A couple of years ago I wrote an entry entitled "America Doesn't Like Hockey". I thought it best that we all just accept this fact and move on without taking America's disinterest as a slight against our game. The game may be more exciting now than it was then, but Americans still don't care for it.
More people in the United States watched the 13 WNBA broadcasts on ESPN2 last year than the NHL on OLN this year. NBC's poker series, which preceded the network's NHL playoff coverage two weeks ago, easily outdrew the hockey by more than 200,000 viewers. When you're getting beat by the WNBA and poker it's time to accept the fact you're no longer one of the four major sports. This is reality and it's okay. League attendance was up by 2.4% this season and that's after a lockout. The hardcore fans have come back and the disinterested have stayed away.
They can keep their WNBA south of the 49th parallel and we'll continue to love and enjoy the greatest game in the world. That sounds like a fair trade to me.
