POLL:
Does anybody even care about the NHL?
It seems like the last of couple years have been deemed by lockouts all over pro sports. It's ironic to think that out of all major pro sports leagues, only MLB hasn't had to deal with any type of lockout or strike talks over last half-decade.
Last year, sports fans across America had to endure long and dreadful talks before both the NFL and the NBA were able to resume their seasons. Thankfully in both of those leagues, the players associations and the owners were able to come to a compromise that kept the season alive. The NBA had a short season, but they were still able to avoid a year of no basketball.
Why? -- Well it's because leagues faced immense pressure from fans and the media (who were fueled by the fans) to get the deal done. They realized that losing a whole season means the loss of billions in revenue plus the anger of fans. Remember how EVERY episode of SportsCenter would highlight the day's activities in the NFL and NBA lockout. Even if there was the slightest hint that a deal would be done, or anything, they would be all over it.
So why isn't there an out cry over the NHL lockout? Simple... mass-media hasn't put on nearly the pressure that it did on NBA or NFL. Just take a look at any SportsCenter episode, which -by the way - is aired 24 times a day on various ESPN outlets (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews). How many times have you seen a segment on the NHL lockout?...
*Unfortunately, due to the lack of time that I was able to devote to this story, I have not been able to finish it with has much research and emphasis that I had originally wanted to display.*
