WC in Pitt. pretty much a done deal for 2011

[HankthaTank 1,100]

OMFG. The whining. Does it take a genius to understand that the Winter Classic is marketed NOT TO YOU! You are already a fan. Bettman doesn't give a s*** about you. You're going to watch hockey anyway. You are already a fan. He isn't concerned with the feelings of Wings, Habs, Leafs, Rangers, etc...FANS. This is the biggest game for them to market to NEW FANS. Hence they're going to put the 2 players/teams that they think can generate the most buzz for NEW FANS!

BETTMAN DOES NOT CARE IF "FANS OF HOCKEY" HATE THIS. YOU ARE ALREADY A FAN. THE WC AIN'T FOR YOU! Where is the rocket science in this? Pretty easy to understand if you ask me.

So true...but you are from Ohio so no one will really read your post

[softshoes 83]

I would have used Gretzky and Gordie. Better examples than Gretsky and Gordy. Lol.

Holy s***, I misspelled both names. I must be hooked on fonics .

[HockeyTownHouligan 57]

So true...but you are from Ohio so no one will really read your post

Win!

[HankthaTank 1,100]

Not much to add here because the game has already become a bit of a joke....

But yeah there he is...Market away!!!

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

OMFG. The whining. Does it take a genius to understand that the Winter Classic is marketed NOT TO YOU! You are already a fan. Bettman doesn't give a s*** about you. You're going to watch hockey anyway. You are already a fan. He isn't concerned with the feelings of Wings, Habs, Leafs, Rangers, etc...FANS. This is the biggest game for them to market to NEW FANS. Hence they're going to put the 2 players/teams that they think can generate the most buzz for NEW FANS!

BETTMAN DOES NOT CARE IF "FANS OF HOCKEY" HATE THIS. YOU ARE ALREADY A FAN. THE WC AIN'T FOR YOU! Where is the rocket science in this? Pretty easy to understand if you ask me.

Pretty much everybody here gets that Bettman doesn't care about us. Doesn't mean that we can't vent or be frustrated about it. It's a bit unfair for teams to be double dipping already in this event when there are plenty of other teams that could play in it as well, and it especially stinks when it will be Pittsburgh in all likelihood which is already shoved in our faces every day (yes I would say the same thing if Detroit was in it twice - if you don't want to believe me, fine).

[egroen 384]

OMFG. The whining. Does it take a genius to understand that the Winter Classic is marketed NOT TO YOU! You are already a fan. Bettman doesn't give a s*** about you. You're going to watch hockey anyway. You are already a fan. He isn't concerned with the feelings of Wings, Habs, Leafs, Rangers, etc...FANS. This is the biggest game for them to market to NEW FANS. Hence they're going to put the 2 players/teams that they think can generate the most buzz for NEW FANS!

BETTMAN DOES NOT CARE IF "FANS OF HOCKEY" HATE THIS. YOU ARE ALREADY A FAN. THE WC AIN'T FOR YOU! Where is the rocket science in this? Pretty easy to understand if you ask me.

It's too bad.

Any good salesperson knows the best way to grow your business is to focus first and foremost on your current customers and make them happy and appreciated. Fact is, long-time and current fans/customers will always spend a hell of a lot more on your product than new customers, and your profit margin will increase as well - because it is a heck of a lot cheaper to increase business with current customers than it is to bring in new ones. Also, word of mouth from satisfied customers (fans getting buddies/spouses/etc to watch and go to the games) is always going to be more effective than multi-million dollar ad blitzes.

Bettman I agree, of course, is doing the exact opposite. He seems to take pains to alienate long-time, rabid fans (think Canada and traditional northern US markets) in order to pander to struggling markets and new markets in the south. Yes, most of us will always be fans... but we're certainly not spending what we could be and we certainly are not praising the NHL to others like we could be - he has really missed the boat.

Edited May 20, 2010 by egroen

[Electrophile 3,554]

When I hear "Winter Classic", I think a "classic" hockey game. When I think of a "classic" hockey game, Pittsburgh and Washington do not come to mind. One of the Original 6 teams do, however. So maybe if Bettman doesn't want the game to be "classic" in any sense of the word, the name of the game should be changed to "Random Outdoor Hockey Game 2010" and then move on. Because there's nothing classic about the Penguins and the Capitals, the same as if it was the Thrashers and the Hurricanes.

BTW, if they really want to call it the Winter "Classic", make the players skate without helmets, make the goalie play without a mask and force everyone to play with wooden sticks. Take it old-school. Retro uniforms, retro rules. THAT I'd watch.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

When I hear "Winter Classic", I think a "classic" hockey game. When I think of a "classic" hockey game, Pittsburgh and Washington do not come to mind. One of the Original 6 teams do, however. So maybe if Bettman doesn't want the game to be "classic" in any sense of the word, the name of the game should be changed to "Random Outdoor Hockey Game 2010" and then move on. Because there's nothing classic about the Penguins and the Capitals, the same as if it was the Thrashers and the Hurricanes.

BTW, if they really want to call it the Winter "Classic", make the players skate without helmets, make the goalie play without a mask and force everyone to play with wooden sticks. Take it old-school. Retro uniforms, retro rules. THAT I'd watch.

But the problem with that is if the rules were like that,the two stars Gary's trying to market would withdraw from the game,claiming sickness

[edicius 3,269]

OMFG. The whining. Does it take a genius to understand that the Winter Classic is marketed NOT TO YOU! You are already a fan. Bettman doesn't give a s*** about you. You're going to watch hockey anyway. You are already a fan. He isn't concerned with the feelings of Wings, Habs, Leafs, Rangers, etc...FANS. This is the biggest game for them to market to NEW FANS. Hence they're going to put the 2 players/teams that they think can generate the most buzz for NEW FANS!

BETTMAN DOES NOT CARE IF "FANS OF HOCKEY" HATE THIS. YOU ARE ALREADY A FAN. THE WC AIN'T FOR YOU! Where is the rocket science in this? Pretty easy to understand if you ask me.

And if he really truly wanted to market it to NEW fans and not CURRENT fans, he wouldn't schedule it on a day when all the potential NEW fans are most likely watching college football.

Instead, it just becomes another fanwank for Bettman and the rest of the Crosby slappies.

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

When I hear "Winter Classic", I think a "classic" hockey game. When I think of a "classic" hockey game, Pittsburgh and Washington do not come to mind. One of the Original 6 teams do, however. So maybe if Bettman doesn't want the game to be "classic" in any sense of the word, the name of the game should be changed to "Random Outdoor Hockey Game 2010" and then move on. Because there's nothing classic about the Penguins and the Capitals, the same as if it was the Thrashers and the Hurricanes.

BTW, if they really want to call it the Winter "Classic", make the players skate without helmets, make the goalie play without a mask and force everyone to play with wooden sticks. Take it old-school. Retro uniforms, retro rules. THAT I'd watch.

I think someone should talk to Coca-Cola about Gary's dilution of the term "Classic".

[Ram 240]

Thanks Habs for screwing over Bettman and his plans

[eva unit zero 271]

All I have to say regarding the "replace the All-Star game" talk is:

Division All-Star teams. 8 forwards, 5 defensemen, 2 goalies.

Teams seeded 1-6 by combined out-of-division record, using points-per-game percentage.

Three round tournament, two 15-minute periods, single elimination. Top two teams get byes, 3v6, 4v5.

Round 1 on Friday night, Skills competition on Saturday afternoon, Round 2 on Saturday evening, Round 3 on Sunday evening.

As far as the WC, there are 17 NHL cities with 18 teams that could properly support an outdoor ice rink on New Year's Day. Including the Heritage Classic, four have hosted games already. Pittsburgh has next year lined up. This leaves Calgary, Denver (Colorado), Columbus, Detroit, Minneapolis (Minnesota), Montreal, Newark (New Jersey), New York, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Vancouver. Taking out teams that have already participated in an NHL outdoor game as an away game, that leaves the following cities to host the next few WCs: Calgary, Columbus, Denver, Minneapolis, Newark, New York, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver.

Of further notice, Washington is the only team coming from a city that cannot properly support outdoor hockey on New Year's Day that has already participated or been announced so far. So the 9 cities (10 teams) I listed above should fill out the next five WCs after 2011.

Edited May 20, 2010 by eva unit zero

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

All I have to say regarding the "replace the All-Star game" talk is:

Division All-Star teams. 8 forwards, 5 defensemen, 2 goalies.

Teams seeded 1-6 by combined out-of-division record, using points-per-game percentage.

Three round tournament, two 15-minute periods, single elimination. Top two teams get byes, 3v6, 4v5.

Round 1 on Friday night, Skills competition on Saturday afternoon, Round 2 on Saturday evening, Round 3 on Sunday evening.

As far as the WC, there are 17 NHL cities with 18 teams that could properly support an outdoor ice rink on New Year's Day. Including the Heritage Classic, four have hosted games already. Pittsburgh has next year lined up. This leaves Calgary, Denver (Colorado), Columbus, Detroit, Minneapolis (Minnesota), Montreal, Newark (New Jersey), New York, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Vancouver. Taking out teams that have already participated in an NHL outdoor game as an away game, that leaves the following cities to host the next few WCs: Calgary, Columbus, Denver, Minneapolis, Newark, New York, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver.

Of further notice, Washington is the only team coming from a city that cannot properly support outdoor hockey on New Year's Day that has already participated or been announced so far. So the 9 cities (10 teams) I listed above should fill out the next five WCs after 2011.

Way too complicated eva.

My idea for an annual outdoor U.S/Canada game is better and simpler. I think that would draw big ratings, whereas the casual sports fan wouldn't care or understand about the format you just described.

[Original-Six 254]

CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY OVECHKIN OVECHKIN OVECHKIN OVECHKIN PENGUINS PENGUINS PENGUINS PENGUINS PENGUINS PENGUINS PENGUINS PENGUINS PENGUINS and just to make sure, heres some more CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY CROSBY......

Ok Bettman.... you can stop completely over saturating every thing NHL related with Crosby, The Penguins and Ovechkin.

This isnt the NBA. NHL fans dont want to hear about how amazing 1-2 players/teams are and have them constitutionally rammed down their throats.

Seriously i dont give a s*** about how popular hockey ever becomes in the Sates(personally i think it would be better if it stayed less mainstream). Just please stop turning it into a circus in a attempt to popularize it.

[evilmrt 636]

I'm sick of this crap. Seriously. What a joke...does Bettman not realize how NHL fans are starting (if they haven't already) to resent the Crosby oversaturation? Does he not know how many people were instant Montreal fans ONLY because "Whiney Crosby" got kicked out of the playoffs?

[HankthaTank 1,100]

I find it funny that hockey fans here don't understand just how good Ovechkin/Crosby are.

Not really the argument in the thread Carman. More so that we as hockey fans want to see a different team for once. Granted its just like how the Cavs and Lakers played on Christmas every year but basketball sucks. This is the same thing. Uncle Gary and his NBA habits and ways of force feeding Crosby/Ovie is really tiresome. Not speaking of the players' talents. IF there is a Winter Classic yearly, why not make it the 2 Stanley Cup teams or something similar to this USA/Canada thing I have been reading? Definitely realize that if it was the 2 cup teams it would be Penguins and Wings 2 years in a row so thats also a bit pointless but there must be a better way than just picking his "golden boy" every single time. He isn't even really THAT marketable anyway...

His own countrymen even despise him

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

I'm sick of this crap. Seriously. What a joke...does Bettman not realize how NHL fans are starting (if they haven't already) to resent the Crosby oversaturation? Does he not know how many people were instant Montreal fans ONLY because "Whiney Crosby" got kicked out of the playoffs?

He still hasn't figured out that nobody outside of Pittsburgh likes Crosby. Even Canadian NHL fans don't like him, despite the overtime Gold winning goal.

[vladdy16 2,154]

I like to get my Crosby hate on as much as the next guy, but please let's not turn this into another Crosby thread.

[roboturner 562]

I like to get my Crosby hate on as much as the next guy, but please let's not turn this into another Crosby thread.

well everybody knows that he's the reason why they're getting picked again so I think the discussion is warranted.

[eva unit zero 271]

Way too complicated eva.

My idea for an annual outdoor U.S/Canada game is better and simpler. I think that would draw big ratings, whereas the casual sports fan wouldn't care or understand about the format you just described.

So like a US vs Canada Olympic style match, so as to make 40-45% of the NHL players ineligible? Doesn't work.

Or a US teams vs Canadian teams game, meaning players from 24 teams vs players from 6 teams? Even worse.

If you want a single All-Star game but don't like the current format, how about this:

Name two All-Star coaches.

The #2 coach gets first pick in a snake draft; each team is a standard 12 forwards and 6 defensemen, with 3 goalies (one for each period, as normal) picked from all 30 teams.

Top 42 players in the league play in the game, split evenly, coached by the top two coaches. As fair as possible every year.

[RusDRW 155]

Name two All-Star coaches.

The #2 coach gets first pick in a snake draft; each team is a standard 12 forwards and 6 defensemen, with 3 goalies (one for each period, as normal) picked from all 30 teams.

Top 42 players in the league play in the game, split evenly, coached by the top two coaches. As fair as possible every year.

this sounds good.

PS If Babcock is one of these two coaches I know who he is going to choose as his no. 1

[Kira 451]

Thank you for giving me an excuse to find something else to do that day. This is so unfair. Since when does Pittsburgh deserve to have a second Winter Classic appearance, when there are so many others that haven't even had one? How about Minnesota and Dallas in Minnesota? I think that would be a good one...besides a history that is between them, it would give fans a chance to see teams that they ordinarily don't see. Or Colorado and someone in Denver? Even the Rangers and Islanders in New York, or the Devils and someone in Jersey. This ain't right, and I'll be damned if I'll waste my time watching Buttman's wet dream.

[Travis 576]

Way too complicated eva.

My idea for an annual outdoor U.S/Canada game is better and simpler. I think that would draw big ratings, whereas the casual sports fan wouldn't care or understand about the format you just described.

I think the biggest reason why the U.S. / Canada Olympic match-up is so special is because it only happens once every 4 years. You aren't going to get the same energy and excitement if it's a yearly event.

As far as the WC being at Heinz Field goes, I get it. It's a ratings boom for the NHL. Obviously, us as fans would much rather see it played elsewhere and I personally believe that there are a large number of teams that should get the Classic once before anyone gets it twice.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

It would also help if Bettman and co. just scrapped the New Year's Date for this if he wants to try to bring in "new fans", as suggested earlier in here already due to football. While I love watching hockey, I also love college football and last time I checked football is much more popular than hockey for a large majority of people. January 1 is arguably the biggest college football date in terms of the amount of bowl games being played and pretty much all the games are legitimate bigtime matchups, not the Toilet Bowl or other pre-Christmas bowls that more often than not nobody outside of fans of the schools involved will give much of a hoot about. Put it on the second or third weekend of January when college football is pretty much over with/before the Super Bowl, or put it in Febuary when there are no competing championships or playoffs (football is over, March Madness in basketball hasn't begun yet, etc.).

And again, I get the obvious ratings deal but like Lebron James or Kobe Bryant in the NBA, it is just so damned tiring after a while. I get that those two are probably the best players in the NBA today, but that has not affected my desire whatsoever to watch an NBA basketball game in its entirety unless I am at it live. I will barely pay attention to that league until the playoffs start. And even then, if an NHL game is on at the same time, 999 times out of 1000 the NHL game will be on over the NBA game. Market other players and teams ALONG WITH Crosby and Ovechkin and let other teams get a fair crack at the outdoor game. Flooding the market with them all the time and them alone just makes people want to see them fail more.

Edited May 21, 2010 by SouthernWingsFan

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

Guess who won't be watching..This is ridiculous.Bettman's gonna ruin the Classic because every team who has already played in one shouldn't be playing in another one.There's better markets that are dying for a chance to host a Winter Classic that HAVENT PARTICIPATED IN ONE YET,such as Calgary,Toronto,Minnesota,New York,Montreal,Edmonton,Vancouver,Colorado,and Ottawa.I will not be watching the Winter Classic if this is the case.