From: terry@btree.uucp (Terry Whalen)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: Baldwin on rule committee
Date: 23 Jul 92 16:32:30 GMT
Organization: Brooktree Corporation

In article <1992Jul22.165936.2752@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca> golchowy@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Gerald Olchowy) writes:
>In article <AePJ7=200UhWQ1C_Ml@andrew.cmu.edu> "James J. Murawski" <jjm+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>>
>>Since it wasn't mentioned here yesterday, Tuesday's Greensburg (PA) Tribune-
>>Review reported that Penguins owner Howard Baldwin is one of nine members of
>>the rule committee to study and recommend rule changes for the 92-93 season.
>>Since I don't have yesterday's paper with me now, I can't report who the
>>eight members were, but I remember that McNall and Sather were also on it.
>>
>>Baldwin's presence on the committee may have some sort of impact regarding
>>the Penguins proposed rule changes that I posted here last month.
>>
>
>Sather will have to save hockey again...he did it on the ice with the
>Oilers, and now he will have to save it in the boardroom from idiots
>like Baldwin and McNall.
>
>Gerald
>

Yes, please Glen, Keep the game real.  Baldwin and McNall may run
profitable teams, but the rule changes posted  here about Baldwin's
suggstions are not something I would like to see implemented.  I would
like to see a little more calling of the hooking and high sticking, but
just that a little more calling of the existing rules.  I do not want to
see fighting eliminated (game misconducts and multigame suspensions).

On my opinion, the reason hockey is not popular in the US has nothing to
do with fighting.  It has to do with three main facts.

1) People in the US do not know what hockey is.  They haven't played and
they don't know the rules.  (clarification: people in the southern
states don't play or know the rules - northerners know and play).

2) The league has done a poor job of promoting the game.  It is amazing
how much Gretzky has helped hockey in southern CA.  I have been told
that since he came here, hockey has been enjoying an resurgence.  I
propose that the reason for this is he was promoted and thus, the game
was promoted.  More promotion will help.

3) Hockey is very expensive.  Much more so than baseball, basketball or
football.  Here in San Diego, it can cost upwards of $100/month per kid
just for ice time.  This makes the pool of kids small and thus, in order
to play, they must travel, increasing the cost.  In Canada, and in some
NE states I believe, Arenas are treated like parks, baseball fields,
etc.  They are owned by the city and subsidized, thus costing very
little for kids to play.  There are more kids playing and it becomes
much easier to find used equipment, which also keeps the cost down.

Therefore, the long term solution to promotion of hockey may be out of
the hands of the league.  People grow up to like the games they played
as a kid and understand.  So, if noone plays hockey, and noone
understands it, then they may not be so interested in watching.

Roller hockey is becoming very popular, it is much less expensive. 
Perhaps this will help educate people about the rules and make the game
more enjoyable.

ucsd.edu!btree!terry
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey