NHL

I agree that if they get there they deserve to be there. That said, if you care about the NHL you should care about the ratings here. We could lose TV deals if the Stanley Cup Finals don't perform well. For a league that is still trying to recover from 2 lockouts...ratings matter a lot.

The NHL is not even top 4 in pro sports here anymore. If you count College they are not top 8. One bad year would be a huge blow for them. If the Rangers don't come back I want the Hawks to win it all.

Also, the team in New York and the former team in Glasgow having nothing to do with each other, I trust you are smart enough to know that....

 

I think if you care about the sport you should want the best team to win, whoever that may be. That would be my take on it anyway.

I didn't realise the NHL had slipped out of the top 4 in most popular sports in America. Genuinely surprised to hear that. Has MLS taken it over?

Of course I know the two teams are not in any way linked but they're still called Rangers and play in red, white and blue. So I cannot like them. Just like I dislike the Texas Rangers in baseball. :smiley-laughing002:

 

NHL is still top four in North America. In Canada it's #1 by a country mile and in parts of the northern states it's definitely top four, maybe even higher. The south really just doesn't care about hockey and I guess for good reason because ice doesn't even naturally exist down there. He has a point that a Florida team and a Cali team would not make the biggest blockbuster final, though I feel hockey is pretty healthy in SoCal. Rangers and Hawks being an original 6 matchup would obviously be fantastic but it's not looking like that'll happen. I have money on the Ducks to beat the Hawks so that's all I'm worried about.

 

I do care about integrity to a limit. I hate the lightning...I just don't want them in. I really despise that team.

Yes the NHL is still considered a top four sport sort of. If you look at TV ratings though, they do not do well when it is not a good match up. There is a reason that teams like the Lightning, Ducks, Panthers, Blue-Jackets, Devils, Start, Coyotes and Hurricanes do not get nationally televised ever during the year. Nobody outside of those areas cares at all about those teams. Some of them don't really have fans in the area. Tampa has had to take pretty extreme measures to keep opposing teams out of the stands for the playoffs.

To put it in perspective, the English Premier League out performs the NHL in the ratings on a consistent basis....and those games often air at 8-9am here. It is not a good sign when Hull Vs. QPR game 27 of the season is doing better than Ducks vs. Calgary game 5 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

As for the last part...my Country colors are Red, While and Blue...so I will also love them. I completely don't associate it with Gers from Glasgow.

 

If the Rangers win tonight I will hop on a plane for Game 7 that's how confident I am we will lose this one

 

Rangers put up 7 goals on the road to force a game seven! Can't ask for anymore than that!

 

King Henrik is going to need all his magic for game 7

 

You can't be averse to a team who's best Player is a Super Swede named King Henrik :icon_mrgreen:

 

You made your booking yet? :smiley-laughing002:

I really do hope the Rangers go all the way this year, they've been my favourite team to watch (and that includes my own team!)

 

Good to see my motivational speech helped Game 7 will be good

 

:smiley-laughing002:

Never thought of it like that.

 

Two game 7's to determine the Stanley Cup Finals! What a weekend!

 

Chicago/New York said that at the start of the play-offs and I am sticking to it

 

I hear you on your dislike of both the New York and Texas Rangers teams. You might consider adding in the blue white and red wearing Chicago Cubs as well. No Rangers in their name but ownership very much right wing oriented ownership.

 

Not sure anyone could root against the Cubs unless they are a Cards fan or White Sox fan.

Hating a set of colors is dumb in my opinion too, but what ever makes you sleep at night I guess...

 

Rags and Ducks pls.

 

I don't hate the colours as such. I like the Columbus Blue Jackets and they wear red, white and blue(albeit a different shade of blue). But when you attach the colours to a team named Rangers then yeah I'm not going to be rooting for that team.

 

So if the Rangers wore red and black you would be okay with them? Or is it just the name?

 

The colours have nothing to do with my dislike of the Chicago Cubs. It's just easy to add that on as they have the same colours as the deceased huns. My dislike of the Cubs is based on them being the right wing team in Chicago while the Chicago White Sox are traditionally the team of the Chicago Irish community and well I do live in Chicago.

 

Yeah, I figured you were a white sox fan. I'm a Red Sox fan so I don't really care about either team in Chicago...but even you have to realize if the the Cubs made the World Series almost everyone will be rooting heavily for them because it has been so long. Normally, people don't give a * about ownership of a team. I hate the Dolans...but I will always be a NY Rangers fan. United fans hate the Glazers....they still go to games.