Hockey, the underappreciated sport?
By Brett Hurley
Last Updated:3:42 PM EST 11/18/09 Section: Viewpoint
Hockey has been considered to be one of America's four major pro-sports since the 1990s. However, in terms of overall popularity, it is far behind the other three major sports leagues (the National Basketball Association, National Football League, and Major League Baseball).
Since the 2004-2005 NHL Lockout, it has probably dropped in the rankings. What's causing this is most likely the NHL not renewing its TV contract with ESPN, but instead opting to sign a contract with the Outdoor Life Network, which has since evolved into Versus. Now, unfortunately, hockey gets very little exposure on ESPN, which obviously has many more viewers than Versus/OLN ever has.
Having been a hardcore Buffalo Sabres fan ever since my cousin turned on a game at my Aunt and Uncles house in 1995, and basically following the NHL religiously for the past 14 years, it bothers me that hockey isn't as popular as it probably should be.
No matter what your opinion may be on the sport of hockey, it's hard to deny that it is the fastest paced of the four major pro-sports.
It is also, along with football, probably the most physical. I understand some people may not understand the sport because they never got the chance to play it as a kid. I never did either, since I've never been able to ice skate.
However, watching it for the past 14 years, I understand all of the rules and terminology, and even some of the strategies of the game. The average person could probably learn all of the basic rules after watching a game or two, and the bulk of the terminology after 10 games. Also, some people complain that it's too hard to see the puck while watching games on television. It may be my 20/20 vision, but I have no problem seeing the little black disc on an all-white surface on my 13-inch TV in my dorm room. It just takes a little bit of eye-adjusting.
Some people complain that hockey is too low scoring, but somehow baseball, which tends to have very similar final scores, is one of the most popular sports in the United States. No offense to any baseball fans, but in my opinion the sport is more slow-paced than a turtle on crutches.
The only real problem I have with the NHL is its inability to market the game. I think If hockey got more exposure in the media and people actually sat down and watched a game, more people would become fans of the sport. It only took one game to get me hooked.
bdh01602@sjfc.edu
Since the 2004-2005 NHL Lockout, it has probably dropped in the rankings. What's causing this is most likely the NHL not renewing its TV contract with ESPN, but instead opting to sign a contract with the Outdoor Life Network, which has since evolved into Versus. Now, unfortunately, hockey gets very little exposure on ESPN, which obviously has many more viewers than Versus/OLN ever has.
Having been a hardcore Buffalo Sabres fan ever since my cousin turned on a game at my Aunt and Uncles house in 1995, and basically following the NHL religiously for the past 14 years, it bothers me that hockey isn't as popular as it probably should be.
No matter what your opinion may be on the sport of hockey, it's hard to deny that it is the fastest paced of the four major pro-sports.
It is also, along with football, probably the most physical. I understand some people may not understand the sport because they never got the chance to play it as a kid. I never did either, since I've never been able to ice skate.
However, watching it for the past 14 years, I understand all of the rules and terminology, and even some of the strategies of the game. The average person could probably learn all of the basic rules after watching a game or two, and the bulk of the terminology after 10 games. Also, some people complain that it's too hard to see the puck while watching games on television. It may be my 20/20 vision, but I have no problem seeing the little black disc on an all-white surface on my 13-inch TV in my dorm room. It just takes a little bit of eye-adjusting.
Some people complain that hockey is too low scoring, but somehow baseball, which tends to have very similar final scores, is one of the most popular sports in the United States. No offense to any baseball fans, but in my opinion the sport is more slow-paced than a turtle on crutches.
The only real problem I have with the NHL is its inability to market the game. I think If hockey got more exposure in the media and people actually sat down and watched a game, more people would become fans of the sport. It only took one game to get me hooked.
bdh01602@sjfc.edu
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