97.1 The Ticket

**Enduro** · January-23-12, 04:07 PM

BTW, that 50th consecutive sell out goes hand and hand with Tom Wilson's arrival who saw over the other BS streak from the Pistons at 259 sell outs. And did you know that 259 is more than 50? It's a fact!
http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.s...ak_at_the.html

**TKshreve** · January-23-12, 04:43 PM

I'm just giving due respect where it is deserved. And peering over the Wings production so far this year:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/standings

I would say they deserve the spotlight right now. Which is what this thread is about.

And you can get your Pistons results on the side of a box of Honeycomb meanwhile.

**Downriviera** · January-23-12, 04:47 PM

I agree with this statement by George Carlin; Basketball woulod be much more exciting if shots that go in off your opponents head are worth 10 points.

**Enduro** · January-23-12, 05:01 PM

Making fun of basketball = hilarious. Making fun of hockey = blasphemous.

Just want to be sure I understand you guys. BTW the Wings are playing the Blues who they're in a tight race with, working on a record streak of home victories and tickets are about 14 bucks on StubHub right now.

**Downriviera** · January-23-12, 05:12 PM

Enduro,

Thanks for the tip on the tix, but I'll be watching at Casa Downriviera. Should be a playoff like atmosphere, I got the gingerale on ice. Who will be our shootout here tonight? Go Wings.

Occurrence · January-23-12, 05:18 PM

No one is really making fun of basketball, just the NBA. If you read anything I wrote before, you would have seen when I wrote that basketball is a good game as long as it's not NBA basketball. The league hasn't been good since the late 80's.

If the best you can do to bash hockey is say "playing on ice is a gimmick", then I don't understand your argument. When the object of the game is to play it on ice, why would they remove it? That would defeat the purpose of ice hockey. IF you don't understand why the game is played on ice, you can easily do a little research on how and why the game evolved to be played on ice due to the climate where the sport is popular, and read up and understand on the tactics and skills that have been developed as a result of being played on ice.

Also, if you look up the dictionary definition of "Gimmick", you will read:
gim·mick

[gim-ik] Show IPA
noun 1. an ingenious or novel device, scheme, or stratagem, especially one designed to attract attention or increase appeal.

2. a concealed, usually devious aspect or feature of something, as a plan or deal: An offer that good must have a gimmick in it somewhere.

With a brief overview of the history of the game of hockey, you will note that this term does not apply to the reasons why hockey is played on ice. An example of a hockey gimmick would be the Fox glow-puck used in the mid 1990's. This was a gimmick that failed miserably. I believe you have your terminology mixed up.

**Enduro** · January-23-12, 05:30 PM

I'm mocking your initial posts and your feelings that Detroit would be better off without an NBA team because YOU don't like it. You know the NHL had a little strike not too long ago too that really did a lot of damage to their brand so I just want you to recognize it's a glass house you're throwing stones from. T

he dead Wings era is a long time ago and the Wings should be recognized for being so good for so long but again, it's a goddamn matter of taste. And if it's on AM or FM is a simple business decision.

And although my statement was originally sarcastic, I've since convinced myself that ice is a gimmick surface. Would you argue that waitresses on roller skates are not gimmicky? No other serious sport is played on ice because it would be laughable.

**noise** · January-24-12, 09:07 PM

The Red Wings still exist? Who knew? I just assumed the NHL folded, as nobody cares about it [[as the ratings always indicate).

SteveJ · January-24-12, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

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** · January-25-12, 02:48 AM

Originally Posted by SteveJ

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 · January-25-12, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

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** · January-25-12, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by SteveJ

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.

**Bham1982** · January-25-12, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by SteveJ

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.

**paddlebobb** · January-25-12, 06:28 PM

I've been personally bothered by the decision to relegate the Red Wings to the lesser of the broadcast outlets as well. But true - that's just my opinion. I'm not going to watch the Pistons, and my lack of watching will turn up in the overall ratings numbers - true of all of our personal viewing habits. By the way, the FSD+ does have an HD component. In Comcast Dearborn I believe it's 707. Another of my personal displeasures is that on a day when the Tigers have blockbuster news, and when the Red Wings have won seven games in a row and seventeen in a row at home [[even though it's on ice), both of these proud organizations have to take a back seat to the Detroit Lions, whose season I truly believe never ends. But that's just me....

**East Detroit** · January-25-12, 06:35 PM

So, anyway, about Prince Fielder...

**Enduro** · January-25-12, 11:44 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

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.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-26-12, 12:15 AM

Originally Posted by SteveJ

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.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-26-12, 12:17 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

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** · January-27-12, 07:42 PM

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>

**Downriviera** · January-27-12, 10:05 PM

Its obvious that the NBA has better ratings in the USA as a whole than the NHL. Hard to compare a sport that was born in America with a sport that was born in Canada. People in Alabama or New Mexico will watch the NBA and not the NHL. You need to add in the Canadian ratings. But if you look at the ratings in major cities like New York, Boston, Chicago and Philly, the NHL does pretty well. And if the NHL is so bad, how come major companies sponsor it and advertise on the games?

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-27-12, 11:32 PM

Originally Posted by Downriviera

Its obvious that the NBA has better ratings in the USA as a whole than the NHL. Hard to compare a sport that was born in America with a sport that was born in Canada. People in Alabama or New Mexico will watch the NBA and not the NHL. You need to add in the Canadian ratings. But if you look at the ratings in major cities like New York, Boston, Chicago and Philly, the NHL does pretty well. And if the NHL is so bad, how come major companies sponsor it and advertise on the games?

Nobody said it was bad, Just responding to the poster who said it was better than the NBA, which is a matter of opinion. Some people dislike the NBA and others dislike the NHL. Regardless, the NBA is more popular. And as far as sponsorship, companies will advertise on any network whether it's movies, sports, reality shows etc.... They want to promote their product.

**Downriviera** · January-28-12, 08:46 PM

More popular to who? Hockey is a northern cold weather sport. Divide the US in half, add the northern half to Canada and look at those ratings. Hockey would be higher rated and more popular. Hockey is still growing in the southern areas. Dallas Stars did it right by investing in a grass roots minor program. Some of their youth teams have won national championships. And what about worldwide. Which has the better ratings, olympic hockey or olympic basketball.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-30-12, 02:02 AM

Originally Posted by Downriviera

More popular to who? Hockey is a northern cold weather sport. Divide the US in half, add the northern half to Canada and look at those ratings. Hockey would be higher rated and more popular. Hockey is still growing in the southern areas. Dallas Stars did it right by investing in a grass roots minor program. Some of their youth teams have won national championships. And what about worldwide. Which has the better ratings, olympic hockey or olympic basketball.

Again, opinions are like _ssholes, everyone has one.