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Why do you think hockey is not popular in the United States?
May 23, 2020 | Guava Cheese Puff

Posted on 05/23/2020 12:34:43 PM PDT by GuavaCheesePuff

The only hockey players most Americans can name from the top of their heads are Gretzky, Howe, Messier, and Lemieux.

I would rate hockey at the lowest of the 4 big sports.

Why doesn't it get much attention?


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Sports
KEYWORDS: anotherstupidvanity; belongsinchat; boring; chatchatchatchatchat; hockey; sports; vanity
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To: GuavaCheesePuff

I lost interest in the NHL back in 1978. To many teams and to many regular season games.


121 posted on 05/23/2020 2:23:03 PM PDT by hawkaw
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To: GuavaCheesePuff
Hogwash question... Try hanging out in ice rinks in every single corner of the U.S.

Similar to the old "trick" question that asks: "Have you stopped beating your wife?"

122 posted on 05/23/2020 2:24:44 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is Sam Adams now that we desperately need him)
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To: crosdaddy

They had a big rivalry with the Flyers. Remember the fog during the playoffs?


123 posted on 05/23/2020 2:25:02 PM PDT by brianr10
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To: ClearCase_guy; Drawsing

Hockey is a sport like lacrosse where the puck or ball moves and changes direction so fast that it is hard to see it and the whole picture at the same time. Both are very exciting to watch in person but not so good on television


124 posted on 05/23/2020 2:25:29 PM PDT by Freee-dame
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To: GuavaCheesePuff

now it would be because of lawyers and liabilities

the facilities required also are more expensive


125 posted on 05/23/2020 2:26:54 PM PDT by elbook
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To: Varda

On your first point, Gage Quinney might disagree with you.


126 posted on 05/23/2020 2:28:11 PM PDT by crosdaddy
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To: pnut22

“Obvious reason is you can’t play it in the back yard.”

I recall an SNL skit (I think it was SNL) but someone said hockey would never be as popular as soccer because it wasn’t “American”. LOL

I think there is a lot of truth in your statement from one standpoint. When I was young “soccer” was a laughingstock. No kid ever admitted to liking soccer for fear of ridicule. It was a “pansy” sport.

Then in the 1970’s youth soccer leagues began showing up and exposure grew. Kids were taught the game at schools started wearing Pele jerseys and acceptance grew. I happen to think it was largely because kids “could” play it in their backyards, parks or almost anywhere. They began to understand the game and realized it was fun.

To this day I don’t really understand either game rulewise but I understand hockey a bit more as I followed the Hurricanes feverishly in 2006 to winning the Cup.

Still, I feel if every backyard or park in America had a ice rink like they do a basketball hoop, it would be far more popular.


127 posted on 05/23/2020 2:28:54 PM PDT by LeoTDB69
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To: GuavaCheesePuff

Because by and large, hockey fans are misfit geeks who never played organized sports and wear hockey jerseys in the summertime at the beach.

But the number one reason is rink time relegating youth hockey practice to 5am in the dead of winter.


128 posted on 05/23/2020 2:29:25 PM PDT by Hatteras
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To: GuavaCheesePuff

Every Washington Capitals home game is sold out and tickets ain’t cheap.


129 posted on 05/23/2020 2:29:34 PM PDT by KevinB ("Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge." - Charles Darwin)
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To: LeoTDB69
I think there is a lot of truth in your statement from one standpoint. When I was young “soccer” was a laughingstock. No kid ever admitted to liking soccer for fear of ridicule. It was a “pansy” sport.

The irony is back in the 70s, if you watched any soccer match, it was a rough game. Things that would get a straight red card today, weren't even called as fouls.

130 posted on 05/23/2020 2:30:42 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: crosdaddy

I had to look that up. An AHL player disagrees with me? Why?


131 posted on 05/23/2020 2:32:38 PM PDT by Varda
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To: GuavaCheesePuff

Few American kids play.

Scoring is low.

ML/NJ


132 posted on 05/23/2020 2:33:51 PM PDT by ml/nj
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To: Hatteras

Midnight on Fridays...

Late teen years, could rent the rink cheap for 2 hours, 10 - 12 guys could split the cost easily...

The a-holes that showed up with beer breath were puking/sucking air in the first half hour...


133 posted on 05/23/2020 2:33:55 PM PDT by dakine
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To: dfwgator

Ain’t that the truth, back when Pele played, now they’re a bunch of prancing fairies.


134 posted on 05/23/2020 2:33:56 PM PDT by crosdaddy
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To: KevinB

I’m sure Ovi has something to do with that...guy is an assassin from the left circle. I should know...die-hard Rangers fan and I must have seen him whip it past Lundqvist about a hundred times from there.


135 posted on 05/23/2020 2:34:23 PM PDT by MarDav
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To: Varda

Because he got a few games in with the Golden Knights this year, before the season was called, born in Vegas.


136 posted on 05/23/2020 2:38:19 PM PDT by crosdaddy
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To: GuavaCheesePuff

You can’t have a backyard skating rink in winter in most of the U.S. - where you can, hockey is popular.


137 posted on 05/23/2020 2:38:24 PM PDT by dirtboy
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To: dakine

I remember times like that. We use to play at this rink in NJ called Fritz Deitl’s. We’d rent the ice from like 2am-4am. Sometimes some of the guys couldn’t skate the length of the rink after about the first fifteen minutes. Used to blow by those boys and have breakaways all night...just had to bide your time.


138 posted on 05/23/2020 2:39:19 PM PDT by MarDav
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To: Pearls Before Swine
Two of my boys were varsity HS defensemen. They couldn't stand soccer, which I think is a little like ground-hockey without the equipment.

Same here. I played high school hockey, and I have never liked soccer, and never will.

139 posted on 05/23/2020 2:39:31 PM PDT by Mark17 (Father of US Air Force Officer, who graduated from Air Force pilot training, on 1 May 2020)
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To: Leaning Right

Some of the most exciting hockey games I’ve attended ended up 1-0.


140 posted on 05/23/2020 2:43:49 PM PDT by muglywump (Seven days without laughter makes one weak.)
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