NHL RETURNS! (Sports---duh)

So, the long lockout has ended... much as many experts predicted... right when pushed to the edge of losing a season. The players gave up much, the owners gained a lot and fans once again got kicked in the collective groin. Now let's be honest, there were three groups of people during this lockout: People who cared and waited with bated breathe for the league to return. People who cared, but were so angry that they were willing to burn jerseys and give up season tickets to make a point. And most people, who didn't realize the NHL wasn't playing in the first place.

While this lockout undoubtedly damaged a league that has been growing steadily over the last six or seven years, I suspect the damage won't be as long lasting as some think. Not because it didn't damage the league's relationship with their real fans --it did and they need to work hard to win them back-- but mostly because they're still on mile 2 of a 100 mile journey to building the league to a real, recognizable sports power and they're not getting there any time fast.

I think this position was no better exemplified than by last June and the Los Angeles King's ride to the Stanley Cup. One local news station, during their coverage, couldn't get the name of the King's captain Anze Kopitar pronounced correctly. Tough name, but still... going for the championship you'd think the sports guy could have helped. More egregious than getting some foreigner's name right was the fact that they repeatedly used the Sacramento Kings (of the NBA) logo when talking about their Los Angeles Kings. It's like being at your sister Karen's wedding and holding up a picture of some other woman named Karen that you found on Facebook... you and Karen were never that close.

Hockey is, without question, the best sport around. It's always exciting. There is no playoff, in any other sport, that really rivals hockey. But let's be honest, at least 75% of this country could give a crap. Actually they can't even do that because they wouldn't know where to leave it. They just don't know anything about the league and the league hasn't given them reason to look yet or an easy means to do so.

So yeah, this lockout hurt, but the path was already long, now it's a just a couple of steps longer. No biggie though, they're weren't anywhere near the top of the mountain to begin with.