Nothing.
If you can truly answer this, then it doesn't mean that much to you. For me, the NHL is everything. It was my first love. It hit me before I knew much about girls, and it will always hold that place for me. I was 13 years old when I saw the intro to an NHL playoff game on ESPN in 1985. From the first second of that, I was hooked. I became a Rangers fan because that was who was available on TV in my area, and that was the year they upset the Caps and the Flyers behind John VanBiesbrouck. I became a fan then and will be a Ranger fan until they throw the last shovel full of dirt on me and call it a day. Myself and my Brother share the love of the game. There is really nothing that can make it fade. No matter where life takes us, or how busy we get, either one of us can still pick up the phone and know we have something to talk about because we know that regardless of how hectic life is, we're still following the Rangers, still think we have the way to fix the powerplay, still know what trade would help us out or who needs more icetime. It's no longer even about hockey. This is a connection that keeps me in touch with my family. I would never give that up. It is the single oldest, defining constant in my life. I have changed friends, changed girlfriends, changed jobs, changed appearance, changed addresses. THe only thing in my life that has been constant throughout is being a New York Rangers Fan. Now My brother has a ten month old son, and I have two eight month old twin boys. We have every intention of bringing them into the fold and showing them the way things go around here. It's Rangers hockey. If they make the goal bigger, rig the draft so Pittsburgh gets a superstar (AGAIN!) eliminate the blueline, let women play, or eliminate fighting, I'm still in. I'll be the grumpy old guy cranking about the old days, but I'm still in, because you dance with who brought you. Hockey provided me with almost all my role models growing up, and the things those people taught me, albeit from afar, made me who I am. I am alot of things, but when they're putting me down for good, one of the things they will have to say is I was a Rangers fan. I would never think of being anything else.
Hockey exists outside of the NHL. I can't think of anything that would make me 'quit', but if it was something that bad I imagine there would be an existing/new league ready for my allegiance.
I will never quit hockey, but the NHL is not infallible.
If they made it so that the puck was replaced with a live catfish, the nets were shrunk to 1/10th the size, forwards weren't allowed to shoot, players hotboxxed in the penalty box, the ice was replaced with gargantuan amounts of jell-o, a wild minotaur was released into the rink, and gestapo snipers were positioned at the suites and were given 3 bullets to shoot.
Maybe then I would consider stop watching hockey.
I was with you on quitting until you said they had a minotaur and a wild one at that. Now that I'd have to see. Watch the ratings soar
If they discovered a link between fighting and serious brain damage then I wouldn't have a problem with them banning it tbh. We don't need hockey players Chris Benoit-ing themselves. These guys have families too. And to answer the question directly, I don't see myself ever not enjoying the NHL.
nobody gets out of life alive.
I would quit the NHL if I went blind and could no longer watch the games.
Oh Dear Lord, if the Red Wings uniforms looks anything like this:
I will officially stop watching NHL on tv in the regular season. Don't need that crap in my brain.
You already get all that crap put in your brain with sponsored powerplays and all that stuff, but living in North America you're so used to it so you don't notice. After one season of jersey ads you wouldn't notice it anymore, sure we'd rather not have ads on jerseys but I don't get why people go to the extreme of saying they would stop watching. It doesn't change the game in any way.
Europe is much much less commercialized than North America, if Europeans can cope with it, I'm sure you could.
Honestly, I already have during the regular season, due to corrupt refereeing.
It's become theatre, not honest sport. I understand where it comes from- a relatively large percentage of the league's revenues are game-day, and people are more likely to spend more money on tickets, etc if they think the home team is going to win.
I get it, and I know the players go along with it for precisely that reason. But for me it ruins the regular season games.
You already get all that crap put in your brain with sponsored powerplays and all that stuff
this x1000
"This powerplay is brought to you by Budweiser!"
Oh, so the ref's drunk. Now it makes sense.
....on that note, to stay on topic, if the refereeing gets any worse my interest in the NHL is definitely going to wane somewhat. Seriously it's so bad on some nights that it seems like the only logical conclusion is that the games are rigged.
....not that I think they are, it's just that bad.
Last edited by Frank Stallone: 04-14-2012 at 07:02 AM.
You already get all that crap put in your brain with sponsored powerplays and all that stuff, but living in North America you're so used to it so you don't notice. After one season of jersey ads you wouldn't notice it anymore, sure we'd rather not have ads on jerseys but I don't get why people go to the extreme of saying they would stop watching. It doesn't change the game in any way.
Europe is much much less commercialized than North America, if Europeans can cope with it, I'm sure you could.
this is true. the amount of commercials in every NHL game is wasting A LOT of time of people watching it.
No NHLers allowed in senior international play. 80% of why I follow the NHL is to see my countrymen play and wonder how they'd fare in the national team.
With the commercial jerseys... I'd say that I get more annoyed with BREAKS IN play due to commercials..
When I saw a Flyers-Rangers game in MSG 2006 Flyers pounded Rangers 6-3. Two of the commercial breaks were when hattrick hero Jaromir Jágr was getting an almost clear view of the goal...
Could've been such a different game. The commercials on the jerseys seldom change the game.
I would probably stop watching if my city lost its franchise...Would not watch again unless my city were to be lucky enough to get it back like Winnipeg.
If the NHL ever actually embraced the idea of the "European Division", I think I would be done. I would not quit watching hockey, just the NHL. I would focus more on the CHL or something.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TMLrBest
A pittsburg - vancouver final would get me to turn off the tv till October. The whining and faking would be unwatchable.
If this is seriously true, you are not a hockey fan even now. That would be a dynamite series, as would several others (Philly-Van, Wash-Detroit, etc.). If you are just trolling, then stop it.
