others fail to realize is that it's completely off the radar screen in big pockets of the U.S. Much of the Midwest, Southwest and Far West could care less. And you cannot say that about baseball, basketball or football.

Vive la difference.

(And of course, this drives our friends to the north batty.)

 

In many/most league cities, especially at playoff time, local tv ratings for the hockey team are comparable to/better than those of the nba team and the mlb team (granted, regular season mlb vs. hockey playoffs). places like detroit, philly, boston and most of the sunbelt cities that have another nearby team. it is a major sport in those places. the problem is the non-franchise cities, and that is never going to be fixed.

 

Hockey isn't popular in a lot of these areas because, in general, Americans can't relate to what it feels like to actually play the game. For many, it's too hard to play and, for many more, too hard to understand. Most people don't have the attention span to learn the game and appreciate how it's played. That's why those other "major" sports always have been and always will be popular -- they aren't hard to understand and can be easily played in the backyard.

However, it grinds me that many prominent media people simply write off hockey, poke fun at it and basically consider it a cult sport. That's what gives people on this board their talking points -- "Ah, hockey. Who cares?"

 

OK. And you just explained why.

 

Actually, the majority of Canadians could care less if Americans like hockey. I don't need the U.S. to like it to make it worthwhile for me.
As far as I'm concerned, it's your loss.

 

Hockey is the ultimate spectator sport, nothing beats going to a game and watching the speed, skill, toughness and strategy of the game but for some reason a lot of that doesn't translate to TV, for that reason ESPN isn't interested ... does anyone find it interesting that the MLS will be getting more national TV coverage this sumer than the NHL has this winter ... what the hell is up with that

 

Forget MLS. Arena Football will have more national TV coverage than the NHL.