Waning interest in Habs and NHL in general, I think the ads are bothering me more then I thought it would.....

[JianYang]

I think that is just normal. I was more gung-ho about it years ago. Over the years my anger at refs and at losing in general has softened. Hockey is a sport. It's entertainment. Life, your kids, family and a bunch of other things take priority as you get older.

Also watching hockey is a real time suck. Games are around 2.5-3 hours. A few nights a week. I remember when we had that lockout in 2012 for half the season, it felt like I had all this extra time. It was kinda liberating. I have had periods in the past where I have fallen out of the habit of watching the games. One year I was working a lot of evenings. And then because I wasn't in the habit of watching, even when I had free time I was getting interested in other things.

I am not a fan of all the ads in hockey. I honestly think everything was better before everything in life became an advertisement. Years ago there was nothing on the boards at all. Nowadays ads are everywhere. Your computer, your phone. Seems like as time goes on, people just find more and more ways to cram ads and politicial messaging into every inch of our lives. But at the same time I am really good at just shutting them out. So it hasnt really affected my enjoyment.

I actually use hockey time now to practice banjo. I play while watching the game. Or I might also do some exercise. I still enjoy hockey, but it takes up so much time, that I find myself combining it with other stuff.

None of the games go 3 hours anymore

The hurry up faceoffs, less scrums, less whistles took care of that a long time ago.

They used to blow the play dead before when it was pinned along the boards.... Now they just let the clock drain until someone moves it..... And they used to take their sweet time between faceoffs.... And no more brawls also quickened the pace.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I feel the same way. I’m watching the kids, but I’m struggling to stay connected. I’m getting old and like to be sleeping by 10 lol.

 

[sampollock]

I really hate those virtual ads on the board. Sometimes I’m following the puck and those ads are just bothering my vision of the game at the speed they change. I would compare it to a Pop up which is going on the computer, you want to click on « x », but you can’t cause it’s on the tv.

Thing is. change them up during play stoppage. during play is so stupid

 

[Skip Bayless]

 

[OldCraig71]

I feel the same way. I’m watching the kids, but I’m struggling to stay connected. I’m getting old and like to be sleeping by 10 lol.

I feel you, bro.

 

[Dirby Kach]

I'm as into hockey as I ever was - CFL is where i'm waning interest due to a horrible schedule - way too many home and homes.

 

[sharknado]

I love the new adds. But when it's only one add for the whole board.

The RDS stuff is too clunky. You need one big add. Just like in soccer. It's cleaner and more effective.

The soccer adds is easy on teh eyes. It's like a billboard rotating images once in a while. The ads on teh boards are all animated when fast moving arrows and stuff. Really dumb of the agencies thinking that someone watching a hockey game with buddies or at a bar are going to pay attention. What's worse is that most ads are just a logo of a store. So what

 

[Kimota]

Molson is going insane. In 5 years, the Bell Center will look like a Circus. During Habs game on TVA, Guillaume Latendresse will have makeup on and a red nose as the spokesman for Ronald McDonald.

 

[JianYang]

The soccer adds is easy on teh eyes. It's like a billboard rotating images once in a while. The ads on teh boards are all animated when fast moving arrows and stuff. Really dumb of the agencies thinking that someone watching a hockey game with buddies or at a bar are going to pay attention. What's worse is that most ads are just a logo of a store. So what

I think the issue is that the board ads in hockey are technically part of the play, whereas is soccer, the digital ads are out of bounds.

So the hockey ads are inherently going to be more distracting.

 

[River Meadow]

I haven’t even noticed the ads.

Me too

 

[willzyix]

I personally couldn't care less about the ads, but I know I'm in the minority. I just tune that shit out.

The big thing for me is always the quality of the game. The most apathetic I've been as a hockey fan was when they introduced the coaches challenge and there was just so much downtime and reviews for every little thing. It's why I can't stand sports like the NFL. I want to watch the game being played. It's gotten a lot better at that recently, so I'm happy.

That being said, while I was a purist as a teen, I do think the reg season is too long. There's too much meaningless hockey being played. If the season was say 50-60 games a year + playoffs, that would probably be ideal. Hard to care about a Tuesday night game in Dallas in December.

Would never change cause of revenue losses, but would make the regular season a lot more fun IMO.

I do think it's normal to care less as you get older. Habs were my life when I was in high school and CEGEP. Now not so much.

 

[Treb]

I think it's a you (and whoever else is disturbed by this) problem, not an ads problem.

 

[waffledave]

IMO the team is more exciting now than it has been in a very long time.

 

[Garry Valk]

I used to bleed habs, planned my day around game day. Meet up with friends watch game have a good time.
I knew all the players.1st to 4th line.
Last few years... its been in steady decline.

I am more a lurker then a poster now.

The amount of free time I have has been steadily declining and I have been putting more emphasis on other priorities which is eating into my time for the team. Taking care of a two year old. House work, less friends have all pulled away at it however I still could make time If I really wanted so its not necessarily those things in a vacuum.

I found that my love for the sport took a big nose dive due to the previous GM and the direction of the team. We are now looking much better and I am very optimistic about the future with the young core then a few year ago which is more reason to watch. Team is more exciting and its been great watching the kids play.

That being said, I am still having issues falling back into the game. I think the amount of ads/sponsors is having a much more profound effect on my enjoyment of the sports then originally thought, I figured they would blend into the back ground noise of the game ... but that hasn't happened yet.

I find the ads on the jerseys to be annoying, and then amount of sports betting ads that jump into between plays is down right disgusting and totally intrusive. I've even turned the game off after being bombarded by so many in quick succession. I mean I always knew the teams were a business and one of the ways they make money is via ads.

Between the commercials, in game ads, the freaking ads on ice that change, ads on the boards that change, helmets, jerseys its just a bit much for me.

So I ask to you, is anyone else feeling this or am I alone on this one.

Thanks and GHG!

The sports betting ads are gross. They shouldn’t be allowed when kids are watching. It’s going to be a detriment to the game’s reputation long term.

And the sweater ads…ugh.

 

[Prairie Habs]

I dislike the barrage of ads on the helmets, the jerseys, flashing on the boards, etc., but the ones that really get me are the constant gambling ads. It just feels so predatory, especially with inflation how it is. At least if it's some other good or service you might get a tangible benefit out of it. With the gambling they try and hide it as actual content. I guess it can be considered a service if people are looking for a way to just give their money away.

Seeing an intermission where it goes gambling commercials -> studio segment on gambling odds -> gambling commercials, just feels so dystopian.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

I used to bleed habs, planned my day around game day. Meet up with friends watch game have a good time.
I knew all the players.1st to 4th line.
Last few years... its been in steady decline.

I am more a lurker then a poster now.

The amount of free time I have has been steadily declining and I have been putting more emphasis on other priorities which is eating into my time for the team. Taking care of a two year old. House work, less friends have all pulled away at it however I still could make time If I really wanted so its not necessarily those things in a vacuum.

I found that my love for the sport took a big nose dive due to the previous GM and the direction of the team. We are now looking much better and I am very optimistic about the future with the young core then a few year ago which is more reason to watch. Team is more exciting and its been great watching the kids play.

That being said, I am still having issues falling back into the game. I think the amount of ads/sponsors is having a much more profound effect on my enjoyment of the sports then originally thought, I figured they would blend into the back ground noise of the game ... but that hasn't happened yet.

I find the ads on the jerseys to be annoying, and then amount of sports betting ads that jump into between plays is down right disgusting and totally intrusive. I've even turned the game off after being bombarded by so many in quick succession. I mean I always knew the teams were a business and one of the ways they make money is via ads.

Between the commercials, in game ads, the freaking ads on ice that change, ads on the boards that change, helmets, jerseys its just a bit much for me.

So I ask to you, is anyone else feeling this or am I alone on this one.

Thanks and GHG!

That's me also. We are like siamese twins.
But this year they are more interresting to watch. But I hate those boards ads that change.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

Some games I watch the game on and off. There is other stuff on tv or I just practice guitar with the sound very low. I often like to watch Antichambre more than the game. It's like a more cerebral moment of hockey, more intellectual, no camera move and no puck I have to watch to follow the game.

 

[nhlfan9191]

I thought the jersey ad was going to bug me a lot more. It probably will once it starts spreading down the jersey like a cancer. But I can live with that for now. But those board ads are a special kind of bad. I try my hardest not to notice but I just can’t. They’re right in your face and the technology looks cheap and unfinished with players and pucks disappearing into the boards.

As for losing interest. I think it’s normal to lose a little bit of interest when you’re in this stage of a rebuild. There’s no excitement about contending and there’s also no more drama to keep people talking. Bergevin and some other former managers were garbage, but there was never a dull day with them around. Personally, I’m enjoying this temporary peace time. Watching the Leafs meltdown 10 games into the season just reminds me how much I pray we don’t end up back in the situation we were in again anytime soon.

 

[Kojo]

I don't even notice the ads half of the time, it's a mild distraction. What I'm upset about is that the Habs are winning too often.

 

[the valiant effort]

We live in a reactionary society, but the volume of betting ads still blows me away. Canada has long had extensive laws and rules on alcohol/tobacco ads, and betting itself in this country has for my entire lifetime been known and advertised to be a potential life altering vice. Communities all over this country have gone as far as banning things like VLTs. Yet somehow the provinces (Ontario anyway...) just blast us with ad after ad, whether it's during every commercial break or tied in to every game and edition of Sportscenter/Sportscentral. It's nuts.

EDIT: AND there's even that one Fanduel ad that makes light of setting betting limits for yourself. Wtf?!

 

[Belial]

I haven’t even noticed the ads.

Seriously... Aren't you focusing on the puck all the time? Why would someone watch the boards?

I only noticed the digital boards after someone complained here...

 

[Garbageyuk]

I think you should just focus on the players, and the general direction the team is heading in. It’s a very exciting time to be a fan of this team right now. I feel like the potential and hope for the future is better than it’s ever been since I started following (‘98).

The business side of it will always be there, it’s not something you need to pay attention to that much if you don’t want to. Invasive ads are everywhere and not unique to the Habs or NHL, unfortunately. You can tune out what you aren’t interested in. It may take some time to adjust and do that because a lot of it is new to the team, but you’ll get used to it like anything else. There’s a lot to be excited about right now, and I hope you can find your joy and enthusiasm for the team again soon. Cheers.

 

[HabsCowboysOwn]

Can't wait for the day when we'll finally have an holographic version of this masterpiece during the game, who cares about hockey when you can watch seizure inducing tigers and dancing gorillas instead. And that music, wow. Truly mind-blowing (literally).

Get wildz, get more!

 

[Belial]

Can't wait for the day when we'll finally have an holographic version of this masterpiece during the game, who cares about hockey when you can watch seizure inducing tigers and dancing gorillas instead. And that music, wow. Truly mind-blowing (literally).

Get wildz, get more!

The future is definitely a Bell Center VR experience while sitting comfortably on your sofa.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

The pandemic really put a damper on my enthusiasm towards watching sports in general. Maybe its just my age catching up with me, the fact that the team was trash last year, and everything changing so fast - but last year was by far the least I watched of sports in my life. Part of this was relocating to another country where the games start in the early am - but even then there was a time I would have loved to wake up at 6am and watch the game before work, last year I often opted for the extra few hrs of sleep, especially once the league stopped having fans again and then there were a bunch of delays.

This year the enthusiasm is coming back for me though