World Cup of Hockey 2004

[scott231]

Is anybody on this board actually looking foward to this event? I for one am NOT, only because the NFL season is coming up, and I personally can't get into hockey in August. Team Canada reported to camp today, and will play their first game this Monday in Columbus, Ohio against the U.S.A. I was in the Oakland, California on Saturday visiting relatives, and on ESPN, Fox Sportsnet, there was absolutley NO mention of this event as I guess American's really don't care about this event and hockey in general. The NFL, MLB, NBA, PGA, ATP Tennis, WTA Tennis, XXVIII Olympics in Athens, NCAA Football, Nascar, IRL Racing, Boxing, WWE and the UFC all dominated the airwaves in the U.S. over the weekend and NO NHL or the World Cup of Hockey was mentioned. That is a very BAD sign for the NHL as it needs to step up and promate this event to the U.S. As they did win it in 1996. I for one am picking the Slovaks to win the tournament.
www.wch2004.com/

 

[vancouverderek]

Go Leafs Go

I'm realy looking forward to it... I think this is great hockey....and it may be the only hockey we get to see this winter... .

and yes, its true.... Americans dont really care about hockey.. .but who really cares what Americans think anyway???

 

[timec]

summer hockey, sum er not

 

[scott231]

I don't give a crap what American's think of the NHL either BUT the NHL needs the United States to survive NOT the other way around. The NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA, LPGA, ATP Tennis, WTA Tennis, IRL Racing, Nascar, Boxing, WWE and the UFC can all survive and do well without a presence in Canada, we have to remember the NHL teams in Canada are paying their players in USD, and their are more U.S. teams then Canadian teams, so the NHL has to do well in the U.S. and a NHL lockout will kill business in cities like Phoenix, Carolina(Raleigh-Durham), Florida(Miami - Ft. Lauderdale), Nashville, Anaheim, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Tampa Bay, New Jersey (East Rutherford), Long Island (NY Islanders). Hockey is a fringe sport in the United States, and Gary Bettman would be a fucking idiot if he shutsdown the NHL because people in Canada will come back when the lockout is over BUT people in these cities won't give a shit about the NHL and they will spend their hard earned money somewhere else. And besides the NHL has serious competition in these cities with other sports and the NHL is NOT the #1 game in town in these markets and other in the U.S. Anyways any predictions on the World Cup of Hockey?

 

[makemyday]

no way

Slovaks to win the tournament go back to bed

 

[scott231]

Alot of players are not playing in this tournament Sergei Fedorov, Nikoli Khabibulian, Valeri Bure, Chris Pronger, Derian Hatcher, Nabokav, and many more I for one am totally NOT into it.

 

[scott231]

I agree to an extent, and Gary Bettman has said that he wants to lower ticket prices BUT people in this city, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Ottawa are going to pay any price no matter what it costs to see an NHL game because it's the #1 sport in this country BUT in the U.S. it's another story the NHL doesn't generate the same money from team appereal, ticket sales, tv contracts like the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA and Tennis does because hockey is NOT the #1 sport in the U.S. The NHL salaries are out of control how the fuck does Martin Lapointe get paid 5,000000 usd a year and Bobby Holik getting 9,000000 usd a year, it's a fucking joke because Gary Bettman's a joke, the NHL is a joke and the owners are a joke. THe NHL lost almot $300 million dollars last year and what do the owners do? They give Gary Bettman a 5 year extention. THE NHL is NOT in the same league as the NFL, NBA, MLB and PGA as they don't have a billion dollar tv contract like these sports do, 3 of those leagues have some sort of salary cap but the NHL players don't think they need one because they feel there worth the money LOL. Ticket prices are a fucking joke whether your rich or not I don't care, an NHL game costs more to attend then a NFL,NBA, or MLB game but the NHL ratings in the U.S. are in the toilet and the other sports have huge ratings on tv, as they had to beg NBC to put their games on national tv and NBC isn't even giving a penny to the NHL for putting them on and NBC can walk away from this 2 year deal. Take a look at last seasons salaries in the NHL and decide for yourselves if NHL salaries are out of control for this struggling league.

www.hockeynut.com/0304/salaries0304.html