Hockey's Popularity

[Bisonbkr]

Here's an interesting read that sheds some light on how folks outside of hockey country view the sport.


COMMENTARY: The cold, truth -- Most don't care about hockey
By Mike Bianchi
The Orlando Sentinel
ORLANDO, Fla. -
Believe me, I understand you don't want to read about hockey because neither do I. Which is why I'm writing this column - as a public service to the zillions of non-hockey fans out there who want to know this: Why are there still hockey stories in my newspaper when 99.999 percent of readers couldn't tell you a hat trick from a hat rack.
Have you seen the national TV ratings for the NHL this season? If not, here are just a few shows getting more viewership than hockey: 1. XFL reruns; 2. PBS special on the mating habits of the Madagascan burrowing frog; 3. Gary Shandling Uncensored.
Actually, it's not that bad.
It's worse.
The NHL regular-season games on the Outdoor Life Network averaged an indiscernible 0.2 national rating (about 164,000 households). That's fewer viewers than one station in Orlando (WESH) drew for the Kentucky Derby.
In casual conversation with a few friends the other night, we talked about the NBA playoffs. We talked about Shaq and the Heat. We talked about Kobe and the Lakers. We argued whether the Pistons could beat the Spurs. Then, out of the blue, one of my buddies asked, "Are you guys watching any of the NHL playoffs?"
We looked at him as if he were a three-headed Martian who'd just asked, "Hey, do you guys wanna take a ride in my new spaceship?"
The NHL playoff ratings are an embarrassment. The New Jersey-Carolina game on NBC Saturday drew a 1.1 rating, less than the 1.2 number drawn by taped coverage of the NCAA women's gymnastics championships.
On Sunday, the playoff game between Colorado and Anaheim drew a 0.9 rating and attracted less than a million viewers across the country. NBC drew an identical 0.9 rating for its last regular-season Arena League telecast between the Colorado Crush and the Kansas City Brigade. Translation: Regular-season Arena games are just as popular as NHL playoff games.
Why is it then that the NHL still gets treated as a "major" sport by many media outlets and Arena Football, the WNBA and Major League Soccer are treated as "fringe" sports. Why is it that ESPN still runs hockey highlights on SportsCenter and most newspapers still run hockey roundups and box scores?
Is it because most of the network executives and sports editors in this country are from an era when hockey still mattered? Let's face it, hockey has become one of those newspaper traditions that has outlived its relevance - sort of like Dear Abby and the pica pole.
"There seems to be a mentality by some media people that if the original Sporting News didn't cover it then it's not a real sport," says Dan Pearson, a spokesperson for the Orlando Predators of the Arena League.
I realize this column is likely going to anger the hockey fans out there - all 12 of you. This is not meant as a knock on hockey as a sport, it's just an observation about the sport's relevance in today's crowded media marketplace.
Many hockey teams actually have a strong following in their home markets, which is why the sport makes more sense when televised regionally by cable sports outlets, such as Sun Sports. But as a sport with viable national appeal, hockey is as passe as Jordache jeans.
Remember when it was football, baseball, basketball and hockey.
Now hockey is buried so far beneath the surface of mainstream sports, not even a Madagascan burrowing frog could find.

[lakesbison]

There would still be 19,500 at the Fargodome for about 6 series at the SNAP of a finger for NDSU HOCKEY!!!


at $20 a seat.. thats good money! for UND, Minnesota, Wisconsin, St Cloud, Duluth, Mankato...

[02Bison]

There would still be 19,500 at the Fargodome for about 6 series at the SNAP of a finger for NDSU HOCKEY!!!


at $20 a seat.. thats good money! for UND, Minnesota, Wisconsin, St Cloud, Duluth, Mankato...

You are forgetting the expenses side of the equation....

[broke_back_mnt]

I dont think hockey would draw that well.

[roadwarrior]

First of all, there would not be 19,500 seats in the Fargodome for the hockey setup. Maybe 10-11,000 tops. The rink would be at the north end of the floor. Second, there is not that many hockey fans in the Fargo area that wouldnt already be watching the established local D-I team up north.

[NDFAN2]

I think the writer of this article is right on the money from an entire United States perspective. Hockey is not widely followed. Also, part of the reason the NHL playoff TV ratings are so bad is that the games are shown on a network that isn't on many cable networks (Including mine!).

That being said, this is North Dakota/Minnesota/Canada, and in this region, hockey is a major sport. I don't know what the TV ratings are for the ND or MN high school hockey tournaments are, but they don't televise the volleyball or gymnastics state finals -for a reason >> Hint ($$).

So far, only 1 university in North Dakota has a D1 program, and it has a ton of history, tradition, and success. Could NDSU get into this sport? - Of Course! But they choose not to because they want to do it on the cheap! They want the city tax payers to build the arena first, and I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. I'd watch hockey in the Fargodome. I'd be a season ticket holder. But I'm not given the chance. So follow my NDSU money north.

[IowaBison]

I
So far, only 1 university in North Dakota has a D1 program,

???

[NDFAN2]

[quote author=NDFAN2 link=1147737799/0#5 date=1147790699]I
So far, only 1 university in North Dakota has a D1 program,

???[/quote]

My apology - So far, only 1 university in North Dakota has a D1 hockey program.... ( I thought it was a given based on the title of the thread).

[BisonMav]

In the Twin Cities, my hockey preference is:

1. Minnesota State High School Hockey Tourney
2. Minnesota Wild
3. Minnesota Gophers

[tcbison]

In the Twin Cities, my hockey preference is:

1. Minnesota State High School Hockey Tourney
2. Minnesota Wild
3. Minnesota Gophers

I prefer the Wild because I get to go to all the games. Only been to a few Gopher games at Mariucci, and a couple at the X. Never been to the Minnesota State High School Tourney.