Patrick Roy's son kicking some tail

[brewcrew00]

Still had over 70k in Buffalo for the Pittsburgh game. Far more entertaining than one of the 4,000 college bowl games. One thing I really enjoy about the NHL is how the athletes don't seem to have the "I'm bigger than earth" egos and attitudes. It really is a great game, visit an NHL city (not named Chicago) and you will fall in love with the game.

[cweber39]

Still had over 70k in Buffalo for the Pittsburgh game. Far more entertaining than one of the 4,000 college bowl games. One thing I really enjoy about the NHL is how the athletes don't seem to have the "I'm bigger than earth" egos and attitudes. It really is a great game, visit an NHL city (not named Chicago) and you will fall in love with the game.

Come on now, you go to Chicago and you would fall in love with the game. The have 2 fantastic rookies in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, who are both 19 years old. Also Patrick Sharp is a stud. Chicago is going to be good in a couple years if they can hang on to everyone.

[brewcrew00]

Haha, fair enough. Just in comparison, games at the UC are not the same as any other arena. (Working for the St. Louis Blues might have something to do with this feeling http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif )

[billyhallfan]

that is cool, i had no idea you worked for the blues, you probably don't like Nashville then either...

 

anyway, speaking of players, not thinking they are larger than life, look at how nice Sidney was, Evgeni Malkin had to do the same thing, and they both were extremely freindly and they are two of the most popular players in the game.

 

[danzig6767]

I grew up loving hockey after as a kid they would replay all the UW Badgers games on channel 36 public television. I also used to be a big fan of the NHL, especially during the 90's with all the great playoff series on ESPN.

 

Now though, i pretty much just watch and pay attention to college hockey. In my younger days i loved all the fighting that went on in hockey, probably because back then i loved getting into fights myself. When i see the fights now, especially the big fights with multiple players involved, i usually find it kinda silly and i see why many sports fans feel the same way. If hockey didn't want fighting, it would be easy to prevent, put harsher penalties for it like other sports do. Given pro hockey leagues doesn't do this, it's obvious then that they condone the fighting and want it in the sport.

 

College hockey rarely has fights because they don't allow it, players fighting get ejected and have to miss the next game. I enjoy the college game better. Others pro sports don't have very marginally skilled players on their rosters who have one main job, to be the designated goon. Then again, i somewhat see why at least the minor leagues allow and support fighting. Go to an Admirals game and the crowds are small, but very few things get the crowd going and amped up like a fight does. It almost seems like there is a league directive to be sure at least one fight goes down per game to get the fans excited.

[billyhallfan]

Go to an Admirals game and the crowds are small, but very few things get the crowd going and amped up like a fight does.

 

oh i don't know, there are normally a couple times a night when the goal horn blares, the fans jump up start ringing their cowbells, the music starts playing, and high fives start going, then the sieve cheer, but that is nothing like the excitement of a fight...

 

in all seriousness, that is the same at any sport, don't try to tell me that if Prince charged the mound Miller Park wouldn't go crazy...

[danzig6767]

Go to an Admirals game and the crowds are small, but very few things get the crowd going and amped up like a fight does.

 

oh i don't know, there are normally a couple times a night when the goal horn blares, the fans jump up start ringing their cowbells, the music starts playing, and high fives start going, then the sieve cheer, but that is nothing like the excitement of a fight...

 

in all seriousness, that is the same at any sport, don't try to tell me that if Prince charged the mound Miller Park wouldn't go crazy...

Yea, but there aren't players charging the mound a couple of times each game. In a given season, you might see that 2-3 times a year for a team, not 2-3 times a night.

Like i said, i kinda understand it in the minor leagues encouraging fights without saying they are. It's hard for them to draw large crowds and the vast majority of fans at these games enjoy the fighting. I've been to plenty of Admiral games and have yet to see a fight where nearly the whole crowd wasn't standing and enjoying greatly what was going on. Hell, i'm not exactly yelling hey stop that during the fights.

For the NHL though, i just don't think the fighting helps their cause of trying to get better TV exposure. There will be a well played exciting game going on and then for whatever reason, two not very skilled goons drop their gloves and start throwing haymakers at each other. Sometimes it escalates to multiple players fighting. It just doesn't look professional to me when that happens and IMO hurts the sports image among casual fans. It's true most hardcore hockey fans don't mind the fighting and more than not actually want fighting to stay a part of the sport. I personally don't care either way that the NHL doesn't care about the fighting and maybe even if they stopped the fighting, it might not help hockey get more viewers on TV.

Hockey isn't a sport lots of kids grow up playing, most sports fans don't fully understand the rules of hockey, and the strike badly hurt the sport by ESPN dropping it. I question if there is anything the NHL can do to get hockey back to the levels it was in the 90's where all playoff games were on ESPN and people were watching, even folks who weren't big hockey fans.

 

[billyhallfan]

i see your point danzig, but out of the last three games i've been to, there has only been one fight, john laliberte got destroyed...So i think to say 2-3 a night is a little excessive...

[brewcrew00]

that is cool, i had no idea you worked for the blues, you probably don't like Nashville then either...

 

anyway, speaking of players, not thinking they are larger than life, look at how nice Sidney was, Evgeni Malkin had to do the same thing, and they both were extremely freindly and they are two of the most popular players in the game.

 

Yea, love the Blue Note, can't stand Nashville. (And Detroit, Chicago, and Montreal). There are so many good young players in the league right now, I really wish they could get off of VS network, and land a decent TV deal. TSN in Canada has excellent hockey coverage, but you can only get it on the dishes.

 

Watch out for the Blues in a few years by the way, good core of young talent. With Eric Johnson finally getting to the league after what seemed like forever of a wait, and TJ Oshie just finishing up college, things could get good once they join Brad Boyes and Andy McDonald. I tell ya...

[billyhallfan]

i love andy mcdonald, i've seen peoria play quite a few times, just curious, what do you do for the blues, front office work, marketing?

[craigharmann]

I went to the San Antonio Rampage/Peoria Rivermen game last night. I hadn't gone to a hockey game in a few years, and it was so much fun. Of course, the Rampage won, 4-2, but I was reminded of the things I love about hockey, the athleticism, the constant motion, and of course....the fights. There were a couple, and they were fun!

[brewcrew00]

I have been done for a little while now with the Blues, I took a job back in Milwaukee to be closer with friends and to honestly have the ability to go to more Brewers games. But, I was in the Front office doing marketing/sales. They have a pretty interesting FO setup, as it's not like most other pro sports franchises. It is much much more personal, as even if you are not in sales, you are supposed to know and have contact with many members of the general public. Andy Murray is easily the most accessible Head Coach in any sport I've ever met. The Note constantly has open practices, and has a huge re-investment with the community. This is probably why they draw over 17,000 a game for a .500 hockey club.

[burniebrewer]

Come on now, you go to Chicago and you would fall in love with the game. The have 2 fantastic rookies in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, who are both 19 years old. Also Patrick Sharp is a stud. Chicago is going to be good in a couple years if they can hang on to everyone.

 

 

Don't forget about the local interest as the Blackhawks have former Badgers Rene Bourque and Adam Burish on their roster.

[billyhallfan]

brewcrew--

 

great game tonight, we picked up two points over your blues. it was nice to watch peverley hit the GWG after seeing him play in Milwaukee a lot this year. Peverley's line scored all the goals i think, and if vancouver can lose, nashville should be in pretty good shape...

 

go preds!