Your in the evil empire of Toronto. That's why. Elite hockey is not subsidized. I had to pay a full ride for Midget AAA as well. All the local rinks in the Maritimes are subsidized and funded with beer money
- lulags

That can't happen in big cities. Would be way too expensive.

its also why soccer/Futball is such a popular sport world wide.. all you really need is a ball. you can make a net out of something..
- IndianaSabresFan

this is a good post

We had no money and I had 4 brothers all of us played hockey. We could have never afforded it with out the subsidy. Ice time was pretty much free and I got a lot of handed down equipment
- lulags

think of that times the millions of kids who want to play sports

we have 1 rink in jacksonville, 1 rink in gainesville


I am pretty sure they are the only 2 rinks in a 150 mile radius
- homiedclown

I think we have 2 buildings with 2 rinks in each... Plus the Arena but that doesn't really count.

Used to be another in Franklin, TN but they shut er' down.

remember nascar?
- Michael Pachla

I went to one race at Watkins Glen. Approximately 130 degrees next to the track, the noise level is awful and every sink in the bathroom was filled with throwup from the drunk fans.


0/10 would not go again

I actually just bought a Blizzard hat from a lunch place that was getting rid of some Buffalo memorabilia. I went to a game a couple times. A lot of cities are building expensive new stadiums for MLS expansion teams. It's starting to get crazy
- jcragcrumple

i think i went to a game or two for the Blizzard as well.. i played one winter indoor soccer with some players from my highschool team at some place over by moog (it was not a great place).. but that was in the late 90s

think of that times the millions of kids who want to play sports
- Michael Pachla

Some of the most talented hockey players in the US will probably never lace up skates. Fact

i think i went to a game or two for the Blizzard as well.. i played one winter indoor soccer with some players from my highschool team at some place over by moog (it was not a great place).. but that was in the late 90s
- IndianaSabresFan

Yeah, it used to be called Sahlen's. I think it just got a big upgrade and a name change. The weird thing is that here, Soccer is more of a yuppie sport. It's kids shelling out big money to be on travel teams

i think i went to a game or two for the Blizzard as well.. i played one winter indoor soccer with some players from my highschool team at some place over by moog (it was not a great place).. but that was in the late 90s
- IndianaSabresFan

Indoor soccer is a great workout. Lots of places here to play indoor soccer.

Some of the most talented hockey players in the US will probably never lace up skates. Fact
- lulags

every time they build public skating rinks and give out ice skates to the poor, the skates end up on craigslist

I went to one race at Watkins Glen. Approximately 130 degrees next to the track, the noise level is awful and every sink in the bathroom was filled with throwup from the drunk fans.


0/10 would not go again
- jcragcrumple

they had huge growth in a short period of time and now it's fallen off considerably

Some of the most talented hockey players in the US will probably never lace up skates. Fact
- lulags

true story

*thinks, was I one of them?*

i think i went to a game or two for the Blizzard as well.. i played one winter indoor soccer with some players from my highschool team at some place over by moog (it was not a great place).. but that was in the late 90s
- IndianaSabresFan

I remember going to stallions games

they had huge growth in a short period of time and now it's fallen off considerably
- Michael Pachla

Yeah i honestly have no idea about anything nascar. As for soccer, I'm 27 and most of the kids I went to highscool with LOVED playing FIFA and watching the world cup. It's seemingly very popular with millenials.

Cincinatti is building a $100 million new stadium in the hope of getting an MLS team

Nashville is considering the same

Indoor soccer is a great workout. Lots of places here to play indoor soccer.
- Matthews_Auston

I can skate for an hour with out taking a break no problem. I played indoor soccer once game last winter and I thought I was going to throw up after five minutes I was so tired. Guess I am only in good hockey shape

Yeah i honestly have no idea about anything nascar. As for soccer, I'm 27 and most of the kids I went to highscool with LOVED playing FIFA and watching the world cup. It's seemingly very popular with millenials.

Cincinatti is building a $100 million new stadium in the hope of getting an MLS team

Nashville is considering the same
- jcragcrumple

it is the world's biggest sport and like homie (or someone said,) all you need to play is a ball and a field which makes it accessible to everyone

it is the world's biggest sport and like homie (or someone said,) all you need to play is a ball and a field which makes it accessible to everyone
- Michael Pachla

the banana said it

I can skate for an hour with out taking a break no problem. I played indoor soccer once game last winter and I thought I was going to throw up after five minutes I was so tired. Guess I am only in good hockey shape
- lulags

but can you do a pull-up?

it is the world's biggest sport and like homie (or someone said,) all you need to play is a ball and a field which makes it accessible to everyone
- Michael Pachla

If hockey would hire someone to market the game instead of Bettman who is seemingly terrible at actually highlighting the exciting parts (goals, speed) then they would see better growth. No wonder revenues are flat when obstruction is way up and goal scoring is way down. It's not rocket science.

More goals = more fans.

More fans = more youth players

The league is absolutely inept at creating the best product possible

soccer will never be huge in the states, for a sports team


they have tried it and shoved it down our throats for 40 years now


people are not going to pay big money for a 1-0 game, period


yeah they will get their die hard fans
yeah they will get causal fans when the american advance in the world cup
but they will never fill 40,000 people in stadiums on a regular basis for soccer in america

20,000 people on average when run properly

but can you do a pull-up?
- Michael Pachla

I think I can do 1 at least

soccer will never be huge in the states, for a sports team


they have tried it and shoved it down our throats for 40 years now


people are not going to pay big money for a 1-0 game, period


yeah they will get their die hard fans
yeah they will get causal fans when the american advance in the world cup
but they will never fill 40,000 people in stadiums on a regular basis for soccer in america

20,000 people on average when run properly
- homiedclown

Atlanta and Seattle averaged over 40k last year

http://soccerstadiumdiges....com/2017-mls-attendance/


To quote the simpsons, "Times they are a gettin different"

I think I can do 1 at least
- lulags

Atlanta and Seattle averaged over 40k last year

http://soccerstadiumdiges....com/2017-mls-attendance/


To quote the simpsons, "Times they are a gettin different"
- jcragcrumple

https://en.wikipedia.org/..._League_Soccer_attendance

3 biggest drawing teams went down

bottom line, when the price goes up, the latinos can't afford the tickets

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Soccer_attendance

3 biggest drawing teams went down

bottom line, when the price goes up, the latinos can't afford the tickets
- homiedclown

I get what you're saying, but anecdotally, and also stadium-building wise, soccer is heating up. I think it has a better chance than hockey of escaping "niche sport" status. Especially as long as the NHL farts around while we watche 2-1 games that end in a shootout. At this point scoring in hockey can be as sparse as soccer