America and Hockey

Living in Chicago, the city's hockey team the Blackhawks are the hot topic in town nowadays. They have gotten at least one point in 23 straight games to start their season. A win earns a team two points, and a loss after regulation ends (overtime/shootout) is one point. It is a truly amazing run by the Hawks, but in viewing ESPN the past couple of days, they have not gotten as much airtime as I would expect of another sport.

To clarify, a more American sport. Hockey begun in Iceland and other countries in Europe, along with Canada. When I think of American sports, football, baseball, and basketball come to mind. Not ironically, these are the three sports showed the most on sports news shows such as Sportscenter on ESPN (the world's largest sports network). It could be that because ESPN does not air the NHL that they show less hockey highlights, but if hockey was that popular in America why would they ignore those viewers. And of course viewers would bring in advertisers, which is how networks make their bank.

In my American Studies high school course, we have examined how humans love physical and gruesome entertainment, which hockey definitely possesses. So what is it? Why don't Americans feel the same passion for hockey as football or another major sport played in the States? I think the answer is simple.

Americans are independent and full of pride for their country. Hockey, along with a sport like soccer, were not developed in the US. The typical American might think, "Why should I support these foreign sports when the best sports in the world were created and played in America?" This is an honest opinion, because personally I do like viewing football and baseball over hockey, but maybe not baseball. Baseball is too slow paced for me, but that is for a different discussion.

The Blackhawks run is incredible, but it still will never be as important to the majority of sports fanatics in America as a similar streak held by a football, basketball, or baseball team.

Why do you think hockey is not as big as a sport in America as the other "Big 3" sports (football, basketball, baseball)? What does it tell you about American's and nationalistic mindsets?