Originally Posted By Jafar30 But I remember the NHL being huge in the 80's and most of the 90's. There was even an interest during the 2002 Olympics, but something happened to that sport, that Americans felt a disconnect. Is it there are too many players from Russia and that whole area?
Originally Posted By Beaumandy I think hockey lost some fans when the games stopped being fun to watch and expansion teams from Carolina and Columbus joined the league. the games stopped being fun to watch when traps were set up and scoring stopped.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Too many teams with watered down talent level, and yes I believe too many foreign players. It was a novelty to have a Russian player on a team , especially after 1980, etc., but with the larger influx - many of which do not live here - less connection in my opinion. Hockey has enough talent for maybe 12 real good teams -- after that the gap between the AHL and NHL for many players is not that large
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Also as Beau said, it is not condusive to TV - especially for a novice hockey fan. Even a game offers little break for food/ talking / etc..
Originally Posted By Beaumandy Another problem with hockey today is not enough fighting and big hits. Give me the NHL of the 70's any day!!
Originally Posted By Jafar30 I was getting worried about you hockey guys because I was talking to a guy at work and he said the game was fine. I of course said he was insane. But you guys recognize the sport has its problems, as does every sport, White Sox/Angels debacle, the Vikings cruise(which I'm loving)
Originally Posted By vbdad55 < White Sox/Angels debacle< you should live here after that-- oh how accepting the stupid Sox fans are of this screw up .......yet if it had happened to them...they'd still be bleeping Ozzie Guillen's comments out of the press...... Go Angels !!!!!! The Vikings -- what a train wreck that franchise has been for the past 10 years -- the Bears play them this week -- I'm figuring if we place naked girls on the sidelines - we can distract them enough for Orton to have a good day --
Originally Posted By Beaumandy That Vikings supper cruise would have REALLY been fun if Randy Moss was still around.
Originally Posted By Jafar30 ^^^ I'm able to get the Score in Milwaukee so I've heard plenty about the Sox game. As for the Vikings some mentioned to me a few weeks ago that at least the Vikings were losing, but I couldn't get excited because the Packers were playing poorly. But now I can at least take some solace in this.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <^^^ I'm able to get the Score in Milwaukee so I've heard plenty about the Sox game. < yep Sox fans calling in and saying how it's allpart of the game --blah blah blah -- sure it is, when it goes your way
Originally Posted By Jafar30 <<yep Sox fans calling in and saying how it's allpart of the game --blah blah blah -- sure it is, when it goes your way>> That's why I love listening to that station it's either we're the greatest team ever(03 Cubs, 05 White Sox, 01 Bears) or the owners of these teams don't care about winning(pick any other year) I will say I like the hosts.
Originally Posted By Pirate Pete IMHO the trap is what had wrecked hockey.Fighting is not. It`s an adrenaline pumping , aggressive ,even emotional game and fighting is part of that.Now of course their are bad times to fight etc. and you have to be a smart player as far as that goes. I personally don`t see how hockey is not considered fun to watch for American`s. It is a fast paced game with something going on all the time. I love NFL and the College ball and really enjoy watching that, but they are slow paced games. Baseball is damn painfull to watch. WAY too slow of a game for me. Fast paced action! Keeps you on the edge of your seat! Hockey!!!! ...lol
Originally Posted By Beaumandy There is nothing more exciting than being at a hard hitting, up and down the ice hockey game. But this never transfers to TV.
Originally Posted By Pirate Pete Well,.....it does for me. I love it live and of course is better. But I really enjoy sittin back and watchin a game. I get one or 2 games a week in depending on how busy I am, but I never miss the playoff`s! We just got a ECHL team last year here. Lowsy name in my eye`s {salmon kings} but is is good hockey and they have addapted new rules. Typical, there season home opener and first run at home is while i`m in Disneyland!!
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Well,.....it does for me.< see it does for me too, but I played for years and in college. I can recognize a play setting up and anticipate where te movement is going. After talking to those who are much less familiar with the game, to them it is like watching the old PONG game on speed, and they lose interest. they also forget these guys are on skates and much of what they do is so darn athletic. Also low scoring games really bore them, yet attrcoities like All Star games with no defense bore me. I think it is as much a familiarity problem, with not enough people understanding the game as anything else on TV.
Originally Posted By Spree Too many teams thin out the talent. Imagine how great Hockey would be if you packed all the talented players from the league into about 8 to 12 teams.........that would vault Hockey into the top 4 again I believe.
Originally Posted By Beaumandy I say hockey isn't good on TV because so much goes on away from the play. I like hockey on TV myself because I understand the game. But Joe 6pak from Oklahoma isn't going to have a clue when a good forechecking line is on the ice. Guess what? I'm going to Chicago in a few minutes, then on to Boston. Man, I wish I was going to Vegas instead!!
Originally Posted By Pirate Pete Good point vbdad, Understanding the game and seeing play`s getting set up is a big point when watchin on TV. If you don`t understand the game you would have to put that STUPID blue dot on the puck again. I don`t need to see the puck particularly to know who has it and where they are going with it!
Originally Posted By Lake Nona Lindros sucks. From post 29 On your comment on Lindros, my wife and I went to a preseason game at the Bell Centre in Montreal in Sep, and got the boo's even during the shootout. Should be a good game between Toronto and Montreal on HNIC, and yes Lindros will get the boo's again.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <But Joe 6pak from Oklahoma isn't going to have a clue when a good forechecking line is on the ice. < My daughter is dating this guy ( from Oklahoma City ) in college - arrggg !! LOL <Guess what? I'm going to Chicago in a few minutes, then on to Boston. < when flying into Chicago -- if you come in over the western burbs wave out the window -- and pleaase not more blue dot -- for those of us who understand the game we hate it, and for those who do not udnerstand the game, it doesn't help them at all.....
