Thursday, December 14, 2006
Parity in the Great Canadian Game
I have basic cable.
I cheer for the Ottawa Senators.
This means that for most Sens games, I'm screwed for TV coverage. Unless CBC has picked up a Saturday game, I don't get to see my favorite team in action because of TSN's biased coverage schedule. Here are the number of games TSN is covering by the Canadian teams:
Edmonton - 4 games
Calgary - 5 games
Vancouver - 5 games
Montreal - 7 games
Toronto - 9 games
Ottawa - 2 games!!!!!!
A PALTRY two games!!! I'm not going to go off on the easily arguable point that there should be less Toronto games to help the parity along. Toronto IS the largest hockey market in North America (maybe the world), and as such, it does merit a fair bit of TV coverage. Montreal's a storied franchise, no bones to pick there. Edmonton and Calgary have had recent post-season success, so it's understandable that TSN would want to cover them. I'm not going to even surmise why anyone would want to see that many Vancouver games... maybe the Luongo factor.
But only showing two games of one of the most exciting teams in the NHL? Come on... surely you could find a couple more in there. I'd take Ottawa/Nashville if I had to.
I guess I just want to see a bit more even coverage of each team. Only showing the team from the national capital twice in an entire season is embarassing.
Plus Darren Dreger sucks. I don't know why, but I just don't trust him. He's trying too hard to be Bob Mackenzie.
I cheer for the Ottawa Senators.
This means that for most Sens games, I'm screwed for TV coverage. Unless CBC has picked up a Saturday game, I don't get to see my favorite team in action because of TSN's biased coverage schedule. Here are the number of games TSN is covering by the Canadian teams:
Edmonton - 4 games
Calgary - 5 games
Vancouver - 5 games
Montreal - 7 games
Toronto - 9 games
Ottawa - 2 games!!!!!!
A PALTRY two games!!! I'm not going to go off on the easily arguable point that there should be less Toronto games to help the parity along. Toronto IS the largest hockey market in North America (maybe the world), and as such, it does merit a fair bit of TV coverage. Montreal's a storied franchise, no bones to pick there. Edmonton and Calgary have had recent post-season success, so it's understandable that TSN would want to cover them. I'm not going to even surmise why anyone would want to see that many Vancouver games... maybe the Luongo factor.
But only showing two games of one of the most exciting teams in the NHL? Come on... surely you could find a couple more in there. I'd take Ottawa/Nashville if I had to.
I guess I just want to see a bit more even coverage of each team. Only showing the team from the national capital twice in an entire season is embarassing.
Plus Darren Dreger sucks. I don't know why, but I just don't trust him. He's trying too hard to be Bob Mackenzie.
Comments:
<< Home
Just remember: in talking about the NHL, *nothing* is legit...although that said, doesn't Sportsnet carry a decent number of Sens games? But regardless, it still doesn't top being a Leaf fan in Kingston: you're out of the Leafs region, but you're also picking up Centre Ice from Toronto--which obviously doesn't carry Leaf games, so you're basically screwed apart from HNIC. It's such a blatant attempt to grow the Sens' fanbase it's not even funny; I'm not saying it's wrong or anything (hell, I wouldn't wanna be a Leaf fan if I had a choice), but it's just another example of the stupid, stupid, stupid NHL. Which I can't stop watching. :$
Use the argument they're a better team, a more exciting team, whatever. But the 'national capital' argument... well, tell me how worthy of coverage Washington DC's sports teams are?
I can't stop watching it either, which is horrendoud because it makes NO SENSE AT ALL!!!!
What team beats Detroit 3-2 (with a goalie who makes 41 saves on his head) and then proceeds to basically not show up the next night and lose 6-0 (with same said goalie making 8 of 14 saves).
I hate this game.
And yes, Sportsnet does have a fair number of Sens games (not as many as they used to). Unfortunately, I have BASIC cable. Snet is not on basic cable. If I go to my 'rents place and watch it on the dish, it's usually blacked out.
As for the national capital argument, it should reason that with only six teams in the country, and hockey widely professed to be "Canada's game", the Sens merit at least an equal share of the coverage. True, the teams in Washington DC don't get a lot of play in the US, but that's because there are many many many more teams in each of the leagues out there. Plus most of the US doesn't even care about hockey.
Most importantly, it made sense in my head.
Post a Comment
What team beats Detroit 3-2 (with a goalie who makes 41 saves on his head) and then proceeds to basically not show up the next night and lose 6-0 (with same said goalie making 8 of 14 saves).
I hate this game.
And yes, Sportsnet does have a fair number of Sens games (not as many as they used to). Unfortunately, I have BASIC cable. Snet is not on basic cable. If I go to my 'rents place and watch it on the dish, it's usually blacked out.
As for the national capital argument, it should reason that with only six teams in the country, and hockey widely professed to be "Canada's game", the Sens merit at least an equal share of the coverage. True, the teams in Washington DC don't get a lot of play in the US, but that's because there are many many many more teams in each of the leagues out there. Plus most of the US doesn't even care about hockey.
Most importantly, it made sense in my head.
<< Home
