posted by FlyersRule
All Habs
As if today isn’t going to be stressful enough – the Flyers have found a way, yet again, to back themselves into a playoff corner and have allowed their post-season potential to come down to one final game against the Rangers. Win and we’re in. Lose and, well…join Tiger on the links.
In addition, today’s game isn’t just important to the Flyers and the Rangers – other teams in the Eastern Conference (particularly the Montreal Canadiens) will be watching closely to find out who their first-round opponent will be. So to say that this is a “big game” is an understatement – right? Newsworthy? Yes. Noteworthy? You bet.
Which brings me to the reason that this quiet, sunny Spring morning has me steaming mad and appalled with American views on sports. I would wager a lot of money that all of my Canadian friends opened their Sunday newspapers this morning, turned to the Sports section, and leisurely sipped their coffee while reading headline after headline recapping yesterday’s games and forecasting today’s matchups. There were probably some blurbs about the upcoming playoffs. I bet there might even be some mentions of the 2010 Draft, the lottery, the minor leagues, etc etc etc. Heck – I bet there’s even a mention of the implications of today’s Flyers/Rangers game.
Guess what greeted me on the front page of my Sports section? Top headline – the Phillies win over the Astros last night. OK, I can understand that one. Next – coverage of The Masters, including a preview of today’s final round and the Woods/Mickelson showdown. OK, I’ll give them that one as well. So surely, the final article on the front page is about the Flyers game, right? Nope – it’s about how one particular Penn State quarterback still needs some fine-tuning before this fall’s football season starts. In fact, there isn’t a SINGLE MENTION of today’s hockey game ANYWHERE in the Sports section. The only hockey news is buried on page 5 and includes yesterday’s scores, league standings, player stats for league leaders, and a couple of sentences announcing that the Bruins clinched a playoff berth yesterday. Folks, I live outside of PHILADELPHIA. Granted, my newspaper is not one of the major Philly rags – but it’s a major newspaper nonetheless.
*the author’s next few statements have been censored by the FCC and consists of lots of BEEPS…please stand by*
Y’know, I could understand if I were a fan of some obscure sport like badminton, table tennis or water polo – then yes, it would make sense to not really find much in the way of coverage in my newspaper. But hockey? The NHL? Give me a break people! Oh hey look – there’s an article here about college softball. COLLEGE SOFTBALL?!? *more BEEPS…cover your ears kiddies* This is like Game 7 in the playoffs – do or die – and should capture the attention of anyone who calls themselves a sports fan, much less a hockey fan, in the greater Philadelphia and New York areas.
It’s bad enough that we have such shoddy television coverage of the sport that most of the rest of the WORLD is obsessed with – for that matter, Hockey Night in Canada should be a mandatory broadcast on at least one sports network in every country. But when I can’t even pick up a newspaper to find interviews, analysis, predictions, etc. the day my team is about to face its biggest challenge of the season yet, with everything on the line…well I throw my hands up in disgust. It’s pathetic. An utter travesty.
Maybe someday Americans will wake up and appreciate this finest of all sports – in the meantime, I’ll continue to rely on my only real source for hockey news…blogs like this one! Thankfully there’s a place like this for hockey fans from all over the world to commune…especially when, like me, you can’t rely on the media to give you any support. (perhaps I should forward this to my Sports Editor…..)
You need to move up here sunshine. :)
My aunt and uncle live in DC and we were there during playoff time last year on our way down to South Carolina. Granted it coincided with the Hurricanes being eliminated by the Pens as we rolled into Myrtle Beach. But a city like DC with the exciting Capitals…there was a teeny tiny blurb on the Hersey Bears as they headed for their Calder finals. In town, nary a Caps shirt to be found. No one even noticed my dad in his Hab's shirt. I found one store in the mall near my uncle that had sports stuff for sale. Caps shirts? Only Ovie and Semin. My uncle said it's actually better when the Caps are actually playing but still…this is a city with one of the most exciting teams in the league and the Washington Nationals have more interest. (Though why I lol about that…my poor poor Expos). Only NHL stuff I did see in the wild while I was down in DC was a Pens sticker on a jeep in a parking lot. But news on what's happening in the NHL at the time? Nada. I could barely find the TV station to watch the playoffs while I sat in my room in his old house. Versus had rodeo on. RODEO!
Seems the media only cares about the Flyers when there's a "scandal" to write about eh…
How sad to read… And Philly is a major hockey market, no? To think, the man who introduced me to passionate hockey, my father, now lives in the Tampa Bay area…
And to top it off, just got a tweet from Influence Communication that surveys media around the world for content: in the prov. of QC during the 1st trimester local news and sports made up for more than 31% media coverage. Won't be shocked to find out that Canadiens related stories make for about 90% of sports coverage all around…
Only in Qc, eh.
Nock4Six – that's a very good idea! Now do you mean to Canada? or Toronto? :P And will Canada accept a Flyers fan as a new resident?? :)
Number31 – I hate to say it, but that's a normal state of affairs down here in the US. I wish I could say I'm suprised at how little you could find in merchandise, media coverage, etc – but sadly, it's par for the course.
So glad to hear, though, that your Dad was sporting a Habs shirt!! Way to represent – as the best fans in the NHL are notorious for doing :) It's a shame that you couldn't even find hockey fans on the street when you were ADVERTISING that you're a hockey fan too! At least it's pretty common to see Flyers clothing and hats down here…and god help you if you get caught in a Pens or Rangers shirt :P Lucky for me, no one here seems to mind my Habs gear…
Lyse – you are right, hockey is actually VERY popular in Philly…right up there with the Eagles and the Phillies. Flyers fans are pretty hardcore in this city…as is indicated by our notoriety for being such obnoxious fans :D (something, btw, THIS fan works really hard to change perception on!) Just wish the media could catch a clue somewhere that we want some coverage!
FlyersRule says: "THIS fan works really hard to change perception on!" And THIS is why we're all so fond of her! :)
ERRATUM on previous comment: just got a tweet from @InfluenceComm and they've computed that the Canadiens were responsible for 61% of local media coverage, all that in spite of the Winter Olympics. Almost unbelievable!
It always saddens me to hear that hockey gets such little coverage.
I remember being in Atlanta a couple years ago while my parents lived there. Nowhere in the Atlanta Journal Constitution's sports pages was even a mention of the Thrashers. Imagine having a multi million dollar arena, and nobody cares to know about the wonderful sport taking place inside (insert Thrashers jokes here).
But I think you partially answered your own question: "Y'know, I could understand if I were a fan of some obscure sport like badminton, table tennis or water polo – then yes, it would make sense to not really find much in the way of coverage in my newspaper."
While hardcore hockey fans take the sport and it's coverage as seriously as their health, it's pretty evident that American sports media DOES lump hockey in with those obscrure sports. I always laugh when I see ratings of a hockey game ranking somewhere down the list with WNBA, Darts and bowling.
But you said it best: thank goodness for blogs and social networks like twitter that help keep us all engaged and talking about the sport we love.
I couldnt have written this Article better myself… Geat Job… Bleeping News Papers, how can they not write about the most important game of all season when your supose to be writing about your own HOME TEAM, no no forget about our team and talk about all the others….
Great Article had me laughing and Bleeping along side of you :)
:)
Kyle – Upon further thought on the miniscule amount of hockey coverage we get here in the US…I'm further angered by how little people in this country pay attention to any sport outside of our 50 states. And I'm not just talking about hockey here (although with as many different leagues as there are in Canada and the rest of the world, that would be relevant!)…but I'm talking other sports in general.
It's that blase American attitude that if it's not played here, than it's just not important or serious.
This was most apparent to me after the recent Olympics…Canada was holding its national championship in curling and people here were honestly saying "You mean people play that even when the Olympics are over?"
Americans just need to broaden their horizons in general…the world doesn't stop at our border.
Celia83 – Thank you so much for your comment! I think I can guess what all your BLEEPING was about :P Let's just hope if we can get core groups of people to demand more attention be paid to the things that are important to us, then somewhere, somehow…we'll make a difference. (OK, I'm being really optimistic, I know…LOL)
And Lyse, if 61% of sports coverage here were about the Flyers…I would be downright GIDDY! :D You guys are so lucky up there.
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