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Originally Posted by Strange Brew
Well no doubt we have an attention deficit culture, but then most pro sports do have off seasons. I'm not convinced that a three week hiatus is that big a negative. While your top players are playing hockey, the other 80% of the league is resting. And while no doubt there is a belief that the Olympics occur in a favorable part of the schedule for the NHL, I have to believe that casual hockey fans watch less NHL hockey and attend fewer games while the Olympics are going on and providing a viewing alternative.
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I would like to see the numbers on this. Getting broadcast ratings for NHL games from February last year is probably a challenge, but it should be easy enough to find which—if any—markets suffered declines in attendance during the Olympics.
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As for why the NHL holds their players out, haven't they made that clear? They see the Olympics making big $'s with their players and they want a piece of the action. It is about money and their belief that a tough negotiating stance will get more $'s in their pockets in the immediate term.
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Of course it is about money. I guess at this point the question is whether or not it is money to which the League and its players are entitled. I say they are, and they should go get it now instead of having to wait for another two or three decades to see [non-guaranteed] tangible results from growing the sport. That just strikes me as a terrible investment strategy.
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As I said at the outset, participating in the Olympics is a long game, As are many efforts to grow the sport. I believe there aren't enough people involved in the NHL who believe in the appeal of the game itself to make this is a priority so they are focused on the immediate. Sounds like a lot of businesses.
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How long though? If there was any truth to your "long game" theory then I would have expected better results after 20 years. The fact that there are few actually suggests that the League rightly sees the current level of investment as a losing one.
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No doubt NHL players will be back in the Olympics at some point. It makes too much sense for everyone.
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Well, it does under certain conditions, which is why the NHL is pushing for more from the IOC. If participation made as much sense on its own as you seem to suggest, then the NHL would be a lot more eager to get back to the Olympic stage than they appear to be. I am convinced that the players don't go back until these issues surrounding licensing, promotion and costs is resolved to the NHL's satisfaction.