Americans and Hockey

I have always loathed the influence of Americans on the game of Hockey. Rule changes, quality teams leaving for ridiculous American cities (Hartford included with Winnipeg and Quebec), history thrown in the trash (Adams, Smythe, Norris, Patrick Ring a bell?) glowing pucks, fan safety, fighting crackdowns, 2 refs etc. etc. etc.

The real reason I hate this influence is because America as a whole doesn't give a shit about hockey. Certain people in certain markets do, but it is not an obsession the way it is here. Does that mean I want the American teams gone? No, but I need some of them to go (Florida, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Nashville, Anahiem, San Jose, LA, Pheonix, Atlanta) Basically if your weather is like a Holiday resort for Canadians, get the fuck out of the league.

What I want is the NHL to run itself based on quality hockey, instead of a perpetual sales pitch to the American market in a despeate and vain attempt to improve the bottom line. Americans clearly DO NOT CARE, nore will they. I garuntee that the new US soccer leagues will be more important and more popular in the US in every hockey market mentioned above in 10 short years. When that happens hockey will not be the number 4 PRO sport in America it will be number 10 after winners like NASCAR, Arena Football, Wrestling and Soccer (I love soccer so big deal). Arena football is already a bigger draw than hockey on TV and guess what, they use the same buildings. The facts are as soon as the MLS signs a Beckham, a real quality proven talent and doesn't rely on a guy like Freddie Adu for marketing, the MLS will take off.

All of this is bolstered by World Cup that was held int he US, the current US men's team (highly overrated) filled with skilled players. The game itself has trickled down to the youth like no other sport. It is genderless to play as a child and chicks dig the athletes as they get older (Beckham). Immagrants in the US love soccer and as the white population drops, soccer popularity will explode. Hockey is basically falling off the map in the US (as a whole). While the game excels in strange markets (Dallas), in reality its the kids that love playing it, but nobody is to paying to watch it in the rink or on TV. Soccer is the future and America's interest in hockey will drop to Original Six type proportions in a very short time. The North East will continue to support it, some other markets will hold on, but the writing is on the wall. Teh entertainment dollar is thin and the market is too competitive to introduce a fringe sport.

Why am I saying all this? One of my favorite Web Sites "the Onion" brought home this whole reality with this weeks edition of their paper. They ran 4 joke stories on hockey all of which eluded to the fact that nobody in the states gives a shit about hockey. Traditionally, if the Onion runs one joke story a year about hockey I am amazed, but this week they ran 4 stories all with an "American's don't give a shit" theme.

"Nation gears up for hockey's first season since lockout" - A year late, but that is probably part of the joke
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/56552

"Area man claims to be NHL Hall of Famer" - Story about Bobby Orr
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/56553

"NHL Players to watch" - Teemu Selanne appears at the bottom of the list, the rest are joke names with equal skill sets
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/56557

"Mike Modanno: Is he the Tom Brady of whatever it is he does?" - Again I can see the humour, but it is the indifference to the game that speaks to me.
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/56558

So what you have is a welcome back story that is a season late. The story mentions nobody can watch because it won't be on TV and it purposefully mentions Carolina and Tampa residents to illustarte a "Don't know, don't care" attitude.

Another story suggesting that a local man is crazy because he claims to be a hall of fame player. The player is Bobby Orr, a man from the period when hockey truly was important and in some markets pushed baseball and football to the back of the sports pages. That's funny, I guess.

A story that talks about prospects that don't exist and mixes in one of the great goal scorers of the last decade.
And finally a story that says it all. The NFL is the benchmark for all other sports and they ask is this guy as good at whatever it is he does?

I am affraid it is time to cut and run on the "American vision". Canadian cities are clamouring for teams, rinks are built and fans are garunteed. The American teams that are left will be better for it, the game will certainly be better for it and personally I will be better without the stress. Sure some American diehards will lose a local team, but they can do what I do. Cheer for the team that speaks to you, excites you. Or you can do what a friend of mine named "Jon" does. Cheer for whoever won the cup last year regardless of how stupid it makes you look.

Newest homes for NHL Teams

Hamilton (Sorry Florida give Hamilton the team you stole)
Winnipeg (Pheonix, experiment is over)
Quebec (Pittsburgh, too bad, your a city I actually like)
Saskatoon (Atlanta, Nashville, Anahiem, NYI whoever the list is long enough)