Wings/Pistons schedule conflict

[timothy1997 0]

I really think that the NHL missed the mark with their schedule, after the NBA schedule was announced.

Detroit plays Saturday, Monday and then Wednesday night....and that is the Pistons. Thats right, the NHL has taken their biggest stage and threw it right at the Pistons-Celtics Eastern Conference Matchup. In a sport that needs more fans and improved ratings, the NHL has failed big time.

First off they force Detroit sports fans to pick each night with the Pistons or Red Wings. Talk about sports bars divided in the Motor City.

Second in the Boston market, which traditional always has some interest in the Stanley Cup finals regardless of who is playing, they are competing against the Celtics nation and their rich history. Who in Beantown is gonna pick to watch the Red Wings play the Pens when they have the Pistons vs Celtics on at the same time. The NHL should compete, if they have to, against the LA Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. Those markets are less likely to be interested in the Stanley Cup Finals regardless of who is playing.

Why did the NHL do this?? Because their biggest tv station contract is with CBC and CBC loves HNIC on Saturday nights. That is why there are so many Saturday Night games in the Cup Finals. The NHL could care less with VS coverage and setting them up to do well in the US ratings. Oh and the NHL has VS going against ABC's coverage of Pistons and Celtics. Talk about suicide.

The NHL could have corrected this problem simply. Hold game 1 on Saturday. I think HNIC is one of the greatest things associated with today's NHL and should continue. Game 2 and 3 however could have been played Tuesday and Thursday thus setting up a Lakers-Spurs matchup that most of the games dont even begin til 9pm and you might get a casual sports fan to watch the hockey game and get hooked in that first hour.

Shame on the NHL and shame on Betteman for setting the the NHL to fail on the biggest stage.

Of course thats just my opinion. I could be wrong.

[poxer 0]

No, I agree too. You spoke my mind.

Edited May 21, 2008 by poxer

[Millertime 0]

Sports Bar! Im going to watch both games on High-Def, throw in some UFC PPV sat. night. Ice cold beer, and hot wings...

[ThreeRiversFan 0]

This league will never flourish with Bettman as commish....

never...

[PaVel DaTsYuK fan13 0]

I was just about to start a thread like this.

It's absolutely unbelievable, in one of the few American markets that twill actually be watching the game, half the audience is split. Do they really exprect Vs. to compete with ABC?

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

VS isn't worried about ABC/TNT/ESPN and hockey will always still have its hardcore fans that will watch the games.

[vangvace 12]

So who's schedule was released first? NHL's?

So it has nothing to do with being good sport viewing nights or that the NBA has 2 series still playing right?

What would you have the NHL do? Ask the NBA to play day games or wait until the playoffs are over?

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

So who's schedule was released first? NHL's?

So it has nothing to do with being good sport viewing nights or that the NBA has 2 series still playing right?

What would you have the NHL do? Ask the NBA to play day games or wait until the playoffs are over?

NBA's I think, at least the ECF was scheduled in advances as one of the Wester Quarterfinal series went to 7 games that just ended Monday night.

No lie on your last question, if the NHL asked the NBA to do what you asked at the end, higher ups from the NBA would laugh right back in their faces.

[pghkid 0]

VS isn't worried about ABC/TNT/ESPN and hockey will always still have its hardcore fans that will watch the games.

half the country doesnt even get vs. so most people couldnt watch games 1 & 2 from their homes if they wanted. bettman has his head in his ass.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

half the country doesnt even get vs. so most people couldnt watch games 1 & 2 from their homes if they wanted. bettman has his head in his ass.

VS/NBC gives the NHL much more attention than ESPN/ABC ever did or will do, so you take the good with the bad.

[vangvace 12]

VS/NBC gives the NHL much more attention than ESPN/ABC ever did or will do, so you take the good with the bad.

yeah, a .4 rating on espn is the same as a .4 rating on vs.

[timothy1997 0]

What would you have the NHL do? Ask the NBA to play day games or wait until the playoffs are over?

I mentioned what the NHL needs to do. Since the NBA released its schedule first and plays the Eastern-Western-Eastern Conference schedule, playing a game every night.......why not set up the NHL to take advantage of the series least likely to draw a hockey crowd. You cannot tell me that it is more likely to have a Boston sports fan watch hockey over there Celtics than a San Antonio sports fan choosing hockey over their Spurs. NHL should have scheduled their games against the Lakers-Spurs series than the Pistons-Celtics.

[Hank 0]

So who's schedule was released first? NHL's?

So it has nothing to do with being good sport viewing nights or that the NBA has 2 series still playing right?

What would you have the NHL do? Ask the NBA to play day games or wait until the playoffs are over?

I'm with you.

I agree that the NHL is hurting itself going up against the NBA's Conference Finals - particularily the Pistons schedule. But at the same time, one of my biggest gripes with the league is that it's always cowtowing or hiding from the other major sports.

Until the Superbowl the NHL barely uses Sunday and Monday nights. And now we're supposed to duck around the NBA schedule?

Like SouthernWingsFan pointed out, hockey fans will tune in no matter what, just like NBA fans will tune in no matter what.

Besides, I have a hard time believing a casual sports fan in Minnesota or any other eastern/northern state would choose to watch an NBA game over hockey.

[timothy1997 0]

Besides, I have a hard time believing a casual sports fan in Minnesota or any other eastern/northern state would choose to watch an NBA game over hockey.

No doubt about that but what about the Boston or New England casual fan. Forcing them to choose between their Celtics and the Stanley Cup Finals which doesnt have any of their teams, is suicide for the NHL.

[MabusIncarnate 5,344]

You mean you all aren't gonna watch the world series of poker for the 240th time on ESPN Saturday night? ESPN is a complete joke, i'm glad VS picked up the NHL so I don't have to give that network ratings. The world wide leader in sports that shows fat men playing with cards 12 hours a day on ESPN classic. How about some classic cup playoff games? Blows my mind how the greatest sport on the planet can go so unnoticed.

[timothy1997 0]

You mean you all aren't gonna watch the world series of poker for the 240th time on ESPN Saturday night? ESPN is a complete joke, i'm glad VS picked up the NHL so I don't have to give that network ratings. The world wide leader in sports that shows fat men playing with cards 12 hours a day on ESPN classic. How about some classic cup playoff games? Blows my mind how the greatest sport on the planet can go so unnoticed.

The Pistons-Celtics game is on ABC. ABC is not ESPN.

[wingsin4 0]

The Pistons-Celtics game is on ABC. ABC is not ESPN.

Its actually ESPN on ABC.....they are kinda the same thing

[HOCKEY MATTERS 167]

I agree with the original post. WCF should be on Tuesday and Thursday. Off topic a little....I will be at Greenfield Village this weekend participating as a Civil War reenactor for the Memorial Day weekend at the Village. The Village is open till 8 or 9 pm on Saturday. I will try to be discreet so as not to start an exodus, but I am going A.W.O.L. on Saturday night. I will escape to Bailey's on Michigan Ave. I will be brought up on charges on Sunday morning and probably shot for desertion. I will give the last full measure for the Winged Wheel.

back on topic....Bettman is a fool. Going up against the NBA toe-to-toe, he (and the sport) will lose. He is the ultimate moosefart.

[JayUp88 1]

I was thinking the same thing. why would you put the two on the same night

[8 Legged RedWing 367]

This is all the NHL's fault. The NBA had their schedule first I think. But I agree with the original post. They screwed themselves over. But whatever. The NHL has their die hard fans that will still watch but the ones on the fence will probably watch the NBA.

[Icer 0]

The NHL failed? There's a cyber survey up on detnews.com asking which series people will watch and here's the curent results...

Red Wings 95.8%

Pistons 4.2%

Cyber Survey

Looks like the NBA failed.

Edited May 21, 2008 by Icer

[deker 0]

The NHL failed? There's a cyber survey up on detnews.com asking which series people will watch and here's the curent results...

Red Wings 95.8%

Pistons 4.2%

Cyber Survey

Looks like the NBA failed.

Well, in Detroit sure. But we're talking about markets not named Detroit or Pittsburgh. These are the markets whose throats Gary Bettman has been trying to shove hockey down ever since he oversaw expansion into the sunbelt states. Those markets tend to watch basketball more readily than hockey.

Now, there is an X-Factor here and that is that Games 3-7 are on a major network while the NBA conference finals are on cable. It's possible that a casual viewer changing stations might just be able to find the Cup Finals easier. I don't know if that's likely, but it's possible.

[Winged Scooter 0]

Well, in Detroit sure. But we're talking about markets not named Detroit or Pittsburgh. These are the markets whose throats Gary Bettman has been trying to shove hockey down ever since he oversaw expansion into the sunbelt states. Those markets tend to watch basketball more readily than hockey.

Now, there is an X-Factor here and that is that Games 3-7 are on a major network while the NBA conference finals are on cable. It's possible that a casual viewer changing stations might just be able to find the Cup Finals easier. I don't know if that's likely, but it's possible.

Speaking of Major Networks, and the playoffs in general, since the semi-finals you have had almost ALL big market teams going at it in the playoffs, Wings, Pens, Avs, Flyers, NYR, Stars, etc... because of the lack of Anaheims, Calgary, Carolina, et al, does anyone know, or have they heard, are ratings up this year? I would think they would have to be...at least a little bit...

[Datsyukgrl_in_ATL 0]

I was reading through some comments on ESPN.com to an article about this and someone was saying how most Red Wings fans are not really Pistons fans and vice versa. But somehow, I find most Detroit sports fans "follow" all of our pro teams. Plus, either MSU or UofM.

Also, I recently moved from Michigan to Atlanta, and I would say more than 90% of the people I run into from Michigan here are avid sports fans. We represent! you should have seen how many Tigers fans were at Turner field last summer. SO many wings and pistons jerseys there!

So, I couldnt agree more about this thread, it's pretty disappointing they overlap and the NHL really doesn't care to do anything to help the situation. BUT it's a great situation to be in, having both teams this deep into the playoffs. I can only imagine some of the next replies from pens fans, that we ***** about everything and how we are like the "yankees of the nhl." how can you do that to us? Still, I'M ANNOYED!

[VM1138 1,921]

I sort of agree with you guys, but let's not forget the NBA is collapsing. Hardly anyone watches. Aren't they at the same level or have recently slipped just behind the NHL in viewership?

So yeah, we won't get those basketball fans, but we'll get the football and baseball fans.

So no, I don't think it's quite a colossal fail as you guys do.