Playoffs NHL or NBA

[edie]

i must say again - ROLL THUNDER!!

 

[1234]

NHL all the way! I went to last night's big Predator win. The place was sold out and the joint was jumping with hockey love. I am a big Lakers fan but it is hockey all the way.

 

[wildwest450]

I am sorry, change has been made.

Ha, I was just kidding. Although I do like Princess Leia holding a beer, if that's her.

 

[rjwhite41]

To further support my point that the NBA is gaining in popularity, just 30 years ago it was an obscure league. The nba finals were on TV late at night on tape delay, if at all. That was in the 1980's. So the league has come a long way since then. A generation from now it could (but i dont think it will) very well surpass the nfl, especially if there is a canceled season. But my guess is that the NBA guys are just as selfish as the NFL, and both have f'ed up season next year.

The lock out a few years ago really hurt the NHL. I think the NHL playoffs get over shadowed by the start of MLB and the NBA playoffs. If they move the season a bit, so that the playoffs happen before the start of baseball, I think it would do much better as a sport.

I don't think that moving the season changes the sport, it just gets you more casual fans with nothing better to watch (although I don't know when you would do it with March Madness in March and April and the Super Bowl in February). I do see your point though. And as far as your enthusiasm about the growth of basketball, the NHL as you point out, was severely hurt by the lockout. IIRC, they were actually getting better ratings than MLB and the NBA the 2-3 seasons prior to the lockout. It's been a tough uphill climb since then. If the NBA were to lose an entire season due to a lockout half the fans (at least all the casual ones) would walk away from the game for a very long time. Especially if the NBA was relegated to a second rate cable network as the NHL has been. The NFL on the other hand won't lose hardly anyone and will remain the most popular sport in this country. And no sport will ever touch the popularity of soccer worldwide.

 

[MRbutlertron]

NHL... Flyers & Phils baby!

 

[user 70770]

What's a basketball?

GO HABS!!!!

 

[rgontasz]

Lets go CAPS... Lets go CAPS... Lets go CAPS!!!!

 

[mhenry41h]

NHL! Big Lightning fan here in PA taking crap from Pens fans!

 

[mhenry41h]

NHL! Big Lightning fan here in PA taking crap from Pens fans!

 

[MaltMonster]

In the minority here...NBA over NHL any day, but NFL and MLB before both of them.

 

[jjward101]

NHL... Flyers & Phils baby!

Agreed!

 

[ChshreCat]

None of the above. It's baseball season!

 

[ruffdeezy]

Go canucks go!

 

[AlphaWolf-Brewery]

Ha, I was just kidding. Although I do like Princess Leia holding a beer, if that's her.

Glad you liked it, that is Princess Leia and she has a FBS!

 

[Fantastical]

NHL! Canucks will finally take it this year!

 

[Boleslaus]

gotta be nhl

 

[gannawdm]

I recently moved from Portland to Sunnyvale, CA (very close to San Jose). I went to my first NHL game a couple weeks ago. I enjoyed it, but I can't get excited about it. If the Sharks go further, then maybe I'll jump on the bandwagon, but until then - GO BLAZERS!!!!

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

You think so? From a purely statistical perspective, the more scoring you have, the less likely it is that any game is decided by one score. i.e., if statistics were all that mattered, you would have fewer NBA games decided by a single bucket than NHL games decided by a single goal. I haven't actually done any research, so have no idea, but I would bet that this is actually the case

But then, maybe your meaning of "dramatic ending" would include things like a basketball team coming back from down 5 with 2 minutes to go. Certainly that is much more likely in basketball.

What I mean is, goals in hockey are relatively rare compared to a bucket in basketball. That makes it way more likely that a team that is down by 1, 2 or 3 points will make that last second buzzer-beater and change the outcome of the game on the last shot (or at least in the last few seconds). I chose my words poorly though, a team TRYING to score a last second goal to tie or win has 'drama' whether they make it or not. But I think basketball is way more likely to have buzzer-beaters that change the outcome of the game.

 

[BrewKnurd]

Ahhh, gotcha. Agreed!

 

[doctorRobert]

I don't think that moving the season changes the sport, it just gets you more casual fans with nothing better to watch (although I don't know when you would do it with March Madness in March and April and the Super Bowl in February). I do see your point though. And as far as your enthusiasm about the growth of basketball, the NHL as you point out, was severely hurt by the lockout. IIRC, they were actually getting better ratings than MLB and the NBA the 2-3 seasons prior to the lockout. It's been a tough uphill climb since then. If the NBA were to lose an entire season due to a lockout half the fans (at least all the casual ones) would walk away from the game for a very long time. Especially if the NBA was relegated to a second rate cable network as the NHL has been. The NFL on the other hand won't lose hardly anyone and will remain the most popular sport in this country. And no sport will ever touch the popularity of soccer worldwide.

I didnt say it would change the sport, but it would do better. The NHL playoffs could start right after the superbowl, when sports fans are starved and have nothing to watch but mediocre nba regular season and finish mid march before march madness. Also, the NCAA is somewhat sane, and they have their games on during the day mostly, leaving time for the NHL to have the premiere time slot which is like 9pm at night or later est.

Of course that means having less games, or starting the season early - and it already starts pretty early, so it would never happen. Owners want more games. But the NHL and NBA could benefit from less games, which is why the NFL does so well. Each game actually matters.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Of course that means having less games, or starting the season early - and it already starts pretty early, so it would never happen. Owners want more games. But the NHL and NBA could benefit from less games, which is why the NFL does so well. Each game actually matters.

I think it was John Madden who said that one reason NFL does so well is that it leaves you wanting more. MLB and NBA over-saturate with games to the point that many/most fans just want the friggin endless season to end so the playoffs can begin (can't speak to NHL because I don't pay any attention to it).

 

[Hagelslag]

+1 to the NHL. Best sport there is.

It makes my wife mad because the only time I cry is when someone wins the cup.

 

[Fatcougar]

NHL all the way Baby!!!! I've been a Canuck fan my whole life ... stuck with them even when they had the ugliest Vomit Vee jerseys in the NHL!
I would love to see them finally win a Stanley Cup this year!! GO CANUCKS GO!!!!

 

[cclloyd]

NHL here too - something pretty cool about wearing shorts with my Lightning jersey. Great game here in Tampa last night even though the Pens took it. GO BOLTS!!!!

 

[rjwhite41]

I didnt say it would change the sport, but it would do better. The NHL playoffs could start right after the superbowl, when sports fans are starved and have nothing to watch but mediocre nba regular season and finish mid march before march madness. Also, the NCAA is somewhat sane, and they have their games on during the day mostly, leaving time for the NHL to have the premiere time slot which is like 9pm at night or later est.

Of course that means having less games, or starting the season early - and it already starts pretty early, so it would never happen. Owners want more games. But the NHL and NBA could benefit from less games, which is why the NFL does so well. Each game actually matters.

Yeah, I hear ya, and agree for the most part. I hear lots of people claim they won't watch the NHL playoffs because the NBA playoffs are going on. I don't think they need fewer games though. It's a long tough season where every point counts. So it may not seem as apparent in November but those games most definitely do count. I watch at least 70 Red Wings regular season games a year (pretty sure I was over 75 this year) so obviously I don't mind how many games they play. Like I said every game in every sport matters (even baseball's 162) but I think college football has the market cornered for the "each game counts the most" argument. I remember watching the Vikings start the season 8-0 and still missing the playoffs. I guess those first 8 didn't count that much.

To Fatcougar: I think those were the ugliest jerseys of all time.

 

[wolverinebrewer]

I think it was John Madden who said that one reason NFL does so well is that it leaves you wanting more. MLB and NBA over-saturate with games to the point that many/most fans just want the friggin endless season to end so the playoffs can begin (can't speak to NHL because I don't pay any attention to it).

I tend to agree that baseball has too many teams and too long of a season. Many of these markets don't draw well. Hell, even the Yankees have had tons of empty seats this year.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Like I said every game in every sport matters (even baseball's 162) but I think college football has the market cornered for the "each game counts the most" argument.

The 2010 TCU team would probably disagree. As would several other recent teams (Boise State and Utah) that went undefeated and never got so much as a sniff of a Nat Champ game. An arguement can be made that NO game counts in NCAA football because there is no 'real' champion, just a popularity-contest-winner.

EDIT: The above only applies to Div 1 or BCS or whatever they call it nowadays, the lower levels DO settle it on the field as it should be.

 

[j1laskey]

Here's a better question for you all. Does your city have a team in each of the playoffs??? My city does

 

[Homercidal]

Hockey all the way! I enjoy watching as many Wings games as I can all season. I enjoy the physical play and the ebb and flow of the game.

And after a long tough season, you get a whole 'nother long and even tougher season to decide it all!

 

[gak27]

nfl > nhl >> nba >>> mlb