Anything Goes 21: Sears Tower has a big cap hit

[Kurtosis]

If women were given the resources to grow their game like the men............you would probably see a better product....

Just sayin...

Definitely. It would still pale in comparison to men's hockey though. I would rather watch HS hockey than pretty much every women's games except those between the US and Canada.

For me at least it's just that women even at their peak athletically (in hockey) do not come close to men. The no checking rule also makes it much less entertaining to watch.

 

[CourtneyDagger50]

lol ok.

 

[Illinihockey]

Wait are you arguing women can compete physically with men?

The lack of body checking in the women's game is absurd and patronizing though.

 

[Kurtosis]

Just my opinion.

 

[Illinihockey]

Just my opinion.

I'm agreeing with you. Women's hockey will always be inferior for the same reason high school hockey is worse than NHL hockey. The athletes arent the same.

 

[Kurtosis]

And to reiterate...I fully support the idea and hope the league does well. It's great that women who want to play professional hockey now have another outlet to do so. I just won't be watching.

 

[Kurtosis]

I'm agreeing with you. Women's hockey will always be inferior for the same reason high school hockey is worse than NHL hockey. The athletes arent the same.

Oh, I know you are. That was in response to Courtney but since I posted a quick reply I didn't see your post.

 

[CourtneyDagger50]

Wait are you arguing women can compete physically with men?

The lack of body checking in the women's game is absurd and patronizing though.

Just one more thing -- then I'm out:

Why does it even have to be compared to the men's game?
It is a different style of play and every bit as good.

Claiming it is inferior because they biologically have a different physicality than the men is pretty ignorant.

I feel like anyone who can't see that has never watched a game at all.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I don't see how anyone that's watched a USA vs Canada women's hockey game could say that women's hockey isn't or can't be exciting with a straight face. This is very, very good news for the development of the women's game, and the combo of international competitions and increased professionalism are the only ways to grow the game.

This is very good news, horrible name for the Buffalo squad aside. Sure, it'll be different from the NHL, but so what? If it develops well and if it grows to the point where you see really intense rivalries like you do between the U.S. and Canada, this could have the makings for an exciting league.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Bernstein got let go from the Score.

Hey, more good news!

Still won't listen to Chicago sports talk radio though.

 

[BK]

Just one more thing -- then I'm out:

Why does it even have to be compared to the men's game?
It is a different style of play and every bit as good.

Because it is hockey. We are not comparing soccer and football. Both groups are playing the same sport.

Claiming it is inferior because they biologically have a different physicality than the men is pretty ignorant.

I feel like anyone who can't see that has never watched a game at all. [/COLOR]

I think it is inferior because the skill is not has high and the pace of play is not as fast. Women's hockey is fun to watch but I prefer watching the pace of play that the NHL/NCAA/CHL/European pro leagues have. There is nothing ignorant about that opinion. As long as you are not judging that it is played by women vs men there is not anything really ignorant about it.

[mod]

 

[No Fun Shogun]

If it's not your cup of tea, no biggie. I don't care for the WNBA, though I also don't care for the NBA either. But wholly dismissing the growth potential of the women's sport with a truly professional league does seem to be fairly short-sighted.

 

[BK]

If women were given the resources to grow their game like the men............you would probably see a better product....

Just sayin...

I don't think resources are the reason we don't see a better product (not that the product is bad). There are a lot of places where women have the same resources as men, MN, MI, Mass, etc. here in the states.I think what hurts the women's game the most is that basketball is a HUGE draw for women and it is the same season. Women's hockey also does not have the star power like soccer or basketball do (while there have been some they were not of the magnitude of a Mia Hamm, Sheryl Swoops, or even the stars of the current team USA.)

 

[Nothingman*]

Title 9 or whatever has given women equal resources for the same sports and they are to followed very much. It is just not what people enjoy watching, at least me.

 

[dbridge]

I never understood the no-check rule. In a women vs women league, why are they not allowed to hit? I'm not saying that women's hockey is bad because they can't hit or anything, I just don't understand the rule. We had a couple girls on my high school hockey team and it was open season, nobody ever got seriously hurt and that was against guys who were much bigger than the girls.

Regardless, I hope the league does well. That Buffalo name is atrocious and I'm surprised the Connecticut Whale are making a return, but hopefully it works out.

 

[Kurtosis]

Just one more thing -- then I'm out:

Why does it even have to be compared to the men's game?
It is a different style of play and every bit as good.

Claiming it is inferior because they biologically have a different physicality than the men is pretty ignorant.

I feel like anyone who can't see that has never watched a game at all.

It isn't ignorant at all. Physicality is a big component of hockey and it isn't present in the woman's game. The pace is much slower for the most part too which immensely detracts from the entertainment value.

I have watched women's hockey (besides USA v. Canada) and it was pretty brutal. And that was at the Olympic level.

 

[Illinihockey]

I never understood the no-check rule. In a women vs women league, why are they not allowed to hit? I'm not saying that women's hockey is bad because they can't hit or anything, I just don't understand the rule.

Because the American and Canadian girls would kill people from other countries.

 

[Illinihockey]

Just one more thing -- then I'm out:

Why does it even have to be compared to the men's game?
It is a different style of play and every bit as good.

Claiming it is inferior because they biologically have a different physicality than the men is pretty ignorant.

I feel like anyone who can't see that has never watched a game at all.

Its comparing hockey to hockey. Its why I compared high school players to NHL players. When I watch a sport I want to see it at or close to, its highest level. Women's hockey simply isn't that. Hell before the olympics, the Canadian national team was losing to midget teams.

 

[hawksrule]

As a spectator, women's sports other than tennis are unwatchable.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I can watch usa play Canada and women's soccer every four years but that's it.

 

[hisgirlfriday]

As a spectator, women's sports other than tennis are unwatchable.

So women's beach volleyball is "unwatchable" to you?

As a sports-loving female it sucks that women's sports aren't perceived as entertaining to watch compared to how fun they are to play but I understand why most feel that way.

But I wouldn't understand anybody being bothered by something like this existing because more women playing hockey means more hockey fans existing and most likelythe popularity of the nhl growing and at the very least the Hawks salary cap going up however infinitesimally

 

[Illinihockey]

For the record, I am not against this new womens league and hope it succeeds.

 

[hawksrule]

So women's beach volleyball is "unwatchable" to you?

As a sports-loving female it sucks that women's sports aren't perceived as entertaining to watch compared to how fun they are to play but I understand why most feel that way.

But I wouldn't understand anybody being bothered by something like this existing because more women playing hockey means more hockey fans existing and most likelythe popularity of the nhl growing and at the very least the Hawks salary cap going up however infinitesimally

Good point re: beach volleyball

Like Illini said, I'm not against these sports at all, I encourage their existence, equal funding, female participation, etc. Just can't get into watching them.

 

[Crazy_Ike]

For the record, I am not against this new womens league and hope it succeeds.

It won't, though. The underlying assumption is what dooms it. The belief is that women will be more interested in watching women's sports simply because it is women doing it. That might hold for a few people, but nowhere near sustainable enough.

I find it a little sexist myself. I believe women appreciate hockey played at its highest level as much as men do. Women's hockey simply isn't hockey at its highest level. It's about equal to high school boys hockey (which is who they scrim against). You can get a few people out to watch that, but outside of parents, not many.

Women's hockey was on death's door for the Olympics as well, since there is such poor level of competition outside of Canada vs US. It's not really on the way up.

 

[Crazy_Ike]

As someone who majored in statistics in college (and I did a large presentation on the Moneyball ideas), I find this stuff fascinating and I hope you share your results when you've completed it.

Some other categories to spit-ball:
Age of team captain
Number of playoff appearances by team in last 10 years (playoff experience if you will)
Total career playoff games played by players on a team (might be a pain to compile data for)
How long the coach has been with the team
Number of goals/points by team's regular season leader
Number of games played by starting goalie during regular season (the Brodeur/Kipper argument of "wearing out" a goalie during the season)
1st round draft picks on the team (drafted by the team or otherwise, your choice)
Number of home-grown players on the team

I like all of these, except the last if you mean literally they are from that city (would take WAY too much time), but if you meant just players playing on the team that developed them, then yes.

A few other 'silly' categories too should be in there. Just gotta wait for the brackets to actually be set...