....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

Some of what you say is true, especially when it comes to the U.S. But hockey's a lot more accessible, especially in Canada, than you make it out to be. You make it out to be exclusionary, like tennis or golf. But it's not that way at all.

I was more responding in kind to what I thought was a needlessly ignorant comment about something my country places a great deal of value on. I give you credit for being more reasoned in your comments.

I am not talking about what it is in Canada. I have not idea what it is like in Canada. I just know that some inner-city kid that is poor is not playing hockey in this country. Maybe there is some that have that opportunity, but it is just not happening. Golf is at least a regular sport for many HS and there are golf courses all over the place. I grew up in rural Illinois and there were no hockey rinks that I can identify when I was a kid or even today. The only schools in this area that even have HS teams are very affluent communities where the income is rather high.

That is fine Canuck, but you cannot make the rest of us like a sport because you value it. It is just like Juulie trying to convince the rest of us that Women's basketball is a great game. No matter how much either of you feel about those respective games, it is not going to change the minds of those that could give a damn. Just because someone has the love for something, does not mean everyone else has to share that love.

Peace

I find myself in the awkward (and scary) position of sgreeing with Jrutledge...Hockey will never reach the appeal level it has in Canada for the exact reasons he mentioned. So why even debate it.....The TV ratings prove it. (now if we could just get rid of soccer)

Never implied that just because we love hockey means all Americans have to as well. I am not so naive as to think that it will ever fly in the U.S. like it does here - except in the northern states (and maybe Tampa after last year, but don't count on it).

But the comment I was responding to was ignorant and belittled my country's national pasttime. Nobody up here really gives a s*** about baseball, but I would never come on here and say "what's baseball and who cares?"

Dude, there are people here that could give a damn about baseball. You and others need to realize that if someone says something bad about a particular sport, it is not the end of the world. I love football and college football and basketball. If you or others hate those sports, your opinion does not do anything to me. Just like there are people that could give a damn about golf or tennis. Get over it. You are not going to make everyone like or respect the game of hockey here or any place. At least when MLB was on strike this country was ticked off. When the NHL went on their lockout, most of the country did not even realize it was happening. That is just the facts. It is not ignorant to not like a sport.

Peace

Dude....

point taken. :cool:

When someone "dogs" hockey, it's partially tongue-in-cheek. Nobody is purposely pissing in your cereal, if they don't like it, they might make a generalizing comment, just like if you don't like a certain type of music, you might make it known that you think it's stupid. You're not saying you think they're stupid. You gotta understand, hockey is an acquired taste and some people are not going to give it enough time to see if they like it. For me, if you give me a free ticket, I'll probably go. Ask me to buy a ticket, no way! I've got other things to do.

Why are we picking on hockey when the sport that is truely threatening the American way of life is Soccer?! It's taking over. I'm not a big fan of either, but give me a hockey game over soccer any day of the week.

Have you heard Jim Rome's take on his Son playing soccer?

Jim Rome
 

I heard Jim the other day say his kids have a better chance growing up to be figure skaters than soccer players. I cracked up .

Soccer aint taking over, celebrity poker is taking over!

I didn't get to hear Rome going off about his son and soccer (I wouldn't get much teaching done if I had it on in my room), but a friend told me about it. I can imagine it was pretty good.

I doubt it. There's very little that's "pretty good" on Rome's show. It's awful, the callers are pathetic, and Jim takes 25 minutes to make one point 500 times. He beats it into the friggin ground. The only thing that's ever worth listening to on his show is the occasional "big" interview. But the good interviews are the smallest portion of the show. I can't be bothered.

That's a matter of opinion. I really don't listen because I'll hear his "different" point of view on sports, I like him because of his abrasiveness and for the comedy factor from callers. He's one of the biggest, so he must be at least alright.

Chuck, I don't disagree with you at all, but I find alot of what he says pretty funny. I listen for pure entertainment value.

Not me. If I wanted to listen to a funny idiot, I would pay more attention to my boss.:D