ESPN Poll: "Do You Care About Hockey?"

[wheateater]

I found this quick and easy 12-question survey on ESPN.com. I found the general consensus answers interesting, but maybe because one segment of sports fans may be responding more than others. Try it out if you have a minute. Really, that's all it takes...

Hockey Poll

[JQK]

12) What sport are you LEAST likely to watch on television?

61.3% NASCAR

16.5% NBA

8.7% NHL

6.1% College basketball

4.5% MLB

2.1% College football

0.6% NFL

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!

[Cashcleaner]

How can a car be an athlete?

Thats why I don't really consider driving to be a sport at all. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind watching F1, Rally, or NASCAR. It's just I can't really bring myself to calling it a sport. It's more than a hobby, that's for sure, but it's driving when you get down to it.

Oh, and to get to the point of the thread, I do care about hockey, but I know it needs some changes.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

Psst. There's someone in the car.

[See Red]

And that someone is not an athlete. I don't see sitting in a car for four hours, no matter how tough it may be, qualifying you as an athlete -- and if it does, I was one hell of an athlete during my road trip to Vegas last summer.

Anyways -- hockey's getting a lot of love in this poll. If hockey is America's second favorite sport to follow (like this poll suggests), why don't people watch it?

[Cyclopsis Joe]

I honestly believe because only mostly Hockey fans submit in it.

But, about NASCAR, it's hard to do..it really is. It's not as hard as playing Football, but it's not as easy of Basketball or Baseball.

[CaolinaJoe]

12) What sport are you LEAST likely to watch on television?

61.3% NASCAR

16.5% NBA

8.7% NHL

6.1% College basketball

4.5% MLB

2.1% College football

0.6% NFL

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!

What's funny is last years Daytona 500, the very first race of the year, got a Nielsen rating of 10.6. The NBA All-star game that was brodcasted on the same day got a 5.1.

For the entire year NASCAR had an average of 5.0 for all of it's races.

The Stanley Cup Finals Game 7, the last and most important game of the year, got a 4.2.

So that poll is obviously not represented by the average unbiased viewers.

[mac]

I am not a racing fan but I find it ridiculous that people can say that a race car driver is not an athlete. Everyone can drive a car, but not everyone can drive it at speeds that sometimes top 200 mph all the while maneuvering through 40 other cars all driving the same speed in a car and firesuit that regularly get hotter than 100 degrees, they do this for three hours by the way with no break, no halftime. This is without mentioning the accidents that occur causing horrific injuries, that they have to go through weeks of physical training to overcome, don't tell me they aren't tough either, Rick Mears won the Indy 500 with two broken feet. They participate in a sport where the chances of death are greater than any other. To say that these men and some women are not athletes is ridiculous. I would even make a case that the guys in the pits are athletes as well, changing four tires on a car in under 14 seconds. Come on

[JQK]

I honestly believe because only mostly Hockey fans submit in it.

But, about NASCAR, it's hard to do..it really is. It's not as hard as playing Football, but it's not as easy of Basketball or Baseball.

You're joking, right?

NASCAR is the biggest joke. A bunch of rednecks going in a circle for three hours is not a sport.

"Oh My God! What a great shift into 3rd gear! He must have been practicing!"

You've gotta be kidding me. NASCAR is aboust as entertaining as the Jersey Turnpike at 8am.

It is not a sport. It is, at most, on par with wrestling and roller-derby

[Saintsfan]

I was thinking about this. And I reckon one reason that the NFL is so popular is the a,mount of games. A 16 game regular season is perfect for football. I wonder if an 82 game regular season is great for hockey. I wonder if they shouldn't try and cut that figure to say 40-50? And shorten playoff series to best of 5 before the Stanley Cup final series, which could remain as best of 7 maybe. I wonder if hockey needs to take a lkess is more strategy now. Reduce the fixture league, maybe contract by 4-6 teams, (But not teams insiede of Hockey's traditional home in the North). I other words stop trying to compete with the NBA and start to fond its own niche.

[wheateater]

I was thinking about this. And I reckon one reason that the NFL is so popular is the a,mount of games. A 16 game regular season is perfect for football. I wonder if an 82 game regular season is great for hockey. I wonder if they shouldn't try and cut that figure to say 40-50? And shorten playoff series to best of 5 before the Stanley Cup final series, which could remain as best of 7 maybe. I wonder if hockey needs to take a lkess is more strategy now. Reduce the fixture league, maybe contract by 4-6 teams, (But not teams insiede of Hockey's traditional home in the North). I other words stop trying to compete with the NBA and start to fond its own niche.

Yeah, the season could be trimmed a bit, but at most, down to 70 games. And the playoffs must remain four rounds of best-of-seven. The Stanley Cup is the most difficult trophy in all of sports to win. Seven-game series create legends and become classics in their own right. If these people in the "Durty" aren't gonna watch anyway, stop trying to get their interest. It's been said many times here at CCSLC, but the NHL must really stop trying to grab casual fans and instead try coddling us serious die-hard fans.

Oh, and the PA would never agree to contracting some teams. They'd lose 100+ jobs in the process. And we all thought getting a new CBA was tough...

[DEAD!]

I honestly believe because only mostly Hockey fans submit in it.

But, about NASCAR, it's hard to do..it really is. It's not as hard as playing Football, but it's not as easy of Basketball or Baseball.

You're joking, right?

NASCAR is the biggest joke. A bunch of rednecks going in a circle for three hours is not a sport.

"Oh My God! What a great shift into 3rd gear! He must have been practicing!"

You've gotta be kidding me. NASCAR is aboust as entertaining as the Jersey Turnpike at 8am.

It is not a sport. It is, at most, on par with wrestling and roller-derby

Hey, that's an INSULT to wrestling and roller derby

The only time I can ever get into NASCAR is when they go to the road courses, that makes it twice a year for me. You are not going to know a driver's true ability unless you go to road courses. There you have to know what gear to use, when to break, when to accelerate, when to pass, how to make a right turn . In fact both of NASCAR's road courses are going in the opposite direction. What a concept huh? I wish more oval races were like that.

I watch F1 because it's more about tactics, more about ability than NASCAR. Even Schumacher finds oval racing boring.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

I honestly believe because only mostly Hockey fans submit in it.

But, about NASCAR, it's hard to do..it really is. It's not as hard as playing Football, but it's not as easy of Basketball or Baseball.

You're joking, right?

NASCAR is the biggest joke. A bunch of rednecks going in a circle for three hours is not a sport.

"Oh My God! What a great shift into 3rd gear! He must have been practicing!"

You've gotta be kidding me. NASCAR is aboust as entertaining as the Jersey Turnpike at 8am.

It is not a sport. It is, at most, on par with wrestling and roller-derby

Baseball is a sport, but auto racing, isn't?

Baseball is a joke. A bunch of muscleheads swinging a stick for three hours is not a sport.

"Whoa, he swung the bat, he must've been practicing."

You have GOT to be kidding. Baseball is about as entertaining as watching a neanderthal swing a club around. It is, at most, on par with with watching the grass grow and paint drying.

[IronChefShark]

Baseball is about as entertaining as watching a neanderthal swing a club around.

if thats the case, it should be right up your alley then

then again, neanderthals might be a little too advanced for your type.

[PhilaLogos]

Baseball can be boring, yes, but to say its less of a sport than nascar..ok . Dont even try to make the argument "All they do is this for three hours". In NASCAR, its true, ALL they do is drive in circles for HOURS. At least in baseball after they "swing the stick" they run, and someone has to catch it, and throw it, sometimes they dive or jump to add some excitement. The only thing exciting in Nascar is when someone dies, and that's said.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

Baseball is about as entertaining as watching a neanderthal swing a club around.

if thats the case, it should be right up your alley then

then again, neanderthals might be a little too advanced for your type.

I'm just answering his argument.

He says NASCAR is repetitive, well..most sports are.

[GMac]

boys boys... simple argument here... and for the record i cant stand watching baseball either unless its playoffs...

while im sure driving in NASCAR isnt easy i wouldnt consider it a sport... there is no physical or athletic skill and the definition of sport is...

sport  Pronunciation Key  (spôrt, sprt)

n.

1 a Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.

1 b A particular form of this activity.

2 An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

3 An active pastime; recreation.

so unless hanna-barbara release teh technology for the flintstone mobile for NASCAR to use i cant consider it a sport... way to make a living, entertainment, ok... sport sorry not by definition

[Grandmaster C]

I am not a racing fan but I find it ridiculous that people can say that a race car driver is not an athlete. Everyone can drive a car, but not everyone can drive it at speeds that sometimes top 200 mph all the while maneuvering through 40 other cars all driving the same speed in a car and firesuit that regularly get hotter than 100 degrees, they do this for three hours by the way with no break, no halftime. This is without mentioning the accidents that occur causing horrific injuries, that they have to go through weeks of physical training to overcome, don't tell me they aren't tough either, Rick Mears won the Indy 500 with two broken feet. They participate in a sport where the chances of death are greater than any other. To say that these men and some women are not athletes is ridiculous. I would even make a case that the guys in the pits are athletes as well, changing four tires on a car in under 14 seconds. Come on

[puckhead42]

Have any of you ( that say NASCAR isnt a sport) ever driven a race car? I can ASSURE you that its not a relaxing cruise down the highway....you have to be in pretty damn good shape to control one of those cars.....body and mind.....and there is teamwork behind the scenes...building an engine...tuning a chassis setting the right gear ratios....and then having it come together for a few hours where the driver pit crew and the rest of the team go to work......its a thing of beauty.....if you dont want to call NASCAR a sport....thats O.K. ......but it is at least a MOTORSPORT

[puckhead42]

boys boys... simple argument here... and for the record i cant stand watching baseball either unless its playoffs...

while im sure driving in NASCAR isnt easy i wouldnt consider it a sport... there is no physical or athletic skill and the definition of sport is...

sport  Pronunciation Key  (spôrt, sprt)

n.

1 a Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.

1 b A particular form of this activity.

2 An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

3 An active pastime; recreation.

so unless hanna-barbara release teh technology for the flintstone mobile for NASCAR to use i cant consider it a sport... way to make a living, entertainment, ok... sport sorry not by definition

?????