What Should It Take For Me To Become A NHL Fan Again?
OK...I want people to understand where I'm coming from here. Up until the '04-05 lockout, I loved the NHL. I still watch hockey at the Junior-A and high school level here and it's an awesome sport. After the lockout, I was pissed off as regardless of right or wrong they had two years to figure out how to split money between the owners and players without having to destroy an entire season to do it. When Jeremy Roenick made the comment that all Americans should kiss his *** regarding blame...that moment turned me off right there.
Since that day, I have not watched the NHL on television or in person. Where I live we have an AHL franchise and I refuse to go to those games. I love hockey, don't get me wrong...but when we've seen labor issues in the other three major sports I'm just fed up. I want to be an NHL fan again, but I'm still furious.
What should it take for me to become a fan again? One thing for sure, another lockout can't happen.
Snoop2007-08-09T07:31:26Z
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The best way is to ease yourself into going back to the games. Go to the game with an open mind, as though you are discovering hockey for the first time.
A perfect example would be my feelings after the last baseball strike in 1994. I was upset that the clowns who run baseball cancelled the World Series (a contest the Montreal Expos would have won in seven games over the Cleveland Indians). I was even angrier that it was all about money. I was 14 at the time, and swore up and down that I would never go to another baseball game. Then one afternoon in 1995, my mom had the day off from work. I was having a bad day myself, so to cheer me up, she picked me up from school and drove me to Tiger Stadium (which is a hour away from my home). With her help, she was able to get me watching baseball again. Initially I didn't want to even walk in the ballpark, but after picking up a few baseball items and realizing that this was one of the coolest things my mom ever did for me, I was okay. Over time, I would go to more games, then I was fully following baseball again.
Trust me when I say this: you will enjoy the NHL again. There is so much you're missing out on. Just ease into being a NHL fan again. You will not regret it.
2 words...Pittsburgh Penguins. I'm not a hype guy and I am a Red Wings fan since the Whalers left Hartford, but looking at the new and young talent that is developing there is exciting! It is reminicent of the Oilers in the early 80s and may be the only way that the NHL will bounce back. Sid the kid is going to be playing some great hockey because he brings heart and skill together. Watch some highlights with him and then consider that he turns 20 this month, add in the fact that they made it to the playoffs last year with a young team and I think you'll find your way back in. I understand your frustration, but don't give up on the AHL either. Hartford's answer for a hockey team (the WolfPack) is enjoyable to watch and there have been players that I have watched play for them and for other teams who are now in the NHL. There is still an entertainment factor. Gary Bettman sucks and always will, it is his fault that the sport is in it's current condition at the professional level, but don't give up on it. Stay strong!
Once Bettman is fired, and these new rules go caput, hockey will be good again. The trapeziod needs to go, along with all the penalties for not doing anything, and the instagator, heck they should make the instagator an award, because it is the only exciting part of hockey these days. If you think about it, fights are the only thing in hockey that gets both sets of fans on their feet at the same time. Besides fights, people only stand for goals, and saves sometimes. Fighting is a part of hockey, and guys shouldn't get penalized for starting them. Next they need to get rid of the shooting the puck over the glass rule, because it is stupid. 99% of the times pucks flew over the glass last year were on accident, and the team got a penalty that comes up to haunt them later. The rule is pointless. Lastly, they need to let the players hack a little bit again. I mean if a guy can get through five apposing players that are gritty, and out to get him, and scores, I would be much more appreciative of the goal, then I would be if a guy goes through five guys that arent allowed to take away the ice that he is intitalled to, and aren't allowed to hit his stick with their stick unless they make noticeable contact with the puck in the process. So what, it is easy to score that way, and the goals aren't as exciting. Hockey Bettman style is really messed up, and I am in the same boat as you, I have played since I was 3, but I don't think I am getting the NHL package on TV this year, besides, my Celtics are finally good again. HA HA!
When was hockey ever popular in the USA? There's no good junior leagues here except at the college level where there's only a handful. Nothing compared to the NCAA Basketball or Football programs. No high schools except private ones have competitive teams. There's just nothing to build from. Nothing the NHL does will have a massive effect in building a fan base that competes with any other league in the USA because there's nothing there from the beginning to gain any interest in the sport. There's no future in hockey in the USA because you can't just be a fan of watching one league, it won't last. I don't know about the marketable minority player idea. You want to trade Iginla to the Red Wings? I don't understand. Manny Malholtra was drafted by the Rangers. Is that what you mean? He was 7th overall and supposed to be good. He didn't last. I think he retired actually.
I can understand your frustration and anger. But in the end, you are just cheating yourself out of pure enjoyment for the best game in sports today. I would try to simply attend a live game to get that feel of the cold ice, passionate fans, and the thrilling end to end action again which should sway you back in quickly. More importantly, go to a game where you can see a young kid razzle and dazzle the crowd named Crosby! Or watch a young edgy winger with a wicked slap shot named Ovechkin! Or why not catch a game where you can watch one of the greatest and smartest d-man handle top lines with ease in Lidstrom? Maybe catch a game with a goalie who is so fundamentally sound that he may possibly break the all time goalie wins record this year by the name of Brodeur? Don't deprive yourself of this bruiserkc2! The lockout was bad, but with you still watching junior A and high school games shows your heart still loves the game.