11/05/24
April 11, 2007
Back of the line, Canadians!: The National Hockey League has scheduled Saturday's Ottawa/Pittsburgh game for the afternoon instead of prime time, which means the U.S.'s NBC (which isn't coughing up a dime to carry hockey) gets the contest instead of the CBC (which pays $65M a year for the NHL television rights in Canada). "I made my feelings known in very strong terms that I felt that game should be in prime time," CBC Sports head Scott Moore said. "Bettman feels that he's doing the right thing for the game by exposing Sidney to the U.S. audience. I strongly disagree. I couldn't change his mind, and we're very disappointed about that."
I hope Bettman realizes that this alone won't do much. This needs to be the beginning of a much bigger plan to win the USA over further. If not he is just wasting his time and unfairly screwing good, hardworking, hockey loving, showboatin' Canadiens.
posted by brainofdtrain at 02:56 PM on April 11, 2007
Has Bettman thought this through? You piss off a lot of Canadian fans so that a regional audience in the USA can (maybe) tune in to watch one playoff game featuring Sidney Crosby. So if Sidney gets an assist, or maybe even nothing, what happens? Nothing. The regional audience wonders what all the hype was about, and then forgets all about it because the rest of the games aren't on TV. And if Sidney gets a spectacular hat trick, what happens? Nothing. The rest of the games probably won't be on TV. Then the season's over and everyone's forgotten about it by next October. Seems stupid to me.
posted by fabulon7 at 03:16 PM on April 11, 2007
Good old Bettman, still doing all he can to ensure the popularity and future of the NBA. This idiot has not only failed to bring new fans to the game here in the U.S., now he's trying to alienate the faithful in Canada. When is this prick no longer going to be the steward of the game so many of us love? And showing regional games? doesn't that strike down his entire premise of exposing the nation to the Ottawa-Pittsburgh matchup? Christ, I cheer for the Devils and the Sharks, but that series is at the top of my to-watch list. Well, sorry about that. Enjoy game 6 of the Vancouver series. Most of Canada is in the western half, right?
posted by tahoemoj at 03:16 PM on April 11, 2007
Plus, Bravo Bettman, for crapping all over the only network except TSN that's willing to give you money.
posted by fabulon7 at 03:17 PM on April 11, 2007
I think we should convince Mark Cuban to run the NHL. He'd turn it around south of the 48th. And I don't think he'd do it by alienating the hardcore fans north of it either. But, maybe that's just me???
posted by Spitztengle at 07:24 PM on April 11, 2007
Spitztengle, I think you mean the 49th.
posted by tommybiden at 09:29 PM on April 11, 2007
I think we should convince Mark Cuban to run the NHL. http://www.thestar.com/article/171418 Probably wouldn't be that bad of an idea (at least, relative to Bettman)
posted by mkn at 12:34 AM on April 12, 2007
Here is a map of who gets to watch which game on NBC on Saturday. It says over 80% of the US is getting the Pittsburgh/Ottawa game.
posted by apoch at 03:46 AM on April 12, 2007
What a slap in the face. I'm fine with America not giving a shit about hockey. It's a big thing here in Michigan (southern Canada) and that's all I care about. Don't burn bridges trying to build other ones.
posted by wingnut4life at 04:22 AM on April 12, 2007
The regional audience wonders what all the hype was about, and then forgets all about it because the rest of the games aren't on TV. Ain't that the truth. What will probably happen is the 8 people in the US who are still curious about hockey (not counting the fans, just the folk we're apparently trying to woo to our game) will tune in and see a game similar to last night's dominated by referees and special teams play. It's the most awful, boring hockey imaginable. And those 8 people will soon wonder why five guys are standing around the outside passing the puck around, while three or four guys on the other team stand there and watch. Then they'll switch over to something else.
posted by SummersEve at 06:06 AM on April 12, 2007
C'mon - who's surprised? We piddly little Canadians, what with all our unconditionally love for our game, just don't have enough of them green-type dollars to get his respect. Bettman's pimp hand is strong and unyelding, and we're about $20 short on the night. Wayne Brady is choking me right now, in fact. Do you think that Bettman ever asks himself how the hell hockey ever became popular pre-internet and pre-cable TV with the greatest player all the way up in Edmonton? I think he should.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:18 AM on April 12, 2007
I remember reading that Cuban article when it first came out. Also loved watching regular season games on HDNet, which, I believe is Cuban's baby. Since then I've often said that Cuban is the kind of guy who should be running the NHL. Think we could put together a group to travel to a Mavericks game and shanghai him?
posted by tahoemoj at 12:09 PM on April 12, 2007
Do you think that Bettman ever asks himself how the hell hockey ever became popular pre-internet and pre-cable TV with the greatest player all the way up in Edmonton? Honestly, no, I don't think he does. Oh, shit, that was your point, wasn't it? Damn you, Canadian sarcasm! Damn you to Hell!
posted by The_Black_Hand at 04:09 PM on April 12, 2007
Good old Bettman, still doing all he can to ensure the popularity and future of the NBA. This idiot has not only failed to bring new fans to the game here in the U.S., now he's trying to alienate the faithful in Canada. When is this prick no longer going to be the steward of the game so many of us love? My thoughts exactly!!(Another stinkin' american loving Canada's greatest export-outside of Molson,that is.)
posted by lucky no.13 at 06:13 PM on April 12, 2007
It certainly doesn't make good business sense to piss off one your largest paying customers. You would think that if they were trying to generate interest in the U.S. that they would show the New York/Atlanta game. Honestly, the telecast is making me sick. 75% of the talk is about Crosby, even when there are twelve players on the ice not named Sid.
posted by MrFrisby at 02:49 PM on April 14, 2007
A fun game, though. Fleury came up big there at the end, to be sure. Somebody educate me: does the puck actually have to cross the line, or just break the plane, as in the NFL? I ask because that puck that got swept off the goal line behind Emery had to have been as close as they get.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 08:44 PM on April 14, 2007
The puck has to completely cross the line. You want to see some white between the blue and the puck. The announcing did get better after the first period. I ending up watching the whole thing. That series is getting real chippy.
posted by MrFrisby at 09:08 PM on April 14, 2007
The worst part is that the NBC broadcast is a regional broadcast: Even more galling is that NBC isn't even showing Saturday's Penguins-Senators game to the entire country, meaning all this is being done for the benefit of about 500,000 viewers. The 2.5 million Canadians who normally watch a Canadian-based team in the playoffs take the back seat. If this was a national broadcast, sure, fine, okay. But this is just insulting.