May 28, 2005

National Hockey Night on Thin Ice: The Los Angeles Times reports that ESPN will drop its $60-million option to keep the NHL's American broadcasting rights next season. Three sponsors -- Molson Coors, Ford and Sony Canada -- also may dump their deals unless the league's labor dispute ends by mid-June. Meanwhile in an alternate universe where the NHL and NHLPA aren't run by total hosers, the Calgary Flames are on the verge of winning their first Stanley Cup since 1989 after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs to take a 3-2 lead in the finals.

posted by rcade to hockey at 03:05 PM - 9 comments

Hey Bettman. Nice way to make money for the league. Now that you and the owners closed the place down, you can watch the rest of the revenue cards come tumbling down.

posted by roberts at 04:01 PM on May 28, 2005

Gosh, MLS could use summa dat money. Way to move down the US sport hierarchy, hockey guys!

posted by worldcup2002 at 04:02 PM on May 28, 2005

the Calgary Flames are on the verge of winning their first Stanley Cup "the Calgary Flames ... won the Stanley Cup (1988-89)"

posted by billsaysthis at 04:03 PM on May 28, 2005

The "benefit" of the labour dispute in the NHL is that the Memorial Cup is getting great press coverage. I'm not a huge fan of the CHL, but with nothing else on (hockey-wise), I've learned to cheer for my local London Knights.

posted by grum@work at 05:13 PM on May 28, 2005

Thanks for the correction, Bill. I thought they had, but a page I found on the Internet was factually incorrect. Who woulda thunk it?

posted by rcade at 05:32 PM on May 28, 2005

I'm afraid to say it but the NHL has pretty must run themselves right out of business. It doesn't help that there is no fan uproar. The diehard fan misses hockey but otherwise it isn't being missed at all. I don't think you'll see hockey in the US again. Too bad.

posted by dbt302 at 08:49 PM on May 28, 2005

Yeah but am I supposed to feel guilty? Let all other sports take note. It's called biting the hand that feeds you. I always walked away from an event feeling like I just got raped. I actually hope it happens. Look at the surge in semi-pro sports. Good time, good food,good price. I'll be there.

posted by volfire at 12:47 PM on May 29, 2005

HEY! Don't go blaming the Bettman and the owners for this mess, unless you give 100% EQUAL blame to the greedy players/agents (leeches). Both sides are among the most ignorant people alive. And the only way the NHL will come back is under a different name with far fewer teams.

posted by sptwcg at 06:33 AM on May 30, 2005

The Mens National Collegiate Lacrosse Championship yesterday capped a terrific tournament, especially for Dave Pietramala's boys, who haven't won the tournament since 1987, the year Dave won it as a sophmore. Too bad the pro leagues play the indoor game, because I really dig the full field game. i'm not even gonna touch the lockout....but I can mention the absolute contempt and loathing I harbor towards Gary Bettman: Nice job, Dipshit!

posted by garfield at 08:22 AM on May 31, 2005

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