Sprint Center might get a team thanks to Seattle

[ChiefsCountry]

http://newsok.com/article/3222014/

Looks like the league might expand to Seattle when the Sonics bolt to OKC. Kansas City might be the choice as an expansion partner.

[stlchiefs]

If you build it they will come :shake:

Thanks Boots, you jackass

[chasedude]

I was a bit young to remember why the Kings left KC, anyone know the reason?

[ChiefsCountry]

I was a bit young to remember why the Kings left KC, anyone know the reason?

NBA wasnt the league it is now - Jordan was coming on right at that time plus Kemper, well Kemper was Kemper.

[hawkchief]

NBA - No thanks.

[Messier]

NBA - No thanks.


What other sport would you want? NHL - I almost threw up in my mouth a little.

[ArrowheadHawk]

What other sport would you want? NHL - I almost threw up in my mouth a little.Rep. Hockey is almost as bad as soccer and girls basketball.

[ChiefsCountry]

Hockey is the best sport to see live in person. Nothing is even close.

[eazyb81]

What other sport would you want? NHL - I almost threw up in my mouth a little.

Hockey is awesome if you have a local team that you can follow and attend games.

Watching it on tv doesn't do it justice, and they don't have the major superstars to draw interest if you don't have a dog in the fight.

[Thig Lyfe]

Hockey is awesome if you have a local team that you can follow and attend games.

Watching it on tv doesn't do it justice, and they don't have the major superstars to draw interest if you don't have a dog in the fight.

I could definitely get into hockey if I had a team to follow. Maybe even more so than basketball.

[ArrowheadHawk]

I could definitely get into hockey if I had a team to follow. Maybe even more so than basketball.
I see it the other way around. I would get into the NBA more if there was a team in KC.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Rep. Hockey is almost as bad as soccer and girls basketball.I totally get KU fans not enjoying fast, skillful athletes playing a game with non-stop action and violence. I wouldn't expect the tea and crumpet crowd to enjoy hockey.

[ArrowheadHawk]

I totally get KU fans not enjoying fast, skillful athletes playing a game with non-stop action and violence. I wouldn't expect the tea and crumpet crowd to enjoy hockey.:spock: What is a crumpet?

[stlchiefs]

I'd take the NHL over the NBA any day. I haven't watched an NBA game since the 1990s. I love hockey though. But I'm also stuck in St. Louis and have no way to support either one.

[ArrowheadHawk]

I'd take the NHL over the NBA any day. I haven't watched an NBA game since the 1990s. I love hockey though. But I'm also stuck in St. Louis and have no way to support either one.Don't you have the Blues?

[KCFalcon59]

What other sport would you want? NHL - I almost threw up in my mouth a little.

NFL would be nice....oh wait.

**** you He:cuss:rm!!!!

[BWillie]

If Kansas City got a NBA team, I would rent a loft, move downtown and get season tickets. It would be awesome. I don't know if expansion is good for the NBA right now, it sure wasn't good for the NHL.

[Fish]

Hockey is the best sport to see live in person. Nothing is even close.

QFT at a higher volume...

[aturnis]

Why would the NBA expand? No one watches the teams they have now. I live in lowly Cedar Rapids, IA, we've got a minor league hockey team, and even those games rock! Watch a fast paced high impact sport, drink beer and curse. What could be better? I've had 30-40 yr. old women come up to me after games on many occasions and tell me that I need to come more often. For some reason they like it when I scream obscenities in front of their children.

Go RoughRiders!

[Messier]

The problem with hockey is no one, and I mean no one watches it. The Stanley Cup Finals last year got a 1.6 rating. That is mind blowingly bad. Hockey is a dying sport. It's the truth.

[Messier]

To be fair NBA doesn't do a whole lot better, but it has superstars that people want to see, and has a possibility of climbing out of the sewer of ratings, but NHL is in some sort of sub-basement sewer system of ratings.

[Mr. Arrowhead]

Its totally diferent when you have a team to follow, i really wasnt all that into the NBA, until about 5 or 6 years ago, i went to a Dallas Maverick game in Dallas, i became hooked instantly. I watch the games and i get into the game emotional like a chiefs game. Its just alot different when you have players and a team to follow

[Reaper16]

What other sport would you want? NHL - I almost threw up in my mouth a little.
Anyone else see the irony considering the username of the quoted poster?

[DaFace]

The problem with hockey is no one, and I mean no one watches it. The Stanley Cup Finals last year got a 1.6 rating. That is mind blowingly bad. Hockey is a dying sport. It's the truth.

I have no idea if that's correct or not, but I doubt most hockey fans care. It's a ton of fun to watch, and a sport doesn't have to be popular to be enjoyable.

[Mr. Arrowhead]

personally I have been to live Hockey games, and i was bored out of my mind. IMO Hockey sucks ass

[KCChiefsMan]

NBA > MLB

[beach tribe]

Went to a few Panthers games this year because the stadium is pretty much walikng distance from my house. Had a great time.

Tried to watch them on TV. Almost impossible.

[Reerun_KC]

WTF is Hockey? I thought it died several years ago...

People still watch it?

[Bearcat]

The problem with hockey is no one, and I mean no one watches it. The Stanley Cup Finals last year got a 1.6 rating. That is mind blowingly bad. Hockey is a dying sport. It's the truth.

That's all Gary Bettman's fault. He could die a thousand deaths by a thousand papercuts with peroxide and salt and tears of children in the cuts while being on fire with his limbs being fed into a woodchipper and his balls being slowly nibbled on by rats with broken glass in their mouth and I'd be like "we're stopping at 1000? WTF?".

But, I digress.

The NHL still does well at the gate....

Teams with 100% attendance:
NBA: 8
NHL: 11 (5 in Canada)

90%-99.5%
NBA: 9
NHL: 7

NHL: Every team is over 80%
NBA: 7 teams under 80%, two under 70%


Totals are about the same, again in the NHL's favor, since obviously they're usually in the same arena.

[Sully]

This is disappointing news.

The NHL would thrive here. The NBA would draw for a few yeears and fade into Brigade territory.

[OnTheWarpath15]

That's all Gary Bettman's fault. He could die a thousand deaths by a thousand papercuts with peroxide and salt and tears of children in the cuts while being on fire with his limbs being fed into a woodchipper and his balls being slowly nibbled on by rats with broken glass in their mouth and I'd be like "we're stopping at 1000? WTF?".

But, I digress.

The NHL still does well at the gate....

Teams with 100% attendance:
NBA: 8
NHL: 11 (5 in Canada)

90%-99.5%
NBA: 9
NHL: 7

NHL: Every team is over 80%
NBA: 7 teams under 80%, two under 70%


Totals are about the same, again in the NHL's favor, since obviously they're usually in the same arena.

Great post.

I'd love to meet someone who's attended a NHL game (not this minor league bullshit) and come away disappointed.

[Bearcat]

Great post.

I'd love to meet someone who's attended a NHL game (not this minor league bullshit) and come away disappointed.

I've gone to one and loved it... it was a Wild game in Minneapolis, which helped (not that I like the Wild, but the atmosphere was great). I went to several UNO (that's the University of Nebraska-Omaha ;) ) games this year and loved it. I have a hard time getting into minor leage hockey, too, but college hockey is a blast.

[KCChiefsMan]

This is disappointing news.

The NHL would thrive here. The NBA would draw for a few yeears and fade into Brigade territory.

I doubt that because even if your team sucks, people will show up when the Cavs, Lakers, Celtics and other great teams with stars come into town. It doesn't really matter to me which city gets a team because I'm moving back to my home state next month...Massachusetts and I've always been a huge Red Sox/Celtics fan because I grew up there in the 80's, the Larry Bird, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens era. Good thing I never became a fan of the NFL until I moved to Kansas and fell in love with the Chiefs. lol

[smittysbar]

I would support a NBA team, but would care less about a NHL team. It might be fine to watch live, but it sucks ass on the tube.

[DaFace]

I've gone to one and loved it... it was a Wild game in Minneapolis, which helped (not that I like the Wild, but the atmosphere was great). I went to several UNO (that's the University of Nebraska-Omaha ;) ) games this year and loved it. I have a hard time getting into minor leage hockey, too, but college hockey is a blast.

I've actually enjoyed even the minor leagues stuff here and there. It's not hear as fun as NHL games are, of course, but at less than half the price, it's fun for a random evening with nothing else going on.

[TEX]

Great post.

I'd love to meet someone who's attended a NHL game (not this minor league bullshit) and come away disappointed.

Where should we meet? I've attented several in Dallas and Boston. I have yet to enjoy one. Way too long and not enough scoring. The NBA is far more entertaining. Just my opinion.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Why would the NBA expand? No one watches the teams they have now. I live in lowly Cedar Rapids, IA, we've got a minor league hockey team, and even those games rock! Watch a fast paced high impact sport, drink beer and curse. What could be better? I've had 30-40 yr. old women come up to me after games on many occasions and tell me that I need to come more often. For some reason they like it when I scream obscenities in front of their children.

Go RoughRiders!Blackhawks>RoughRiders. See you Saturday!

[Sully]

I doubt that because even if your team sucks, people will show up when the Cavs, Lakers, Celtics and other great teams with stars come into town. It doesn't really matter to me which city gets a team because I'm moving back to my home state next month...Massachusetts and I've always been a huge Red Sox/Celtics fan because I grew up there in the 80's, the Larry Bird, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens era. Good thing I never became a fan of the NFL until I moved to Kansas and fell in love with the Chiefs. lol

Here are my theories, which I've posted before...
1) Once someone becomes a hockey fan, they are absolutely hooked. Hockey fans are more like college sports fans than any other pro sport. It doesn't translate well to TV, and no matter how much tinkering Bettman does, it never will. Continuous sports just aren't great for TV viewing.
2) We are in a pretty much saturated basketball market. If we get a team that isn't a perennial playoff winning team (not just sneaking in), then, IMO, fans will just go to the alternative, either their favorite college team (for those with allegiances) or whichever team is hot that year. See Charlotte.
3) Hockey is a game of hard work, skill, the teamwork of 12-15 guys every night, and grittiness. The NBA is (mostly) about the flashiness and playmaking of one or two guys per team. This city would absolutely love the grittiness and classiness of an NHL team. I liken this to the Schottenheimer era vs the Vermiel era. Neither one got us very far, but the hard nosed defense of the Schottenheimer years will long be remembered (till the Chiefs win a championship) as the glory (post 1970) years of the Chiefs, and the flashy Vermiel years will just be remembered for a few plays here and there, and a few star players. To me, it's a perfect parallel for the comparison between the NHL and NBA.

All that said, whichever we get (I pray it's NHL), will have to have some success in the first 3 years, or either will ultimately fail.

[JBucc]

I think the NBA is is pretty good shape right now. They've done a good job the last few years of shedding the "thug" image with young stars and Europeans coming in and taking over.

I don't know about an expansion team succeeding in KC though.

[KcMizzou]

I would support a NBA team, but would care less about a NHL team. It might be fine to watch live, but it sucks ass on the tube.Same here. I'm just not a hockey fan. I don't know a thing about it, really.

Basketball's a different story. I'm not big on the NBA. (I was into the Pacers back in the 90's) I already like basketball, though. If KC had a team, I'd get into it pretty quickly.

Hockey would be more difficult. I'd be starting from the ground floor, so to speak.

[gta0012]

Went to a Jersey Nets game and many Sixers games. A couple of times i have left early because i was bored.

Only Hockey game i EVER, and i have been to countless Flyers games, was when my Girlfriend suprised me on valentines day with Flyers tickets (****ing awesome GF by the way haha)

The atmosphere just wasn't as exciting as it usually was. But still so much more enjoyable to watch in person than NBA games.

Has a lot to do with what sport you like though.

KcMizzou i guarentee that if KC got a hockey game and people started venturing out of there sports comfort zones it would get very popular. It is a very fast paced exciting game to watch!

[KCwolf]

Here are my theories, which I've posted before...
1) Once someone becomes a hockey fan, they are absolutely hooked. Hockey fans are more like college sports fans than any other pro sport. It doesn't translate well to TV, and no matter how much tinkering Bettman does, it never will. Continuous sports just aren't great for TV viewing.
2) We are in a pretty much saturated basketball market. If we get a team that isn't a perennial playoff winning team (not just sneaking in), then, IMO, fans will just go to the alternative, either their favorite college team (for those with allegiances) or whichever team is hot that year. See Charlotte.
3) Hockey is a game of hard work, skill, the teamwork of 12-15 guys every night, and grittiness. The NBA is (mostly) about the flashiness and playmaking of one or two guys per team. This city would absolutely love the grittiness and classiness of an NHL team. I liken this to the Schottenheimer era vs the Vermiel era. Neither one got us very far, but the hard nosed defense of the Schottenheimer years will long be remembered (till the Chiefs win a championship) as the glory (post 1970) years of the Chiefs, and the flashy Vermiel years will just be remembered for a few plays here and there, and a few star players. To me, it's a perfect parallel for the comparison between the NHL and NBA.

All that said, whichever we get (I pray it's NHL), will have to have some success in the first 3 years, or either will ultimately fail.

Dude.....U nailed it. Lived in KCMO for 22 yrs and saw the Kings & the NBA vanish....moved to the NW where hockey was considered a sport (that I've never seen) and witnessed a game LIVE and thought it was 2nd best sporting event only to NFL. It is a GREAT sport LIVE and the only one that would have a chance to survive in KC. NBA blows, and this is coming from a guy who has a young team with Oden coming in next year. The strike and TV contracts really hurt the NHL...but as far as watching a sporting event LIVE.....NHL will run the NBA out of the building all night long. Bball is HUGE in the Midwest and Hockey is a tough sell.....but given a chance.....a much better experience for the fan.....hope all of U get a chance to watch a NHL game in your lifetime. But for now....Rock Chalk.

[stlchiefs]

Don't you have the Blues?

Yes. I was talking about being in STL I have no way to support any KC team that comes to the Spring Center. At least I can't be a "real fan" under Carl's rules. I'm still coming to terms with rooting for any St. Louis teams.:doh!:

[stlchiefs]

The problem with hockey is no one, and I mean no one watches it. The Stanley Cup Finals last year got a 1.6 rating. That is mind blowingly bad. Hockey is a dying sport. It's the truth.

A big part of the NHLs current problems stems from their TV contract right now. Most games are on OLN or whatever the name of that channel is now. The game is hard to even catch on prime time. If they'd get a decent TV contract w/ a major network again it would really help bring the game back.

[kcchiefsus]

NBA - No thanks.

I'll take whatever sport we can get.

[POND_OF_RED]

Hockey is the best sport to see live in person. Nothing is even close.

You have obviously never attended a world-class curling match.

[keg in kc]

Hockey would be more difficult. I'd be starting from the ground floor, so to speak.I obviously don't know you all that well, but you strike me as somebody who could become a hockey fan. The rules can be a little intimidating at first (what are all these lines on the ice?), but it's a really fast-paced game with a ton of teamwork and a lot of violence (I don't mean fights, necessarily).

The problem I see with a team starting in KC (and this goes for the NBA, as well) is whether or not this market will support the kind of ticket-prices both sports have. We're used to Chiefs (which people still bitch about...) and Royals (you can find insane bargains...) ticket, whereas both hockey and basketball have very high ticket prices in comparison to the NFL and MLB.

I think this could be a problem, especially once the 'newness' wears off (and if they don't win immediately). It's certainly something they'll have to consider if and when a new team arrives at Sprint Center.

[Sully]

As far as scoring goes, a lot of people complain that there isn't enough scoring in the NHL.
I think I read in an Easterbrook column last year that the average score of an NFL game is 21-17. If we say that's conservative, and make it 28-21, that is basically 7 scores per game. The NHL comes very close if not equal to that. A 4-3 game (or even higher) is pretty common.
Besides, I've never thought the be all-end all of sports was scoring. There is so much more to sports than that. I don't mean to sound like one of those people who say, "If you dont like it, it's because you don't understand it." But my enjoyment of the game increased exponentially as I learned the importance of the scrums along the boards, beating a trap, playing great defense a man down, etc. That's my experience, and I think a lot of people would end up being in the same boat.

[Deberg_1990]

Its just alot different when you have players and a team to follow

Agreed. I dont think it matters much if KC gets an NHL team or NBA, people will still support and cheer for them. (as long as they are good??)

[HypnotizedMonkey]

I think it would be sweet if KC got an NBA team.. if the person running the whole thing is not a jackass. *COUGH*
NHL .. eh .. it's just not as cool as basketball.

[Al Bundy]

Anyone else see the irony considering the username of the quoted poster?

I certainly do.. I thought he was just joking at first.