for all of you that want the nhl back on espn

[Guest DetroitIan]

Im all for it if it's actually legit info. I totally miss the ESPN Hockey theme song. It always pumped me up before a big game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQIL9xCbiQE...ted&search=

This is all I could find right off the bat. No ESPN footage. But the song is there. And there's a couple fights.

[kylee 727]

Im all for it if it's actually legit info. I totally miss the ESPN Hockey theme song. It always pumped me up before a big game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQIL9xCbiQE...ted&search=

This is all I could find right off the bat. No ESPN footage. But the song is there. And there's a couple fights.

just waitin for Gary Thorne and Bill Clement to kick in..

-sigh

[Echolalia 2,961]

Actually I just read an article/blog on how ESPN was angry that Bettman didn't want to resign with them, and they were trying to make him regret that decision by sabotaging hockey through the media, including their regular bad-mouthing, claiming that its an "unpopular sport", and ignoring highlights. And because more people arguably watch ESPN than VS, the ratings would have to suffer, which would explain why ESPN is so biased against hockey.

Take that for what you will, it definitely isn't from a "professional source", but it does explain the total rudeness that ESPN has given to the nhl. Especially when thinking back on when the nhl was with ESPN: I can't recall any of this negativity.

Oh, and for those of you that are saying its bulls*** that ESPN is desperate to get a contract with the NHL, just think about it for a second. Sidney Crosby is one of the biggest things to happen to the nhl, and even ESPN can't ignore that, even if they don't have their contract. Think of how their ratings would be if they could utilize what could potentially be the most popular figure in sports (not hockey, but sports). To say that they're desperate might be an exaggeration, but if they do want to get back with the NHL, I'm sure their desire has skyrocketed since Crosby signed with the Pens.

Edited July 20, 2007 by Echolalia

[StevieY9802 6]

I think Gary Thorne and Steve Levy are better than the guy who does a lot of the games. The guy who did most of the Sharks series for them and is the Caps play by play guy. hes awful. he trys to sound so dramatic when a team scores and his voice just isn't good for that. I bet they have him cause the Caps are on comcast in DC.

As for them being on ESPN I would love it I just don't know if it will happen. Bettman is pretty dumb and hard headed.

Edited July 20, 2007 by StevieY9802

[therock48880 14]

are u kidding, one of the things i miss the most is gary thorne yelling SCOREEEE! him and Clement are the best announcing duo and i miss them announcing. so that would be great if they brought them back. also the music of nhl on espn was the greatest.

Are you kidding? Those two, especially Thorne are HORRIBLE. Thorne is wrong more on the players than anyone I ever heard. All he does is look at the first number on their jersey and pick a name of somone with that same first number. Numerous times he call "Maltby" "Hull", or "Yzerman" "Maltby" etc... He and Clement are self-acknowledged Avalanche fans and biased as hell in their announcing. I remember once when Forsberg knocked Holmstrom down and they raved and raved about it and how difficult it is to knock Holmstrom down. Holmstrom flops at the drop of a hat. THE best thing about hockey not being on espn is not having to listen to these guys, imo. (Clement I can live with, by the way). I got to the point where I would just mute any game that was on espn. I guess it's a matter of preference but I'd prefer guys to at least know who the players were in the games and get their names right. A little intelligent hockey insight is nice also (Forseberg example above).

As for them being on ESPN I would love it I just don't know if it will happen. Bettman is pretty dumb and hard headed.

THIS is the main problem with the league. Why on earth is he still Commish?

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

If Bettman decided to put the NHL back on ESPN, I would be shocked. It just seems like its above his head to get something like this done. That being said, it would be weird to watch ESPN again on a regular basis. Once the NHL switched to OLN/Versus, and after each football season, I just had no interest in tuning in to that station. Highlights about basketball for 45 minutes of a 60 minute show isn't appealing to me one bit.

Edited July 20, 2007 by Never Forget Mac #25

[auxlepli 17]

Here's to hoping that Eckland is wrong again.

I do remember around Super Bowl time some ESPN hack said the NHL should come back to ESPN.

Can't remember the guy's name but it was on the Jim Rome show IIRC.

In any case, I hope the NHL stays put. Didn't Versus just extend its NHL contract?

ESPN, the so-called "sports leader," is a joke when it doesn't show the NHL and would rather show poker, spelling bee's, etc.

Edited July 20, 2007 by auxlepli

[JayUp88 1]

NHL being back on ESPN would be great for hockey. I don't care who doesn't like the fact that they show highlights of NBA on ESPN. who cares they will show more hockey if its on their network.

[StevieY9802 6]

NHL being back on ESPN would be great for hockey. I don't care who doesn't like the fact that they show highlights of NBA on ESPN. who cares they will show more hockey if its on their network.

Thats just it. If its on their network they will show more highlights of games. Will they show as much of the nhl as they do the other sports even if it were to get back on espn? no. and thats expected. the nba, nfl and mlb are more popular in the US so I understand taht but they would still have it on more than they do now. The NHL will never be more popular than the other 3 major sports but I would like it to grow more in the states than it is right now.

[BlakChamber 8]

Oh, and for those of you that are saying its bulls*** that ESPN is desperate to get a contract with the NHL, just think about it for a second. Sidney Crosby is one of the biggest things to happen to the nhl, and even ESPN can't ignore that, even if they don't have their contract. Think of how their ratings would be if they could utilize what could potentially be the most popular figure in sports (not hockey, but sports). To say that they're desperate might be an exaggeration, but if they do want to get back with the NHL, I'm sure their desire has skyrocketed since Crosby signed with the Pens.

There is no chance Crosby could ever be the most popular figure in sports.

Well, maybe if the NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, and the PGA all stopped operating, he might have a chance then.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

There is no chance Crosby could ever be the most popular figure in sports.

Well, maybe if the NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, and the PGA all stopped operating, he might have a chance then.

Or if he gets arrested and charged with something that makes Michael Vick look like a choir boy.

[Opie 308]

Or if he gets arrested and charged with something that makes Michael Vick look like a choir boy.

That would be tough right now vick makes Iverson look like a choir boy!!

[ben_usmc 253]

wasn't the NHL more popular then NBA in the early 2000's? I would like it on ESPN just because I would be able to hear about whats going on in the NHL during the off season more, plus it would spark more intrest which would be great. But i really wouldn't want to screw over VS because they have done good.

[BlakChamber 8]

^^^

In 1994, SI did a story called something like "Why the NHL is Hot and the NBA is Not" or something like that.

If I had to guess, the 1994-95 lockout probably killed whatever moment hockey had built up after the Rangers winning the Cup.

[CrossoverThrash 0]

The more stations the better, people can only get into sports if they are surrounded by it. Thats why Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and not here, we dont televise or advertise for it, and hockey is so popular in canada. Its not that people don't like hockey, there just not exposed to it.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

^^^

In 1994, SI did a story called something like "Why the NHL is Hot and the NBA is Not" or something like that.

If I had to guess, the 1994-95 lockout probably killed whatever moment hockey had built up after the Rangers winning the Cup.

Yup. good old Gary got handed the reigns and promptly crushed all momentum the NHL had from the Rangers dramatic win.

More on topic, I'd be surprised if this is true about ESPN. A year of crappy ratings and a Stanley Cup finals featuring a U.S. team no one outside of Orange County cares about and a smaller market Canadian team probably didn't inspire them to get the NHL back on their station.

Edited July 20, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[stevkrause 1,247]

If there was ever a time I wanted Eklund to be right, it is now.

I couldn't agree more

[Guest jaytan]

The more stations the better, people can only get into sports if they are surrounded by it. Thats why Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and not here, we dont televise or advertise for it, and hockey is so popular in canada. Its not that people don't like hockey, there just not exposed to it.

Well, hockey has a major disadvantage because most Americans don't play it, their parents didn't play it and for a large percentage of them, warm weather, lack of ice time or the sheer costs of playing the sport guarantees that they will never play it.

Now how many Americans have played some form of football, baseball or basketball by the time they've grown up? I'd guess nearly most have.

Yup. good old Gary got handed the reigns and promptly crushed all momentum the NHL had from the Rangers dramatic win.

More on topic, I'd be surprised if this is true about ESPN. A year of crappy ratings and a Stanley Cup finals featuring a U.S. team no one outside of Orange County cares about and a smaller market Canadian team probably didn't inspire them to get the NHL back on their station.

Well, I can think of a motivation for ESPN to get back into the NHL game.... Versus is slowly evolving from an outdoors network to an "ESPN-like" network. They show college sports, NHL hockey, NLL lacrosse, bullriding and all kinds of other sports (remember how ESPN2 rode the NHL, international soccer and whatnot into prominence in the 90s).... If they start pulling in more viewers, they could start to compete with ESPN.

So ESPN might want to get some of the established hockey viewers back under their wing.

[Collin Lane 0]

If Bettman decided to put the NHL back on ESPN, I would be shocked. It just seems like its above his head to get something like this done. That being said, it would be weird to watch ESPN again on a regular basis. Once the NHL switched to OLN/Versus, and after each football season, I just had no interest in tuning in to that station. Highlights about basketball for 45 minutes of a 60 minute show isn't appealing to me one bit.

I'm pretty damn sure Bettman re-upped the contract with VS. through the extension so the NHL isn't going anywhere until like 2011. I remember watching Bettman get a lot of s*** from the people on this forum when he announced it, although it was a couple months ago and Bettman gets so much s*** for so many things on this forum that I could be confused. But I think the point here is really: Bettman sucks. Now if only he was lazy...

Edited July 22, 2007 by Collin Lane

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Well, I can think of a motivation for ESPN to get back into the NHL game.... Versus is slowly evolving from an outdoors network to an "ESPN-like" network. They show college sports, NHL hockey, NLL lacrosse, bullriding and all kinds of other sports (remember how ESPN2 rode the NHL, international soccer and whatnot into prominence in the 90s).... If they start pulling in more viewers, they could start to compete with ESPN.

So ESPN might want to get some of the established hockey viewers back under their wing.

I don't think VS is going to reach that status of ESPN in the immediate future, so ESPN I don't think has to worry about much in terms of that, but I am glad that you pointed out that VS is going a bit more in the direction of what we might call "mainstream" sports. They started broadcasting college football games from the Mountain West Conference last season, as well as some MWC college basketball games.

The college I went to is in that conference so I caught them specifically on 4 broadcasts on the network I think last season, 1 a few days later as I took a road trip back up for that game. While I don't pay that much attention to what annoucers might say vs. (no pun iintended) the action on the field, the broadcasts were good I thought. Solid picture, the announcers did their homework it seemed, and all that good stuff.

They have also seemed to take some/all coverage of 2007 America's Cup from ESPN as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versus_(TV_channel)

[Guest jaytan]

I believe they've been showing the Tour de France this summer, and that has a decent following. What they could use is a decent Sportscenter-esque program and NHL2nite programs to highlight the leagues they cover.