2012 Women's Worlds

[ARM]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

European women playing in the States and Canada will help but I suspect women's hockey in Europe will always be second rate. As you say, "follow the money". The men have careers in the NHL to pursue but there isn't any money for the women to chase as an incentive.

The irony here is that some North American women do play hockey in Europe after their college careers are over. There isn't a lot of money to be made, but enough that the occasional young lady can make it work for a year or two for the cultural experience. Unless subsidized by a national team, the that's tough to do in North America without having another career on the side.

Even in a sport like basketball that has the WNBA, female stars commonly play professionally in Europe during the offseason in order to make enough to pursue basketball full time.

[dave1381]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

I'm thinking that the popularity of men's hockey will save the women's game.

Yes.

However, if the present state of women's hockey had to stand on its own I don't think it could be saved.

I agree, so good thing it doesn't, because we saw what happened to softball. Thankfully men's hockey in the Olympics isn't going anywhere. Good thing the NHL stepped up in 1998.

The game has to be stronger to stand on its own to be protected. I also think tossing out the gender card is inappropriate and counterproductive. If it was a popular women's sport and the IOC threatened to drop the sport then I think the gender issue would be an appropriate complaint but it is clear that there are serious problems with this sport that have to be fixed (e.g. lack of competition and public interest).

Most Olympic sports lack parity and lack public interest, and the situation would be even worse if these sports weren't in the Olympics. Is the worldwide distrubition of registered hockey players a whole lot different from the worldwide distribution for the biathlon, or a fairer comparison, biathlon in its 14th year as an Olympic sport?

Public interest isn't exogenous to the level of Olympic support. If the Olympics gave men's hockey three decades of lousy competition to grow the sport internationally, then it's not consistent with the Olympic ideal to give women's hockey the same respect. Being fair to both genders matters for the Olympic brand, which matters for its business. If the Olympics doesn't have its brand, then it's just another sporting event on TV.

The criterion for conclusion in the Olympics also depends on winter vs. summer. The Summer schedule is very crowded. Winter is much less crowded. The only winter team sports are hockey & curling. The standard for inclusion is much lower than the summer games.

We're almost to the point where we're only repeating ourselves, so probably time to move on. Still a good discussion to have though.

[dave1381]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

Mostly off topic news from today, but still relevant to the overall competency of the Olympics:

Organizers of the London Olympics approached the Who's manager to inquire about having Keith Moon play at an Olympics event despite the drummer being dead for nearly 34 years, the Sunday Times reports.

"I emailed back saying Keith now resides in Golders Green crematorium, having lived up to the Who's anthemic line 'I hope I die before I get old'," the band's longtime manager, Bill Curbishley, told the Times. "If they have a round table, some glasses and candles, we might contact him."

Moon died in 1978 at the age of 32 from an an accidental overdose of prescription pills. The Olympics organizers wanted the late drummer to take part in the Symphony of Rock, a celebration of British pop culture that will be part of the Games' closing ceremony on August 12th.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...#ixzz1rwYiI8Hi

[Hux]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

Swiss netminder Florence Schelling and her teammates take on the United States in semi-final action tonight at 7:00PM.
*****http://i433.***********.com/albums/qq55/hockeyHux/Schellingsingsanthem.jpg******
Florence Schelling and teammates sing the Swiss national anthem after defeating Russia 5-2.

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

Swiss netminder Florence Schelling and her teammates take on the United States in semi-final action tonight at 7:00PM.
*****http://i433.***********.com/albums/qq55/hockeyHux/Schellingsingsanthem.jpg******
Florence Schelling and teammates sing the Swiss national anthem after defeating Russia 5-2.

Along with Division III's own Monika and Nina Waidacher of St. Scholastica!

[Blackbeard]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

Can 2 - Fin 0 at about 15:00 of the first period.

[Blackbeard]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

Can 3 - Fin 1 at 11:00 of the second period.

[Blackbeard]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

Can 5 - Fin 1 Final. Canada looking more like...Canada.

However, their discipline waned in the second half and they took some unnecessary penalties, although a couple were arguable, as was at least one called on Finland.

No room for that against the Swiss in the final.

[JosephPSchmoe]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

Can 5 - Fin 1 Final. Canada looking more like...Canada.

Looking more Canadish? Not sure if that's a word or not.

[Blackbeard]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

Looking more Canadish? Not sure if that's a word or not.

Yeah, sort of like Amish, just different.

[PrezdeJohnson09]

No room for that against the USAin the final.

Fixed your post.

[Blackbeard]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

Fixed your post.

It is Friday the 13th!

[ARM]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

It is Friday the 13th!

Yes, but it was Friday the 13th for Switzerland as well. The final was 10-0.

[dave1381]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

So if U.S. beats Canada, it'll surely be the best goal differential for a U.S. gold medal team in Worlds / 4N / or Olympics.

The last time the U.S. hosted Worlds in 2001, U.S. had a 41-1 scoring edge entering the final & lost 3-2 to Canada. This year's 39-2 is more impressive since it included Canada & Finland.

[Hux]

Re: 2012 Women's Worlds

*****http://i433.***********.com/albums/qq55/hockeyHux/BellamybreaksupSwissentry.jpg******
Defenseman Kacey Bellamy breaks up a Swiss entry into the US zone. Bellamy picked up an assist on D partner Gigi Marvin's goal.