Ratings for Stanley Cup finals down 20 percent

[RedwingFan29 1]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2897126

Your thoughts?

[Yzermaniac192005 0]

No surprise there

[DEVILSWATERBOY 10]

This is Bettmans new NHL boy I bet he is realy proud of it, way to go Gary great job. How to fix it is Bettman needs to step down and let some one who has actually played the game run the NHL :!:

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

The NHL.

The most popular fringe sport in the world. Just behind dodgeball, and that basketball game where they use trampolines in the floor.

[OsGOD 3]

The NHL.

The most popular fringe sport in the world. Just behind dodgeball, and that basketball game where they use trampolines in the floor .

Aye! that be SlamBall

[WNYHockeyFan 0]

Its sad because its such a great sport. I'd be willing to bet regardless of who is in the Finals the ratings will/have/would suck. I think the problems of the league go much deeper then a lack of big market teams in the finals.

Getting rid of Bettman would be a good place to start. :flush:

Edited June 8, 2007 by WNYHockeyFan

[Firehawk 305]

All I can say is...unbelievable.

[uk_redwing 495]

jesus, what has to happen before Bettman kindly goes and dies? :battle:

[stlwing14 0]

No suprise there. Many die-hard fans of hockey in general couldn't find the motivation to watch the Ducks play the Sens. Zero following for both teams. The lack of fighting and a huge super-star name will bring in no casual fans either.

Let hockey be hockey, and end the NBA-ization of the NHL and things should gradually improve. Although I hold no dreams that the NHL could ever reach NFL or MLB size, but it can easily do better that it has in the past decade.

[Guest MrSandMan]

Actually only 20% down isn't as bad as one would think, considering it was the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the SCF.

Guess Ottawa has a lot of fans to make up for lack of interest in socal.

not to mention, Goon hockey isn't very popular. And refs and bettman giving the cup to one year wonder teams in the past years is getting old.

[Kp-Wings 3]

Guess Ottawa has a lot of fans to make up for lack of interest in socal.

That would be a nice logic, if it wasn't for the fact that NBC doesn't exist in Canada.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Detroit (With Hasek , Bertuzzi , Smyth , Schnieder, Markov) vs. Toronto (With Kariya and Nagy and Sundin and CuJo) would draw HUGE ratings. and that its a battle between Canadian and American teams , Original 6 rivals , Cherry & CBC would love it , Hull and NBC would love it.

Not this Ducks/Sens crap hockey where your own defenceman scores on his own net.

[Kp-Wings 3]

Not this Ducks/Sens crap hockey where your own defenceman scores on his own net.

Not to be a jerk or anything, but I really think that is a horrible assumption of how things went. Just like with Steve Smith. Phillips is a good defenseman, and what happened to him was merely bad luck. He didn't do it on purpose. I swear to God, after listening to people talk about it, they all act like he did, which is the dumbest crap I've ever heard in my life. Why would anyone do it on purpose? It was an accident, and that's it.

Edited June 9, 2007 by Kp-Wings

[NKYWingsFan 4]

Ratings for Stanley Cup finals down 20 percent

Flying Donkey Newswire

NEW YORK -- The Stanley Cup finals had record-low network television ratings.

Meanwhile, the Amish Rake Fighting League's Finals scored the highest network television ratings in League history. In a stunning media move, the ARFL broadcast the final fight in the best of seven series between the Intercourse Trojans and the Sugartit Brassieriers during the same time slot as Game Five of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Doug Dutchman, ARFL President, said the move was designed to "...provide a viable option to the American sports connoisseur. For too many years the NHL thought they had a lock on the mid-summer classic. Our Final's ratings showed them a thing or two, dontchaknow."

NHL fans were stunned to learn of the news. "Hockey", opined one Anaheim Ducks fan, "is one of those sports that has really cool lights and s***. It reminds me of the NBA." An Ottawa Senators fan chimed in, saying, "Fooking Bettman! That fooking fook fooked himself out of a fooking ratings fooking bonanza! Alanis is hot, eh? All she's gotta do is trim that....fook you Bettman!"

Because the ARFL Finals is the newly crowned King of the Mid-Summer Classic, the ARFL said it has plans to continue the tradition and extend the competition with the NHL. "Look", said Dutchman, "my buddy is commish of the Drunken Beer Pong and Bar Dart League. If I can talk him into broadcasting around the same time as the NHL's Conference Finals, we could take the NHL to the cleaners! Dontchaknow."

Sadly, this reporter agrees.

Flying Donkey Newswire

Edited June 9, 2007 by NKYWingsFan

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Not to be a jerk or anything, but I really think that is a horrible assumption of how things went. Just like with Steve Smith. Phillips is a good defenseman, and what happened to him was merely bad luck. He didn't do it on purpose. I swear to God, after listening to people talk about it, they all act like he did, which is the dumbest crap I've ever heard in my life. Why would anyone do it on purpose? It was an accident, and that's it.

Just kidding around Kp

But , thats how the series went for the sens if you look at it , The bounces went all Anaheims way. That sorta ruined it for me , but hey , Thats Playoff Hockey.

[Kp-Wings 3]

Just kidding around Kp

But , thats how the series went for the sens if you look at it , The bounces went all Anaheims way. That sorta ruined it for me , but hey , Thats Playoff Hockey.

That's how the whole playoffs went for Anaheim though. They got the bounces from the get-go. They were definitly the luckiest team in the playoffs this year. Not that they suck or anything, but to be lucky you have to be good, and to be good you have to be lucky. That's how it works, and that's definitly what happened in Anaheims case this year.

Edited June 9, 2007 by Kp-Wings

[vangvace 12]

Your thoughts?

I do believe that the NHL needs to improve marketing and a couple other things.

However, with that said, It is my opinion/realization that worrying about ratings (I think it's mentioned in 10-20 threads here alone) Takes away from what the Stanley Cup is all about. It's about the most sacred trophy in team sports and the battles to proudly hoist it over your head and have your name added those who came before you.

If it was about the ratings then... :nonono:

[HkyTwn 5]

No suprise there. Many die-hard fans of hockey in general couldn't find the motivation to watch the Ducks play the Sens. Zero following for both teams. The lack of fighting and a huge super-star name will bring in no casual fans either.

I can relate to that. I just wasn't motivated...

[FUUFNF 1]

nbc averaged a 1.6 nielsen rating for its three stanley cup telecasts of the scf. game 5 actually had a lower rating than game 4, and game 3 was nbc's lowest-rated prime time show ever (1.1).

even more troubling, the major newspapers in several cities did not even bother to staff the finals. the new york times covered just game 1.

Ratings for Stanley Cup finals down 20 percent

Flying Donkey Newswire

NEW YORK -- The Stanley Cup finals had record-low network television ratings.

Meanwhile, the Amish Rake Fighting League's Finals scored the highest network television ratings in League history. In a stunning media move, the ARFL broadcast the final fight in the best of seven series between the Intercourse Trojans and the Sugartit Brassieriers during the same time slot as Game Five of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Doug Dutchman, ARFL President, said the move was designed to "...provide a viable option to the American sports connoisseur. For too many years the NHL thought they had a lock on the mid-summer classic. Our Final's ratings showed them a thing or two, dontchaknow."

NHL fans were stunned to learn of the news. "Hockey", opined one Anaheim Ducks fan, "is one of those sports that has really cool lights and s***. It reminds me of the NBA." An Ottawa Senators fan chimed in, saying, "Fooking Bettman! That fooking fook fooked himself out of a fooking ratings fooking bonanza! Alanis is hot, eh? All she's gotta do is trim that....fook you Bettman!"

Because the ARFL Finals is the newly crowned King of the Mid-Summer Classic, the ARFL said it has plans to continue the tradition and extend the competition with the NHL. "Look", said Dutchman, "my buddy is commish of the Drunken Beer Pong and Bar Dart League. If I can talk him into broadcasting around the same time as the NHL's Conference Finals, we could take the NHL to the cleaners! Dontchaknow."

Sadly, this reporter agrees.

Flying Donkey Newswire

[Lou_Siffer 1]

Detroit (With Hasek , Bertuzzi , Smyth , Schnieder, Markov) vs. Toronto (With Kariya and Nagy and Sundin and CuJo) would draw HUGE ratings. and that its a battle between Canadian and American teams , Original 6 rivals , Cherry & CBC would love it , Hull and NBC would love it.

Not this Ducks/Sens crap hockey where your own defenceman scores on his own net.

If by "huge" you mean about a 2.0, then yeah! No matchup whatsoever wouldve generated above a 2.5 - 3 rating. Having a Canadian team in the Finals, even if its Toronto or Montreal, will always be a negative on the ratings.

[Echolalia 2,961]

Illitch for commissioner

[Rangers79 0]

Actually only 20% down isn't as bad as one would think, considering it was the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the SCF.

Guess Ottawa has a lot of fans to make up for lack of interest in socal.

not to mention, Goon hockey isn't very popular. And refs and bettman giving the cup to one year wonder teams in the past years is getting old.

You're right, Goon hockey isn't very popular....$$$$$..With the advertisers that is...$$$$$$..The NHL has to go back to what seperates them from the other sports & what fans love to see and talk about, and that is FIGHTING!!. During the Bettman era they've been slowly eliminationg that element out of the game. .It's no surprise ratings are in the crapper. It didn't matter what two teams made it in to the SCF, ratings were going to be low...Now when I say fighting, I'm not talking about goon hockey from the 70's or the bench clearing brawls that seemed to happen on a weekly basis . ( although nothing makes the heart pound faster than hearing the announcer say " AND THEY'RE CLEARING THE BENCHES!!")..I'm talking about fighting as a intimidation factor and as a deterent..Holding guys accountable for their actions...First, you get rid of that damn instigator penalty..Why do you think players use their stick so much and pull such crap? It's because they know they're not going to have to answer for it by dropping their gloves and throwing some knuckles. We as Americans/Canadiens love our physical hockey..When you go to a game, are the cheers louder for a "pretty" goal or for a good fight? In my experiences 9 times out of 10 it's for the fights..Hell, people get out of their seats for a fight...The Garden this year was never louder then when Shanny took on Brashear & when Colton Orr extracted his revenge on Todd Fedoruk...Now don't get me wrong...It isn't ALL about fighting,(never was) but it is an integral part of the game that makes hockey so special and seperates it from the other sports...You ever wonder why soccer has never taken off in this country? We don't want to see guys running around for 90minutes kicking a ball, in a low scoring game like soccer with no contact..And we've ALL seen how soccer players react to any kind of contact..They act like they've been stabbed 10 times and shot twice..We view them as wusses.. No, give us the strong as an ox farm boy from saskatchewan who's willing to go to battle for his team and teamates.

Fighting needs to be brought back into the spotlight, then you'll see rating go up. In my opinion.

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

Very sad...I wish Sidney Crosby would get promoted like LeBron James. Canadian teams also hurt the ratings. An ideal matchup next season in the finals would be New York vs Detroit.

[BAFGA 0]

I know UFC is getting better ratings than the NHL now.

Then again, so are reruns of Sanford and Son

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Well duh.. that's what happens when the Wings aren't in the finals.

Haha UFC probably is getting higher ratings. Chuck Liddell 4 Lyfe.