Watchdog

Shoot. San Diego didn't make the list again. Partly because I was too busy watching the Padres get thumped by the Cubs to remember there was hockey on. Hard for me to think about watching a game being played on ice in June.

Note the bookies and bettors gave Vegas a little bump.

Those numbers would be higher if they counted Canadian Broadcasting Corp. viewers in border cities such as Detroit [who CBC station is alas not equipped for HD] and Buffalo.
Needless to say, Mike Emrick was at the ultimate top of his game Monday night. His insight and humour throughout the extended session was superb. We're so fortunate to have him during the winter around here with the Devils.
I was in a Canadian city over the weekend and got to sample both CBC and NBC telecasts. Small edge to the CBC Saturday as far as presentation goes. Big edge to the brewers of Canada, who produce a superior product.

I think what it comes down to on a national broadcast level is that in hockey if the home team is not involved in the game most fans especially in this area don't watch. In this market if the Rangers aren't playing they don't watch and that includes Islander and Devil games. It's a shame because I'm a fan of the sport first. You will not get what you got in last night's game in any other sport. Second the game isn't marketed properly. I don't need to see commercials for hockey during hockey games I'm already watching they should have the commercials on during other sports events. How anyone could sit through 4 hours of Yankee baseball night after night is beyond me.

If only the NHL marketed the game the way they can market the Stanley Cup. The Cup is a rock star. It has its own bodyguards and it goes on tour. As far as I know, it is the only trophy that gets introduced to the crowd when it is about to appear. People want to have their picture taken with it. People love the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup was the ONLY championship trophy presented on the field of play until about ten years ago when the rest of the sports finally caught on. The Stanley Cup is the only championship trophy whose name I know. I have no idea what the Super Bowl Trophy is named (maybe Rozelle?) or baseball's (should be the Jackie Robinson or Babe Ruth). I learned recently the NBA trophy is named for Larry O'Brien.
Hockey's biggest problem is you have to see the game live first to really appreciate it. Nobody can really afford hockey tickets at these prices these days. A second problem is that as long as I've been watching it, hockey has always been televised by two cameras in the press box focused on the ice. Every other sport has come up with innovations to improve theri broadcasts since the 60's and the only one hockey has come up with is the camera in the net and above the net to check on goals. With people complaining they can't follow the puck well on TV, maybe they could put some cameras in the spots where the goal judges used to sit to follow the game better in each end?

RE: Sandy @18:55 ...
The networks and better regional networks like the ones in the Northeast do have handheld cameras in the corners, robotic cams on top of the glass above the goals, a robo-cam in the scoreboard or atop the glass at centre ice, in-goal cameras [fixed or robotic], plus the above-goal cameras which are mandated by the NHL. Rule of thumb is for every camera added, a camera operator is needed - and that goes for robotic cameras as well - one person per joystick. It's not cheap, as most techs are unionized or work for NHL-mandated minimums in right-to-work states in the South.
FYI: Arenas that can sell seats where the goal judges used to be are doing it for a pretty penny.

this is the best they will do,going foward get used to numbers smaller than that hit new show from donny osmond.

The game did a 3.5 in New York, including a 4.9 at midnight. That is better then most Mets games. These numbers are great. Not bad for a sport that cancelled a season 3 years ago. Get ready hockey haters, hockey is back.

hey big don,wnba and the spelling bee bested your puck the other day.hockey.

"I would like anyone who stayed up until 12:49 a.m. to watch the Stanley Cup Finals to explain how and why baseball and basketball are more popular sports in this country than hockey. Please, go ahead, I dare you."

I stayed up until 1 a.m. to watch a 10-2 Mets' loss because is the best sport on the planet.

Don La Greca is kind of funny.

New York placed 36th in national ratings for some of these finals games but because everyone turned in at 11pm to watch the local News and Leno the night was a big success?

And that's with three teams fans watching.

How come the Liberty outdrew a conference game in New York with a rating around 0.7?

Baseball is a great sport you get to watch most guys either stand around or sit around and do nothing for 4 hours. On top of that most baseball players if they sneeze in the morning they are out of the lineup. Riveting.

Please, do you know anyone that talks or cares about the WNBA. We can all spin the ratings anyway you want, the fact is that game Monday was unreal, if you have any interest in sports you would have loved it. Be a leader not a follower. The only reason people in radio don't give it it's due is because they don't know it. If we based everything on ratings there would be no college basketball talk and every host would be forced to talk NASCAR every Monday.

Baseball can be boring. I did not even mean to watch the whole game. I checked the score during the first OT of the Met game and cared not to watch. I'd rather watch a game when I am not emotionally involved at all than to have Ollie piss on my cornflakes again.

hh, don't waste your time around here.