What if they held a hockey game and nobody came?

It's 2003, a new year, and what if they held some professional hockey games and no body bothered to show up?

It really hasn't gotten that bad, but hockey, which was once the fourth leading sport in the United States, has slipped in popularity, and is now behind car racing of all things.

Teams like the Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the New York Rangers, are selling out their buildings as though they're giving away something. Although as badly as the Rangers are playing, they must be giving away something!)

If you're a big hockey fan, you might say, "well teams like the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators aren't selling out their games because both of those teams are going through ownership problems and they might leave their cities."

You also might say, "why should I pay good money to see a team that's stinking up the joint?"

In cases like the Atlanta Thrashers, that might be true. But, how do you explain teams like the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens, where people live, eat, and sleep hockey, or the Pittsburgh Penguins with Mario Lemieux?

Their arenas don't sell out every night even though all three teams are possible playoff contenders.

What's going on in the NHL?

Hockey has always been the like the baby sister or brother that you don't want hanging around with you. It's always been a minor sport in the United States. But now it seems like attendance is a problem even in the birthplace of hockey, Canada.

What's going on?

In a nutshell, and not to simplify what is ultimately a complex problem, but it really comes down to one thing -- it's the economy, stupid!

People are losing jobs and cutting back on things that really aren't that important, like sports. Why spend money on tickets, food, parking, and that foam finger when you've just lost your job?

Not only that, but one can legitimately say, "Why should I pay good money to see a team that's really bad?"

Even the economy can't help that.