Lack of Structure...Lack of Fans
Posted 9:36 PM ET | Comments 0
Hockey has always been a very intimate sport. The players humble, the fans knowledgeable, the media low-key. In a way, I almost like that not as many people watch the NHL as other sports, because when I do come across those who are a fan - they know they're stuff. Hockey fans know their sport. In baseball, basketball, and football there are many more casual fans of the game and many people talking about games in which they only saw three highlights on SportsCenter between scoops of Fruit Loops.
Hockey fans watch the games. They make sure they receive Versus in their cable package. They shell out the extra dollars for the Sports Tier on Comcast to ensure they can watch On The Fly on the NHL Network. NHL Center Ice package? Check.
Because hockey fans watch the games and stay up-to-date on the happenings around the league, they are able to understand the game's rules and even aspects such as "The Code". If you know what The Code is, you are a hockey fan - period.
Hockey doesn't have the complete structure that the other three major sports in America do. In baseball you fill your roster with the batters who are least likely to make an out and the pitchers who get them quickly. The Moneyball approach can also be utilized unlike in other sports. Stats are stats in baseball and they seldom lie. Football has structured plays each and every down. A quarterback calls a play, the other 10 do as they have been taught to do in that particular play. If they run it wrong, the pass goes astray. Basketball is more like hockey in a way, but because players are not on skates there is still more structure to plays.
Teams often can't truly "set-up" in the offensive zone until they have the man advantage. One structured play that the offense can run is the cycle. The traditional way to run the cycle tends to use two or three players - usually the forwards. It occurs between the back of the net to the area along the half-boards. One player will carry the puck up towards the half-boards, drawing a defender with him. He will then dump the puck back behind the net with a teammate waiting or going to the puck to retrieve it. This may happen a few times depending on if the new puck carrier draws a defender or can shake him.
Because of this lack of structure in hockey games, I believe Americans are turned off to getting to know the game if they have not grown up with it. In football, basketball, and baseball a casual fan will still understand the rules, penalties, and regulations. In hockey the rules are often complicated and get be arbitrary many times. Just try explaining icing or delayed offsides to a non-hockey fan and you will know what I mean. In baseball you either walk or get a hit in order to help yourself score runs. In football you must systematically move the ball down the field in order to score. Basketball - get a clean shot off and make it in an open basket. Hockey - hit, poke-check, scramble, cycle, pass, deflect, and screen the goalie in order to score a goal.
Oh yeah, did I mention The Code? If your star player gets hit, especially by a cheap shot, you bet the Riley Cote's and George Laraque's of the world will be out there on the next shift to set the tone and send a message to the other team.
Structure is what is needed for many fans and that is a shame because the lack of structure and the freedom that a hockey player possesses is the true beauty of the game. They are missing out on the best sport in the world.
-Ford
Hockey fans watch the games. They make sure they receive Versus in their cable package. They shell out the extra dollars for the Sports Tier on Comcast to ensure they can watch On The Fly on the NHL Network. NHL Center Ice package? Check.
Because hockey fans watch the games and stay up-to-date on the happenings around the league, they are able to understand the game's rules and even aspects such as "The Code". If you know what The Code is, you are a hockey fan - period.
Hockey doesn't have the complete structure that the other three major sports in America do. In baseball you fill your roster with the batters who are least likely to make an out and the pitchers who get them quickly. The Moneyball approach can also be utilized unlike in other sports. Stats are stats in baseball and they seldom lie. Football has structured plays each and every down. A quarterback calls a play, the other 10 do as they have been taught to do in that particular play. If they run it wrong, the pass goes astray. Basketball is more like hockey in a way, but because players are not on skates there is still more structure to plays.
Teams often can't truly "set-up" in the offensive zone until they have the man advantage. One structured play that the offense can run is the cycle. The traditional way to run the cycle tends to use two or three players - usually the forwards. It occurs between the back of the net to the area along the half-boards. One player will carry the puck up towards the half-boards, drawing a defender with him. He will then dump the puck back behind the net with a teammate waiting or going to the puck to retrieve it. This may happen a few times depending on if the new puck carrier draws a defender or can shake him.
Because of this lack of structure in hockey games, I believe Americans are turned off to getting to know the game if they have not grown up with it. In football, basketball, and baseball a casual fan will still understand the rules, penalties, and regulations. In hockey the rules are often complicated and get be arbitrary many times. Just try explaining icing or delayed offsides to a non-hockey fan and you will know what I mean. In baseball you either walk or get a hit in order to help yourself score runs. In football you must systematically move the ball down the field in order to score. Basketball - get a clean shot off and make it in an open basket. Hockey - hit, poke-check, scramble, cycle, pass, deflect, and screen the goalie in order to score a goal.
Oh yeah, did I mention The Code? If your star player gets hit, especially by a cheap shot, you bet the Riley Cote's and George Laraque's of the world will be out there on the next shift to set the tone and send a message to the other team.
Structure is what is needed for many fans and that is a shame because the lack of structure and the freedom that a hockey player possesses is the true beauty of the game. They are missing out on the best sport in the world.
-Ford