Hockey in SoIn

[auxlepli 17]

Where to start ....

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 this is Indiana, but I still expected a sports bar to know about Versus. I ordered a Guinness, surprised the bar even had that.

After about five minutes they - 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! Major disappointment on my part. So even with my Guinness just three quarters finished I settle up and leave.

So 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. Tuned in just in time to hear Datsyuk's goal.

So I head to a pizza place. Again at the bar everybody's watching a basketball game.

Anyway I ask if the bartender could turn one of the TVs to Versus.

"What's Versus?!"

I'm thinking to myself, damn all those posters on Let's Go Wings are right.

Anyway I again explain what Versus is, it's former aka, and probable number, 608.

The bartender plugs in 608 again, and again, nothing! She searches and finds Versus on 603! Yay!! By this time the Wings are up 2-0.

That was to be the final highlight of the night.

So I'm ready to concede, at least some NHL games should be on ESPN.

Edited November 14, 2007 by auxlepli

[irishtemper14+25 11]

yea, being on espn would benefit a few fans but i dont think it will benefit the sport too much because espn doesnt consider hockey a legitimate sport

[2probert4 8]

yea, being on espn would benefit a few fans but i dont think it will benefit the sport too much because espn doesnt consider hockey a legitimate sport

ESPN couldn't show the NHL, it would take away from their daily attempts to force the NBA down our throats.

[Drimo 0]

ESPN couldn't show the NHL, it would take away from their daily attempts to force the NBA down our throats.

Screw the NBA, poker is really what ESPN is after!

[TimeBinder 28]

Yeah the NBA - nothing like watching a felon filled sport. What's higher the score or the amount of illigitimat they can breed - I say it's the kids.

[Hank 0]

yea, being on espn would benefit a few fans but i dont think it will benefit the sport too much because espn doesnt consider hockey a legitimate sport

Excellent point. ESPN couldn't care less about hockey. And the truth is, even if it was on ESPN I doubt those two bars would be showing that game anyway.

Hockey is a regional sport. No matter what the league does it's never going to be popular in places like Indiana, New Mexico or Tennessee.

[puckloo39 5,686]

not sure where you are in Indiana, Aux, but I used to drive from Bloomington (grad school days) to Indianapolis to watch the Ice play in 1990-91. Aside from that, I don't think Hoosiers understand "puck". Basketball, yes. Skates and sticks, no.

it's not much better here, believe it or not. You have to really work at it to watch hockey, and forget finding 1 in a 100 people who know or care. I think Hank is probably right. I will have to learn to live where it's cold, I guess.

[toby91_ca 620]

Here's the thing, if ESPN started broadcasting NHL games, we as hockey fans would benefit (well, not me, I couldn't care less since I live in Canada), but would ESPN benefit?? The answer to that question is likely no and that's why the NHL is not on ESPN.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Hey don't feel too bad. If Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr walked into that bar and got drunk and interacted with all the patrons, nobody besides you would have known who the hell they are. That's just the way it is in most parts of the country.

[Hank 0]

The NHL needs to stop worrying about getting a massive national TV deal that MLB or the NFL have.

The sport is very regional so they should concentrate on pleasing the states and areas that actually enjoy the game.

And there's money out there for that as well. In Canada, the CBC pays around $100,000,000 a year for the rights. That's over $3M a year that goes in the owners pockets.

I'm not saying that other places would pay that much but what if the NHL were to contract out their TV rights regionally instead of nationally?

So the NHL would go into Michigan and offer a deal to the highest bidder among Fox Sports Net, Comcast, etc.

But they would have to follow a certain format so no matter what State or city you were in, the broadcasts would look and feel the same.

I might be talking out of my ass, but I think the NHL is missing the boat going after fans they'll never attract.

The sport is what it is. It's wildly popular in some areas whereas in others, banjo contests are higher in interest.

[cincywingfan 1]

Living less than a mile from the IN/OH boarder I feel your pain. I listened to the game on KMOX last night as well since TW cable does not carry Versus. It's amazing how few people outside of MI, MN, WI, and the upper east coast, give a damn about hockey. I've been here over 5 years now and I don't think I'll ever get used to it. At least I can still see my beloved Broncos once a year in Oxford and the Wings in Columbus.

[Drimo 0]

Living less than a mile from the IN/OH boarder I feel your pain. I listened to the game on KMOX last night as well since TW cable does not carry Versus. It's amazing how few people outside of MI, MN, WI, and the upper east coast, give a damn about hockey. I've been here over 5 years now and I don't think I'll ever get used to it. At least I can still see my beloved Broncos once a year in Oxford and the Wings in Columbus.

Agreed. Even the Cyclones games have extremely poor attendance. Although $1 beer night and $6 tickets helps a lot. The thing about TW Cable not carrying Versus annoys me during regular season, but during playoffs, it kills me since nearly every game is on Versus!

[Hank 0]

Thought some people might like this.

At lunch I wastched Sporscenter on ESPN and guess what made the top 2 plays of the night? Two college basketball dunks that you would see in any quarter of any college bball game.

Why? Because ESPN shows college hoops.

Basically their top 10 will always consist of 8 things that they broadcast. So NHL or any other sport they don't promote will take up the last 2 spots.

Remember Illya Kovalchuks' goal last week where he undressed Eminger for one of the nicest goals I've ever seen? I don't think it even made the top 5 plays that week. But a goal in the MLS (which ESPN broadcasts) was #1. It was a nice goal but Kovy's was WAY nicer.

[toby91_ca 620]

Remember Illya Kovalchuks' goal last week where he undressed Eminger for one of the nicest goals I've ever seen?

It was a good goal, but not that good (in terms of being the nicest goals I have ever seen....not even in the atmosphere).

It was #3 on TSN's NHL plays of the week. I guessed we are blessed in Canada....we actually have NHL plays of the week.

[Hank 0]

It was a good goal, but not that good (in terms of being the nicest goals I have ever seen....not even in the atmosphere).

It was #3 on TSN's NHL plays of the week. I guessed we are blessed in Canada....we actually have NHL plays of the week.

Well it was certainly nicer than the crap ESPN considers top 10 material.

Two years ago they put a regular jump shot as their #3 highlight. It wasn't a buzzer-beater, the shooter didn't make a big steal. There was no great pass. No records were broken and it wasn't like it was the guys 15th 3 pointer in a row. It was simply an every day, ordinary, 3-pointer. The only reason it was in the top 10 was because ESPN had broadcast that particular game the night before.

ESPN = WHORES.

[auxlepli 17]

I was just thinking if the NHL was on ESPN it'd be easier for everybody to find. People have made that argument before and now I fully understand it.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I live in one of the last places where hockey will ever compete for popularity, but I don't care. If I get goofy looks for requesting a hockey game at a bar, it happens. Doesn't matter to me. I like it and that's what matters most.

I got VS, VS is becoming more recognizable in my non-scientific/guesstimated opinion. It's increased its reach in broadcasting college football games to the Big 12 and Pac 10 Conferences as well in addition to the Mountain West Conference in its 2nd season of broadcasting football. This is a football-loving country. I know there's probably little/no correlation to hockey and football on VS, just saying that the network is slowly becoming more noticable OVERALL, not just in hockey speak.

Still, there's actually a pretty decent bar/restaurant that has all the sports packages (FSN/Center Ice/NBA League Pass/MLB etc.) and about 40 televisions roughly. You usually wouldn't get much grief from requesting a hockey game there, assuming LSU or the New Orleans Saints weren't on TV at the same time. While I usually watch games in the comfort of my own home, Versus goofed up on my TV for one of the playoff games b/w the Wings-Flames last season and I had to scramble to go to this bar to watch it. To my surprise, I did not have to go to any lengths at all to request the game. Versus was on a good bit of TV's at the bar.

Not sure if this bar that I go to every now and then closer to my house has NHL Center Ice, but I know they have VS and I went out to watch an LSU football game at it beginning of the season, and VS was on a few TV's there broadcasting a college football game.

I have absolutely no problem with the games being on Versus (even though ESPN would be preferred obviously and be more accessible). I could care less if the games were on the Cartoon Network. For me, as long as it is being shown on a station somewhere, then I'm happy.

Edited November 15, 2007 by SouthernWingsFan

[lfd250 1]

As it goes, you want our water move to Michigan, you want red wing hockey, it's easier if you move to Michigan. You won't find a job, they'll take your house, car, and dog, but you'll have redwing hockey!

[Grittzkey 1]

Umm, Why not just turn on FSN Detroit and watch the game there? Sure it wasnt on for the Blues/Wings game, but most the time it is.

Or are you to close to detroit and you get blackoutted?

[toby91_ca 620]

Umm, Why not just turn on FSN Detroit and watch the game there? Sure it wasnt on for the Blues/Wings game, but most the time it is.

Or are you to close to detroit and you get blackoutted?

I'm assuming if someone lives in Indiana, they do not get FSN Detroit.

[Guest jaytan]

yea, being on espn would benefit a few fans but i dont think it will benefit the sport too much because espn doesnt consider hockey a legitimate sport

Two points:

First off, if ESPN carried hockey again they would start treating it like a major sport again. Do you think they'd consider the MLS, WNBA, NASCAR or any of that other trash legitimate if they didn't broadcast it? Don't even get me started on poker tournaments.

Secondly, we need ESPN to carry hockey simply because Versus doesn't know how to handle coverage. They never show games that start late enough for people on the West Coast. Why screw over half of the country's hockey fans every broadcast? I live in a major city, but since there isn't an NHL team in town, I don't get anybody's games on Fox SportsNet or a similar channel. They've recently added a new channel that will show the Canucks games, but apparently it's only on cable and not on satellite yet.

Edited November 15, 2007 by jaytan

[WingMachine91 0]

what i dont understand is why if hockey were on espn, and they would promote it and say how great of a game it is, im sure it would become more popular. instead they always talk down about it. like if nhl was back on espn and they covered it more on sportscenter, and made it more important, im sure more people would watch because sportscenter talks about it alot. also just wondering, i like versus, but is there anyway that the nhl can be on both. like versus moday and tues, and like thursday nights on espn. and saturday on nbc. thats alot of exposure and great for us. why cant bettman make that happen.

[Grittzkey 1]

I'm assuming if someone lives in Indiana, they do not get FSN Detroit.

Oh

[2probert4 8]

Screw the NBA, poker is really what ESPN is after!

Yes cant forget about the poker ! What was I thinking ???