SI.com’s Adrian Dater wrote this year’s NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs “have been great for the league's health and image after a bruising, controversial regular season.” Tuesday night’s Canucks-Predators game was the “19th OT match of the postseason, and there has been at least one" on 15 of the last 17 nights dating back to April 19. There were “18 extra-session matches in all of last season's playoffs.” U.S. TV ratings, “once the source of cringing embarrassment to the NHL, are now downright respectable, if not good.” In addition, the “advent of social media has also helped the NHL.” Dater: “Not just media poobahs comment on these games, everyone who has a working Twitter or Facebook account can get in on the fun” (SI.com, 5/4).
MEAN GREEN CANUCKS MACHINES: CBSSPORTS.com’s Ray Ratto examined the NHL’s request that two Canucks fans tone down their act under the header, “NHL’s Anti-Green (Men) Stance Borders On Stupidity.” Ratto: “This is silly, bordering on stupid. As often as the league disdainfully tosses aside complaints about things it actually should be worrying about, to get itself knotted about the Green Men makes [NHL Commissioner Gary] Bettman look like a churlish schoolmarm” (CBSSPORTS.com, 5/4).
BOYS OF NOVEMBER? In Milwaukee, Michael Hunt notes with MLB considering playoff expansion, the “question becomes how to keep the baseball season from spilling into November, when the World Series would take massive hits from boredom, football and frostbite for outfielders.” Playing games regularly in November “would be a marketing mistake on the level of new Coke.” With MLB considering expanding the field to 10 playoff teams, Hunt writes 10 is the "ceiling without turning a game of distinction into festival seating.” In addition, MLB must consider “how to take on two extra playoff teams." Hunt: “I wouldn't have the patience for a three-game series leading to three more rounds and doubt that most viewers would” (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 5/6).
LOOKING INTO A MIRROR: Minor League Baseball ended April with an average attendance of 3,817 per game, just one person under the 3,818 per game average for April '10. Much like MLB during the month, rain was a significant issue as MiLB played only 1,508 games, down 3.5% from April last year. The Class A Midwest League alone lost 34 games during the month, up from six in April '10. Because of the lost games and two dormant Mexican League teams due to facility issues, total MiLB attendance fell to 5.76 million during April compared to 5.97 million in the same month last year (Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal).
