Serge2HOT4U
[09] Warrior
I can make many more NHL references.
The NHL used to have a little thing called a ratings problem.
It was due to this defensive hockey tactic known as the Neutral Zone trap, which took advantage of the two line pass rule. The Devils pioneered it and won the cup in 95. Other teams "got used to it", an started using it as well.
And it worked.... and guess what - SCORING WENT DOWN.
The mark of a great goal scorer - 50 goals per season, went unachieved for the first time in decades during several seasons between 1995 and 2004 the year of the lockout.
http://www.sportscity.com/nhl/nhl-50-goal-scorers/
Other teams besides the Devils won the cup in those years - the Wings, Avalanche, Stars and Lightning to be exact, and many began using the Neutral Zone trap to great success.
But guess what happened - ratings went down. People turned away, they were bored.... and after all that the NHL was on lockout and had to win back its fans.
What did they do?
They got rid of the 2 line pass rule (which enabled the neutral zone trap) which allowed more breakaways, they called more penalties (which increased scoring), put in shootouts, so there would be no more ties, and promoted new and exciting personalities.
Sure, purists complained that this was a new game with too many rules, and wasnt like the "old time hockey" they were used to. But their voices were soon silenced by money - money from ever increasing ratings and ticket sales.
Yooooo. hockey
The NHL used to have a little thing called a ratings problem.
It was due to this defensive hockey tactic known as the Neutral Zone trap, which took advantage of the two line pass rule. The Devils pioneered it and won the cup in 95. Other teams "got used to it", an started using it as well.
And it worked.... and guess what - SCORING WENT DOWN.
The mark of a great goal scorer - 50 goals per season, went unachieved for the first time in decades during several seasons between 1995 and 2004 the year of the lockout.
http://www.sportscity.com/nhl/nhl-50-goal-scorers/
Other teams besides the Devils won the cup in those years - the Wings, Avalanche, Stars and Lightning to be exact, and many began using the Neutral Zone trap to great success.
But guess what happened - ratings went down. People turned away, they were bored.... and after all that the NHL was on lockout and had to win back its fans.
What did they do?
They got rid of the 2 line pass rule (which enabled the neutral zone trap) which allowed more breakaways, they called more penalties (which increased scoring), put in shootouts, so there would be no more ties, and promoted new and exciting personalities.
Sure, purists complained that this was a new game with too many rules, and wasnt like the "old time hockey" they were used to. But their voices were soon silenced by money - money from ever increasing ratings and ticket sales.
Yooooo. hockey