2011 NHL Playoffs

[nash61]

I think this picture from TSN says a lot.

[HedleyLamarr]

Depends.

Sure, when a Canadian team looks like they have a chance to bring it home we have a tendency to do an "us vs them" thing. Still though, those American teams that have won the Stanley Cup from 1994 to 2010? They were all mostly Canadian in player makeup. So it's not like our reputation as a great hockey country is hurt by the Tampa Bay Lightning defeating the Calgary Flames in the Finals. The Lightning won it with a mostly Canadian roster.

Not to single you out,

But you are aren't you?

You were the one that brought it up.

but this is the dumbest reason why to root for a team in the playoffs.

Lets not pretend that this isn't a two way street. I'm willing to guess that you were pulling for the Lightning, 'Canes, and/or Ducks when they played the Flames, Oilers, and Senators. Now I know you're dating a girl who's from Vancouver, so should the Canucks make it to the Finals I bet you will be rooting for them (and I wouldn't blame you).

Bigger picture though? Lets not pretend that you (a general "you" to American hockey fans) don't get caught up in Canada vs USA when it's a Canadian team vs an American team in the Finals.

I root for good hockey. If my favorite team's not playing, and a team I hate isn't playing, I'm completely happy with watching just for the sake of watching the sport.

I was neutral for the Calgary-Tampa Bay series because I used to like both those teams at some point. The Flames used to play in Atlanta, and Tampa was the parent team of the Atlanta Knights.

I pulled for Anaheim in their series against Ottawa because the Senators had Traitor-15 (Heatley) playing for their team. Also, Scott Neidermayer was my favorite hockey player at the time.

I didn't have a rooting interest in the Carolina-Edmonton series. I was just excited to be watching a Cup Final for the first time in two years, and was on the beach at Daytona watching a few of those games.

It goes both ways, though. No matter which country you're from, it's still a dumbassed reason to pull for a team, just because of where they're located. Canadians just take it to the next degree because they pull the "We're still better, we still win, because that American team had Canadian players!!!" card.

It just makes no sense to me that you'd suddenly root for a team to win in the playoffs when you want that same team to lose all 82 of their regular season games. Why would a sane Maple Leafs fan want the Canadiens to win the Cup? Kinda goes against being a fan of your own team if you start cheering for your rival to win...especially if a rival winning doesn't help your team any.

It's misguided nationalistic pride. Dismiss it however you please, but it's not going to change the fact that it's a dumb reason why to root for a particular team.

Like I said in the quote of mine you butchered, the Olympics are where it's really at when it comes to nationalistic pride and hockey.

Also, for clarity's sake, let me reiterate that the "Canada vs US" thing that happens when a Canadian team meats an American team isn't a one way street. I know for a fact that there were American fans rooting for the American teams when both countries had representation in the Finals, and I'm willing to bet that in at least one of those instances you wanted the American team to win because, well, they were the American team.

Same goes to my homie OMMF.

See my above post.

I don't get caught up in that "Canada vs. USA" stuff when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs because it's stupid. I root for the Thrashers, I wish the Canucks well (when they aren't playing the Thrashers), and there's a few teams that I don't want to win (like Pittsburgh, for example). There are some players I don't want to see hoisting the Cup (Heatley), and there are players I'd like to see win the Cup (like Rich Peverley, for example).

I don't feel the need to pick a team for each series that's being played to justify that I'm a big hockey fan. In fact, I find the playoffs to be more exciting when I'm watching with neutral eyes.

[habsfan1]

San Jose Sharks fans suicide level: CRITICAL!!!

[DarkJourney]

At least the Giants won the World Series.......

Yep too bad for the people of the Bay area. I think a Stanley Cup Final would make alot of people more interested in hockey in that area.

There is plenty of interest in hockey in the bay area. The Sharks pretty much sell out almost every game during the season.

[FiddySicks]

At least the Giants won the World Series.......

Yep too bad for the people of the Bay area. I think a Stanley Cup Final would make alot of people more interested in hockey in that area.

There is plenty of interest in hockey in the bay area. The Sharks pretty much sell out almost every game during the season.

Yeah, attendance problems aren't an issue in San Jose. It's a difficult ticket to get as it is. A championship would make it a near impossible ticket to get.

[Seadragon76]

San Jose Sharks fans Anger level: (Still) ELEVATED

Sorry to fix your post, man, but the whole 'Suicide Level' thing is really childish and uncalled for. I prefer an 'Anger Level' because the fans in San Jose are probably ticked off at this moment.

Come Friday morning, San Jose fans will either be celebrating another Conference Finals apperence or the whole city will go down in a anger induced rage of Atomic proportions.

[The_Admiral]

I'd be interested in seeing the perennially competitive Sharks' CSN ratings vis-a-vis those of the perennially hapless Warriors. As well as the Blackhawks do on TV, and they've been doing very, very well, there are still so many more people watching the Bulls. Even when hockey is a success, it's a qualified success.

[IceCap]

At least the Giants won the World Series.......

Yep too bad for the people of the Bay area. I think a Stanley Cup Final would make alot of people more interested in hockey in that area.

There is plenty of interest in hockey in the bay area. The Sharks pretty much sell out almost every game during the season.

He didn't say there was a lack of interest in the Sharks. He simply said that Bay Areas residents who are hockey fans first and foremost would probably prefer a Sharks Stanley Cup to the Giants' World Series win.

I'm all for whoever can knock out the Red Wings, but this collapse is something else. People give Cujo a lot of crap for doing the same old "Sharks will choke" thing every year come playoff time, but dang it, he's right. I like the Sharks, I really do. I've always liked their logos and colours, and as a kid sharks were my favourite animal after the Allosaurus. Sharks fans themselves are cool, for the most part. When you choke this often, and to this degree, the ribbing is deserved.

[charger77]

At least the Giants won the World Series.......

Yep too bad for the people of the Bay area. I think a Stanley Cup Final would make alot of people more interested in hockey in that area.

There is plenty of interest in hockey in the bay area. The Sharks pretty much sell out almost every game during the season.

He didn't say there was a lack of interest in the Sharks. He simply said that Bay Areas residents who are hockey fans first and foremost would probably prefer a Sharks Stanley Cup to the Giants' World Series win.

I'm all for whoever can knock out the Red Wings, but this collapse is something else. People give Cujo a lot of crap for doing the same old "Sharks will choke" thing every year come playoff time, but dang it, he's right. I like the Sharks, I really do. I've always liked their logos and colours, and as a kid sharks were my favourite animal after the Allosaurus. Sharks fans themselves are cool, for the most part. When you choke this often, and to this degree, the ribbing is deserved.

My anti-Red Wings contingency grows stronger by the day!

[IceCap]

I don't feel the need to pick a team for each series that's being played to justify that I'm a big hockey fan. In fact, I find the playoffs to be more exciting when I'm watching with neutral eyes.

Philadelphia Flyers/Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins/Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks/Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks/Nashville Predators, and Philadelphia Flyers/Boston Bruins are the series these playoffs in which I didn't pick a team. So I'm going through some of OMMF's advice at you. Don't claim to know what you don't know.

It just makes no sense to me that you'd suddenly root for a team to win in the playoffs when you want that same team to lose all 82 of their regular season games. Why would a sane Maple Leafs fan want the Canadiens to win the Cup? Kinda goes against being a fan of your own team if you start cheering for your rival to win...especially if a rival winning doesn't help your team any.

If the Habs are playing the Leafs in the playoffs, screw the Habs. If a Canadian team I'm neutral about, say the Oilers, plays the Habs, screw the Habs.

If it's the Canadiens and Bruins going at it though? Sure, I'll pick the Canadian team. Does it help the Maple Leafs? No. Them losing doesn't help the Leafs either though. The Canadiens winning or losing their first round series against the Bruins this year wouldn't change the fact that the Leafs haven't won the Cup in 1967. So I'll root for the Habs and have some fun with the series.

It goes both ways, though. No matter which country you're from, it's still a dumbassed reason to pull for a team, just because of where they're located. Canadians just take it to the next degree because they pull the "We're still better, we still win, because that American team had Canadian players!!!" card.

I'm still trying to figure out what your problem is in this regard. Most NHLers are Canadian. Didn't know that needed to be established, but there it is. Do I think that says a lot about Canada as one of the great hockey countries? Yes I do. Please, tell me where the problem is.

[Brendan]

San Jose Sharks fans Anger level: (Still) ELEVATED

Sorry to fix your post, man, but the whole 'Suicide Level' thing is really childish and uncalled for. I prefer an 'Anger Level' because the fans in San Jose are probably ticked off at this moment.

Come Friday morning, San Jose fans will either be celebrating another Conference Finals apperence or the whole city will go down in a anger induced rage of Atomic proportions.

When the Canucks blew their 3-0 lead I was definitely more depressed than angry.

[Seadragon76]

San Jose Sharks fans Anger level: (Still) ELEVATED

Sorry to fix your post, man, but the whole 'Suicide Level' thing is really childish and uncalled for. I prefer an 'Anger Level' because the fans in San Jose are probably ticked off at this moment.

Come Friday morning, San Jose fans will either be celebrating another Conference Finals apperence or the whole city will go down in a anger induced rage of Atomic proportions.

When the Canucks blew their 3-0 lead I was definitely more depressed more than angry.

But the Canucks won that series. I could only imagine what it would of been like had the Blackhawks won Game 7.

If the Dead Things take Game 7 tomorrow night, I guaren-damn-tee you that Puckguy and ICS won't be on the boards for a long time... Largely because the anger they could produce alone, should the Sharks lose, could easily take out the entire city of San Jose.

[Sport]

I'd be interested in seeing the perennially competitive Sharks' CSN ratings vis-a-vis those of the perennially hapless Warriors. As well as the Blackhawks do on TV, and they've been doing very, very well, there are still so many more people watching the Bulls. Even when hockey is a success, it's a qualified success.

Which is why I, as a hockey fan, have a huge inferiority complex. I feel like I'm always yelling, "WATCH MY SPORT. IT'S GREAT". Feeling the need to constantly spread the gospel of hockey is one of the most annoying parts about me as a hockey fan, but I can't help myself.

and a quick search yielded these results: Warriors averaged 35,000 households in 2009-2010, while the Sharks averaged 27,000. The Bulls averaged 84,000, while the Blackhawks averaged 68,000

source:

NHL Ratings 09-10

NBA Ratings 09-10

[IceCap]

Those Warriors/Sharks numbers shock me. Not because I'm delusional and think the NHL is more popular then the NBA. Just that I find it amazing that 35,000 people care about the San Francisco Oakland Golden State Warriors.

[The_Admiral]

Which is why I, as a hockey fan, have a huge inferiority complex. I feel like I'm always yelling, "WATCH MY SPORT. IT'S GREAT". Feeling the need to constantly spread the gospel of hockey is one of the most annoying parts about me as a hockey fan, but I can't help myself.

Don't do this anymore. The war's lost. Hockey has as many flaws as it has qualities, just like any sport out there. Everything's readily available to the consumer nowadays; they'll make their decisions. Evangelizing on the sport's behalf probably annoys more potential fans than it brings in.

So there you have it: the Sharks, doing business in Greater San Francisco, one of the country's most affluent and tech-savvy metropolises (the two qualities the NHL really wants to pounce on) are still only getting 75% of the households that the Warriors get with a much less redeeming product. I'm happy that the Sharks do as well as they do, but it's clear that hockey has a ceiling.

[FiddySicks]

Those Warriors/Sharks numbers shock me. Not because I'm delusional and think the NHL is more popular then the NBA. Just that I find it amazing that 35,000 people care about the San Francisco Oakland Golden State Warriors.

It may be different in the Bay Area proper, but part of the problem is that before last season the Sharks switched from CSN Bay Area to CSN California. Most cable companies out this way will most definitely have CSN Bay Area, but I've only had one cable provider that even offers CSN California, and that was DirecTV. It's such a hastle to try and find Sharks games in a lot of areas, it's gotta be killing their numbers.

[ninersdd]

OK, Sharks you have 2 choices of what you will be using this weekend:

OR

Hint: One means massive choke and the other means awesomeness.

[YessSir32]

As I went to school today (in Michigan) everyone was positive of a Wings win. We'll see, it should be a good game. I say if Howard plays they way he did in game 6, Wings win.

[DEAD!]

OK, Sharks you have 2 choices of what you will be using this weekend:

OR

Hint: One means massive choke and the other means awesomeness.

I hear Pebble Beach is awesome...

[DarkJourney]

Those Warriors/Sharks numbers shock me. Not because I'm delusional and think the NHL is more popular then the NBA. Just that I find it amazing that 35,000 people care about the San Francisco Oakland Golden State Warriors.

Even though the Warriors have been pretty much pure crap the last 15 years (except for that blip on the radar in 2007)

the Bay Area does love it's basketball.