After reading this article by David Shoalts, of the Globe and Mail, Where he blogs against the NHL holding an outdoor game, I feel Shoalts is missing the point and in the words of a famous ESPN catchphrase he should "Just Shut Up!"
This game has nothing to do with trying to recreate childhood memories, of playing pickup on the ponds of Canada. This game is about marketing the NHL to a new demographic.
This game is not being televised to attract the already saturated fandom of Canada, it's about attracting new fans in the States and increasing the visibility of the league in a market where is it behind even late night poker.
Americans like flash, they like something different and this game is going to provide exactly that. This game is going to provide the kind of novelty that might attract new viewers and if the league is lucky, long term fans.
What better way to increase the visibility of the league, than have an outdoor game where the best player in the world today, Sidney Crosby, will be broadcast live to millions of American homes by NBC.
This game may be a novelty and may not be a true reflection of the caliber of play in the NHL. However, it will increase the visibility of the league and get a few more extra inches in the back pages of the newspapers and that can only help the growth of the league.
This game has nothing to do with Canada, to even think of it in terms of the Canadian fans and how they feel about it, is irrelevant. This game is about growing the league in a market that is essential for the survival of the league, America.
Canada will support the NHL come rain or shine, but if the league is to continue to grow it has to come up with new ways to attract the American fans.
The more American fans the league can attract, the bigger the television deal will be, the more merchandise will be sold, the more tickets will be purchased, and that will eventually result in more money for every team in the league, including the Canadian teams.
This is why I couldn't disagree more with Shoalts and anyone else who may share his point of view. This outdoor game, will only be a positive thing for the NHL and for all its fans, be they American, Canadian or my case, other.
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7 comments:
very true, but it's going to take more than one game to boost the support of fans in America. any other sporting event set for that date?
Just a few meaningless Bowl games. Nothing that should detract from the coverage, otherwise NBC wouldn't have scheduled it if they felt it wouldn't be able to compete.
All tickets sold out in 40 minutes, that says it all. Interest in this game is obviously high.
yes i just read that it sold out in 40 mins. Interesting to see where the majority of tickets were sold and how much for the average ticket.
interesting blog topics.keep it up
the New Years Day bowl games are far from meaningless, lots of viewers and lots of TV money invested for this day.... They could have picked a better date to where there's not as much competition, especially against football which is americas favorite sport these days.
They defenitely picked a bad date for the game. I also wonder how many of those tickets that sold out in 40 mins were sold to scalpers looking to make a quick buck? Media reports are suggesting a fair amount did wind up in some unscrupulous hands. Does it even get cold enough in Pittsburgh for natural ice?
Oh, trust me it gets cold enough for natural ice. Too cold for my liking!
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