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miller76

WC in Pitt. pretty much a done deal for 2011

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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.

New York lost it's bid because it's hosting a bowl game at Yankee Stadium and - being that it's on NBC - Canadian teams aren't too likely to host it, though Toronto might pull it off.

Minnesota is a nice point, with Target Field - but who do they play? These are typically rivalry games, do they even have an opponent you could call a rival?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not stoked on this idea - but it raises a great question.. If not this match-up, then who actually gets it? Knock out the Western and Southern cities because you need snow. Eliminate weak franchises. Who do you have left that hasn't already been involved? lol

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New York lost it's bid because it's hosting a bowl game at Yankee Stadium and - being that it's on NBC - Canadian teams aren't too likely to host it, though Toronto might pull it off.

Minnesota is a nice point, with Target Field - but who do they play? These are typically rivalry games, do they even have an opponent you could call a rival?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not stoked on this idea - but it raises a great question.. If not this match-up, then who actually gets it? Knock out the Western and Southern cities because you need snow. Eliminate weak franchises. Who do you have left that hasn't already been involved? lol

*Canadiens vs. Rangers-Original 6 Matchup

*Maple Leafs vs. Rangers-Original 6 Matchup

*Senators vs. Maple Leafs-Battle Of Ontario.Rivalry Matchup

*Oilers vs. Flames-Battle Of Alberta.Rivalry Matchup

Although the All-Canadian games are unlikely to happen because NBC,if the NHL really wants to promote the game and make as much money as possible,that's the place to do it-Canada.Minnesota could play a divisional foe i suppose,like Colorado?Washington vs. Pittsburgh is ridiculous,it's not a rivalry game.It's just putting the "two biggest stars in the game"against each other.The game is supposed to be a Classic,like an original 6 matchup or a rivalry that's been seemingly going on for years.Pittsburgh-Washington is not what i think of when i think rivalry.It's never been a rivalry.

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*Canadiens vs. Rangers-Original 6 Matchup

*Maple Leafs vs. Rangers-Original 6 Matchup

*Senators vs. Maple Leafs-Battle Of Ontario.Rivalry Matchup

*Oilers vs. Flames-Battle Of Alberta.Rivalry Matchup

Although the All-Canadian games are unlikely to happen because NBC,if the NHL really wants to promote the game and make as much money as possible,that's the place to do it-Canada.Minnesota could play a divisional foe i suppose,like Colorado?Washington vs. Pittsburgh is ridiculous,it's not a rivalry game.It's just putting the "two biggest stars in the game"against each other.The game is supposed to be a Classic,like an original 6 matchup or a rivalry that's been seemingly going on for years.Pittsburgh-Washington is not what i think of when i think rivalry.It's never been a rivalry.

That plays into what I was saying earlier, though. New York is not hosting a game this year because of the bowl game at New Era Bowl game at Yankee Stadium - that eliminates those two Rangers games. Senators / Leafs would be worth looking into, but that would be a game for hockey fans, you know? It's not a blockbuster match-up. I'd be really surprised to see Oilers / Flames. The worst team in the league taking on a team that didn't even make the playoffs. It's a tricky spot.

I think that Penguins / Capitals is definitely an emerging rivalry. They're close in proximity, they're competing with one another for position at or near the top of the East, and of course they have star power. Sure it might not be what we think of when we think 'Classic' but, it's fitting. Additionally, I don't feel like the NHL really pushed the Classic until the Detroit / Chicago game. A lot of new fans and casual fans likely slept on Pittsburgh / Buffalo.

I keep going back to the idea of Colorado. Would be tons of snow, they have a good outdoor park to play in; but can you really picture the Winter Classic having a match up like Colorado vs. Minnesota?

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Just a thought for all the folks claiming this game has to involve some super awesome rivalry or O-6 matchup. Don't the f***in' Lions play football every Thanksgiving? And they always suck. It's tradition at this point though, Thanksgiving = eat turkey and watch the Lions lose. :P

esteef

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Just a thought for all the folks claiming this game has to involve some super awesome rivalry or O-6 matchup. Don't the f***in' Lions play football every Thanksgiving? And they always suck. It's tradition at this point though, Thanksgiving = eat turkey and watch the Lions lose. :P

esteef

That sound you hear is my father rolling over in his grave.

He would rant for hours if anyone dared suggest that anyone but the Lions play on Thanksgiving. He didn't like even the idea of a second game after it.

Since he's gone, I guess I have to do the ranting.

(Ahem.) The Lions playing on Thanksgiving was started by the Lions themselves during the depression. They gave their salaries for that game to people in need. I don't know if they still do it or not. Knowing you kids today, probably not, but back then, let me tell you, we knew what it was to be poor. We didn't have all those fancy-schmancy Ataris and all those rock and roll records that sound like monkeys banging on drums and screeching- what is that crap you listen to- the Captain and Tennille?- what was he ever a captain of?

No, sir. The Lions started that game and it's theirs for as long as they want to play in it. Win or lose. Your mother works hard every year to time dinner for halftime, and she doesn't understand football at all. If she's going to do that for the Lions, then they deserve to have that game.

I don't care if they never win the Superbowl- it's about as likely as the Red Wings ever winning another Cup without Gordie Howe- but it's their day, and no one can take that away from them. Pass me those Doritos.

/rant

I don't know if it was true or not what he said about the Lions donating their salaries, but if it is, then they deserve to have that game.

As far as the Winter Classic goes, that is the NHL that started it, not a specific team, so they should be spreading it around. Maybe they could have one in Winnipeg- Coyotes vs Wild. Whether the Yotes are in Phoenix or not. Bring them "back home" for a game. It could work.

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Guest GordieSid&Ted

As far as the Winter Classic goes, that is the NHL that started it, not a specific team, so they should be spreading it around. Maybe they could have one in Winnipeg- Coyotes vs Wild. Whether the Yotes are in Phoenix or not. Bring them "back home" for a game. It could work.

Oh how awesome. The Yotes, who despite a good season are essentially a group of no names with a goalie whose name most can't even pronounce and a team annually losing money and in danger of relocation pitted against the awe-inspiring, offensive brand of hockey not seen since the Red Army that is the Minnesota Wild. HELLZ YEAH!

Where do I get my tickets?

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Let's see some new teams. I don't want to see the Pens again. Bettman is a retard and needs to be fired. There are 30 teams in the NHL lets get through them all before we see repeating teams.

WHOO HOO! Yeah, I want a Lightning/Panthers WC and I want it now. Of course there will be no ice, instead a sport court. The players will use roller blades and a ball.

Yes, there are 30 teams. But outside of each teams' home city, not all of those 30 teams are popular, have national appeal and would even be worth watching.

The point of the Winter Classic is to actually get people to WATCH A HOCKEY GAME. So it makes sense to put in teams the general public might want to watch.

Edited by GordieSid&Ted

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The point of the Winter Classic is to actually get people to WATCH A HOCKEY GAME. So it makes sense to put in teams the general public might want to watch.

But it still doesn't make sense to schedule it on a day when the general public is already occupied watching college students toss around a brown ball, so the whole "getting the general public to watch" thing kind of becomes a moot point. Bettman might as well schedule it opposite the Super Bowl for all the good it does.

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Just a thought for all the folks claiming this game has to involve some super awesome rivalry or O-6 matchup. Don't the f***in' Lions play football every Thanksgiving? And they always suck. It's tradition at this point though, Thanksgiving = eat turkey and watch the Lions lose. tongue.gif

esteef

Not this year brotha! 7-9 Lions

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Ratings boon my arse....

Given this repetitive garbage with Ovie - Crysby and that this is going to be played on New Year's Day, if the college football season works out in such a way, this game may not even be the most watched in Pittsburgh, much less during that day.

College Football is king on New Years' Day unless something truly extraordinary is occurring. This won't be anything more than an outdoor hockey game.

Count me out - I'll be watching college football on 3 TVs and two laptops.

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Bettman is so clueless it's sad. I asked my dad, who is a MASSIVE hockey fan, if he'd watch the Winter Classic next year, even though his Blackhawks aren't playing. His answer? "Hell no, I'm watching bowl games."

This is someone who has been a die-hard hockey fan since 1959. Nineteen fifty-freakin'-nine.

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And fans since 195 freakin' 9 will be a fan in 20 friggin 12 that is the point, the league is not trying to keep old fans, it is trying to get new fans.

Sure most people watch college football, however do you know the last time I watched a college football game in its entirety, yes football is the big winner that day, but there is plenty of room for other sports on that day. The NHL can not compete with football on the pro of college level yet (sure I may be delusional with the yet), therefore they try to grab the non college football fans on that day or the fans that are tired of no definite Winner.

BTW before the Pens were announced for their second WC how many people complained about the day of the WC?

I don't remember anyone complaining about the day the Wings played, no one said "aw crap all of those potential Wings/ NHL fans will be watching college football."

What you left out electrophile is how big of a NCAA Football fan your dad is, if bowl games (which are not his team) mean more than a hockey game (which is not his team) to him, one may think he is more of a bowl game fan than a Hockey fan. Not saying it is true just making an observation on your statement I do not know your father nor am I pretending to know what he likes.

I will watch it because I think the outdoor game is a truly unique experience and no matter who is playing I will watch, because the game is an oddity, I can not watch it next week, however College bowl games are on forever and lead to NO CONCLUSION!

Edit: by forever I meant the season ends in Nov, Bowls start 3 - 4 weeks later, and this year there will be a total of 35 bowl games played in 3 weeks, there are more bowl games than NFL playoff games, and they lead to no conclusion.

There is no consensus Champion and that fact leaves the NCAA vulnerable right now, many people are very upset with the Bowl situation and many long time fans are disappointed and that makes this the best time to try and take some of their fans. Even if they only become casual fans.

The NHL can not rest on its laurels and say, well that day belongs to college football, and Sundays are NFL, that leaves them no chance to showcase.

Edited by Opie

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What you left out electrophile is how big of a NCAA Football fan your dad is, if bowl games (which are not his team) mean more than a hockey game (which is not his team) to him, one may think he is more of a bowl game fan than a Hockey fan. Not saying it is true just making an observation on your statement I do not know your father nor am I pretending to know what he likes.

I don't know anyone who is a bigger hockey fan than my father. He's the reason I watch the sport. So yeah, you're wrong. My dad didn't start getting into college football until we moved to the south -- it's a religion down here. He doesn't have a "team" per se, since he didn't go to college and neither of the schools that my sister or I went to, have football teams. He just watches whatever bowl games are on. He hates Gary Bettman, hates Sidney Crosby and refuses to watch anything that panders to him -- and that will include next year's Random Outdoor Hockey Game.

If Pittsburgh wasn't playing in the Random Outdoor Hockey Game next year, he would be watching it rather than bowl games.

Edited by Electrophile

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As much as I despise the Penguins, and I do, this actually makes perfect sense.

Face it, hockey is a marginalized sport, so that leaves only a handful of teams(8-10) that can participate in this game. That is good news, b/c we will be in another before too long.

How many people do you think would tune in to see Nashville and New Jersey?

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As much as I despise the Penguins, and I do, this actually makes perfect sense.

Face it, hockey is a marginalized sport, so that leaves only a handful of teams(8-10) that can participate in this game. That is good news, b/c we will be in another before too long.

How many people do you think would tune in to see Nashville and New Jersey?

The question is do they want money through viewership or to expand the league?

1)if Money put a Canadian team in it, and why not the eventual SC champion Chicago again, they will have just as many accolades as Pitt.

2) Or they could expand viewership by not just pimping 2 players so people may actually care about teams in there area as opposed to 2 teams that are across the country because they aren't exposed to the youth in there area.

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The question is do they want money through viewership or to expand the league?

1)if Money put a Canadian team in it, and why not the eventual SC champion Chicago again, they will have just as many accolades as Pitt.

2) Or they could expand viewership by not just pimping 2 players so people may actually care about teams in there area as opposed to 2 teams that are across the country because they aren't exposed to the youth in there area.

And to add further, if they want to expand viewership, DON'T PUT IT ON THE SAME DAY where there are so many legitmate college football bowl games when January 1st is probably college football heaven.

If they absolutely want to keep it around January 1st, put it the weekend immedately before January 1st. A good bit of the college football bowl games before then are still so-so at best to the average viewer who doesn't have an emotional or financial stake in the game. Or, a weekend in-between the end of the BCS college football championship and before the Super Bowl. Or, any weekend in February when it is still cold in most places and there aren't any championship games going on in any sport and before March Madness in college basketball.

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Guest Lidstromboli

i honestly don't see how rangers vs caps couldn't draw in as much as penguins vs caps

though i guess there would be venue problems

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Television ratings

One reason that the NHL does the outdoor game is to promote the league on television. The television ratings will partially determine if the outdoor game events will continue. On January 3, 2009 NHL reported that the overnight television ratings had increased 12% over the 2008 game. Nationally, the game had 2.9 overnight rating and a 6 share. In Chicago, Thursday's game drew a national high of an 11.8 rating and 21 share, with Detroit second at 10.5 and 21 (this despite that yet again, a Michigan-based team was playing in the Capital One Bowl opposite the Winter Classic—this time the Michigan State Spartans). Other above-average markets included Buffalo (whose 10.1 rating/20 share was comparable to Detroit's), St. Louis (5.3/10), Pittsburgh (4.4/8), Denver (4.2/10), Providence (3.5/7), Indianapolis (3.4/6), West Palm Beach (3.3/6), and Orlando (3.2/5).[12] Each overnight ratings point equals about 735,000 TV homes.[13] On January 12, the final ratings figure was announced. There was an average of 4.4 million viewers of the game on NBC, and this was the largest since the February 23, 1975 match between the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_NHL_Winter_Classic#Television_ratings

Seems like people are watching it to me

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The question is do they want money through viewership or to expand the league?

1)if Money put a Canadian team in it, and why not the eventual SC champion Chicago again, they will have just as many accolades as Pitt.

2) Or they could expand viewership by not just pimping 2 players so people may actually care about teams in there area as opposed to 2 teams that are across the country because they aren't exposed to the youth in there area.

I agree that the league should promote more than two players and their teams.

To answer your question, it is a balancing act.

The league must first establish an image to non/moderate fans. Part of their strategy has been to push two players in hopes of creating the household names they have lacked since Gretzky retired. I will agree that it would make sense to promote a few more players, but not too many more.

As for expanding the league? Look no further than the New Jersey Devils. They have been, by far, one of the most successful teams over the last two decades, and they still can't get people in their home arena.

Unfair as it may be, you will not see a WC match-up comprising of any small market, Canadian, or Sunbelt teams, unless they have a star the likes of Crysby or Ovechkin. It is all about viewership, and any teams in the above categories are busts in terms of US television ratings.

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Guest ToMaToToWnWinGsFaN_24

If it's not Pittsburgh, I'll watch. The only way I'll watch a Penguins game is if their opponent is the Wings, or their opponent is about to knock them out of the playoffs. That's it. Anything would be preferable to a Crosby slurp job.

all i here from you is

BLAH BLAH BLAH! D:

btw: how did the yankees do today? ;)

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BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Let's see some new teams. I don't want to see the Pens again. Bettman is a retard and needs to be fired. There are 30 teams in the NHL lets get through them all before we see repeating teams.

Do you really think Bettman is the one that decides which teams play in the Winter Classic?

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