Osgood criticizes Versus

[Mike 0]

To Gary Bettman: You know your tv contract is bad when your own players cannot watch NHL playoff games.

Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood delivered an unwittingly scathing criticism of Versus on Monday, as the CBC's blogger noted:

May 25, CBC Sports: Hockey fans in the United States aren't the only ones struggling to find the Stanley Cup playoffs on their televisions.

The Wings found themselves in the same boat while staying in Chicago when seeking to watch the Eastern Conference final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes.

"I haven't even seen a game yet," Osgood said. "The hotel we were in doesn't have Versus.

"I saw a bit of the last game in a restaurant from a distance, but that was it. I put it on my phone live and try to get the updates as it goes along.

"I haven't seen them, but I've read about them on my phone."

MLive

Edited May 25, 2009 by Mike

[Guest Shoreline]

Unwittingly scathing criticism? That's quite an embellishment in that blog for a rather ambiguous assertion by Ozzie. He could be criticizing the hotel, could be criticizing Versus.. but it is in no way scathing.

How about, "Versus color commentators / analysts need to shut the hell up while the puck is in play and leave the play by play guy to do the talking?". That sounds properly scathing to me.

[Echolalia 2,961]

Haha I just went through the same thing in Indiana

[Konnan511 1,736]

He's not criticizing... He's stating he couldn't watch the game due to it not being picked up by his hotel... No where did he mention the NHL, Bettman, or his displeasure with Versus. And are you just doing this so more people can flame Bettman for something he couldn't control. So without further adu and before this gets out of hand.

BETTMAN ACCEPTED THE ONLY TV OFFER THAT OFFERED ANY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY. ESPN DID NOT OFFER A TV CONTRACT BECAUSE THEY WERE WORRIED ABOUT ANOTHER LOCKOUT.

[weGotTheCup89 41]

Hahahaha this is priceless, Osgood is funny. But, yes, as I do not live in Canada, and don't have cable, I have either found a free stream of every game online or gone to a friend's house. I really do hate the TV deal and how it makes so many games inaccessible to so many fans..

[Guest L3T5G0W1NG5]

i live in canada, i have basic cable, i get to watch every single game. cbc or tsn.

Edited May 25, 2009 by L3T5G0W1NG5

[evilmrt 636]

HAHAHA I LOVE IT. Versus is okay for a lower-tier network, and they try....but Bettman needs to aim higher. I've never seen VS offered in a hotel before.

PRETTY SAD WHEN THE GOALIE CANT WATCH THE ECF, GARY!

[Guest Shoreline]

i live in canada, i have basic cable, i get to watch every single game. cbc or tsn.

I'd pay a premium price for both of those if DirecTV would get off it's can and strike a deal. f*** Versus, ESPN, NBC, ABC, HIV, and alphabet soup.

Edited May 25, 2009 by Shoreline

[Konnan511 1,736]

I'd pay a premium price for both of those if DirecTV would get off it's can and strike a deal. f*** Versus, ESPN, NBC, ABC, HIV, and alphabet soup.

Bite your tongue!

[Guest Shoreline]

Bite your tongue!

I was just chewing on some ice and did just that. Voodoo?

[evilmrt 636]

I'd pay a premium price for both of those if DirecTV would get off it's can and strike a deal. f*** Versus, ESPN, NBC, ABC, HIV, and alphabet soup.

Hey Shoreline, what exactly IS the issue with no CBC or TSN on Directv? I mean they rebroadcast tons of Mexican channels, and loads of other international stuff....come on, several channels from Russia and none from Canada? I'd pay extra for it.

[Konnan511 1,736]

I was just chewing on some ice and did just that. Voodoo?

Mwahahaha:

[Seraph 240]

We all know this Versus deal is a debacle. I try to get my friends into the sport and I finally convince them to check out a game, but then they report back telling me it's not on their TVs. Makes the sport look like a joke. The finals are almost here, and it's pretty much all I can talk about, and I come off as the random dude who is following some obscure sport that's not even on TV.

[Konnan511 1,736]

We all know this Versus deal is a debacle. I try to get my friends into the sport and I finally convince them to check out a game, but then they report back telling me it's not on their TVs. Makes the sport look like a joke. The finals are almost here, and it's pretty much all I can talk about, and I come off as the random dude who is following some obscure sport that's not even on TV.

Tell them to turn on NBC.

[Guest Shoreline]

Hey Shoreline, what exactly IS the issue with no CBC or TSN on Directv? I mean they rebroadcast tons of Mexican channels, and loads of other international stuff....come on, several channels from Russia and none from Canada? I'd pay extra for it.

I know if you're in a border state you can usually find a provider that carries CBC. Being down here, well, we're next to the wrong border for hockey. But yeah hockey fans down here should keep bugging DirecTV for both CBC and TSN.

Edit: And I'm sure people are tired of me bitching about the broadcasting on Versus/NBC, but man, with only a bias for good broadcasting credo (rather than a "at least I get something" mentality), I'm sure anyone would ******* hate Versus/NBC, and it isn't even these two that started it. Most of the same people who've done Versus/NBC also did ESPN/ABC, and even old FOX games. It's American broadcasts nationally that are the problem. For the most part, FOX Sports Net regional guys aren't too bad, except a small handful of teams. However, Versus gets so caught up chit-chatting like this is the NFL or something (whistle after 2-10 seconds of play) it just gets tiresome hearing guys most interested in lengthy chatter amongst themselves while the puck is in play rather than communicating whats going on in the game and saving it for between whistles and the intermission/pre/post-game.

Edited May 25, 2009 by Shoreline

[Rocket Queen 30 1]

We all know this Versus deal is a debacle. I try to get my friends into the sport and I finally convince them to check out a game, but then they report back telling me it's not on their TVs. Makes the sport look like a joke. The finals are almost here, and it's pretty much all I can talk about, and I come off as the random dude who is following some obscure sport that's not even on TV.

OMG that is soooo my life. All I do is talk hockey and everyone around me talks basketball. We even have an AHL team here and no one cares and even if they did care, it's not like they'd be able to find it on tv... VS? what's VS... we're like the only people next to bull riding fans that know what the hell VS is... sad...

[b.shanafan14 733]

Way to go Ozzy. Not that he is really saying much, but it is rather enlightening that the players can't even find the games when they look to find them, how will prospective fans. When I tell my girlfriend to change the channel to the Wings game on Versus: what the hell is Versus? haha it used to be.... Outdoor Life Network, OLN. What else do they air? Bass fishing, bullriding, and bloodsport.

Edited May 25, 2009 by b.shanafan14

[edicius 3,269]

Speaking of yapping during play... The puck was in play at one point last game, lots of movement and action going on...and the play-by-play was discussing the Penguins (and more specifically, Crosby and Malkin), basically from the faceoff until the next whistle. For at least two minutes straight. And people wonder why we're sick of hearing about Crosby and the Penguins. There's a time and a place for it - and that wasn't it.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

I only get VS at my house, at my lake... nope. That is why I want it on ESPN.

[Ozzy318 3]

I would love to know why I cannot pick up the CBC or TSN with directv when I am only a 35 drive away from Canada, here in Ann Arbor, MI. It makes no sense why Comcast offers the CBC but Directv does not for Detroit metro area residents.

[dragonballgtz 273]

You would think he would at least bring a laptop and watch the games online.

[vangvace 12]

I would love to know why I cannot pick up the CBC or TSN with directv when I am only a 35 drive away from Canada, here in Ann Arbor, MI. It makes no sense why Comcast offers the CBC but Directv does not for Detroit metro area residents.

For CBC it's likely lack of interest from viewers asking for it. For TSN though, it might have something to do with it's ties to ESPN.

[Ozzy318 3]

For CBC it's likely lack of interest from viewers asking for it. For TSN though, it might have something to do with it's ties to ESPN.

really? When there is like 20 Indian and Korean channels offered through the international package for directv? I seriously doubt that, especially for northern border cities like Detroit and Buffalo.

[Dabura 12,232]

I drive cross-country back and forth between school and home. Done the roundtrip dealy three times. Stayed in a lot of hotels, but never found Versus on any of their TVs. And some of these are very upscale, like in Vegas.

It saddens me.

[HudlerFanatic 4]

lol...try living in Alaska....if it wasnt for the computer we would miss almost everything that has anything to do with hockey! and what the hell was up with NBC here for the last game, it was shrank to wide screen like a DVD...did they not start making tv's wide screen so that could be eliminated, and WHY was it like that way on cable.....we were STOKED when our cable company got VS, it gave us 6 extra games a year! SIX! ....lol...but that, again, is what the computer is for!!!