Hockey & Rants 01 Jun 2009 11:01 pm
Dear NHL… GROW SOME BALLS!
I would have figured with the NHL expansion into the Southern States that their balls wouldn’t be as shriveled up since moving into warmer climates… but no, they’re still non-existant, as Gary Bettman has bent the league over to kowtow to NBC’s whims… boo-hoo, NBC doesn’t want hockey to interfere with their weekday prime time summer (worthless revenue) schedule. Hey, you bid on the broadcasting rights assholes… put up or get out.
Not that I already hate the [original] Big Three Networks… but I do (FOX ain’t nearly as bad). I find the excessive amount of ‘reality’-based programming annoying as locking yourself outside in your skivvies on a mid-winter day in Alberta (as in Alberta Clipper). At least two of them (NBC and CBS) have canceled shows that I like… normally in favor of the shows that would entertain a cat (yes, I don’t like reality shows or cats). NBC has, over the past several years, drawn my ire. Now they’ve started messing around with all that is sacred, the NHL.
I realize that Gary Bettman (commissioner of the NHL) has been trying to grow the league both in revenue, geography and popularity, and has had a pretty good record of success (though I don’t agree with everything he’s done). Over the past few years, the NHL has been broadcast on NBC. The 2008-2009 season, thankfully marks the end of the contract term and it will be up for negotiation/bidding between all the major networks [here in the US anyway... wow I miss the CBC].
Throughout the year, NBC typically only carried a Saturday or Sunday afternoon game. I can’t think of a single instance where I caught an evening game on NBC (though this may be because I rarely watch NBC at night). Given that 95% of the NHL regular season (and maybe the first playoff round) occurs during the normal TV-season, I doubt NBC is going to bump their damn reality shows in favor of the NHL. I realize the NHL is not as big as the other three major North American sports… but there was a time in the past 10 years it had better ratings than the NBA… but I digress. So, NBC can show the weekend games, that’s fine. Here’s my problem. I’ve watched several of them all year… their cameramen suck ass. They’re not used to shooting a white background (the ice), consequently resulting in a white-wash or over exposure/burn. Their is so much over exposure, you can’t see the puck… you might be able to make out the blue and red lines on the ice if you’re lucky. I’d almost rather watch the games on FOX with FoxTraxx (another peev).
Now comes the Stanley Cup Finals… and what does NBC request of the NHL since the Eastern and Western Conference Finals were over in 5 games or less? Move up the start date of the Cup Finals. So as would normally happen, for each round in the playoffs, there’s minimum 14 days allotted, every other day, maybe two days if moving to the other team’s arena that is more than 500+miles away. NBC is a bunch of assholes who should shut the fuck up and deal. NHL Teams play 82 games a season (6 months, or 3.15 games/week a bit less during Olympic years)… that’s a helluvalot more than those sissies in the NFL playing 16 games in 17 weeks. All playoff series’ start dates should be determined and adhered to before the start of the playoffs, no alterations, except in extenuating circumstances.
Next year, I just need to get the NHL Channel and/or NHL Center Ice (nearly every game).