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Poll : Most Canadians don't care if NHL comes back
58% don't care? Does that mean 42% care? Because 42% is a huge number any way you look at it. Consider: a large % of women, over 50% of the population, don't follow professional sports closely if at all. 42% is indeed impressive when you consider a large % of the population have a marginal interest in sports.
I hear a lot of guys talk big, but once that coffee break or water cooler conversation starts talking about the local NHL hockey club, people will pick back up.
Listen, I too am upset about the greed, but I didn't start watching hockey as a kid because I felt the collective bargaining and the economics of the game were interesting and important to my moral perspective, I watched it because it's flat-out a fun game to play and watch.
Sure hockey's hockey. But how many news papers report the junior team or AHL franchise? How many highlights have KHL videos? The coffee break is spent talking about the NHL because that's what's shoved down our throats.
How can I follow a team that has no coverage? I follow the team that CAN be followed. It's easy. Everything from a click on the computer, to turning on the T.V, to picking up a local paper in Timmy's enables me to follow the local NHL club.
Can you understand not everyone lives in smalltown alberta? In big cities there are other things to do. Canada is not a monolith. Some people are watching the CFL others like myself follow the US big 3. Canada demographics are changing. Canada will come back, but not like last time.
Can you understand not everyone lives in smalltown alberta? In big cities there are other things to do. Canada is not a monolith. Some people are watching the CFL others like myself follow the US big 3. Canada demographics are changing. Canada will come back, but not like last time.
Even still. Local T.V channels, radio, internet and newspapers both big and small report NHL hockey heavily. There's no CBC's football night in Canada. If you listen to "Fan" brand radio, it reports NHL stuff more than anything else.
Look at TSN. There's no hockey, but STILL we see a new article on their homepage about NHL news. Each day of the lock-out has a new freeking page.
Big cities and small, it's hockey in Canada. I can be in Vancouver getting more new reports on Schneider comments on the lock-out than any news on the Sunday NFL games. I can be in Calgary getting picking up a newspaper with the first sports page reporting on Flames prospect development before I can read a tiny snippet article on the Jay's pitching issues.
I'm just being honest about the Canadian culture regarding the NHL.
I certainly don't care and I will also not care about any silly marketing ploy the NHL plans to use to try to get my attention again. Not a dime of my money is going to the NHL from here on out.
Even still. Local T.V channels, radio, internet and newspapers both big and small report NHL hockey heavily. There's no CBC's football night in Canada. If you listen to "Fan" brand radio, it reports NHL stuff more than anything else.
Look at TSN. There's no hockey, but STILL we see a new article on their homepage about NHL news. Each day of the lock-out has a new freeking page.
Big cities and small, it's hockey in Canada. I can be in Vancouver getting more new reports on Schneider comments on the lock-out than any news on the Sunday NFL games. I can be in Calgary getting picking up a newspaper with the first sports page reporting on Flames prospect development before I can read a tiny snippet article on the Jay's pitching issues.
I'm just being honest about the Canadian culture regarding the NHL.
Thing is that's because that's out west. They don't lead off the 6pm report with hockey not even in Montreal. Only CBC and TSN are drowning on about this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yobbles
B.S.
The ACC will be sold out for every game once the Leafs come back, it will be like the lockout never happened.
The ACC will be sold out for every game once the Leafs come back, it will be like the lockout never happened.
ACC sellouts don't mean Canadians aren't going off the NHL and hockey. Season tickets have been largely corporate-bought, and there is some sentimental momentum around hockey. But ask the Bay Street exec of tomorrow if he wants his perks package to include a table at Barberian's or a seat at the ACC and we'll see.
Probably true. But most Canadians aren't even hockey fans so who gives a flying **** what they think. Poll paying Canadian hockey fans and then get back to us. Even then, I won't believe what they say. We're probably the most bi-polar fans in the history of sport. All will be forgiven once they're playing again. Can't speak for the American fan tho.
ACC sellouts don't mean Canadians aren't going off the NHL and hockey. Season tickets have been largely corporate-bought, and there is some sentimental momentum around hockey. But ask the Bay Street exec of tomorrow if he wants his perks package to include a table at Barberian's or a seat at the ACC and we'll see.
He would.
That's what that guy means by sell out though. The real indicator will be the upper deck.
The NHL is a corporation that offers one option for hockey enthusiasts to be entertained with product of hockey.
Canada has a very healthy minor league system. In southern ontario alone there's a dozen minor league teams and they all receive fair attendance.
The NHL isn't making many of us cry right now....
In Ontario it's basically Leafs fans and there aren't as many as there were because the Leafs have sucked for a long time now. I personally cheer for Detroit, so the NHL really applies to me maybe 1-2 times a year when I make the drive down to Windsor.
Sure I enjoy watching my Kitchener Rangers on TV and have enjoyed watching the KHL (when I've actually been up in time to catch Malkin play for Magnitogorsk) online...but it's just not the same.
Not that I contributed much financially towards it in the first place but I'll probably end up watching the NHL again when they return playing if only because I find the other big three sports boring as hell to watch.
It's all bluster. When the league returns Canadians will come crawling back like lemmings.
It's hard to believe that anyone would be foolish enough to disagree with this. The other thing that people seem to forget is that NHL teams make most of their money selling seats to corporations, who get tax breaks for the cost. They aren't going anywhere.
