Here's a link to my Tuesday newspaper column. I guess I buried one of the most interesting pieces of information in it, since the Sports Business Daily linked to it this morning:
It's a quote from Marc Fein, Versus' senior VP of programming, saying the network would be happy to listen if another network approached it regarding its exclusive cable rights to the NHL.
Yo, that means you, Bristol Stompers! Pick up the phone!
I'd be surprised if there were not some sort of NHL presence on ESPN in 2008-09, in addition to the Versus package. We'll see.
Comments (10)
For the NHL's sake - they need to get back on ESPN. I think Versus does a generally good job with their presentation, but the power and reach of ESPN can be overstated.
Furthermore, if ESPN got some games, it would increase the chances of NHL2Night making a comeback which I also think would be a big help for the league.
Peter,
Is your last name Puck?
Ha - no. I can't imagine any kid going through the ages 6-17 with a last name of Puck, regardless of first name.
Neil, I agree that there should be a presence on ESPN.
With the return of the unbalanced schedule, the NHL can set it up so that it's big divisional (NYR-PHI, DET-STL, COL-MIN) and interconference (Rangers, Detroit, Penguins, Avs, Stars) can be on ESPN every week. Then you give VERSUS a much more varied, but ratings-beneficial schedule.
Add in the 50 games from the NHL Network, and the 60 or so that HDNet airs (with the more widely-available HDTV), and the league looks much healthier on the tube next year.
YES! Does that mean we get to hear more stories from Barry Melrose about his trip to the '93 Finals with the Kings? And, more about Marty McSorely's stick? I mean, come on Barry, how could you not know it was illegal?!
Mullet!!!
;-)
If the NBA can be on TNT and ESPN, certainly the NHL can be on both Versus and ESPN. Not that I like ESPN, I watched the Giants game on delay last night via my DVR so I could FF through all the crap that ESPN adds to everything they show.
I miss NHL2Night... and Darren Pang. Oh these pangs of love.
You know I keep hearing this about how badly the NHL needs ESPN and that one of the reasons (of course there are many) for the decline in interest in the NHL was their decision to leave ESPN for OLN now known as Versus.
What people forget is the shabby way ESPN treated the NHL. For a long while, having the NHL was very important to ESPN...it was the presence of the NHL that helped in the birth of ESPN2....once the NCAA tournament took college basketball away from ESPN, having the NHL provided lots of games for ESPN.
Then they struck the deal with the NBA and unceremoniously took the NHL off ESPN and carried many fewer games only on ESPN2...and this was before the lockout.
Now they expect the NHL to come crawling back to them.
The NHL's problems are far larger than not being on ESPN, that's for sure.
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