Besides Fox Sports Radio, Sporting News Radio is another viable alternative to the four-letter network.
Sporting News Radio gives complete NHL scores too, and the talking heads don't seem to shy away from hockey chatter.
An example: On Todd Wright's show last night he talked about the Buffalo Sabres. As my brother and I were driving home from a family dinner, I turned up the radio because I was excited about hearing hockey talk on the radio.
"Oh wait hold on," I said and turned up the volume. I was excited about hearing hockey talk on the radio, and mentioned to my brother I don't hear much on it.
We talked some more and eventually he's like, "I bet you like Mike & Mike."
"I love them," I said. "But now I'm boycotting them, ESPN radio and all ESPN channels."
He gave me some grief, but I explained my reasoning which I've mentioned in earlier blog posts.
"What about when they show Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri at number three on their Dynamic Duo list?" he asked.
I thought about it a moment, and something didn't jive.
"That's Fox Sports Net," I said. " I saw their Batman and Robin promos when I was watching the Pacers game on FSN Indiana up in Indy."
"Oh yeah, that's right," he said. "ESPN use to broadcast NHL games right?"
"Yeah."
"They (NHL) use to be on Fox."
"Yeah, they're still on Fox's regional networks," I said. "But at least they don't have the glowing puck anymore. I hated that."
So anyway another good show I listen during my commute is David Stein's. He talks about the postives in sports and how sports influences a person's life in a postive way. I like that show quite a bit.
One Sporting News Radio personality I really miss is Papa Joe Chevalier.
I listened to him in the mid-90s, when SNR was known as One on One Sports. I remember Papa Joe talking a lot about hockey. He'd compare the Red Wings to the Soviet teams. This was when the Wings skated the Russian Five on a regular basis, and I was just a budding NHL fan then. I gravitated to this comparison because in my mind it harkened back to the Miracle on Ice. There was a tangible connection, but I didn't know it then. Slava Fetisov played on the Wings and was a member of the 1980 Soviet team. I was pulling for the Red Wings in the 1995 Stanley Cup Final, but the Russian Five probably cemented my hockey love for the Wings.
After an Internet search, I found Chevalier is on the air in Las Vegas, but I don't think his show is syndicated now. If it is I still haven't heard him in ages. I mean who couldn't love Bite Me Wednesdays?
Links:
Russian Five; http://youtube.com/watch?v=wzG1M05nUps
Papa Joe Chevalier; http://www.papajoetalk.com/
Todd Wright; http://radio.sportingnews.com/shows/todd_wright/index.html
David Stein; http://radio.sportingnews.com/shows/david_stein/index.html
Sporting News Radio; http://radio.sportingnews.com/
Miracle on Ice; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_on_Ice
Friday, March 28, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Philly sports coverage
In the Philadelphia area, Comcast Sports Net is rockin'!
I watched the highlight show, SportsRise, there this morning.
Anyway the show covers the local teams really well. They spent about six minutes reviewing and showing highlights of the Sixers - Celtics game from the night before.
They then showed Phillies highlights of spring training games.
After that, they spent about three minutes previewing tonight's Flyers - Rangers game. That's previewing, not reviewing, and that was amazing to me.
In those three minutes they showed highlights of previous Flyers games and interviews with two players about the upcoming game. The show's camera person interviewed the players at the train station yesterday before they boarded a train to New York. That was cool, and something different than the average locker room interview.
More hockey coverage included out of town game highlights from New York and Montreal. Highlights, not just the scores.
The show started with a Flyers player bump too.
Overall it was impressive hockey coverage. It's nice to see what a network invested in the NHL can do.
I watched the highlight show, SportsRise, there this morning.
Anyway the show covers the local teams really well. They spent about six minutes reviewing and showing highlights of the Sixers - Celtics game from the night before.
They then showed Phillies highlights of spring training games.
After that, they spent about three minutes previewing tonight's Flyers - Rangers game. That's previewing, not reviewing, and that was amazing to me.
In those three minutes they showed highlights of previous Flyers games and interviews with two players about the upcoming game. The show's camera person interviewed the players at the train station yesterday before they boarded a train to New York. That was cool, and something different than the average locker room interview.
More hockey coverage included out of town game highlights from New York and Montreal. Highlights, not just the scores.
The show started with a Flyers player bump too.
Overall it was impressive hockey coverage. It's nice to see what a network invested in the NHL can do.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Discipline Czar term limits
Adam Proteau of The Hockey News writes term limits of the job Colin Campbell holds should be limited to three years. Most interestingly to me is this:
"To me, suspensions should be automatic for certain reprehensible acts, regardless of (a) a player’s intent, (b) his history of crossing the line, and (c) any regret he may have for his actions.
If the rules are the rules, there should be absolutely no wiggle room for interpretation."
I completely agree.
Not having such rules in place is part of what led to the Chris Pronger - Chris Simon furor.
Another choice quote.
"The uproar after Pronger’s latest, too-lenient suspension proved beyond all doubt fans and media are truly at the end of their rope when it comes to cutting the league slack over rule enforcement, and are demanding a better setup as soon as possible. "
Proteau is right, it's time for Campbell to go.
However Proteau is wrong when he writes Campbell is bias free. I disagree with Proteau on this point. Pronger's suspension vis-à-vis Simon's is a classic example that Campbell isn't.
"To me, suspensions should be automatic for certain reprehensible acts, regardless of (a) a player’s intent, (b) his history of crossing the line, and (c) any regret he may have for his actions.
If the rules are the rules, there should be absolutely no wiggle room for interpretation."
I completely agree.
Not having such rules in place is part of what led to the Chris Pronger - Chris Simon furor.
Another choice quote.
"The uproar after Pronger’s latest, too-lenient suspension proved beyond all doubt fans and media are truly at the end of their rope when it comes to cutting the league slack over rule enforcement, and are demanding a better setup as soon as possible. "
Proteau is right, it's time for Campbell to go.
However Proteau is wrong when he writes Campbell is bias free. I disagree with Proteau on this point. Pronger's suspension vis-à-vis Simon's is a classic example that Campbell isn't.
Friday, March 21, 2008
ESPN Badness, FSN Goodness
Bad as in not good, not bad as in good.
So I've been pretty quiet about the boycott. All is going well on that front, as I'm now into my second week.
There is one other thing, or should I say person, who I miss. That's Coach Knight. I'd love to hear his analysis on there. I've read he does a great job. Still, it's not enough to change my resolve.
Anyway the other night I was listening to a Red Wings game online as I watched the Pacers game on FSN Indiana. That was a good night. The Wings won after trailing, Henrik Zetterberg scored three unanswered goals and the Pacers won. A rare feat for them these days.
Watching FSN that night reminded me, FSN Final Score is much better than SportsCenter. With FSN's highlight show, the talking heads aren't the story. Also the show makes it a point to show all highlights, not just the ones hockey-haters choose.
More badness from ESPN, and it pains me to write that it's about its website, the one thing I like about ESPN.
Check out this link.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=280315017
Observant people, and I must thank a LetsGoWings.com member for bringing it to my attention, will notice the photo caption is wrong.
It reads, "New Jersey Devils defenseman Sheldon Brookbank, left, congratulates Colorado Avalanche goalie Martin Brodeur ..."
Wow! When did Brodeur start playing for the Avs? I missed that trade.
Could be an honest mistake. Everybody makes them. I do. You do. Nobody is perfect. Most publications have a mistake in them somewhere, especially ones that deal with news and ones on deadlines.
Then again, as I posted on the Lets Go Wings, it's probably the photographer's error. Still I would think somebody at the "world-wide leader" would catch it. The page was posted nearly a week ago, and it's still that way.
On the other hand maybe it's not the photographer's mistake. The photographer who took it an AP photographer, and the AP is very reputable.
I could live with it being ESPN's mistake, I like that. It's easy to understand too since it's ESPN and hockey.
This isn't the first ESPN, hockey mistake that was brought to my attention or that I've noticed on my own. It is ESPN after all, and most people who work there don't seem to give a hoot and holler about hockey. It's been proven again.
So I've been pretty quiet about the boycott. All is going well on that front, as I'm now into my second week.
There is one other thing, or should I say person, who I miss. That's Coach Knight. I'd love to hear his analysis on there. I've read he does a great job. Still, it's not enough to change my resolve.
Anyway the other night I was listening to a Red Wings game online as I watched the Pacers game on FSN Indiana. That was a good night. The Wings won after trailing, Henrik Zetterberg scored three unanswered goals and the Pacers won. A rare feat for them these days.
Watching FSN that night reminded me, FSN Final Score is much better than SportsCenter. With FSN's highlight show, the talking heads aren't the story. Also the show makes it a point to show all highlights, not just the ones hockey-haters choose.
More badness from ESPN, and it pains me to write that it's about its website, the one thing I like about ESPN.
Check out this link.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=280315017
Observant people, and I must thank a LetsGoWings.com member for bringing it to my attention, will notice the photo caption is wrong.
It reads, "New Jersey Devils defenseman Sheldon Brookbank, left, congratulates Colorado Avalanche goalie Martin Brodeur ..."
Wow! When did Brodeur start playing for the Avs? I missed that trade.
Could be an honest mistake. Everybody makes them. I do. You do. Nobody is perfect. Most publications have a mistake in them somewhere, especially ones that deal with news and ones on deadlines.
Then again, as I posted on the Lets Go Wings, it's probably the photographer's error. Still I would think somebody at the "world-wide leader" would catch it. The page was posted nearly a week ago, and it's still that way.
On the other hand maybe it's not the photographer's mistake. The photographer who took it an AP photographer, and the AP is very reputable.
I could live with it being ESPN's mistake, I like that. It's easy to understand too since it's ESPN and hockey.
This isn't the first ESPN, hockey mistake that was brought to my attention or that I've noticed on my own. It is ESPN after all, and most people who work there don't seem to give a hoot and holler about hockey. It's been proven again.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Shame on Bettman, Campbell
An open letter I plan to e-mail into the Gary Bettman call-in show tomorrow.
Dear Gary Bettman and Colin Campbell,
Shame on you both. I hold you both responsible as the Commissioner and Czar of Discipline respectively.
First the NHL had to be pressured to review Chris Pronger's stomp on Ryan Kesler. Then when it did, Mr. Campbell only gave Pronger a slap on the wrist in an eight-game suspension. Yet Chris Simon, who did the exact same thing, received a 30-game suspension.
Mr. Campbell I read your retort to Simon. The reactions by both players were in the same context. Both players were hacked off and both retaliated in the same way. At the time of their most recent unsportsmanlike conduct, both had seven previous suspensions against them. Both had recent previous suspensions too.
It galls me to no end the hypocrisy and the double standard between the two suspensions. Mr Bettman, I read your reply to a player who didn't like the new sweaters earlier this year, and you said it was just one player who didn't like them. Well Mr. Bettman, I am not just one die-hard NHL fan who feels Pronger's most recent suspension was too light.
A majority of fans feel the same way I do. I can find the polls that prove it too.
It's not just fans who feel this way either, many NHL journalists do too. Scott Morrison with CBC and Wes Goldstein with CBS to name just two off the top of my head. Again, I can find more.
Why is there this double standard? Is it because Pronger is a high-profile player and Simon is a fourth-line player? Is it because Brian Burke formerly worked at NHL offices? Is it because the NHL is supporting Sunbelt teams and newer teams more than traditional teams?
These inconstancies, double standards, and improprieties shine a negative light on the NHL. They take away from a wonderful sport. I hope in the future they are eliminated.
Thank you for your time.
Dear Gary Bettman and Colin Campbell,
Shame on you both. I hold you both responsible as the Commissioner and Czar of Discipline respectively.
First the NHL had to be pressured to review Chris Pronger's stomp on Ryan Kesler. Then when it did, Mr. Campbell only gave Pronger a slap on the wrist in an eight-game suspension. Yet Chris Simon, who did the exact same thing, received a 30-game suspension.
Mr. Campbell I read your retort to Simon. The reactions by both players were in the same context. Both players were hacked off and both retaliated in the same way. At the time of their most recent unsportsmanlike conduct, both had seven previous suspensions against them. Both had recent previous suspensions too.
It galls me to no end the hypocrisy and the double standard between the two suspensions. Mr Bettman, I read your reply to a player who didn't like the new sweaters earlier this year, and you said it was just one player who didn't like them. Well Mr. Bettman, I am not just one die-hard NHL fan who feels Pronger's most recent suspension was too light.
A majority of fans feel the same way I do. I can find the polls that prove it too.
It's not just fans who feel this way either, many NHL journalists do too. Scott Morrison with CBC and Wes Goldstein with CBS to name just two off the top of my head. Again, I can find more.
Why is there this double standard? Is it because Pronger is a high-profile player and Simon is a fourth-line player? Is it because Brian Burke formerly worked at NHL offices? Is it because the NHL is supporting Sunbelt teams and newer teams more than traditional teams?
These inconstancies, double standards, and improprieties shine a negative light on the NHL. They take away from a wonderful sport. I hope in the future they are eliminated.
Thank you for your time.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Losing, Boycott and Selection Sunday
The Wings look like they're on another streak. This time a losing one. The Wings are having a hard time with Central Division teams this year. I don't know what's wrong with them. Sure they're still having injury problems, but so are the Avalanche, and they're doing very well.
Listening or watching hockey keeps me away from ESPN. So continuing the boycott was pretty easy. I also watched some college basketball on CBS. Speaking of which, the Hoosiers are on a losing streak too. It was a tough weekend. The Hoosiers also have a tough draw in the tournament, but I can understand it, given the losing streak and inconsistent play since Kelvin Sampson left.
Hopefully both my teams will turn around their recent fortunes.
Listening or watching hockey keeps me away from ESPN. So continuing the boycott was pretty easy. I also watched some college basketball on CBS. Speaking of which, the Hoosiers are on a losing streak too. It was a tough weekend. The Hoosiers also have a tough draw in the tournament, but I can understand it, given the losing streak and inconsistent play since Kelvin Sampson left.
Hopefully both my teams will turn around their recent fortunes.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
On the Ice
If you're ever in Indianapolis during hockey season, check out an Ice game at Indiana State Fairgrounds. My first experience there was awesome.
The Arena
The Ice play most of their games in a nearly 60-year-old barn called the Pepsi Coliseum. The Ice's other home arena is Conseco Fieldhouse. As with most minor league, really junior league, prices are reasonable. I paid $15.00 for about a tenth row seat behind the benches.
The arena seats 8,200 for hockey, so there's really not a bad seat in the house. Most of the seats behind the safety netting are covered so patrons aren't allowed to sit there. I wonder if that includes the 8,200 or not. I'd probably think so. I guess if a game is nearing a sell-out those seats would then be opened.
Anyway the coliseum is quite charming in my opinion. The players cross the concourse to enter the arena. So if you're walking around when the players are scheduled to appear on the ice or coming off it, you'll be stopped by an arena employee. Waiting for ice resurfacer to cross too might also impede your movement.
Hey Junior
So yeah, I was mistaken yesterday when I said the Ice are a minor league. They are an amateur junior league, USHL, team owned by Colorado Avalanche player John-Michael Liles. He was born in Zionsville, Ind., a suburb or Indianapolis.
Miscellany
A major plus - Molson Canadian on tap! That's amazing to me. I didn't expect that at all. It's hardly a hockey game if you can't enjoy a Molson. The freshly popped popcorn is good too, bypass that boxed stuff. It looked pre-popped.
The Chill Girls are a nice bit of eye candy for heterosexual guys and homosexual women. When on the ice, they don't wear skates, figure or hockey, as far as I could tell. Sorry I don't usually sit around during intermission, but from the photos on the Ice's MySpace page it doesn't look like it.
Also the jerseys the players were wearing last night were really cool.
The logo doesn't do much for me, and the photo doesn't really do it justice, but they look pretty cool in person. By the way that's a dark blue to light blue gradient. The Thrashers should have done something like this for their third jerseys, now their home duds.
The Game
So last night's game pitted the Ice against the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets. The Ice started out positively, scoring two goals - one in the first and one in the second. From there though it was all Blue Jackets who scored six unanswered goals - two in the second and four in the third. Dan Hobbs tallied a hat trick for the Jackets. The Ice are now 35-10-6 as their regular season is coming to a close with just nine games remaining.
What's next?
Hopefully I can attend the Ice's last regular-season game, against Ohio, but this time at Conseco. I saw an IU - IUPUI basketball game there last year, and that was cool. Can't wait to see what an ice hockey game there is like.
The Arena
The Ice play most of their games in a nearly 60-year-old barn called the Pepsi Coliseum. The Ice's other home arena is Conseco Fieldhouse. As with most minor league, really junior league, prices are reasonable. I paid $15.00 for about a tenth row seat behind the benches.
The arena seats 8,200 for hockey, so there's really not a bad seat in the house. Most of the seats behind the safety netting are covered so patrons aren't allowed to sit there. I wonder if that includes the 8,200 or not. I'd probably think so. I guess if a game is nearing a sell-out those seats would then be opened.
Anyway the coliseum is quite charming in my opinion. The players cross the concourse to enter the arena. So if you're walking around when the players are scheduled to appear on the ice or coming off it, you'll be stopped by an arena employee. Waiting for ice resurfacer to cross too might also impede your movement.
Hey Junior
So yeah, I was mistaken yesterday when I said the Ice are a minor league. They are an amateur junior league, USHL, team owned by Colorado Avalanche player John-Michael Liles. He was born in Zionsville, Ind., a suburb or Indianapolis.
Miscellany
A major plus - Molson Canadian on tap! That's amazing to me. I didn't expect that at all. It's hardly a hockey game if you can't enjoy a Molson. The freshly popped popcorn is good too, bypass that boxed stuff. It looked pre-popped.
The Chill Girls are a nice bit of eye candy for heterosexual guys and homosexual women. When on the ice, they don't wear skates, figure or hockey, as far as I could tell. Sorry I don't usually sit around during intermission, but from the photos on the Ice's MySpace page it doesn't look like it.
Also the jerseys the players were wearing last night were really cool.
The logo doesn't do much for me, and the photo doesn't really do it justice, but they look pretty cool in person. By the way that's a dark blue to light blue gradient. The Thrashers should have done something like this for their third jerseys, now their home duds.
The Game
So last night's game pitted the Ice against the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets. The Ice started out positively, scoring two goals - one in the first and one in the second. From there though it was all Blue Jackets who scored six unanswered goals - two in the second and four in the third. Dan Hobbs tallied a hat trick for the Jackets. The Ice are now 35-10-6 as their regular season is coming to a close with just nine games remaining.
What's next?
Hopefully I can attend the Ice's last regular-season game, against Ohio, but this time at Conseco. I saw an IU - IUPUI basketball game there last year, and that was cool. Can't wait to see what an ice hockey game there is like.
Friday, March 14, 2008
ESPN Boycott Day 3
Again woke up late, but again checked online via BlackBerry and the complimentary paper. I must say The Washington Times has good hockey coverage, it's much better than I expected.
Anyway finally back home again in Indiana. At the Indianapolis airport the Big Ten tournament was on ESPN, but mostly I ignored it and kept moving. It's damn hard to boycott something when ESPN is ubiquitous.
I guess another thing I'm missing besides some probably good college basketball games is Erin Andrews, who I believe it the Big Ten sideline reporter for the network. I miss seeing her, she's gorgeous. Ironically enough she started in hockey with the Tampa Bay Lightning and where I first saw her was at Atlanta Thrashers games. She's seems to have improved since then. She's another person I will miss since I'm boycotting the world-wide entertainment leader.
So on the drive home I heard the Big Ten Tournament night games will be on the Big Ten Network. That's awesome. I love it. I had planned to watch the games tonight, but I had a change of heart. I'm heading off to an Indiana Ice game.
Hooray for minor league hockey!
Anyway finally back home again in Indiana. At the Indianapolis airport the Big Ten tournament was on ESPN, but mostly I ignored it and kept moving. It's damn hard to boycott something when ESPN is ubiquitous.
I guess another thing I'm missing besides some probably good college basketball games is Erin Andrews, who I believe it the Big Ten sideline reporter for the network. I miss seeing her, she's gorgeous. Ironically enough she started in hockey with the Tampa Bay Lightning and where I first saw her was at Atlanta Thrashers games. She's seems to have improved since then. She's another person I will miss since I'm boycotting the world-wide entertainment leader.
So on the drive home I heard the Big Ten Tournament night games will be on the Big Ten Network. That's awesome. I love it. I had planned to watch the games tonight, but I had a change of heart. I'm heading off to an Indiana Ice game.
Hooray for minor league hockey!
ESPN Boycott Day 2
Note: Still a day behind. As I noted in yesterday's blog entry, I'm traveling and the Internet at my hotel leaves a lot to be desired. Sometimes slow Internet service is worse than none at all. It's tempting, yet leaves an unsatisfactory feeling. So even when at times I have four bars of signal strength sometimes pages still time out. So that's why I'm still a day behind.
Anyway I woke up and was running a bit late. Didn't turn on the TV to check scores. Instead I checked the complimentary paper. Plus I get the TSN.ca hockey scores sent in my e-mail. My work gave me a BlackBerry, and I was able to check all the NHL scores that way.
Didn't miss anything really. It would have been nice to see the college basketball highlights, if there were any. I know the big conferences started today, so I might have missed some mid-majors. The NBA I couldn't care less about, and baseball hasn't started yet.
When I came back to the room, I finally checked to see what sports stations this hotel has. It wasn't good news for me - all ESPN ones. Would've liked to have watched some of the conferences tournaments, but I'm sticking to my guns.
So I had a dinner function to attend. All the TVs there were tuned to ESPN2 and the conference tournaments. I glanced from time to time, big plasma screens are hard to ignore, but mostly I socialized.
Besides what I care most about is hockey and it's not like ESPN highlights that anyway.
Anyway I woke up and was running a bit late. Didn't turn on the TV to check scores. Instead I checked the complimentary paper. Plus I get the TSN.ca hockey scores sent in my e-mail. My work gave me a BlackBerry, and I was able to check all the NHL scores that way.
Didn't miss anything really. It would have been nice to see the college basketball highlights, if there were any. I know the big conferences started today, so I might have missed some mid-majors. The NBA I couldn't care less about, and baseball hasn't started yet.
When I came back to the room, I finally checked to see what sports stations this hotel has. It wasn't good news for me - all ESPN ones. Would've liked to have watched some of the conferences tournaments, but I'm sticking to my guns.
So I had a dinner function to attend. All the TVs there were tuned to ESPN2 and the conference tournaments. I glanced from time to time, big plasma screens are hard to ignore, but mostly I socialized.
Besides what I care most about is hockey and it's not like ESPN highlights that anyway.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
ESPN Boycott Day 1
Note: As a result of traveling and slow, intermittent Internet access this is a day late.
On the drive into work I kept the radio off, I missed the Bob Picozzi college basketball scores, but that's about it. I realized if I had had the radio on and listening to 1000 from Chicago, an ESPN affiliate, I probably would have been mad not hearing the hockey scores. Even though locally I might have heard that the Blackhawks lost to the Red Wings the night before.
Anyway I turned on the radio at about Columbus, Indiana and picked up CKLW from Windsor, Ontario. Now it's not a sports specific radio station, but about every 20 minutes they give sports updates. I heard all the hockey scores - including NHL and OHL scores, heard the Pistons and Raptors scores, and also the Tigers split-squad scores.
As I got closer to Indy I turned the station to 1260 WNDE, a Fox Sports affiliate. To be honest it's not really good at providing the NHL scores. At least Fox, as an organization, doesn't seem as anti-hockey from the top down as ESPN is. Most if not all the regional Fox Sports networks showcase NHL teams too.
Oddly enough almost right after I posted my blog entry yesterday, I found an ESPN related topic on a Red Wings message board. A poster there posted that Tim Comlishaw mentioned the NHL on Around the Horn yesterday.
This was my response:
I don't care what ESPN says anymore. I'm officially boycotting everything ESPN except the website. ESPN is obviously run by hockey haters, from the top down. This mindset is ingrained in all of its employees. It's obvious to me that Comlishaw is just throwing hockey fans a bone, but in my opinion it's not enough. I hope the NHL never goes back to ESPN. I've decided I'd rather hunt to try to find it on the web, NBC, Versus, Fox Sports regional networks or any other network besides the world-wide entertainment leader.
I should edit that to read "ingrained in most of its employees" instead of all. I doubt John Buccigross or Barry Melrose hate hockey, but that's probably just two out of thousands.
On the drive into work I kept the radio off, I missed the Bob Picozzi college basketball scores, but that's about it. I realized if I had had the radio on and listening to 1000 from Chicago, an ESPN affiliate, I probably would have been mad not hearing the hockey scores. Even though locally I might have heard that the Blackhawks lost to the Red Wings the night before.
Anyway I turned on the radio at about Columbus, Indiana and picked up CKLW from Windsor, Ontario. Now it's not a sports specific radio station, but about every 20 minutes they give sports updates. I heard all the hockey scores - including NHL and OHL scores, heard the Pistons and Raptors scores, and also the Tigers split-squad scores.
As I got closer to Indy I turned the station to 1260 WNDE, a Fox Sports affiliate. To be honest it's not really good at providing the NHL scores. At least Fox, as an organization, doesn't seem as anti-hockey from the top down as ESPN is. Most if not all the regional Fox Sports networks showcase NHL teams too.
Oddly enough almost right after I posted my blog entry yesterday, I found an ESPN related topic on a Red Wings message board. A poster there posted that Tim Comlishaw mentioned the NHL on Around the Horn yesterday.
This was my response:
I don't care what ESPN says anymore. I'm officially boycotting everything ESPN except the website. ESPN is obviously run by hockey haters, from the top down. This mindset is ingrained in all of its employees. It's obvious to me that Comlishaw is just throwing hockey fans a bone, but in my opinion it's not enough. I hope the NHL never goes back to ESPN. I've decided I'd rather hunt to try to find it on the web, NBC, Versus, Fox Sports regional networks or any other network besides the world-wide entertainment leader.
I should edit that to read "ingrained in most of its employees" instead of all. I doubt John Buccigross or Barry Melrose hate hockey, but that's probably just two out of thousands.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Boycott Expanded
So I've been listening and watching ESPN radio and TV. It's so disappointing; it's so not what I'm about.
I'm expanding my Mike and Mike boycott to all affiliate ESPN radio stations and all ESPN channels. If they choose not to spotlight hockey, I choose to not to watch or listen to ESPN, in all broadcast varieties.
Colin Coherd has admitted he doesn't like hockey and won't talk about it. So has Mike Greenberg. I read that last bit in an article; I certainly didn't hear from him.
I watched a bit of SportsCenter Sunday morning and no hockey coverage, for at least 20 or 30 minutes - no hockey highlights, no hockey scores. After that I gave up.
It's a shame too, I've liked Outside the Lines, Sports Reporters, and Bob Ley is top notch. He is the exception to most ESPN talking heads.
So bye bye ESPN, hello Fox Sports and Versus.
As a side note - I will continue to check the ESPN website, where I can choose what I want to read and hear, and where I'm not force-fed what hockey haters want me to see or hear.
While I really like myespn.com, I don't check it with the same regularity as I do with The Sporting News and CBS Sportsline sites. The conversation is usually better at the latter sites, even if it's not as customizable as I would like.
I'm expanding my Mike and Mike boycott to all affiliate ESPN radio stations and all ESPN channels. If they choose not to spotlight hockey, I choose to not to watch or listen to ESPN, in all broadcast varieties.
Colin Coherd has admitted he doesn't like hockey and won't talk about it. So has Mike Greenberg. I read that last bit in an article; I certainly didn't hear from him.
I watched a bit of SportsCenter Sunday morning and no hockey coverage, for at least 20 or 30 minutes - no hockey highlights, no hockey scores. After that I gave up.
It's a shame too, I've liked Outside the Lines, Sports Reporters, and Bob Ley is top notch. He is the exception to most ESPN talking heads.
So bye bye ESPN, hello Fox Sports and Versus.
As a side note - I will continue to check the ESPN website, where I can choose what I want to read and hear, and where I'm not force-fed what hockey haters want me to see or hear.
While I really like myespn.com, I don't check it with the same regularity as I do with The Sporting News and CBS Sportsline sites. The conversation is usually better at the latter sites, even if it's not as customizable as I would like.
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