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It is a complete joke. They did a study. 60 minute games have an average of only 11 minutes of actual game play. Just another reason hockey is the best sport in the world.
Yep, and the numbers of fans prove this!
I'm sure hockey is a very interesting sport. Well, let me take that back - I'm not so sure of this, but I'm sure that some people do find it interesting. In fact, I'm totally convinced of this after having gone to one hockey game. What an odd experience it was.
LOL the fans don't feel that the "game is being taken away from us." I am sorry if you can't grasp that.
I'm sorry but I just can't believe Americans don't care! Its VERY different to over here - fans would NEVER let the FA take such liberties with the EPL!
I'm sorry but I just can't believe Americans don't care! Its VERY different to over here - fans would NEVER let the FA take such liberties with the EPL!
The vast majority of NFL fans DO NOT GO TO THE GAMES IN PERSON. Can you understand that? They watch the games on television. So it really doesn't matter that much where the teams are playing - in fact, if NEITHER team has "home field advantage" I can see how that would actually be beneficial and make things even more interesting.
The vast majority of NFL fans DO NOT GO TO THE GAMES IN PERSON. Can you understand that? They watch the games on television. So it really doesn't matter that much where the teams are playing - in fact, if NEITHER team has "home field advantage" I can see how that would actually be beneficial and make things even more interesting.
So is there nobody in the stadium? Are there no season ticket holders? Is there nobody in the US with any kind of passion for their sports teams?
I'm sure hockey is a very interesting sport. Well, let me take that back - I'm not so sure of this, but I'm sure that some people do find it interesting. In fact, I'm totally convinced of this after having gone to one hockey game. What an odd experience it was.
I don't understand how people can't find it interesting. Constant movement while being just as physical as football. I think the issue Americans have with it is that we don't dominate the rest of the world like we do in basketball and would in football. We definitely can't claim it as ours.
Is it really necessary to belabor the point this much?
I suppose its just difficult to fathom - I think an American sports fan is a very different animal to a British one that's all, I'm not saying one is right and one is wrong but it sure seems 'different'! :-)
So is there nobody in the stadium? Are there no season ticket holders? Is there nobody in the US with any kind of passion for their sports teams?
The stadiums are packed. But can you understand that even though the stadiums are HUGE, the fans in those stadiums represent a minuscule fraction of the actual fan base of each team? Even if every single NFL fan who bought a ticket and went in person to see a game was ticked off, it would still be such a tiny percentage of the fan base that it wouldn't make a bit of difference to the overall picture.
Let me lay it out for you. Say you're a Dallas Cowboys fan and you live in Texas. Well, you could literally live 6 or 7 hours from Cowboy Stadium. That's the first hurdle. Then the Cowboys play NFL teams from all over the US, so some of those games are a two or three day DRIVE from Texas - and that's driving just about straight through. If you bought a plane ticket, well you're already up to $400 or so. Then you have your ticket to the game, running anywhere from $30 for terrible seats, to $900. The average cost is around $200. Then you have to pay for parking - that's about $40. You'll want to eat there - that's expensive, about $30. Beers are about $8 each. So even if you're going to a home game in Dallas, you're going to be out about $300 PER PERSON on average. That's $600 for a couple to attend.
And half the games are not home games and you'd have to travel to who knows where. And you can't imagine the crowds and the traffic in and around the stadium on game day. It's insane.
This is why so many fans prefer to watch the game on television. Besides being in the comfort of one's own home, or in a bar with a bunch of friends, whatever, we enjoy EXCELLENT coverage and commentary, which is an integral part of the experience of watching a game. All that "stopping and starting" that people who don't understand the game complain about? Well, we're watching it with great interest - what's the call going to be, let's look at that instant replay again, why was a flag down on the field, etc. In between the plays, the sportscasters are going over stats, other games in progress in other areas, personal stories about the players, etc.
It's a unique sort of game but the HUGE NUMBERS of NFL fans attest to the passion and fascination that NFL games hold over hundreds of thousands of fans throughout the US and beyond.
Last edited by KathrynAragon; 10-28-2013 at 06:29 PM..
I don't understand how people can't find it interesting. Constant movement while being just as physical as football. I think the issue Americans have with it is that we don't dominate the rest of the world like we do in basketball and would in football. We definitely can't claim it as ours.
Well, maybe but that's not my issue with hockey. I didn't grow up around it, it played absolutely no part in my upbringing or my personal history, I don't understand the game, and therefore it's hard for me to follow. That's just me and I certainly don't begrudge anyone else their passion for the game. It's just my perspective.
The stadiums are packed. But can you understand that even though the stadiums are HUGE, the fans in those stadiums represent a minuscule fraction of the actual fan base of each team? Even if every single NFL fan who bought a ticket and went in person to see a game was ticked off, it would still be such a tiny percentage of the fan base that it wouldn't make a bit of difference to the overall picture.
After all, we're not talking about moving all games to the UK - just a few random games from a few teams.
Keep in mind that a London has, what, 5 teams(?) currently in the Premier league and then a bunch of others in lower leagues? Whereas even New York only has two NFL teams serving a market of nearly 20 million. Even the smallest NFL market is at least 2 million. Maybe slightly less than that in the case of Jacksonville, which is partly why it's a perennial contender for relocation.
I'm pretty sure I'd be annoyed if I were a season ticket holder and one of my whopping 8 regular-season home games were moved to a different continent. Then again, if I were a season ticket holder I just might be able to afford making a mini-vacation out of attending said "home" game. Everyone else just isn't going to care if one home game gets moved elsewhere -- especially if that move represents a potential opportunity to bring new fans into the fold -- because the vast majority of fans won't have the chance to go to a home game anyway in any given year. So they won't really be missing anything.
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