What causes Americans to overlook the NHL?

Question

FANTASY - Drop the act. Please.

Answer 1

It's so overlooked that even public schools don't sponsor their own teams.  I think the reason is that since there are no ice rinks in schools, they don't expect the students to go to the games anyways, while sports such as football and basketball have that.  As for the NHL, since it isn't as widely popular (that changes as of this year and/or last year) as other sports, it's expected that many don't watch.  You also have to put into account that ice hockey originates from Canada, which there are issues between Americans and Canadiens when it comes to hockey or other things.  Besides, I think it will be seen as an even more respectable sport after this season's ratings.

Answer 2

2 main reasons:

1.  A lot of American kids don't get a chance to lace up the skates and play hockey.  They do however, get the chance to play to big media sports; Football, Basketball, and Baseball.    It's a complicated mix of home environment and geography.  So these kids grow up never playing hockey and not becoming hockey fans, then they have kids, who aren't exposed to hockey, who inturn have children who grow-up to be NASCAR fans.

2. Media attention...the media covers what they believe the people want to see.  The people watch and demand what the media covers.  It's a vicious circle.  I'm pretty sure after a time if the NHL had better media attention in the US more people would be hockey fans.

Answer 3

Exposure.  Plain and simple.

The NHL marketing in the US is horrendous and small compared to the other 3.  People can't follow a sport they don't even know is out there?  Even hard core fans here are complaining because they are on Versus and not everyone has that channel.  And people that watch Sportscenter, won't have to sit through any hockey highlights because it will be aired at the very end.  Of course, thats just public exposure.

There's also personal exposure.  How many have hockey programs in their elementary schools compared to the other sports programs?  I'm sure baseball, basketball and football are all sports that schools can offer.  But not all schools have the rink, especially out in the west coast.  Kids would grow up to enjoy the sport more if they played it.  But instead, they are exposed to the other 3 sports so they grow to follow that as well.  

And lets face it.  Americans just like controversy.  The NHL players for the most part, are classy people.  They present themselves well and don't draw in the attention like the other sports with their problems.  Clemens and Bonds with their steroids?  Kobe with his affair and Ron Artest running to the stands beating a fan?  Michael Vick dogfighting and T.O. and his soap opera of antics?  Americans love it and it in itself brings exposure to the sport.  I'm sure when Bertuzzi was smashing Moore from behind, we may have tilted the awareness to hockey just a bit.

Its a shame hockey is so overlooked here by Americans.  The worst part is when someone comments that hockey isn't a sport and just about people beating each other up.  So naive.....

Answer 4

I think that it all starts with the commissioner.  He hasn't done much to promote the sport in the U.S.  Putting the sport on a network that most of us can't get isn't helping things much, an extended lockout that erased an entire season wasn't the best thing either.  He had a prime opportunity to promote the sport when the NBA had their lockout, but failed to capitalise on it, and the NHL still ranked behind a sport that was in the midst of a lockout.

Answer 5

Oh man, another generalization.

Most Americans have too much on their sports plate to notice hockey.

Their loss.

Answer 6

The majority of Americans are ignorant unintelligent and rude (I know I am one) and for these people to follow and keep up with the speed and rules of Hockey is like asking a Zebra to knit a sweater. They stay away from what they can't understand. And most Americans don't understand hockey so the talk trash about it.Plus half of the US only has ice in there coolers.

Answer 7

Unfortunately football has taken over our nation.  You can't even get ESPN to spend a decent amount of time on it, and hockey has been nationwide in the US for a long time now.  I guess it comes down to geography.  In the North you grow up with hockey, playing leagues, playing in the street, and you have no trouble finding it on TV.  In the south it's just this "other sport" that people might go check out if there isn't a high school, college, NFL or pick-up football game going on somewhere.  I must hand it to Nashville though, they were in the top ten for watching the Stanley Cup Finals, possibly top 5 (I don't remember exactly but I was very impressed!).

Answer 8

Ignorance...and I also agree with Kate, I am an American and feel pretty much the same. They say that other sports are better. Give me a break! They are missing out on one of the greatest sports that has so much passion put into the game.

Answer 9

In America, we like only baseball, football and basketball. I like baseball but I like hockey a lot more.  For some reason hockey isn't as 'great' as all the other sports. People don't know what a real sport is, after all, I haven't heard about any hockey players driving drunk or doing drugs, it's usually football and basketball players. I hate it. Hockey is an amazing sport.

Answer 10

I think it's simple geography.  If you look at where hockey is most popular in the US, it's in places where it snows.  My brothers would go outside and play hockey on the bayou with skates, sticks and a net.  It doesn't have to be about the money if you're in a northern state - it's about availability.  The warmer states require rinks, ice time, and proper equipment that run up the dollar amounts.  How many kids in the south can skate compared to the kids in the snowy states?

Answer 11

Probably because it is not common for little kids to join a peewee hockey team...especially down here in the South...and since they don't play the sport they don't relate to it.

Or something like that.  I have only shot a hockey puck a handful of times (and won $500 once...go cheap contests!) but I still love love love hockey.

Not to mention the TV contract that the NHL does NOT have with ESPN can cause it to melt into oblivion.

Answer 12

The only pro sport I follow is hockey...can we please get over this stupid speculation. Yes, the Super Bowl gets an assload of coverage, but hockey is certainly not off the radar.

Answer 13

I think a good bit has to do with playing it themselves. How cheap is a football; a basketball; a baseball, glove, & bat? Now think of playing ice hockey and the current cost of a stick, pair of skates, protective gear...

another is that rules of the other sports are mostly ingrained in us since early childhood. How many people have asked you to explain icing or off sides?

the major networks ignore it because there are other major sports with bigger draws and can bring in more advertising money (it's all about money to them).

People I've introduced hockey to have for the most part all enjoyed watching it. It may be a total grassroots campaign, but the more you can share it with others and help them understand, the more likely future fans will come to be.

Answer 14

Well, some Americans just enjoy watching sports created  in the United States. It's all about patriotism, support your countries sports first. Since some Americans will only buy American and support American things, they decide to not support Hockey because it is Canadian.

Answer 15

Americans are stupid when it comes to sports. I myself am American, but I hate it. Americans only care about Football, Basketball, Baseball.....OH! and you can't forget golf!.....give me a break.

Answer 16

because we only care about dumb sports like football. i personally hate all of those sports, and i only like hockey.

Answer 17

Fantasy- you do know that basketball and baseball were invented by Canadians, right?  And American Football was borrowed from rugby (as in NOT American).

Americans overlook what they're unfamiliar with.  The sport does not have the deep roots in America like it does in Canada.  Here in Canada there's not just the NHL, but the AHL, major junior (which I really enjoy watching), and so on.  There's a rec league for anyone and everyone who wants to play.  Look at how soccer has grown in America; you've got the huge levels of youth participation, and finally (30-odd years later), attendance is decent, and the sport seems to have found some stability (plus, the cost to play soccer is minimal by comparison).

Answer 18

If you don't play a sport the appreciation for the game diminishes. I felt that way about lacrosse until my son started to play. I fell in love with the game because I began to understand it.

Hockey has some rules that don't make sense to people who haven't played the game. Explaining why a body check is okay but hooking is a penalty. Icing and offside creates a lot of confusion as well. That is why the two line off side pass was eliminated. Even the announcers had trouble with that one.

Also if you haven't skated the skills necessary are not appreciated. That's why we (in Canada) leave the good old USA sports to you Americans like Steve Nash and Justin Morneau.

EDIT

I made a rant and by the time I was finished the rantee was gone. Ah well.

Peace and Love

Tom

Answer 19

1. NFL

2. NASCAR

3. MLB / NBA (tie)

Answer 20

I've said it more than 100 times.   "No American superstar means no American interest."

Answer 21

bad timing the Stanly cup is during the NBA finals and the major networks show it over hockey i personally prefer hockey

Answer 22

Simply no desire to watch it. We have 3 sports that truly watch. Football, Baseball and Basketball. In our minds those are the only sports we have.

We consider the others but these ones are the sports we grew up with. Most of us never grew up watching hockey or were even raised around it. I don't think we hate it. I just think we care less about it.

Most Americans can remember watching famous football rivalry between the Steelers and the Raiders, Dallas and San Francisco games. Lakers vs the Celtics and the Yankees vs the Red Sox. We never payed attention to the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Pittsburgh Penguins.

If you dont live in a hockey region you really dont know and wont spend time trying to learn it. Football, basketball and baseball are all around us. We have little leagues for all of those sports even soccer but no leagues for hockey unless you live in the upper mid west. Out of sight out of mind.

Answer 23

I think it is conditioned into Americans in their youth.  Look at the sports most people play when they are young.  Baseball, almost every American child has been or is in some sort of summer little league program, Basketball, and Football all have one major thing in common.  They are cheap sports to start and play. Basketball you need a hoop, which there are tons of in town, and a Ball.  Football you need a ball and some pieces of rock to mark field lines.  Baseball you need 1 bat useable by everybody, 1 ball, and maybe gloves depending on the type of ball used.

What do you need for hockey?  1-2 nets, sticks for everyone, a glove per goalie, and a ball.  It is much more money to play hockey than it is the other sports.  Few schools maintain hockey programs anymore due to expense.  The costs are similar to that of football on an organized level, but because of the popularity on an unorganized level, people are more likely to respond to playing football or going to games.

I live near Detroit and the following for the Red Wings is as big if not bigger than it is for the other teams in the area.  The problem is Detroit is one of the poorest Metro areas in the country.  Hockey is a expensive sport to play and, with the ludicrous ticket prices, an expensive one to go watch.  Even with the poor economic conditions in the area Detroit maintains a very high attendance rating.

So in summation, if you don't get Americans interested when they are young, they won't be interested when they are older.

Answer 24

because the NFL and i think a lot of nhl fans just like to wacth their fav teams....so if they dont make the playoffs or get eliminated from the playoffs they just stop watching and don't care ( i am one of those fans)

Answer 25

Hi

I would say wrong colors in the logo.  Studies show that red and yellow draw the eye's attention the fastest.  Red white and blue will attract American's eyes due to conditioning.  NHL logo has no of those colors in it.

Thank You

Answer 26

Well, I think part of it is just because it's a hard sport to translate well to TV.  Also, I think the NHL made a mistake when they chose to market just Crosby when the NHL came back after the lockout.  It's hard to get people excited about the sport when the casual fan only knows Crosby's name.  This year, with him injured, other players have stepped up.  There is plenty of young talent that deserves attention by the media.  Jarome Iginla is an extreme talent, who plays with an edge on the ice and has a big heart off of it (anyone hear the story on how he overheard some people talking about how they were sleeping in their car during the Salt Lake City Olympics, so he arranged for a hotel room for them?)  Hockey fans know who he is, but the casual fan doesn't.  Ovechkin is a great talent and also a fun interview to watch.  Some players are lifeless in interviews...you need more Jeremy Roenick types out there.  American's love exciting players with personalities.  Look at T.O.  many people hate him, but many love him, but he is constantly talked about, and he can play football too.

Also, yopu have a lot of foreign players whose names people can't even pronounce.  

But I also think the NHL and networks need to know hockey will never get NFL type ratings, and they need to try to stop trying to get those.

Answer 27

I think it's lack of media coverage more than anything.  It's tough to get interested in a sport that you don't get to watch easily.  During baseball season, there are at least 4 games (not all local teams) on any given channel in my area, and I don't get any special packages.  But for hockey, I only get the local team on TV.  To see any other games I have to buy Center Ice, and Versus doesn't show many games until the end of the season and the playoffs.  

I saw Scotty Bowman interviewed on NHL Network, and he told a good story about lack of recognition.  He was playing in a charity golf tournament in Kentucky.  He introduced himself to the people he was playing with , and they asked what he did for a living.  He said he was a retired hockey coach.  Then they asked "high school or college"?  Here's the most famous coach in the history of the NHL, and the average sports fan doesn't know who he is.  But I bet he wasn't on Letterman or Leno when he won those cups either. And he doesn't drive around in a "Bowman-mobile" like some former NFL coaches  

And I disagree with the post that said if you don't get into hockey when you're young, you won't be interested in the game later on.  I didn't start watching hockey until I was an adult, and I never had the opportunity to play it as a kid.  But when I did start watching hockey, it became my passion, and all other sports are a distant memory when there's a hockey game on.  

If the NHL would promote more events like they did with the Winter Classic, I think more Americans would get hooked on the greatest sport  ever played.

Answer 28

bring back the FOX puck lightup thingy lol!

Answer 29

I believe it is geographical reasons.  I grew up in New England where our winters were cold enough to play pond hockey, which then led me to wanting to play year round in organized leagues.  Not all of the US has that advantage.  Sure, there are rinks all around the country (ice time is at a premium) but it's an expensive sport to play and if you don't get involved at a young age there is much less opportunity to get involved later on.

It's unfortunate that Americans overlook it but if you grow up in the south or west its unlikely that you grew up with much opportunity to play.  Don't underestimate the areas of the country that do appreciate it because areas like Detroit, Denver, Boston, NY, Minn, PA, Chicago, etc.... can be hockey crazy at times.  I think the NHL ratings went up for the most part in the US this year.