Around the League 2019-2024 Edition
- Thread starter LeafGm
- Start date
LeafOfFaith
Well-known member
If you ever played hockey and liked it, it’s in your blood and you see it on another level than people who never played it do. I mean, my street hockey game is honestly like heroin. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
I have tried to give a single solitary fuck about the NFL but just can't. NBA and NHL have the best products of the major leagues imo, but one of the two actually knows what to do with it. I agree that if I wasn't born into it, I would struggle to care about the NHL but I think that's on the league more than the game.
LeafOfFaith
Well-known member
JackBurton
Well-known member
NHL was closer to the other sports before Bettman took over.
uncus
Well-known member
Interesting the latitude we give some sports but not others ... the worst refs are the NBA by a mile. We complain about the reffing in hockey but omg there is no chance that it is ever as bad as many of the other sports. Also, the skill and physical limits we place on the athletes of each sport ... nothing comes close to hockey (MMA, soccer not included). I mean, look at vladdy ... he's a severely obese man who will get north of 300 million for his career. And baseball (like the NFL) moves at staggeringly slow speeds.
I believe that hockey is superior to other sports because of the speed, the hitting, and the sudden change in momentum. Most of the players are approachable and kind to the youth with their time.
The only area I believe any of these other leagues have over hockey is the marketing and player promotion (selling their stars and their nemeses).
NBA reminds me of a lottery ticket. lol.
It amazes me that almost everyone on this site was totally against Evander Kane as a member of the Leafs ... Evander Kane in the NFL would be a poster boy for exemplary behavior.
leafman101
Well-known member
Hockey is easily the best of the big sports. Its the fastest, most violent, most skilled. Games don't take forever. Its constant action. Its just marketed poorly.
Bettman took an "if you build it they will come approach" but expansion works better in markets that already like the product. He largely just ignored the product, other than in 2005. They've intentionally tried to suppress all of the interesting personalities (Hull, Roenick, Ovie, Kessel etc) and the skill of the game. They never really made an effort in gambling or esports until recently.
They tried to make hockey boring.
The NHL was always in tough because most sports play in the winter. MLB just relies on being the only thing on. But there is lots of competition for eyeballs, and they've never recognized that, or tried to compete for those eyeballs.
Bettman took an "if you build it they will come approach" but expansion works better in markets that already like the product. He largely just ignored the product, other than in 2005. They've intentionally tried to suppress all of the interesting personalities (Hull, Roenick, Ovie, Kessel etc) and the skill of the game. They never really made an effort in gambling or esports until recently.
They tried to make hockey boring.
The NHL was always in tough because most sports play in the winter. MLB just relies on being the only thing on. But there is lots of competition for eyeballs, and they've never recognized that, or tried to compete for those eyeballs.
Wayward DP
Well-known member
I used to devote my Sunday to watching football. During undergrad. After undergrad. I think for a time during law school.
Then I lived in America for four months.
And now, I cannot remember the last time I watched even a single snap.
NFL football encapsulates just so much of what is wrong with America, all in one neat little package. Ruined any enjoyment I used to get from it. Price of awareness I guess.
Habsy
Not playing around anymore.
Legit surprised you couldn't get into NFL. Once you get passed the BS it's a great sport to watch with many last minute lead changes.
I love football. For me it's baseball I couldn't give a darn about but that's because of the Expos fiasco.
I grew up in one of the great Habs ages so I also don't know if i would be as interested in hockey today as a youngster. They really should be putting out movies for kids and fans alike.
hockeylover
Well-known member
It was only being dragged into Fantasy Football in a lockout year that got me into football.
Otherwise, I didn't grow up with it much on TV, not many people I know played it growing up, and there's no local team so probably all factors against it.
Otherwise, I didn't grow up with it much on TV, not many people I know played it growing up, and there's no local team so probably all factors against it.
hockeylover
Well-known member
Well, sure, but I don't consider Buffalo teams to be our local teams.
LeafGm
Well-known member
Yeah, I’ll second that. Not a chance in hell I’d ever become a fan of a team from fucking Buffalo.
So that combined with Toronto not having its own team is probably why I never became even a casual fan of football.
The other factor is football has always just bored the hell out of me as a spectator sport.
Yes and I ride hard for the Mafia. Don't listen to the rest of these heathens. And quite frankly, College Football pisses all over hockey too.
Me too. Throw in the traditions and pageantry and I'm all in.
Habsy
Not playing around anymore.
I suppose the proximity from Montreal is a factor then. It was either the Giants or Bills on every Sunday for me and I just couldn't stand the giants. Been a bills fan since OJ.