2010 Winter Classic: "It's like the Super Bowl"
by Travis Hughes on Dec 31, 2009 6:50 PM EST
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Print![Snow falls on Fenway Park as the ice crew works on getting rid of the accumulation in between practice sessions on Thursday. [Photo by Travis Hughes/Broad Street Hockey]](http://cdn2.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/222571/wide-fenway-snow_large.jpg)
BOSTON -- Snow, heavy at times, fell on Fenway Park today, setting the perfect backdrop for a perfect outdoor hockey day. Outside the famous ballpark, fans gathered in Spectator Plaza, an area set up by the league with games and vendors and a bunch of free stuff. There were a ton of Flyers fans mixed in with the Bruins faithful, but it was one of those Boston fans who summed up the atmosphere perfectly.
"It's like the Super Bowl," said Mark, who's last name I did not get. "It's a once in a lifetime sort of thing that might not happen for another 20 years." I asked him about how it felt to have so many Flyers fans invading his city for what is, at its core, still a Bruins home game. "It's equal, he said, adding that there are tickets distributed to fans from each team.
While it's not for a championship and it isn't a neutral site game, the similarities between this Winter Classic and an event like the Super Bowl are definitely there. As Mark alluded to, the fans are out in full force regardless of the team they support. At the Super Bowl, you'll see fans from just about every team in the league around the festivities, and I've seen supporters of the Capitals, Penguins, Coyotes, Sharks, and Devils -- just to name a few -- all around Boston the last two days.
This isn't just a regular season game between the Bruins and Flyers. Everybody cares about this event.
"I haven't seen this much media in here in a long time," said Arron Asham.
From a hype standpoint the NHL has really gone to every length to make the Winter Classic their premier event, much like the Super Bowl is to the NFL. Practice was broadcast live (with commentary!) in a four-plus hour special today on NHL Network. How often does that happen? There are probably six or seven stores around the ballpark that display the Winter Classic logo and exclusively sell merchandise for the game. There are banners and flags all over town and everywhere you look you see signs of the game, be it on the subway, in Chinatown, on TV, or anywhere really.
The league is going to every length to set the tone for the game and truly turn Fenway Park into a spectacle. From the snow covered field (when it was forecasted there wouldn't be real snow, at least) to the addition of the Bruins retired numbers next to those of the Red Sox to the changing of the AL East standings on the Green Monster to those of the Northeast Division, the attention to detail is fantastic.
Word is that puck drop won't be until around 1:40 PM tomorrow, meaning there will be about 40 minutes of pre-game festivities. Dropkick Murphys are slated to perform, as well as James Taylor performing the American anthem and Daniel Powter performing the Canadian anthem. There will be a fly over and a ceremonial puck drop. Calling this stuff hype is an understatement.
While it may not be the Super Bowl, it's quickly becoming clear that the Winter Classic is here to stay and that the NHL is proud of the event they've created.
"I think it's great," said Paul Holmgren after having a chance to skate around the ice following the Flyers practice. "I think the NHL does a tremendous job in preparing venues like this for this game. Obviously there's no control over the weather, but it was certainly handled very well today with the Bruins practice before us and our practice. The ice is tremendous. The setting is tremendous. We are all looking forward to tomorrow."
"I remember when they played the first one and Mr. Bettman talked about how we're not sure we're going to do this all the time. I think we should do it every year."
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Why are they doing the Canadian Anthem? I know it’s awesome, but is it ever done between two American teams?
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I was wondering the same thing. You think if they do the Canadian anthem that they’d have to do the Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Czech, etc.
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by Travis Hughes on Jan 1, 2010 9:24 AM EST up reply actions
Especially since the NHL won’t give Canada a slot in the Winter Classic – need the only tv ratings that count in the States.
I think Canada should get a game to themselves that sees at least 1 team from Canada every year, and do it double-header style similar to the NFL on Thanksgiving.
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by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 1, 2010 1:23 PM EST up reply actions
Not worth the money. Holding two games dillutes the whole thing, including sponsorship money. The only way it makes any fiscal logic is if they play both games at the same site. Otherwise, the expense of leasing a second location and all of the construction they need makes it a bad idea.
You are clearly opposed to having even one, so of course you’re opposed to having two.
If you have one in Canada, you get the TV rights money from TSN or CBC or whatever that they got from NBC, you get Canadian advertisers as opposed to American advertisers, and you get interest in both countries, as opposed to one. There’s no doubt in my mind that an outdoor game in Canada would generate more money than an outdoor game in the U.S., so the whole “fiscal logic” argument is based on a flawed premise. Having an outdoor game in Canada makes more sense than one in the U.S., but the NHL holds it here anyway. So, arguing that it wouldn’t make sense financially to hold two games is based off the fact that it doesn’t make financial sense to hold one in the U.S.
Basically, adding a game in Canada would be much smarter than one in the U.S., so why not play two?
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by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 1, 2010 9:30 PM EST up reply actions
You don’t know what you’re talking about.
Today’s game was broadcast on CBC. By adding a second game, they just dilute the value of those tv rights.
Bridgestone is an international company. CBC’s broadcast was sponsored by Chevrolet, so the NHL is already getting that TV rights money from the Canadian market.
Company executives have no interest in going to Calgary for an outdoor hockey game. When Bridgestone sponsors this game, they bring in their big clients and have corporate dinners and whatever. No sponsors will be attracted to the idea of holding an event in fucking Alberta.
You’re just wrong and apparently don’t understand how these things work.
Once again, you are the all-knowing, never wrong.
Two games = twice as many corporate sponsors, twice as many commercials being shown, twice the TV rights – since CBC will broadcast both, and either NBC or VS will broadcast both, and twice the attendance, twice the merchandise, twice the amount of tourist money.
But I don’t know what I’m talking about and don’t understand how these things work. Since all that matters is that sponsors don’t want to wine and dine their clients in Alberta.
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 2, 2010 12:46 AM EST up reply actions
Forgot to mention, there will be no market in the US for that game. NBC certainly wouldn’t broadcast a second hockey game, and even if Versus picked it up, it would be on against the Rose Bowl.
Most likely, it would just be simulcast on the NHL Network.
And yet they want to do it anyway: Toronto Globe and Mail, Sportsnet, SBN, ESPN, and even NHL.
A bunch of people think it’s worth it, so maybe you can win this argument with somebody. There’s still time!! Don’t give up hope.
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by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 2, 2010 1:54 AM EST up reply actions
And they’ve been “talking” about it for like three years. Yet every year it doesn’t quite work out…
But you’re right, links to random journalists and Jarome Iginla expressing interest, and Bettman saying he would “look into it” really proves fiscal viability!
Because every thought anyone ever had MUST be profitable!
If you read anything about the Winter Classic, you’d see that NBC runs the entire show. And NBC will have no interest in a second game. That means they lose their biggest money partner. But, of course, you’ve clearly never read anything about it, since you didn’t even know it was broadcast in Canada, so I don’t know why I’d expect you to understand any of this….
And, of course, the better links you posted say that the Canada game would be played in February, not on Jan 1.
The strong belief is that the game will be played in February
What’s not clear at this point is what day the second outdoor game would be held next season.
Which would eliminate a significant amount of cost because they wouldn’t need to acquire a second hockey rink and all that equipment.
Don’t bother with those details, though…
I think he meant it in that it was in his city. The Super Bowl is only in city X once every decade or two.
Thats not really correct, either. The Super Bowl is basically in just a small handful of cities.
Basically, they use the Super Bowl to get stadiums built, hence there was one recently held in Jacksonville, Houston, and Detroit. Those first two I believe were part of the expansion purchase.
Other than that, its a pretty limited rotation. Super Bowl sites from 1990-2010:
Miami x4
New Orleans x3
Tampa x3
Atlanta x2
Phoenix x2
San Diego x2
Pasadena, Jax, Houston, Detroit, and Minnesota x1
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