Jump to content

Winter Classic


Doohicksie

Recommended Posts

Posted

Will I be the only one to come out and say I don't give a rat's ass about this game? Washington and Pittsburgh in the playoffs would very likely draw my attention, but regular season fare? Nah. That the game is outside does nothing to make me want to watch. I didn't care any more about the Sabres and Pens because it was at Rich. It was just another boring home game played on bad ice in the Ruff Era.

 

What would absolutely preclude me from watching (besides the conflict with the Sabres game), if I was somehow inclined to do so, would be the broadcast. I can only imagine -- that's bad enough. I would just sit there and marvel at how the broadcast would serve no part of the audience well. The real hockey fans would want to hear enthusiastic play by play, and so would the casual viewers almost begging to be turned on to the game. Why the league would want to tell those viewers that the action is so boring we really don't want to talk about it is mind-boggling.

Posted

The NHL needs to concentrate on markets it CAN succeed in, rather than trying to expand it's fanbase or it's league. Get back into Quebec, Winnipeg, and other North American cities that love the game.

 

The Winter Classic is not promoting the game nor gaining new fans. The NHL is a niche league. The fans are devoted but there aren't a lot of fringe fans.

Posted

I didn't care any more about the Sabres and Pens because it was at Rich. It was just another boring home game played on bad ice in the Ruff Era.

You really are a crotchety old SOB, aren't you?

Posted

You really are a crotchety old SOB, aren't you?

 

Probably. Can you honestly say it was a good hockey game? For fans in the stadium, the experience was probably a hoot. It was pretty tough to watch on TV.

Posted

Will I be the only one to come out and say I don't give a rat's ass about this game? Washington and Pittsburgh in the playoffs would very likely draw my attention, but regular season fare? Nah. That the game is outside does nothing to make me want to watch. I didn't care any more about the Sabres and Pens because it was at Rich. It was just another boring home game played on bad ice in the Ruff Era.

 

What would absolutely preclude me from watching (besides the conflict with the Sabres game), if I was somehow inclined to do so, would be the broadcast. I can only imagine -- that's bad enough. I would just sit there and marvel at how the broadcast would serve no part of the audience well. The real hockey fans would want to hear enthusiastic play by play, and so would the casual viewers almost begging to be turned on to the game. Why the league would want to tell those viewers that the action is so boring we really don't want to talk about it is mind-boggling.

Aren't you the guy who is always criticizing the league for not caring about the fans or not doing enough to promote the game? The Winter Classic is actually one thing that the league does right. People who normally don't watch hockey, watch this game and talk about it. It's good for hockey. Get over it.

Posted

Interesting...

 

Penguins were in 2008 WC - lost SC finals that year, won it the next

Detroit was in 2009 WC - lost SC finals that year, won it the year before

Chicago was in 2009 WC - won SC next year

Flyers were in 2010 WC - lost SC finals that year

 

So, one team in each has lost in the finals that year and one has one it the next year. At least one of those strings will end this year, as all four team from 2010 and 2011 are from the EC.

Posted

Will I be the only one to come out and say I don't give a rat's ass about this game? Washington and Pittsburgh in the playoffs would very likely draw my attention, but regular season fare? Nah. That the game is outside does nothing to make me want to watch. I didn't care any more about the Sabres and Pens because it was at Rich. It was just another boring home game played on bad ice in the Ruff Era.

 

What would absolutely preclude me from watching (besides the conflict with the Sabres game), if I was somehow inclined to do so, would be the broadcast. I can only imagine -- that's bad enough. I would just sit there and marvel at how the broadcast would serve no part of the audience well. The real hockey fans would want to hear enthusiastic play by play, and so would the casual viewers almost begging to be turned on to the game. Why the league would want to tell those viewers that the action is so boring we really don't want to talk about it is mind-boggling.

 

You really are a crotchety old SOB, aren't you?

 

Probably. Can you honestly say it was a good hockey game? For fans in the stadium, the experience was probably a hoot. It was pretty tough to watch on TV.

Sabres Winter Classic had all stuff for a NY day game. True snow globe, tailgating, just pure fun win or lose. I was there so u may see it differently, but it felt so much like everyone talks about. Outdoor rinks in the backyard, guys fixing the ice, etc.

 

It may not be so much for the casual viewer but for people who know the 'origins' of hockey it WAS exciting and entertaining. U can't learn about hockey from a book or TV, u need to b there!

Posted

Aren't you the guy who is always criticizing the league for not caring about the fans or not doing enough to promote the game? The Winter Classic is actually one thing that the league does right. People who normally don't watch hockey, watch this game and talk about it. It's good for hockey. Get over it.

 

I think you have me mixed up with someone else. IMO, the league doesn't do its broadcasts right at all. I don't care if Emrick and Whoever went to Primanti's for a sandwich, and no one wants to hear two minutes about it while the game is going on.

 

What evidence do you have that non-hockey fans in great numbers watch this game?

Posted

I think you have me mixed up with someone else. IMO, the league doesn't do its broadcasts right at all. I don't care if Emrick and Whoever went to Primanti's for a sandwich, and no one wants to hear two minutes about it while the game is going on.

 

What evidence do you have that non-hockey fans in great numbers watch this game?

 

Sabres Winter Classic had the same rating as Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve did this year. Granted u'd need to separate non-hockey fans but still good ratings. Ur premise that NBC doesn't do it right may have some merit, but what does a non-hockey fan know about how an NHL should really be called?

Posted

Sabres Winter Classic had all stuff for a NY day game. True snow globe, tailgating, just pure fun win or lose. I was there so u may see it differently, but it felt so much like everyone talks about. Outdoor rinks in the backyard, guys fixing the ice, etc.

 

It may not be so much for the casual viewer but for people who know the 'origins' of hockey it WAS exciting and entertaining. U can't learn about hockey from a book or TV, u need to b there!

this last sentence is bullspit. i learned everything about hockey from watchin it on tv.

Posted

this last sentence is bullspit. i learned everything about hockey from watchin it on tv.

 

Not about hockey itself, the origins, history of the game.

Posted

Not about hockey itself, the origins, history of the game.

how am i gonna learn the origin of hockey from goin to a sabres game? do they have like a video before every game explaining the history and origins of hockey? i dont think so.

Posted

I think you have me mixed up with someone else. IMO, the league doesn't do its broadcasts right at all. I don't care if Emrick and Whoever went to Primanti's for a sandwich, and no one wants to hear two minutes about it while the game is going on.

 

What evidence do you have that non-hockey fans in great numbers watch this game?

The only evidence I have is anecdotal. Many people where I work talk to me about the game knowing that I'm a hockey fan. They normally could care less about hockey. This game is for them, not us chat board hockey geeks. If it gets even a few of them to watch regular games it's worth it. And what else are you going to do while nursing a new year's hangover, watch the Kibbles and Bits Bowl, where the teams haven't played for over a month?

Posted

My evidence that it is being watched by non-hockey (niche) fans? NBC is still broadcasting it*.

 

 

 

 

* This is assuming that NBC didn't sign a contract for, say, five of them back in 2008, which I doubt they did.

Posted

On a side note I'm always amazed how they let Ovechkin get away with blatant jumps when he hits. Its so obvious that he leaves his feet yet you never hear the commentators say anything nor see the refs call it.

 

 

Not to suggest a conspiracy or anything...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...