274 replies to this topic

[jollymania]

If you absolutely must see an outside hockey game this season, watch this one.

college hockey though, no matter what the team, ill take NHL over it anytime, ditch the cages, allow fighting, tell the refs not to be f***in pansies because it is "academic".

[55fan]

It's hockey on the television. The only time I get to see that is when it's on NBC or if I'm watching Wild games.

I'm there no matter how much they stroke Sid's ego.

[MichWingz]

I don't know about anyone else (only read the first page of posts) but it's a new year's DAY game. I will be hungover and not watching anything except the inside of my eyelids As far as the teams playing goes.... I don't see a problem with the game being in pittsville. If I recall wasn't the first game in Buffalo with pittsville as away team. I have to accept them getting a home game if I ever want to argue that Detroit deserves a home game. Even though they played an outdoor game they also were the road team. Fair is fair, and the NHL never had any intention of taking the winter classic outside the US. Sorry canada that's just the way it is.

[HankthaTank]

I will still give it a look as I love hockey and on New Years that is something to tune into as I recover. Did the double duty with last year's flicking back and forth between the classic and bowl games. My family usually makes some good eats to soak up the night before's mess and its mostly a relaxing day. The WC is getting way too much hate but its also getting valid points to why. Especially with said player who wears 87. Just makes it less appealing.

[MulesWillFly93]

I'll watch it. I don't like that they're repeating teams already, and yes, I'd still be complaining if it was the Wings again instead of the Pens. It just makes the day seem a little less special because you know it's less about tradition, which I thought was sort of the point of an OUTDOOR hockey game, and more about having it be an all-star game type of situation. I know this is philosophical BS and that the NHL is just trying to make money, but the WC seems like the one day where they ought to throw a bone to the knowledgeable fans with a sense of history (since it is a throwback sort of game and all) and stop trying to wow us with the latest & greatest. Whatever...it's hockey, it's outdoors, it's fun...I'll watch. Plus I hate football. Habs/Leafs for 2012, dammit.

Edited by MulesWillFly93, 28 July 2010 - 05:35 PM.

[Original-Six]

Hardest drinking game in the world. Take a shot every time Pierre McGuire creams his pants over a Crosby replay. Last one to go into liver failure before the end of the 1st period wins.

Edited by Original-Six, 28 July 2010 - 06:04 PM.

[HankthaTank]

Hardest drinking game in the world. Take a shot every time Pierre McGuire creams his pants over a Crosby replay. Last one to go into liver failure before the end of the 1st period wins.

Right next to a line combo thread for blueadams and a Don Cherry Euro hate fest.. Yes.

[GMRwings1983]

As I've said before, a US vs. Canada annual game should replace the Winter Classic.

[GoOzzieGo]

Their two biggest draws, eh? Would you like to know the two biggest fanbases in the league?

1. The Maple Leafs
2. The Red Wings

Yeah, two traditional fan bases that are going to be there regardless.

Would you like to know the players with the top two positions in jersey sales?

1. Crosby
2. Ovechkin

It's all about money and marketing and those two are going to bring in more new fans than either the Leafs or the Wings. Simple marketing 101. The band wagon hockey fans could give a rat's ass about tradition....they want whats hot in the here and now. THAT is what the NHL is banking on by giving the Winter Classic Pittsburgh/Washington.

[Shady Ultima]

While financially Wash/Pitt makes sense, it's not the smartest.

Philly/Boston was poor in ratings compared to Wings/Hawks. Boston/Montreal would have been HUGE.

I don't get why they don't market the Canadian teams vs the American teams. Case in point, the Us Vs Canada World Juniors and Olypmics had more people watch then any of the WC. Get the Canadians involved.

Vancouver/Colorado is a great idea, as someone mentioned. Only Edmonton/Calgary and Toronto/Ottawa should play each other from Canada, and they'd probably bring in more ratings in Canada AND America then Boston/Philly did.

[wings1110]

the whole point of the winterclassic is ruined why the f*** would you have 2 outdoor games. leave it to the nhl to f*** up a good thing

[GoOzzieGo]

Vancouver/Colorado is a great idea, as someone mentioned.

A great idea for who??? The major markets of the East Coast would snore, much like I'm sure the West Coast did for Boston/Philly. A Crosby/Ovechkin match-up has the ability to draw in the casual fans and their credit cards worldwide. So for the NHL, this is the smartest move whether we like it or not.

[thedisappearer]

Yeah, two traditional fan bases that are going to be there regardless.

Would you like to know the players with the top two positions in jersey sales?

1. Crosby
2. Ovechkin

It's all about money and marketing and those two are going to bring in more new fans than either the Leafs or the Wings. Simple marketing 101. The band wagon hockey fans could give a rat's ass about tradition....they want whats hot in the here and now. THAT is what the NHL is banking on by giving the Winter Classic Pittsburgh/Washington.

I hate that you're right.

[T.Low]

I don't see how you could like hockey and not be somewhat interested in how a match-up between Ovechkin/Semin would fare against Crosby/Malkin. That is an exciting game... interested in how a game unfolds between two highly skilled teams.

Agreed.

Usually I'm traveling home to Bellingham from Detroit on New Years Day, (had to tape Det vs Chi) but not this year. I'll probably go for a mountain bike ride (3hrs) or an enduro ride (6-8hrs). I'll probably tape the game so I can watch it some time when I'm on the ellyptical trainer. I'm certainly not going to schedule my day around it.

I'll be way more interested in the Pitt vs Wash match up than any of the other matchups mentoned on this thread. While I am a diehard Wings fan, I am a casual NHL fan at best. I have much better things to do than watch Pheonix vs Dallas, or Vancouver vs Colorado. And I know my dad would rather watch a bowl game between Pottersville and Iron Mountain than either of those matchups. I am an example of one big demographic the NHL wants to pull in with the WC: the casual fan that they hope is doing family time and could be enticed to watch if the match up is appealing enough.

My inlaws are big sports fans but not hockey fans except for the fact that my wife was playing on one of my beer league teams with me; they are fans of that. They don't know hockey, don't know Nick Lidstrom, Stevie Y, Drew Doughty, or Zdeno Chara, and wouldn't pick up a remote control during a football game commercial to check on a game that any of those guys are in.

But they know Sidney Crosby, even though he plays for a team 3,000 miles from them. They know he never wanted to be in that picture again, and wasn't. They know he is the youngest captain to win the Stanley Cup. They know he scored the Gold Medal winning goal agianst the US. And they actually know that he is getting the better of Alex Ovechkin in their rivalry for control over the NHL. They know that they are watching somebody special when they are watching Crosby vs Ovie (not saying any of this is accurate, just saying what they [i]know[/i beacause ESPN says so). Most important, they want to feel like they know that they are watching something special. Thats the key to television. They like to read about stars and watch stars. They want heroes and villians. They like to read about what a good humanitarian Angelina Jolie is, what a bad guy Mel Gibson is, they like to watch Dancing with the Stars. They like to argue about Kobie and LeBron. The don't even know that Minnesota's team is named the Wild. They are another big demographic the NHL is targeting with this game. They'll check it out for sure. Heck, they'll watch Crosby and Ovechkin and then I'll have to fein more interest than I actually have when they are excited to tell me all about it.

It's not about the sellout crowd of 70,000; it's about the tv ratings and you need a draw for that. s***, I can't even think of one Minnesota player off the top of my head, I'm not watching them, my car needs washing.

Edited by T.Low, 28 July 2010 - 09:15 PM.

[TheDetroitRedWings]

I agree that NBC's love for Cindy is really annoying. But I'm not gonna boycot an exciting game between two good teams just because Crosby happens to be out on the ice. Plus, you can just do what I do; root on Washington and hope they stomp the Pens.

Edited by TheDetroitRedWings, 28 July 2010 - 09:16 PM.

[CaliWingsNut]

I agree that NBC's love for Cindy is really annoying. But I'm not gonna boycot an exciting game between two good teams just because Crosby happens to be out on the ice. Plus, you can just do what I do; root on Washington and hope they stomp the Pens.

It's not about NBC's love for 87... it's that 87 and his team are back in the winter classic over so many other teams whom haven't had a chance.

[Tommy_Like_Wingy]

I'd be fine with Pittsburgh winning as long as the WC curse comes into play later.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros]

Hopefully the attendance is 5,000 and the NHL makes no money and gets no ratings.The NHL Winter Classic has officially been ruined.Well,it was fun while it lasted.Until the NHL features two teams that haven't had a chance to participate in one before,i will never watch an NHL Winter Classic game again.

[T.Low]

Hopefully the attendance is 5,000 and the NHL makes no money and gets no ratings.The NHL Winter Classic has officially been ruined.Well,it was fun while it lasted.Until the NHL features two teams that haven't had a chance to participate in one before,i will never watch an NHL Winter Classic game again.

Because there's something really classic about playing on a frozen pond in Florida.

[CaliWingsNut]

Because there's something really classic about playing on a frozen pond in Florida.

actually.... that would be pretty classic.