LondonSnooze: 1st NFL, now NHL Storms into London Town
Jul 12th, 2007, 06:24 AM
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LondonSnooze: 1st NFL, now NHL Storms into London Town
Following the lead of the National Football (not soccer) League, the National Hockey (soccer on ice) League descends on London for its first ever regular season tilts in Europe, though in 1997 it opened in Tokyo because of the Nagano Olympics.
In fact the NHL season will open in London's O2 Arena (formerly the infamous Millennium Dome) in North Greenwich, when southern California rivals the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks play two games Sep 29 and 30.
Like the football tickets that were snapped up as soon as they were put on sale, Brits and American and Canuck UK residents are said to be hungry to see what some call soccer on ice - but at a much faster pace.
STANLEY CUP RETURNS TO LONDON
The NHL chose London it's said because the Stanley Cup, awarded to the winners of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs each year, was bought 115 years ago at the Regent Street shop of G R Collis & Co silversmiths shop, presumably by Lord Stanley who first awarded the trophy i think.
BRITS REACT TO THE GREAT NEWS
Brits it seems are estatic about the news that not just real football is coming to Wembley later in autumn but the NHL too.
Michael Flanner, of Naunton, in the Cotswold Hills, said "this is tremendous news for London and the whole country - i can see only huge success and look forward not only to NFL but NHL franchises for the UK - along with the recent Whole Foods development this shows the country is finally getting on the right track"
Patrick Blair, of London, said he "would be lining up for ducats as soon as they are put on sale - i'm getting rather tired of boring soccer and looking forward to something real real action - and real fighting."
David Farce, of Clapham Common, said he "too was damn tired of boring soccer and would now become a ice hocky fan - hopefully this time i can chose a team that will be a winner - lamenting his long support of his soccer fav the perennial celar-dwelling Spurs.
And ex-pat Brits living in American were equally plussed. Alex Waring said "i'm making plans now to return for the tilts - assuming i can cop tickets. It seems hockey could supplant soccer even before American football does.
Another ex-pat Frank Fnarski chimed in "yes this is a great day for the UK to get up to snuff in true world sports."
Brits: Plussed, Not Plussed or Non Plussed by hockey coming to North Greenwich. Will you be there?
In fact the NHL season will open in London's O2 Arena (formerly the infamous Millennium Dome) in North Greenwich, when southern California rivals the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks play two games Sep 29 and 30.
Like the football tickets that were snapped up as soon as they were put on sale, Brits and American and Canuck UK residents are said to be hungry to see what some call soccer on ice - but at a much faster pace.
STANLEY CUP RETURNS TO LONDON
The NHL chose London it's said because the Stanley Cup, awarded to the winners of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs each year, was bought 115 years ago at the Regent Street shop of G R Collis & Co silversmiths shop, presumably by Lord Stanley who first awarded the trophy i think.
BRITS REACT TO THE GREAT NEWS
Brits it seems are estatic about the news that not just real football is coming to Wembley later in autumn but the NHL too.
Michael Flanner, of Naunton, in the Cotswold Hills, said "this is tremendous news for London and the whole country - i can see only huge success and look forward not only to NFL but NHL franchises for the UK - along with the recent Whole Foods development this shows the country is finally getting on the right track"
Patrick Blair, of London, said he "would be lining up for ducats as soon as they are put on sale - i'm getting rather tired of boring soccer and looking forward to something real real action - and real fighting."
David Farce, of Clapham Common, said he "too was damn tired of boring soccer and would now become a ice hocky fan - hopefully this time i can chose a team that will be a winner - lamenting his long support of his soccer fav the perennial celar-dwelling Spurs.
And ex-pat Brits living in American were equally plussed. Alex Waring said "i'm making plans now to return for the tilts - assuming i can cop tickets. It seems hockey could supplant soccer even before American football does.
Another ex-pat Frank Fnarski chimed in "yes this is a great day for the UK to get up to snuff in true world sports."
Brits: Plussed, Not Plussed or Non Plussed by hockey coming to North Greenwich. Will you be there?
Jul 12th, 2007, 07:07 AM
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Ice Hockey's the polar opposite (pun definitely intended) of American "football".
It's widely played outside North America for a start. It's exciting (if a bit repetitive) to watch. But - and here's the killer - it demands dedicated infrastructure that just doesn't exist in Britain, or anywhere else in Europe outside the permafrost belt. So it'll never attract the wide following it needs.
Why try to push water uphill? Baseball is the one US game that's fun to watch and can be played pretty well anywhere. Indeed it's widely played in most English girls' schools. Why aren't people trying to popularise rounders?
It's widely played outside North America for a start. It's exciting (if a bit repetitive) to watch. But - and here's the killer - it demands dedicated infrastructure that just doesn't exist in Britain, or anywhere else in Europe outside the permafrost belt. So it'll never attract the wide following it needs.
Why try to push water uphill? Baseball is the one US game that's fun to watch and can be played pretty well anywhere. Indeed it's widely played in most English girls' schools. Why aren't people trying to popularise rounders?
Jul 12th, 2007, 07:16 AM
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>>Why try to push water uphill?<<
That may, of course, be what the matches turn out to be like...
PS. I never regarded Blair with the same loathing as I had for TBW, but I rather resent the assumption that I can be yoked together with him, thank you all the same.
That may, of course, be what the matches turn out to be like...
PS. I never regarded Blair with the same loathing as I had for TBW, but I rather resent the assumption that I can be yoked together with him, thank you all the same.
Jul 12th, 2007, 07:40 AM
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<<it demands dedicated infrastructure that just doesn't exist in Britain, or anywhere else in Europe outside the permafrost belt.>>
Firstly when the term "ice hockey" is used ity immediately outs the speaker as knowing nothing about the subject (akin to asking a Brit how the Man U soccer team is doing)
Secondly, a more accurate utterance would be that hockey is played avidly in almost every other country in Europe except the UK.
Firstly when the term "ice hockey" is used ity immediately outs the speaker as knowing nothing about the subject (akin to asking a Brit how the Man U soccer team is doing)
Secondly, a more accurate utterance would be that hockey is played avidly in almost every other country in Europe except the UK.
Jul 12th, 2007, 07:48 AM
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robjame brings up a good point - why NHL doing this in a hockey wasteland and not in the hotbed of European hockey - Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, whose nationals pepper NHL teams.
Don Cherry, the Canadian mouthpiece of hockey, is avidly anti-european players because they don't fight but rather dirty you in other less obvious ways. I'd make him honorary chairman of the NHL Dome experience.
Don Cherry, the Canadian mouthpiece of hockey, is avidly anti-european players because they don't fight but rather dirty you in other less obvious ways. I'd make him honorary chairman of the NHL Dome experience.
Jul 12th, 2007, 07:50 AM
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Not just hockey (which I quite like - I used to go and watch the Southampton Vikings back in the day) but also those elogated freaks who play netball are also coming to the Dome (which is now part of my new kingdom - indeed we do some of the security for it - so if you want free tickets....)
I would just about be interested in going to the hockey (although I'll get in free anyway) but you can keep basketball - which is god awful.
BTW LA Galaxy are playing Chelsea in a few days time at the Home Depot Centre. I wonder how the ticket sales for that are going?
Audere - still reeling from the discovery of a football team called Real Salt Lake.
I would just about be interested in going to the hockey (although I'll get in free anyway) but you can keep basketball - which is god awful.
BTW LA Galaxy are playing Chelsea in a few days time at the Home Depot Centre. I wonder how the ticket sales for that are going?
Audere - still reeling from the discovery of a football team called Real Salt Lake.
Jul 12th, 2007, 07:59 AM
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Robjame:
What are you wittering about?
"Ice hockey" is the English for the game played on ice. You may call it something else in whatever colonial dialect you speak: but for the overwhelming majority of English speakers in the world, hockey is a mainstream Olympic (as opposed to winter Olympic) sport that's played on grass or dirt.
As for being played avidly - as opposed to being about as popular as rugby in America - in France, Italy, Germany or Spain: two teams no-one watches isn't my definition of avid
What are you wittering about?
"Ice hockey" is the English for the game played on ice. You may call it something else in whatever colonial dialect you speak: but for the overwhelming majority of English speakers in the world, hockey is a mainstream Olympic (as opposed to winter Olympic) sport that's played on grass or dirt.
As for being played avidly - as opposed to being about as popular as rugby in America - in France, Italy, Germany or Spain: two teams no-one watches isn't my definition of avid
Jul 12th, 2007, 08:07 AM
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Flanneruk, it's a regional difference. What you refer to as "ice hockey" is simply hockey in Canada. What you refer to as "hockey", we call "field hockey".
He's not wittering about anything. He's using the term we use in Canada. Neither of you are wrong, so please don't imply that robjame is.
He's not wittering about anything. He's using the term we use in Canada. Neither of you are wrong, so please don't imply that robjame is.
Jul 12th, 2007, 08:12 AM
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yeh in Canada it's just hockey because since the country is all permafrost there are no fields for field hockey - but just ice.
I wonder which came first field hockey, which i assume, or ice hockey?
He shoots he scores!
I wonder which came first field hockey, which i assume, or ice hockey?
He shoots he scores!
Jul 12th, 2007, 08:15 AM
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"sport that's played on grass" - oh you mean field hockey?
"France, Italy, Germany or Spain: two teams no-one watches isn't my definition of avid"
not quite sure what you are saying here... are you unaware of the professional hockey leagues that exist in these countries?
I think you are confused in thinking this is olympic hockey. The NHL has nothing to do with the Olympics. It is the NHL that is playing in Britain.
"France, Italy, Germany or Spain: two teams no-one watches isn't my definition of avid"
not quite sure what you are saying here... are you unaware of the professional hockey leagues that exist in these countries?
I think you are confused in thinking this is olympic hockey. The NHL has nothing to do with the Olympics. It is the NHL that is playing in Britain.
Jul 13th, 2007, 06:05 AM
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audere est farce:
i assume you will have some kind of police role at O2 - Q- in America fighting has long been a draw of the game for some fans - recent crackdowns on fighting some say resulted in fewer fans coming
Yet fights still occur - though i think they could be charged with assault and battery here they never are.
I wonder if the O2 police will consider these brouhahas, which can result in injury, to be a crime and arrest the culprit as i believe they should do here.
An assault and battery on the ice is the same as on the street IMO
i assume you will have some kind of police role at O2 - Q- in America fighting has long been a draw of the game for some fans - recent crackdowns on fighting some say resulted in fewer fans coming
Yet fights still occur - though i think they could be charged with assault and battery here they never are.
I wonder if the O2 police will consider these brouhahas, which can result in injury, to be a crime and arrest the culprit as i believe they should do here.
An assault and battery on the ice is the same as on the street IMO
Jul 13th, 2007, 07:13 AM
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What do they do at sports events in the States?... when a batter charges the mound? I think there was quite a violent one at a baseball game a couple of weeks ago...
... or at the basketball game where the players threw punches (admittedly like a couple of girls) and went up into the stands
... or at the Nascar reces where there have been a few instances of driver punch ups after the races
... or at football games where players have assualted each other by grabbibg face masks and wretling each other to the ground
... or at World cup soccer matches when players have been "coco bonked" ?
... or at the basketball game where the players threw punches (admittedly like a couple of girls) and went up into the stands
... or at the Nascar reces where there have been a few instances of driver punch ups after the races
... or at football games where players have assualted each other by grabbibg face masks and wretling each other to the ground
... or at World cup soccer matches when players have been "coco bonked" ?
Jul 13th, 2007, 07:17 AM
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... <or at the basketball game where the players threw punches (admittedly like a couple of girls) and went up into the stands>
at least in this case Ron Artest was indeed charged with assault by one of the fans he punched out and had to return to Detroit area to do community service
but yes rarely are charged - i just see no difference with such violent crimes on the sports fields than someone at work punching out their boss or co-workers - stop coddling millionaire atheletes! And at least the NBA did suspend Artest for most of the season - causing him to lose millions of dollars in salary.
don't think Spreewell was charged however when he tried to struggle his coach PJ Carlimissimo (sp?)
at least in this case Ron Artest was indeed charged with assault by one of the fans he punched out and had to return to Detroit area to do community service
but yes rarely are charged - i just see no difference with such violent crimes on the sports fields than someone at work punching out their boss or co-workers - stop coddling millionaire atheletes! And at least the NBA did suspend Artest for most of the season - causing him to lose millions of dollars in salary.
don't think Spreewell was charged however when he tried to struggle his coach PJ Carlimissimo (sp?)
Jul 13th, 2007, 08:33 AM
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love your Brit "quotes" PalenQ 
...but there is already ice hockey played in the UK? And we have a team GB that takes part in a European league? http://www.icehockeyuk.co.uk/index.asp
...but there is already ice hockey played in the UK? And we have a team GB that takes part in a European league? http://www.icehockeyuk.co.uk/index.asp
Jul 14th, 2007, 01:24 AM
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Bob,
Yes I have a para-police role at the O2. No they won't arrest players for fighting as the English law applies "presumed consent" - ie they know the risks. In any case why would we want to stop yanks punching each other? It saves us a job
Where would you stop? Tonight I'm doing the Amir Khan fight - should we arrest the boxers for affray?
Yes I have a para-police role at the O2. No they won't arrest players for fighting as the English law applies "presumed consent" - ie they know the risks. In any case why would we want to stop yanks punching each other? It saves us a job
Where would you stop? Tonight I'm doing the Amir Khan fight - should we arrest the boxers for affray?
Jul 14th, 2007, 06:30 AM
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<<why would we want to stop yanks punching each other?>>
AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!
Only about 17% of the players in the the NHL (and few of them great) are Yanks.
With one-tenth the size, Canadians contribute over 50% of the players (and some of the best).
AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!
Only about 17% of the players in the the NHL (and few of them great) are Yanks.
With one-tenth the size, Canadians contribute over 50% of the players (and some of the best).
