I typically leave the "official" sports talk for my brother. He has far more resources than I for staying up-to-date. On Sundays, I watch NFL RedZone while he has his pick of the litter with NFL Ticket. I watch whatever basketball game is on TV or tune in to NBA TV for the highlights while he again has his pick of the litter with NBA League Pass (yes I am slightly jealous).
But when it comes to hockey and baseball we share the same footing. And the big news there is the end of the NHL lockout and subsequent start of the 48-game season. Hockey fans everywhere are excited. I, on the other hand, would classify myself as disappointed.
Why?
For those foreign to hockey, the NHL just went through its 3rd lockout since 1994. That is not a good stat. I heard somewhere that since 1994, the NHL has lost nearly 25% of the games it was scheduled to play. Add up the numbers and that is a lot of money being lost. Personally, I don't care about the players and owners, but the countless individuals who depend upon hockey being played for their livelihood. As much as the owners and players say they care, going through a lockout nearly every 3-4 years screams otherwise.
The sprint-like season also demonstrates the NHL's lack of care. They simply want to get their hands on as much money as they can. It doesn't matter if the players will be at much higher risk to injury because they are playing almost every other night. Games mean tickets which mean dollar bills. The NHL is looking at the shortened season as a successful alternative despite it being largely their fault that games had to be missed.
Listening to the players is annoying too. Like the NHL, they are apologetic for the lost games, but they are raving about the excitement the upcoming season will bring. And this is despite the fact that many of the players, especially the Americans, are out of shape. Many have confessed it will take a number of weeks (since camp lasted all of two days) to get back into playing shape. Only the handful of guys, mainly non-Americans, feel ready because they played overseas during the lockout. The players seem to ignore the fact that the level of play and competition will be lower than usual. And the fans are eating it up regardless.
Now I will admit hockey are a different bunch. They are not the atypical sports fan. They have tough skin and love their hockey. Sadly, they are also feeding the monster that is the NHL.
What happened when hockey went on strike? Hockey fans begged and pleaded for it to come back. (point NHL)
What happened when games kept getting canceled? Hockey fans continued begging. (point NHL)
What happened when the strike lifted and practices began? Thousands of people showed up to practice just to watch hockey. Flyers fans were the worst when 12,000 showed up in NJ, followed by 20,000+ at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday. (point NHL)
What happened when tickets went on sale this week? They sold out in minutes with the face value being as high, if not higher, than they were last season. (point NHL)
The fans made this whole lockout a win for the NHL. Sure, they lost a great deal of revenue with the canceled games, the Winter Classic being the biggie. But at the end of the day, the fans came back without even thinking twice. They spent thousands upon millions of dollars the instant that the league came back.
The fans could have taught the NHL a lesson by holding back on their enthusiasm. They could have demanded cheaper tickets or boycotted some aspect of the league (one radio caller said he would not buy merchandise as his form of protest). They could have let the NHL know that lockouts are not the way you show your fan base how much you appreciate them. Instead they folded the royal flush they were holding with a smile on their face.
Hockey fans, I thought you were better than that.
But when it comes to hockey and baseball we share the same footing. And the big news there is the end of the NHL lockout and subsequent start of the 48-game season. Hockey fans everywhere are excited. I, on the other hand, would classify myself as disappointed.
Why?
For those foreign to hockey, the NHL just went through its 3rd lockout since 1994. That is not a good stat. I heard somewhere that since 1994, the NHL has lost nearly 25% of the games it was scheduled to play. Add up the numbers and that is a lot of money being lost. Personally, I don't care about the players and owners, but the countless individuals who depend upon hockey being played for their livelihood. As much as the owners and players say they care, going through a lockout nearly every 3-4 years screams otherwise.
The sprint-like season also demonstrates the NHL's lack of care. They simply want to get their hands on as much money as they can. It doesn't matter if the players will be at much higher risk to injury because they are playing almost every other night. Games mean tickets which mean dollar bills. The NHL is looking at the shortened season as a successful alternative despite it being largely their fault that games had to be missed.
Listening to the players is annoying too. Like the NHL, they are apologetic for the lost games, but they are raving about the excitement the upcoming season will bring. And this is despite the fact that many of the players, especially the Americans, are out of shape. Many have confessed it will take a number of weeks (since camp lasted all of two days) to get back into playing shape. Only the handful of guys, mainly non-Americans, feel ready because they played overseas during the lockout. The players seem to ignore the fact that the level of play and competition will be lower than usual. And the fans are eating it up regardless.
Now I will admit hockey are a different bunch. They are not the atypical sports fan. They have tough skin and love their hockey. Sadly, they are also feeding the monster that is the NHL.
What happened when hockey went on strike? Hockey fans begged and pleaded for it to come back. (point NHL)
What happened when games kept getting canceled? Hockey fans continued begging. (point NHL)
What happened when the strike lifted and practices began? Thousands of people showed up to practice just to watch hockey. Flyers fans were the worst when 12,000 showed up in NJ, followed by 20,000+ at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday. (point NHL)
What happened when tickets went on sale this week? They sold out in minutes with the face value being as high, if not higher, than they were last season. (point NHL)
The fans made this whole lockout a win for the NHL. Sure, they lost a great deal of revenue with the canceled games, the Winter Classic being the biggie. But at the end of the day, the fans came back without even thinking twice. They spent thousands upon millions of dollars the instant that the league came back.
The fans could have taught the NHL a lesson by holding back on their enthusiasm. They could have demanded cheaper tickets or boycotted some aspect of the league (one radio caller said he would not buy merchandise as his form of protest). They could have let the NHL know that lockouts are not the way you show your fan base how much you appreciate them. Instead they folded the royal flush they were holding with a smile on their face.
Hockey fans, I thought you were better than that.
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