Yeah, in case you didn't know, which living in the part of the world I live in you probably don't, the Stanley Cup is on the line in a great final series in the NHL right now. But if you live in the Pacific Northwest (or I'm guessing any place that has a basketball team and nothing else) you probably haven't heard more than a few highlights and scores. Maybe it's because I grew up in Canada, but when there is a major playoff series in hockey, the whole country shuts down for the night to watch the game on the CBC. Now I understand the NBA playoffs are going on right now too, and last night the Penguins vs. Red Wings was competing with the Lakers vs. Magic. But still the NHL finals shouldn't be relegated to being mentioned after baseball. The station I listen to, always starts their reports with basketball, then it's on to baseball, then football even during off season, then maybe if they have time (and only during the playoffs) hockey. Now I understand starting with basketball, I do live just outside of Portland, Oregon, home of the Trailblazers but really relegating the NHL to last spot and only playing 1 highlight. The games 3 and 4 of the series have had a total of 12 goals (8 for Pittsburgh and 4 for Detroit). Surely stations can play more than 1 highlight (and definitely more than the same highlight) during their sports reports.
Sadly, no one in the PNW cares. The official sports order for here is basketball, baseball, football and then maybe hockey or soccer or tennis or...(name obscure sport here). I understand that the closest NHL team is in Vancouver, BC but does that really mean you shouldn't report on a international league that has 30 teams in 28 markets? I don't think so.
Now let me talk about national coverage of the finals. The NHL has for the past few years, in their infinite wisdom, let an obscure sports network known as Versus carry most of the season hockey games. Versus isn't available to most regular cable and satellite subscribers. You have to have a sports package to get the channel (whereas ESPN is usually just included or you only need one add-on not a special package). In February NBC is allowed to carry one game a week on Saturday or Sunday and it is almost exclusively between two US teams and most of the time two bad US teams. They do that till around late April when playoffs start then NBC turns off coverage until the Final series. In the past NBC has carried all the games in the Stanley Cup Finals. But not this year. This is one of the most anticipated Final series since Edmonton/Carolina as far as I'm concerned. It's a re-match of last year's final. This year the NHL (and I'm assuming NBC) in their infinite wisdom decided that only games 1, 2 and 5-7 (if necessary) would be played on NBC. 3 and 4 would be played on Versus. Many of you know how mad I am about all of the shows and sports that keep abandoning network television for cable (and obscure cable for the most part). This one takes the cake for me. In Canada millions of people watch the CBC from the first drop of the puck in the NHL to the end of the final whistle in Final series. Sure there are games on cable/satellite, but the big ones are almost always on CBC.
Lets look at some stats, and I know my numbers are rough. 30 million people live in Canada, if even half of them watch hockey during the finals that's 15 million people watching one network (CBC). In the USA there are 300 million people. If even 10 percent watch a game that's 30 million. Versus and the NHL were very proud of the fact that they got 3 million viewers on Versus during game 3. 3 MILLION PEOPLE!!!?!?!?!!!! Are you kidding me? That's terrible. That's 1 percent of the US population. Does that tell you something Gary Bettman???? Maybe, if you actually tried to sell the sport on a network that a majority of the country can see you would get more viewers. How about putting hockey on the CW or heck MyNetwork TV. Nobody watches original programming on those stations anyways!!!!!!! Then at least you have potential to get more than 3 million viewers in your so called biggest market. Of course it will never happen. This commissioner isn't concerned about anything but money. He's going to sign the contract that pays the league the most and who cares how many fans it screws over. On another note, Detroit won game 1 and 2. That meant that if Pittsburgh did not win 3 and 4 that Versus could have been the network that gave away the cup...an obscure cable channel giving away the oldest trophy in major sports history. Does that seem right to you? It doesn't to me.
Not only am I mad at the NHL for letting NBC dictate what games they will carry, I'm mad about NBC's coverage. The host and play-by-play announcer is a guy named Mike "Doc" Emrick. This guy is an award winning sportscast and I can't stand him. He needs to quit yelling when he talks, and maybe just maybe I would like him a little better. He should also not be the host. IT'S THE NHL FINALS NBC!!!! Do you think you could maybe pay someone to sit in a studio and act as a host? Heck, I'll take Bob Costas, even though he doesn't know a thing about the sport. In Canada, we have had the greatest callers in the NHL. Foster Hewitt, Rod Phillips, Jim Hughson, Bob Cole, Harry Neil, Don Whitman, Dick Irvin and Chris Cuthbert. Those names are famous for what they did in the NHL. I think NBC and the NHL should think about putting one of those names (I realize some of them are no longer with us) on the air instead of the so-called legend they have now. Maybe it's just because I was raised on the voices I just named but there is just something about Don or Bob or Jim calling a goal that Doc just can't do for me. A studio host, like Ron MacLean, would be great too but I'm sure that's to much to ask. Hey NBC how about letting the CBC run your coverage for you. More people would watch and they actually know a thing or two about the sport. Like I said maybe this is just because I was raised on these voices but I'll take a CBC caller over an NBC caller any day. I'm going to watch the final 3 games on NBC but only because I have to (and I can't get CBC in HD at my parents house). If I could get CBC in HD I would be watching it there. When I get CBC in HD I won't watch NBC's hockey coverage again.
Ok, I've ranted and raved long enough, if you agree, disagree, can't believe that I care or think this doesn't make any sense at all go ahead and comment, I'm interested in what everyone thinks. Thanks for reading....
GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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