A new poll, brought to us by Puck Daddy, has some surprising results. According tot he poll, hockey is just as popular in the United States as basketball. The new Harris poll on American Sports continues a few trends. First, football, as expected is the most popular sport in America. The lad for football is not even close over baseball and is growing.
For two months every year, sports fans have to make a decision – watch football or baseball on Sundays? Based on the numbers of Americans who say it’s their favorite sport, one would have to assume that football wins hands down. Over one-third of adults who follow at least one sport (36%) say professional football is their favorite sport while just 13% say baseball is their favorite. The gap between the two sports has widened in the past year – last year 31% said pro football was their favorite while 17% said baseball was their favorite sport.
To say that we actually believe hockey is just as popular as basketball in general is to stretch the figurse to proportions that just are not realistic. But it does tell you what people think of the NBA.
But insofar as the popularity of hockey vs. basketball … OK, it’s a bit of wishful thinking to say pucks are as popular as roundball. The more accurate headline might have been: “Don’t tell ESPN, but new poll finds hockey as popular as basketball in U.S. (in that they’re both not as popular as football)”
Every metric from TV ratings to gate attendance to national media attention to star power tips in the favor of pro hoops. And while the Stanley Cup Playoffs are, in our completely biased opinion, the greatest annual tournament in sports, there are probably a few more March Madness brackets in circulation inside U.S. offices than Stanley Cup fantasy pools.
So while hockey has as many “favorites” as basketball, the evidence points to basketball being more popular — be it pro, college or on a participatory level.
The point, however, is that hockey is in the national sports conversation while some media consider it an afterthought.
That result really is not all that suprising. The National Football League, even though most of us fans nit pick the No Fun reference, remains the big daddy of TV sports for Americans. You can tell just walking around your town, malls, restaurants, wherever — you more than likely see more NFL jersey than any other sport, even more so among females.
The fact is, for the NBA, MLB, and NHL, the NFL simply rules. Period.
The new Harris poll also points to either the fact basekattball popularity is diving or hockey is growing. We can answer that. The fact is, pro basketball populaitry has dived and hockey has increased modestly. From a high of 13% in 1997 and 1998, in 2011 pro basketball popularity has fallen to just 5%. Meanwhile, hockey was fluctuating between 3 and 4% and in 2011 is up to 5%.
So there you go. A combination of both explanations. Eitherway, professional basketball and hockey are simply no where close tot he big day of American sports, pro football. Nor is baseball.
If you are a football fan, you knew that. If not a fan, get over it.
The Washington Nationals have signed former Philadelphia Phillies reliever Brad Lidge to a one-year deal.
Due to a shoulder injury, Lidge appeared in just 25 games last season in which he posted a 0-2 record with a 1.40 ERA. He struckout 23 batters in 19.1 innings. In 2010, Lidge posted a 2.96 ERA with 27 saves. Lidge posted 31 saves in 2009 and 41 in 2008. In 10 seasons, Lidge has posted 223 saves with a 26-31 record and a career ERA of 3.44. In a total of 594 caeer innings, Lidge has recorded 798 strike outs.
Lidge has a a very good career, but at this point, the Nationals are taking a risk on his health. Regardless, with Drew Storen ste as closer and Tyler Clippard as setup, the role Lidge will assume in the bullpen is unclear.
According to Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports, despite adding Gio Gonzalez and introducing him to DC fans today, the Nationals may still maintain interest in veteran free agent Roy Oswalt.
Still, other clubs remain interested in Oswalt, including the Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers, sources say. The Nationals, even after acquiring left-hander Gio Gonzalez, value Oswalt’s veteran presence and stuff.
The top three of the rotation are set with Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg, and Jordan Zimmermann. Fighting for the final rotation slots are John Lannan, Ross Detwiler, and Chien-Ming Wang. At this point, I find it hard to believe the Nationals have anything more than a passing, lazy type interest. Lannan seems almost certain to be the fourth starter, leaving Detwiler and Wang to battle for the fifth slot. Wang would likely have the advantage. Barring any trades, perhaps for a center fielder that would include one of those starters, a Oswalt deal makes little sense.
Newly acquired P Gio Gonzalez arrived in Washington to be officially introduced as the newest addition tot he Washington Nationals starting pitching staff, that includes youngsters Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann. Gonzalez, fresh off a trade that saw the Nationals dump four of their top promising prospects, boasts a new five year contract extension that places him in the upper pert of the Nats rotation through 2018. Gonzalez’s deal includes both a club option for 2017, and a player option for 2018, which could make it worth $65.5 million over seven seasons.
Photo by Andrew Harnik, Washington Times
Gonzalez is excited to be part of the Nationals. It hit Gio the hardest when he attended the Washington Capitals 5-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.
“[Tuesday], it hit me that I was home,” he said. “When I was at the Capitals game and I got all the love in the world from all the fans, I think it sets a tone that we’re ready, we’re going to come out here swinging for the fans and we’re definitely going to go out there and try to shut teams down. I think this is a great opportunity and a great organization to do it with. … I think I’m going to be here and I’m going to be happy for a while.”
Gonzalez is also excited to join the likes of youngsters Strasburg and Zimmermann.
“They wanted a young, core team, and I thought it was an honor. To go out there and be part of that rotation, I look at it, with the offense and the defense that we have, we’re going to be around for quite a while. Hopefully, we can get this championship out of the way and try to get a couple more while I’m still here. I get to study off those guys every night.”
You gotta love the attitude he brings to the Nationals. But, the young pitchers are not the only thing that Gio is excited about with joining these Washington Nationals. Gio is looking forward to establishing a long term relationship with another youngster on the Nats, C Wilson Ramos.
“I heard [Ramos] was fantastic. I heard you could close your eyes, he’ll call the game and you could feel comfortable,” Gonzalez said before turning lighthearted. “That’s definitely the kind of catcher I love to have. I always quote off [Miami Marlins pitcher] Mark Buehrle– ‘If I give up a home run, it’s the catcher’s fault.’ That’s the goal I want to go with. We’re both going to do our homework. We’re both going to study the team. No pressure on him, but it’s on you buddy.”
With Strasburg and Zimmermann, Gonzalez gives Washington a powerful 1-2-3 punch in the rotation. As we posted in a prior article, the Nationals starting rotation is ranked in the top 10 by ESPN. Battling for the final two starting slots will be John Lannan, Ross Detwiler, and Chien-Ming Wang.
Mathieu Perreault: It was an eventful week for the diminutive Caps forward, who has stepped up big time in the absence of Swedish center Nicklas Bäckström. Perreault, who stands at around 5’8″, 170 pounds, took 10 shots, recorded a +5, spend four minutes in the box, scored four goals, added two assists, averaged over 13 minutes of ice time, recorded his first NHL hat-trick, and even managed to high-stick Zdeno Chara, who is a good 13 inches taller, in the face. That has to be worth a thumbs up…
Roman Hamrlik: Defenseman Roman Hamrlik continued his impressive play under Dale Hunter. Having been starved for points so far this season, Hamrlik added two assists to his totals and was a +2. He continues to help carry the burden of having Mike Green out of the lineup, and is rapidly becoming an invaluable member of the Capitals team.
Alexander Semin: While fans continue to call for the Russian to be traded, winger Alexander Semin is beginning to rack up some pretty impressive numbers. Semin, who has been nothing short of phenomenal of late, scored one goal and added three assists to go along with a plusminus of +3, adding another very good week to what has been an incredible month-and-a-half.
Thumbs Down:
Jason Chimera: Chimera started off the season as the team’s most deadly goalscorer, but has recently relapsed into more of the kind of player Caps fans expected him to be: an offensively limited third-liner with the occasional burst of speed and flair. Chimera, who has 14 goals and eight assists through his 48 games this season, recorded no points this week to go along with a -1 and four penalty minutes. Chimera now has just one goal in the past month.
Brooks Laich: The $6-and-a-half million man, or, as he is perhaps better known, Brooks Laich, scored his ninth goal of the season and recorded a single-game career-high 27.57 of ice time against the Penguins, but unfortunately the negatives of the week outweighed the positives. Not only was Laich was the man who left Evgeni Malkin open to score the overtime winner in the Pittsburgh game, but was also -2 with no points beyond the goal. Laich needs to be better.
In a game where most web discussions shared a smiliar tone, an expectation of low shots on goal and a likely loss, due to the fact the Caps would not have Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mike Green in the lineup, Mathieu Perreault had other ideas. Perreault took over the offensive role vacated by a suspended Ovechkin, putting 5 shots on net and placing three past Bruins net minder Tuukka Rask, to mark his first career hat trick and lead the Capitals to a big 5-3 win over the defending Stanley Cup champ Boston Bruins. The win allowed Washington to head to the All Star break in sole posesession of first place in the Southeast Division, leading the Florida Pantehrs in point, 55-55, with the Caps holding a tie breaker.
Cody Eakin scored his 4th goal of the season to tie the game up early in the second period. Eakin’s goal was stopped by Rask, but a movement by Rask dropped the puck off his shoulder and into the net for the tally. Eakin’s goal was assisted by Joe Ward and Jay Beagle. Perreault notched his first of the night just 41 seconds later on a Caps rush to the net, fed by Alexander Semin to the right of Rask. Perreault buried the puck to give the Capitals a stunning 2-1 lead in a period of 41 seconds. Tyler Sequin scored his 19th of the season at the 12:21 mark of the second period to pull the Bruins back into a 2-2 tie. Two minutes later, Perreault made a nifty steal at center ice and broke away toward Rask and buried a slapper right past Rask to give the Caps the 3-2 lead over the 14 minute mark of the second period. The Caps could not hold the lead, giving up a tally to Brad Marchand past the 17 minute mark to send the game to a 3-3 tie at the end of the second period.
Although the Caps managed only 4 shots on goal in the final frame, 2 of those shots were for goals. Perreault completed the hat trick at the 7:18 mark, landing a Rask rebound in to the net. Perreault’s final tally was solid proof of good things happen to those willing to sit in front of the net. Dennis Wideman buried the final marker with a length of ice empty net goal. It was Wideman’s 9th of the season.
Tomas Vokoun earned the win, stopping 29 of 32 shots. He improved his season record to 20-12.
The Capitals go into the All Star break on a high note, having upended the defending champs at the Verizon Center. The Caps have the NHL’s third best record in the NHL at home, improving to 18-6-2 with the home crowd.
Make no mistake about it, new Maryland basketball head coach Mark Turgeon is a fierce recruiter.
Arriving from Texas A&M, Turgeon took over a Terrapin program that featured only seven scholarship players and a recruiting class that was falling apart at the seams.
Turgeon managed to retain blue chip recruit Nick Faust and find diamond in the rough seven footer Alex Len.
Armed with a nine man rotation for this season, Turgeon is in the process of building an outstanding class for next season. Big man (6-9 270) Shaquille Cleare is a monster low post player and Jake Layman (6-8 190) is a long, athletic small forward that will create matchup nightmares. Cleare and Layman were both invited to the McDonalds All-American game on Wednesday. (Final rosters will be announced on February 9th) Turgeon also added combo guard Seth Allen (6-1 190) who is a big time scorer with NBA three point range.
The Terps have two scholarship seniors, so Turgeon still has three scholarships at his disposal for next year’s class.
Former Head coach Gary Williams, who is being honored at the Comcast Center on Wednesday night, wasn’t as passionate about recruiting and McDonald’s All-American recruits have been few and far between. Maryland has had 13 McDonald’s All-Americans, but only two (Travis Garrison and Mike Jones) since Keith Booth back in 1993.
Tom Blaz is Chief Editor of DC PRO and co-owner of The Recruiting Eagle a website focusing on Auburn University Athletics.
Former free agent first baseman Prince Fielder signed with the Detroit Tigers today, agreeing to a contract worth $214 million over nine years. That averages outo $23.7 million per season and I have to think he could buy up most of downtown Detroit with that contract. I can’t see him wanting to buy up downtown Detroit. Just sayin’…
Rumors about Fielder signing with the Washington Nationals have swirled for months, but, as we’ve discussed, signing Fielder would likely mean not keep other key parts of the team, such as Ryan Zimmerman. The Nationals made sure they will have some pop at first base when they re-signedMichael Morse, an outfielder who can also play first base, on January 20.
So, congratulations to Fielder. He got an enormous contract and unless he’s got the business sense ofLenny Dykstra, he should be set for life. Meanwhile, the Nats are still looking for another big bat in the middle of the lineup.
VOTE IN THE MANNING POLL TO THE RIGHT OF THIS STORY
As the Indianapolis Colts rebuild from the top down, is the departure of quarterback Peyton Manning inevitable?
Manning is coming off severe injury yet remains one of the most highly paid players in the NFL.
With the Colts expected to draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the top pick in the NFL draft, what lies ahead for Manning?
Many teams have expressed interest in acquiring Manning, from Phoenix to Miami, and of course right here in Washington DC.
Manning spoke with IndyStar.com about a myriad of issues.
“I’m not in a very good place for healing, let’s say that,” he said, referring to the practice facility. “It’s not a real good environment down there right now, to say the least. Everybody’s walking around on eggshells. I don’t recognize our building right now. There’s such complete and total change.”
As the Colts remove many of the fixtures that Manning is comfortable with, he tries to remember it’s not personal.
“One of the things about football is, it’s a relationship business,” Manning said. “Sometimes guys get fired, it goes across the ticker, ‘Jim Caldwell got fired’ and that’s that. But when it’s every day in a relationship business … with Bill (Polian), with Marvin (Harrison), Edge (James), guys who retire, get cut, traded or fired, it’s just really hard. I don’t think I have an emotion for it.
Manning continues to rehabilitate from injury and is due a 28 million dollar roster bonus in the Spring.
“I mean, it’s 20 degrees, it’s snowing, the building is absolutely empty except when you see coaches cleaning out their offices,” he said. “I guess it’s the reality of the football world, just not something I’ve had to deal with very often. But I’m in there every day, so I have to sit there and see it. Everybody’s being evaluated and I’m no different. It’s not the best environment.
“I just want to pay tribute to all those guys. It’s unfortunate because so many of them have been such a big part of so many big wins here, and this is so … sudden. Their keys didn’t work the next day. There’s no other way to do it? I don’t know. That’s hard to see, all these people leaving.
“And I may be behind them. Who knows?”
For now, Peyton will cheer on little brother Eli in the Super Bowl, after that, anything is possible.
Tom Blaz is Chief Editor of DC PRO and co-owner of The Recruiting Eagle a website focusing on Auburn University Athletics.
Yahoo’s NBA writer Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting the Washington Wizards have fired Head Coach Flip Saunders 17 games into this lockout-shortened season. The decision to fire Saunders if this report is correct, does not come as a surprise, since the Wizards have lost 15 of those 17 games, often in embarrassing fashion. Seven of those fifteen losses have come by at least 15 points, including the team’s most recent defeat, a 103-83 thrashing in Philadelphia by the 76ers. It was Washington’s third straight loss and they remain the NBA’s only winless team on the road, going 0-7 thus far.
It’s pretty difficult to argue that Flip has not lost this team, though I also find it hard to believe anyone else will do much better. The talent on the team was badly over-estimated by the front office [and quite a few media observers] and most of the players seem to have almost no idea how to play NBA basketball — including some who have been in the league for years.
Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports lead assistant head coach Randy Wittman will take over as head coach on an interim basis. Don Zierden and former NBA star Sam Cassell are also assistant coaches with the team. Wittman, who was drafted by the Washington Bullets in 1983, but never played with the team, has previous NBA head coaching experience, going 4-19 with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2007. He was eventually fired and replaced by Kevin McHale.
Saunders was hired as the team’s 22nd head coach on April 22, 2009, but failed to create a winner in Washington. That failure is understandable, of course, since the team he took over had a poor roster and it hasn’t improved much, if at all, since. In fact, the roster today is worse than the one Saunders inherited, though it is also younger and cheaper. Saunders compiled a 51-130 record with the Wizards in more than two years. Ryan Saunders, the son of the head coach, is also an assistant with the team, though he will presumably depart with his father.
It is unclear if or how GM Ernie Grunfeld will keep his job after all this.
Make no mistake, Redskins Nation wants Robert Griffin III.
With quarterback problems deeper than the national debt, Dan Snyder and company need to address the position, sooner than later.
The Redskins currently hold the 6th pick in the NFL draft, not likely high enough to draft the Baylor superstar.
What will it take to move up in the draft to get Griffin? To be certain, the Redskins probably need to move up to the second pick overall. That pick is owned by St.Louis and would probably command a pair of first and second round picks just as a starting point.
Indianapolis selects first and will without a doubt draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
How good is Griffin? The Heisman Trophy winner completed more than 70% of his passes for nearly 4300 yards and 37 touchdowns.
Griffin is also mobile, rushing for nearly 700 yards and 10 touchdowns. Most importantly, Griffin threw only six interceptions.
For a detailed scouting report, we seek the expertise of Cory Bonini with KFFL.com.
Strengths
Very intelligent – currently working on his master’s degree
Smart with the football – one interception per 70 attempts at Baylor
Extremely athletic – may be the best athlete regardless of position
Productive through the air and on the ground
World-class speed
Stands tall in the pocket and is willing to take a hit
Alexander Ovechkin has been suspended three games for leaving his feet to hit Pittsburgh defenseman Zbynek Michalek in Sunday’s matinee game.
The incident, which occurred at the 4.03 mark of the second period in Pittsburgh 4-3 overtime victory, consists of Ovechkin racing after Michalek along the boards, “launching” himself at his opponent, and “making contact with his head.”
Brendan Shanahan, the Vice President of the Department of Player Safety who doled out the suspension, claims that the hit delivered by the Capitals captain is “a violation of the charging rule.” (Rule 42)
A minor or major penalty shall be imposed on a player who skates into or jumps into or charges an opponent in any manner.
Shanahan also notes in his suspension clarification video that Ovechkin has previously been suspended twice in his NHL career.
Zbynek Michalek was not injured on the play, and in fact had his own hearing earlier today after he elbowed Caps forward Matt Hendricks just 4:33 later. Michalek was not suspended for his (let’s face it) dirtier hit.
The Redskins moved today to fill the two remaining coaching vacancies on the team, hiring former New York Giants wideout Ike Hilliard to coach wide receivers and moving Bob Slowik from secondary coach to linebackers coach, according to ESPN 980 radio. Hilliard replaces Keenan McCardell, who was drafted by the Redskins more than 20 years ago and was fired by Head Coach Mike Shanahan last week. Slowik replaces former linebackers coach Lou Spanos, who left Washington to become defensive coordinator of the UCLA Bruins.
Hilliard, 35, played 12 years in the NFL, mostly with the New York Giants, before spending last season as an assistant receivers coach with the Miami Dolphins. Slowik makes the move to linebackers coach because the Redskins hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Raheem Morris to coach the secondary last week. Morris took the place of Slowik and safeties coach Steve Jackson, who was fired.
INJURY UDPATE: On an unrelated note, Mike Shanahan announced today that injured SS Laron Landry, who finished the season on injured reserve for the second straight year, will not have surgery on his left Achilles Tendon.
I was a guest of Bruce DePuyt on NewsTalk on NewsChannel 8 this morning to discuss the NFL Championship games, the Super Bowl and the death of Joe Paterno. The sports talk starts at 30:20 and continues to the end of the show. Have a look.
Well, the long awaited news that Washington Nationals fans have been waiting for is upon us. At this point, the Nationals and the face of their franchise, Ryan Zimmerman, have opened discussionsaimed at a contract extension for Zimmerman.
The two sides have been working together to reach an agreement on a long term deal for the past several years. The Nationals have said publically that they consider Zimmerman to be the cornerstone of their young franchise, but that the two sides still needed to hash out terms of a long term deal.
Currently Zimmerman, 27, is under contract through the 2013 season and will earn an average $12.5 million annual salary. Rosenthal reports that the club may look to scrap his old deal and sign him to a brand-new six-year contract that would keep him in Washington into his early 30’s.
The 4th overall pick of the 2005 MLB Daft has a current deal through the 2013 season. Zimmerman has long been the face of the franchise since the day he was drafted. The 27 year old third baseman had a monster year in 2009, batting .292 with 33 home runs and 106 runs driven in, good enough to be named to the National League All Star team. Since then, Zimmerman has suffered some injury time, most recently missing 61 games last season.
Zimmerman was the big start to the rebuilding of the old Expos and the current Nationals. Since then, the Nationals have added Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper as first overall picks. The Nats also hit a home run in drafting P Jordan Zimmermann second in the draft. At some point, the Nationals will need to think about contract deals with Strasburg and Zimmermann. The Nationals are near set to compete in the National League East and took another major step toward division comptitiveness with the signing of 26 year old pitcher Gio Gonzales to solidify their starting rotation. The Nats agreed two weeks ago to a contract extension for Gonzales through the 2017 season. Last week the Nationals agreed to a two year contract extension for 1B/OF Mike Morse. Naturally, fans are asking, when is Zim’s deal?
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