I had the opportunity to watch some out of market hockey games this past week, and I was specifically looking to see if the Canadian hockey media were in any way correct, with their prognostication that the NHL would reap huge benefits from the tremendous hockey that was played in Vancouver at the Winter Games. With that in mind, Thursday evening and Saturday night as well, I was channel surfing several games ,including a Thrashers game from Atlanta,as well as games in Dallas, Phoenix and Florida. In spite of the over the top assurances from several of the electronic and print media about how the Olympic hockey in Vancouver was sure to sell hockey everywhere and anywhere,especially with the record setting TV viewership numbers that were established in Canada and the United States, take a guess what I noticed about the attendance at these NHL games this past week ? Unfortunately for the hockey media, they were totally wrong, and the NHL was right. The NHL has stated emphatically, that they reap no benefits from being participants in the Winter Games, based on ticket sales and TV viewership after the Olympics, in Nagano, Salt Lake City, and Turin. This past week, right after the Winter Games, there were all kinds of empty seats( in spite of the reported attendance of more than 14,000 in Atlanta, and 17,000 plus in Dallas ) that could easily be seen during the telecast from both Atlanta and Dallas, this past Thursday. This was also the case Saturday night in Phoenix, who were hosting Anaheim, and in Florida at the Bank Atlantic Centre, for their game with Carolina. So much for the media perspective of how the great hockey in Vancouver, would be such a great selling point for the professional game, and this should be enough for the league to commit again, to participating in the next Winter Games, which will take place in Sochi, Russia, in 2014. The hockey media were totally out to lunch with their fearless forecast. The ones who were putting forward this point of view, are probably hoping they can get assigned to cover the next Winter Games, because their estimation of fan reaction was badly flawed, and has no basis in reality. People watching Olympic hockey, may enjoy the games, but that doesn’t automatically convert them into paying customers at the gate. I enjoyed watching Olympic snowboarding and figure skating, but I wont be buying tickets, or setting aside TV time for either sport, now that the Winter games are done until 2014 . I say this with no insult intended for the participants or fans of either sport, but there are only so many hours in the day, and so many dollars to be spent, on entertainment. I can’t see how it’s any different for the millions of people who watched Olympic hockey. Don’t expect the fringe fans, to suddenly change their spending or TV viewing habits, regardless of the superior quality, of the hockey at the Winter Games. Teams that win draw fans,while teams that lose play to empty seats in most cities, in most sports. The rare exception is the Toronto Maple leafs,but even they have several empty suites in the building for every game, because of the losing product they have had on the ice since the end of the lockout, with no playoff appearances since then, to this point in time. The economic depression assures that this may become a growing trend in Toronto and elsewhere.
It’s always inspiring to come across stories of teams and individuals who overcome what seems to be overwhelming odds, or unusual adversity, and prevail over their circumstances to achieve something unexpected. This was the case Saturday in the Premiership, when the league’s last place team, Portsmouth, qualified for the semi-final of the FA Cup, to be played at Wembley Stadium. A 2-0 victory over Birmingham at Fratton Park, seemed miraculous, considering the Pompey are are under the threat of relegation, liquidation, and are on the verge of a nine point deduction for entering administration. Avram Grant has magnificently managed this team of minimal talent, having taken over in mid-season with no budget for adding badly needed skill, and guided the Sky Blues to recent wins over Coventry,Sunderland, Southampton,and Birmingham now added to the list. Grant is an under appreciated manager, considering he took over at Chelsea after the club parted ways with the very popular Jose Mourinho, and unexpectedly guided the Blues to the 2008 Champions League finale, losing on penalty kicks to Manchester United, in a well played match in Moscow. Grant was not given the opportunity to stay on as manager, in spite of his tremendous results, and declined a front office job with Chelsea. His ability to inspire and overcome adversity, will hopefully get him consideration to run another team in the E.P.L., if Portsmouth can not be saved.