Americans can't relate to hockey because the vast majority of them did not play it as children. Market the games to the kids, try to have some grassroots hockey organizations in large markets, something similar to all the 3 on 3 basketball tournements that pop up everywhere. Market it to the kids in the summer, have them play it on pavement, in running shoes with a tennis ball, and try to invest in arenas in large markets for those kids who become more interested.
Football and baseball are so slow paced; baseball is just one level above golf on an action scale, while a 60 minute football game has about five minutes of actual play time. Hardcore fans of these sports in America may have a hard time adapting to fast paced game that requires almost constant attention such as hockey. Basketball is fast-paced, but, and I hate to say this, it's easy to see the freakin' ball on TV and how the play develops. For many new potential fans of hockey, the size of the puck is an issue. So...
Instead of trying to convince a bunch of older sports fans to watch hockey, start the brainwashing when they are kids, and in 10 years, voila!
I do like the idea of the recent NHL marketing attempts though, the 'Players are just like you,only they are good at hockey' idea.
Hockey only rears its head in America when the head is ugly. Rome might have Iginla and Roenick on the air every once in a while, but for the most part, someone has to bludgeon someone else for him to take notice. It is similar to the US view of soccer; Ignore, ignore, ignore, then when something ugly happens in the sports, give it media attention. It's as if the US media is re-affirming to the people of America that the sport is bad, and that you have to remind them that 'this is why we don't watch this.' This is clearly becoming hockey's problem as well.
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