Beginning of the End for NHL?

By: Daryl | February 27th, 2009

Sticking with our theme of American (well, North American anyway) sports stars playing soccer, have a look at Dominic Moore of the Toronto Maple Leafs here. Moore’s hockey stick was broken so he decided to briefly play a proper sport and use his feet.

And check it out: Moore’s two footed! Dribbles through nicely before laying the puck off to someone with a stick. Who inevitably misses, because feet beats stick everytime. Even on ice.

Why am I being so hard on hockey? It’s not because I dislike it (it might be the most watchable US sport in that it’s 5-a-side football + ice + fights).

But I’m basically sick of soccer being the punchline in US sports. So have decided – for one post only – to lash out. At hockey.

Mostly because if the beautiful game is going to catch up/overtake one of the bigger US sports, it’s clearly going to be the one where paying fans are in danger of frostbite and none of the players have any front teeth.

Or maybe Dominic Moore’s dribble is the beginning of a revolution. Surely someone noticed how much better control Moore had of the puck with his feet than with his stick…. so maybe we’ll soon see the smarter NHL players abandoning sticks altogether.

Then it’s only a matter of time before they’re all doing it. And the league wonders why they bother with things like ice and skates. And NHL slowly but surely evolves into the world’s greatest ever indoor soccer league. And then maybe they’ll start putting it on TV again.

…

OK, done lashing. For the record, I genuinely quite like hockey. But serious question for US (and maybe Canadian) based readers: Do you ever see soccer overtaking hockey in the North American sports hierarchy?

Some Related Stories:

Category: World Football

« Weekend Predictions: Spurs to Lift Carling Cup. Man Utd to Shrug Shoulders | Home | Football v Basketball: The Continuing Debate »

The Offside RSS Feeds

nige

STOP CALLING IT SOCCER
Christian

wow this is amazing, we have the exact same argument in australia! except here we have rugby and AFl that dominates, slowly but surely football (aka soccer) will become the most watched and played sport in both out contries :)
adas

Hockey and soccer (football) are truely international sports. Especially because they weren't invented and solely played originally in the US. Baseball, american football, and basketball were invented here. They seem to be the only sports most people care about because the country usually sports the best teams in these competitions. Baseball and basketball have progressed to other countries and those countries can now compete with the US. American football is the only sport the US would dominate the globe easily. But soccer and hockey remain those sports where americans have to work particularly hard to excel in. Their not "American" sports, so they're not embraced. It seems a little silly, because basketball, baseball, and even american football are being adopted all over the world. For some reason, this country will import your cars, but not your sports.
Doogie2K

Well, obviously, there'll be no football revolution in hockey, because flying feet are dangerous enough without knives strapped to the bottom.

If football ever overtakes hockey in America, though, it'll be in places where hockey is already unpopular and where the population is more receptive to the game, i.e. warm cities with large immigrant populations. In northern climes, though, I don't see it; it's too much a part of the culture (to say nothing of my home and native land). As for the mainstream, well, if Victoria Beckham couldn't get celebrity-obsessed America to take more than a fleeting interest...

Finally, I know you're kidding, but if there's any sport that gets more guff than football from American sports media, it's hockey. We're in this together, as far as I'm concerned. Hell, I even watch the odd game since I started playing (mostly goal) last year.
soccershop.com

Must have been watching EPL before the game and decided to try it out. He's got the right idea
kevin

When the USA is 90% mexican soccer will be #1.....but it still won't make any money because all the rich white people will still be watching football, basketball and hockey. Just because a sport is popular doesn't make it interesting.
Daryl

Easy there Joe C!

If you read the post and the other comments, no one's really knocking hockey. Actually, I twice say how much I like it. My taking the piss is just a tongue in cheek reaction to the uncalled for bashing soccer often gets from other sports.

And just out of curiosity... could you explain how putting a space between off and side = gay?
Eduardo

Nothing against football(the real one), but hockey is the greatest sport in the world. One day people will start pay atention. Even here in Brazil, we have a lot of hockey fans.

Basketball, a game with lazy players eand boring style will lose to football. Hockey will grow. Take note.
Joe C

Now I know why this website is called the offside. It's not offside, it's off side as in gay. What a gay post.

No sport needs as much skill or is as beautiful as hockey. Maybe soccer players should pick up sticks? They might have better control over the ball and actually score more easily on that 20ft net.
Pension Plan Puppets

Soccer is already more popular but I think the real question is whether the MLS can overtake the NHL.
schaafito

soccer is a horrible sport. football is the beautiful game. its a shame most Americans don't get the difference.
Mike P

Soccer has to pass Table Tennis, Badminton, and Rhythmic Gymnastics before it passes hockey. Good luck matey.
kevin

The USA will be 90% mexican in 10 years so soccer will be #1 here soon enough so you can forget about dissing hockey. Soccer is still a horrible sport, however.
Tyler

Beau, you note cities that are heavily hispanic and in warm places. They will tend to be more football-centric. I think finding that trend across the entire US, especially the midwest and northeast would be tough.
Shane

The Detroit Redwings have been playing soccer (keep ups) before every game for 10 years. You could see it in their play, specially their runs to the cup when they'd use their skates in the corners or for faceoffs sometimes more than their stick.
Beau

The last World Cup Final got higher TV ratings in the USA than the NBA Finals in the same year, and that's far higher than the most watched hockey event in America.

The most recent USA-Mexico game exceeded the viewership of all first-run English-language prime time shows (such as “American Idol,” “Lost,” “Law & Order” and CSI: New York”) among men 18-49 in Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Phoenix and Dallas. (from the NYTimes Goal Blog)

You could make the argument that soccer has already surpassed hockey.
EP from Attacking90

It seems most modern basketball and hockey players grow up playing some soccer and you know how it is: once you play footy, it is always with you.

I've heard basketball is trying to do more movement as in soccer, and that NHL teams are playing a little soccer to warm themselves up before games, and specifically with the idea in mind that sometimes they need to use their skates to play the puck.

This is a very interesting development. Give the US another 100 years and who knows? :)
Matt

I think Soccer already is more popular in America, but I'd have to agree with most here when they say nothing, let alone soccer, will ever replace hockey as the passion of the great northwest.
Tyler

Soccer will never be more popular than hockey in the Great White North of Canuckistan. It has potential to eclipse hockey in the USA though.
brett

If there is any sport I see soccer taking over in many parts of America (NOT Canada), it is Hockey.
Laurie

What, you didn't stoke enough controversy yesterday by saying basketball players couldn't play footy? :-)

I expect more hell to break loose with this post than when I implied Clay Aiken wouldn't have made it without American Idol.