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!
Showing posts with label espn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label espn. Show all posts
Friday, March 14, 2008
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.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Open letter to Mike and Mike
Hello,
Due to the show's lack of hockey chat and updates I will no longer listen to Mike and Mike.
I really like you two and admire your work. It's funny and informative.
Alas I'm a hockey fan for better or worse, and while I'm in the minority, it's my passion. It by far exceeds my interest in any other sport.
Frankly I need to more coverage of hockey in the morning. It's sorely lacking throughout the states.
As the self-proclaimed "world-wide leader" in sports I would think ESPN would be leading the charge, yet sadly this is not the case. I would love to hear interviews with hockey players and hockey analysts.
Also the lack of the previous night's scores is extremely galling. I remember one day in particular this past week there were three or four NHL games the previous night, yet only one game's final score was mentioned the following morning.
I'm tired of baseball's steroid scandal. In my opinion Mike and Mike's coverage of it this past week was akin to Entertainment Tonight's coverage of Britney Spears or Paris Hilton. I care more about what happens on the ice, court or field.
That's where the focus should be. It shouldn't be on a courtroom, on the combine, nor on a soap opera.
Thank you for your time.
Due to the show's lack of hockey chat and updates I will no longer listen to Mike and Mike.
I really like you two and admire your work. It's funny and informative.
Alas I'm a hockey fan for better or worse, and while I'm in the minority, it's my passion. It by far exceeds my interest in any other sport.
Frankly I need to more coverage of hockey in the morning. It's sorely lacking throughout the states.
As the self-proclaimed "world-wide leader" in sports I would think ESPN would be leading the charge, yet sadly this is not the case. I would love to hear interviews with hockey players and hockey analysts.
Also the lack of the previous night's scores is extremely galling. I remember one day in particular this past week there were three or four NHL games the previous night, yet only one game's final score was mentioned the following morning.
I'm tired of baseball's steroid scandal. In my opinion Mike and Mike's coverage of it this past week was akin to Entertainment Tonight's coverage of Britney Spears or Paris Hilton. I care more about what happens on the ice, court or field.
That's where the focus should be. It shouldn't be on a courtroom, on the combine, nor on a soap opera.
Thank you for your time.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Hockey in SoIn
Last night, I wanted to watch the Red Wings - Kings game. Since it wasn't on Versus, I called around to sports bars, and none of them had Center Ice. From the sound of things I doubt the people knew. They just guesstimated to get off the phone.
Then I have my sister call around, and since I wasn't getting anywhere with Center Ice, I tell her to ask if they have the Fox Sports regional networks.
One was willing to order Fox Sports Detroit for us. Success! Or at least I think.
Drove there and I explain to the waitress my situation that the manager ordered the game, etc.
"So if you could have one of the TV turned to the game I'd appreciate it."
Waitress comes back and says it's already on one TV in back. Cool.
So we move and there's Larry Murphy with some pre-game chatter. Couldn't hear it though, but that's OK. I'm at a bar and ready to watch the game. Order Guinness and food, 7:30 rolls around, and bam! The picture is gone! Black screen with some instructions on how to order the station.
Needless to say I'm disappointed, but the assistant manager looks for it on other stations and ... nothing.
We finish our beer and food and leave.
All I got to say is it's tough being an NHL fan in Indiana. I'm working on moving farther north.
A few months ago I was out and about and looking for the Red Wings - Blues game on Versus. This is what happened.
Visited a local sports bar tonight and I asked, "Do you have Versus?"
The bartender was like "What!?"
"You know Versus, formerly known as OLN - Outdoor Life Network. I want to watch the hockey game tonight."
"I don't know. I'll ask the manager."
At this point I was flabbergasted. Granted I'm in southern Indiana, but I still expected a sports bar to know about Versus. I ordered a Guinness, surprised the bar had that.
After about five minutes two bartenders and a manager still couldn't find it. The DirectTV menu they had said Versus was on 608. They turned it to 608 and nothing! That was a major disappointment on my part. So even with my Guinness just three quarters finished I settle up and leave.
I drive to another recommended sports bar. It was so shady looking, I just kept on driving. While driving though I was able to find the St. Louis broadcast on KMOX; that was a plus.
So I head to a pizza place. At the bar everybody's watching a basketball game, like at the first bar.
Anyway I ask if the bartender could turn one of the TVs to Versus.
"What's Versus?!"
I was slack jawed!
Again I explain what Versus is, it's former name, and probable number, 608.
The bartender plugs in 608 again, and again, nothing! She searches and finds Versus on 603! Must've been a typo.
So while I loathe ESPN, and its coverage and treatment of the NHL, I'm ready to concede, at least some NHL games should be on the four-letter network. It would be far easier for die-hard fans and casual fans to find it. Still I want games on Versus too, since it only shows games two nights per week.
Then I have my sister call around, and since I wasn't getting anywhere with Center Ice, I tell her to ask if they have the Fox Sports regional networks.
One was willing to order Fox Sports Detroit for us. Success! Or at least I think.
Drove there and I explain to the waitress my situation that the manager ordered the game, etc.
"So if you could have one of the TV turned to the game I'd appreciate it."
Waitress comes back and says it's already on one TV in back. Cool.
So we move and there's Larry Murphy with some pre-game chatter. Couldn't hear it though, but that's OK. I'm at a bar and ready to watch the game. Order Guinness and food, 7:30 rolls around, and bam! The picture is gone! Black screen with some instructions on how to order the station.
Needless to say I'm disappointed, but the assistant manager looks for it on other stations and ... nothing.
We finish our beer and food and leave.
All I got to say is it's tough being an NHL fan in Indiana. I'm working on moving farther north.
A few months ago I was out and about and looking for the Red Wings - Blues game on Versus. This is what happened.
Visited a local sports bar tonight and I asked, "Do you have Versus?"
The bartender was like "What!?"
"You know Versus, formerly known as OLN - Outdoor Life Network. I want to watch the hockey game tonight."
"I don't know. I'll ask the manager."
At this point I was flabbergasted. Granted I'm in southern Indiana, but I still expected a sports bar to know about Versus. I ordered a Guinness, surprised the bar had that.
After about five minutes two bartenders and a manager still couldn't find it. The DirectTV menu they had said Versus was on 608. They turned it to 608 and nothing! That was a major disappointment on my part. So even with my Guinness just three quarters finished I settle up and leave.
I drive to another recommended sports bar. It was so shady looking, I just kept on driving. While driving though I was able to find the St. Louis broadcast on KMOX; that was a plus.
So I head to a pizza place. At the bar everybody's watching a basketball game, like at the first bar.
Anyway I ask if the bartender could turn one of the TVs to Versus.
"What's Versus?!"
I was slack jawed!
Again I explain what Versus is, it's former name, and probable number, 608.
The bartender plugs in 608 again, and again, nothing! She searches and finds Versus on 603! Must've been a typo.
So while I loathe ESPN, and its coverage and treatment of the NHL, I'm ready to concede, at least some NHL games should be on the four-letter network. It would be far easier for die-hard fans and casual fans to find it. Still I want games on Versus too, since it only shows games two nights per week.
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