NBA banking on NHL

[Ankf00]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/allstar2004/news/story?id=1735345

national brat assoc. banking on NHL shutdown next season, bastids

[cart7]

I just don't see a connection between a fan of hockey suddenly tuning in to watch the NBA because the NHL boys are out of action. Maybe a small increase of generic sports fans but basketball just doesn't seem to be a natural fit for hockey fans.

IMO.

[CART T. Katz]

if the nba thinks that fans of the nhl who are the hardest and toughest athletes on the planet are going to watch a bunch of overhyped, whiny, grown up spoiled brats, then they have gotten this fan completely mistaken. the last nba game i saw was game 6 of the 1998 nba finals and from what i have seen, i don't plan on breaking that streak anytime soon.

[Chaos]

yup, and according to the ratings, no one watches hockey anyway :)

seriously, they mentioned that a Carolina/Phoenix game a month ago got a 0 rating...

[eiregosod]

more idiotic positioning by sports governing bodies!

all sports & sports media will have to tighten their belts on spending!

I bet this is due to the TV contracts signed when advertising revenue was good for the networks, but the 'projected' revenues have fallen way short, the players dont want to take a pay cut!

The laws of economics will sort it all out, once & for all!

[CART T. Katz]

seriously, they mentioned that a Carolina/Phoenix game a month ago got a 0 rating...

you find that surprising? look at the teams!
carolina...
phoenix...
*YAWN*

the nhl needs more games like colorado/detroit (hull = aebisher's B**** :D ) to bring interest in the game up.

[Dr. Corkski]

Of course no one was going to watch a Phoenix-Carolina game that pitted international superstars Jamie Storr and Brad Ference against each other. The problem is not so much that there aren't enough Colorado/Detroit games on TV, is that they show them way too often and not enough of other non-major market teams. It gets annoying after a while when the announcers get a hard on every time Flopsberg touches the puck. For example this weekend they showed LA/NJ and SJ/Philly (both of which were pretty good) and they need to do more of that. You don't need to have 2 major market teams to have a good game on TV.

There are simply too many teams in the league and that dilutes the talent pool. There are only 20 viable franchises right now, so they should contract at least following 10 teams:
Pittsburgh - Just so their "owner" wouldn't have to sell his kids to Nike sweatshops in Indonesia to get the money to keep franchise icons Rico Fata and Brian Holzinger.
Buffalo - No market.
Entire Southeast Division (Tampa, Florida, Atlanta, Carolina, Washington) - Nobody cares about hockey there, even when a team is good.
Nashville - The novelty wore off a long time ago.
Chicago - So people in Chicago will actually get to watch hockey again.
Anaheim - Just for naming the team after a Disney movie.

I wouldn't mind seeing these two teams go either:
St. Louis - Because that team is owned by the Wal-Mart terrorist group.
Dallas - 2 words: Tom Hicks.

[TrueBrit]

Why does Nashville have a professional hockey team but Chicago doesn't??

[Ankf00]

what? The Thibault era in goal didn't make you a life fan? ;)

[IlliniRacer]

Why does Nashville have a professional hockey team but Chicago doesn't??

Great question.

I would if it has something to do with players in the announcers booth, announcers in the Asst GM office, and a GM who admittedly hasn't seen a game outside of Chicago in 4 years. That sounds like the benchmark of success to me.

I was watching a game with my son the other night. The Hawks were up by two goals after the second period when I sent him off to bed. After tucking him in, he tells me "Man, the Hawks are really good." The Hawks, of course, lost the game in overtime. I didn't have the heart to tell him they lost or exactly how bad they are. He's only 7. He'll learn in due time.

[Dr. Corkski]

what? The Thibault era in goal didn't make you a life fan? ;)I think TrueBrit is suffering from the Steve Passmore Withdrawl Syndrome.

[CART T. Katz]

hey, we'll take one of those hockey teams. after all, louisville is a hockey town.


















they just don't realize it yet.

[IlliniRacer]

what? The Thibault era in goal didn't make you a life fan? ;)

I once gave up criticising Murray Bannerman for Lent. It was the most grueling 40 days of my life

[Cart4Live2003]

If they think hockey fans will really watch the nba cause their is no hockey on that's total bs.. and they are just dreaming..

and to Dr. Corkski.. your comment about getting rid of St. Louis is rediculous.. they are one of the few teams that deserves to not even be mentioned as being contracted.. what other team right now in ANY major professional sport league in the USA can say they've made the playoffs for 24 straight years.. that's the longest streak.. And just because they are owned by a Wal-Mart family member? well guess what if that is your reason then why not say Colorado too? That is a wal-mart family member too.

ok back on topic.. the nba counting on nhl fan support if the season is on a lockout or not is like saying the Blackhawks or blues counting on each others fans support if one of the teams went under.. not gonna happen..

[Dr. Corkski]

They don't need to contract the Av's - just move them back to Quebec. :D