The NHL is dead?

[Rushmore]

In the last two months, give or take, I have a heard a number of sports talking heads on ESPN and other networks proclaim the death of the NHL. "Who cares who makes the playoffs/wins the cup? Nobody's watching, the league is dead, etc etc.."

First, I'm watching. So they oughta keep it going just for me.

Second, if it's true that nobody's watching, then the American viewing public (for whom the final episode of Friends was a literally traumatic event) is beyond redemption.

I defy any sports fan to watch a tape of the Flyers/Lightning game 6 from last night and tell me that they didn't thoroughly enjoy it. In particular, the overtime was absolutely spellbinding. It was as exciting as sports can get. Non-stop action, back and forth, refs put the whistles away, hitting, hitting, they show the guys after a shift and they look like they just ran a marathon, the crowd in Philly ( every one of whom is wearing a bright orange shirt) going crazy, delirious in a virtually non-stop cacophony...

Nah. I'd rather watch some little guy who's been sitting on the bench for an hour trot out onto the field in his spotless uniform with 3 seconds left and kick a 26 yard field goal to win the Super Bowl.

Duh.

[Gamblor]

Thank you.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Count me in as one who cares about hockey. Hell, I go ape over college hockey.

[Sloats]

The simple problem with the NHL is the economic of the sport. The outrageous salaries from the players are not taking money out of the owner's pockets, they are taking it out of the fans. I remember paying $5 to see games in the upper level. Now I am looking a $50 - $100 a piece tickets. I have to ask myself which would I rather do: Would I rather buy a whole filet mignon and play a night of pick-up, or would I trek down to some arena and watch some professionals half-play because the game isn't a playoff game and they are not emotionally involved.

THAT is what is killing hockey. Hockey is alieniating it's core fans because it has fleeced them too ofter.

[Gamblor]

Team Marketing Report (http://www.teammarketing.com/fci.cfm?page=fci_nhl_03-04.cfm)

Platinum Level (the bottom 12 rows or so) Leafs tickets for the Stanley Cup Final this year were $500 CDN EACH.

[jdl22]

I watch hockey, but only in playoff time. The same basically goes for the NBA except for the occasional Portland - LA game that I'll be interested enough to watch. Playoff hockey is fantastic.

I think one of the greatest or most emotional sports plays this year was the guy for Philadelphia struggling to get to the bench after just getting absolutely pummeled allowing JR to get onto the ice and score the game winner. That is the epitome of playoff hockey - making self sacrifices to put the team in a better position to win. Sadly it's not that way in all sports.

Anybody have the ratings for the playoffs this year? I find it hard to believe that the ratings could be continuing to go down. My guess is that they are holding steady, though at a fairly low level.

I have similar issues with soccer. I think if the pundits would stop talking down both sports all the time they would have a chance to gain in popularity. Both are great games.