'7' Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 http://www.canoe.ca/Slam030509/col_kernaghan-sun.html NHL caught in a trap By JIM KERNAGHAN -- London Free Press Almost a half-century after Hap Day invented it, it crosses hockey lips that are either curled in disdain or pursed by pouting -- the trap. Sounds like a deep pit with stakes at the bottom, and in a sense it is. It's driving a stake through the heart of more entertaining hockey. Day, a Toronto Maple Leafs coach, came up with the neutral-zone "wall" to put the brakes on the Montreal Canadiens' firewagon back in the 1950s. Nowadays, everyone uses it in some form or another, and the result has been a Stanley Cup playoff spring of blunted offences. In the U.S., the trap has sent TV ratings through a trap door. This spring could mark the absolute lowest-rated prime-time sports broadcasting in American TV history, and could actually underwhelm pro bowling, which outdrew the NHL on ESPN this season . ABC is averaging a 1.1 rating for Saturday matinee broadcasts, 21 per cent down from last season. A good part of the reason is the neutral-zone trap, strategically clever but esthetically numbing. Even the high-scoring Ottawa Senators, a team with no shortage of attack, used it to defuse the tiring Philadelphia Flyers and advance to the Eastern Conference final. That'll be against the titans of trap, the New Jersey Devils. Will it be exciting? Sure, but not as exciting as a flow of end-to-end rushes. Essentially, the trap is designed to consistently outman the opposition in the neutral zone and cut off pass routes to either send the puck-carrier curling back or force a bad pass that can be pounced on for a lightning strike in transition. It's a sound tactic but as boring as another Don Cherry rant. So, what to do about it? Leagues hesitate to alter their rules but there is plenty of precedent for the NHL to have a look at restoring the kind of hockey all fans appreciate. And all fans in a U.S.-dominated league has to include those in the U.S., whose television numbers have been almost obliterated. Widen the rinks to Olympic-sized proportions? Great idea that's been bandied about for years, one that would answer a couple of problems. It would open up the ice for everyone, especially the superior skaters, and help the league tap a new source of players -- the small, fast player teams won't even look at nowadays. That costs money. You may be sure some NHL owners would balk even after watching the speed and creativity engendered by large rinks at the current world championship. Can you imagine the perennially sold-out Toronto Maple Leafs cutting out rows of Air Canada Centre seats to accommodate 15 more feet of ice width (100 feet, instead of 85)? Plan B is nothing new, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth a closer look. A lot of people are impressed by the openness of four-on-four overtimes and also wouldn't mind seeing an experiment in regulation time. That, too, would widen the talent pool to include the small speedster. Everyone knows a rink surface established a century ago for smaller players is too crowded for the giants of today. It might even create a re-think of the two-referee system. There is a natural hesitancy to tinker with tradition, but it has been done before when deemed necessary. Hockey teams, don't forget, once had a sixth skater -- the rover -- and that was done away with. Heck, there was a time when you couldn't pass the puck forward over your own blue-line, and passing it backward resulted in a penalty. It's worthwhile to remember the NBA was heading for the dumpster until some critical rule changes, especially the ban on zone defences (which was lifted this season). The tinkering, along with rising stars to take advantage of the new legislation, resulted in soaring popularity. A further thought, if four-on-four hockey is tried: Consider revamping the penalty structure. Instead of a player going off for one of the lesser fouls such as holding, let the opposing team put a fifth man on instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Devil Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 At least 15,000 households are Nielsen Households. Not all of them have the "People Meter." When I give the 15,000 figure, that includes those in the "National Sample" (the survey paid for by the corporations we all know and love -- like ABC, CBS; National advertising agencies; etc) as well as those paid for by the local markets (WNEW; WABC; WPIX; and the like). For sweeps, the company sends out logs to many more thousands of households where people write down who in the household is watching what. A "peoplemeter" is a box in the national sample (and some local markets) that has either 8 or 16 buttons on it. Everyone in the household is assigned a number, and they use a remote to inform the system when they are or are not watching TV. The national sample uses only 5,050 households to measure the audience. It has been mathematically proven that if you conduct the survey within some well defined ground-rules, that you can get within a certain +/- percentage of the total population -- no matter what the size of the population. OK, I think we've reached into the "This is More Than I Really Wanted to Know About This Thing" realm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizDevil30 Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 Thanks GA, you're right it crossed the realm but I did ask. But it still doesn't explain who the hell is watching bowling? LETS GO DEVILS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoastdevfan Posted May 9, 2003 Share Posted May 9, 2003 Thanks GA, you're right it crossed the realm but I did ask. But it still doesn't explain who the hell is watching bowling? LETS GO DEVILS! I think my uncle Jim does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamode Posted May 10, 2003 Share Posted May 10, 2003 You get a shiver in the dark It's been raining in the park but meantime South of the river you stop and you hold everything A band is blowing Dixie double four time You feel all right when you hear that music ring Sorry, I can't read this topic without this coming into my head! It's your fault, Derek ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted May 10, 2003 Author Share Posted May 10, 2003 I've felt that what's happened in this year's playoffs is the best thing for the sport. Seeing the Western powerhouses exit early is good for the game. It shows that there is balance and other teams might be ready to step up to the plate. The problem with hockey is the poor lack of Promotion. Put that on Bettman. He is the same guy who got his expansion and wanted "parity." Now, he has it! However, look at how little they market the game. On top of it, teams like Minnesota, Anaheim, Ottawa and New Jersey have hardly been given national exposure on the NHL's network, ESPN/ABC. So, how are regular fans going to know who Marian Gaborik and Marian Hossa are when they are on so little? Ditto for other players. All they ever show is the same teams and it's mostly dominated by Western Markets. When people only see a "select few," they will recognize them a lot more than the teams under the radar. Factor in poor scheduling during the playoffs that's forced teams to play 3 in 4 nights and back-to-backs with travel and it's no wonder this game is getting essentially nothing from the viewers. Also, as some of you have stated, the regular person is not staying home on a beautiful Saturday afternoon to watch hockey. They are going out and doing something nice. So, let's see. Little marketing. Poor coverage with less games being shown. Bad times. How is the Game supposed to draw when so much of what they do is so wrong??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizDevil30 Posted May 10, 2003 Share Posted May 10, 2003 Also, as some of you have stated, the regular person is not staying home on a beautiful Saturday afternoon to watch hockey. They are going out and doing something nice. They are watching bowling! Sorry. It just amazes me, but no more bowling jokes, I promise. It is out of my system. Very true Derek that the game is poorly marketed. I don't know what the answer is but it is obvious the casual fan is not "bowled" over by the sport. And a possible strike next year will only make matters worse. Strikes are for bowlers. Done, swear. LETS GO DEVILS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted May 10, 2003 Author Share Posted May 10, 2003 They are watching bowling! Sorry. It just amazes me, but no more bowling jokes, I promise. It is out of my system. You said it devsRgreat . I didn't . Golf is nice on days like this. I hope those Spelling Bees they air don't outdraw our game . I should get in touch with my former boss and see how he feels about the playoffs and the game's future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownFromNJ Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 HDTV will be a huge boost for hockey. You can see everything absolutely perfectly. My family is getting a 70something inch projection TV almost entirely for hockey games. Once HDTV starts to catch on faster, hockey will be a much more TV-friendly sport. The World Series of Poker, Professional Bowling, ect have good rating because they have that "curious" factor. I watch Professional Bowling not because I like bowling, I hate to bowl, but because it is interesting and rare. Hockey, being more mainstream, doesn't have that to help it out, but at the same time doesn't have the fan base to compete with Football, Basketball, or Baseball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundstrom Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 talk about reviving a dead horse post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils731 Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 As a serious bowler I have to let you guys know that now a days the top bowlers are all in good shape. A tournament consists of anywhere from 15 games in one day to 64 over a 4 day span. This is a lot of wear on your body propelling a 15-16 pound object down the lane at 20 mph. If you're not in good shape you won't be physically able to continue to execute your shots during the latter matches of the day and you will lose. So say what you want about bowling but you're talking about something you don't understand. -Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langsgirl Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 (edited) How did this post come back to life? Bowling... i get a soar butt muscle after i bowl and I only bowl 3 games a night like 3 times a year... moral of my story: stretch out your gluts before bowling Edited April 1, 2004 by langsgirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownFromNJ Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Oh sorry for reivivng it I was reading a bunch of posts and I think this one got linked, so I didn't notice it was long dead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamode Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 You get a shiver in the darkIt's been raining in the park but meantime South of the river you stop and you hold everything A band is blowing Dixie double four time You feel all right when you hear that music ring Sorry, I can't read this topic without this coming into my head! It's your fault, Derek ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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