Sports in Canadian culture - Page 316

thoughtsandrobots · #**6301** Posted **May 2, 2018, 4:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

My purpose is not to over-state the global importance of ice hockey. I know it ranks down the list but still, having travelled to much of the world it still is identified with Canada by a lot of people who don't know anything about the sport, but they will recognize it when they see it. Kinda like cricket for Americans: clueless about the rules and everything else, but probably most Americans would still say "hey, that's cricket!" if you showed them a video of The Ashes.

It's also worth noting though that ice hockey is more popular globally than gridiron football is. Gridiron football has a huge number of fans in the U.S. and quite a few in Canada but outside of that its global impact is minimal. (Again, like ice hockey and cricket, billions of people outside North America are aware the NFL's sport exists even if they aren't fans and don't get its appeal at all.)

Ice hockey is actually present as a fairly popular sport (either number one or number two or three) in significantly more countries than gridiron football is.

Gridiron Football: United States, Canada.
Ice Hockey: Canada, Finland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Russia, United States.

Depends how you define popular?

The popularity of the Super Bowl alone, gives it a far greater global presence than any kind of hockey.

The number of NFL and CFL fans in North America probably trumps the number of ice hockey fans globally. Add in pockets of Africa and Asia, down in Australia or Argentina, people in Mexico or England, and I would argue the footprint of the NFL (though niche here and niche there) makes football far more significant.

Check out biggestglobalsports.com for some interesting stuff.

esquire · #**6302** Posted **May 2, 2018, 5:03 PM**

^ People are aware that the Super Bowl exists, but in my travels abroad the only countries outside North America where the NFL registers to the extent that scores get printed in the sports pages, etc. are the UK and Germany. The NFL has a fanbase in Asia much the same way that some obscure Japanese manga might have some fans in North America.

The NFL is the thousand pound gorilla of North American sports no doubt, but the global impact is vastly overstated in my experience. We only think it's a huge deal globally because the Americans care so much.

Acajack · #**6303** Posted **May 2, 2018, 5:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoughtsandrobots

Check out biggestglobalsports.com for some interesting stuff.

It ranks rugby league, which some are getting excited about, as 34th or something. Hockey is 11th. Rugby union is somewhat higher than rugby league.

Acajack · #**6304** Posted **May 2, 2018, 5:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoughtsandrobots

Gridiron Football: United States, Canada.
Ice Hockey: Canada, Finland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Russia, United States.

.

There are also countries like former Soviet republics like Latvia, Belarus, Kazakhstan where it's pretty solidly number 2. In Switzerland as well, and even in Germany it rivals for number 2 IMO. (Look at the arenas their teams play in.) It's also probably in the top 5 team sports in countries like France an Italy, whereas American football is likely nowhere to be found.

Acajack · #**6305** Posted **May 2, 2018, 5:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoughtsandrobots

The number of NFL and CFL fans in North America probably trumps the number of ice hockey fans globally. .

I wouldn't argue that the total number of gridiron football fans globally might be higher than the total number of ice hockey fans.

The point is that 90-95% of them or more are in one single country, and 99% of them are in the area between Iqualuit and Monterrey.

isaidso · #**6306** Posted **May 2, 2018, 6:00 PM**

Hockey definitely has more global reach than gridiron. Gridiron is basically a 2 nation sport.

thoughtsandrobots · #**6307** Posted **May 2, 2018, 6:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

It ranks rugby league, which some are getting excited about, as 34th or something. Hockey is 11th. Rugby union is somewhat higher than rugby league.

It was meant as interest, not biblical.

All the points I'm reading are valid. However, I think your missing market impact. The Super Bowl in Japan versus some KHL fans in Kazakhstan. It isn't the same to me. Hockey will have zero presence in Africa and South America. Oceania. The Super Bowl (different from the NFL as a league) does. The former Soviet republics are hardly impact markets.

In Germany, France, and Italy hockeyis NOWHERE close to being a recognizable sport, wherever it ranks. Partly because they are football obsessed (though in France, Rugby Union is pretty big). In Germany handball would be ahead. Basketball in all those countries. Volleyball in Italy. Yeah. I still believe gridiron football (as in ask an Italian to name teams) would outscore hockey. I get that's the American pop cultural machine. But sports is entertainment.

As far as Japanese manga...I have never understood why the CFL doesn't package itself as such. We watch AFL here (love Adelaide Crows) but they don't watch CFL there. Sell the CFL globally as a quirky package? Kind of like how the Raptors are huge in China - make the RedBlacks huge in South Africa...

jonny24 · #**6308** Posted **May 2, 2018, 6:51 PM**

That's where Canadian Football's similarity to AF lets it down a bit.

I've posted this before in various places on the internet: I think the game, as a whole -CFL, University, amateur- should make a conscious move away from the American style. It's know for being more open and faster- make changes that highlight that. Maybe find a way to bring back some of the "continuous play" that rugby has. Changes are absolutely going to be needed as we learn more about concussions- get ahead of the curve and be innovative.

If we had our own (more)unique game, from youth level up, then Canadians would by default be the best at it, and we wouldn't be importing Americans who are much more developed than us.

elly63 · #**6309** Posted **May 2, 2018, 8:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoughtsandrobots

I don't find hockey particularly interesting. I will admit I am somewhat detered by it's small global footprint and significance, but more so that it seems a game of chance rather than skill today. And the NHL competition model is...horrid. But I am not bashing it or ignoring it.

How could anyone get that idea from your post?

elly63 · #**6310** Posted **May 2, 2018, 8:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I think you're probably too young to know what the true meaning of "communism" really is.

Boy you got that right, there are polls out there that show a high number of younger people think it's a great idea. All I gotta say is 100 million and some people will get the message.

elly63 · #**6311** Posted **May 2, 2018, 8:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoughtsandrobots

Further to my point above:

Do you agree or disagree that a top 3-5 soccer player globally, from Canada, would instantly become the most famous Canadian athlete of all time? Perhaps not just athlete but person EVER from Canada?

Well, a "Canadian" played for the two highest profile teams (England NT/ManU) in the world and if you weren't a soccer fan or a Stephen Harper advisor you (the Canadian public) would have no clue and still don't know who Owen Hargreaves is.

JHikka · #**6312** Posted **May 2, 2018, 8:21 PM**

Keeping the thread on topic.....

The owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars is interested in buying Wembley Stadium in London and wants to host a Super Bowl in it. If he's buying Wembley it seems likely the Jags would move, too, but who knows.

le calmar · #**6313** Posted **May 2, 2018, 8:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoughtsandrobots

In Germany, France, and Italy hockeyis NOWHERE close to being a recognizable sport, wherever it ranks.

Hockey is a pretty big deal in the French Alps (perhaps even more than soccer) and is definitely recognizable in Eastern and Northern France as well. The Ligue Magnus has a decent following in France and you see articles on the games all the time in the newspapers.

elly63 · #**6314** Posted **May 2, 2018, 8:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I was being sarcastic. Though really, curling isn't significantly less fast-paced than, say, baseball.

Curling is generally one of the most popular Olympic viewing sports, globally.

Little known fact

“Somewhere over half of NBC’s entire coverage package of the Olympics is going to be curling,” said Kevin Martin, who will be in Pyeongchang as a colour commentator. “It’s absolutely amazing.

“CBC told me that in Canada 45% of their overall hours of coverage of the entire Olympics will be curling. When CBC told me that, I thought, ‘Well, I wonder how much it is at NBC?’ So I was talking to Jim Carr, one of the producers, and he said it’s around 50%, maybe a hair over 50%. That’s quite the number.”

elly63 · #**6315** Posted **May 2, 2018, 8:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka

Keeping the thread on topic.....

The owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars is interested in buying Wembley Stadium in London and wants to host a Super Bowl in it. If he's buying Wembley it seems likely the Jags would move, too, but who knows.

Now that's sarcasm!

elly63 · #**6316** Posted **May 2, 2018, 8:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoughtsandrobots

In Germany, France, and Italy hockeyis NOWHERE close to being a recognizable sport, wherever it ranks.

Think you might want to do some due diligence on that one and the Swiss League.

Acajack · #**6317** Posted **May 2, 2018, 10:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonny24

That's where Canadian Football's similarity to AF lets it down a bit.

I've posted this before in various places on the internet: I think the game, as a whole -CFL, University, amateur- should make a conscious move away from the American style. It's know for being more open and faster- make changes that highlight that. Maybe find a way to bring back some of the "continuous play" that rugby has. Changes are absolutely going to be needed as we learn more about concussions- get ahead of the curve and be innovative.

If we had our own (more)unique game, from youth level up, then Canadians would by default be the best at it, and we wouldn't be importing Americans who are much more developed than us.

I have long thought exactly this.

JHikka · #**6318** Posted **May 2, 2018, 11:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by elly63

Now that's sarcasm!

It's more on topic than commenting on teaching those dang millennials what communism really means.

elly63 · #**6319** Posted **May 3, 2018, 12:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka

It's more on topic than commenting on teaching those dang millennials what communism really means.

Well, if they think the system responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of people is a good thing they might need some learnin', unless you see a problem with that. Also I don't recall using the term millennials or dang millennials (sic), for that matter.

Acajack · #**6320** Posted **May 3, 2018, 11:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoughtsandrobots

In Germany, France, and Italy hockeyis NOWHERE close to being a recognizable sport, wherever it ranks...

What do you mean by a "recognizable" sport? As in people would see a video of a hockey game and have no idea what the game is or even its name? That's totally false in my experience.