I know some fans don’t give an expletive (Ryan Miller quote) about the NHL being popular amongst the American mainstream, but some of us, who are obsessed with telling New Yorkers off, really want the league to thrive. I’ve always said, if the Bills win a championship, it would be easier for me to shove it up New Yorkers asses! They all know the importance of football in America. Hockey, on the other hand, well, when the Subway series is a bigger story than the Rangers adding Brad Richards that’s pretty much a microcosm of hockey in The Big Apple.
So, if the Sabres win the cup and I run outside of my Queens apartment, yelling at the top of my lungs that we are #1 and for NYC to suck on it, I’m sure everyone will look at me as if I were on drugs. Now, maybe I’m a selfish fan, but I don’t want that to happen! Of course, I also want the NHL to grow as well.
There are a number of reasons why the NHL hasn’t been able to crack the mainstream: TV Network, wishy-washy rules or the oversaturation of expanding down south. Even with those reasons, I think there are two main factors. First, I think the players need to relish their role as being entertainers off and on the ice. You know, create elaborate celebrations or just embrace your inner d#$kheadness. Fans love cheering against the enemy and when Alexander Ovechkin is your poster boy for that, you have problems. Hell, I still don’t understand why fans don’t like the guy.
The second reason has to do with competition. There are just so many choices out there. I always look toward the mid-90’s for when the sports scene really blew up. Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods helped elevate the NBA and PGA. The NFL became the king of sports. The chase for Roger Maris’ HR record brought back legions of MLB fans. The NHL? Um, they had The Trap.
Look, the NHL has made strides over the last few years and the ratings for the SC Finals show it. However, this upcoming season is going to be their biggest opportunity to close the gap. To me, the NBA is the biggest rival/threat to the NHL. Both game presentations are similar because of the scheduling of games, the same playoff format, and how they play in the same arena. For years, the NBA has crushed the NHL on a national level. The NFL really isn’t a threat because they only air the majority of their games on Sunday and the NHL will never come close to them. The baseball/hockey season only intertwine for like 2 months out of the year. NBA? It’s almost the exact same time frame.
I’m sure we all heard that the NBA is going to hell. There’s a strong possibility that the league won’t have any games this season. The league is in bad shape when it comes to the bottom tier teams. The Hornets are like the Coyotes of the NHL. When Darko Milic makes 5 million bucks a year and Erik Dampier makes like 10 million bucks, your league has issues. At best, I don’t think the NBA starts until January.
This is the time for the NHL to make its move.
I’ve gone over how I’m not a fan of the Versus TV deal ad nauseam. No one watches the network. This would have been the perferct year to air games on ESPN. If ESPN doesn’t have the NBA, they would have promoted the crap out of the NHL on their network. Now even with the NBA lockout, I don’t think ESPN will do the NHL any favors. I mean, it’s not like they are going to say “Hey, look at this great slate of NHL Games! Check it out on Versus.” Um, yeah, it won’t happen. So, here are some ways that the NHL can capitalize on the NBA going on hiatus.
Some are real while others are just crazy talk.
1) Center Ice is free: I think this is doable. If you really want to advance the game in America, maybe try giving away more games on Center Ice. Have two free games a night. Versus only airs hockey games twice a week. That’s just not enough with the NBA out of commission. Normally, the NBA airs games on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday on national television. Also, after the football season, the NBA airs games on ABC on Sunday.
2) Hire the WWE: Yes, this is crazy and won’t happen. However, I think some of these players need to take acting classes on being heels/bad guys. Hell, the WWE made a ton of money when Steve Austin gave Vince McMahon the finger. Let’s get Brad Richards to do the same to Gary Bettman. All kidding aside, the NHL has to do a better job in making players understand what draws in this country. Hey, as crazy as it sounds, girls are always attracted to bad boys and I think that’s the case with your casual fan in sports. Someone has to relish the role of being a villain. Embrace your inner Ron Artest, TO, Steve Austin or LeBron James. Take one for the league now! Actually, just give Patrick Kane his own reality show.
3) Swap the Rangers with the Sharks: Yes, this is borderline insanity as well. I hate to say it, but whenever a professional sports team does well in The Big Apple, it matters on the national spotlight. It’s not by accident that the most popular team to win a Stanley Cup over the last 30 years came from NYC (Rangers in 94′). Fans gravitate to this city because you either love them or you hate them. Hey, the Sharks have always been a decent team but always find a way to collapse down the stretch. This will be great for the NHL! It would be like when the fans went berserk over the Heat losing to the Mavs. However, with this sort of swap, it will happen on a yearly basis. So, everyone wins… except NYC.
4) Figure out your identity: For too many years I’ve always felt there was fight over what the NHL product should be. Do you want it be old-school 70’s style of hockey or do you want it be 5-4 hockey games? Don’t believe me? Just look at the inconsistincies in officiating and suspensions. They have no idea what the hell they want to be. Well, more is lost by indecision than by wrong decision. For once, pick a side. Stop being so wishy-washy. I’m sick of playing the guessing game about how this game is going to be officiated. It’s not that hard to figure it out. You let them play or you call penalities. Want my opinion? Go back to 2005 and watch the games. That is what hockey should be about.
5) Stamkos signs with the Pens: Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs you say? Haha! Did you not see what happened with the NBA when James took his talents to South Beach? Hell, it was the greatest thing to ever happen to the NBA! Even if you hate basketball, you were glued to watching the Heat fall flat on their faces. I propose the NHL gets involved in some sort of grand scheme to have Stamkos join forces with Crosby and Malkin. Screw it, just do some sort of salary cap exemption for the Pens. Hell, they did it when Beckham went to the LA Galaxy. They can have “The Decision” on the NHL Network which god knows needs some original programming during the summer. Then, after Stamkos announces that he’s taking his talents to the Igloo, he can join Crosby and Malkin on stage and conduct some sort of dance ritual/rally like Miami Thrice did. Crosby can declare that their goal is to win multiple Cups (Larry Quinn quote). Then, we can have the dozens legions of Tampa Bay fans burn their Stamkos jerseys. It will be great! It will totally work. Do it, Gary!
6) Move more teams to Canada: Yes, for years I sold the rhetoric of “Good hockey will sell in the southern states.” Well, I’m through with it. Move the Coyotes and Panthers to Canada. Actually, just contract the teams and have all the players become free agents. We can have some sort of television event as to where these players would go. It would be like an expansion draft. OK, this is borderline nuts. Carry on..
7) Hire HBO: So, after you bring in the WWE to give some of these players personalities, I think HBO needs to swoop in and just do a 24.7.365 days a year show. Hey, how cool did HBO make the NHL look on 24/7? It was like Dorothy walking into color in the Land of Oz. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the NHL needs to find new ways to enhance their product on TV. What the NHL has lacked isn’t about what happens from whistle to whistle, it’s how they can’t find a way to get the fans to tune in before a game starts. Their pregame presentation is what really hinders the league. Just open the doors to Pandora’s box. Want an example? Remember the TV show “Playmakers” on ESPN? I thought the show was awesome. Yes, Gary, that is what I want to see on TV! On a sidenote, in the book Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN, Mark Shapiro (Vice President of ESPN Programming at the time) asked Gary if the NHL would be interested in doing a show like that. Gary, in short, said “Hell, no!” Oh, Gary, you had gold I tell you! Pure gold!
Bottom line: Some of the suggestions I just gave are borderline bonkers, but there’s no denying this is a huge year for the NHL. They need to pull out all the stops. They need to get their players on Jimmy Fallon or on the podcast with Joe from NYC. Don’t think they aren’t licking their chops for this moment. I do think having more free games on Center Ice or the NHL network would do wonders for them. I also think some players need to loosen up a bit. This is their big shot at finally breaking through. Hey, what do you have to lose?
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