04/16/24
March 10, 2003
Field hockey ain't just for girls.: I mean, you're talking about a hard-ass ball flying at you while you run around with shin-guards, a ballguard ("cup") and mouthpiece (and maybe even one padded glove) as protection. Other countries that have prominent national ice hockey teams (e.g., Russia, other Euro teams) also field men's teams internationally. Why is this not the case in the U.S.? How come it got relegated to a women's sport in the States? How come England keeps coming up with sports that India and Pakistan can humiliate it with?
posted by worldcup2002 to hockey at 05:05 PM - 11 comments
Plus, there's lacrosse which is some bit cooler, on a macho level. I say this coming from the MidWest where there is no lacrosse, but I've seen enough of the NCAA tourney's to know what's what. It seems like a valid version of male (hetero, testosterone influxed) field hockey.
posted by Ufez Jones at 01:24 AM on March 11, 2003
justgary: Competition? I don't see that as a proper reason. There are as many popular sports in Europe as there are in the USA. Soccer is struggling for attention in the USA for the same reason American football is struggling for attention in Europe - there's just very little demand for it.
posted by salmacis at 04:16 AM on March 11, 2003
I'd love to see some statistical info, kinda like some of the numbers in the Nascar article, about TV viewership and/or stadium attendance comparing the NBA, NHL, NFL, Nascar, MLS, MLS. Any sports biz people with access to this info?
posted by worldcup2002 at 09:54 AM on March 11, 2003
It's hard to garner support for a sport that kids never play here. Soccer has become much more popular (comparatively) as the kids who played pick-up games or on high-school teams grew into adults. The problem with US field hockey (or Cricket or Curling or Biathlon, etc.) is that kids don't do this stuff, and grow up to be adults who aren't interested in it.
posted by Samsonov14 at 09:56 AM on March 11, 2003
justgary: Competition? I don't see that as a proper reason. There are as many popular sports in Europe as there are in the USA. Well, I'll be the first to admit I don't have my finger on the pulse of europe's sports scene. I have done quite a bit of travelling however, and I found quite a difference. Turn on the tv in the US this weekend and golf, boxing, basketball (college and pro), spring baseball, tennis, billiards, arena football etc etc are just some of my choices. I didn't find that type of thing in europe. Regardless, I didn't mean it as a comparison with europe. I'll still stick with my competition theory, and that goes for any sport vying for US attention. With so many entertainment choices and with long established entities such as the NBA struggling for attention I don't envy any new sports trying to break into the US attention span. Soccer is struggling for attention in the USA for the same reason American football is struggling for attention in Europe - there's just very little demand for it. Soccer was probably a bad example on my part, though competition with sports long popular in the US is certainly a roadblock to its popularity. There are certain many other reasons soccer has had a hard time in the US, a topic that deserves its own discussion.
posted by justgary at 08:29 PM on March 11, 2003
justgary said: There are certain many other reasons soccer has had a hard time in the US, a topic that deserves its own discussion. Did it! Here and here.
posted by worldcup2002 at 12:31 AM on March 12, 2003
Exactly.
posted by justgary at 08:05 PM on March 12, 2003
I'm sorry I didn't see this link earlier, but here's an idea of why men don't play the sport much. When I was in high school, our JV baseball team played a game against the varsity girls' field hockey team. What in God's name prompted me to volunteer to play goal I have no idea, but here's the nub: crook of stick planted firmly in crotch by angry girl, who then scores game winner. Oof. As for the soccer/footie parallel, just admit it, folks — Americans don't have the patience for a game that can go long periods of time without scoring. Put this on the beach with Baywatch chicks, though ... and you have a guaranteed TV contract. Man, what a buncha pigs we are.
posted by wfrazerjr at 10:28 AM on March 14, 2003
crook of stick planted firmly in crotch by angry girl, who then scores game winner. Oof. Worst still: Penalty corner driven like a mofo straight into your crotch. Or your face (only goalies wear masks). You obviously weren't wearing a cup. ;-) I also woulda tripped her (just dive and take out her legs with any part of your body; you were, erm, "just going for the ball.") before she could move the stick. But, yes, ouch.
posted by worldcup2002 at 11:38 AM on March 14, 2003
Here's the exact sequence, cup (how appropriate!): she comes in, I come out to cut the angle, she dekes and gets me leaning forward, 5-holes me and follow through into the groin, then extracts the sticks and finishes behind me. Nutmegged by a girl in HS ... the pain still lingers.
posted by wfrazerjr at 01:09 PM on March 14, 2003
Why is this not the case in the U.S.? Competition. Too many sports vying for america's attention. Soccer/football is still struggling for attention in the US after all these years. I don't see field hockey being more than a niche sport here any time in the near future.