....or something like that

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?cnn=yes

See what happens when hockey's not around to take up the slack? Maybe the NBA needs to start testing fans for steroids - or would that be considered double-jeopardy for these guys?

Hockey?

Hey, isn't the hockey season supposed to have started by now?

I don't know - I never get up to Minnesota. Or Vermont, for that matter.

:D

I hear Chuck's going on a cruise to Minnesota. Maybe he can check it out for us.

Since the thread is pretty much off-topic anyway, and since you mentioned hockey, I heard that this year is the first time in NCAA history that all four teams in the semi-finals a championship tournament come from the same conference. The NCAA D1 hockey Final Four teams are all from the Hockey West Conference, I believe. Pretty unbelievable.

So, is the Hockey West Conference like the ACC - all the northern media elites pay so much attention to that conference that they ignore the rest of the country?

What's hockey?

And who cares?

Oh my, you Americans. If it's not popular with you, it must not be important. :rolleyes:

Believe it or not, millions and millions of us do care about hockey.

Not so much the NHL, of course. Many of us couldn't care less if it ever returns (at least that's what we say now).

But we have major junior playoffs going on right now (that's where most of the best players come from), and they're drawing huge crowds - some comparable to the ones seen at the NCAA regional finals last weekend.

I'm always surprised that basketball fans also aren't always drawn to hockey - they're quite similar: fast action, exciting plays, hard physical contact.

Tony, have you even been to a hockey game?

Hey, hockey is very important!

Every year around Thanksgiving I'll be reading the sportspages and say to myself "hmmmm....looks like hockey's started up again."

And then every year around Memorial Day I'll be reading the sportspages and say to myself "damn, is hockey STILL going on?".

Hockey keeps me in tune with the seasons!

canuckrefguy: It's not that we Americans are really as self-important as all you other guys to our north think we are. It's just that all you other guys to our north are so lacking in self-esteem.

One of our local D1 HJs from Canada was arrested today.

I'll tell you one thing. College hockey draws more fans than women's basketball does...

You've seen the attendance stats for women's hoops regional finals in another forum. Here are the hockey stats:

Michigan vs. Colorado College attendance: 6,571
North Dakota vs. Boston College attendance: 8,695
New Hampshire vs. Denver attendance: 3,441
Cornell vs. Minnesota attendance: 9,054

That's excellent for a Women's hockey tourney !
mick

I'll quit preaching about English if you'll quit preaching about the "low attendance" at women's basketball games. Thank you.

Then why not move all the NHL teams to Canada? What other countries think is not our concern. If you like the sport, support the sport. It is not our problem that no one cares about hockey in this country.

Anyone can play basketball. You have to have money, time and resources to play hockey. That is the reason many Americans could give a damn about hockey. A kid of any background and resources can find a hoop and a ball and shoot baskets. You have to have a rink, skates, a stick and ice to play some form of hockey. We also have a great deal of our country that does not get any snow most of the year.

Peace