Seasons 2019 and 2020 to start in America

[Captain Apollo]

Is rugby played in winter over in the US?

If so, wouldn't League have some advantage by being an "off-season" alternative to the NFL?

In some parts of the US you'd be ok, but in other parts the climate during spring and summer would be like playing a rugby league game in Perth or Darwin in December - way too hot.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

I'd imagine those locations would be southern ones, but doesn't Florida already play League during the summer? Would it be the same for California and across Texas?

 

[Captain Apollo]

I'd imagine those locations would be southern ones, but doesn't Florida already play League during the summer? Would it be the same for California and across Texas?

Texas? In July, which is the middle of summer, the average top temperatures across Texas are in the mid-high 30 degrees (Celsius) with the average low getting down to the low-mid 20s (which I'd estimate would be late at night). As such I doubt playing outdoors in Texas during summer would be wise.

California has a more varied climate with top temperatures reaching the high 30s, whilst the lows get down to 13 or 14 degrees Celsius in July. Most online resources compare the climate in California as comparable to a Meditteranean climate.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

So, basically, the south is pretty screwed.

How does Florida currently have a team, then? Is the east coast cooler than the west? I've never been to Florida but my impression is that it's just as hot as the rest of the south...?

 

[emesssea]

So, basically, the south is pretty screwed.

How does Florida currently have a team, then? Is the east coast cooler than the west? I've never been to Florida but my impression is that it's just as hot as the rest of the south...?

Oh god no, I'm from Virginia, pretty much in July and August you open the door suck in the humidity, then slam the door and crank up the AC. I live in California know near the coast, no where near as bad (in land gets hot though).

In the summer sports are played at night, but even that isnt always a guarantee, I know DC United has had to push back games by an hour (from 7pm to 8pm) because of the heat.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

So, where in the south actually has a realistic chance of hosting a team during the summer?

 

[emesssea]

So, where in the south actually has a realistic chance of hosting a team during the summer?

Provided the games are at night or indoors (Atlanta, New Orleans), anywhere. Ungodly heat in the summer and freezing cold in the winters are just the reality of the US, some cities have both. Probably why we never had an outdoor sport that runs the course through the entire winter, and no traditional American sport that requires lots of running through the summer.

 

[DC80]

Well said and I loved the Huffington Post article. Thank you for bringing that story to our attention.

No problem.

Articles about baseball dying have been written for well over a 100 years, its actually a joke among baseball fans how often the sport is dying. In my lifetime alone we've been told that the strike in 94 would kill baseball, it didnt; then it was the steroid era that was suppose to kill baseball, it didnt.

https://www.foxsports.com/buzzer/story/baseball-is-dying-proclamations-031215

This link will show how 'baseball is dying' articles are a dime a dozen throughout the history of the game. Baseball is doing just fine. Yes, national tv ratings are down, but the regional networks that cover individual teams are having healthy numbers. And that makes sense, my team the Orioles will play more times than not 6-7 games a week, so if I'm going to watch baseball Im not going to watch a nationally televised game, I'm going to watch my team, thats just how most baseball fans are these days; 40 years ago, I assume most teams didnt have all their games televised, so fans were more apt to watch the national game of the week. If baseball had a format like the NBA (82 games) I'd probably watch watch other games, but if you know anything about baseball youll know 162 Orioles games is torture enough.

Thats one reason the NFL is so popular, the individual games in each sport take about the same time to complete, but being a committed NFL fan takes less of a commitment than being a committed baseball fan. And this is something that could help RL carve out a niche in North America, you can watch a fast paced action packed game in less than 2 hours, well over an hour less than an NFL game, and soccer has shown US tv networks that you can make money off showing sport that doesnt have commercial breaks.

Here’s an interesting article that sees similarities with the lack of household names in modern baseball in the US with rugby league in the UK.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/n...7/may/16/rugby-league-players-bbc-coverage-tv



How many kids could name a rugby league player? Fewer than 20 years ago

“Go there now and even though they play rugby – union and league – I’d be surprised if many of the sports-mad kids would know who George Williams was, or Zak Hardaker, Luke Gale or Ryan Hall. I can’t imagine they could name any England player other than Sam Burgess.

The RFL are trying to make stars of Sam Tomkins and co by getting them on mainstream TV as much as possible, but being in a winning national team on BBC (or ITV) would surely do the most to raise awareness.

The problem is not confined to rugby league or the UK. In the US, research has shown that retired baseball stars are far more recognisable and liked by the public than the current ones. Q Scores measure the appeal and recognition of celebrities and brands.”


A decline in name recognition is very damaging for the sport. Not having houseld names means there isn’t a player(s) for kids to emulate, to buy a jersey with that players name on the back, buy a ball/equipment, go out and play the game and imitate them, or to watch the game on tv. Star names create growth for the sport, lack of names see its decline.

 

[GongPanther]

So why does it have to be Souths V Parra? Or is that what the DT want? If anything,you want the previous years GF winners. At least you'll be guaranteed a quality match.

And I doubt sticking two joke sides of the comp is hardly going to create a ripple. Or is this really more about branding a couple of teams in the U.S. which in reality,won't anyting to promote the code. Hell the Rugby 7's has been held in Vegas for the past 3 years or so. Beyond that,the code hasn't made a dint.

NRL are better off in using the money to promote the game in a more constructive manner than some fantasy chest beating junket.

 

[Captain Apollo]

So why does it have to be Souths V Parra? Or is that what the DT want? If anything,you want the previous years GF winners. At least you'll be guaranteed a quality match.

And I doubt sticking two joke sides of the comp is hardly going to create a ripple. Or is this really more about branding a couple of teams in the U.S. which in reality,won't anyting to promote the code. Hell the Rugby 7's has been held in Vegas for the past 3 years or so. Beyond that,the code hasn't made a dint.

NRL are better off in using the money to promote the game in a more constructive manner than some fantasy chest beating junket.

Only reason Souths and Parra are mentioned is because:

(a) Russell Crowe as part owner of Souths, give them a marketing hook; and
(b) As Jarryd Hayne plays for the Eels, and because he played in the NFL, they hope gives them a similar marketing hook.

Simple as that really.

 

[supercharger]

NHL TV rights in the US (not incl. Canada but we're only talking about US here anyway): $200 million a year.

Major soccer rights:
Liga MX: $110m a year.
MLS: $90m a year.
Champions League: $95m a year.
EPL: $166m a year.
World Cup: $1.2 billion for 2018/2022

The fact that a foreign league in a sport which isn't traditional to the US and with no US teams involved and which airs largely in the mornings has almost as big a TV contract as the NHL says everything you need to know about the NHL.

The NHL average 1.2 million viewers on NBC. Hockey's popularity goes beyond the NHL there is a cultural attachment in its traditional states but it's also growing nationally. There are 1800 indoor rinks and 1000 outdoor rinks and you can see the growth when there is ice for kids to skate on. In Virginia where the capitals have invested and in Florida which has gone from 3 rinks when I was a kid to 26 now.

 

[supercharger]

Did read about ice hockey fans being affluent, still, $200 mill a year from television ain’t much for an established North American sport. It’s not as dire a situation as Rugby league in England though as Super League gets £200 mill from Sky Sports over five years: being a working class northern England sport it struggles to get blue chip companies interested thus a broadcaster will pay less for the rights.

When I say interest in baseball is nosediving I’m not talking from personal experience/observation - bar what my brother has told me about the sport living in Texas. Besides playing an early variation of it as a kid I know next to nothing about baseball except for what is being reported about it today. TV viewing audiences are declining, participation numbers are down, and there are a lack of household names currently playing it. It’s not in the public consciousness as it once was.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-hanby-hudgens/the-decline-of-baseball-a_b_9630782.html

This has echoes of test cricket; 50% of the baseball audience being over 50 years old. I’m not convinced test cricket will survive. Half empty grounds bar the members area full of old blokes. It’s stuck in the Victorian era, life was slower paced when it was created. Five day marathons seem totally out of place in modern society where everything is instant - the article above refers to this issue with baseball. If the trend continues baseball may end up like its early form Rounders where its played as a recreational activity among youngsters.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rounders

I too don’t see Rugby league making inroads in North America in terms of a pro league. Rugby Union has far more resources at hand and their impact has been minimal. The highest form of both - RL and RU world Cups - I don’t think they have ever got much/any attention there. Being collision sports they are good alternatives to those who drop out of Gridiron, but at the same time being collision sports I don’t see them as being enough of a variation of what they see already to pull in a new audience.

The huffington post? baseball isn't dying

 

[supercharger]

Neither of us has argued that MLS was bigger than the NHL, in fact I think we both agree that its not. The evidence you provided doesnt prove Hockey is bigger than soccer in the US. Where DC80 and I feel soccer is the bigger of the two.

The only evidence I have on that is NBC in its contract with the EPL will air 20 matches on its broadcast network, where as if Im reading the details correctly theyll show 17 NHL games on their broadcast network.

Not to mention NBC is the only network that shows the NHL nationally on its channels, where as the EPL is shown nationally on NBC, Bundesliga nationally on Fox, and MLS on both ESPN and Fox. I'm currently watching my 2nd of 3 soccer games today (1 Bundesliga and 2 MLS), on top of the two Bundesliga games I watched yesterday. Hockey fans can only dream of having those kind of options.

No offense, but I think we have a better feel for what sports are bigger in our country than you, much like you will always have better viewpoint on Australian sports than us. Hockey is gradually becoming more and more of a niche sport,and ESPN barely acknowledges it, but they have no problem showing highlights from the EPL, La Liga, and Champions League and has a daily show dedicated to talking soccer.

Nbcsn airs 91 games and you may be surprised to learn how much some people know of the sporting landscape in America. And yes there multiple soccer leagues aired, good for you. Us hockey fans are content with the NHL, there does so happen to be minor league hockey and collegiate hockey televised as well though just FYI.

 

[supercharger]

Sounds promising. I like option one. Outside of the NBA and college basketball not much sporting wise happens in America at this time of the year.

No there's not much happening at that time of year just March madness, spring training, hoops and hockey and the f**king NFL news which never stops. Dope

 

[DC_fan]

No there's not much happening at that time of year just March madness, spring training, hoops and hockey and the f**king NFL news which never stops. Dope

Considering the NCAA Tournament does not start until the middle of the month and the NRL would be played two weeks or more earlier earlier, ‘March Madness’ would not be a factor.

There is not a time during the year when at least one of the big three US sports is not being played. You work around it and make best use of the time chosen. It just so happens that the beginning of March is the best time.

It is loud mouthed ignorant idiots like yourself who have really turned me off this forum.

 

[supercharger]

Considering the NCAA Tournament does not start until the middle of the month and the NRL would be played two weeks or more earlier earlier, ‘March Madness’ would not be a factor.

There is not a time during the year when at least one of the big three US sports is not being played. You work around it and make best use of the time chosen. It just so happens that the beginning of March is the best time.

It is loud mouthed ignorant idiots like yourself who have really turned me off this forum.

Good point.

 

[emesssea]

The NHL average 1.2 million viewers on NBC. Hockey's popularity goes beyond the NHL there is a cultural attachment in its traditional provinces but it's also growing nationally. There are 1800 indoor rinks and 1000 outdoor rinks and you can see the growth when there is ice for kids to skate on. In Virginia where the capitals have invested and in Florida which has gone from 3 rinks when I was a kid to 26 now.

Fixed your post for you.

Born and bred Virginian, we don't care about hockey, even though most of our Navy parents are from the North. Even my Chicago family only cares about the Blackhawks when its playoff times, while the Bulls, Cubs/Sox, and Bears are talked about year round in the house.

 

[supercharger]

Fixed your post for you.

Born and bred Virginian, we don't care about hockey, even though most of our Navy parents are from the North. Even my Chicago family only cares about the Blackhawks when its playoff times, while the Bulls, Cubs/Sox, and Bears are talked about year round in the house.

Not saying Va is a hockey state just that the caps have made some headway. Years ago now but the last time I was in the region the caps were on the front page of the post and they were talking about the growth in Maryland and N. Va

 

[emesssea]

Not saying Va is a hockey state just that the caps have made some headway. Years ago now but the last time I was in the region the caps were on the front page of the post and they were talking about the growth in Maryland and N. Va

Thats fair, but grassroots soccer is miles ahead. In the end hockey is a middle class sport, even in Canada.

I live in Southern California now, I had no idea until coming across it in passing that the Ducks were in the playoffs and still have no idea how the Kings are doing. Despite being an Orioles fan I know how the Dodgers and Angels are doing, and know whats going on in the NBA and NFL despite not watching either. ESPN all but ignores hockey.

 

[emesssea]

No problem.


Here’s an interesting article that sees similarities with the lack of household names in modern baseball in the US with rugby league in the UK.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/n...7/may/16/rugby-league-players-bbc-coverage-tv


.

That makes sense, as I've said watching baseball has become regional. Why am I going to watch the national games when they conflict with Orioles games? I can talk to you all day about the Orioles but can't say much about the Mariners, because I watch the former whenver I can, but rarely see the latter.

Also doesn't help whenever we get an eccentric talent in baseball all the angry old men starting shouting to play the game 'right'