For my debut post on the eve of Amateur Hour Sports' first annual NFL preview, I decided to go in a different direction, with a subject that hockey fans are quite familiar with. That is the pure, unadulterated hatred for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. For those of you who are unaware of Mr. Bettman's resume, he is the gentleman famous for stealing the Jets from Winnipeg just so they could fail in Phoenix and proclaiming the Penguins as the NHL's "model franchise," a few years after they declared bankruptcy and almost moved out of Pittsburgh. The list of his blunders could go on for pages, but his most recent gaffe involves him showing a clear favoritism towards "golden boy" Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins... again.
Aside from the Stanley Cup finals, the Winter Classic is the NHL's most important event, drawing in a large national audience, eager to watch teams compete at legendary outdoor venues (Wrigley in '09 and Fenway in '10). Four years after the Penguins and Buffalo Sabres played at Ralph Wilson Stadium in the first Winter Classic, Alexander Ovechkin's Washington Capitals will travel to Pittsburgh's Heinz Field to face Crosby and Russian superstar Evgeni Malkin on January 1st, 2011. While there are 24 other NHL teams yearning to take part in this historic event, Gary Bettman chose his beloved Penguins to host, essentially shoving them down the throats of hockey fans. I'm not going to sit here and deny the fact that the Pens are an exciting team to watch, but I would think that the NHL would want to spread some love to other teams that could use national exposure. The Pens and Caps already have dedicated fan bases, yet almost half the league is in dire need of more support. For example, casual fans already familiar with these two teams could be introduced to the Phoenix Coyotes' electrifying star Wojtek Wolski, thus potentially creating more support for the 'Yotes. Bettman's obsession with the Penguins will inevitably turn the public against them, much like most NFL fans resent the Cowboys after they called themselves "America's Team."
So far two of the three Winter Classics have been East Conference teams so I think its time to let the West have their turn. What hockey fan wouldn't want to see the Battle of Alberta (Edmonton vs. Calgary) or watch the Dallas Stars travel back to Minnesota to face the Wild? The NHL has been in a tough position ever since the lockout, and one of the ways to spread its popularity is by creating dedicated fan bases for all 30 teams. By doing so, every game will draw an excited audience, not just the games between the so-called powerhouse teams. The NHL cannot succeed with 10 popular teams and 20 others struggling. Mr. Bettman, it's time to get off the Pens' bandwagon and start working for the good of the league.
maybe mr. bettman's choice for the matchup has to do with the fact that crosby, malkin, and ovechkin are the most recognizable young stars in the sport. the allure of an outdoor hockey match will draw casual fans of any city, and what better city than new york? why not get the citizens of the most glamorous city in the world hooked on the excitement of the nhl and its most well-known stars?
ReplyDeleteRangers-Caps at Yankee Stadium was one of the possibilities people were tossing around and it would have been sick. One big market team, one recognizable face to market, and a very happy me. Instead they have to take it out to Pittsburgh. It'll be a good game, don't get me wrong, but it could have been so much cooler than this. My favorite probably would have been Flyers-Penguins at Beaver Stadium for a battle of PA but I know it'll never happen because it won't economically benefit any NHL city and the Flyers played last year. The whole thing's frustrating and they should read some Marx. Spread the love. You can watch the Pens pretty much every Sunday on the only nationally televised game a week that's on a decent channel.
ReplyDeletebut if the penguins are pretty much the only team on television weekly, then wouldn't they be the obvious choice? if fans went to see teams that aren't televised, their interest would wane quite rapidly. any interest stimulated by the penguins would lead to higher viewer ratings for their games, which would lead to more televised hockey games.
ReplyDeleteI think thats the problem. Having a team that gets a lot of airtime isn't a bad thing but it has to be a fair to the other teams. By favoring a few teams, a good amount lose potential exposure and then revenue. The NFL has teams they like to show more but they are pretty fair with airtime. The Jaguars, one of the small market teams, has a Monday night game. When was the last time Florida, Atlanta, or Phoenix had a Sunday game?
ReplyDeletei would hardly call jacksonville a small market, but the jaguars, unfortunately, have not been able to draw much fan interest (due to being terrible). with that being said, it IS monday night football. every football fan will watch the game, no matter who is playing. it does not matter who is playing to the nfl. the nfl has the luxury of splitting up monday night football appearances because the nfl brand has already permeated into every household. the nhl does not have that luxury. the few games that are nationally televised (on a decent channel) need to be entertaining, fast-paced, and memorable to draw more fans.
ReplyDeletenow, if the winter classic was televised on versus (like most hockey games... correct me if i'm wrong), then they most likely would allow other teams to appear in the matchup. this is due to the fact that only diehard hockey fans (mostly) turn on versus to watch. since the nhl doesn't get many national opportunities to present its product, they need to maximize their brand exposure. like it or not, crosby, malkin, and ovechkin are all recognizable names, and that matchup will draw a larger national audience then another matchup. especially since crosby is the face behind team canada's win over the united states, and the capitals are from our nation's capital (thus the name), so on a basic level, it's a us vs. canada match (remember, this is from the perspective of any casual observer).
the hope of the nhl is probably to draw general interest from the match, then have those new fans go to a game or two of their local teams. since hockey is much better live, these new fans will most likely be hooked and continue to follow the sport and their teams.
Then they should have played a game at Yankee Stadium between the Rangers and the Caps. It gets the big Ovie name while also including one of the biggest markets in hockey. You can also sell the tradition of an original six team and it would expose casual fans more to Lundqvist and Marion Gaborik (one of the more oobviously exciting players in the league to watch). While Crosby sells tickets, he isn't the kind of player with a wow factor for someone who doesn't understand the subtleties of what he does. Ovechkin and Patrick Kane are both more fun for anyone to see and so is Gaborik. Plus you get the Avery circus involved, Boogaard trying to break someone's face in front of a national audience, and the iconic image of NYC. It all adds up to some pretty solid theatre. This should be a good game but it could have, and should have, been better. I understand not having Dallas play but there's no need to repeat Pittsburgh. The game was still wildly successful when Buffalo played, they could afford playing just a single superstar.
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