Hank Moody Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Now this has been stemming for a while now going back a couple years because of horrid officiating, the countless number of questionable suspensions and decisions made by the league, and the general double standards the league has portrayed. As much as I will always be a huge hockey fan, I just don't feel as die hard as I used to. The last lockout, I was devastated. Every day was grueling because there was no hockey in sight and I would've done anything to get hockey back. This time around, I'm starting to care less and less because I'm just fed up with what this league is turning into. It used to be about hockey, players staying loyal to their teams and defining themselves in a certain franchise. Now it's a league of lucrative deals, what have you done for me lately fan bases, and who can buy the bigger yacht with their signing bonuses. I applaud Shane Doan for being the only guy in recent memory to stay truly loyal to a franchise. This lockout has pushed me so much toward the NFL and Soccer based on the great storylines brewing, and the great ways these leagues are being run (despite the whole replacement ref debacle, which the NFL quickly fixed) that I don't think I'll ever be as big a hockey fan as I used to be. How are others feeling? Obviously well all be coming back when we have hockey, but to what extent? Are you going to be as crazy for hockey this time around knowing the league is so unstable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzle Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Honestly, with how it's turned out so far, I'm honestly over hockey, at least for now. I wouldn't be surprised if people were turned off from the game. I have moved on. The NHL(which includes the players too) may be making millions or billions of dollars, but it can't seem to grasp reality with that money. I'm sure not all hockey players are represented accurately in the media via Donald Fehr (i.e. the Sedins who don't seem to care that much about money). But neither side is really negotiating in good faith, especially the owners' side. There should be an arbitrator stepping in at some point, but honestly, I have better things to do than read about the drama that goes on between them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottish⑦Canuck Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I'm not feeling that bad about the lockout. I've got European football and other sports to keep me occupied, and I've lost interest a little bit with everything that's gone on since the end of last season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Karlsson Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 The owners and players are a joke, I hope the NHL loses most of it's fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodzillaDeuce Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 If I wasn't such a huge Blazers fan I might be devastated. I've just shifted my focus over towards the WHL, hasn't even felt like a lockout to me tbh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imuzi Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I'm not feeling that bad about the lockout. I've got European football and other sports to keep me occupied, and I've lost interest a little bit with everything that's gone on since the end of last season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombieksa Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I live 30 minutes from the Windsor-Detoit border so I have the Lions, Tigers (woot!) and Pistons. I will always be a die-hard Canucks fan though. When this lockout ends I will still be on these boards, the NHL website, and various rumor/news sites more than I should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I've switched to watching NFL and CFL and soon to be NBA. Never have I enjoyed MLB. To be honest I miss hockey deeply but I'm still super pissed off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottish⑦Canuck Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I've found myself more consumed by football than Hockey. It was always the other way around until this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodzillaDeuce Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I live 30 minutes from the Windsor-Detoit border so I have the Lions, Tigers (woot!) and Pistons. I will always be a die-hard Canucks fan though. When this lockout ends I will still be on these boards, the NHL website, and various rumor/news sites more than I should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uber_pwnzor Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 No. I miss hockey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dion Phaneuf Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I'm not watching hockey but I do miss it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jet_91 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Yep, I'm exactly the same. I'm so bitter from the last couple seasons of terrible biased officiating, horrible league management and the return to clutch and grab hockey that I could care less what this joke of a league does. Honestly I had no idea that the season was supposed to start a couple days ago, and normally I get the hockey itch months in advance. I hope this league crumbles as a result of their greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkeeterHansen Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 If I wasn't such a huge Blazers fan I might be devastated. I've just shifted my focus over towards the WHL, hasn't even felt like a lockout to me tbh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxrocks993 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 In Canada and big markets in the states most people will run back to the arenas purchasing tickets, jersey's, food concessions and pay for parking. Just like a crack addicts desperately searching for their next fix. The players know this and so do the owners. Neither of them care or play for the love of the game. The fans are the only ones still in for the love of game. I have been a huge Canucks fan for 36 years, through all the ups and downs. This is one fan that is not going back. Neither the players or the NHL will get another dime from me. This is the only way that we can send a message to both greedy parties. I live in Fort McMurray and have to purchase the NHL Center Ice online package to watch Canucks games, they will not be getting my $150.00 bucks this year. Screw that . Not quite sure if this is fact or not, but have heard it on both TSN and Sportsnet. The NHLPA wants a 4 year deal on this next CBA and the NHL would like a 6 year deal. If this is the case, it's another reason why I won't be back. Both greedy parties will get to do it all over again in 4 to 6 years. Has anyone else heard this? Money: Root Of All Evil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkeeterHansen Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 In Canada and big markets in the states most people will run back to the arenas purchasing tickets, jersey's, food concessions and pay for parking. Just like a crack addicts desperately searching for their next fix. The players know this and so do the owners. Neither of them care or play for the love of the game. The fans are the only ones still in for the love of game. I have been a huge Canucks fan for 36 years, through all the ups and downs. This is one fan that is not going back. Neither the players or the NHL will get another dime from me. This is the only way that we can send a message to both greedy parties. I live in Fort McMurray and have to purchase the NHL Center Ice online package to watch Canucks games, they will not be getting my $150.00 bucks this year. Screw that . Not quite sure if this is fact or not, but have heard it on both TSN and Sportsnet. The NHLPA wants a 4 year deal on this next CBA and the NHL would like a 6 year deal. If this is the case, it's another reason why I won't be back. Both greedy parties will get to do it all over again in 4 to 6 years. Has anyone else heard this? Money: Root Of All Evil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
van_ws Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Not missing hockey as much as I had thought that I would be. Chalk it up mainly due to the fact that the NHL is a joke of a league and will continue to be, so long with Gary Bettman at the helm. Hell, put a damn monkey in his place and see the league perform much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkeeterHansen Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Not missing hockey as much as I had thought that I would be. Chalk it up mainly due to the fact that the NHL is a joke of a league and will continue to be, so long with Gary Bettman at the helm. Hell, put a damn monkey in his place and see the league perform much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanKeslord17 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I agree with you. To be quite honest, I haven't missed it at all. Maybe I'll start to once it gets further into the season, but as for right now I don't really care. The NHL is slowly declining year after year, getting more boring as well. Do you guys remember the old NHL and how awesome it used to be to watch all the games? I know the league is trying to protect their players, but it's gone too far now. Everybody is scared to hit because they might get a ridiculous suspension handed out to them. (Cough Shanahan**) Aside from that, I see very inconsistent reffing, doesn't matter who is playing. Players diving all over the place. Shameless. It made me sick how many dives there were in the SC Playoffs this year. Have players not got any respect for one and other? Are they trying to win cheaply? I'm quite happy there's a lockout. Gives everyone time to think about what they can do to bring back the goodness of the game again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckNORRIS4Cup Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I can fully agree with you OP, for some time now I have also been thinking the same way and it did start pretty much just after the last lockout in 2004. I also don't like how I have seen how hard the NHL has tried to help out American franchises in this league, and pretty much just ignore all Canadian franchises. For one that has been a major turn off for me and the way the NHL is running this sport, but a lot also has to do with the officiating in the game now a days. I remember back in the 90's being a die hard fan, games just seemed to be more intense and more exciting, with all the new rules now a days and refs calling make up calls and brutal calls all the time it has ruined the game I feel. I don't find it as exciting as it used to be, because you can always predict when a ref is going to make a call in a game just to make up for something before and I don't agree with deciding a game like that. I also feel players are more like babies now than back in the 90's, players in the 90's were tough and battled through pain and fought for their team and protected their team. Now I feel more players are scared to do anything, they get a little scratch on their finger they sit out the next 3 games to heal up, because they are not tough like they used to be and it's embarrassing. It's the intensity I think that is the biggest change in players, they just aren't willing to fight as hard to win like they used to. Back in the 90's it made it more exciting to follow a certain player or team, because they would give it their all game in and game out no matter what, you just don't see it like that as much anymore, and yes a lot of it can be blamed on the NHL as well for all the new rules in the game which sucks. In my opinion how this league needs to improve this game and make it exciting again like it was back in the 90's is one thing make the rinks Olympic size. Of course it's not as easy as 1,2,3, and of course it would cost a lot as well to either transform pre exciting rinks or build new ones, but I can honestly say it would help this game out BIG TIME and I mean big time. This game needs to be more exciting again and more entertaining, and to why more open ice would achieve this. You see it in overtime when the teams play 4 on 4 hockey, it's really exciting, because there is all this extra ice to see these players play to their best abilities. During the games when it's 5 on 5 you don't get to see this as much, because players now compared to back in the 90's can cover a lot more ice then they used to because they are all much bigger, faster, and smarter positionally, which eliminates all the extra ice and makes it much harder to make something happen on the ice you don't have space or time to do anything which makes it boring. Why were the 90's so much more exciting? Because players weren't as skilled as they are now or coached as well positionally, so back in the 90's the real skilled ones had a lot more open ice to do things which made the game exciting and this is what the game is lacking open ice. The other advantage of having a bigger ice surface is simple injuries, with more ice means more room, which then means more time to think and see the ice when you have the puck, basically more time to react to do something, which is pretty smart. It will cut down on the amount of concussions in the game, because players will have the proper time to make a play instead of just worrying about getting leveled as soon as they touch the puck. The biggest concern for the players is their health of course, but with all these concussions happening it's starting to become obvious players just don't' have enough time to react on the ice because as soon as they touch the puck they have about 1 second to decide what to do, it's not enough time. I know other people will disagree, but I also know people will agree, but that is the way I feel and what I really believe will help the NHL and it's players altogether for the future to make this game one, more exciting again, two safer for everyone playing the game, and even three to give the refs a better opportunity to make the right calls on the ice because they are able to have a better view of what's going. And yes I know this will end up costing a franchise a lot of money or the NHL to make something big like this to happen, and to why it is so easy to say they wouldn't ever agree on something like this. Well you may be right, but the NHL will never get better as a sport in my opinion, it will only just keep getting worse and worse, unless a change like the one I proposed is done for the better of the sport and for the future of this sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.