there was a bit on hockey on npr this morning.
the guy said that while it will never beat baseball, football or basketball, it has returned to its status of the 4th major sport in the country, with the winter classic getting better rattings than any of the new years day bowl games.
I had no idea the NHL All Star game was today.
Did any of you?
The NHL does a crappy job of advertising their sport even w/ the press the Winter Classic got.
After the 3 mentioned what other Major/Pro Sport is there?
Soccer? Soccer was more popular than Hockey?
Come On.
It was heavily advertised on Versus, and on NESN (the local channel which carries hockey).
Also, it recieved press in the local paper because Worcester was hosting the AHL All-star game.
After the lock-out, tennis, areana football and soccer had, at one point or the other, better rattings than the NHL.
Point in case:
In 2007 games 1-3 of the Stanely Cup Finals were NOT broadcast nationally. Game 4, on a Saturday night, recieved the lowest rating of a potentially "clinching" title game ever.
It\'s main compitition was the network television debut of Highschool Musical.