Got up and an old lady friend is telling me I'm crap and effectively sabatoging any chance of getting a relationship with another lady I have affections for.
Then Imus gets kicked off MSNBC.
For those of you who don't know, I'm Don Imus' No. 1 fan.
Then the Pens lose to the Senators.
And now this!
The only thing that would be worse is if they finally tore down the Eastland Mall.
YOU DON'T SUPPOSE???????????
Then the Pens lose to the Senators
PLEASE STOP THE HOCKEY REFERENCES ON THIS BOARD!!!!!
I will stop the hockey references when the basketball players put on dresses.
Along with the men's tennis players, golf players, etc.
A few years ago I did an article on how hockey was the fastest growing sport in Tennessee. 29 high schools had picked up the sport in Middle and Western Tennessee and more were following in Knoxville- where it was a varsity sport from 1970-75 in high schools.
The fact we're lagging behind here- and you get such posts- shows you how bad of a sports town this is.
By the way, anyone see Boston Legal last night when Denny Crane got a hold of the Stanley Cup and tried to put his name on it because he lent Bobby Orr a lucky jockstrap in the '70 Finals against the Blues?
Or how about when Denny and Alan decided to drink scotch from the Cup and then wound up dropping it off the balcony?
Further proof that the Tri-Cities does not need ETSU football as much as they need a minor league hockey team.
Oh the best game you can name
Is the good old hockey game
And the good old hockey game
Is the best game you can name!
I bet if you took a poll on this board asking how many people care about hockey you would be the only one to vote yes.
Then this board must be enlightened!
I'd rather watch paint dry than hockey. I dont think I'm alone either...maybe thats why they are on the Outdoor channel.
Well that's why you aren't exactly known as the most intelligent person on this board now, is it Fan1?
Actually, the fun thing was when the NHL beat the NBA in the ratings this year.
Gotta love it!
Not that anyone cares about my .02 but personally having been to a few hockey games (Thrashers, Predators) I think they're awesome to watch in person at the professional level. I went to a few "semi-pro" games in Knoxville and those absolutely sucked. I can't imagine a HS game would be any fun to watch.
That being said, hockey on TV sucks. It's just a sport that is meant to be seen live.
You haven't been to a high school game in Pittsburgh, Minnesota, or Boston.
And also, I disagree with "hockey on TV sucks."
Mike Emerick might be the best PBP man in any sport, and the camera angles have improved dramatically.
And the problem with Knoxville hockey is that the league is so low. They used to be in the ECHL, and though that was in the "goon league" days of the ECHL it still was good hockey at a quality, though not the highest, level.
But what is really exciting about hockey in the Tri-Cities is the best athletic prospect out there is probably Jake Malezis, an 11-year-old from Elizabethton, who averaged a Lemieux-esque 1.8 points a game for the Nashville Ice Tigers "AA" Squirt squad.
Props to Wes Holtzclaw and the gang at the Elizabethton Star for this little piece on page 8.
http://archives.starhq.com/PDF/2007/Feb/021907.pdf
I am sure the NBA playoffs has had much higher ratings than the NHL playoffs. I couldn't even tell you who is left in the NHL playoffs. On the other hand the NBA playoffs has been exciting. The Dallas vs Golden State series was fantastic and so has the Spurs vs Suns series. The Cavs has also been exciting to watch, and it is has been entertaining watching the Bulls beat the Pistons in the last two games after being down 3-0.
I have to admit...this has been the first year I have watched the NBA Playoffs on TV since the Jordan era. I have been extremely impressed. Well except for watching Golden State launch 3's every time down the court...eventually leading to their downfall. And to think I was pulling for the Warriors...mostly because Mister played there.
Please!
The goalie matchup of The Dominator vs. Giguere?
The emergence of the next great NHL rivalry in Ottawa and Buffalo?
Or the emergence of these outstanding scorers for the Senators- Alfredsson, Heatley, Spezza!
THE FOUR OT GAME BETWEEN DALLAS AND VANCOUVER?
And what does the NBA give us? Should we suspend Steve Nash or not?
You have been brainwashed, my friends.
Come on- leave the thugs and the gangbangers.
Leave the sport of the seven foot tall freaks and hip hop music.
Come to where the REAL MEN are, the best athletes, and the excitement.
Come to the Rock and Roll sport, the speed, and the exotic nature.
And always remember what the great Howard Cosell had to say about pro basketball-
AND THE NBA!
Two teams running up and down a court and scoring at will!
IT MAKES NO SENSE!
Someone wake me up when there is enough evidence to convict the NBA of impersonating a basketball league.
Come on- leave the thugs and the gangbangers.
Leave the sport of the seven foot tall freaks and hip hop music.
You say this but two of the best players in the NBA are anything but that...Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki. Both are very classy guys who know how to play the game.
I know how to play the game too.
Are you saying the NBA is now employing players that don't understand you must dribble while you take the ball up court, that you cannot jump with the ball unless you pass or shoot, that you try to put the ball in the basket and you have 24 seconds to shoot, etc?
No but you are saying they are employing gang bangers and thugs when the two best players are nothing like that at all. Also I don't understand why is it perfectly ok to call men basketball players thugs and gangbangers but when Imus says something similar about women he gets fired??
If only Pitt could be fired from the board.
Imus didnt get away with it because he is Imus.
Marky is well....Marky
I thought the NHL was all about Canadian style Thugs and Gangbangers.
Sorry Pitt but I did not recognize a single name that you mentioned from the NHL.
The NBA playoffs have actually been pretty good this year except the few times when a hockey game almost broke out (whoops, I meant the flagrant fouls and pushing).
If only you could be something other than an ETSU shill, Marcus.
If only you were a man, instead of Bill Hagy's lackey.
Imus was fired because of a witch hunt. He also used the term "Nappy Headed," which has racial implications, and "Ho," which is considered sexist.
Thug and gangbanger accurately describes perhaps a majority of players in the NBA. In fact, had Imus said "Those girls are some gangbanging thugs" he'd still be on the air.
Anyway, I won't comment on your lack of sports knowledge, Bama.
Buffalo staves off elimination last night with a 3-2 win!
Idaho beats defending Kelly Cup Alaska in the ECHL semis!
And the Dayton Bombers- out of NOWHERE after a horrible season last year in which they went through something like 10 goalies and playing in the shadow of a new Cincinnati franchise last year- now one game away from knocking off perennial power Florida to play them!
Give former Charlotte Checkers GM Don MacAdam- a true gentleman- credit for a tremendous rebuilding effort!
Wouldn't it be nice if we could have something like that here?
But, no. We'd rather HIKE OUR SKIRTS for the freaking hip-hoppers and gangbangers.
Actually, maybe I'm too hard on the NBA.
Let's see here- Sacramento, Portland, San Antonio, Salt Lake City, Memphis, Oklahoma City . . . .
With that lineup of cities the Tri-Cities should lobby for a franchise!
I'd rather watch paint dry than hockey. I dont think I'm alone either...maybe thats why they are on the Outdoor channel.
No I'd rather watch hockey than paint dry. Wait. I'm not so sure. I'll get back to you on that one.
I thought the NHL was all about Canadian style Thugs and Gangbangers.
Exactly a bunch of Canadian babies that have to fight all the time.
Hockey players are babies?
Babies are people who need glocks to be tough.
OH- YOU KNOW! BASKETBALL PLAYERS!
Where's that Bruin that took on Ed Kellner when you need him?
Lack of sports knowledge? Did you mean lack of hockey knowledge? Yes I am proud of that.
The only other "sport" that also interests so many that I could care less about is NASCAR.
I am proud to say I have no knowledge in hockey as well. It's a pretty good feeling knowing that I haven't sat down and watched a hockey game in 13 years. And the only reason I watched that game 13 years ago was because I had a friend who was a New Yorker and he loved hockey and he basically forced me to watch an NHL championship game. It was brutal I tell you...brutal.
You two are tasteless hillbillies who deserve death.
That is all.
Don't normally get in on the hockey talk, but started watching the NHL in the late 90's when Sakic and Forsberg were playing for the Avs. Became an Avs fan and watched almost all of their playoff games. Then the strike or lockout or whatever happened and the NHL went to crap.
I am one of the seven people who get the Versus network, and if I am flipping trhough the channels, I might watch for a few minutes.
I'd go watch a local hockey team, Were probably closer to that at State than we are to football.
Bring Ice Buc Hockey Now???
I've been hearing that talk on the morning show about the NHL losing a season and losing something.
Trust me, it was needed for the sport. The best thing that could happen for baseball is for there to be about a two season layoff and break up the union.
By holding out as they did, the NHL ensured competitive balance.
Granted, I'm not too jacked with shootouts or four on four overtimes or what not, but I am jacked that any team can take the Cup- unlike baseball and basketball- where ETSU has a greater chance of winning the NCAA Tournament than just about half the teams in those sports do of capturing their top prize.
Over the weekend I was watching 1st and 10 (I think that is what its called) on ESPN and they asked the question, Which sporting event this weekend is more irrelevant? The NHL finals or the Indy 500? Well both guys answered the NHL finals to be more irrelevant.
ESPN? Isn't that the network that lost the rights to Versus?
Yeah, they really want to see the league do well.
While I realize it has become fashionable to bash hockey (and, for that matter, baseball), that doesn't make it right.
A new study- done by ESPN- shows that they have 28% less hockey coverage since losing the rights than they did before. And they didn't have much before, either.
Similarly, there is a disproportionate amount of NBA coverage on ESPN. It's like three times what it should be when you factor in the ratings.
If the NHL got that kind of coverage- I'm convinced people would discover the sport and it would be highly viable.
They should have included the nba playoffs. The Indy's rain delay had a higher TV rating than did Saturday's nba game. MORE FOLKS WATCHED THE RAIN DELAY THAN THE nba.
I've heard that.
The only reason the NBA gets the coverage it does is because if they gave it what it deserved I'm convinced the Jesse Jacksons and Al Sharptons would point fingers of racism at the sports media.
I give you what Howard Cosell once said about the sport-
"Two teams running back and forth, scoring at will.
It makes no sense!"
No, Nuck, you idiot.
Actually, the NHL sells out its playoffs. The NBA doesn't.
And what- I'm supposed to be impressed with what idiots in a loser's town like Cleveland will pay?
You're giving me McDonalds bragging on selling a hamburger to a starving man for $800. Yes- a starving man- he will pay $800 for a hamburger.
Same thing here.
Something else. I searched for tickets on eBay for the comparative finals.
Highest bid I could find for tonight's Ducks-Senators game was $3,500.
http://cgi.ebay.com/4-Stanley-Cup-Finals...0128884815
Highest I could find for a Cavs-Spurs game- with a bid- was $3,000.
Sorry. You lose.
It is sad. The NHL does sell out more than the NBA, but hardly nobody else beside those in NHL cities care. TV ratings have been awful and when the majority of the major US daily newspapers do not cover what was once perceived one of the big four sporting events - something's wrong. There were more major newspapers staffing the Food City 500 at Bristol than what has been at the Stanley Cup finals now and that's sad. I agree with Pitt, if the NBA Finals were not staffed there would be an outcry. Sadly there's not enough people that care about the NHL to change that.
For the past 15-20 years it has become fashionable to bash hockey.
Just like baseball.
You look at hockey and the sport itself is growing by leaps and bounds in America. More players play it here than ever before- to the point Tennessee actually has a state championship now- The Predators Cup- and it is the fastest growing sport in the state.
The Boston Bruins had a winger last year born in Georgia- Mark Mowers. New professional teams are all over the country- look at the expansion of the ECHL and the CHL.
Heck, there is even something called the Southern Professional Hockey League.
So why is it not translating to better TV numbers?
I truly feel it is the stigma of "nobody's watching." Nuck said it best when he theorized the Stanley Cup tickets would go for $50 and didn't even know they were selling better than the NBA tickets.
I have dealt with many editors who felt this way, and then would not realize a high school hockey game at a rink was drawing 2,000 fans whereas the old gym they'd send someone to was drawing 250 for the basketball game.
There is also "political correctness." In the last 20 years we've seen tons more women's basketball coverage for instance.
Now, do people really care about women's hoops? Or is this ink coming about, as I say, because covering women's hoops is the politically correct thing to do?
Hence, they have to cut out something. So why not cut out the stuff that is fashionable to bash?
I think there may be a cultural hit it is also taking. I have always called hockey "The Rock and Roll Sport," and if hockey marketed itself as that it would double its ratings overnight and it would return to prominence.
However, circa 1989 two things happen.
1- John Zeigler decided to take the broadcasts off ESPN for Sportschannel- a regional network- circa 1989. At the time Wayne Gretzky was one of the most famous athletes around- probably bigger than Michael Jordan in 1989. There was the Diet Coke commercial, the trade to the Kings, the guest starring appearance on Saturday Night Live.
Plus, he also had a rival now in Mario Lemieux. Lemieux/Gretzky was DiMaggio/Williams, Russell/Chamberlain, Marino/Elway, Aaron/Mays, etc.
AND YOU COULDN'T WATCH IT!
2- Here's the controversial part. You have to understand the culture of sports. There are people who won't touch NASCAR with a 10 foot pole because they feel the fans are all rednecks.
There is a rivalry with hockey and basketball. Basketball types love to put down hockey and say nobody is watching- but there's a cultural element there too.
Hockey is white, suburban, and rock and roll. It is easy to put down and make fun of a name you can't pronounce or rules you don't understand.
Basketball is black, urban, and hip-hop.
Basketball types SAVAGE hockey types because they view it in many ways the sport of "The Man."
Hockey types dare not retaliate.
Hockey types do believe if hockey was given proper respect- such as promos on NBC (if they want ratings- HOW 'BOUT SOME PROMOS OF THE GAMES AND PLAYERS?)- the ink and air time on sports sections and casts it deserves- that it would overnight become as relevant as the NBA again.
Remember, in the 1970s and early 80s it was.
But in the early 90s, hip hop becomes king, rock dies, and Jordan overtakes Gretzky.
Hence, it became culturally popular to bash hockey.
How to solve it?
Market the sport as "The Rock and Roll sport." Suddenly you have a culture.
NASCAR has the rednecks. Golf and tennis have the blue bloods. Hockey has the rockers- just check out all the mullets.
Second- you HAVE to build rinks in places like Johnson City, Tennessee so kids can grow up and learn the game. If I plowed over every football field around here and throughout the country except for NFL stadiums pro football would lose 99% of its popularity as well.
The rinks are all over Canada. The rinks are all over Pittsburgh. The rinks are nowhere to be seen around here.
Is it any coincidence then the first two locales are hockey mad?
Finally, before I hear Don Helman say this anymore- we can talk about strikes- but I think most hockey fans are HAPPY about the strike. They think the labor problems have been solved.
So Anaheim and Ottawa meet for the Stanley Cup instead of New York and Chicago. Hockey's lockout made sure all NHL teams have a chance now.
Baseball's strikes have essentially turned a 30 team league into a two-team league with the Red Sox and Yankees.
Baseball's strike was far more damaging. If anything, the NHL's lost season was productive.
HAHA Pitt!! That link you sent has ZERO bids. I don't care how high the price of the ticket it is but according to that link nobody gives a damn because as of right now it has ZERO bids. Hell I can do what this guy is doing put an outrageous price for a hockey game on e-bay so nobody can bid on it. So sorry but you lose.
The truth of the matter is, nobody really seems to be buying these outrageous priced tickets for the NHL or NBA finals. I wouldn't pay over $1,000 for a NBA finals game and I wouldn't even pay $100 for a NHL finals game. However if ETSU was to ever make the final 4 I would pay over $1,000 to watch it.....but anything else I probably wouldn't.
When I posted it it had a bid.
Now, the guy could have removed it. It was $3,200, after all.
And the reserve hasn't been met for the NBA game.
Something about these sales. I think it is a bit more feasible for a fan to come from Cleveland to San Antonio than it is for a fan to come from Ottawa to Anaheim.
The fans who will buy that outrageous ticket are generally the out-of-towners who otherwise can't get seats and GOTTA SEE THEIR TEAM WIN.
In addition to having to go to another country with a stronger dollar and distances- a Senators fan knows down 3-1 it's not worth $3,200- before travel- to take his family to Anaheim.
The series hasn't taken shape yet in the NBA.
Still, you aren't going to see that NBA listing meet the bid- and that guy is going to wind up selling those seats for significantly less of a price.
You're right- the outrageous price of $10,000 for a seat- possibly can see that for the Super Bowl- can't see it for anything else. Those listings aren't going for that- especially when you consider there are SEASON tickets for teams up there that don't go for that.
And you don't have either $1,000 or $100.
And you don't have either $1,000 or $100.
Yes I do. People that work in information technology with a 4 year college degree tend to do fairly well...even in the Tri-Cities. So I would think before you start talking about someones income you don't even know. PM me if you want to know more.
If you make that with your writing skills and lack of intelligence then that is all you need to know about the geographic bigotry of the area.
Pitt, I know my writing skills suck I don't need you to tell me that. I didn't go to school to learn how to post 3,000 messages on a message board. I went to college to work in IT and what you apparently don't understand is that you don't need writing skills of damn novelist to work in IT. The courses I took in college consist of math, engineering technology and programing. I took comp 1 and comp 2 my freshman year, American Lit my sophomore year, and Technical Writing my Senior year and that was it for writing courses. So I am sorry that I am not qualified enough to be a publisher for the New York Times. Once again if you want to know what exactly I do, where I work, how long I have been doing it then feel free to PM me and I'll tell you all about that, but I'm not saying anymore about my job on a public message board. Thanks for making a fool of yourself once again.
Oh, hardly.
You started this thing by getting on my goat about hockey.
Now, the shoe is on the other foot.
I'm fire, Nuck. Play with me and you're gonna get burned.
I don't see how I'm the one that got burned, but oh well I'll let you think that way.
By God, you just told me you work at Eastman.
I'm sure you get burned, literally, all the time there.
How is the creation of "Death Gel" coming along, anyway?
Death Gel ?
Please elaborate Pitt.
That's an old Jay Leno punch line about what they make at chemical companies.