What is ESPN's problem?

[SENSible1*]

ESPN hates and bad mouths hockey for the same reason they dog Notre Dame football; Their competition makes more money off of it then they do. Allow me to explain my opinion.

Fox has the majority of the local hockey packages, ESPN gets the national. Every night ESPN runs a hockey game fox is running a local game at the same time. Most people in hockey areas (where the majority of the fans are) will watch the local markets team instead of the ESPN national broadcast.

Then there's the die hard hockey fan that is not in a local market, he doesn't watch the ESPN national broadcast either as he is plugged into a Center Ice package watching the game of choice. The only viewers that tune in to ESPNs national hockey night broadcast is the fan that doesn't have center ice, local team to support, the casual fan and channel surfers that stop if a fight is ongoing.

Excellent post.

 

[WrightOn]

Why do people care if hockey grows. That will only mean owners will make more, players make more and owners charge more for tickets (based on higher demand). Real hockey fans will continue to watch the game weither they have to watch it on ESPN 2 or if they have to listen on the internet. When they ask if hockey will recover from this lockout...I say, who cares....as long as hockey is back.

Because you don't piss in the well after you've had your drink.

You're gonna get thirsty again, not to mention others.

 

[old kummelweck]

I personally don't go to espn for my sports info. It tends to be more of a football and basketball venue if you ask me.

 

[TexSen]

I'm just amazed that people are astounded at ESPN for their poll, indifference etc. toward a sport that draws very, very low ratings for them.........it's like sticking a finger in an electrical socket, getting shocked and then getting mad at the socket for zapping you......Effing duh people!

 

[SaintRon]

The only time ESPN cares about hockey is if the season is cancelled, guy A creams guy B or a Stanley Cup champ is crowned.

 

[Motown Beatdown]

ESPN hates and bad mouths hockey for the same reason they dog Notre Dame football; Their competition makes more money off of it then they do. Allow me to explain my opinion.

Fox has the majority of the local hockey packages, ESPN gets the national. Every night ESPN runs a hockey game fox is running a local game at the same time. Most people in hockey areas (where the majority of the fans are) will watch the local markets team instead of the ESPN national broadcast.

Then there's the die hard hockey fan that is not in a local market, he doesn't watch the ESPN national broadcast either as he is plugged into a Center Ice package watching the game of choice. The only viewers that tune in to ESPNs national hockey night broadcast is the fan that doesn't have center ice, local team to support, the casual fan and channel surfers that stop if a fight is ongoing.

Great Post

If the Wings are on ESPN and FSD at the same time i'm watching fox sports. If i have the choice to watch a playoff game on CBC or ESPN i'm watching CBC. The only time i watch the NHL on ESPN is when it's my only choice. And a lot of the time i mute the TV and listen to the radio feed

 

[Muleskinner]

Rather be "narrow-minded" (by your definition) than a sellout. Sure, let's put allllll the gimmicks needed attract the "casssssual US fan," a mythical soul who has never ever had any interest whatsoever in the NHL. As if shootouts, etc. are going to suddenly get Middle America away from milking the cow and turned on to Sergei Fedorov.

Why stop there? Let's copy the XFL. That's coooool. As long as it attracts fans and makes money for the owners, players and TV execs, apparently some "broad-minded" fans will be appeased. In case you haven't noticed, the NHL has made changes along the way; perhaps you aren't old enough to recall that regular season OT of any kind didn't exist until 20 years ago. NHLers in the Olympics is a newer. The goal lines have been moved back, offsides rules have been changed, as has fighting rules all over the past decade or so. That's change. Now you have 4 on 4 in OT and some are pining for the shootout gimmick. And there's more.

Those of us who want to move carefully in making changes to this great game, are liable to do a lot less damage than some 5-minute-attention-span-video-age-crazed punks who want to hip hop and bastardize the sport into some unrecognizable form...so it can achieve greeeeeat TV ratings! Whoopee! Than we'll all be popular!

If US fans don't care for the sport (and many don't), you of course try to attract them. But not to the extreme of trying to be another "me too" sellout league.

Man, your blowing my comments WAY out of preportion here. I am well aware of the rule changes that have been made over the years to the game. I am just thinking about the TV dollars this league could gain by attracting a larger audience. All I have to do is just mention something like a shootout format, and people like you start pissing and moaning that fans in the states are out to screw up YOUR game. I am not wanting the NHL to "sellout" and go to gimmicks (glowing puck stuff) that would damage the sport in its true form. I simply do not see the shootout as a gimmick. Heck it show cases the speed skill of the sport! You take my comments about ending ties and go on a rant about the XFL, video aged punks, and cow milking. The game is the game, the NHL is a business like it or not. Every major league sport is out to build a larger fan base and following. Thats the nature of it. The problem is, this league is run by idiots and have no trust and partnership with its players. It has been mismanaged and poorly marketed by greedy owners and players that want a larger piece of a pie that has been shrinking. They both want to be what the NFL is so they can have that big TV contract and have the money that the league needs to stay healthy in markets......well, like some up there in Canada but cant get their heads out of their butts long enough to figure it out.

 

[Zhackpot]

People don't care about the season being cancelled because there hasn't been a season.

If the season was to shut down halfway through fans would care but why should/would anyone care about something that they already don't have?

As for ESPN, they are not truly about sports coverage anymore and if they were they would find live sports that could fill programming slots rather than coming up with Playmakers, Tilt and other movies and series'.

They are all about the ratings because that's what brings in the dollars and fuels the media empire they have become, and are part of, at Disney.

In the old days they would show sports because that's what they were.

Why this continues to shock people is beyond me.

ESPN is the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" only if you consider that the only sports are college hoops, football, MLB, PGA, NFL, and NBA.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

ESPN has become complete garbage.

well, they called the end of last nights meeting first. When it comes to nhl, they are second only to tsn, but first for every other sport.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Because you don't piss in the well after you've had your drink.

You're gonna get thirsty again, not to mention others.

So I should share my well with many others who have plenty to drink and would be taking water away from those that actually need it. I can play that game too.

 

[WrightOn]

When they ask if hockey will recover from this lockout...I say, who cares....as long as hockey is back.

I don't agree.

I don't like the idea of expansion of the league but I like the idea of expansion of attendance and interest in the league.

That was the gist of my previous point as well.

 

[hipcheck85]

ESPN hates and bad mouths hockey for the same reason they dog Notre Dame football; Their competition makes more money off of it then they do. Allow me to explain my opinion.

Fox has the majority of the local hockey packages, ESPN gets the national. Every night ESPN runs a hockey game fox is running a local game at the same time. Most people in hockey areas (where the majority of the fans are) will watch the local markets team instead of the ESPN national broadcast.

Then there's the die hard hockey fan that is not in a local market, he doesn't watch the ESPN national broadcast either as he is plugged into a Center Ice package watching the game of choice. The only viewers that tune in to ESPNs national hockey night broadcast is the fan that doesn't have center ice, local team to support, the casual fan and channel surfers that stop if a fight is ongoing.

I hope you don't mind if I use this to explain to people why the W.S.O.P gets a better rating on espn than hockey does.

 

[c-carp]

Besides the fairly obvious reasons that they don't show enough hockey, why do they seem to not give a flying F about the sport? Look at the way they've worded the poll on the home page (still up at the moment)...



Do you care?!

Just very disrespectful IMO. Could you EVER see an ESPN poll using the same question only substituting NHL for NBA, NFL, or MLB? I doubt it. I wish I lived in/near Canada to get more hockey, and get away from having to depend on ESPN.

I agree with you bro, I hate ESPN with every fiber of my soul. **** ESPN.

 

[c-carp]

well sure coming from a sports station that shows POKER games and DARTS as a form of entertainment. They have gone down hill in my eyes.

They have bottomed out in mine.

 

[Old Hickory]

ESPN hates and bad mouths hockey for the same reason they dog Notre Dame football; Their competition makes more money off of it then they do. Allow me to explain my opinion.

Fox has the majority of the local hockey packages, ESPN gets the national. Every night ESPN runs a hockey game fox is running a local game at the same time. Most people in hockey areas (where the majority of the fans are) will watch the local markets team instead of the ESPN national broadcast.

Then there's the die hard hockey fan that is not in a local market, he doesn't watch the ESPN national broadcast either as he is plugged into a Center Ice package watching the game of choice. The only viewers that tune in to ESPNs national hockey night broadcast is the fan that doesn't have center ice, local team to support, the casual fan and channel surfers that stop if a fight is ongoing.

Post of the year

 

[c-carp]

No, whats ridiculous is that some Canadians think that only Canadians can talk about hockey and anything that comes from the US in regards to hockey is garbage. These are the same people that love the fake noise they put on CBC during the playoffs so you can barely hear the announcers.

I am American and I think that ESPN sucks. Maybe you done see it as much because the Red Wings are one team that they actually try to promote with any vigor.

 

[c-carp]

Why do people care if hockey grows. That will only mean owners will make more, players make more and owners charge more for tickets (based on higher demand). Real hockey fans will continue to watch the game weither they have to watch it on ESPN 2 or if they have to listen on the internet. When they ask if hockey will recover from this lockout...I say, who cares....as long as hockey is back.

I agree with that as well. The NHL was a "cult" sport in the US when I fell in love with it and I could care less if it gained National appeal one way or the other.

 

[c-carp]

Rather be "narrow-minded" (by your definition) than a sellout. Sure, let's put allllll the gimmicks needed attract the "casssssual US fan," a mythical soul who has never ever had any interest whatsoever in the NHL. As if shootouts, etc. are going to suddenly get Middle America away from milking the cow and turned on to Sergei Fedorov.

Why stop there? Let's copy the XFL. That's coooool. As long as it attracts fans and makes money for the owners, players and TV execs, apparently some "broad-minded" fans will be appeased. In case you haven't noticed, the NHL has made changes along the way; perhaps you aren't old enough to recall that regular season OT of any kind didn't exist until 20 years ago. NHLers in the Olympics is a newer. The goal lines have been moved back, offsides rules have been changed, as has fighting rules all over the past decade or so. That's change. Now you have 4 on 4 in OT and some are pining for the shootout gimmick. And there's more.

Those of us who want to move carefully in making changes to this great game, are liable to do a lot less damage than some 5-minute-attention-span-video-age-crazed punks who want to hip hop and bastardize the sport into some unrecognizable form...so it can achieve greeeeeat TV ratings! Whoopee! Than we'll all be popular!

If US fans don't care for the sport (and many don't), you of course try to attract them. But not to the extreme of trying to be another "me too" sellout league.

Another great post Bro. You nailed it.

 

[chum]

ESPN hates and bad mouths hockey for the same reason they dog Notre Dame football; Their competition makes more money off of it then they do. Allow me to explain my opinion.

Fox has the majority of the local hockey packages, ESPN gets the national. Every night ESPN runs a hockey game fox is running a local game at the same time. Most people in hockey areas (where the majority of the fans are) will watch the local markets team instead of the ESPN national broadcast.

Then there's the die hard hockey fan that is not in a local market, he doesn't watch the ESPN national broadcast either as he is plugged into a Center Ice package watching the game of choice. The only viewers that tune in to ESPNs national hockey night broadcast is the fan that doesn't have center ice, local team to support, the casual fan and channel surfers that stop if a fight is ongoing.

this is (as many ppl hav epointed out) a very good post.. i've always wondered why espn blocks out the local feed when a regular local station shows the same game (of the local game). i guess it is true that whatever they decide to show actually gets a higher rating than the rating of the regular local station.. it is kind of sad to think about it but if you look at it from the other angle (again), since hockey is the 4th most popular sport (and according to the poll, 27% care about it, and 73% do not) they can attract most of the 73% to watch their program (i am assuming) so that's more than whatever of the 27% decide to watch on ESPN instead of FOX.

either way, it seems to me that NHL is doing within expectation in its fan interest levels.

 

[Reilly311]

ESPN hates and bad mouths hockey for the same reason they dog Notre Dame football; Their competition makes more money off of it then they do.

So you're saying ESPN wants to show hockey? I don't think so.