Jeremy Roenick sounds off about fans

[Steff]

That's you. America does not share your sentiments.

 

 

The irony..

[kapkomet]

I'm curious to know how many people on here who b**** about hockey have actually gone to (at least) two games? It takes a couple of games to get the rules down and what not, and after that, I think in terms of a team sport, there's none better.

 

It has action, the agility, skill, endurance, speed, finesse, and good hard nosed activity all wrapped up in one.

 

If you don't know the rules, it sucks. If you watch it on tv, you miss a LOT.

 

I get the feeling that most who b**** on here have only watched on tv, or been to only one or two games and are too impatient to appreciate what they were watching.

[Pauly8509CWS]

I'm curious to know how many people on here who b**** about hockey have actually gone to (at least) two games?  It takes a couple of games to get the rules down and what not, and after that, I think in terms of a team sport, there's none better.

 

It has action, the agility, skill, endurance, speed, finesse, and good hard nosed activity all wrapped up in one.

 

If you don't know the rules, it sucks.  If you watch it on tv, you miss a LOT.

 

I get the feeling that most who b**** on here have only watched on tv, or been to only one or two games and are too impatient to appreciate what they were watching.

 

kapko, that could not have been said any better. All the people that dont understand hockey right away are usually the ones going, "Oh this sucks, its so boring." In my mind, as much as I love baseball, it is just as boring as NBA basketball when on TV. However, I dont say that it sucks because I love watching it and will watch as many games as I can all the way through.

[Yossarian]

I've been to many NHL games dating back to the 1970s. I remember when the Black Hawks were by far the hottest ticket in town. I even remember when they won the Stanley Cup! At this point with all the clutching and grabbing, teams hopelessly watered down by expansion, and a clueless commissioner I could care less if they ever come back. If they do, and I suddenly get the urge to watch again, I'll just remember what Jeremy Roenick said. He doesn't need me so let him and his sport live without my help.

[Milkman delivers]

I'm curious to know how many people on here who b**** about hockey have actually gone to (at least) two games?  It takes a couple of games to get the rules down and what not, and after that, I think in terms of a team sport, there's none better.

 

It has action, the agility, skill, endurance, speed, finesse, and good hard nosed activity all wrapped up in one.

 

If you don't know the rules, it sucks.  If you watch it on tv, you miss a LOT.

 

I get the feeling that most who b**** on here have only watched on tv, or been to only one or two games and are too impatient to appreciate what they were watching.

 

I've been to a few Blackhawk games and a bunch of my college's games. They're in Hockey East, so I actually get to see "good" hockey.

 

Hockey still sucks and the NBA is awful, too. I dozed off at a Celtics' game where Paul Pierce hit a game winning buzzer-beater. That's how bad it is to me.

[Queen Prawn]

I didn't think much of hockey until Brain started taking me to games. After a few games I was hooked.

[soxhawks]

the nhl needs to eliminate europeans and 8 teams

[go-sox05]

right now hockey is a sinking ship and Jerermy Roenick is not helping. Its the owners fault too, but you think baseball had it bad when it came back from a strike, wait till hockey comes back. Attendence will be in the 3,000 range if that.

[Steff]

I've been to maybe 25 hockey games in my life.. I hated it at first because to someone who wasn't very interested in it to start with it was hard to follow.. but now I can take it or leave it. If I go I enjoy myself.

[kapkomet]

Roenick is getting a bad rap - although again what he said was stupid. However, taken out of context, it's HORRIBLE and the hatchet job of his quotes make it FAR worse then it really was.

[soxhawks]

roenicks going to be on sportscenter

[WHarris1]

Being a jag on SC

[soxhawks]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2096446

[Pauly8509CWS]

Among his comments Saturday: "We're going to try to make it better for everybody, period, end of subject. And if you don't realize that, then don't come," Roenick said.

 

That was taken out of context. It's not the right thing to say, but the media made it sound even worse than it is, like he is anti-fans.

[Kyyle23]

All I needed to hear was one quote, and it really turned my stomach.

 

"All of those people who think we are all just spoiled millionaires, well, you are all just jealous."

 

I dont know how that could have been hatcheted and cut up by ESPN, and he clearly stated that they are spoiled millionaires with that quote.

 

We all know that they are all spoiled millionairres,ownership, management, players, ALL of them. But at least the management keeps it at the bargaining table. Roenick is too involved in discussions and talks to be making statements as controversial and heated as they were. And then when the heat is turned on he wants to blame ESPN?

 

f*** hockey.

Edited June 29, 2005 by kyyle23

[Pauly8509CWS]

All I needed to hear was one quote, and it really turned my stomach.

 

"All of those people who think we are all just spoiled millionaires, well, you are all just jealous."

 

I dont know how that could have been hatcheted and cut up by ESPN, and he clearly stated that they are spoiled millionaires with that quote.

 

We all know that they are all spoiled millionairres,ownership, management, players, ALL of them.  But at least the management keeps it at the bargaining table. Roenick is too involved in discussions and talks to be making statements as controversial and heated as they were. And then when the heat is turned on he wants to blame ESPN?

 

f*** hockey.

 

 

That's from a person who likes anything competitive but hockey. So if you're so anti hockey why would that even turn your stomach? Basically what I'm saying is, for someone so against hockey, you probably wouldnt notice the hard work JR and players like him have put up with. See him get hit in the face with a 90+ MPH slap shot and then come back a week later. Really, kyle, keep the "f*** hockey" out of here, this is from someone who has actually watched the game.

[Milkman delivers]

That's from a person who likes anything competitive but hockey.  So if you're so anti hockey why would that even turn your stomach?  Basically what I'm saying is, for someone so against hockey, you probably wouldnt notice the hard work JR and players like him have put up with.  See him get hit in the face with a 90+ MPH slap shot and then come back a week later.  Really, kyle, keep the "f*** hockey" out of here, this is from someone who has actually watched the game.

 

Hell, I'll play a game for a living and take a puck off the face for millions and millions of dollars a year.

[IlliniKrush]

First off, i've been to over 300 Blackhawks games in my life (dad had season tickets in the old stadium for years), and i'm as big a hockey fan as there is.

 

There is some truth to what he said, and i can see where he's going...but he went about it in the wrong way, and at the wrong time. I can't believe he'd say some of that s***, especially after we lost a season. It wasn't smart at all. Sometimes JR just needs to shutup...but that's JR for you.

 

As far as hockey goes, i know it's barely part of the 4 major sports right now, but it can be back on the map in a few years. They have to work on marketing the sport better (look what marketing has done for NASCAR), and they have to change the game to make it more exciting (or have more scoring). They have to enable the great players to make great plays, by cracking down on obstruction. They have to crackdown on the goalie equipment. They'll institute a shootout, you can bank on it. These aren't drastic changes to the game. Making the net bigger or something like that would be ridiculous. But they need to start attracting the non-hockey fan (not people like me) to the sport.

 

I like some of the stuff ESPN was doing with their "hockey rules" segment. Every few weeks they'd have a game where there would be constant graphics explaining hockey terms, rules, and strategy. For someone who doesn't know hockey very well, it would be a great learning tool.

 

I honestly think some people can't stand hockey because they don't understand it. Bear with me here...i'm not ripping on you non-hockey fans. But hockey is a very complex game. There's more s*** going on at one time than you realize - it's not just an unorganized clusterf***. Kap described it nicely earlier in this thread. I've played the game for about 17 years now, and it's a great game. I used to hate basketball, to be honest. Once i understood the game better, i started to love it. I think it's a great game. I hate the NBA, but i love college basketball.

 

All i'm saying is that hockey has it's problems, but people need to give it a chance. I'm sure ticket prices will be down this season - if they aren't, something's terribly wrong.

 

But hockey is a great sport, and the playoffs are the best of the four major sports - whether you think that's a biased statement or not.

 

Each sport is great in it's own way. Some may like certain sports more than others. But to rip on something out of ignorance is just wrong.

 

For those of you not familiar with the game, don't watch it on TV before you attend it live a few times. If you are a student, go to a hawks game for 8 bucks with a student ID. Hell, it might even be less than that after this lockout. Many people think live hockey is the only way to go. Obviously, i can watch it on tv just the same. But i think in person it will be much more 'bearable' for you to watch. Also, if you go with someone who knows the game well, it will enhance you experience greatly.

[Rex Hudler]

I'll chime in here even though I know I will be in the minority.......

 

My view on hockey is this........

 

If a sport relies on activities that would get one thrown in jail if done on the street, then to me the sport itself is not strong enough to stand on its own two feet.

 

And don't give me the crap that fights are not important or necessary in hockey, because without them, half the fans don't come to games. Give me the "true hockey fans" argument all you want, but plain and simple there aren't enough of you without the fights unless you all move to Canada.

 

If hockey could be played regularly without the blood and guts, without the goons whose specialty is to pick fights then perhaps I could take it seriously. Until the fans stop standing up and cheering as soon as two guys face off pounding the s*** out of each other and fans don't say things like "yeah, this is what I have been waiting for", then count me out.

 

The NHL has become about as irrelevant as a "major" sport can become. Those of you that are hanging on, are doing so with very few people behind you.

[Pauly8509CWS]

First off, IlliniKrush , that was perfect.

 

Second, Rex, you must not watch too many games, because there arent many "goons" who go around picking fights. That's not why fighting is part of the game. Players usually know how detrimental it is to have a player in the box. the fights usually occur for a reason, not just for the hell of it "hey i think I'll punch this asshole in the face." It doesnt work like that. Hockey is a great game, and those of you who think that fighting happens just for the hell of it are dead wrong, usually.

[IlliniKrush]

I'm a hockey purist you could say. Fighting is part of the game. There is a difference between "goonery" and fighting, though. The number of pure fighters has gone down in recent years, as has the number of fights, IIRC.

 

Hockey is a rough sport, and checking is a beautiful part of the game. As a result, fisticuffs take place.

 

The problem is, Rex, if you completely take fighting out of the game, you know what's going to happen? Stickwork and cheapshots will go up. Yeah, you can threaten them with suspensions all you like. But i've played the game for years, and even at travel and high school levels, it gets very intense. In the NHL, fighting is an outlet to let the guys let off some steam.

 

I don't like the fans who are only there for the fighting. Are fights exciting? Sure. Am i there just to see them? Certainly not. It has it's time and place. I don't like brawls, and i don't like cheap play. There's a reason fighting basically disappears in the playoffs.

[Pauly8509CWS]

Again, IlliniKrush, , absolutely amazing.

[kapkomet]

If a sport relies on activities that would get one thrown in jail if done on the street, then to me the sport itself is not strong enough to stand on its own two feet.

That's an ignorant view, and one that clearly states the image problem hockey has. You said it well, Rex, and that's hockey's biggest problem.

 

IMO, hockey has more nuances behind the game to be appreciated then any other sport - altough I will say that baseball nuances come close. There's so much of a "game within the game" in hockey, and 99% of the people don't get that. Most true "fans" don't either.

 

The NHL has a huge problem on its hands, it did before the lockout, and it has even moreso of a problem now.

 

It's statements like Rex made that have to be overcome. The "the game is about fighting" thought has to be eliminated.

 

Hell, I promote a site that counters everything that you know about a "goon". On the ice, that is what he is perceived to be, but he's anything but, and is probably one of the most charitable guys you will ever see.

 

BTW, where was Roenick when these statements were made? AT A CHARITY EVENT. These people have little or no money, yet they still give what they can. Oh, but hockey players are assholes. Whatever.

[Rex Hudler]

That's an ignorant view, and one that clearly states the image problem hockey has.  You said it well, Rex, and that's hockey's biggest problem.

 

IMO, hockey has more nuances behind the game to be appreciated then any other sport - altough I will say that baseball nuances come close.  There's so much of a "game within the game" in hockey, and 99% of the people don't get that.  Most true "fans" don't either.

 

The NHL has a huge problem on its hands, it did before the lockout, and it has even moreso of a problem now.

 

It's statements like Rex made that have to be overcome.  The "the game is about fighting" thought has to be eliminated.

 

Hell, I promote a site that counters everything that you know about a "goon".  On the ice, that is what he is perceived to be, but he's anything but, and is probably one of the most charitable guys you will ever see.

 

BTW, where was Roenick when these statements were made?  AT A CHARITY EVENT.  These people have little or no money, yet they still give what they can.  Oh, but hockey players are assholes.  Whatever.

 

Kap, if it is really an image problem as you say, then you are 100% correct that it needs to be cleaned up. I still state and stand behind it, that half the fans that go to games would not go if there was not the possibility of a fight every single night. I know fighting in the NHL is not as bad as it once was, but for me, if fighting is "part of the game" then the game needs help. I can't and won't accept a game that in essence condones it and deems it necessary to an extent.

 

I know there are people that love hockey for different reasons, and that is cool. I am not knocking anyone for enjoying the game itself, its the beer soaked rednecks that come alive as soon as a fight starts and all the talk about while walking out of the arena after the game is the ass kicking somebody got, that I can't deal with. I have been to enough games to know there are lots of them out there, enough that if they quit coming, hockey would have a hard time standing on its own two feet.

[kapkomet]

It IS ironic those rednecks for beating the s*** out of each other goes to jail, but the players just skate away, sit for 5, and come back out.

 

But what about boxing? It's legal. In fact, encouraged?

 

Or karate contests? Oh, self defense.

 

Hockey, in the United States, is probably the most misunderstood game we have. It's all about image, as we've touched on in these last few posts, and hockey has a terrible image. JR's comments don't help, to be sure.

 

However, I don't want someone in the stands like someone else in this thread sitting there saying "f*** HOCKEY", and that is exactly what JR was trying to say in an absolutely s***ty way.

 

Edit: what about baseball brawls (on the field)? They happen... do these people go to jail? No. It's the same thing - "it's a part of the game sometimes" is what you hear, so why is it different (besides you think that hockey is marketed that way)?

Edited June 30, 2005 by kapkomet