Vancouver's Hockey "Media"

[Fred]

I have to think that MG had a few things to say to HNIC execs

AROUND THE BOARDS



After Hockey Night in Canada officials made a presentation to the NHL’s board of governors’ meeting last Saturday during all-star weekend in Ottawa, more than one Canadian team went on the offensive and there were plenty of fireworks in the room. While it’s been well-publicized that Brian Burke isn’t happy with the way Don Cherry has been criticizing Leafs coach Ron Wilson, the Sun has confirmed the Toronto president/GM isn’t the only one who voiced his opinion to CBC officials. Sources say Senators owner Eugene Melnyk followed up on Burke’s tirade by complaining about the amount of national exposure Ottawa gets on HNIC. The piling-on continued as Habs owner Geoff Molson let CBC know he had his own issues with the broadcast. Sounds like it was fun. All this doesn’t bode well for CBC retaining the national rights when the contract expires in 2013 ...

[ESQ]

If anyone is curious, Jim Hughson's CBC contract ends one season after CBC's national broadcasting contract does.

At first I was resistant to seeing TSN get the national rights, but they have improved the last couple seasons while CBC has gotten worse. I like Gord Miller's call, love Ferraro, am amused by Maguire, don't care much for Cuthbert but I know I'm in the minority on that, and I think the Panel is the best in the business. Bob McKenzie seems to be the most connected hockey writer in the business, and has a ton of credibility. Hughson is still the best in the game, Bob Cole probably second-best, but the drop-off is steep after that and the panel stinks. I actually miss Hrudey's Behind the Mask segment, he really gave awesome firsthand insight into his playing days. To replace that with 7 hours of Ron Maclean, Milbury, and PJ frickin Stock is a travesty.

But the main thing I'd like to see is improved national coverage of hockey worth watching. Sorry, but the Leafs are not important anymore. They can't go out and buy up any player they want, they're not very good, they're riding one of the longest active post-season droughts, they just. don't. matter. In spite of that, I would say that the Van-Tor game was probably the best HNIC game of the year so far, but that doesn't hold a candle to Van-Det in December or Van-Bos in January.

I watch the NBC national games quite often, and I think they do a great job. They have a clear preference to big-market teams - Philly, Rangers, Chicago, Washington, Detroit - but they focus exclusively on the good teams. You're never going to see a Carolina-Islanders game, because they want to grow the game by showcasing good hockey. Unfortunately, the eastern Canadian teams have been so terrible the last couple years that the games have suffered, and that includes Montreal and Ottawa in a big way.

I think Pratt once aptly compared HNIC to Monday Night Football - you would never see a team that is the equivalent of the Leafs on the premiere national broadcast. That is what I would like to see, instead of rewarding Leafs for being shitty and in the biggest city by giving them the biggest exposure.

[Madcombinepilot]

+1

[dbr]

Unfortunately the Leafs are near relevance again; while the CBC might've reconsidered their heavy coverage of that team while they were terrible, ignoring a playoff contender in the league's biggest market would just be foolish.

I wouldn't expect TSN to approach Saturday nights differently if they outbid the CBC for the broadcast rights, either (although I completely agree that their personnel is almost universally superior to HNIC - I do like Jim Hughson and Elliotte Friedman though).

[ESQ]

Unfortunately the Leafs are near relevance again

That is unfortunate - 8th place in the East is cause for celebration But still, they're not buying up all the good players or going deep in the playoffs, and I don't see that happening under the current regime anyways. Plus, they still haven't managed to get any elite prospects to get excited over.

I wouldn't expect TSN to approach Saturday nights differently if they outbid the CBC for the broadcast rights, either

You may be right. But I've gotten the impression that TSN gives more league-wide coverage, including US-based teams. TSN does always give Toronto the lead spot, its true, but I think they give equal time to the other Canadian teams. Unless of course something happens with one of Pierre's monsters, then all bets are off.

I kinda like Elliote Friedman too, but more for his writing than his on-air persona.

[Mondi]

I must admit I'd be disappointed if the CBC were to lose HNIC to TSN.

TSN is so similar to ESPN/NBC/CBS/FOX in the way they over-saturated everything. Specifically I'm referring to the All-Star Draft, the Trade Deadline and the WJHC.

Despite the faults, and a fairly blatant anti-Canuck element of the show, the CBC still does a fine job with its hockey coverage. It is more discrete and less over the top. In my view, it is how hockey is meant to be covered.

As for whether there is too much Toronto coverage? Well, that is an issue of economics. If the same situation played out would we care about the priorities of Calgarians if they were in 1st place and we were battling for 8th? I'd venture to guess even if were bottom feeders we'd still prefer to see Vancouver on HNIC over the Flames (in most cases).

It seems as if tradition is all but forgotten in this world and while my argument in favour of Toronto (economics) may ultimately be the undoing of the CBC's traditional HNIC property I'd still be disappointed. TSN already shows more games and has more 24/7 style coverage. The CBC has a nice balance.

The HNIC theme already stollen (and put to horrible use by TSN) would be an after thought if there was no more CBC Saturday night coverage. Maybe I'm a traditionalist, but I much prefer CBC to TSN's American-style coverage. Not only that, I just like the idea of the past 20+ years on Saturday night be able to visit with old friends...sorry James Duthie and Darren Dreger...just not the same.

[wafflecombine]

I'm afraid that I wouldn't shed a tear if HNIC got scooped by TSN. Over the last couple years I've felt the quality of commentary on the CBC has gone downhill and has a pretty heavy, nearly homerism bias. Typically I find the play by play, the punditry and camera angle/replay better on TSN. I'll admit to a morbid fascination with Coach's Corner simply because its always fascinating to see how far, and at what angle Grapes will try to get both feet in his mouth.

Personally, I'm all over the NHL centre ice package. Dial in on the 'Nucks.... maybe channel surf to see if someone is beating Boston (those are happy nights) and quickly check scores before heading back to the Canucks main event.

Its all about value for money and sadly, the CBC is providing less and less value... and not just in hockey broadcasting.

[Fred]

I'm not a fan of HNIC and the format they use especially the economic model is out dated. We don't need a force fed diet of Leaf Hockey or media reports from the Golden horseshoe. I might have been justifiable in the fifties when folks watch 12" black & white but if SN can manage regional shows so to can HNIC. The CBC has based it's model on Ontario being the centre of the universe and every thing disseminates from there. That's no longer need financially. Frankly I don't watch much of the CBC regular programming either these days. They've missed the boat, the market has changed and so to has the technology to deliver it.

But today's HNIC in particular in no longer my cup of tea. Ron McLean strikes me as a snob who referees hockey, I question if he ever played the game above PeeWee ( it was his way of being noticed as a kid...officiating ) Rather than a fancy dress clown show how about a real hockey analyst during the intermission and it would be nice if they just showed regional presentations...if any one wants to pick up the Leafs game it now possible...does HNIC get that subtle point, but don't blast it to every one because that's the way we did it in the fifties

[dbr]

That is unfortunate - 8th place in the East is cause for celebration But still, they're not buying up all the good players or going deep in the playoffs, and I don't see that happening under the current regime anyways. Plus, they still haven't managed to get any elite prospects to get excited over.

Well, it's something Leafs ownership has known for decades - you don't have to shoot for the moon, when you have captive audience of that size you'll always have a great bottom line so anything other than a complete embarrassment is good enough.

You may be right. But I've gotten the impression that TSN gives more league-wide coverage, including US-based teams. TSN does always give Toronto the lead spot, its true, but I think they give equal time to the other Canadian teams. Unless of course something happens with one of Pierre's monsters, then all bets are off.

I don't know if you're gauging that based on their SportsCentre coverage but if you're basing it on the NHL games they show now, they don't really have a choice - they pretty much get whatever the CBC doesn't (ie. not many Leafs games), right?

I kinda like Elliote Friedman too, but more for his writing than his on-air persona.

Yeah I strictly meant for his blog, I haven't seen much of him on the idesk or whatever that segment is called.

[Fred]

An Interesting point raised on Nucks misconduct. Should nationally televised games have announcers that do private promotional advertising in local markets. He used the case of Craig Simpson who live in Edmonton ( I believe ...Alberta any way ) apparently does a lot of advertising gigs locally ( in Alberta ) and then can't contain himself from sounding like an Alberta cheer leader while doing a nationally televised game ?

[Mondi]

An Interesting point raised on Nucks misconduct. Should nationally televised games have announcers that do private promotional advertising in local markets. He used the case of Craig Simpson who live in Edmonton ( I believe ...Alberta any way ) apparently does a lot of advertising gigs locally ( in Alberta ) and then can't contain himself from sounding like an Alberta cheer leader while doing a nationally televised game ?

Ridiculous. No one could work then, Ball and Hughson (Mitsubishi MOTORS!) would be out straight away.

Bias is natural and normal and we should stop trying to aspire to perfectly balanced coverage. Just have them do the best they can.

[ESQ]

Blake Price had two talking points today and he really stuck to them...

1. Is Minnesota for real?
2. Is Minnesota a rival?

And his (learned) opinions.

1. No, despite what guys who know something about hockey say (i.e. Pierre McGuire).
2. Minnesota considers Vancouver a bigger rival than Vancouver considers Minnesota.

What insight.

Turns out, Price was actually right
I actually went digging for this post because I was sure Price said they were for real, never imagining he would actually turn out to be correct...but there's a first time for everything.

[dhabums]

An Interesting point raised on Nucks misconduct. Should nationally televised games have announcers that do private promotional advertising in local markets. He used the case of Craig Simpson who live in Edmonton ( I believe ...Alberta any way ) apparently does a lot of advertising gigs locally ( in Alberta ) and then can't contain himself from sounding like an Alberta cheer leader while doing a nationally televised game ?

Clearly it is time to hire machines to broadcast games.

[Mondi]

Blake Price had two talking points today and he really stuck to them...

1. Is Minnesota for real?
2. Is Minnesota a rival?

And his (learned) opinions.

1. No, despite what guys who know something about hockey say (i.e. Pierre McGuire).
2. Minnesota considers Vancouver a bigger rival than Vancouver considers Minnesota.

What insight.

Turns out, Price was actually right
I actually went digging for this post because I was sure Price said they were for real, never imagining he would actually turn out to be correct...but there's a first time for everything.

Price was right only insofar as Mikko Koivu has missed pretty every game since the team was first overall.

But yeah, he was right.

[mr perfect]

Jeff Paterson has the most obnoxious radio voice I have ever heard.

I'm not sure who I'd like to punch out more Jeff Paterson or Don Taylor .

As an asside what is up with Neil Macrae ? Did he have a stroke or something ? Maybe Parkinsons...... Huntingtons disease ? His speech sounds a little slurred..... yeah I know he's a wrinser but he sounds a lot different these days and he did take a lot of time off in the last couple of years.

You'll get a laugh out of this; On Monday Paterson on 1040 was referred to as the resident tennis guy. Figures...............