Watching Two Hockey Players Score in Chicago
A night at the United Center
I went to the fights, and a hockey game broke out.
This dad joke is appropriate because I took my daughter to a hockey game on Monday. She’s home from school because of the weather in Mississippi. It’s freezing. There’s no food, water or electricity where she lives. So, she came north and wanted to see guys chase a puck on ice. How could I say no?
It wasn’t just any game. The Chicago Blackhawks played the San Jose Sharks, which meant two of the leagues cutest, I mean most talented, young stars would be at the United Center.
It was an easy game to enjoy. The Hawks’ Connor Bedard scored the first goal on a quick shot from an angle. The home team took a three-game lead, so you felt there was a good chance we’d see a win.
Macklin Celebrini, the Sharks’ phenom, also scored a goal, so we got our money’s worth. The Sharks kept the score close enough so the game never became a laugher. That tension about how the next goal could change the game was present all evening.
The Hawks did indeed win in a high-scoring 6-3 contest. Along the way we saw great shots that just missed, amazing saves by the goalies, slick passes, and other examples of skills demonstrated at high speeds. There were also several thumping hits and yes indeed, a few times it seemed like a fight would break out.
As if that weren’t entertaining enough, whenever the action stopped, there were activities to keep you engaged. Trivia, shoot the puck, a youth hockey relay race, and a singing group meant never being bored.
It’s been a while since I attended a Blackhawks game, but I’ve spent a lot of time at rinks with my daughters. One’s a figure skater; the other played a little hockey. Even though she had her phone in her hand the whole time, I know she enjoyed the game. And I loved the chance to spend a few mostly uninterrupted hours with her.
WANNA BET
It’s not a secret that a lot of gambling goes on during the Super Bowl. A survey from an outfit called Sooth found that 54% of the people who plan to watch the Super Bowl plan to bet on the game. That’s a 27% increase from last year.
That’s good if you’re a bookie, but a problem for everyone else. The survey found that those facing financial difficulties were more than two times as likely to visit gaming sites, and four times more interested in online betting. Those folks also play the lottery and see this type of betting as more of a way to supplement income instead of a source of entertainment.
So, as we get closer to the big game, let’s remember the old slogan: bet with your head, not over it.
PUT A RING ON IT
The Olympics are also getting underway, and women athletes will be in the spotlight.
A survey from Parity conducted with SurveyMonkey found that women’s events are at least as popular in 10 of the 15 sports that have both genders participating.
The most popular event is women’s figure skating, which is 15 percentage points more popular than men’s figure skating.
Among adults who are excited about the games, 25% plan to follow more women’s events this year than in the past.
“Across countries, across sports, and across metrics, we’re seeing the same story: women’s events are holding their own, with women athletes leading fan anticipation,” said Risa Isard, director, research and insights at Parity. “It’s clear that women’s sports are central to how audiences experience the Games. This research gives the industry a concrete view of how fans and casual viewers alike are already treating women’s sports like marquee events. The opportunity now is for brands, sponsors, and the broader ecosystem to match that energy with equitable investment and visibility.”
SLAM DUNK
What happens when, instead of NFL football, NBC airs an NBA game in primetime on Sunday night? The answer is big numbers for basketball.
The first Sunday Night Basketball game–Knicks-Lakers– drew 4.5 million viewers. That’s the biggest regular season NBA audience this season. The second game of the doubleheader between the Thunder and the Nuggets had 2.9 million viewers, a record for the timeslot.
It’s not even close to the 20 million plus who regularly tuned in for Sunday Night Football, but still good for the NBA and probably for NBC.
NBC will be continuing to push sports on Sunday nights all year round with Sunday Night Baseball coming in the spring.
NOTE: Sorry this newsletter is a couple of days late. It's been a busy week. Regular readers will get a 35% discount on this issue. Thanks for reading.
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