Why am I so revered in the hockey section?

People should really stop comparing this guy to Bob Loblaw.

Build some rinks in Fiji, and get those big boys away from playing rugby and on skates. Instead of getting bent about the NHL, have Rene Fasel work on that one.

You neglect to mention that rugby (especially sevens) is HUGE in Fiji.

Given how many players of Samoan and Polynesian ancestry have made it to the NFL, not shocked at all about the interest.

There's a national hockey league in Australia (granted, expats make up a fairly decent chunk of it), and contrary to what people think, it snows in Australia so there is at least that notion of "winter" there. Plus, NHL games are televised in Australia (there's a YouTube video of the NRL Footy Show cast playing hockey at an ice rink in the Sydney suburbs from a few years ago- think gathering up the TSN hockey talking heads and throwing them on the rugby pitch).

Jakarta also has significantly more expats from Canada and the "big six" hockey nations than Fiji, which would stand to reason that interest would follow. I tie it more to interest flowing to your major business cities. Fiji isn't exactly at this point yet.

When you're here trolling goes down, when you aren't here trolling goes up. Just an observation. And that's not to mention that you're, obviously, the most knowledgeable in this section and know what you're talking about. Which is really helpful.

Just a thought; Last I checked Fiji was closer to the equator, meaning it's hotter. In a place like Fiji, which is hot more often than not, why would they have any interest in a sport that involves ice and colder temperatures? But the fact that people in Europe and parts of Asia have heard of the NHL isn't all that bad. It's a continually evolving market place. You never know when things will change...

Trying to get other people to toot your own horn? We all know you are a brilliant hockey mind, and in this section nowadays, thats a rare thing to find.

I'm sure there are ways, but when you think of it, to play basketball, you need a ball and a hoop, to play baseball you need a piece of wood and a ball, to play football you need a football and some friends. All you really need to play hockey is a hockey stick a ball and a net, or a couple garbage cans, but all the other sports you can just find for much cheaper and easier than a hockey stick. IMO, that has to do with a lot of it. Easier access to the equipment needed to play.

I am (edit--you ever accidentally click a button that submits an answer to early?) shocked that they have heard of Shaq, Peyton Manning, but not Gretzky. The only way to get Fiji and the other nations is to get them interested in hockey, provide them with a stick and a ball, get them interested in learning. They won't be interested in learning if they don't care about it.

Hockey is just as great as any other sport out there, and its a shame that these nations don't know about it, but know about all the other major sports. Give 'em a stick and a ball, their interest has to start somewhere.

For the same reason as people revere Bobby Orr or Wayne Gretzky. Excellence shows through, and when there's a player on the ice who plays the game on a higher level, has sportsmanship, and is generous with the fans, then people come to revere that player. (But Orr and Gretzky still got traded anyway.)

For the most part, hockey is a sport for people in cold climates, or people from a warm climate but whose famillies and societies have comparatively a lot of disposable income. People in non-cold climates, or without the disposable income, don't have the access to it on the level of the blood in their veins, on the level of their pocketbooks, or both. If there was a way to make rinks of natural ice cheaply in warm weather, or make indoor rinks and equipment very inexpensive, hockey would grow like a firestorm. It's a great sport.

They have NASCAR fans in Fiji? This world is a terrible place, I never wanted to see these horrors in my life....

And you are revered because after praying to you I got 20 year olds trying to get in my pants, the Blackhawks are Cup Contenders again, and Patrick Kane is a good center. That and the fact that only you know what penalties happen when a team goes under the salary minimum during a season.

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Here is how you expand hockey in a meaningful way:

1- Greater ethnic representation in the sport. Africa has 1 Billion people, Asia has 4 Billion people, and most of the NHLers only look like Europe which only has 700 million people. (Not even mentioning South America, Central America, or the Pacific Islands... And I never mention Australia!)

2- Promotion of the History of the sport. Of new fans, how many people know of anything before the Gretzky era? Maybe some new Original Six team fans know a little about their own team. Gretzky was the Greatest (to most people, I prefer Lemieux dammit!), but the NHL has almost 100 years of history. The Stanley Cup has even more history than that. You promote the history of the sport and it will draw interest.

3- Promote the sport. It is a god dammed shame that my brother needs to spend 5 grand a year on his kid to play hockey. My brother is a cop and his wife works, if he was not part of a 2 income family, my God Son (who is pretty good apparently) would never have had the opportunity to play the sport. Imagine how many talented kids we are missing because this sport is so inaccessible? Imagine how many future fans we are missing because kids never even played the sport. Hell if ice hockey is too much money to promote fully, than promote roller hockey, street hockey, or floor hockey. Get these kids in pads and a stick in their hands at all costs. EVERY NHL team should have a rink they dedicate to training local kids in ice hockey/skating free of charge.

Focus on these 3 things and people will not only have heard of the NHL around the world, we will have Blackhawks fans around the world screaming in unison "KANER!!!!!!!!"

Maybe the NHL brass should send a few planeloads of hockey fans to Fiji on a PR mission where they can spread the word about the NHL while sipping their pina coladas. I'm sure they could write it off. It's all about exposure and environment. No coverage/no interest. No ice/no interest. The average Fijian probably has never heard of curling either and most people probably couldn't find Fiji on a map anyway. Seeing some of the attendance figures, the NHL should be more concerned about keeping the sport viable in the markets they have now.

PS - I'm sure some Fijian has heard of the NHL.

Maybe the lack of ice has something to do with Fiji. Plus, Fiji is supposed to be like a paradise, right? They don't need to think of things like sports played on ice.

Here is my real answer. Sports like NASCAR, NFL, NBA and even MLB have a definite American flavor to them. You think those sports you think the USA. I think there is a definite love for things American in a lot of foreign countries. Maybe the NHL is too International. It's Canada's game that we use in the US. Many of the players are European. Maybe this just doesn't interest kids in Fiji.

Welcome back.

Welcome back. I just think a lot of people look for someone with knowledge they can glean so it is more a compliment to your ability and willingness to share some of that knowledge and opinion. Never feel bad about putting people in their places....that is why you, me and a lot of others come here. Personally I am glad you are back because other than a couple other users I am almost always the oldest guy here....you can have that moniker! Hope life finds you well and hope your beloved Hawks make a great run....just not as deep a run as my beloved Wings!

Now I don't feel quite so old. It has been a bit like babysitting when you've been away.

Now with you back maybe some of the other old timers will surface and not just "thanks for visiting" on the way through.

Maybe, if we shipped Gary Bettman to Fiji he could set up an office of south seas expansion there. That and a 350 pound Samoan playing goal for the Islanders might get their attention.

Hi

With traditionalist calling for Bettman's head for southern expansion (yes I know not really his doing) I could only imagine how South Pacific expansion would go over. I will go as far as to say the hypocrites in this section would hang anyone but you for suggesting it.

I just figured you found the cabin in the mountains with that certain someone who also disappeared.

Thank You

Just food for thought, do you think there is a correlation between Hockey knowledge in the general public and Cricket knowledge? I could also go into that the other sports are seen as US sports where as Hockey is "Canada's game." To expand hockey knowledge would require increasing it's mainstream appeal in the States as opposed to creating a culture of Us and You (aimed at the people that claim that hockey is "Canada's game)