>  A "Poll" from the Star Tribune this morning:
>
>  SPORTS POPULARITY LIST America's most popular and unpopular sports, according
>  to a survey by the Sports Marketing Group in Dallas, most UNPOPULAR spectator
>  sports figures in parentheses denote percent of people 18 or older who said
>  they dislike or hate the sport.
>
>  10. Minor league hockey, (31.6)
>  12. College hockey, (31.2)
>  13. Olympic hockey, (30.9)
>  14. NHL hockey, (30.6)
>
>  I wish I knew where this "poll" was taken. Obviously, none of us were polled!
>  If I have time later today, I'll post the whole poll including the most
>  popular list.  NHL Hockey was 40th on the "popular" poll, out of 114.
>
>  Carol White
>  U of M
>  GO Gophers!!!
>
 
I saw this same article in the Star Tribune. I can understand why the sport
is not popular, but I can't understand why 31% of the people would say they
"hate" it. That makes no sense. Maybe people see an NHL fight on the news once
in a while and then categorize all hockey as a bunch of goons.
 
If they took the poll in Duluth, Minn. though I could give you another reason.
The local station there that used to cover the games (KDLH - CBS affiliate) used
to preempt Dallas on Friday nights to show UMD hockey. Back in 1985 and 86 when
the Bulldog's were almost national champions it caused quite a conflict between
Dallas fans and hockey fans (you were either one or the other). I think even
 today
there are people in Duluth who downright hate hockey to this day because of
 that.
 
 
Dean Barker			[log in to unmask]
Cray Research, Inc.		(612) 683-5414