97.1 The Ticket

[Bham1982]

Aside from the NBA season almost being cancelled, the Wings have been a consistently good team for over 20 year. Why are they getting bumped to AM radio for an embarrassment like the Pistons? That's backwards. What's the deal?

I don't know the reason, but keep in mind that the NBA is a much more popular and lucrative league than the NHL.

Even in Hockeytown, the Pistons are bigger business than the Red Wings. They're worth more, they draw more viewership, etc.

The NBA tends to be popular basically everywhere, and derives popularity from all age groups, ethnicities and backgrounds. The NHL tends to have an exclusively white Northeast/Midwest orientation, which affects things like advertising dollars. And even in the Northeast/Midwest, NHL is a distant fourth in popularity among the major sports.

[SteveJ]

Even in Hockeytown, the Pistons are bigger business than the Red Wings. They're worth more, they draw more viewership, etc.

Thats not true. Even during the Pistons championship years, the Red Wings have had higher ratings. Their are more hockey fans than basketball fans around here. Look at the top rated fed games. They are all Red Wings or Tigers.

http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/20...rd-for-game-6/

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Thats not true. Even during the Pistons championship years, the Red Wings have had higher ratings. Their are more hockey fans than basketball fans around here. Look at the top rated fed games. They are all Red Wings or Tigers.

http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/20...rd-for-game-6/

That may be true HERE, but everywhere else the NHL falls behind the NFL, MLB and the NBA. That's the pecking order, like it or not. It is what it is. Look at all the hockey teams that constantly move from city to city because of poor attendance.

[SteveJ]

That may be true HERE, but everywhere else the NHL falls behind the NFL, MLB and the NBA. That's the pecking order, like it or not. It is what it is. Look at all the hockey teams that constantly move from city to city because of poor attendance.

Well thats not true. Seattle Supersonics, Charlotte Hornets, Vancouver Grizzlies and then you have a group of teams like Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, and Milwaukee Bucks that are threatening to move. You have the NJ Nets that are moving next year. The NBA is actually in a pretty sorry shape in most of the country.

[Bham1982]

The NBA is actually in a pretty sorry shape in most of the country.

The NBA had the highest rated regular season and playoffs in history last year.

How is that "pretty sorry shape"?

Even the Stanley Cup finals has miniscule television ratings, and only a fraction of regular season NBA or even many soccer matches.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

The NBA had the highest rated regular season and playoffs in history last year.

How is that "pretty sorry shape"?

Even the Stanley Cup finals has miniscule television ratings, and only a fraction of regular season NBA or even many soccer matches.

I hear ya man, it's Steve J that's not listening.

[TKshreve]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-pu...171014576.html

Yeah, basketball is all that. Anyways.......

They should have done us all a favor and canceled the season. Maybe next year though. <fingers crossed>

[Detroitej72]

The NBA had the highest rated regular season and playoffs in history last year.

And millions tune in every week to watch stupid shows like American Karaoke, er, I mean Idol, but that doesn't mean it's a quality product.

The NBA is a shell of it's former glory days of the 80's and I blame Jordan for it. He forced the league to outlaw defensive play because he knew there was no way he could beat the Pistons otherwise. Now we are left with a handful of whinny, overpaid "superstars" who care only about their egos and getting paid.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

And millions tune in every week to watch stupid shows like American Karaoke, er, I mean Idol, but that doesn't mean it's a quality product.

The NBA is a shell of it's former glory days of the 80's and I blame Jordan for it. He forced the league to outlaw defensive play because he knew there was no way he could beat the Pistons otherwise. Now we are left with a handful of whinny, overpaid "superstars" who care only about their egos and getting paid.

Just like all the other sports, And ??

[Bham1982]

And millions tune in every week to watch stupid shows like American Karaoke, er, I mean Idol, but that doesn't mean it's a quality product.

Gee, all those idiots need to follow the Winnipeg Jets and the Phoenix Coyotes. Much more exciting than the NBA, I guess...

Now we are left with a handful of whinny, overpaid "superstars" who care only about their egos and getting paid.

You mean like Jeremy Lin? That's only the biggest story in the entire world of sports right now.

Watch SportsCenter sometime and see how much time is dedicated to the NHL vs. Jeremy Lin.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Well thats not true. Seattle Supersonics, Charlotte Hornets, Vancouver Grizzlies and then you have a group of teams like Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, and Milwaukee Bucks that are threatening to move. You have the NJ Nets that are moving next year. The NBA is actually in a pretty sorry shape in most of the country.

You need to come out from under that rock. The NHL is much worse off and isn't nearly as popular as the NBA. Again, like it or not it's fact. The NHL is at the BOTTOM of the 4 major sports. The only thing exciting about a hockey game are the fights. And some of those suck.

[Enduro]

That may be true HERE, but everywhere else the NHL falls behind the NFL, MLB and the NBA. That's the pecking order, like it or not. It is what it is. Look at all the hockey teams that constantly move from city to city because of poor attendance.

Don't forget NASCAR and poker.

And I'm just piling on because I was so offended by the original poster. The NHL has been around a long time and is a victim of terrible decisions by the league. There's no reason the Wings should be in the Western conference. I don't really watch the Wings but I know that's bad for business. So is their awful scheduling, same teams over and over and just a handful of original six match ups. And the exodus from loyal northern towns to disinterested southern ones. The NHL is it's own worst enemy. BTW tonight the Pistons lost by just a little to the Heat and the Wings got crushed.

[Bham1982]

Thats not true. Even during the Pistons championship years, the Red Wings have had higher ratings. Their are more hockey fans than basketball fans around here. Look at the top rated fed games. They are all Red Wings or Tigers.

None of this is true. The NBA is much, much bigger business than the NHL. It isn't even close.

NHL television and radio ratings are pathetic. Even MLS and foreign soccer [[Mexican leagues on Telemundo and Euro leagues on ESPN) outdraw NHL.

NHL may be big locally, but it's probably well behind MLS at this point nationally. Even a bad NBA team will be a bigger deal than a good NHL team.