Post by Global on Apr 28, 2010 22:49:33 GMT
Just found in Google archives this extremely interesting topic from a disappeared ice hockey message board (forums.internationalhockey.net). Let's give it a new life, here we go (not sure you will like that guy Eskild, haha 
):
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Question about bandy in Sweden
Eskild:
I've always wondered why would anyone in Sweden start playing bandy when hockey is so similar and much more popular with a much greater chance of getting somewhere?
I mean. you can make 10 million dollars a year if you make it in hockey. TONS of swedes makes millions playing hockey.
Yet, Bandy is still very big in Sweden.
Is it because there are no hockey rinks in towns where bandy is popular? Is it like in Norway, where it's a "snob sport"? For example as in Oslo there's not a single hockey team or rink on the richer west side, just the poorer east. On the west side they play bandy.
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Tabacman:
Yes, why do people start with sports or hobbies? I think simply because they like it, without even think of if it will be profitable in the future. To get somewhere usually one has to start as very young and the future is unwritten.
Well, to be honest how many icehockeyplayers makes millions, just a handful. The ones who play in NHL and maybe some of the players in Elitserien and a few in some other leagues like KHL.
True.
Bandy is not a "snobsport" it´s the other way around. Traditionally Bandy has been a working-class sport. It has it´s biggest interest in smaller industrial municipalities. If you look at the costs of playing Bandy vs Hockey, Hockey should be considered a much more expensive sport to practise.
Historically Bandy was the big sport in the world at the beginning of the last century. True, though that Hockey is the biggest sport of the two nowadays.
I would say that almost every commune where Bandy is big has an icehall and usually also a hockey team too.
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Eskild:
Still, choosing bandy over hockey when living in Sweden comes across as quite strange to me. Sure, if hockey didnt exist I would understand it, just like I understand why people play roller hockey in spain since icehockey barely exists there.
But for two such extremely similar sports, one being a huge international sport and perhaps the most popular sport in the country commercially, the other a completely unknown outside of 3-4 countries, but still choosing the one that can't really get you anywhere and costs basically just as much to play... I just don't get it.
It's almost like starting to play bandy if you live in Canada. It doesn't make much sense.
What's the best thing one can strive for playing bandy, making 20-30K euros a year if you reach the top?
As for a handful of Swedes making millions playing hockey. Isn't there 50 Swedish players or so in NHL? Not many of them makes less than 1 million per year I think. Then now you have Russia too where you can make even "easier" millions really.
Also good money in several other european leagues. Hell, I bet you can make top bandy salaries playing hockey in Norway.
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Karsten:
1) It does make sense since bandy is a relatively big sport in Sweden. The sport also gets relatively much attention in the media which you can verify by switching to SVT which I believe you can access. Saturday afternoon live bandy broadcasts have been a tradition as long as I can remember.
2) The sport is very big in small towns around the country (in particularly Värmland and Östergötaland). In these communities, bandy is more likely to attract people who pick up the sport than hockey.
3) It's not that easy to switch from bandy to hockey (it was 50 years ago, but not any longer). Technically, the two sports only have one thing in common and that's skating. There is no body contact in bandy, stickhandling and shooting is vastly different and hockey is a much faster game and far more demanding in terms of reaction speed, visible orientation etc. etc.
4) For 99% of the that 50,000+ Swedes playing hockey, its not about money. Likewise for bandy.
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Eric:
It was not so long a go some Sweden sportsmen played both bandy and football, the last I know about was Dan Sahlin:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Sahlin
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Eskild:
I just watched some bandy on swedish television and I just can't stop thinking about what a waste it is.
The top players could probably have been NHL'ers but instead they're stuck playing an extremely similar sport which nobody has even heard about, making maybe 20K a year if you reach the top.
How many Canadians would want their athletic kids to start playing Ringuette over hockey? Or indeed, bandy? Not many I would assume.
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Bennison:
Not everyone plays sport for the money. Good bandy players do not automatically mean good hockey players, the sports are quite different, both in how physical they are and in the tempo.
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Eskild:
I watched a documentary about bandy on SVT and there was this swedish guy that dominated in Sweden and he had basically nowhere to go. He seemed pretty frustrated.
An athlete is an athlete. There's no doubt this guy would have been a top hockey player too if he had chosen that sport as a kid instead. He had incredible moves. Such a waste.
I noticed the world championship is going on now. I didn't see a single spectator in the Sweden vs Finland game...
Playing bandy in Finland is even stranger, where hockey is even more popular than in Sweden and bandy much less so that in it is in Sweden.
I know if that I played bandy at a high level I would be extremely bitter for not choosing hockey.
I'm not really talking about choosing to play an unpopular sport, like for example water polo. That's ok, but with two such similar sports, one being very popular in your country and internationally, choosing the one that's basically unheard of and cant get you anywhere is just tragic.
It's like american basketball talent choosing to play handball or something instead. Just doesn't make sense.
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Shardik:
I'd argue that a vast majority of pro athletes started up just like any regular junior. They started playing for the fun of it instead of the prospect of some day possibly being able to make money from it. The selection of the sport differs from person to person. Perhaps you choose bandy over hockey because it's cheaper or because the opportunities to play bandy in your home town are better or just because you are just better in it. You only start to choose between a pro career and "a normal life" at the age of 14-16 by which time it's too late to start a new sport.
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At what?? Reaching the very top in his sport in the world? Well, I can see where that would be frustrating... Anyway, some players play professionally in Russia.
Not likely. If you were bitter about your choice of sports you would not play at a high level.
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Question about bandy in Sweden
Eskild:
I've always wondered why would anyone in Sweden start playing bandy when hockey is so similar and much more popular with a much greater chance of getting somewhere?
I mean. you can make 10 million dollars a year if you make it in hockey. TONS of swedes makes millions playing hockey.
Yet, Bandy is still very big in Sweden.
Is it because there are no hockey rinks in towns where bandy is popular? Is it like in Norway, where it's a "snob sport"? For example as in Oslo there's not a single hockey team or rink on the richer west side, just the poorer east. On the west side they play bandy.
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Tabacman:
Originally Posted by Eskild:
I've always wondered why would anyone in Sweden start playing bandy when hockey is so similar and much more popular with a much greater chance of getting somewhere?
I've always wondered why would anyone in Sweden start playing bandy when hockey is so similar and much more popular with a much greater chance of getting somewhere?
Yes, why do people start with sports or hobbies? I think simply because they like it, without even think of if it will be profitable in the future. To get somewhere usually one has to start as very young and the future is unwritten.
Originally Posted by Eskild
I mean. you can make 10 million dollars a year if you make it in hockey. TONS of swedes makes millions playing hockey.
I mean. you can make 10 million dollars a year if you make it in hockey. TONS of swedes makes millions playing hockey.
Well, to be honest how many icehockeyplayers makes millions, just a handful. The ones who play in NHL and maybe some of the players in Elitserien and a few in some other leagues like KHL.
Originally Posted by Eskild
Yet, Bandy is still very big in Sweden.
Yet, Bandy is still very big in Sweden.
True.
Originally Posted by Eskild
Is it because there are no hockey rinks in towns where bandy is popular? Is it like in Norway, where it's a "snob sport"? For example as in Oslo there's not a single hockey team or rink on the richer west side, just the poorer east. On the west side they play bandy.
Is it because there are no hockey rinks in towns where bandy is popular? Is it like in Norway, where it's a "snob sport"? For example as in Oslo there's not a single hockey team or rink on the richer west side, just the poorer east. On the west side they play bandy.
Bandy is not a "snobsport" it´s the other way around. Traditionally Bandy has been a working-class sport. It has it´s biggest interest in smaller industrial municipalities. If you look at the costs of playing Bandy vs Hockey, Hockey should be considered a much more expensive sport to practise.
Historically Bandy was the big sport in the world at the beginning of the last century. True, though that Hockey is the biggest sport of the two nowadays.
I would say that almost every commune where Bandy is big has an icehall and usually also a hockey team too.
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Eskild:
Originally Posted by Tabacman
Yes, why do people start with sports or hobbies? I think simply because they like it, without even think of if it will be profitable in the future. To get somewhere usually one has to start as very young and the future is unwritten.
Well, to be honest how many icehockeyplayers makes millions, just a handful. The ones who play in NHL and maybe some of the players in Elitserien and a few in some other leagues like KHL.
True.
Bandy is not a "snobsport" it´s the other way around. Traditionally Bandy has been a working-class sport. It has it´s biggest interest in smaller industrial municipalities. If you look at the costs of playing Bandy vs Hockey, Hockey should be considered a much more expensive sport to practise.
Historically Bandy was the big sport in the world at the beginning of the last century. True, though that Hockey is the biggest sport of the two nowadays.
I would say that almost every commune where Bandy is big has an icehall and usually also a hockey team too.
Yes, why do people start with sports or hobbies? I think simply because they like it, without even think of if it will be profitable in the future. To get somewhere usually one has to start as very young and the future is unwritten.
Well, to be honest how many icehockeyplayers makes millions, just a handful. The ones who play in NHL and maybe some of the players in Elitserien and a few in some other leagues like KHL.
True.
Bandy is not a "snobsport" it´s the other way around. Traditionally Bandy has been a working-class sport. It has it´s biggest interest in smaller industrial municipalities. If you look at the costs of playing Bandy vs Hockey, Hockey should be considered a much more expensive sport to practise.
Historically Bandy was the big sport in the world at the beginning of the last century. True, though that Hockey is the biggest sport of the two nowadays.
I would say that almost every commune where Bandy is big has an icehall and usually also a hockey team too.
Still, choosing bandy over hockey when living in Sweden comes across as quite strange to me. Sure, if hockey didnt exist I would understand it, just like I understand why people play roller hockey in spain since icehockey barely exists there.
But for two such extremely similar sports, one being a huge international sport and perhaps the most popular sport in the country commercially, the other a completely unknown outside of 3-4 countries, but still choosing the one that can't really get you anywhere and costs basically just as much to play... I just don't get it.
It's almost like starting to play bandy if you live in Canada. It doesn't make much sense.
What's the best thing one can strive for playing bandy, making 20-30K euros a year if you reach the top?
As for a handful of Swedes making millions playing hockey. Isn't there 50 Swedish players or so in NHL? Not many of them makes less than 1 million per year I think. Then now you have Russia too where you can make even "easier" millions really.
Also good money in several other european leagues. Hell, I bet you can make top bandy salaries playing hockey in Norway.
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Karsten:
1) It does make sense since bandy is a relatively big sport in Sweden. The sport also gets relatively much attention in the media which you can verify by switching to SVT which I believe you can access. Saturday afternoon live bandy broadcasts have been a tradition as long as I can remember.
2) The sport is very big in small towns around the country (in particularly Värmland and Östergötaland). In these communities, bandy is more likely to attract people who pick up the sport than hockey.
3) It's not that easy to switch from bandy to hockey (it was 50 years ago, but not any longer). Technically, the two sports only have one thing in common and that's skating. There is no body contact in bandy, stickhandling and shooting is vastly different and hockey is a much faster game and far more demanding in terms of reaction speed, visible orientation etc. etc.
4) For 99% of the that 50,000+ Swedes playing hockey, its not about money. Likewise for bandy.
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Eric:
It was not so long a go some Sweden sportsmen played both bandy and football, the last I know about was Dan Sahlin:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Sahlin
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Eskild:
I just watched some bandy on swedish television and I just can't stop thinking about what a waste it is.
The top players could probably have been NHL'ers but instead they're stuck playing an extremely similar sport which nobody has even heard about, making maybe 20K a year if you reach the top.
How many Canadians would want their athletic kids to start playing Ringuette over hockey? Or indeed, bandy? Not many I would assume.
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Bennison:
Originally Posted by Eskild
I just watched some bandy on swedish television and I just can't stop thinking about what a waste it is.
The top players could probably have been NHL'ers but instead they're stuck playing an extremely similar sport which nobody has even heard about, making maybe 20K a year if you reach the top.
How many Canadians would want their athletic kids to start playing Ringuette over hockey? Or indeed, bandy? Not many I would assume.
I just watched some bandy on swedish television and I just can't stop thinking about what a waste it is.
The top players could probably have been NHL'ers but instead they're stuck playing an extremely similar sport which nobody has even heard about, making maybe 20K a year if you reach the top.
How many Canadians would want their athletic kids to start playing Ringuette over hockey? Or indeed, bandy? Not many I would assume.
Not everyone plays sport for the money. Good bandy players do not automatically mean good hockey players, the sports are quite different, both in how physical they are and in the tempo.
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Eskild:
Originally Posted by Bennison
Not everyone plays sport for the money. Good bandy players do not automatically mean good hockey players, the sports are quite different, both in how physical they are and in the tempo.
Not everyone plays sport for the money. Good bandy players do not automatically mean good hockey players, the sports are quite different, both in how physical they are and in the tempo.
I watched a documentary about bandy on SVT and there was this swedish guy that dominated in Sweden and he had basically nowhere to go. He seemed pretty frustrated.
An athlete is an athlete. There's no doubt this guy would have been a top hockey player too if he had chosen that sport as a kid instead. He had incredible moves. Such a waste.
I noticed the world championship is going on now. I didn't see a single spectator in the Sweden vs Finland game...
Playing bandy in Finland is even stranger, where hockey is even more popular than in Sweden and bandy much less so that in it is in Sweden.
I know if that I played bandy at a high level I would be extremely bitter for not choosing hockey.
I'm not really talking about choosing to play an unpopular sport, like for example water polo. That's ok, but with two such similar sports, one being very popular in your country and internationally, choosing the one that's basically unheard of and cant get you anywhere is just tragic.
It's like american basketball talent choosing to play handball or something instead. Just doesn't make sense.
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Shardik:
I'd argue that a vast majority of pro athletes started up just like any regular junior. They started playing for the fun of it instead of the prospect of some day possibly being able to make money from it. The selection of the sport differs from person to person. Perhaps you choose bandy over hockey because it's cheaper or because the opportunities to play bandy in your home town are better or just because you are just better in it. You only start to choose between a pro career and "a normal life" at the age of 14-16 by which time it's too late to start a new sport.
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Originally Posted by Eskild
I watched a documentary about bandy on SVT and there was this swedish guy that dominated in Sweden and he had basically nowhere to go. He seemed pretty frustrated.
I watched a documentary about bandy on SVT and there was this swedish guy that dominated in Sweden and he had basically nowhere to go. He seemed pretty frustrated.
At what?? Reaching the very top in his sport in the world? Well, I can see where that would be frustrating... Anyway, some players play professionally in Russia.
Originally Posted by Eskild
I know if that I played bandy at a high level I would be extremely bitter for not choosing hocke
I know if that I played bandy at a high level I would be extremely bitter for not choosing hocke
Not likely. If you were bitter about your choice of sports you would not play at a high level.
