Sports

Get Cup Crazy

We’ve tried for years to get our Southern audience into ice hockey, but it turns out most Southerners are a bit too “slow” for the sport … And to its discredit, hockey has done its worst when it comes to killing off potential fan interest. The league lost half of…

We’ve tried for years to get our Southern audience into ice hockey, but it turns out most Southerners are a bit too “slow” for the sport …

And to its discredit, hockey has done its worst when it comes to killing off potential fan interest. The league lost half of its 2012-13 season due to an owner-initiated lockout – less than a decade after another locked forced the cancellation of an entire season.

That’s too bad, because hockey is truly the greatest sport out there … “tough like football, fast like NASCAR,” as one minor league executive once told us.

This year’s Stanley Cup Finals – between our founding editor’s beloved Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins – is already one for the ages, with the Blackhawks winning a thrilling 4-3 triple overtime game on Wednesday night to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Game two is scheduled for Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. EDT, with NBCSN providing the television coverage live from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Never watched a hockey game? Do yourself a favor and check this one out … you’ll be glad you did.

Plenty of fans checked out the first game, as NBC scored a 4.8 overnight Nielsen rating – the sport’s best opening game showing since 1997. Even more encouraging, audiences in Chicago and Boston were way up from 2010 and 2011, when the Blackhawks and Bruins won Stanley Cup championships.

Throughout the playoffs viewership is up 38 percent from a year ago, according to NBC Sports.

Obviously hockey still has a lot of work to do. For example game four of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs drew a 12.0 rating – although local audiences for the NBA series are on the decline.

NHL.COM (Official Site)

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24 comments

Same ol' Same ol' June 14, 2013 at 3:10 pm

It is a tough sport. Not being racist, just wondering, why more of the big black guys don’t get into it. Could you imagine Clowney bearing down on you on the ice? Must just be a money thing.

Anyway, reminds me of the saying, I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.

Reply
Squishy123 June 15, 2013 at 2:11 pm

Fuck Clowney, it’s interesting to watch Gamecock fans consider him the greatest player to ever play the sport. In 6 months he’ll be gone and probably won’t look back like most of the previous high profile players.

Reply
Same ol' Same ol' June 14, 2013 at 3:10 pm

It is a tough sport. Not being racist, just wondering, why more of the big black guys don’t get into it. Could you imagine Clowney bearing down on you on the ice? Must just be a money thing.

Anyway, reminds me of the saying, I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.

Reply
Squishy123 June 15, 2013 at 2:11 pm

Fuck Clowney, it’s interesting to watch Gamecock fans consider him the greatest player to ever play the sport. In 6 months he’ll be gone and probably won’t look back like most of the previous high profile players.

Reply
Name June 14, 2013 at 5:03 pm

What do you mean that Southerners are too “slow” for the sport? Northern children are introduced to the sport at an early age, while Southern children are not. There’s frozen ponds, lakes, and dozens of ice rinks located in the North. You won’t find much of that in the South. As far as I know, there are no ice rinks in the Midlands.

Reply
Name June 14, 2013 at 5:03 pm

What do you mean that Southerners are too “slow” for the sport? Northern children are introduced to the sport at an early age, while Southern children are not. There’s frozen ponds, lakes, and dozens of ice rinks located in the North. You won’t find much of that in the South. As far as I know, there are no ice rinks in the Midlands.

Reply
Squishy123 June 14, 2013 at 6:14 pm

It’s about 1000% more entertaining and interesting than watching 10 heavily tattoo’d thugs play ghetto-ball for millions of dollars.

Reply
Squishy123 June 14, 2013 at 6:14 pm

It’s about 1000% more entertaining and interesting than watching 10 heavily tattoo’d thugs play ghetto-ball for millions of dollars.

Reply
Poop Head June 14, 2013 at 7:20 pm

Boring. eh?

Reply
Poop Head June 14, 2013 at 7:20 pm

Boring. eh?

Reply
You're a cocksucker June 14, 2013 at 7:25 pm

slow? Fuck you. If you walk on a frozen pond here you die asswipe. Not exactly little league baseball.

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You're a cocksucker June 14, 2013 at 7:25 pm

slow? Fuck you. If you walk on a frozen pond here you die asswipe. Not exactly little league baseball.

Reply
guest June 14, 2013 at 9:41 pm

I dig little willy talking about himself in 3rd person all the time…”our founding editor”. Ha! That’s awesome.

I wish he could find a way to insert the “blah, blah, blah, people…blah, blah, blah” phrase more frequently.

Reply
guest June 14, 2013 at 9:41 pm

I dig little willy talking about himself in 3rd person all the time…”our founding editor”. Ha! That’s awesome.

I wish he could find a way to insert the “blah, blah, blah, people…blah, blah, blah” phrase more frequently.

Reply
Turd Ferguson June 15, 2013 at 9:32 am

It’s not that we’re slow, it’s just that it’s a stupid Canadian game. It’s like their money or their army, nobody can really take it seriously.

Reply
Squishy123 June 15, 2013 at 2:12 pm

Like NASCAR?

Reply
Turd Ferguson June 15, 2013 at 9:32 am

It’s not that we’re slow, it’s just that it’s a stupid Canadian game. It’s like their money or their army, nobody can really take it seriously.

Reply
Squishy123 June 15, 2013 at 2:12 pm

Like NASCAR?

Reply
Rob June 16, 2013 at 9:05 pm

There are rinks in the midlands and its far from a canandain sport… It’s one of the most popular sports worldwide. Hockey atheletes are the most talented of any sport… The skills to play the game, skate at high speeds, control the puck, avoid or deliver big hits morphs any other sport .. Go BRUINS

Reply
Hockey's Alright June 17, 2013 at 12:11 am

Greenville had a semi-pro team a few years back… Whatever happened to them?

Reply
Hockey's Alright June 17, 2013 at 12:14 am

Or maybe it was “minor league” instead of semi-pro. Not sure of the terminology. Anyway, our family went a few times and it was fun. I’d like to see it get a better fan base around here.

Reply
Rob June 16, 2013 at 9:05 pm

There are rinks in the midlands and its far from a canandain sport… It’s one of the most popular sports worldwide. Hockey atheletes are the most talented of any sport… The skills to play the game, skate at high speeds, control the puck, avoid or deliver big hits morphs any other sport .. Go BRUINS

Reply
Hockey's Alright June 17, 2013 at 12:11 am

Greenville had a semi-pro team a few years back… Whatever happened to them?

Reply
Hockey's Alright June 17, 2013 at 12:14 am

Or maybe it was “minor league” instead of semi-pro. Not sure of the terminology. Anyway, our family went a few times and it was fun. I’d like to see it get a better fan base around here.

Reply

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