MTFFL

More fans actually attended NHL games last season than in the NFL's last season. 3.25 million more to be specific. The NBA out sold both of them. And I'm sure baseball destroyed all of them. Baseball and hockey by far do worse than basketball and stand around for 30 seconds between each 3 second play ball, I mean football, in television ratings. Then again American Idol does well in TV ratings. Anybody have any beliefs why sports that are obviously popular in attendance do so much more poorly on TV than other sports, people watch people drive in circles on TV for God's sake.

Having a core base of fans in big cities is all that is propping up the NHL. Nashville is fortunate that they have a good team this year or attendance would be down - as it is in hockey hotbeds St. Louis, Chicago and NY (Islanders).

We could have an argument about popularity vs quality, but that would be pointless. I love NBC's comedies on Thursday, but they get crushed by CSI. Go figure. Something I like is not popular nationally.

TV audience is very important to any sport. It's not ESPN's goal to create something out of nothing. They are just giving the viewers more of what they want. If anything, ESPN has disproportionately ignored NASCAR. The NBA and tennis get more airtime than NASCAR. The league's only hope is to get back on ESPN/ABC. Currently NBC's games are being out watched by dog shows and ice skating.

I'm just trying to give an objective opinion about the league. But you get defensive and become a typical blinded-by-love fan. By the way, NHL attendance is actually down 233 people per game. My source? Oh no! ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/attendance?year=2007)
2006: 16,721
2005: 16,954
2003: 16,533
2002: 16,589
2001: 16,759

http://www.andrewsstarspage.com/NHL-Bus ... atings.htm
http://www.thestar.com/article/174326

wolfe wrote:The NBA and tennis get more airtime than NASCAR.

THANK GOD!!!

When have people watched the NHL on TV in mass?

2000-2001 was the most attended season for the Preds with 15,824 per game. They only had 34 wins that year and only 13 more goals than they have scored this year at the all-star break. So apparently bad team = good attendance. So how can you make the leap to bad team = poor attendance? Just curious.

Nashville still had a love for the newly-wed Predators in 2000-2001, the newness had not worn off, David. There were no expectations of playoffs. Older NHL cities like St. Louis and Chicago expect a winner and will not attend to see "a bunch of losers" take the ice.

Now Jeffrey, sometimes you take your objectivity too far and it turns around upon you and becomes nothing more than subjectivity. Your devil's advocatte approach is abandoned when you train your own bias upon it.

Now, the two of you kiss and make up. The both of you will argue this point blindly to win the argument. What's the argument? Is the NHL really dying? I don't think so, and I don't think that you truly believe that as well, Jeffrey.

Look out Jack Handy, here comes Jonathan. That could be the best MTFFL post EVER!

I incorrectly spelled advocate. Does that take away any points from being the greatest post ever?

I don't remember my original intent. Just enjoy the games.

Wow, what a string! The attendence issue does puzzle me. I am worried a bit even though I know this means nothing for the Preds in the immediate couple of years and I also think that there will be increased corporate support as soon as the playoffs come a bit closer. As for the popularity and the coverage it is just a fring sport that doesn't lend itself to TV that well and the networks that have a good hold in the market know from experiance that Hockey does rate well with views. (except me and Dave....). Dave I re-vamped my fantasy hockey team a bit. I am not after first anymore just you!!!! LOL