Is Hockey Really One of the "Four Major Professional Team Sports"?
Short answer: No.
Need proof? Saturday, NBC switched away from the overtime of the Sabres-Senators playoff game to show pre-race coverage of the Preakness. NBC says that "its Preakness contract superseded the NHL telecast," but the fact remains that the crucial moments of a crucial game in the NHL Conference Finals were deemed less crucial than the hype leading up to a horse race—not the race itself. Moreover, the ratings suggest that NBC probably made a wise decision: "The Sabres-Senators game scored a 1.5 overnight household rating from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.; the Preakness pre-race coverage averaged a 3.8 from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m."
NBC acted in the interests of its corporate policies, its sponsors, and the majority of its viewers, even if it angered several hockey fans in the process. But the fact that cutting away from overtime in a crucial hockey playoff game was a logical move for NBC to make—and the fact that the game only scored a 1.5 rating—speaks volumes about the decline of the NHL in the United States. Referring to the NHL—along with the NFL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball—as one of the "four major professional team sports" is no longer appropriate.
So, how would one rank professional team sports in the United States in 2007? Well, one would start with the NFL. The NFL, I would argue, is alone in the top tier, far above even Major League Baseball and the NBA, which would fall into the second tier. Based on national popularity and television ratings, I'm tempted to put the NHL in a third tier with Major League Soccer, Arena Football, and the WNBA. But attendance, popularity in cities that have a franchise, and player salaries may put hockey alone in the third tier—definitely below MLB and the NBA, but definitely above MLS, the AFL, and the WNBA. The latter three would then fall to a fourth tier. (See below.) One could argue that AAA baseball also belongs on that fourth tier, but it doesn't get nearly as much national coverage as the other fourth-tier sports. Other minor baseball leagues and minor basketball leagues, lacrosse, indoor soccer, rugby, women's football, and so forth would fall somewhere in the fifth, sixth, and seventh tiers—but I lack the knowledge to break down those tiers with any integrity.
Top Tier
National Football League
Second Tier
National Basketball Association
Major League Baseball
Third Tier
National Hockey League
Fourth Tier
Major League Soccer
Women's National Basketball Association
Arena Football League
What do you think?
Need proof? Saturday, NBC switched away from the overtime of the Sabres-Senators playoff game to show pre-race coverage of the Preakness. NBC says that "its Preakness contract superseded the NHL telecast," but the fact remains that the crucial moments of a crucial game in the NHL Conference Finals were deemed less crucial than the hype leading up to a horse race—not the race itself. Moreover, the ratings suggest that NBC probably made a wise decision: "The Sabres-Senators game scored a 1.5 overnight household rating from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.; the Preakness pre-race coverage averaged a 3.8 from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m."
NBC acted in the interests of its corporate policies, its sponsors, and the majority of its viewers, even if it angered several hockey fans in the process. But the fact that cutting away from overtime in a crucial hockey playoff game was a logical move for NBC to make—and the fact that the game only scored a 1.5 rating—speaks volumes about the decline of the NHL in the United States. Referring to the NHL—along with the NFL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball—as one of the "four major professional team sports" is no longer appropriate.
So, how would one rank professional team sports in the United States in 2007? Well, one would start with the NFL. The NFL, I would argue, is alone in the top tier, far above even Major League Baseball and the NBA, which would fall into the second tier. Based on national popularity and television ratings, I'm tempted to put the NHL in a third tier with Major League Soccer, Arena Football, and the WNBA. But attendance, popularity in cities that have a franchise, and player salaries may put hockey alone in the third tier—definitely below MLB and the NBA, but definitely above MLS, the AFL, and the WNBA. The latter three would then fall to a fourth tier. (See below.) One could argue that AAA baseball also belongs on that fourth tier, but it doesn't get nearly as much national coverage as the other fourth-tier sports. Other minor baseball leagues and minor basketball leagues, lacrosse, indoor soccer, rugby, women's football, and so forth would fall somewhere in the fifth, sixth, and seventh tiers—but I lack the knowledge to break down those tiers with any integrity.
Top Tier
National Football League
Second Tier
National Basketball Association
Major League Baseball
Third Tier
National Hockey League
Fourth Tier
Major League Soccer
Women's National Basketball Association
Arena Football League
What do you think?
posted by Tinley | 4:00 PM
1 Comments:
It's pretty sad that football and hockey are rated below American football. Football, the sport where a player will jump, do a back-flip, kick the ball - and still score, and the hockey, the game where a frozen piece of rubber is zooming around the ice at upwards of 50 mph (and up to 120 mph) while players beat the crud out of each other, as opposed to American football, which is like hockey, only much slower, less brutal, and has more pointless rules (It honestly bothers me that my university stakes its reputation on this game.). Meanwhile, the rest of the world is watching hockey, football, and rugby (what American football should aspire to be).
In all actuality, and considering sports played internationally and in the Olympics, American football is not one of the four major team sports. Football, hockey, baseball, and even basketball are what people really care about. It's just that here in America, we've got our sports system all screwed up.
Post a Comment
<< Home