They'd rather show a bunch of fat guys with no shirts pulling a tractor trailer with their teeth than a hockey game. And you can't even count on them for re-caps during Sportscenter.
Yet when something like the Chris Simon incident happens they're ALL over it!
2007-03-19 08:45:10 · 15 answers · asked by tgfann 3 in Sports ➔ Hockey
it's because OLn has the right to the broadcasts and not ESPN and they like to feul the sports world with the bigger sports like football, baseball, basketball..and the strongman i guess??
belive me i have asked that question many times myself....
i also noticed your a rangers fan...i am a devils fan so naturally i want the rangers to loose badly but in this case i'm praying that they pull another 7-0 win outta their hat
2007-03-19 08:51:19 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
True. It is a darned shame, because hockey deserves better. BUT...
The truth is that when the NHL was on ESPN, the fat guys pulling the tractors got better ratings. So did poker. So did dirt bike racing. So did all the other major sports. Then the lockout happened, which made it worse. Throw on top of that the fact that Gary Bettman has a bad attitude and doesn't know how to negotiate, how can you blame ESPN?
The fact is that they gave the NHL a shot, and we blew it. If NHL fans really want to see the NHL back on more often, we need to collectively start watching hockey whenever it is on, especially if you are a ratings family. If the ratings for hockey go up, more hockey will be on tv. ESPN does not hate hockey. But they do hate bad ratings. So ultimately, the fact that they never show it except when something bad happens is OUR fault. Too many of us don't watch any games, unless our favorite team is on.
2007-03-19 08:52:34 · answer #2 · answered by Mr. Taco 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋
ESPN didn't make enough money on hockey to justify their signing the contract the NHL was offering. ( OL jumped on the bandwagon at the last minute.) Since ESPN stopped carry the games, they dropped the Hockey Tonight shows. I could tell something was up in Bucci voice when he signed off on the final show. He knew ESPN was planning to drop hockey several months before they did. Also, everyone knew the next year the owners were planning a lock out. It's much cheaper to broadcast poker, bowling, 8 ball, all those little sports you see on ESPN2. Plus they had just made a major commitment to the NBA.
Since they don't have broadcast rights, it cost more money to show clips of games - so they don't.
We need to grow the NHL's market - when there's a greater demand and audience, ESPN will come back.
2007-03-19 11:27:33 · answer #3 · answered by txkathidy 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
ESPN never was getting the ratings that was justified for the price the NHL was asking , so they where never going to pay more then the $135 million that OLN offered. Some events such as bowling actually pays money to get shown and it's sad but true it got higher ratings. ESPN even gets higher ratings for showing the Men's lacrosse NCAA championship game for the fraction of the price.
NHL doesn't get rights fees from NBC they share what ever revenue is generated from commercials, but pay the full costs of the production.
You however can watch the NCAA Frozen Four on ESPN maybe college hockey isn't for every ones liking, but future NHL players do come from NCAA hockey. For example Thomas Vanek, Chris Druery, Marty Turco, Zach Parise, Brendan Morrison, Jordan Leopold, Ryan Miller, and Paul Kariya just to show you players don't have to come from the JR'S.
NHL shot its self in the foot when they over expanded into many non traditional markets that diminished the core hockey markets (What ever happened to Chicago/Boston)
2007-03-19 10:18:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Hockey merely would not get the national scores that ESPN needs for the american marketplace. i does no longer look at it as something very own... ESPN has tried the NHL in the previous years. in my opinion, i'm consistently upset with the help of ESPN besides... they concentration way too lots on gossip and rumors that infrequently come genuine... and then the extremely-hip broadcasters that care greater approximately making a one-liner than overlaying a narrative. ESPN has replace into old and boring.
2016-10-19 02:30:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a darn shame that ESPN doesn't show hockey anymore. ESPN and NHL couldn't agree to a new TV deal, so NHL went to OLN, now Versus. Like you said they only talk about it when something bad happens, like Chris Simon. They OVERANALYZE the NBA to death it's sickening!
Not only do they not talk about hockey much in Sportscenter, but other shows too like Rome Is Burning, Around the Horn and Pardon the Interuption.
Give the NHL some love!!!!!!!!!
2007-03-19 10:48:00 · answer #6 · answered by mikea_va 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
deffinetly not!!!!!! Hockey has a bunch of drama rising from it with the upcoming players liek oveckin and crosby and the big injuries from dirty plays. Like the one that hapneed just a few nights ago! Sports channels thriveee for chances to broadcast things like this. It draws fans in to watch and tahts what they want. ESN loves hockey and its pretty much oonly because of the bad things that happen sadly =-/.
2007-03-19 13:44:16 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They'd rather talk about the NBA or NFL or MLB. Personally out of all those sports Hockey is my favourite to watch...then the NFL. I hate the NBA its so boring, i like college basketball wayyyyyy more.
2007-03-19 09:57:32 · answer #8 · answered by padraig♥ 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
it's not that they hate hockey, but they get better ratings showing the other sports, so when OLN offered money for the rights to show the NHL, ESPN didn't hesitate in accepting.
2007-03-19 09:01:12 · answer #9 · answered by NLK sports fan! 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
umm they dont hate it. its just amazing that the startling truth is that those "fat guys with no shirts pulling a tractor trailer with their teeth" in fact draw a bigger audience. they cover hockey and everything on sports center, they just care about their ratings, thats all
2007-03-19 09:57:55 · answer #10 · answered by yankee fanatic 2 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋