danzig6767

I think an NHL team would draw initially since it was new, but would be more win/loss dependent to survive compared to the Bucks because of TV money. The NBA owners are swimming in TV revenues and thus aren't as dependent of attendance to survive as NHL teams are. The Bucks and the NBA also has star power to draw in fans when good opposing teams come to town. The Bucks have a 45 plus year history in Milwaukee. Ask the average sports fan in Milwaukee to name 10 NBA players, and most could name at least 20. Ask them to name 10 NHL players and most would struggle to name just 5. Almost any type of sports franchise can thrive in a city if they are consistently good. It's when they are very mediocre to bad for an extended stretch where a history and appreciation of a sport is vital for survival, especially when not in a major media market like Milwaukee isn't. This is where i think an NHL team here would struggle to stay afloat, even more so when having to compete with the Bucks for entertainment dollars given their schedules are in line with each other. In fact, that very well could kill both franchises. That all said, i'd love to see an NHL team here so long it didn't kill the Bucks in the process. Odds are microscopic that it ever happens though for a variety of obvious reasons.

Oh my god. I'm trying to move on. I really am. But you're hijackjng my argument. I've never claimed there are constant "all out brawls" in basketball. I said everyone gets involved, which they do. Have you ever once seen two players get into a fight while everyone else stands around watching? Actually, i don't see any fist fights at all in the NBA anymore. Can't remember the last one which happened in a long time between two players, much less more than two players. Pushing, shoving, and lots of trash talking. Sure it happens a lot, as it does in most sports. Two guys or more squaring off though and trading punches while everyone in the arena stands around and watches as happens in hockey, i'm drawing a blank for the last time. As for wrecking the thread, nobody was posting in it until we did. Not that many people in Wisconsin follow hockey.I know lots of sports fans of various ages and only one friend of mine follows/likes hockey and even he mainly just follows Badgers hockey.

I question how much you watch if you don't think this is rare. There's an average of 1 fight every 4 games. Games with more than one fight haven't reached 100 since 2010-11. The AHL introduced new rules this year where you get a 1 game suspension for your 10th fight, a subsequent 1 game suspension for every fight until your 13th fight and then a 2 game suspension for every fight after that. Fighting just isn't a huge part of the game anymore. None of that is my definition of rare. Rare is the amount of fights in the NBA and other pro sports. Yes hockey isn't what it once was in he old days, but for me at least, it should happen far less than it still does. FWIW, i'm not saying this as someone who hates watching two guys fight. I'm a big fan of UFC and grew up loving boxing with my dad. I even used to love watching the fights in hockey. Now as i've gotten older, the fighting just looks silly and minor league. I much prefer watching the playoffs where fighting is pretty rare and in the Olympics where it doesn't happen. That's what a major league team sport should look like. Not refs watching two guys circling around throwing haymakers at each other until the refs decide, well now i guess it's time to break this up and send the two guys to the penalty box for two minutes.

You are simply flat out wrong on this. I follow both sports and know without any question that actual fighting of any kind involving players punching each other rarely happens anymore in basketball, much less all 10 players on the court brawling as happens every year in hockey. And all 10 players fighting in hockey isn't all that rare. Fighting in hockey is a culture issue. Hockey won't get rid of it as all other sports have because they believe their fans want to see it. Go to a hockey game and a fight happens. Most everyone in the crowd stands up to watch. The crowd starts yelling and gets all excited. Hockey could end this easily, but they don't want to. In the NBA, if a player on the bench simply just walks on the court as an altercation is happening, they get suspended, regardless if they don't get near that altercation. So where do you get this nonsense from of all out brawls in the NBA anymore since that big fight in Detroit over a decade ago? Or coaches being involved also?

None of this is remotely close to the truth. Geez. All there is to go with for NBA fighting gone bad is that huge brawl 13 years ago involving the Pacers in Detroit. That's it and ever since fighting in the NBA is pretty much non-existent outside of pushing/shoving and maybe a very random punch or two being thrown. Fights with fists being thrown on the ice involving everything from two to 10 players all fighting like a scene out of the movie Slapshot are still common. And BTW, fighting isn't allowed by the rules. A penalty is given. Hockey leagues are alone though in simply slapping players on the wrist with a feather for fighting and using sticks violently unless of course someone gets hurt bad. Hockey coaches get nuts in ways NBA coaches would get crushed for. There have also been vastly more violent altercations involving hockey players and fans compared to basketball. Nowhere close. Watch this video and telling me how basketball players would be viewed by you and many others if they did stuff like this anywhere close to as often. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhUCpDeCYhY

Yea Osiecki was a beast at recruiting and coaching up defenseman while he was an assistant under Eaves. In fact, things started to unravel once Osiecki left to take the job at Ohio St. Eaves owes a chunk of his success to what Osiecki brought on that area of the team.

I'm not complaining about "flashy black athletes". I am comparing my perception of the NHL players and the NBA players. That's all. I find t telling that of all the stuff I listed you choose to focus only the race of the most of the players, which I'll remind you you are the only one who brought up. Is it even possible to say something bad about NBA players without it being blamed on race? And why is it assumed that it's only NBA players that bother me? I'm bothered by some of the stuff the NFL players too. And guess what. I thought some of things Carlos Gomez did when he hit home runs was obnoxious too. They are called "professional" athletes for a reason. If you want to celebrate that's one thing. But some athletes take it way too far. That's what bothers us crabby old white guys. Not the skin color of those who do it. Come on, regardless that you didn't say black players specifically when you ragged on NBA players and their fancy clothes, cars, and jewelry, it's what you meant given the NBA is about 90 percent black. For whatever reason it bothers you how some of those players spend their money and i've heard other white guys complain about that also. If someone simply likes the sport of hockey better i get it. I like the NBA better, but i'm still a hockey fan, especially Badgers hockey. I've just heard though over the years to many people either say flat out racist things about NBA players or more coded things about tatted up flashy NBA players by only older white guys for that to be a coincidence. So then it ends up with when hockey players fight during a game, they are showing toughness, but if two NBA players threw punches or trash talk as happens all game long in hockey, they get labeled negatively. Back to hockey-- Man the Badgers are so much more enjoyable to watch under Granato compared to Eaves. It's not just the better record, it's a style of play aspect also. Granato plays a more open system and after last weekend, i believe the team now has 12 straight games with at least 30 shots on goal. The Badgers under Eaves were not only bad, they were boring as hell. This should help recruiting, especially with scoring forwards.

Sorry for highjacking the thread with non-hockey stuff

NBA players in general. Im not going to pull up an all time roster and liist off which players I think show off the bling and which players don't. I have had dealings with some players at work too, which is where I get sone of this from. It's just an opinion. Maybe NHL players do it too and I just don't know about it becuase we don't have NHL players here in Wisconsin very often. But don't try to deny that these young 18-21 year old millionaire NBA players like to show off their money. A lot of rich people in every avenue of life flaunt their money and spend extravagantly. So what. Hell, our new president brags about and flaunts his wealth on a daily basis and "blue collar" voters were his base of support. I wouldn't say nobody cares. I think a lot of people get annoyed by the extreme celebrations every time a player scores a touchdown or, you know, tackles someone. NFL ratings and attendance would say otherwise. Because if the physicality and how the game is played. You have to work much harder to play hockey then you do basketball. NBA players sit out games to "rest" while NHL players get their teeth knocked out and come out next period. They fight but can mostly control themselves and follow the unwritten rules whereas when NBA players fight all hell breaks lose. There are never fights in the NBA. Name the last one since Detroit/Indiana 13 years ago. In the NHL, the league is still full of goons who's main role on the team is to fight on the ice. It's 2017 and hockey has yet to evolve. It's the only sport that not only is ok with fights during a game, there are times where every player on the ice is fighting in a huge brawl. Great example for the kids in the crowd. I love hockey, but it's time for the NHL to grow up. Olympic hockey is a joy to watch in comparison. Physical minus the talentless goons fighting. If NBA players fought a lot, they'd get labeled thugs. Look agree with me or don't. I don't care. But don't suggest this is somehow about race. All i'll say is that the only people i ever hear complain about flashy black athletes, their clothes, jewelry, and cars are middle aged and older white guys. And for some reason their ire mainly just gets aimed at rich NBA players, not all of the other rich athletes, celebs, business men etc who blow millions frivolously. The Bucks front office is been fine. Are you being serious? Giannis was an amazing pick by Hammond and so was the Middleton trade. Brogdon good. Parker fell in their laps. That's it. They handed Henson/Plumlee, two scrub centers for 95 million combined. Incredible. That after giving 17 million per to Monroe, also a center who they have been badly trying to trade. Gave 40 million to Delledova who has been bad and 35 million to Teletovic who has been worse, so he rarely plays and neither does Plumlee. They capped out the roster for years to come with about 175 million in the last two years on Henson/Plumlee/Delledova/Teletovic, none of whom is starting caliber and two who rarely even play at all. And Parker yet to be paid. I feel for Giannis and Parker.

It also helps that there are no pro sports in North Dakota. That hockey program probably has state wide love. Speaking of real North Dakota hockey, as a big Badgers hockey fan, i miss playing North Dakota home and away every year. They along with Minnesota used to be the Badgers biggest rivals. Plus, i thought they had the best looking uniforms in college hockey, especially when they still had the Fighting Sioux head on the front.

Um. What? Take it down a notch would you. Hockey is a much more blue collar sport than basketball. You don't see a bunch of pretty boys flashing their fancy clothes and cars and jewelry in hockey like you do in basketball. And Milwaukee is definitely a blue collar city, wouldn't you agree? Who on the Bucks does what you imply here? Plus, the NFL has plenty of players who does what you said, nobody cares in Wisconsin or elsewhere. And what exactly makes the NHL blue collar, for whatever that even means and compared to basketball? The NHL is full of millionaires just as the NBA is. Wanna bet lots of those rich hockey players also have multiple very expensive cars and dress well, but maybe with a different sense of style? Most guys love cars and if wealthy will spend lots on them. If though some rich black athletes like spending lots of cash on jewelry and rich hockey players spend their cash on other type of toys, why should that even matter? Rich males tend to like to blowing cash on frivolous stuff. Additionally look at the cities where NBA players want to play. LA. Chicago. NY. South Beach.....er Miami. How many players actually want to play in Milwaukee? Sure some feel this way, but the Packers also had the same problem when they sucked for a long time. They start winning though under Favre and company, suddenly players want to stay and free agents sign with Green Bay. Giannis just signed an extension and Parker likely will also. If the Bucks front office ever gets competent and thus can surround those two with better talent, the team will win, regardless if other superstars won't sign here. Hell, you listed NY, LA, and Chicago. The Knicks have been trying to lure a superstar for a long time, but the stars keep passing because the franchise doesn't win. The Lakers lately can't get one to come either. Stars aren't lining up to sign with Chicago. Bigger cities and nice climates have some advantage, but only if stars think they can win big there and there are only a limited number of true stars anyways and the Bucks already have a young one locked into an extension. Win and supporting talent will sign here to play with Giannis. Plus as I said even with this enormous PR campaign and young and up and coming team and new arena......even with all that attendance at Bucks games sucks. Win consistently for awhile with regular playoff games and attendance will be better. The Bradley Center was rocking that year the Bucks made the ECF. They've mostly sucked since. Put an NHL team here and have them be bad for most of nearly two decades as the Bucks have, you wouldn't be able to give away tickets for free.

Because hockey players are white and most NBA players black? I'm a somewhat big hockey fan. Have followed Badgers hockey strongly since i was a kid and BTW, glad to see things are turning around since Barry finally canned Eaves. Only casually follow the NHL until the playoffs where i watch a lot. As for an NHL team being able to draw well in Milwaukee, i'm very skeptical. We have no hockey history here besides the Admirals and few attend those games. The hockey season takes place at the same time as the NBA, so both the Bucks and an NHL team would be fighting for the same limited entertainment dollars. That would hurt both teams. NBA teams can survive easier with lackluster attendance simply because the TV revenues are ridiculous. Hockey teams need to draw and i think an NHL team in Milwaukee would only fill an arena if the team was really good.