Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:29 pm

This Olympic tournament was the ultimate advertisement for the great sport of hockey.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:42 pm

XXXIV wrote:
Zeppo wrote:
I hope the USA players can look back in a while and realize they have nothing to be ashamed of. That equalizer was a thrilling feeling for me watching it on TV; just amazing. It just doesn't get better than that. I love sports!
Yes ..kinda yes and yes!

I think the owners listen to scarey gary...Thats why they hired him cause they think he knows marketing ... ...Idiots arent they?

If Betman fucks this up I will find him and cut his tiny lil balls off

I'm afraid to ask how you know he has tiny lil balls?

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:44 pm

pk500 wrote:This Olympic tournament was the ultimate advertisement for the great sport of hockey.

Yeh and they can keep it going by turning people on to the last 20 games of the regular season now and then into the playoffs without losing much intensity.
I hear centre ice is free for some of you thats a good start, so the regular joes can see endings like that every night in ther regular NHL.

As i told a non hockey friend who called me and Says "you have to be on the edge of your seat" and im like Naaa, this is hockey dude ive been trying to tell you this stuff happens every night.

A good game yes mostly made great by the stakes at hand but by far from the best ive seen.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:46 pm

Rodster wrote:
XXXIV wrote:
Zeppo wrote:
I hope the USA players can look back in a while and realize they have nothing to be ashamed of. That equalizer was a thrilling feeling for me watching it on TV; just amazing. It just doesn't get better than that. I love sports!
Yes ..kinda yes and yes!

I think the owners listen to scarey gary...Thats why they hired him cause they think he knows marketing ... ...Idiots arent they?

If Betman fucks this up I will find him and cut his tiny lil balls off
I'm afraid to ask how you know he has tiny lil balls?

...Im glad you showed big balls and asked.

His actions sir...Actions!

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 12:41 am

Diablo25 wrote:It just had to be Crosby.

I'm happy for my boys Richards and Pronger.

I had just finished saying "don't let it be Crosby" when he scored.

Smurfy · Post by **Smurfy** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:36 am

Well, for 6 Billion dollars in public funds Canada had better have got some gold

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 2:15 am

Jimmydeicide wrote:
pk500 wrote:This Olympic tournament was the ultimate advertisement for the great sport of hockey.
Yeh and they can keep it going by turning people on to the last 20 games of the regular season now and then into the playoffs without losing much intensity.
I hear centre ice is free for some of you thats a good start, so the regular joes can see endings like that every night in ther regular NHL.

As i told a non hockey friend who called me and Says "you have to be on the edge of your seat" and im like Naaa, this is hockey dude ive been trying to tell you this stuff happens every night.

A good game yes mostly made great by the stakes at hand but by far from the best ive seen.

The NHL season is 30 games too long. Unfortunately, US sports "momentum" will not be sustained thru the last FOUR months of the NHL season. Wishful thinking though. Next week's NHL ratings will not change. Bummer.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:28 am

Gangrel wrote:World Junior champion: check
Youngest captain in NHL: check
Stanley cup champion: check
Olympic Champion: check.

Crosby might as well retire now!

Most exciting game I've ever seen I think, no doubt helped by national pride.

After we hit two posts in the third, I thought that was game over.......

Congrats to the US for putting up a fight at the end.

We had a basement full singing Oh Canada after the game!

And he's still only 22. Where's the limit for him? You should have seen all the Olympics venues last night. All the loonies

were singing the National anthem at every corner that we turned, every 10 minutes or so. Never seen this kind of enthusiasm after winning a big Hockey event.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:29 am

greggsand wrote:
Jimmydeicide wrote:
pk500 wrote:This Olympic tournament was the ultimate advertisement for the great sport of hockey.
Yeh and they can keep it going by turning people on to the last 20 games of the regular season now and then into the playoffs without losing much intensity.
I hear centre ice is free for some of you thats a good start, so the regular joes can see endings like that every night in ther regular NHL.

As i told a non hockey friend who called me and Says "you have to be on the edge of your seat" and im like Naaa, this is hockey dude ive been trying to tell you this stuff happens every night.

A good game yes mostly made great by the stakes at hand but by far from the best ive seen.
The NHL season is 30 games too long. Unfortunately, US sports "momentum" will not be sustained thru the last FOUR months of the NHL season. Wishful thinking though. Next week's NHL ratings will not change. Bummer.

Basketball does ok with 82 games.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:59 pm

Actually, Stern claimed the NBA will lose $400 million this year. Salary cap is expected to go down next year.

So without a national TV contract, things are probably tougher for the NHL.

But cutting games isn't an option. These leagues are already revenue-challenged.

Player salaries are based on 82 games so they'd have to try to cut salaries, which isn't going to fly.

Either the sport is viable or it isn't. But in recent years all team sports went after the upscale demographic, leaving behind the blue-collar who which had supported these sports historically, with high ticket prices. That limits their customer base and when the economy went south, so did revenues.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 2:33 pm

10spro wrote:You should have seen all the Olympics venues last night. All the loonies were singing the National anthem at every corner that we turned, every 10 minutes or so. Never seen this kind of enthusiasm after winning a big Hockey event.

In a way I am glad Canada won, this will be a big thing for them for a while. If the USA had won, it would of been talked about today for sure, but tomorrow the story would of bee combine times.

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 2:35 pm

Jimmydeicide wrote:
greggsand wrote:
Jimmydeicide wrote: Yeh and they can keep it going by turning people on to the last 20 games of the regular season now and then into the playoffs without losing much intensity.
I hear centre ice is free for some of you thats a good start, so the regular joes can see endings like that every night in ther regular NHL.

As i told a non hockey friend who called me and Says "you have to be on the edge of your seat" and im like Naaa, this is hockey dude ive been trying to tell you this stuff happens every night.

A good game yes mostly made great by the stakes at hand but by far from the best ive seen.
The NHL season is 30 games too long. Unfortunately, US sports "momentum" will not be sustained thru the last FOUR months of the NHL season. Wishful thinking though. Next week's NHL ratings will not change. Bummer.
Basketball does ok with 82 games.

Does it? NBA teams are going to lose a combined $400 million this year(over expansion plays a part too). Stern has been asked numerous times in interviews this year to consider cutting the season to 70 games (I'd go 65). The will never do it of course. The best NBA season was the shortened season in 1998. EVERY game counted. Teams had to try all year (crazy concept). Yet, for some reason, Baseball feels 'right' with 162, go figure.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 3:16 pm

It was cool to see R. Miller walking with the rest of the athletes after that tough loss in the closing ceremonies and Ovie promoting the next winter Olympics in Sochi.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 3:58 pm

There should be tons of Russian camerawomen for him to shove in Sochi.

Gangrel · Post by **Gangrel** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 8:11 pm

22 Million canadians watched the gold medal game. Or, as Bob Mckenzie puts it, 2/3rds of our entire country!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 8:49 pm

Gangrel wrote:22 Million canadians watched the gold medal game. Or, as Bob Mckenzie puts it, 2/3rds of our entire country!

The game pulled down a 15.2 national rating (27.6 million viewers), which made it the most-watched hockey game of any kind in America since the U.S. beat Finland to win the gold in 1980 at Lake Placid.

From Sports Media Watch:

"Sunday's game drew a higher overnight rating than every World Series game since 2004 (including every game of Yankees/Phillies last year), every NBA Finals telecast since 1998, and every NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four game since at least '98.

Excluding the NFL, the 17.6 overnight for the game is the second-highest of the year for any sporting event, behind only the Texas/Alabama BCS National Championship Game in January (18.2)."

That's amazing for hockey in the U.S. Hopefully a few of those viewers will tune into NHL games.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:51 am

That's great to hear PK!!!

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 2:37 am

They are comparing Crosby's tally last night as one of Canada's greatest ever. It's being compared to Henderson' impossible win vs the former Soviet Union in 72, where the great Tretiak was almost invincible and who can forget the M. Lemieux goal in Hamilton like one of you guys mentioned before back in 87.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 3:54 am

pk500 wrote:
Gangrel wrote:22 Million canadians watched the gold medal game. Or, as Bob Mckenzie puts it, 2/3rds of our entire country!
The game pulled down a 15.2 national rating (27.6 million viewers), which made it the most-watched hockey game of any kind in America since the U.S. beat Finland to win the gold in 1980 at Lake Placid.

From Sports Media Watch:

"Sunday's game drew a higher overnight rating than every World Series game since 2004 (including every game of Yankees/Phillies last year), every NBA Finals telecast since 1998, and every NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four game since at least '98.

Excluding the NFL, the 17.6 overnight for the game is the second-highest of the year for any sporting event, behind only the Texas/Alabama BCS National Championship Game in January (18.2)."

That's amazing for hockey in the U.S. Hopefully a few of those viewers will tune into NHL games.

It won't because watching the NHL just doesn't have "it". The watchability of Olympic Hockey is one thing. It was nice to watch a game without the stop-startness of just about every professional sports. It's like watching the Master's, what a joy is to be focused on the action.

I think the NHL has too many games. This is crazy thinking but I think they should steal a page from soccer. Play every team twice, (home and away) on a regular night like Saturday.

And do away with the stupid ass point system. What is it now, 2.75 points for a home win when the opposing team only scores 2 goals and there's a hot girl behind the glass. I don't like shootout system but I guess it also helps to that fans can feel like they got something even though the game was a draw.

And get rid of the teams south of the missouri compromise line. I may be wrong but would have a small but passionate club be better than having a team in Florida?

It's about money not the sport. And the reason why the Olympics was so great was because it was all about the sport.

F308GTB · Post by **F308GTB** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 7:20 am

JRod wrote:It won't because watching the NHL just doesn't have "it". The watchability of Olympic Hockey is one thing. It was nice to watch a game without the stop-startness of just about every professional sports. It's like watching the Master's, what a joy is to be focused on the action.

It's about money not the sport. And the reason why the Olympics was so great was because it was all about the sport.

Olympic hockey is on par with NHL playoff hockey for me. Regular season lacks the passion, and like you say, the stop-starts in NHL to get all those commercials in just takes the enjoyment away. While watching Olympic hockey I kept thinking "Shouldn't there be a commercial break?" It was awesome not having those and letting the games flow.

RallyMonkey · Post by **RallyMonkey** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 10:02 am

Agreed on all counts. It simply won't translate to the NHL. Too many teams with watered down talent so the casual fan who might come out of Sunday with a desire to give hockey a whirl will tune in to an Edmonton (sorry PK) vs. Atlanta game and realize it's just not the same.

The Olympics are a nation unifying event. It's not parochial like rooting for individual teams. I watch hockey and love the game. But i've been around it my entire life. Soccer for me on the other hand is a game that just doesn't grab my attention no matter how hard i try. So the World Cup for me is like Olympic hockey for many. I'll watch it and be into it because i like the top notch competition and it's nation versus nation, but flipping on a Man U vs. InterMilan match a week later, while great soccer, just doesn't hold my interest.

It's one of the reasons i think the owners may pull NHL'ers from the Olympics. It's an amazing couple of weeks to see the best in the world face off, but beyond perhaps this one week following, i just don't think it improves the gate for most of these NHL teams.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:23 pm

Stop start for Commercials ? have you guys watched hockey the last 2 seasons?
The rules have been changed and there are barely tv time outs any more , hardly an nfl broadcast.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 1:13 pm

Jimmydeicide wrote:Stop start for Commercials ? have you guys watched hockey the last 2 seasons?
The rules have been changed and there are barely tv time outs any more , hardly an nfl broadcast.

Still there though.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 1:27 pm

RallyMonkey wrote:Agreed on all counts. It simply won't translate to the NHL. Too many teams with watered down talent so the casual fan who might come out of Sunday with a desire to give hockey a whirl will tune in to an Edmonton (sorry PK) vs. Atlanta game and realize it's just not the same.

The Olympics are a nation unifying event. It's not parochial like rooting for individual teams. I watch hockey and love the game. But i've been around it my entire life. Soccer for me on the other hand is a game that just doesn't grab my attention no matter how hard i try. So the World Cup for me is like Olympic hockey for many. I'll watch it and be into it because i like the top notch competition and it's nation versus nation, but flipping on a Man U vs. InterMilan match a week later, while great soccer, just doesn't hold my interest.

It's one of the reasons i think the owners may pull NHL'ers from the Olympics. It's an amazing couple of weeks to see the best in the world face off, but beyond perhaps this one week following, i just don't think it improves the gate for most of these NHL teams.

Totally agree Rally. The people that cared about team USA just aren't going to all of a sudden care about their local team. Olympic hockey is like an NHL All Star game PLUS all the hitting and passion of the Stanley Cup Finals, all in one. Watching a regular NHL game with it's watered down talent can't compare.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 1:48 pm

Jack and Rally are right, sadly.

There’s simply no way a Blackhawks-Thrashers’ game in early March is going to have the same skill or intensity as the Olympic final. It’s too bad the end of the Olympics didn’t dovetail with the start of the playoffs, because playoff hockey is similar in quality to that of Olympic hockey. Regular-season hockey is not.

I think you’re going to see some really sh*tty play the next two weeks as players dealt tomorrow on Trade Deadline Day get adjusted to their new teams and as fatigue sets in for players who were at the Olympics.

The timing couldn't be worse to keep new fans turned on by the Olympics.