I am a detacated New Jersey Devils fan. Last year(before the strike) teachers and I would have conversations about the hockey season. Since i live in PA teachers argue against the Devils and cheer for the Flyers, but this year is boring. My gym teacher and i have a little inside joke by saying "How are those Devils" and i respond by "Great, they still have their winning streak." Or i will ask him the same about the Flyers. But i am getting bored of watching just football and basketball highlights and replays. I tried getting into both sports but can't seem to. Though the baseball season is coming, it is still far away. The strike could end soon and the NHL could play a half season. Of course i would enjoy to hear that news, but i know that it isn't going to happen. For some of you who don't know, some hockey teams are going bankrupt because of the players high pay, so that is why they've been on strike for how ever long. The players want their high pay but the teams just can't afford the high costs anymore.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I know how you feel! You can imagine how I feel, I live in HOCKEYTOWN, stalwart Detroit Red Wings fan. We've been whining for months about the lack of a hockey season. Then again, we have the Pisons to win basketball with, but still, we are hockey fans!
Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :
The lack of an NHL season this year really sucks. At least we recently had the World Juniors for a hockey fix. It was a great pleasure to watch Canada dominate yet another tournament.
Posted by Desdemona (Member # 7100) on :
Hey. I live in TORONTO. the Hockey Capital of the WORLD. And you would not know how much of my life was devoted to the Leafs. I was really glad for the WJHC. I acually started a thread on it somewhere. The only way that I have lived through this year so far are my taped games. Although they are getting a little old. I actually took up playing hockey for the first time this year as well, so I am kind of getting my fix that way. but it's not enough. I want hockey!!!
Stupid people why don't they think about the fans... Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
The NHL is done. It will have to contract back to about 15 teams, in order to survive. There simply was not enough interest in hockey to sustain 30+ teams. Most of the cities where hockey can thrive are in the northern part of the country, but the NHL, in its marketing wisdom, tried to move a whole slew of teams into markets where hockey is at best a novelty.
The owners, in an attempt to make their teams competitive, and thus draw fans, over pay players. For a while, hockey had the highest average salary of any sport in the country. Yet, at the same time, Hockey had the lowest revenues of any major sport. See the problem? At some point, the owners will have to realize that they made this disaster, by over-paying relative to revenue. Sure, the yankees can spend an average of 5 million per year for everyone on their 40 man roster, but aside from Detroit, Toronto, and a couple other cities, there aren't really hockey markets that generate enough revenue to go much over 1.5 million average salary.
What the owners need to realize is that the NHL is not baseball or football, and never will be, and thus they cant pay salaries like that. The players need to realize the days of 7 million dollar salaries are over, and won't be coming back.
And then, the NHL needs to adapt smart budget principles, and contract the teams that make the league financially unfeasible, which is about half of them.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I've never understood the appeal of professional sports.
I'd rather read a book I don't like.
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Wait, they're not playing hockey?
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Posted by TheDisgruntledPostman (Member # 7200) on :
Duh. Where have you been, under a rock?
Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :
Its not just the fans.
quote: And then there is that almost forgotten group - charities that rely on hockey players to help them raise money every season.
The 29th annual Flyers Wives Fight for Lives Carnival was to have been held Jan. 30 at the Wachovia Center.
Over the last 28 years, Fran Tobin and the wives have raised $18 million, including $1.19 million last winter, in what has become a huge one-day fund-raiser.
Numerous charities and thousands of men, women and especially children are the beneficiaries of this event, which aids the Barry Ashbee Research Laboratories at the Isadore Brodsky Institute for Cancer and Blood Diseases and other medical establishments.
"It's really sad not to be working on this right now," said Lisa Primeau, who chairs the carnival's wives' committee as wife of team captain Keith Primeau.
"There are so many people affected by this lockout who you don't even think about," she said. "A lot of people count on the money we raise - the hospitals and charities. This affects so many people."
When Florida wins Ice Hockey, you know something's wrong.
Posted by TheDisgruntledPostman (Member # 7200) on :
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Bite your tongue Paul Goldner. Hockey will never die! I don't care if the NHL turns into just the Northern US and Colorado playing Canada, the true fans are here to stay, and won't let hockey die.
Posted by Stan the man (Member # 6249) on :
I called my grandfather the other day, and he was watching basketball (Pistons game). I asked him if he was that desperate. His reply was that since there was no hockey season, he had to watch something. I miss watching the Wing's. Been watching them since the Early '80's. Yes, I was a fan when they played worse than high school players.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
You live in the Detroit area Stan?
Posted by Stan the man (Member # 6249) on :
I lived in Redford until sometime around 1990. My family then moved to Linden.
Edited to add: I'm in the Navy, so now I live on San Diego. Until May-June time anyway. I am trying to get transferred to New York.
[ January 10, 2005, 12:25 AM: Message edited by: Stan the man ]
Posted by CalvinMaker (Member # 2032) on :
Try watching some organized ultimate frisbee. Ever since I started playing on the Oberlin team last fall, I can't get enough of it.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
ooo I like Linden, good high school Marching Band!
(I was Marching Band geek)
Posted by Stan the man (Member # 6249) on :
Quizbowl person myself, but had friends in the band (we have a jazz band too. or had anyway. been awhile, they might have gotten rid of it).
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
No, I've been in Wisconsin (though arguably...). We live football here.
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