Is Hockey One Of The Four Major Sports In North America?

[Center Ice]

There are only 4 major sports for any Canadian
NHL
AHL
OHL (or their junior circuit)
Your kids hockey league

All Hail!!!!!

 

[I_Shall_Return]

In my eyes, it's the ONLY fucking sport period!

 

[juliansteed]

I cannot fathom that soccer has more average fans in seats compared to NHL ??? Are the tickets $5 a piece or something ?

In addition to the previously mentioned cheaper tickets and larger venues, they also play fewer than half the number of games each year. No way they could sustain that average if they had as many game as the NHL.

That's why I've always been impressed with MLB's attendance numbers. For average attendance they trail only the NFL who play 10% the amount of regular season games that MLB does. They'll sometime play 7 home games in 7 days against 2 different teams and still get decent crowds day after day. Of course weather comes into play (arguments can be made both ways about the weather though) and the tickets are much cheaper. But regardless of the cost of the ticket, the fact that you can get that many people to devote that much time to so many games is impressive in my opinion. That being said, some might argue that the schedule is a self-imposed handicap and that the NFL, as well as the other leagues, are smarter for having shorter seasons.

 

[pixburgher66]

I like this comment for a couple of reasons.

1. I barely consider basketball a sport. Like soccer it is an excellent aerobic activity for girls and nothing more. Face it fans, if the girls can play your "game" without any rules changes, well, how hard can it be?

2. You make an excellent point about the NHL and it's marketing campaign since the midget migrated from the NBA to become the commissioner. The NBA has suffered for a number of reasons in the last 20 years, but a very big one is the reliance on marketing individual players instead of teams and the sport itself. Gary Bettman should be shot for bringing this failed strategy to the NHL headquarters and if I can get immunity for that in writing I'll gladly pull the trigger.

As to the attendance numbers, they are mostly meaningless. MLB is America's pastime and has had a stranglehold on summertime sports viewing in our country for over a hundred years. The NFL is hot, hot, hot right now and dominates weekend viewing during the fall and (early) winter months. The short season (small number of games) combined with larger venues means a lot. The NHL doesn't have real attendance issues in the traditional hockey markets and it's hard to be impressed with soccer's #'s when you factor in the size of the stadiums they play in and the dirt cheap ticket prices relative to the real sports. Tickets for a NE Revolution game in Sept. are on sale right now on Stub Hub for a little over $20 a seat. If you show up to Gillette Stadium for a Pats game or the Garden for a Bruins game with $25 bucks and you ain't even parking your car let alone getting inside.

Congratulations, your post is invalid in my eyes, and I will no longer take anything you say seriously. Thanks for playing!

 

[IPostedWhat]

In my eyes, it's the ONLY fucking sport period!

 

[Debbie Does]

Is it ESPN that's behind the myth that MLS is insanely popular in the US? They tried to feed us that bullshit during the World Cup. I don't know anyone who was paying attention. If it hadn't been for one player biting another one, the whole thing might have passed unnoticed.

Somebody said it earlier. ESPN gave up its chance to be in the hockey game, and now they're trying to run it down. Fuck them.

I was at the rink tonight, even though it's July. I had to hunt for a place to park because there were a gazillion little kids on the rink, so many that they put a set of boards down the middle, put in another pair of nets and had them play 2 half-rink games. Their parents probably paid $40-50 for this session. Think the sport's not popular? Come to Bruins country.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Is it ESPN that's behind the myth that MLS is insanely popular in the US? They tried to feed us that bullshit during the World Cup. I don't know anyone who was paying attention. If it hadn't been for one player biting another one, the whole thing might have passed unnoticed.

Somebody said it earlier. ESPN gave up its chance to be in the hockey game, and now they're trying to run it down. Fuck them.

I was at the rink tonight, even though it's July. I had to hunt for a place to park because there were a gazillion little kids on the rink, so many that they put a set of boards down the middle, put in another pair of nets and had them play 2 half-rink games. Their parents probably paid $40-50 for this session. Think the sport's not popular? Come to Bruins country.

How old were they? USA Hockey mandates cross-ice play for 8 and under now

 

[Rex Racer]

Congratulations, your post is invalid in my eyes, and I will no longer take anything you say seriously. Thanks for playing!

Who gives a fuck what is valid in your eyes?

 

[Debbie Does]

How old were they? USA Hockey mandates cross-ice play for 8 and under now

Somewhere in that range, but I'd say 9-10.

The half-ice boards are a pretty elaborate setup. Full height, no glass, but with curved ends just like the real boards. It takes them about 10 minutes to pull them down for us, and I don't notice any problems at center ice after having them there. I give them a lot of credit for getting twice as many kids involved in the play at one time, and I think the short rink provides a lot more action around the goals.

 

[Comeds]

Who gives a fuck what is valid in your eyes?

I do.

 

[apachef4]

And where is it written in stone that there can only be four sports labeled "Major"? Why are we always so concerned with the "4"?

Because of the base 10 number sys... no, that doesn't work.

Maybe because in fairy tales and stories things always happen in thre... oh shoot, no again.

Hmmm... good question!

It's that damned Mt. Rushmore syndrome again.

 

[TheRobotDevil]

ESPN is bitter over losing the nhl contract and the contracts of the nhl posters. Debbie has a point they are more interested in pushing the sports they carry "soccer" etc. give it enough time and they will be plugging poker, scrabble or the spelling bee in as a top 4 sport. It's not about quality with them it's nothing but marketing. The real question they should be asking is if Espn is one of the top 4 sports networks anymore the quality if their programming has dropped quite a bit from competition shows to become a Espn commentator to to reality shows portraying playing a video fame about a sport to relying on a bunch of former players as analysts who rely on their past popularity and catch phrases to cover sports rather than journalism and reporting skills you should be using. I lost all respect for Espn as a source for sports

 

[dare2be]

And where is it written in stone that there can only be four sports labeled "Major"? Why are we always so concerned with the "4"?

Because of the base 10 number sys... no, that doesn't work.

Maybe because in fairy tales and stories things always happen in thre... oh shoot, no again.

Hmmm... good question!

It's that damned Mt. Rushmore syndrome again.

I blame Night Ranger

 

[Otis B. Driftwood]

ESPN is bitter over losing the nhl contract and the contracts of the nhl posters. Debbie has a point they are more interested in pushing the sports they carry "soccer" etc. give it enough time and they will be plugging poker, scrabble or the spelling bee in as a top 4 sport. It's not about quality with them it's nothing but marketing. The real question they should be asking is if Espn is one of the top 4 sports networks anymore the quality if their programming has dropped quite a bit from competition shows to become a Espn commentator to to reality shows portraying playing a video fame about a sport to relying on a bunch of former players as analysts who rely on their past popularity and catch phrases to cover sports rather than journalism and reporting skills you should be using. I lost all respect for Espn as a source for sports

Add to this the fact that each of the Big 4 (along with the Golf Channel) have successfully carved out their own niches in how their sports are presented to the fans of their sports and espen is marginalized just a little more. Certainly not to the level of irrelevance but the discerning sports fan has legitimate options to the neat, clean and snazzy presentations of the WWL.

 

[TheRobotDevil]

Add to this the fact that each of the Big 4 (along with the Golf Channel) have successfully carved out their own niches in how their sports are presented to the fans of their sports and espen is marginalized just a little more. Certainly not to the level of irrelevance but the discerning sports fan has legitimate options to the neat, clean and snazzy presentations of the WWL.

And the big four have done a very impressive job with it. I don't even watch the over rated hype machine anymore

 

[Rex Racer]

Add to this the fact that each of the Big 4 (along with the Golf Channel) have successfully carved out their own niches in how their sports are presented to the fans of their sports and espen is marginalized just a little more. Certainly not to the level of irrelevance but the discerning sports fan has legitimate options to the neat, clean and snazzy presentations of the WWL.

Exactly. I haven't watched SportsCenter in years and I rarely watch games that are broadcast by ESPN because they suck at it. Can't say I feel like I'm missing anything.

 

[Spiny Norman]

A few things if I may;
I don't know what constitutes "major" but it's just a label. As was noted, the fans like it and that's good enough here, though I wouldn't call it a "niche" sport
Here in the US, it absolutely seems to fall behind NASCAR and you know what...I'm good with that .
a few other things
1) As was noted, the more mainstream it gets, the more ridiculous it gets. One need only look at the big boys (NFL and MLB) to find the definition of over saturation
2) The way the NHL gets covered (at least here in the US) on local news programmes is a joke, all some people associate it with is fighting. And ESPN ruins EVERYTHING it touches...I for one was thrilled when they stopped broadcasting it
3) The game is far to nuanced for a lot of American audiences.(the fact that hockey is out drawn by guys driving in a circle for 2 hours says something) I always tell people to see a game live before they criticise it. To watch a live game, especially about mid-level of the arena, is to see things you never see on tv, (except on a replay maybe). Look, the only two games i ever hear words like "creative" in them are futbol and hockey...two game that have yet to catch the hearts and minds here. And I don't mean that as an insult, but the fact remains that aside from not liking anything we didn't invent...sports that score a lot...(hence the constant search for more offence) do better here.
Anyway, that's some of what I think

 

[Spiny Norman]

I believe what you've written, but the scuttlebutt for years on the BJ's was eerily similar in tone to what was going on down in Atlanta. I always advocated Lumbus could work, FWIW. Very rare that the NHL gets to be the only pro sports franchise in an American city.

you said BJs...heh heh

 

[TheRobotDevil]

It was one of the more, shall we say "messy" power struggles at ESPN.

Along with whether or not Sid is better than Ovechkin and whether or not all you had to do was get a really fat goalie.

The goalie question has been answered he has 3 cups and almost every record there is lol

 

[Comeds]

ESPN would be a lot less impressive in size if they didn't have the NFL games. Other than those its not pulling in that large of numbers for anything.
I kind of agree that it helps to see an NHL game in person before one develops a real appreciation for it. In some cases its not necessary though, some people just like it right away. Also people say the same thing about NASCAR and other auto races, I'm not going to test that theory and actually go to an event.
As long as the league is healthy and continuing I could care less where it ranks in the American or North American conscience.