NASCAR & NHL Following Same Path

[CenterIce 83]

After reading this article, I started to think I was reading an article about the NHL.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_spo..._a_problem.html

[StaticWithABeat 0]

There's a sense that in the sanctioning body's efforts to grow the sport, they've lost ties to some of the things that helped make the sport interesting in the first place.

"I think in NASCAR's longing to capture the mainstream audience, they have watered themselves down too much," wrote Justin Stalek. "In my mind it has become too vanilla with no outstanding personalities rising to the top."

Haha wow...similar paths indeed.

[Legendary D In 03 50]

NASCAR is the most popular spectator sport in the United States. I don't get this article at all.

Word,

Ldi03

[Mudvayneowns91 0]

Bettman dreams of the NHL being as popular as NASCAR.

As we dream that Gary has no part with the NHL

[irishtemper14+25 11]

As we dream that Gary has no part with the NHL

true dat man

[Winged Scooter 0]

Gary Bettman WISHES the NHL and NASCAR were on similar paths. While NASCAR may be losing some of it's hard core fan base, ( and rightfully so, the COT is a joke, but I digress....) it's marketing execs IMHO are 2nd only to the NFL. NASCAR makes SICK money from marketing regardless of the product on the track, something Bettman couldn't do on his best day. He could be an apprentice for the NASCAR brain trust for 10 years and still not be able to market a sport the way they do....

[C-Dub 0]

Is hockey on it's way into 2nd place for most favorite redneck sports, pushing hunting squirrles with shotguns into 3rd place???

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[StormJH1 231]

Gary Bettman WISHES the NHL and NASCAR were on similar paths. While NASCAR may be losing some of it's hard core fan base, ( and rightfully so, the COT is a joke, but I digress....) it's marketing execs IMHO are 2nd only to the NFL. NASCAR makes SICK money from marketing regardless of the product on the track, something Bettman couldn't do on his best day. He could be an apprentice for the NASCAR brain trust for 10 years and still not be able to market a sport the way they do....

There is an analogy there, not between the types of fan bases, obviously, but between the arc of popularity, overexposure, and decline. The NHL did it on a much smaller scale, but the pattern is the same. And much like the NHL, NASCAR fans are likely to blame the influx of foreign drivers as part of the reason for the decline (just as NHL fans complain that a league with a largely European face can't compete with more "American" sports).

Look, as racing goes, NASCAR never was high quality racing. Whatever driving skill is required to pass someone and move from 3rd to 2nd at the end of a race is completely overwhelmed by the races where an "elite" driver gets caught up in a 15-car pileup and receives NO points for that race. People who don't understand hockey have similar complaints: they see TV highlights of some puck that went in off a skate or some freak play, and they assume that it's a random, arbitrary sport.

I think that true fans of hockey and NASCAR (and we'll throw soccer in there as well) appreciate the games for more than things that can be quantified on a score sheet. If you're a NASCAR fan, there's something beautiful about a brightly painted car racing around a track at 200 mph. If you appreciate hockey, you can appreciate a guy diving into the lane to block a pass, or the way 5 guys cycle the puck around the zone on a powerplay. If you don't get it, then you probably don't get it!

[PenaltyShot 96 521]

And don't forget NASCAR is in with ESPN...way to drop the ball there Gary, but it's ok, we got that sweet consolation prize, Versus

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

Yeah, I'd just love to see people in Edmonton or Calgary waving confederate flags around in the audience.

[Winged Scooter 0]

Yeah, I'd just love to see people in Edmonton or Calgary waving confederate flags around in the audience.

Okay that would be damn funny though, dontcha think?

Better yet , fans in Montreal tailgating with big cases of Busch beer and RVs with flags taped to it of their favorite players numbers! :rotflmao:

[auxlepli 17]

And don't forget NASCAR is in with ESPN...way to drop the ball there Gary, but it's ok, we got that sweet consolation prize, Versus

ESPN didn't want the NHL.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/22/sports/h...amp;oref=slogin

Mark Shapiro, an executive vice president of ESPN, threw off his gloves and criticized the N.H.L.'s rules, lack of scoring, resistance to letting players wear microphones and resistance to allowing arenas to be equipped with the overhead SkyCam. "Everybody, like us, should be less focused on when they're coming back, but more on why nobody seems to care," Shapiro said.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/search/article...t_id=1001016934

George Bodenheimer, chairman of ESPN and ABC Sports, said, "We worked very hard to build and sustain our relationship with the league and would have liked to continue [televising NHL games]. However, given the prolonged work stoppage and the league's TV ratings history, no financial model even remotely supports the contract terms offered."

ESPN was not only unwilling to pay as much as OLN, but it was also not able to meet some of the provisions that OLN had agreed to with the NHL. Among them, a provision that if agreed to, would require ESPN to carry all NHL games on ESPN, which has greater distribution and ratings, and none on ESPN2.

[PenaltyShot 96 521]

ESPN didn't want the NHL.

I was simply trying to point out that NASCAR is in a better position to reach casual viewers. I know the NHL as a whole may be at fault for that, but can't I blame Gary anyway? Please?

Edited November 15, 2007 by PenaltyShot 96

[Offsides 21]

I thought NASCAR was the most popular sport? How can that be comparable to the NHL.

[Izzy24 44]

NASCAR may be "watered down" to some die hard fans, but at least it's successful. The NHL is not in the same universe as far as marketing itself.

[auxlepli 17]

I don't know how why NASCAR is so popular you can't even see the drivers!

[Shockwave180 0]

The sad thing is that hockey has watered itself down almost as much as NASCAR, but with none of NASCAR's growth in popularity. It's really the worst of both worlds.

[Lou_Siffer 1]

I thought NASCAR was the most popular sport? How can that be comparable to the NHL.

The NFL is by far the most popular...followed by baseball, then basketball. After that, with NASCAR having declined, believe it or not probably golf at 4th! NASCAR is still right there after that, and way off in the distance theres hockey and soccer.

NASCAR is no doubt slipping, but they still manage to draw 4 ratings. Compare that with the Stanley Cup Finals which, if i remember correctly couldnt even get over 2. Thats still more than double the tv audience..so while declining theyre still well above hockey.

[NC WINGS FAN 5]

As much as I hate NASCAR and love hockey, I must admit that the two are similar in that both are niche and faddy/trendy sports. In America baseball and football rule an that is it. Everything else is up for grabs when it comes to popularity.

[Jwo 7]

Yeah, I'd just love to see people in Edmonton or Calgary waving confederate flags around in the audience.

I am surprised they haven't done that since they try to be like the south with all the country music.

[FUUFNF 1]

NASCAR is the most popular spectator sport in the United States. I don't get this article at all.

Word,

Ldi03

i don't think nascar is more popular than the nfl.

[timothy1997 0]

NASCAR's Wikipedia Page

With roots as regional entertainment in the Southeastern U.S., NASCAR has grown to become the second-most popular professional sport in terms of television ratings inside the U.S., ranking behind only the National Football League.[1] Internationally, NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150 countries. It holds 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S.,1 and has 75 million fans[1] who purchase over $3 billion in annual licensed product sales. These fans are considered the most brand-loyal in all of sports and as a result, Fortune 500 companies sponsor NASCAR more than any other governing body.

[auxlepli 17]

NASCAR, or any auto racing for that matter, isn't a sport.

[Offsides 21]

I heard at one point it was the most popular, but I guess it was wrong. I don't get why anyone would watch it. I just heard.

(but what do I know...I like hockey )

Edited November 17, 2007 by Offsides

[CrazyWings 0]

After reading this article, I started to think I was reading an article about the NHL.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_spo..._a_problem.html

This is BS....Sounds like ESPN talking about the NHL, all they do is slam hockey. I'm a Nascar fan and know many more and we enjoy the sport more than ever. Like a previous poster stated Nascar is the number 1 spectator sport in America. Someone has it out for the NHL and Nascar, but as we fans know, they will never get us to stop watching.