Anybody see PTI rag on hockey....again

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

Yesterday, Kornheiser, who I typically enjoy except when he tries miserably to discuss hockey lambasted our sport again for allowing fighting. The guest moron they had on said "you get suspended 15 games for fighting in the NBA, why should the NHL be any different?" and Kornheiser basically said the same crap he always does about fighting being ridiculous and blah, blah....

They were only talking about it because they had a big phat photo up of Koci's bloodied face after Chara f-ed him up.

I believe this was the only hockey talk of the entire program.

I think the guest host's comments speak volumes about the general lack of intelligence of most of these "sports" reporter types when it comes to hockey. Seriously, why should the NHL be any different from the NBA? It'd be easier to teach my 5 year old square roots than to talk any sense into these jokers who so obviously don't know thing one about hockey and because they don't understand it, feel it should be just like all their other cookie cutter sports like baseball, basketball and football.

[auxlepli 17]

It's his opinion, and he's entitled to it. However, talking heads like Kornheiser are the reason why I avoid the "Entertainement Leader."

[Grittzkey 1]

Kornheisser always bashes hockey, along with every other espn analyst

[auxlepli 17]

ESPN announcers, with maybe the exception of Buccigross and Mullethead, along with its management come with an obvious anti-NHL bias. It's the main reason why I don't want the League to go back to the so-called "Sports Leader."

[drw13 0]

ESPN announcers, with maybe the exception of Buccigross and Mullethead, along with its management come with an obvious anti-NHL bias. It's the main reason why I don't want the League to go back to the so-called "Sports Leader."

That is the very reason to go back to ESPN. Alot of people may not like it but this is where the majority of people get their sports information from. Espn currently has no stake in the NHL unlike the NBA, MLB, and NFL thats why it gets thrown to the end of the show and gets 5 min total airtime. If the NHL were to go back to being shown on espn they wouldnt want all their people badmouthing it. The only way for a sport to become truly big in this country is to, unfortunately, get in with espn. I mean just look what they did with nascar, that went from something(hard to call it a sport) that hardly anyone cared about and now its become much bigger than it has ever been before; all because espn backed it. Hockey needs espn unfortunately because espn would give it more national exposure than Vs. ever could.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Kornheiser and Wilbon can both go to hell, along with anyone else who has anything bad to say about hockey. Up yours espn.

[kylee 727]

Yesterday, Kornheiser, who I typically enjoy except when he tries miserably to discuss hockey lambasted our sport again for allowing fighting. The guest moron they had on said "you get suspended 15 games for fighting in the NBA, why should the NHL be any different?" and Kornheiser basically said the same crap he always does about fighting being ridiculous and blah, blah....

They were only talking about it because they had a big phat photo up of Koci's bloodied face after Chara f-ed him up.

I believe this was the only hockey talk of the entire program.

I think the guest host's comments speak volumes about the general lack of intelligence of most of these "sports" reporter types when it comes to hockey. Seriously, why should the NHL be any different from the NBA? It'd be easier to teach my 5 year old square roots than to talk any sense into these jokers who so obviously don't know thing one about hockey and because they don't understand it, feel it should be just like all their other cookie cutter sports like baseball, basketball and football.

yeah i saw that too.

PTI bashes the NHL because there is fighting,

they dont come down on things that should be.

like the vast majority of NFL and NBA players using drugs and the cases of domestic violence,

but what do i know,

"the NHL is dead"

[auxlepli 17]

That is the very reason to go back to ESPN. Alot of people may not like it but this is where the majority of people get their sports information from. Espn currently has no stake in the NHL unlike the NBA, MLB, and NFL thats why it gets thrown to the end of the show and gets 5 min total airtime. If the NHL were to go back to being shown on espn they wouldnt want all their people badmouthing it. The only way for a sport to become truly big in this country is to, unfortunately, get in with espn. I mean just look what they did with nascar, that went from something(hard to call it a sport) that hardly anyone cared about and now its become much bigger than it has ever been before; all because espn backed it. Hockey needs espn unfortunately because espn would give it more national exposure than Vs. ever could.

ESPN had an anti-NHL bias pre-lockout.

ESPN dropped the NHL in its final year, and they had little interest in picking it up post-lockout.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/search/article...t_id=1001016934

.... after ESPN last May exercised its option to drop the final year of its agreement under which it would pay the NHL $60 million ...

George Bodenheimer, chairman of ESPN and ABC Sports, said, "We worked very hard to build and sustain our relationship with the league and would have liked to continue [televising NHL games]. However, given the prolonged work stoppage and the league's TV ratings history, no financial model even remotely supports the contract terms offered."

ESPN was not only unwilling to pay as much as OLN, but it was also not able to meet some of the provisions that OLN had agreed to with the NHL. Among them, a provision that if agreed to, would require ESPN to carry all NHL games on ESPN, which has greater distribution and ratings, and none on ESPN2.

It works both ways. NHL might want to go back to ESPN, which according to Bettman rhetoric the League doesn't. Clearly the network has no interest in the League. With its other obligation it doesn't even have room for NHL games, and if it did, hockey games would be bumped. It's apparent to me this anti-NHL bias comes from the top down.

Edited October 27, 2007 by auxlepli

[drw13 0]

yeah i saw that too.

PTI bashes the NHL because there is fighting,

they dont come down on things that should be.

like the vast majority of NFL and NBA players using drugs and the cases of domestic violence,

but what do i know,

"the NHL is dead"

Again this is because espn has stakes in both those sports, they control most knowledge about both sports. Shawn Merriman was caught using steroids and espn glanced over it, hardly ever mentioned it and now most people dont bother to remember that he tested positive for them. espn has alot of power when it comes to sports, if espn got a stake in the nhl they would show a lot more positive than negative because they would want it to succeed and give them better ratings.

[irishtemper14+25 11]

i watched that and was really pissed off, but then again i was pissed at espn all day yesterday because in the talk of heisman they didnt even bring up harts name

[2probert4 8]

Kornheisser always bashes hockey, along with every other espn analyst

Kornheiser doesn't know anything about hockey, or football, or baseball, or anything else. I think he has a dream of being the next Rush Limbaugh.

[vangvace 12]

I wonder if it's because they lost the Whale?

[Creasemonkey 30]

Koci knew he had a broken nose already prior to getting in that fight, it was a choice he made. He knew what could happen, and the worst occurred. Why don't they ask Koci about it or at least get the facts straight before they start jumping up and down on their soapboxes?

[Lou_Siffer 1]

Even if theyre ragging on it, them showing the fight is still good pub for the NHL. I can guarantee the viewers werent appalled over it.

If anybody asked these guys if they'd start watching hockey if fighting were eliminated, theyre answer would be no. So who cares what they think.

[wingnut40 176]

"you get suspended 15 games for fighting in the NBA, why should the NHL be any different?" Why? Because most NHLers have balls and stand up for themselves or others if someone's giving them a hard time. Guys in the NBA are pussys. "OMG! That guy shoved that other guy! 15 game suspention!" If you don't know anything about the bloody sport(literally) don't talk about it! Besides people always say "I watch hockey for the fights and nascar for the crashes." Well if you take out the fights what do you got left?(according to most people I mean)

[betterREDthandead 58]

Food for thought: Fighting is not actually legal in the NHL. In fact it's a worse infraction than accidentally heaving your stick into somebody's eye and making them bleed.

More food for thought: In hockey, players who leave the bench to participate in a fight are automatically suspended for quite a long time. In baseball, players who leave the bench to participate in a fight draw no penalty, fine, or suspension. So it's all relative.

Anyway, it's important to remember two things here. One, no publicity is bad publicity where hockey is concerned. (Up to a point at least. But PTI talking about hockey is still, you know, talk about hockey, which is better than no talk about hockey.) Two, Kornheiser and Wilbon aren't paid for thoughtful, intelligent discourse on a subject. They're paid to rant, rave, and generally run their mouths nonstop. So you get what you pay for.

[elriqo28 2]

I stopped watching ESPN when they stopped airing hockey. Everyone on the ESPN network is a self righteous *******!

[Guest Jeremy88]

Basketball is dumb anyway. It's way too easy, it's not like hockey where you have to actually earn your points. Almost anyone can throw a ball into a ring.

[Izzy24 44]

Basketball is dumb anyway. It's way too easy, it's not like hockey where you have to actually earn your points. Almost anyone can throw a ball into a ring.

That's not true.

[Vincanni 1]

It's way too easy, it's not like hockey where you have to actually earn your points. Almost anyone can throw a ball into a ring.

This isn't true.

Basketball is dumb anyway.

This is.

[Zion 93]

Yes, basketball is dumb. Baseball is too slow, and I am just now starting to watch football.

[Dabura 12,232]

"Hockey's for goons and thugs. Up next, boxing!"

[feeneytheweenie 0]

"Hockey's for goons and thugs. Up next, boxing!"

hahahahahahahha!!