Hockey Traditionalists Nightmare - Bettman Must Go

[IronChefShark]

any self-respecting hockey town would have Mounties now, wouldnt it?

[Puckguy14]

Ok ICS, I think that's just a little bit of a stretch!

[zer0dotcom]

any self-respecting hockey town would have Mounties now, wouldnt it?

you guys have it down to a T

[Shmee]

One more thing, if it weren't a hockey town, 17,496 people wouldn't have been in teal and have been supportive and waving their pom poms today in support of their PACIFIC DIVISION CHAMPION SAN JOSE SHARKS.

I believe under Notorious' plan, the Pacific Division would no longer exist. There would be a Canadaian Division, a New Englandork Division, a Detrago Division, and a Washington State Division.

Seriously, just because you need a sheet of ice to play NHL hockey doesn't make it any different from other sports that play on grass or turf or a hard surface. Oh, and just so you know, NHL teams are already losing money out the wazoo. Imagine moving an NHL club from San Jose, one of the higher average income areas in the United States, to Winnipeg, where the Canadian loonie is worth 70 cents on the American dollar. Big fun, eh? Owners are in it for the money, Notorious. They, and the fans, decide what cities make up good hockey towns. Wanna relocate a team to Quebec? Go buy the Lightning.

The weird thing is Notorious is from New York, where we already have 4 hockey teams (Isles, Rangers, Sabres, Devils) to play with. I dunno why you're so concerned with the cities in which other teams play.

[CJR]

I've seen people shoot themselves in the foot before, but I've never seen someone declare war on it.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

I'm going to steal this and use it myself the first chance I get. Great stuff.

[IceCap]

any self-respecting hockey town would have Mounties now, wouldnt it? 

hahahahahahaha

u guys are all right. at least u respect the game, unlike tampa fans who go as an excuse to get drunk, and wounder why martin st. louis dosnt play for the blues.

ive been predicting sharks-maple leafs for the cup since the post-season started. im just sorry it will be the sharks who will have to be the ones to break the '67 drought.

[RyanB06]

I don't care where on the map SJ is but not hockey town. Guys who play hockey like myself will never think of SJ has a hockey town.

Columbus, Denver, Minnesota are 3 great hockey towns added by Bettman.

People in SJ support Roller Hockey and the NHL so they don't know what's going on.

I think HockeyGod's showed up today - Colorado wins!!!!!!!!!!!

I will never think of SJ/TB/Phoenix/Miami/Carolina as hockey town let alone a city that should be hoisting the cup.

Brian, you can write all the essays in the world, show all the facts in the world but it doesn't mean anything.

Here's a deal for a few cities

TB - moves to Winnipeg and gets Magic and (another) Nascar track

Phoenix - Coyotes move to Portland and get decent NFL team

SJ - moves to Seattle and heck give em NBA team

Miami - moves the panthers to Kansas City and gets Arena team

Carolina - moves to Quebec and gets another nascar track

Nashville - moves to Hartford and gets WNBA team

So ignorant.

My turn, my turn!

Let's talk about Columbus, Denver, and Minnesota first. Except for Columbus, this is the second go-round for NHL hockey in Denver (remember the Colorado Rockies?) and Minnesota (some Stars team...). They've made the most of their second chance, though Denver had to steal a team to do it (the Nords). If any of those cities isn't a "hockey town" it's Columbus. Especially with Ohio State football lasting well into December and sometimes January.

Now, on to San Jose. Shark (ICS sounds too much like The Running Man)and Puckguy are 100 percent right. San Jose has embraced the Sharks from Day 1. It's a great hockey market; I'd bet it ranks up there with Detroit and Toronto as far as fan support goes. This line:

People in SJ support Roller Hockey and the NHL so they don't know what's going on.

immediately discredits Notoriousap's argument on this. How can you support the NHL and not know what's going on? Hmmmm?

And speaking of facts...

Tampa does NOT have a NASCAR track. Never has.

The KeyArena in Seattle is NOT NHL-quality. Never has been.

Kansas City is a FAILED MARKET. Remember the Scouts (now the NJ Devils)? Kemper Arena is OLD (at least 40 years, give or take a couple) - no luxury suites! Besides, KC's a football town first, baseball second. The NBA didn't work well there, so what makes people think the NHL will (again) - other than the obvious KC-St. Louis rivalry?

Sports need new markets in order to grow. Why do you think the NHL doubled its size in 1967? Wasn't simply because "they felt like it".

Facts do mean things. Facts torpedo idiotic arguments like this one.

[Notch Novelty]

Roller Hockey isn't Hockey shouldn't be considered Hockey at all. It's girls hockey. No Hitting? What's that all about.

It's great teams fill arenas but the average hockey fan couldn't tell you too much the game in Carolina/Miami/Etc.

I think the HockeyGods are trying to say something with Colorado coming back 3 games down to win that series.

[STL FANATIC]

This not Southern California whos fan support goes with whats trendy, these are true fans, who care about the Sharks as their consistent attendence figures show.

Well, that may be a slight stretch. They have been consistantly good, but let's not forget last year when they tore the team apart, there was not nearly the same fan support as when they were/are competitive. That happens in so called traditional hockey cities too though (see Chicago).

With that said, it's just stupid to say SJ isn't a hockey city.

Do they like hockey? Yes.

Do they play hockey? Yes.

Do they support their team? Yes.

Are they a hockey city? YES.

[jkrdevil]

It's great teams fill arenas but the average hockey fan couldn't tell you too much the game in Carolina/Miami/Etc.

If people are going to the games I'm sure they know much about the game. It's the people who don't go to games that don't know the game.

SJ is deserving of a hockey team. The fans support the team.

BTW, didn't the Bay Area have a NHL teams before Buffalo. Last time I chacked the Bay Area was part of the second 6 expansion.

[IronChefShark]

Roller Hockey isn't Hockey shouldn't be considered Hockey at all. It's girls hockey. No Hitting? What's that all about.

I neve thought it was possible for someone to have a negative number for an IQ, but apparently it is

having watched some of the higher level inline leagues around here before, I doubt you would say that to any of those players faces. They hit just as much as they do on the ice I know this for a fact because Ive seen it with my own eyes

[Brass]

Roller Hockey isn't Hockey shouldn't be considered Hockey at all. It's girls hockey. No Hitting? What's that all about.

So I'm a girl if I play roller hockey?

[Roger Clemente]

Roller Hockey isn't Hockey shouldn't be considered Hockey at all. It's girls hockey. No Hitting? What's that all about.

It's great teams fill arenas but the average hockey fan couldn't tell you too much the game in Carolina/Miami/Etc.

I think the HockeyGods are trying to say something with Colorado coming back 3 games down to win that series.

*does the trademark Matthew Perry headshake of disbelief*

It's impossible for you to have any feet left because you just can't seem to take your fingers off the trigger.

Roller hockey, by your definition of non-violence, sounds a bit like Olympic Hockey. You can't get more excitement than Olympic hockey, can you?

Also, if the HockeyGods really were at work, why did they not let the NHL's most storied franchise of all time come back from a 3-0 defecit against a team who, for a few years, had the worst attendance in the league? It clearly isn't a problem in Tampa Bay now, and seeing as how they have a young core of players, I can't see it happening for a while.

Also, what will you say if the Avalanche lose the series? While they may have won the last two games, the odds are still in the Sharks favor.

The average hockey fan should be able to tell you something about the game. That's why they're HOCKEY FANS! It's usually just bandwagon fans of a team, not a game, that are the phonies showing up at sold out games.

If you want to make an arguement, you HAVE TO USE FACTS! REAL FACTS AT THAT!!!

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[Puckguy14]

Wow! You don't stop do ya? Girls hockey is roller hockey? Not only did alienate me and ICS, now you're after roller hockey players? EH!

[Joshawaggie]

Who cares what city the team plays in. People act like if it isnt an origianl 6 team, they need not exist. How is it San Jose's fault they didnt hae a team since the 40's or 50's or whatever. This is the 2000's, things change, cities change. As long as the city gives the team support why shouldnt the city deserve a team.

And another note, people say they cringe when they think TB/SJ final. WHY? If they make it that far they have the best team/players. Why wouldnt you wanna watch that, who cares what city thery are in, how wuold that change the game. If you switched every player so it was the same team, but their jersey read Detroit or Montreal, how would the game be any different, IT WOULDNT.

[Fusebazell]

Whoa! I may not play roller hockey or hockey for that matter but, saying something is girly because it doesn't involve checking is ludacris. Some people can't talk hits due to chronilogical problems, so they play a sport that is safer for their health. Also, your not superman, your body is going to eventually feel the side effects from all the checks you take, so if protecting your body makes you a wuss then oh well. I'll take my health over any sport any day.

[Shmee]

Roller Hockey isn't Hockey shouldn't be considered Hockey at all. It's girls hockey. No Hitting? What's that all about.

Man...why does everybody hafta hate on roller hockey? No checking doesn't actually mean NO CHECKING, it means that the game becomes more about skill, concentration, and teamwork. No checking means that you can't take a guy and crash him into the boards because he said that your team plays in a silly city and they wear teal jerseys and teal is a color for girls. It means that you have to know more about how to use your stick, your skates, and your positioning to your advantage. Not hitting and not fighting doesn't make roller hockey players less manly, it just makes us less violent. And isn't everyone always complaining that there's too much violence in sports today, anyway? Notorious, I'm guessing you've never played roller hockey, because it takes a level of intelligence higher than you're displaying here.

[Notch Novelty]

Inline Hockey is not hockey plan and simple. It's garbage hockey for guys who can't hack it on the ice.

What we as ice hockey players call 'em Mylcers for the street hockey brand name. Bunch of 4th liners who couldn't hack on it on the ice

[Brass]

Inline Hockey is not hockey plan and simple. It's garbage hockey for guys who can't hack it on the ice.

What we as ice hockey players call 'em Mylcers for the street hockey brand name. Bunch of 4th liners who couldn't hack on it on the ice

Yes. Finally I can agree that you have at least 1 good point. Yes, roller hockey is for SOME guys who can't hack it in ice hockey, but I play it just in the spring to keep in shape. A few guys I play with in ice, form a team in roller, and we kill teams like 18-0 (that was our biggest game) The closest game was 8-2 us. We are currently 16-0, in first place, and we have guys who CAN cut it in ice hockey.

What gives you the right to say that just because you play roller, makes you a bad ice player???

[Notch Novelty]

Yes, I've played roller hockey - it's rec to guys that play hockey

I do play highly competive ice hockey

Smhee2k6: doesn't take much skill to play roller hockey - you probably use a one peice to play roller hockey