Gary Bettman has to be the worst commissioner any sport has ever had. He has absolutely turned the NHL into a minor league attraction that is rarely given any kind of coverage by the mainstream media. For instance, last week, on the morning before game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals, the Washington Post-one of the biggest newspapers in the country-didn't have a single story about the series in their sports section. There were stories about womens basketball, lacrosse, etc., but nothing about what used to be considered one of the sporting world's epic yearly events. The fact that ESPN doesn't carry the NHL any more really hurts the league. I remember watching a lot of games on ESPN back then, but now it's too difficult to figure out where the NHL can be seen, if it's on at all. It's a really sad story, because hockey was once my favorite sport.
Stanley Cup Playoffs
- Thread starter Don Wassall
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foreverfree
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Lance Alworth said:
People actually pay attention to minutae like that? I mostly pay attention to who won and lost rather than performing style.
John
Just heard on the radio that the last Stanley Cup final game, which was broadcast in prime time by NBC, was the lowest rated SHOW (not just sporting event) in the history of prime time television (got a 1.1 share). That is simply incomprehensible. To say that Gary Bettman is the worst marketer/representative for a major sport of all time is like saying Mike/Michael Vick is an overrated football player.
Realgeorge
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bigunreal said:
I recommend Chill, Big Unreal. One is foolish ever to trust such a rigged measurement as "Nielsen Ratings" of Television show watching. Ratings are owned and operated by the New World Order types, and the most hated television event in (New World Order) history is the NHL Stanley Cup playoff. Of course it will be poorly rated. If it were Red Wings against New York Rangers with star-studded lineups and outstanding hockey, it still would receive "World's worst" ratings according to the Zionist press.
I was watching. Why wasn't I counted in the count? Because Nielsen and other counting companies place their counting machines in hand-picked "residences" in Metro New York and other urban non-Aryyan zones.
Lance Alworth
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foreverfree said:
Anaheim Ducks = New Jersey Devils west = boring hockey
Ground Fighter
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Lance Alworth said:
Still hating on my Devils I see.
Scott Stevens = best defensman to ever lace 'em up.Edited by: Ground Fighter
bigunreal said:
yeah, I heard the same thing, and actually it depresses me. Just more fuel for the fire for the ESPN NYC elitst types. Sucks. We're simply being laughed at EVERYWHERE our kind goes.
I love hockey. and for this sport to be laughed at as such, is simply depressing. They never laugh at the NBA though. Wonder why?
However, I've got to say the league brought it on itself. they had some serious momentum after 94 and blew it big time. Then they went on a growth at all cost strategy, a strategy that bankrupts many companies, i.e. Boston Market, and they further diluted the franchise to the point of extinction.
However, the silver lining is this. The league is better now than in the heydey of the Devils, sorry Groundfighter. This is the third consecutive year of small market American teams playing a small market Canadian team. When the big market teams come back to the forefront, with the action the way it is, the ratings will be back in big numbers. I just hope there'll be a station left to televise when, if, that happens.
foreverfree
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cslewis, IIRC Anaheim is considered the backwater of the L.A. market (just as the Islanders are in the backwater of the NYC market, and the Devs [less so]), so the Ducks would qualify as a "small market American team". The Kings certainly wouldn't.
John
John
Realgeorge
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Hooray for the Ducks of Anaheim! The NHL's honor has been saved, their Pimp didn't win the cup. But a big, strong, and fast Anaheim team did. Even Gary Butthead's disgusting visage at the presentation of the Cup couldn't dampen the festive night.
Every year the "worst ratings ever" song get sung, and every year ABC or NBC bids on the Stanley Cup Finals and puts it on prime time. Hockey's delirious fan booster base is completely intact, and the sport's popularity will grow and grow.
Big market teams in next year's Final? Wouldn't hurt
Every year the "worst ratings ever" song get sung, and every year ABC or NBC bids on the Stanley Cup Finals and puts it on prime time. Hockey's delirious fan booster base is completely intact, and the sport's popularity will grow and grow.
Big market teams in next year's Final? Wouldn't hurt
screamingeagle
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Where was the publicity? At least a dozen people told me that they did not know the finals were on until I told them. The ones that did watch the games enjoyed the games.
I liked this years final. Like all finals the level of play was above average. This was an average final, not the greatest, but not the poorest.
I liked this years final. Like all finals the level of play was above average. This was an average final, not the greatest, but not the poorest.
Realgeorge
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screamingeagle said:
Howdy ScreamingEagle! I understand your point, it's well taken. Mainstream media is doing all it can to under- or non-promote the NHL.
I still hold out hope that some major cable network other than ESPN (and not the disastrously poor "Versus") will bid on the NHL.
But here's the real problem with the NHL:
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</center>foreverfree said:cslewis, IIRC Anaheim is considered the backwater of the L.A. market (just as the Islanders are in the backwater of the NYC market, and the Devs [less so]), so the Ducks would qualify as a "small market American team". The Kings certainly wouldn't.
John
That's what I'm saying. Anaheim and NJ, Tampa Bay, Carolina, have all represented the NHL in the Stanley Cup over the past four years. Anaheim twice for that matter. Edmonton, Calgary, and Ottawa as well. Not one major market team in that group. Like you said, the Ducks and Devils don't qualify as NY or LA. They are small market.
So, for the NHL to have "survived" their champiionship being played in these small market teams for four consecutive years is a big of a feat to begin with. If nothing else, they've brought new hockey fans in Florida and Carolina who'd have never paid much attention.
However, we need some big market teams to step up and go far into the playoffs. As much as I like Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh isn't enough, unless they're playing Detroit, Chicago or LA.
Next year, there needs to be a big market American team in the mix. It's critical.
Wasn't long ago, when the Flyers met the Rangers in the East Conference Championship and Detroit was the West Conference winner(can't remember who they played though). I wonder what the numbers were for the Flyers/Rangers and then the Detroit sweep of the flyers. I imagine pretty good.
