[AskMaxim]

Hi there!

The other day I tried to find an online resource for the Russia-USA worlds match (the one ended 4 : 1) - and it appeared to be ignored by major sources such as yahoo, cnn. (Only USA Today was reporting it.)

Remarkably, the 'majors' were covering ice hockey per se extensively - like Pittsburgh Penguins fighting Boston Bruins (whatever) almost in real time.

And no mentioning of the worlds.

So I am wondering - how does public percieve these domestic and world events?
Would it be different, say, if the host country were USA rather than Switzerland?

[pup55]

Well, there are a couple of minor issues....

Despite the presence of hockey clubs and pro teams in the southern US, including Florida and California, no one really cares too much about it except for in a handful of states up around the great lakes, plus maybe New England. It is really marginally a major league sport, and the NHL is the closest of all of the North American sports to start downsizing....it is the heart of the NHL playoffs at this time, and most of the few fans are paying attention to that....

The only time the Russia/US rivalry meant anything in ice hockey was in 1980. Even the former track and field rivalry in the cold war era has died way back as track in the US has become almost exclusively urban and african american....

Plus, there is no "fear" associated with the US losing to Russia in anything anymore. No reason for CNN or Fox to pick it up, compared to the threat of islamic terrorists, swine flu, economic meltdown, global warming, or any of a dozen other things that the networks can use to fill in between their commercials....

To tell the truth, it took a long time for me to even google it up this morning to figure it out....

[AskMaxim]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pup55', 'W')ell, there are a couple of minor issues....

Despite the presence of hockey clubs and pro teams in the southern US, including Florida and California, no one really cares too much about it except for in a handful of states up around the great lakes, plus maybe New England. It is really marginally a major league sport, and the NHL is the closest of all of the North American sports to start downsizing....it is the heart of the NHL playoffs at this time, and most of the few fans are paying attention to that....

The only time the Russia/US rivalry meant anything in ice hockey was in 1980. Even the former track and field rivalry in the cold war era has died way back as track in the US has become almost exclusively urban and african american....

Plus, there is no "fear" associated with the US losing to Russia in anything anymore. No reason for CNN or Fox to pick it up, compared to the threat of islamic terrorists, swine flu, economic meltdown, global warming, or any of a dozen other things that the networks can use to fill in between their commercials....

To tell the truth, it took a long time for me to even google it up this morning to figure it out....

[3aidlillahi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')I did not actually mean the US - Russia rivalry, because the USA - France match was not getting attention either, though US won. Yet the sports section of the cnn dot com did look busy with ice hockey coverage to me, all US domestic though.

[AskMaxim]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')
It might be different if we had professionals playing but, as pointed out already, they are all playing in the playoffs right now so I imagine we mostly just have college students and minor leaguers playing in the World champs. I imagine it might be the same case with European teams - I know Ovechkin and Malkin are two Russian stars playing in the US (Caps and Pens, respectively, who, BTW, are facing each other).

[Maddog78]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('3aidlillahi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')

It might be different if we had professionals playing but, as pointed out already, they are all playing in the playoffs right now so I imagine we mostly just have college students and minor leaguers playing in the World champs. I imagine it might be the same case with European teams - I know Ovechkin and Malkin are two Russian stars playing in the US (Caps and Pens, respectively, who, BTW, are facing each other).

[AskMaxim]

Oh, thank you!
This is clear now, and you enlighten me on the thing I knew for a long time (that the US and Canada teams do not contain the top of cream), but I never knew why (the America - Europe antagonism in the ice hockey).

[Maddog78]

The Olympics will be a better tournament to watch.
An agreement has been made with NHL owners, NHL Players Association, TV stations and the IIHF for
the NHL to temporarily shut down so all countries players will be available.
The NHL playoffs running at the same time as the World Champ. also affects European teams because as stated earlier, many of the top European players are also still playing for their NHL teams.
It does affect Canadian and USA teams more though due to the proportion of players in the NHL.
The European teams have access to all their players in their leagues.

I believe Canada has won this W.C. 3 times out of the last 6 yrs. so we've managed to put together pretty good teams recently, even with the restricted access to all players.

[AskMaxim]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Maddog78', 'T')he Olympics will be a better tournament to watch.
An agreement has been made with NHL owners, NHL Players Association, TV stations and the IIHF for
the NHL to temporarily shut down so all countries players will be available.
The NHL playoffs running at the same time as the World Champ. also affects European teams because as stated earlier, many of the top European players are also still playing for their NHL teams.
It does affect Canadian and USA teams more though due to the proportion of players in the NHL.
The European teams have access to all their players in their leagues.

I believe Canada has won this W.C. 3 times out of the last 6 yrs. so we've managed to put together pretty good teams recently, even with the restricted access to all players.

[Maddog78]

The W.C. was on NHL sized ice in Quebec and Halifax.
I also think the U.S. Olympics were on NHL ice.
Calgary may have made international sized ice just for that tournament, I can't remember for sure.
I'll research this later when I have time.
I'm pretty sure Vancouver 2010 will be NHL size.


btw, the difference is the width. 85 ft vs. 100ft.
The length is the same.
That extra 15 feet of width changes the game quite a bit though.
You have to be more careful with your body checks cause if you miss it is a lot more difficult to get back in the play. The extra room also makes it easier not to get hit.

[AskMaxim]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Maddog78', '
')That extra 15 feet of width changes the game quite a bit though.
You have to be more careful with your body checks cause if you miss it is a lot more difficult to get back in the play. The extra room also makes it easier not to get hit.

[Maddog78]

Kicking is almost non existent. I can only recall 2 incidents in the last few years. If It happens it is handled with long suspensions.
The NHL changed their rules about 4 years ago after the lockout/strike.
There has been a big focus on getting stick fouls like holding, hooking and tripping out of the game.
Any action with the stick on another players hands is now penalized.
This would have been mostly ignored in the past, unless it was very flagrant.
Fighting is still penalized with only a 5 minute penalty, however I believe the amount of fighting has gone down quite a bit from the 70's & 80's.
Most NHL teams still have an enforcer type player who plays little but does fight when required.
It is felt that leaving fighting in the game keeps the "cheap" fouls out of the game and also protects the star players somewhat. If you take a cheap shot on a star player you will have to answer to the enforcer at some point during the game.
Fighting is banned completely in international games and results in a game suspension and maybe a further review.

[AskMaxim]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Maddog78', 'K')icking is almost non existent. I can only recall 2 incidents in the last few years. If It happens it is handled with long suspensions.
The NHL changed their rules about 4 years ago after the lockout/strike.
There has been a big focus on getting stick fouls like holding, hooking and tripping out of the game.
Any action with the stick on another players hands is now penalized.
This would have been mostly ignored in the past, unless it was very flagrant.
Fighting is still penalized with only a 5 minute penalty, however I believe the amount of fighting has gone down quite a bit from the 70's & 80's.
Most NHL teams still have an enforcer type player who plays little but does fight when required.
It is felt that leaving fighting in the game keeps the "cheap" fouls out of the game and also protects the star players somewhat. If you take a cheap shot on a star player you will have to answer to the enforcer at some point during the game.
Fighting is banned completely in international games and results in a game suspension and maybe a further review.

[jboogy]

I remember years ago we all got together at a buddies house to watch the finals when Lindros was our great hope for a cup, I remember sitting there partying and thinking hockey has to be the most boring sh#t ever*. None of us really cared about hockey except as a reason to throw a party. Nobody even really watched. I think Gretztky and the oilers beat our ass pretty good. Hockey Shmockey

*hold on, baseball and golf are worse.

question; wouldn't televised miniature golf be way more exciting to watch than real golf?

I got it...televised miniature golf played by voluptuous women in super tiny bikinis, I would not only watch, I'd tape and re-watch(examine) later when I had a little free time and the house to myself, (so as not to be distracted while critiqueing the strokes and strategy).

MMmmmm.....hot chicks holding big shafts and whacking balls.