http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/17/sports/hockey/17hockey.html?oref=login&hp How does this effect/relate to soccer in the US? As I see it this has two important points. 1) Less competition in the wide wide world of sports. More room for the MLS to step up and grab some of the mind share. 2) In todays globalized economy, the old monopoly, single-entity sports ownership is not going to work. Soccer in the US will be particularly effected by this since there is such a vigorous global market for soccer talent. Discuss.
I watch ESPN and Fox Sports Net a lot and I havent seen them talking more about MLS since the NHL has now gone away. No NHL does not mean more exposure and attention for MLS on the major networks.
It will have no effect on MLS, NHL is during MLS "offseason" for the most part, they overlap at the ends of each but for the most part they don't. There are enough "big time" sports still running in US right now to occupy the folks at ESPN, NFL is going, NBA, college football and college basketball. Baseball will startup in a few months and at least locally here in New England they have lots of baseball to talk about with all the free agents the Red Sox have to deal with right now, especially since Pedro spent the other day talking with the Yankees.
.... N H L...( R.I.P.)....drunk, overpaid canadians...fist fights on skates....the euros will love 'em... Not
And Texas is such a hotbed for hockey. High School football is lame. Now are we even? This thread has beans to do with soccer in the us, but anyway.
Are you kidding me? THis could have a major effect on MLS should they stay on their current course and lock the whole season out. Think about it. What does ESPN show mostly in the months of April and May? Playoff Hockey. Not to mention that ABC also shows playoff games Saturday afternoons in the general timeslot of Soccer Saturday, which is 3-6PM eastern time. With no NHl to speak of, don't you think ABC would take a chance to fill in empty space with something?
Yep - baseball preseason. For the same reason our newspaper commonly gives a full page of baseball coverage each week in the offseason - because it will sell.
But ABC doesn't show any baseball games. Even though they are owned by Disney which also owns ESPN, ABC cannot nationally televise any baseball games. That honor belongs to FOX. ABC already nationally televises MLS games(even if it is only three of them). So, since they cannot show baseball games, I don't see why they wouldn't think about showing some MLS games in the NHL's old Saturday afternoon timeslot, if there are no playoffs by then.
I think that's the only shot the MLS has at filling in, and I don't think that many people who are hockey fans are looking for a new sport to fill the void. Most that I know are falling back on one of the Big Three, so I doubt soccer as a pro sport is really going to get as much mileage out of the lockout as you might hope. And as for the European leagues, they love the NHLers (unless "they" is a borderline pro player who has lost a roster spot to one). I mean, come on, those fans get to see world-class players when they're 16 and 17, not once they peak playing over here. It's a great opportunity for them. And a great opportunity for me to get better at reading Russian sports articles
Hockey is not dead, ok look at were MLS teams are located and if you still like hockey you still have places to go watch. NE- Tons of college teams, new BU rink opens soon, AHL. Chicago- the wolves. Dallas- Junior and Pro teams. CBus- college. Denver- College. Lets face it to think that because the nhl is not around that hockey fans will jump ship to watch the mls is crazy, the media will not cover the mls anymore then it does now. The MLS will only become better by making its product better, not by the lack of nhl hockey. The mls will not fill nhl time slots on tv unless you just wont to go from bad tv ratings to brutal tv ratings. College Bball will fill the those slots, Poker, other espn crap.
Agree, and honestly, even in non-traditional markets (Atlanta, for example), I think that the greatest beneficiary of the lockout isn't another pro sport. It's amateur and rec hockey (can't watch? Ok, then play), as well as the lower levels that you mention. In fact, Atlanta's ECHL team has pulled 10K+ a couple times this season.
giving away tickets will do this....I for one am glad the f--king nhl is gone...hope it stays gone....for a very long time... forever