12/22/24
April 17, 2012
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
See, the problem with ESPN is that hockey gets them so excited they can't help but finish in less than a minute.
posted by apoch at 09:47 AM on April 17, 2012
Just one of the reasons I'm left unsatisfied by Sportscenter these days.
posted by tron7 at 09:56 AM on April 17, 2012
I know it's pointless bitching and I'm not the first person to mention it, it's just . . . so brazen. I find it hard to believe the "average" US sports fan is more interested in what Kentucky's starting 5 will do or made-up guesses about some random team's NFL draft plans over playoff sports. Much of the first half hour was given over to NBA teams positioning for the playoffs; I felt like the NHL must have been hopping around on one foot screaming, "Hey, OVER HERE! WE HAVE ACTUAL PLAYOFFS OVER HERE!"
It's not like playoff hockey is exactly boring, especially the last few years when seeds and home ice haven't meant much.
posted by yerfatma at 10:35 AM on April 17, 2012
And yet there's more games on than ever before. Last year, the B's games were regularly blacked-out in NYC because of the Rangers or Sabers, or the Capitals were deemed more important to show because of Ovie. This year, I have the B's on NBCSports even as the Rangers are on MSG and all the other games showing up somewhere too thanks to better scheduling. Who cares what ESPN does? I'm enjoying all this hockey.
posted by kokaku at 10:58 AM on April 17, 2012
I think NBC Sports is doing a good job with hockey. The double header on Sunday was a treat 'n a half. Now if there was only a way to sneak the Hurricanes into the playoffs right now, I'd be really stoked.
posted by NoMich at 11:18 AM on April 17, 2012
I'm too lazy to find the thread pre-season, but I saw ESPN's ignoring hockey coming as soon as they were outbid by NBC for the right to broadcast the NHL last summer. It really is quite breathtaking to see the nation's (world's?) largest sports information network acting like a petulant child in refusing to acknowledge that hockey exists. They obviously saw some value in the sport, or they wouldn't have bid on the right to broadcast it. That kind of takes away their "giving the people what they want" defense. What they are left with is just the "take my ball and go home" approach. Quite professional, I think.
posted by tahoemoj at 11:27 AM on April 17, 2012
I have loved all the playoff coverage of the NHL by NBC, Espn is playing the bratty child. The only hockey highlights they show involve fights and the "bad parts" of the game. They are trying to skew even the little bit they show. There have been some great games so far this playoffs. Espn is really missing the boat.
posted by Debo270 at 11:53 AM on April 17, 2012
Every game of the NHL playoffs is being televised on NBC networks. I think sports fans just have to adjust to the fact that news coverage is now strongly biased based on TV deals, and the Whore of Bristol will be the worst of the bunch in that regard.
Lately, I find myself going directly to the leagues for news on their sports.
posted by rcade at 12:01 PM on April 17, 2012
I think sports fans just have to adjust to the fact that news coverage is now strongly biased based on TV deals,
Poppycock! The next thing you'll tell me is that television news networks are going to present only the news that supports one perspective. And we all know that journalistic integrity won't allow that to happen.
posted by tahoemoj at 12:26 PM on April 17, 2012
The next thing you'll tell me is that television news networks are going to present only the news that supports one perspective.
Yep, the perspective that has been thoroughly focus-grouped to show where the advertising dollars are.
posted by NoMich at 12:28 PM on April 17, 2012
I'm too lazy to find the thread pre-season, but I saw ESPN's ignoring hockey coming as soon as they were outbid by NBC for the right to broadcast the NHL last summer.
posted by NoMich at 12:32 PM on April 17, 2012
I was watching a replay of the Long Beach Indy race on NBC Sports yesterday and was about 15 minutes into the 90 minute broadcast when the ticker told me who won the race. It's nice to see that NBC Sports and ESPN have that level of quality in common.
posted by feloniousmonk at 12:56 PM on April 17, 2012
Thanks for the find NoMich, although it exposes just how often I repeat myself (and others) around here. Not an original thought bouncing around in my skull.
posted by tahoemoj at 02:11 PM on April 17, 2012
Thanks for the find NoMich, although it exposes just how often I repeat myself (and others) around here. Not an original thought bouncing around in my skull.
posted by tahoemoj at 02:11 PM on April 17, 2012
Normally, I'd delete that double post. Normally, I'd delete that double post.
posted by rcade at 02:24 PM on April 17, 2012
I knew I picked the wrong week to stop crossing my eyes.
posted by NoMich at 02:31 PM on April 17, 2012
I knew I picked the wrong week to stop crossing my eyes.
and dotting your t's.
posted by apoch at 03:06 PM on April 17, 2012
It's a spaghetti stain.
posted by yerfatma at 03:56 PM on April 17, 2012
Nashville was just robbed of a goal after the referee blew the puck dead moments before it entered the net.
It is refreshing for the Wings to be the beneficiary of the intent to blow the whistle rule for once. Of course, they gave up a goal about 15 seconds afterwards. So it goes.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 09:45 PM on April 17, 2012
ESPN is seldom on my flat screen. I got the DirecTV second tier package, and it includes the local sports channels (NESN & Comcast Sports New England) as well as the NHL, NFL, NBA, and MLB networks. I even get the Big 10 network, CBS College Sports, and NBC Sports. Who needs talking heads when I have such a surfeit of channels that give me live or replayed action. I'd rather see the hockey analysis on a channel that actually broadcasts the sport. To ESPN's credit, they broadcast some of the NCAA hockey championships this year, so there is some evidence that they know a Zamboni from Zazu Pitts.
posted by Howard_T at 10:50 PM on April 17, 2012
36 minutes into Sportscenter they deign to mention the NHL playoffs. And then cover it all in under a minute.