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frankgrimes

Winter Classic lowest rating ever (2,3)

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The D.C. market didn’t pop the number the NHL needs from another dance partner in this game. Without a city like Detroit or Boston (next year’s host, likely) in the game to deliver a ridiculous local figure on its own, the NHL needs both teams to contribute to the audience and the D.C. market couldn’t get there. (Wonder if some of those 40,000-plus Capitals fans at the game are Nielsen families.)

But as we said the last time the ratings dipped: Venue and aesthetics matter.

Wrigley, Fenway and the Big House were draws on their own. Two cookie-cutter ballparks aren’t.

Wrigley had wind. Buffalo and Ann Arbor had frozen temps and swirling snow. The Pittsburgh game was played at night. The Washington game was a downright balmy 43 degrees with blue skies. The draw of any outdoor game remains “teams vs. elements” and sun glare isn’t exactly that compelling.

Matchups matter, too, and this one featured a third-timer in the Blackhawks for outdoor games (including last season at Solider Field) against a team against whom they have absolutely no rivalry. It was an entertaining game, sure, but one that lacked the heat that other matchups had. And the geographic distance between the cities meant the most partisan crowd in the game’s history – didn’t you miss the red vs. blue from the Big House in the stands?

Good job Bettman, the NHL had something great going on and yet in a span of not even 7 years they've managed to absolutely destroy it by:

1. watering it down with the Stadium Series

2. rehashing the same teams again and again

3. matching up two teams that don't have any rivalry nor hatred going on

If the NHL is serious about this thing, they better have a Bruins - Habs matchup at Fenwaypark - have the Dropkick Murphys as the opening act - next year. This also just proves what I've always thought the event itself is nothing, if the participating teams don't have a large enough following, rivalry and the conditions aren't there.

Wings - Leafs had a record breaking 2,9 :)

Teams that deserve one Wild, Avs (hate to say it but yeah...), Bolts, Habs...

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nhl-winter-classic-earns-lowest-rating-in-game-s-history-160140036.html

Edited by frankgrimes

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Did you think they would set an attendance record every year? Some game had to have the lowest. This was it. Not sure why you're treating it like a calamity.

Also, does your Boston obsession include the city and its bands now too lol? You're bitching that Bettman is diverging from tried and true methods of promoting the game, and in the same breath you advocate having an opening act?

Edited by kipwinger

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The league needs to let the Ave's host it at Mile High Stadium against the Wings.

Bring back one of the greatest rivalries in Hockey! Imagine the Alumni Game they could have if they bring back the Alumni Game (Not sure why there wasn't one for Caps/Hawks), has an Alumni Game ever had a line brawl break out before?

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The league needs to let the Ave's host it at Mile High Stadium against the Wings.

Bring back one of the greatest rivalries in Hockey! Imagine the Alumni Game they could have if they bring back the Alumni Game (Not sure why there wasn't one for Caps/Hawks), has an Alumni Game ever had a line brawl break out before?

No Alumni game for this year's classic because Peter Bondra couldn't play every position on the ice for the Caps and Dale Hunter is still not welcome in most NHL cities...including Washington. Without those two they're short on quality alumni in the Nation's Capital.

Edited by kipwinger

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Good job Bettman, the NHL had something great going on and yet in a span of not even 7 years they've managed to absolutely destroy it by:

1. watering it down with the Stadium Series

2. rehashing the same teams again and again

3. matching up two teams that don't have any rivalry nor hatred going on

If the NHL is serious about this thing, they better have a Bruins - Habs matchup at Fenwaypark - have the Dropkick Murphys as the opening act - next year. This also just proves what I've always thought the event itself is nothing, if the participating teams don't have a large enough following, rivalry and the conditions aren't there.

Wings - Leafs had a record breaking 2,9 :)

Teams that deserve one Wild, Avs (hate to say it but yeah...), Bolts, Habs...

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nhl-winter-classic-earns-lowest-rating-in-game-s-history-160140036.html

Agreed. Too many games, too many of the same teams.

Sometimes I think they're gonna have to take a hit on ratings by featuring a smaller hockey market, but they could still highlight a relatively lesser exposed team by using the Winter Classic. But yeah, they've taken an event and turned it into another outdoor game.

Did you think they would set an attendance record every year? Some game had to have the lowest. This was it. Not sure why you're treating it like a calamity.

Also, does your Boston obsession include the city and its bands now too lol? You're bitching that Bettman is diverging from tried and true methods of promoting the game, and in the same breath you advocate having an opening act?

The article and his post refers to ratings, not attendance.

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Good job Bettman, the NHL had something great going on and yet in a span of not even 7 years they've managed to absolutely destroy it by:

1. watering it down with the Stadium Series

2. rehashing the same teams again and again

3. matching up two teams that don't have any rivalry nor hatred going on

If the NHL is serious about this thing, they better have a Bruins - Habs matchup at Fenwaypark - have the Dropkick Murphys as the opening act - next year. This also just proves what I've always thought the event itself is nothing, if the participating teams don't have a large enough following, rivalry and the conditions aren't there.

Wings - Leafs had a record breaking 2,9 :)

Teams that deserve one Wild, Avs (hate to say it but yeah...), Bolts, Habs...

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nhl-winter-classic-earns-lowest-rating-in-game-s-history-160140036.html

Agreed. Too many games, too many of the same teams.

Sometimes I think they're gonna have to take a hit on ratings by featuring a smaller hockey market, but they could still highlight a relatively lesser exposed team by using the Winter Classic. But yeah, they've taken an event and turned it into another outdoor game.

Agreed they could do the state of hockey versus Stamkos and company. If not there are still great original 6 battles to be had.

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I think last year especially, the outdoor games got entirely overdone and it lost that "special occasion" appeal.

If it were up to me, i'd do it in rotation with the Olympics. One Winter Classic game for 3 years, take a year off for the Winter Olympics. 3 Winter Classic games total every 4 years, no Stadium Series, no other events. Keep it limited and maintain the feel of it being an important event.

That's just how I feel about it.

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Agreed. Too many games, too many of the same teams.

Sometimes I think they're gonna have to take a hit on ratings by featuring a smaller hockey market, but they could still highlight a relatively lesser exposed team by using the Winter Classic. But yeah, they've taken an event and turned it into another outdoor game.

The article and his post refers to ratings, not attendance.

Ok, one of those games had to have the lowest ratings. They couldn't all set records. Chicago and Washington are two larger market teams, which is why they were chosen, They each sell a lot of tickets. But other than that there was nothing special about the game. So the ratings were low. Again, not every Winter Classic can be between rivalry teams in traditional markets. If the league did that then they'd be doing exactly what you're lamenting (i.e. too many of the same teams).

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I hate to, but I agree with so much here. Yes, I think it's watered down. I'm surprised Bettman hasn't tried to have an outdoor game in Anaheim, that's how much I faith I have in him. There has to be some interest in the matchup, the game itself will not be enough all the time, but of course, there can't always be rivalries.

The one thing I disagree with, to the point of having smoke coming from my ears, is the opening act. Does anyone remember Drake at the All Star Game a few years ago? That sucked so bad that I thought a Black Hole had formed in that arena. I don't even watch ASGs any more because of that. I can't bear to watch any other assholery that could ruin hockey as much as that.

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Ok, one of those games had to have the lowest ratings. They couldn't all set records. Chicago and Washington are two larger market teams, which is why they were chosen, They each sell a lot of tickets. But other than that there was nothing special about the game. So the ratings were low. Again, not every Winter Classic can be between rivalry teams in traditional markets. If the league did that then they'd be doing exactly what you're lamenting (i.e. too many of the same teams).

As I said in my post, sometimes they could take a ratings hit but still have the win of exposing a smaller market team.

I'm really not even sure what you're arguing here.

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But if no one is watching, how is there exposure? Sorry to the die hard NHL fans in the small markets like Minnesota and Columbus, but no one is going to watch a "Winter Classic" with those two teams and many of the other NHL teams. Even in the NFL, they try and do those gimmicky Thursday night games. Sure, people will tune it if it's NE vs. Denver, but no one cared when it was Jacksonville vs Tennessee and the ratings were dreadful.

They've pretty much milked all the gimmicks.....the warm weather game, the classic stadiums, the "bitter rivalries", the outdoor game in a stadium with a retractable roof. I suppose there's some marketing guru who might be able to find some other angle to put a different spin on it, but not really seeing it.

With the number of college and NHL games that have already been done, it's just nothing special anymore. It's just another midseason game, and it's not going to pull in the average American sports fan when there's other options like college football.

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I would if they could figure out a way to do that puck shadow thing they used to do.

Only live.

Would you be referring to the Fox Sports glow puck?!

I still have a recorded game on a VHS tape where the glow puck was used. I cherish it and one day will hand it down to my children.

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Why not treat it as a reward for winning the Stanley cup the previous year? The hockey market in that city should be at or near its peak.

They had an outdoor game in LA already right? Southern teams might have a difficult task, but AZ has a indoor football stadium TB has an indoor baseball stadium, or make it a roller hockey game... that would make for some excitement/controversy.

Its all entertainment anyways.

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