Hockey v. Baseball

[357]

Originally Posted by The Poet

And the Yankees consistently draw about 10,000 more each game than they do in Fenway . . . due of course to its greater capacity. As with most everything, if you build a good product, they will come.

As for the "regular" season significance, I don't refer to the fact that baseball plays twice as many games as does the NHL, but rather to the fact that how one does in those games means more over the long haul. Of the 30 MLB teams only 8, or 26%, make the playoffs. In hockey, twice as many of the 30 make the postseason, or just over half of them. To me, this means you can be a hair UNDER mediocre, and still be rewarded.

Finally, baseball has been a part of the American consciousness for a century and a half, and is one of OUR sports. Hockey is NOT native to the USA, and despite the protests of its rabid fans, is little more part of the consciousness of the average American than is soccer. Sorry, but them's the facts, Jacks.

Soccer? Don't go there. Check TV ratings on hockey vs anything outside the 4 major sports and it's not even close. In fact NHL has had significant ratings increases in the past couple years. The NBA's labor issues could help even more given their seasons are are at the same time.

Don't get me wrong, I know hockey is more of a regional sport. Expanding into the deserts and sub-tropics was a bad idea. The NHL was a better product when there were about 24 teams. However, rule changes/enforcement have helped bring it back quite a bit.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by 357

Soccer? Don't go there. Check TV ratings on hockey vs anything outside the 4 major sports and it's not even close.

I cannot argue TV ratings head-to-head, mainly due to the fact that soccer is normally only broadcast on Hispanic stations. But if you compare butts in the seats on a per-game basis vis-a-vis hockey and MLS games, you will see the numbers are not only close across the board, but in heavily Hispanic areas soccer kicks the puck out of hockey. Of course, this is in good part due to the greater size of many outdoor venues as opposed to indoor rinks, but it does tend to lend some slight support to my contention . . . even if it does speak Spanglish.