Since I'm continually being ribbed on this blog because I care about the NHL, I guess I should stand up and rightfully defend it. Josh and I had a long, productive discussion about the state of the NHL in America the other night. As alluded in the previous post, the number of people in the US who care about the NHL is probably a four digit number. I have trouble comprehending this, because I think that the product that the NHL is selling is fantastic. It's like the perfect marriage of basketball and football. It has the quick pace of a basketball game, with constant movement, but it has the physicality and infrequent scoring of the NFL, without a commercial break every 45 seconds. I know most people can't handle watching it on TV much, but anyone who has been to a live game in the last two years will tell you that it's a great game to watch, especially with all the recent rules changes that make it a much faster paced, more offensive minded game.
So why don't more people care about the NHL? Several reasons I suppose. As Josh pointed out the other night, it's a pretty poorly run business at this point. Bettman takes a lot of undeserved flack, because despite what a lot of people think, the lockout needed to happen. Salaries had ballooned and attendance had fallen to a point where the league and the teams were bleeding money. The lockout was necessary because the salary cap was necessary. But now there's a new dawn on the league, with a salary cap that keeps things in check, keeps the talent pool somewhat even (to prevent Detroit from stacking players every year), so what's the deal?
The league has a shitty TV deal for one. Most people don't even know what the Versus network is, much less can they find it on their televisions. There are a few later season games and some playoff games on NBC, but nothing like what the other leagues have, and no coverage on other networks like ESPN either (with the exception of some regional coverage). They've got to get a viable TV deal that will get them more exposure.
The other thing they need is some better marketing. They've got a product that I think is much superior to the NBA, yet the NBA is certainly outdrawing the NHL in most markets. The league needs a face. The NBA has a plethora of superstars to choose from, such as LeBron, Kobe, KG, and countless others that are the face of the league. The NHL could have this, because they have unbelievable young talent in guys like Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, and other marketable stars like Martin Brodeur, Chris Pronger, Ryan Miller, and the Staal brothers. The problem is that likely none of you reading this really know who any of those guys are. The league has to figure out a way to really spotlight some of these guys and showcase them. On a network that's not Versus.
Finally, the league needs less teams. Honestly, does there really need to be a team in Phoenix? Or South Florida? Those are probably two of the hottest places on the planet, the last thing they need is an ice hockey team. There are probably four or five markets that need to lose a team right now, such as Phoenix, Miami, Columbus, Nashville, and possibly even LA or Atlanta. These are markets that just don't seem to care enough about their teams to warrant keeping them around. (I know most people would probably group Carolina into that group as well, but Raleigh is crazy about that team and they routinely draw 15,000 plus to games.) These teams either need to be contracted, or moved into a market where they could really thrive. Not a new market like Kansas City, but somewhere like Hartford where the support is clearly there.
Honestly, one of the best things that could happen would be more new people watching games with people who know what's going on. The game is relatively simple to understand, most people just don't understand it and don't understand why they should care about it. It has a great history, and great action. Go to a game sometime, and check it out in person. I doubt you'll regret it.
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3 comments:
I just realized why i dont like hockey. Because i dont know enough about it...when i watch it it just seems like everything happens by accident. Like the players are just out there hoping the puck comes to them and they can try an score.
And that's another problem, most people in the US who aren't directly in an established hockey market, don't go to games, and don't follow a team don't seem to understand the game, despite the fact that it's a relatively simple game to understand. Honestly, if you understand icing and offsides, then you know 75% of it and can figure the rest of it out. But most people don't understand that and don't seem willing to learn it.
So now that hockey is over for the season is your baseball team going to get better.
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