Rate The NHL On VERSUS: Year 2

[acr*]

Jack Edwards is going to regularly do games on Versus? Now you can all go through what we have to. "Tanabe Spoons it down the River...Campbell sticks a fork in it!"

 

[Stevedude530]

Oh, add Jim Jackson to the "Departed" List.

 

[Stevedude530]

Darren Eliot has an exculsive preview of the Southeast Division up on the NHL site.

 

[X0ssbar]

Darren Eliot has an exculsive preview of the Southeast Division up on the NHL site.

Heard anything about VS. actually launching a new website?

 

[Stevedude530]

Apparently, the current Versus.TV is merely a temp site, with a full overhaul coming soon.

 

[Finest]

Would be cool if JD still did the color commentary lol

 

[Sinurgy]

Hmmmm, I'm noticing a pattern in the people they are profiling.
Martin Brodeur- Plays hockey which airs on Versus
Floyd Mayweather- A Boxer a sport which Versus airs.
Gary Gait- Lacrosse player a sport which Versus will air.
Justin McBride- Bull Rider which just so happens to air on Versus.

Now the other one is Mariano Rivera who obviously plays for the Yankees. Considering all the other people they mentioned are involved in stuff that airs on Versus, Is this a clue that Versus will be getting the other LCS baseball package?

Sadly it's probably more of an attempt to lend a bit more credibility to the program by having a mainstream sports star (Rivera) included.

 

[weezman]

No disrespect intended here but why does the US national coverage of Western Conference teams almost always involve either DAL, DET or COL or a combination thereof???

Versus programming people think its still 1995-2000?

I think it actually has to do with the fact that Versus is owned by Comcast, which has a significant foothold in at least 2 (DET and COL) of those places. Maybe they are big in DAL too.

 

[usiel]

Slightly off topic but here is a like to all the NHL HDTV games:

http://www.hdsportsguide.com/nhl.php

 

[Jori]

That HD guide is incomplete. There are some RSNs who broadcast games in HD missing such as Altitude.

 

[Stevedude530]

VERSUS adds Mobile NHL Content

It's a start. For small fees, you can download team wallpapers to your cell machine.

For 1.99, you can make the following your ringtone:
-The NHL On Versus Theme Song
-Joe Beninati's call of an Alexander Ovechkin goal.
-Mike Emrick's call of Sidney Crosby's overtime winner last November.

Head to Versus.tv/nhl for more.

 

[Stevedude530]

A Plea For Hockey Fans to Unite on VERSUS

Folks, we are going to be on the VERSUS network for a while. The network will likely announce before the end of this season that they will accept the NHL as their lord and savior for a third season, because they have that option. So I appeal to all of you who have it...

WATCH IT!

If you live in the U.S., and your not watching the VERSUS games when your team isn't playing, your not helping our situation. If you like VERSUS, watch them and let them know that their support of the game. If you want the games back on ESPN, then watch VERSUS, so they know that the NHL still has ratings potential.

Regardless, we need to be watching national tv broadcasts. I know it's not your team, but we need to all be a little more united as hockey fans. None in the sports world have the attitude of "If it's not my team I don't care" than we do, but we have to stop that.

So, let me remind you one more time. At 4:00 PM, VERSUS is airing a marathon of hockey programming that they'll be premiering throughout the early week. Check out Soul of a Champion: Martin Brodeur (Premieres 10/3, 10:00 PM, re-airs 10/4, 4:00 PM). Then, it's "On the Glass" (Premieres 10/3, 7:00 PM, re-airs 10/4, 4:30 PM), a front row seat look at game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final (a la NFL Films). Then, it's Lord Stanley's Summer (Premieres 10/1, 6:00 PM, re-airs 10/4, 5:30 PM), a look at what the Carolina Hurricanes did with the Cup this Summer.

Then, things start to get going. At 6:30 PM, Bill Clement (Who is absolutely solid now, if not yet on the level of an Ernie Johnson or a James Brown) hosts The NHL On VERSUS pre-game Show, with Keith Jones, Brian Engblom and others commenting on the game. Then at 7:00 PM, the network airs a doubleheader, starting off with the raising of the banner in Carolina, and then an Eastern Finals rematch between Carolina and that team with the SlugSperm on their uniforms. At 10, it's a Western Qtrs. rematch, with Modano and the Stars visiting Sakic and the Avs. Following that, it's the NHL on VERSUS post-game show, featuring Clement, Engblom, Jones and cast recapping the night in hockey.

So please, please, please, watch it! For all our sakes, let's better the 300-400 thousand we got for Flyers-Rangers last opening night. Not only will that help the above points, but it will prove that were willing to watch small-market teams in the regular season.

 

[sandman441]

I have no problem with VS but early in the year I did mainly because they were having problems with the volume it would go quiet then really loud so I hope they fixed that. I think what might help people watch alot of the games is if for every game they give away a signed jersey. It's kind of gimmicky but it could work I know HDNet did it last year.

 

[missK]

Thanks for the heads-up on the non-game programming. I always watch the games but don't ever get advance notice on non-game programming.

Thanks again!

 

[OG6ix]

I thought the NHL had the option, not VS... I don't see why they can't give ESPN a handful of games as well the more the marrier. Personally, I don't think that versus is the right platform for the NHL.

 

[Stevedude530]

If it were to get an MLB League Championship Series would it be?

 

[Whalerfan11]

ESPN is waiting for the NHL to come to the table. I believe it's a bit of Bettman and company being too stubborn to admit that they need ESPN broadcast games. Like it or not, ESPN drives every sport with their coverage or lack of. But on the other side of the coin, the world wide leader in sports would like to have hockey to be just that, the world wide leader in sports. After all, ESPN started because of hockey. In 1979 it's purpose was originally to broadcast Hartford Whaler games. It was cheaper to buy 24 hour satellite time rather than primetime satellite time. Hence the 24 hour sports network.

 

[OG6ix]

if you go to WGR550.com they have an on demand section with an interview with John Buccigross in there. Basically bucci said he talked to his boss or something and ESPN wants to get the NHL Back.

They should, I can't stand Versus, I am sorry. If they were to get MLB, than maybe they would feel like a legit sports network, but right now all I ever see is Ted Nugent, and the Professional Bull Riding commercials.

 

[Whalerfan11]

I too work at ESPN and yes it was discussed that the company wants to get the NHL back. During a company meeting there were multiple questions about the coverage of the NHL and if we were going to do more. In my opinion a block about hockey on espnews on thursdays isn't enough.

 

[OG6ix]

I too work at ESPN and yes it was discussed that the company wants to get the NHL back. During a company meeting there were multiple questions about the coverage of the NHL and if we were going to do more. In my opinion a block about hockey on espnews on thursdays isn't enough.

What was the outcome?

 

[sandman441]

They should, I can't stand Versus, I am sorry. If they were to get MLB, than maybe they would feel like a legit sports network, but right now all I ever see is Ted Nugent, and the Professional Bull Riding commercials.

Totally agree with that. When they cut off the last pick of the draft for PBR I believe it was I was pretty angry and I think it was a bush league move. I still don't think ESPN would treat hockey good look what they did to NHL2night they cancelled I believe 2 years before the lockout and I don't know too much about sportscenter so I can't comment about that. I know the other shows disliked hockey and badmouthed it regularly.

 

[OG6ix]

I don't care, ESPN's broadcast was better. I don't think the bad mouthing will stop until the NHL redeems its credibility i.e. having several seasons of success un interrupted by another labour despute.

 

[sandman441]

I don't care, ESPN's broadcast was better. I don't think the bad mouthing will stop until the NHL redeems its credibility i.e. having several seasons of success un interrupted by another labour despute.

I really don't think it will stop these guys have it in their head that they don't like hockey and won't give it a chance. I'd give VS atleast this year to see if they improved ESPN has been broadcasting games for awhile so I would give them atleast this year to see what they changed.

 

[bluef0x*]

I add anything hockey-related to my mythTV for recording... might not watch it but at least it adds a household tuning in for hockey

 

[crashlanding]

I don't care, ESPN's broadcast was better. I don't think the bad mouthing will stop until the NHL redeems its credibility i.e. having several seasons of success un interrupted by another labour despute.

I don't think ESPN's broadcast was any better when you compare it to OLN's in the playoffs. Plus, OLN had playoff hockey practically every night of the week and when they weren't showing a game they were showing hockey related programming. Now THAT was what I liked to see.

Like you said the bad mouthing won't stop until the NHL has several seasons of success, that won't change whether it's on Versus, ESPN, or Animal Planet. ESPN has the NFL on Mondays, the NBA a couple of times a week, baseball, and college football/basketball. How much hockey do you think you'll get to see on ESPN? Will they bring back NHL 2nite? Probably not, they removed that from their offer last year. If Versus can add a similar program to their lineup and have it every night, they will get much more support from the NHL fans.