Post by hockeyhound on Aug 16, 2007 12:37:12 GMT -5
Best Show In Town
“I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out, long on blood short on teeth, and boxing on ice”, are all phrases used to describe the intensity of professional hockey. Professional hockey is the best overall spectator sport in that the extreme physical nature of the game promotes a sense of drama and fan fare as teams demonstrate their will to survive the season in their quest for the Lord Stanley Cup. The ferocious fighting demonstrates how the extreme physical nature of hockey promotes drama and fan fare; furthermore, the willingness to play through the pain is a testimony of individual toughness and the will to survive. Finally, a unique aspect of professional hockey is the tournament format that makes up the Stanley Cup playoffs. The tournament format sets the stage for the most fiercely contested playoffs in professional sports today.
If you were to ask someone, “What one word would you use to describe ice hockey?” They may say that’s easy – Fighting! Fighting is one aspect of professional hockey that promotes overall drama and fan fare. Fighting is a tolerated aspect of the game of hockey; however, fighting is still considered an illegal action that draws multiple penalties for those accused. Although many people may disagree with the concept of fighting in hockey; still many hockey fans love the display of raw emotion that fighting brings to the game.
For example, February 22, 2007, fans attending an Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres game, witnessed a wild melee with 100 penalty minutes for fighting and other related illegal conduct. Most notably, fans stood and applauded wildly during the entire brawl. The next day’s media attention sparked the interest of hockey fans everywhere; furthermore, there was a recorded increase in attendance when the teams squared off for a rematch two days later. The melee that takes place in this game is not just some choreographed event; the passion, intensity, and ferocity is all genuine. The fans show a tremendous amount of approval as they stand and applaud their team; moreover, the emotional spill over generated by this one event is a testimony to the popularity of fighting and violence that takes place in professional hockey.
Once again, On November 22, 2006, hockey fans attending the Atlanta Thrashers and Washington Capitals game were privileged to watch the emotionally charged contest turn into a game with 176 penalty minutes including 10 fighting majors with a little over a minute left in the game. As a result, the attendance at the next game increased from the previous sub par level of 11,284 people to just over 15,000. The attendance statistics point to the fact that fighting and violence are one aspect of the game hockey fans love; moreover, many times it is a powerful motivator that drives up game attendance and interest in the sport. Finally, a study by Rodney J. Paul published in the American Journal of Economics and Sociology found that “teams that fight more often tend to draw more fans”. The empirical results were found to be true for both US and Canadian NHL teams, while substantially magnified in the US cities. A more surprising result was that “fans prefer teams that win and have tendencies to fighting and violence, as opposed to high-scoring, low-violence teams.” History records how great crowds filled the Roman Coliseums to witness the violence and bloodshed as men competed, thus the argument could be made that the times change, but people still long to witness violent contests between men. Because professional hockey is the one sport that still embraces these types of high energy, violent, and sometimes bloody events, it stands to reason that the public’s interest for professional hockey will grow as professional hockey organizations build more effective marketing campaigns in the future.
Someone once said, “Champions are made not born.” Others may disagree, but one thing is for sure; hockey fans everywhere get to see some of the toughest professional athletes compete night after night, even though they must play through extreme pain. Many times professional hockey players are compelled to rise above there physical injuries in the pursuit of the championship. The willingness to play through pain is a testimony of the individual hockey players’ toughness and will to survive. For example; Steve Yzerman former captain and center of the Stanley Cup winning Detroit Red Wings often demonstrated to his teammates his willingness to play hurt in the pursuit of the championship. In 1993, Yzerman played throughout the whole season with three compressed vertebrae. When Yzerman could not get healthy enough to play in the 2002 Winter Olympics, X-rays were taken that showed he had no remaining cartilage in one knee. Teammates watched him as he would climb the stairs by stepping up with one leg then lifting the other leg up to the next step. Yzerman still managed to play well enough to win the Stanley Cup that year. Yzerman’s qualities of selflessness and willingness to play through the pain in pursuit of a championship are one of the most attractive aspects of the game of hockey. Hockey fans are drawn into the story line of one man’s courage, perseverance, and triumph in the face of tragedy.
The drama unfolds night after night as the cast of characters go to some of the most extreme measures to stay in the game. In the NHL video, “Playing through Pain”, former Stanley Cup winner, Bobby Nystrom, recalled how Kenny Mora (former NHL player) would stick needles in his knee to drain the fluid out before he would play each night. Detroit Red Wings player, Brent Gilchrist, played hurt each night during the Stanley Cup playoffs until his groin muscle finally separated from the bone. Kenny Mora and Brent Gilchrist are just some of the examples of personal toughness and perseverance; it is their testimonies of great personal sacrifice that draw fans to the sport of hockey year after year. The self sacrifice mixed with the fast paced end to end action, are just some of the qualities that make hockey the best overall spectator sport.
Another unique aspect of professional hockey is the tournament format that makes up the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Stanley Cup Playoffs is an elimination tournament. [1] In the past 30 years, the tournament format has produced some of the most exciting finishes in professional sports. One of the most memorable playoff rounds recorded in NHL history was dubbed, Miracle on Manchester. The contest featured the Los Angles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers playing in their sixth game of the third round. The Edmonton Oilers had built up a seemingly insurmountable 5-0 lead by the end of the second period; however, with only five seconds left in regulation play, the Los Angeles Kings had completed the most miraculous comeback in hockey history, when they tied the game 5-5. The game concluded when, Los Angles Kings Player, Daryl Evans, scored the game winning goal two minutes and thirty four seconds into the over time period. It was reported that the crowd erupted into a deafening roar. The tournament format is the most unique because of the best of seven series concept. During the seven game series between the Los Angles Kings and Edmonton Oilers, fans had an opportunity to witness the extreme momentum changes and incredible comebacks that makes hockey a great spectator sport. Professional baseball has a similar tournament format that makes for exciting baseball action; however, professional ice hockey with the addition of extreme physical play, elevates the tournament format drama to a more explosive, emotionally charged experience, for both the players and fans.
On April 24, 1999, fans experienced an emotionally charged contest that ended when Shane Doan of the Phoenix Coyotes scored the overtime game winning goal in game three of their opening round of playoffs. Longtime Coyotes fan Bethany Knapp said, “I remember the intensity that was inside of the arena that night. That game was a magical night for the fans and for Doan, who provide memorable highlights for the coyotes”. Doan said, “That particular win was huge for us that series. On that play, I saw the puck sitting in the crease and just knocked it home. I remember falling down after I scored the goal and the feeling was unbelievable. It was definitely a highlight that will last forever.”
Following Doan’s dramatic overtime winner against the St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes center Jeremy Roenick made a theatrical return for game 7 of that same series. Roenick suffered an injury prior to the playoffs that year, and doctors told Roenick that he would miss the next three months, including the entire 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs. With the Coyotes and Blues tied at three games a piece in the first round, Roenick amazed both the medical and hockey world when he stepped out on to ice for game seven. "Roenick's return from injury embodies what hockey is all about," said Coyotes fan Karen Messick, who was in attendance that night. "The tenacity of Roenick helped inspire the team and energized the capacity crowd. Having Roenick back in the lineup for that game is truly one of the more memorable highlights not only in Coyotes history, but National Hockey League history."
Professional hockey is the best overall spectator sport in that the extreme physical nature of the game promotes a sense of drama and fan fare as teams demonstrate their will to survive the season in their quest for the Lord Stanley Cup. Statistics continue to demonstrate how fighting and violence is one aspect of professional hockey that promotes the drama and excitement that fans love. The individual hockey player’s determination and willingness to play through the pain creates remarkable stories of achievement that will generate a sense of awe and expectation for future hockey fans. Finally, The Stanley Cup Playoffs, played within the seven game tournament format, has proven to be an explosive and emotionally charged event that fans and the players have grown to appreciate. Hockey truly is the best overall spectator sport that will continue to set attendance records [2] for years to come.
[1] Stanley Cup Playoffs: two teams battle to win a best-of-seven series in order to advance to the next round. One team from the Western Conference and one team from the Eastern Conference must win three of four rounds to be crowned Conference Champions. Once it is established who the conference champions are, each of the teams move on to play in the final Stanley Cup Playoff round.
[2] NHL sets records for total, average attendance
NEW YORK -- National Hockey League fans returned in record numbers in the 2005-06 regular season. A total of 20,854,169 and per-game average of 16,955 attended the 1,230 games, 2.4% ahead of the 2003-04 figures (20,356,199 and 16,550) and 1.2% ahead of the previous record season of 2001-02 (20,614,613 and 16,760). In all, NHL teams played to 91.7% of capacity.
“I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out, long on blood short on teeth, and boxing on ice”, are all phrases used to describe the intensity of professional hockey. Professional hockey is the best overall spectator sport in that the extreme physical nature of the game promotes a sense of drama and fan fare as teams demonstrate their will to survive the season in their quest for the Lord Stanley Cup. The ferocious fighting demonstrates how the extreme physical nature of hockey promotes drama and fan fare; furthermore, the willingness to play through the pain is a testimony of individual toughness and the will to survive. Finally, a unique aspect of professional hockey is the tournament format that makes up the Stanley Cup playoffs. The tournament format sets the stage for the most fiercely contested playoffs in professional sports today.
If you were to ask someone, “What one word would you use to describe ice hockey?” They may say that’s easy – Fighting! Fighting is one aspect of professional hockey that promotes overall drama and fan fare. Fighting is a tolerated aspect of the game of hockey; however, fighting is still considered an illegal action that draws multiple penalties for those accused. Although many people may disagree with the concept of fighting in hockey; still many hockey fans love the display of raw emotion that fighting brings to the game.
For example, February 22, 2007, fans attending an Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres game, witnessed a wild melee with 100 penalty minutes for fighting and other related illegal conduct. Most notably, fans stood and applauded wildly during the entire brawl. The next day’s media attention sparked the interest of hockey fans everywhere; furthermore, there was a recorded increase in attendance when the teams squared off for a rematch two days later. The melee that takes place in this game is not just some choreographed event; the passion, intensity, and ferocity is all genuine. The fans show a tremendous amount of approval as they stand and applaud their team; moreover, the emotional spill over generated by this one event is a testimony to the popularity of fighting and violence that takes place in professional hockey.
Once again, On November 22, 2006, hockey fans attending the Atlanta Thrashers and Washington Capitals game were privileged to watch the emotionally charged contest turn into a game with 176 penalty minutes including 10 fighting majors with a little over a minute left in the game. As a result, the attendance at the next game increased from the previous sub par level of 11,284 people to just over 15,000. The attendance statistics point to the fact that fighting and violence are one aspect of the game hockey fans love; moreover, many times it is a powerful motivator that drives up game attendance and interest in the sport. Finally, a study by Rodney J. Paul published in the American Journal of Economics and Sociology found that “teams that fight more often tend to draw more fans”. The empirical results were found to be true for both US and Canadian NHL teams, while substantially magnified in the US cities. A more surprising result was that “fans prefer teams that win and have tendencies to fighting and violence, as opposed to high-scoring, low-violence teams.” History records how great crowds filled the Roman Coliseums to witness the violence and bloodshed as men competed, thus the argument could be made that the times change, but people still long to witness violent contests between men. Because professional hockey is the one sport that still embraces these types of high energy, violent, and sometimes bloody events, it stands to reason that the public’s interest for professional hockey will grow as professional hockey organizations build more effective marketing campaigns in the future.
Someone once said, “Champions are made not born.” Others may disagree, but one thing is for sure; hockey fans everywhere get to see some of the toughest professional athletes compete night after night, even though they must play through extreme pain. Many times professional hockey players are compelled to rise above there physical injuries in the pursuit of the championship. The willingness to play through pain is a testimony of the individual hockey players’ toughness and will to survive. For example; Steve Yzerman former captain and center of the Stanley Cup winning Detroit Red Wings often demonstrated to his teammates his willingness to play hurt in the pursuit of the championship. In 1993, Yzerman played throughout the whole season with three compressed vertebrae. When Yzerman could not get healthy enough to play in the 2002 Winter Olympics, X-rays were taken that showed he had no remaining cartilage in one knee. Teammates watched him as he would climb the stairs by stepping up with one leg then lifting the other leg up to the next step. Yzerman still managed to play well enough to win the Stanley Cup that year. Yzerman’s qualities of selflessness and willingness to play through the pain in pursuit of a championship are one of the most attractive aspects of the game of hockey. Hockey fans are drawn into the story line of one man’s courage, perseverance, and triumph in the face of tragedy.
The drama unfolds night after night as the cast of characters go to some of the most extreme measures to stay in the game. In the NHL video, “Playing through Pain”, former Stanley Cup winner, Bobby Nystrom, recalled how Kenny Mora (former NHL player) would stick needles in his knee to drain the fluid out before he would play each night. Detroit Red Wings player, Brent Gilchrist, played hurt each night during the Stanley Cup playoffs until his groin muscle finally separated from the bone. Kenny Mora and Brent Gilchrist are just some of the examples of personal toughness and perseverance; it is their testimonies of great personal sacrifice that draw fans to the sport of hockey year after year. The self sacrifice mixed with the fast paced end to end action, are just some of the qualities that make hockey the best overall spectator sport.
Another unique aspect of professional hockey is the tournament format that makes up the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Stanley Cup Playoffs is an elimination tournament. [1] In the past 30 years, the tournament format has produced some of the most exciting finishes in professional sports. One of the most memorable playoff rounds recorded in NHL history was dubbed, Miracle on Manchester. The contest featured the Los Angles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers playing in their sixth game of the third round. The Edmonton Oilers had built up a seemingly insurmountable 5-0 lead by the end of the second period; however, with only five seconds left in regulation play, the Los Angeles Kings had completed the most miraculous comeback in hockey history, when they tied the game 5-5. The game concluded when, Los Angles Kings Player, Daryl Evans, scored the game winning goal two minutes and thirty four seconds into the over time period. It was reported that the crowd erupted into a deafening roar. The tournament format is the most unique because of the best of seven series concept. During the seven game series between the Los Angles Kings and Edmonton Oilers, fans had an opportunity to witness the extreme momentum changes and incredible comebacks that makes hockey a great spectator sport. Professional baseball has a similar tournament format that makes for exciting baseball action; however, professional ice hockey with the addition of extreme physical play, elevates the tournament format drama to a more explosive, emotionally charged experience, for both the players and fans.
On April 24, 1999, fans experienced an emotionally charged contest that ended when Shane Doan of the Phoenix Coyotes scored the overtime game winning goal in game three of their opening round of playoffs. Longtime Coyotes fan Bethany Knapp said, “I remember the intensity that was inside of the arena that night. That game was a magical night for the fans and for Doan, who provide memorable highlights for the coyotes”. Doan said, “That particular win was huge for us that series. On that play, I saw the puck sitting in the crease and just knocked it home. I remember falling down after I scored the goal and the feeling was unbelievable. It was definitely a highlight that will last forever.”
Following Doan’s dramatic overtime winner against the St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes center Jeremy Roenick made a theatrical return for game 7 of that same series. Roenick suffered an injury prior to the playoffs that year, and doctors told Roenick that he would miss the next three months, including the entire 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs. With the Coyotes and Blues tied at three games a piece in the first round, Roenick amazed both the medical and hockey world when he stepped out on to ice for game seven. "Roenick's return from injury embodies what hockey is all about," said Coyotes fan Karen Messick, who was in attendance that night. "The tenacity of Roenick helped inspire the team and energized the capacity crowd. Having Roenick back in the lineup for that game is truly one of the more memorable highlights not only in Coyotes history, but National Hockey League history."
Professional hockey is the best overall spectator sport in that the extreme physical nature of the game promotes a sense of drama and fan fare as teams demonstrate their will to survive the season in their quest for the Lord Stanley Cup. Statistics continue to demonstrate how fighting and violence is one aspect of professional hockey that promotes the drama and excitement that fans love. The individual hockey player’s determination and willingness to play through the pain creates remarkable stories of achievement that will generate a sense of awe and expectation for future hockey fans. Finally, The Stanley Cup Playoffs, played within the seven game tournament format, has proven to be an explosive and emotionally charged event that fans and the players have grown to appreciate. Hockey truly is the best overall spectator sport that will continue to set attendance records [2] for years to come.
[1] Stanley Cup Playoffs: two teams battle to win a best-of-seven series in order to advance to the next round. One team from the Western Conference and one team from the Eastern Conference must win three of four rounds to be crowned Conference Champions. Once it is established who the conference champions are, each of the teams move on to play in the final Stanley Cup Playoff round.
[2] NHL sets records for total, average attendance
NEW YORK -- National Hockey League fans returned in record numbers in the 2005-06 regular season. A total of 20,854,169 and per-game average of 16,955 attended the 1,230 games, 2.4% ahead of the 2003-04 figures (20,356,199 and 16,550) and 1.2% ahead of the previous record season of 2001-02 (20,614,613 and 16,760). In all, NHL teams played to 91.7% of capacity.