Does Anyone Care About NHL Lockout Anymore?

The 2012-13 National Hockey League season is slipping further and further away with both sides not wanting to talk much it appears. It now sounds like the players are considering decertifying as a union in hopes that it will change the outlook. My question is how many people care at this point what happens with the NHL?

The amount of media coverage has been declining in past weeks to a point where there is barely a mention at the end of SportsCenter now. We have reached a point where even if the NHL decides to come back in the next month or two, how many people are going to watch or go to games? There are people I’m sure that will support hockey no matter what and have been going to minor league games while the lockout has been going on. Those people I know will follow the NHL but I’m more concerned about the fans who watch on more of a casual basis during the winter months.

Will those fans tune in again or buy a ticket to see their favorite team? I don’t see that occurring in any mass numbers at least this year if ever again. The NHL is bordering dangerously close to becoming as irrelevant as sports that have folded. I know I won’t be watching when it comes back. There is just not an interest on my part to see what happens now. It has been too long and this has dragged on way too long for me to care anymore. I’ll find my entertainment this winter with something else.

Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports or like his Facebook page.