RedWingedKitten 9 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 (edited) http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Eklund/The-...rom-NBC/1/19967 Well, I like it. It should help raise interest in the states. Talking to sources today and it appears that it is all but a done deal in most people's minds that the USA National TV Contract currently split by NBC and Versus will bring in a new partner in 2009-2010: ESPN. This is great news of course for all of American Hockey Fans. Here is how one connect source says it will break down. ESPN: The new deal will consist of a Game of the Week on ESPN2 early in the season (most likely on Fridays) , ESPN will take over the Saturday and Sunday Afternoon schedules from NBC after the Pro Bowl, as well as the Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals. The source went onto say, "There is alot of ego in this world and ESPN wants a MAJOR trophy to be won on their channel. That may be the overall driving force here." There is more about Vs. and NBC. Remember, this is Eklund. Edited March 10, 2009 by RedWingedKitten Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Electrophile 3,554 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 Good. Bring back Gary Thorne and Bill Clement, I loved when they'd call games. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elshupacabra 0 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 That would be great if it's true. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
betterREDthandead 58 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 The only reason I put any stock into this is because it's been mentioned elsewhere. Otherwise the source would probably lead me to believe ESPN is in fact secretly planning to burn down all 30 hockey arenas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ComradeWasabi 109 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 Eklund says it so it must be a lie. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
evilmrt 636 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 Eklund says it, so the NHL will probably be on the Home Shopping Network. Meanwhile, why does anyone pay attention to him? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vladifan 680 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 Good. Bring back Gary Thorne and Bill Clement, I loved when they'd call games. Yessss. Everytime I watch the championship videos that they announced, I am reminded of how enthusiastic, funny and how knowledgeable they were. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BuckeyeWingsfan80 209 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 When is the VS TV contract up as well as the NBC portion of it? Somehow I doubt The Reign of Error will break the TV contract off from his buddies at NBC.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Echolalia 2,961 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 Eklund says it, so the NHL will probably be on the Home Shopping Network. Meanwhile, why does anyone pay attention to him? Its so hard to stop!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FireCaptain 563 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 Good. Bring back Gary Thorne and Bill Clement, I loved when they'd call games. I will watch the game on mute with the audio from 97.1 if this happens. I can't stand Clement and Thorney's no peach either. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wingsallwin 0 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 It sounds great. I watched the Wings first in 1999, the time I was young, impressed by Fedorov on the game. Bringing back ESPN will be great because everyone loved Gary Thorne while people hate McGuire and Milbury. These two guys are the worst commentators that I have ever seen and such an idiot on the TD too. You guys know the income of the NHL suddenly started to decline down very quickly because not many people buy the channel of VERSUS; making people to have excess on hockey. If you compare the populartiy of the NHL now and the past, there must be a huge difference. I know Americans here watch the NHL but be honest, I cannot say many Americans watch hockey, which cause the low income and killing the NHL Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neonsign 2 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 his breakdown is very detailed. bulls***, is in the details. hope i'm wrong though! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenway9 1 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 Good. Bring back Gary Thorne and Bill Clement, I loved when they'd call games. Agreed. They are the best hockey duo. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frozen-Man 144 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 If this is true a contract with ESPN should increase "hockey generated revenues" which is what is used to determine the salary cap. It could help defray the drop that is expected year after next, which would be great for the Wings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StevieY9802 6 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 It's been rumored elsewhere for like the last year that ESPN was trying to get back into it so this is very possible. I hope it is. NBC drives me nuts. I can tolerate VS now that Maguire isn't on it and Clement isn't the host of the studio portion. He's a good commentator but not host. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RedSea 31 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 I don't know about the stanley cup finals on ESPN. I just don't see how that would boost ratings compared to NBC. But everything else sounds great. I'm just doubtful it happens. What stupid hockey jokes would Sportscenter, PTI and Around the Horn be able to say if the NHL aired on their network? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
South Dakota wings fan 7 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 It's been rumored elsewhere for like the last year that ESPN was trying to get back into it so this is very possible. I hope it is. NBC drives me nuts. I can tolerate VS now that Maguire isn't on it and Clement isn't the host of the studio portion. He's a good commentator but not host. When was Pierre McGuire on Vs? I have seen him on TSN and NBC, but never VS. I do have to say he is better than Keith Jones. That guy is dreadful, and also a former Av. I am all in favor of this rumored tv deal. Cross promotion between Vs and ESPN can only help the league. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frozen-Man 144 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 When was Pierre McGuire on Vs? I have seen him on TSN and NBC, but never VS. I do have to say he is better than Keith Jones. That guy is dreadful, and also a former Av. I am all in favor of this rumored tv deal. Cross promotion between Vs and ESPN can only help the league. I disagree I can't stand McGuire he is such an idiot. Plus I met Keith Jones last year, he was staying that the same hotel as me for game 1 of the Finals. He got into the elevator with me after we won the game, saw me decked out in Wings gear and said "great game for you guys." He was really cool guy who chatted with me for about 10 minutes. I told him I had been watching the game where Lemieux turtles and gets the crap beat out of him by Mac. He was great he was laughing about the game and how cool it was to be there and be part of that whole rivalry. It was great. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878 Report post Posted March 11, 2009 I like it, I love it, I want some more of it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
I Red Wings I 40 Report post Posted March 12, 2009 Gary Thorne FTW! That would be sweet. :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightfall 871 Report post Posted March 12, 2009 (edited) While I am a huge fan of Thorne and Clement doing the NHL games, on ESPN or otherwise, I am leery about ESPN getting back into hockey and here is why. I am a big hockey fan, and I know memories are short here but does anyone remember how ESPN treated hockey back in the mid to late 90s and through till the NHL signed with Versus? There were games, both regular season and playoffs, that were cutoff because of other scheduled events. I remember at least once a month I would tune into a game and not see it because some golf thing was going into extra time or some other event was starting so they had to cut the game off in the 3rd period before OT started. There were even times where games they were going to televise were canceled in lieu of other events that were more popular. ESPN treated the NHL like dirt and a last tier sport. Now, if ESPN wants to get back into the business of hockey, I applaud them, but this buffoonary of them preempting games or shutting games off early isn't going to fly with me. They won't fly with wings fans either who find themselves in a situation where ESPN has exclusive rights to a game and yet ESPN chooses not to put it on because some sports figure is coming out of the closet and that news is more important than hockey. Versus does not do that crap and thats why I do like them for hockey coverage so far. They do give the NHL more coverage than ESPN gave them, but they are a smaller network. I acknowledge that. The more networks that hockey is seen on the better off hockey is. That means a bigger audience and hopefully more people will tune in. ESPN is bigger than Versus so I do hope that ESPN gets to air some games. With thousands of games being played, there is more than enough for every network to have a cut of the action. Edited March 12, 2009 by Nightfall Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
auxlepli 17 Report post Posted March 13, 2009 Eklund is wrong and so are you. About a month ago I had the unfortunate experience of viewing ESPN's SportsCenter for 45 minutes. Not one NHL highlight. NOT ONE! The night before seven games were played and not one highlight the next day. People who think ESPN is objective are delusional. People who think that things would change if the League went back to the four-letter network are delusional. It won't happen because the Disney networks don't want the NHL. They had a chance to get the League back immediately following the lockout, but didn't. Nothing I've seen has changed. Today I watched SportsCenter, and there was only one highlight. Three games yesterday, and only one highlight today. The other day Steve Levy said this, "Only in the NHL is Detroit in the West." Were there any snide comments made toward ANY other sport? Not that I heard. Another day, or maybe the same one, ESPN showed David Letterman's Top Ten List featuring baseball players at the World Baseball Classic. Number 1: "What else are you going to watch? Hockey?" ESPN is bad for the NHL any way you slice it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878 Report post Posted March 28, 2009 Watching college hockey on ESPN2 makes me want the NHL back on ESPN right now! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elriqo28 2 Report post Posted April 5, 2009 I couldn't care less as long as we have Ken and Mick. I will watch them over ESPN any day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kylee 727 Report post Posted April 6, 2009 Watching college hockey on ESPN2 makes me want the NHL back on ESPN right now! yeah same here but i really wonder how legit any of this really is? but in truth i really miss gary throne calling games Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
