I live in Socal and just heard it on the news. I didn't even know they were in the playoffs. Anyone else been following? Does hockey even make money? at least in Socal?

then why post about it?
:facepalm

tactiCAL;841894260 said:

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then why post about it?
:facepalm

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Good point. Wondering if others feel the same or if I'm the odd man out.

Fine, I'll say it. This blows. All these good seasons for the Sharks and they can't even make ONE Finals, while the Ducks (and likely the Kings) breeze to a Cup.

Sharks fans right now:

burritos;841894254 said:

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I live in Socal and just heard it on the news. I didn't even know they were in the playoffs. Anyone else been following? Does hockey even make money? at least in Socal?

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are u from SoCal? I'm from SoCal...and live in Norcal, and if the sharks made it in playoffs / finals, i wouldn't care either.

You guys are missing out. Playoff hockey is awesome. The intensity, passion, and phyicality make it the best playoffs of any sport.

kiddynamite;841894319 said:

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You guys are missing out. Playoff hockey is awesome. The intensity, passion, and phyicality make it the best playoffs of any sport.

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Yeah, I don't get why so many people who really like one sport (football) talk sh*t on other sports (hockey, soccer, etc.). Why can't all sports be awesome?

As to the Kings, I'm hardly a hockey fan, but their play in the postseason has been incredible and has definitely increased SoCal's interest in the sport (and mine).

I stopped watching after 2001. Grew up watching the Triple Crown Line and heard the Miracle on Manchester live on the radio (no cable for me as a kid LOL). Really thrilled that this happened out of nowhere (barely made it to the playoffs). Kings fans unite.

kiddynamite;841894319 said:

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You guys are missing out. Playoff hockey is awesome. The intensity, passion, and phyicality make it the best playoffs of any sport.

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I can't claim to be any kind of authority on this. I've been to a Kings' game before, and even including that game, I probably have only seen one full period of any hockey game, and that was last night. Well, one full period and one overtime. For the Kings' game that I attended years ago, I had tickets to the luxury suite, and it was during the football season. I ended up watching Monday Night Football the entire time, Ravens v. Patriots where some dubious calls protected the Pats' undefeated season. I did catch the shootout at the end, though.

As for last night, I saw all of the 3rd period and overtime, and I have to say it's hard to follow. Even the game winning goal, I didn't even realize it until the players were celebrating. This is much different than football or basketball. But then again, maybe that's just because I'm more familiar with those sports. My conclusion after last night, hockey is the poor man's soccer. Soccer, I can get behind every few years during the World Cup. I might not know all the rules, but I can at least see the ball go through the goal in soccer. Hockey just doesn't translate to TV because it's hard to follow that small puck. I think that's why it will always be relegated as the distant 4th major sport in the US.

FingeroftheBear;841894375 said:

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Sharks fans might be a bit ticked because the King's GM and HC were Sharks in '03, ehhh?

Any way, there's Kings fans in LA, just not as much flash or tradition as the Lakers or Dodgers. I use to go to games as a youth at the Fabulous Forum. I was at the infamous Kings vs. Flyers game in '79 that set a record (at the time) for penalty minutes. It worked then and apparently the NHL is bringing back the fight first-play hockey second mentality. Nothing like an asskicking to sell tickets yet kinda hard to think of hockey in June when it's 75 degrees out at the beach.

p.s. I remember going to a L.A. Sharks game, part of the WHA. I think they played at the LA Sports Arena. Don't recall the game since I was young but they let you skate on the ice after the game.

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I remember that brutal Flyers slugfest. This was my dude back then. Jay Wells, the enforcer.

Personally, I'm pretty excited about the Kings' run. Hockey isn't as popular as basketball, but yes, it's a revenue generating sport, even in LA. There are a lot of hockey fans even in LA.

It's like anything, there's a lot of indifference to most things going on. Most people in LA couldn't care less about soccer, or beach volleyball, or Green Day, but enough do to make those sports some nice money. And if you look at attendance and revenue, the Kings are more popular than the Galaxy (which is a sport I personally couldn't care less about). And beach volleyball, for all the attention it gets along the coast, has a relatively miniscule fan base. But people who enjoy it are happy.

You're not the only President's Cup team to get beaten in the first round by an LA team. You guys are due, and even though I root for the LA teams, I'll gladly cheer the Sharks when they make their run.

My only memory of the Kings of old was the legendary Kings-Blues playoff game in 1998 when St. Louis scored 4 times in 5 minutes following a 5-minute penalty to win it.

510Bear;841894391 said:

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My only memory of the Kings of old was the legendary Kings-Blues playoff game in 1998 when St. Louis scored 4 times in 5 minutes following a 5-minute penalty to win it.

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I remember that. It was awful.

I'm more of a casual hockey fan. Hockey games are great to go to in person, but I don't watch regular season hockey on TV. The playoffs have been awesome and it's been exciting to see the Kings do so well. I used to be a pretty big Kings fan prior to the lockout.

In terms of popularity, the Kings are probably the 5th most popular professional team in LA after the Lakers, Dodgers, Clippers, and USC football.

BeachyBear;841894388 said:

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...but enough do to make those sports some nice money. And if you look at attendance and revenue, the Kings are more popular than the Galaxy

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IIRC, when the Lakers, Clippers and Kings had those six games in four days at Staples, there was a statistic on TV that the asking price average of Kings tickets was higher than Clippers tickets. There are about a thousand fewer seats for hockey but still... seems to say that Kings playoffs much more popular than Clippers playoffs.

Lakers tickets were still much higher than both.

If you've been to a Kings game lately then you know that the Kings have a pretty solid following==NO not anywhere near on par with the Lakers or the Dodgers, but historically I would venture at least as good as the Clippers. And USC football definitely trumps them (though I'm not sure about UCLA basketball--I NEVER have a hard time getting tix to the Cal game and I usually wait til last sec to make sure I don't have any conflicts). This year, it's been tougher (even earlier when NOONE knew that they would have this playoff run) to get fix and prices are up. Now, forget about it....everyone i LA loves a winner and the Hockey guys have always been social kings down in the South Bay (LA). That being said....Hockey is NOT the easiest sport to follow on TV. Endlessly better in person.

moonpod;841894582 said:

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and the Hockey guys have always been social kings down in the South Bay (LA).

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Is that code for "the Kings players can regularly be seen pounding beers with tanned blonde hottie chicks at the bars in Manhattan and Hermosa"?

I've been a Kings fan since 1967. I'm loving this run of theirs. I remember the 93 cup finals against Montreal. They were on the verge of beating them....McSorely gets caught with an illegal stick....there goes any momentum....the game....the series. Interesting note....Barry Melrose who coached the 93 team was the only commentator to pick the Kings to win the cup. GO BEARS!!!

510Bear;841894621 said:

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Is that code for "the Kings players can regularly be seen pounding beers with tanned blonde hottie chicks at the bars in Manhattan and Hermosa"?

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well.....I dunno how many canadiens you know, but all the ones I do can drink beer like it's water....

It must be making money.... Cheapest ticket (upper deck at staples) is $250(face value) for finals and basically sold out.

510Bear;841894282 said:

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Fine, I'll say it. This blows. All these good seasons for the Sharks and they can't even make ONE Finals, while the Ducks (and likely the Kings) breeze to a Cup.

Sharks fans right now:

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don't care about the kings but this gave me a smirk. :neener:

510Bear;841894282 said:

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Fine, I'll say it. This blows. All these good seasons for the Sharks and they can't even make ONE Finals, while the Ducks (and likely the Kings) breeze to a Cup.

Sharks fans right now:

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Try having the Montreal Canadians in your division (the Norris) for decades during their dynasty. Then the Oilers in your division during Gretzky's prime. Your complaint is minimal in context. Kings fans have suffered a long, long time.

Bump

Nice road win by the Kings. They seem to have the recent model for Cup winners -goalie on fire, bruising forwards, skilled scorers and able to win on the road.

GB54;841896524 said:

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Bump

Nice road win by the Kings. They seem to have the recent model for Cup winners -goalie on fire, bruising forwards, skilled scorers and able to win on the road.

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They haven't lost on the road in these playoffs. This is a mind blowing fact. When such things happen, it gives me hope that Cal may actually make the Rose Bowl.

KoreAmBear;841896525 said:

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They haven't lost on the road in these playoffs. This is a mind blowing fact. When such things happen, it gives me hope that Cal may actually make the Rose Bowl.

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I'm not so sure. I remember someone on here mentioning he made a deal with the devil for the Giants' 2010 championship. I'm thinking Cal futility, Sharks futility, a Kings Stanley Cup (likely) and a Dodgers World Series (possible) are part of the "payment".

510Bear;841896529 said:

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I'm not so sure. I remember someone on here mentioning he made a deal with the devil for the Giants' 2010 championship. I'm thinking Cal futility, Sharks futility, a Kings Stanley Cup (likely) and a Dodgers World Series (possible) are part of the "payment".

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There are 24 year-olds (born after October 21, 1988) who have not lived through a Dodger World Series game in their lifetimes. These are college graduates now. This is truly pathetic.

KoreAmBear;841895422 said:

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Try having the Montreal Canadians in your division (the Norris) for decades during their dynasty. Then the Oilers in your division during Gretzky's prime. Your complaint is minimal in context. Kings fans have suffered a long, long time.

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The Kings were in the same division as the Habs for seven seasons. The division also had Detroit and Washington, two of the weakest teams in the NHL during that time, so it was probably the easiest division in the NHL.

Moreover, the playoffs at the time did not have a divisional format, so it didn't matter what division the Kings were in - its not like they had to play Montreal in the second round because they were both in the Norris, the teams were pooled and matched across all divisions for each round.

The Kings did have a tough time being in the Smythe with Edm and Cgy in the 80s, but I don't think there are any valid complaints re their placement in the Norris in the late 70s.

15-2 in the playoffs (10-0 on the road). Unless they do a complete pratfall and lose the next two (or the next 4), this is the greatest playoff run in the modern era.

510Bear;841897649 said:

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15-2 in the playoffs (10-0 on the road). Unless they do a complete pratfall and lose the next two (or the next 4), this is the greatest playoff run in the modern era.

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The 10-0 on the road thing is the most incredible. Unparalleled late dominance after eeking into the playoffs.

Yes but they were 25-13-11 after Sutter became coach so they were a very dangerous 8 seed. It's interesting that the former Shark's braintrust-Lombardi and Sutter-is going to win a cup.

Gulp. Kings dominate on the road and lose. Suddenly, we have a series.

kiddynamite;841899090 said:

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Gulp. Kings dominate on the road and lose. Suddenly, we have a series.

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Would have loved to seen them take care of business, but potentially clinching the Stanley Cup finals at home is priceless.

Stanley Cup Winners !!!!!

Congrats though as a Sharks fan, it kills me that both Anaheim and L.A. have won the Stanley Cup before San Jose even though we've been the better team over the last decade...ARGHH !!!!

Cal_Fan2;841899625 said:

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Stanley Cup Winners !!!!!

Congrats though as a Sharks fan, it kills me that both Anaheim and L.A. have won the Stanley Cup before San Jose even though we've been the better team over the last decade...ARGHH !!!!

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Well, look on the bright side....it's gonna get worse. The Kings could be the next Detroit-type dynasty, while the Sharks head toward rebuilding and probably a few years near the bottom of the standings.