| 30 April 2010
Here is a quick run down of the teams that have won the NBA Championship in the past 25 years: LA Lakers, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, and Miami. The small cities in there are obviously San Antonio and Miami. In the NHL, in that time, we have seen Edmonton, Montreal, Calgary, Pittsburgh, New York, New Jersey, Detroit, Dallas, Colorado, Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Anaheim. Other than New York/New Jersey and Anaheim, the most major of metropolitan areas have been avoided. Those three teams combined to win 4 Cups in the past 24 teams. Los Angeles won 7 in that time in the NBA. Chicago won 6. In the 7 years the Lakers won NBA championships, the NHL saw 5 different Champions.
The NBA is successful commercially because their top teams end up in the largest cities in the country over and over again. But really, it's about a 5 team league, and has been for some time now. Even the smaller market teams that win are enormous towns like San Antonio, or are eminently marketable like Miami. Of course, with the big stars showing up in the top markets, and those big city teams winning every year, the idea that the league is fixed has been circulating and gathering steam.
The NHL, on the other hand, is more exciting for fans of the sport because, obviously, anything can happen. On average the NHL has a different champion for every two years. And they could come from cities like Edmonton or Raleigh. It makes it sound like a genuine league and more competetive. When you watch the games, it isn't a foregone conclusion as it is in the NBA. Isn't that why we watch the game? Because it's fun? And you don't know what's going to happen? If you know what the result will be, you might as well go to a movie.
Of course, with Slapshot, the Mighty Ducks and even Sudden Death, hockey movies are better too.
| Next > |
|---|
