Late Thoughts on Game 2 of Red Wings/Blackhawks

Sorry for the no posting Wednesday, but we should’ve probably let you all know that Wrap will from here-on in be taking the days with no games during these Conference Finals.

Anyway, some thoughts from Game 2:

• Look, we aren’t stupid.  That’s why we don’t read The Pensblog.  But once in a while, it’s nice to learn something new.  Bob Harwood’s report on how a lotion the equipment managers put on the skateblades may have saved Adam Burish’s neck was educational.  Let’s go out of our way to praise Harwood, who is easily the best of VERSUS’ stable of reporters.  He always asks interesting question, can provide additional analysis from ice level, and always comes at things with a fresh perspective.
• We praise Doc Emrick a lot, but seriously, his call from Tuesday night was Exhibit A as to why he’s the voice of hockey in the United States.  The frenetic call of Mikael Samuelsson’s Overtime Winner was miraculously described with all the chaos going on down there.  The man’s still got it even as he’s getting on in years.
• We dig Eddie Olczyk, but sometimes he can ramble, and it hurts the telecast.  What’s worse is that the VERSUS overlords force Emrick to set him up to ramble, by asking him his thoughts on the game or a certain situation.  This may work with Emrick’s New Jersey Devils partner, Chico Resch, but only because the Devils’ analyst is concise and a little bit insane.  Olczyk needs to learn to speak in soundbites, and small ones at that, when action is going on.

Blue Jackets Ditch Reporter Over the Word Disappointing

 

FS Ohio Reporter Jim Day

We’re not really familiar with FS Ohio’s Jim Day, the reporter for the Columbus Blue Jackets broadcasts on the network.  We’ve written his name down in the Open Threads and we noted how he referred to a March tilt vs. Dallas as “The biggest game in CBJ history”.  Overall, seemed a nice guy.  But now he’s been asked to be remove from the Blue Jackets broadcasting team, and for reasons that to me seem ludicrous.  The venerable Columbus writer Aaron Portzline of Puck-rakers has the story:

Some of this stuff is hard to believe. Sources have told The Dispatch that the Blue Jackets tended to complain weekly — sometimes more often — about Day, including a memorable “morning after” teleconference this season when Day dared to use the word “disappointing” to describe a 3-1 deficit in St. Louis on March 28.

That’s right. The offensive word was “disappointing.”

Also, Blue Jackets management remains angry, according to sources, that Day did not conform to the club’s request to NOT mention late majority owner John H. McConnell on the night the Blue Jackets clinched a playoff spot, April 8 in Chicago. He also didn’t follow along by ignoring that it took the club eight seasons to make the playoffs.

The other broadcasters got the memo and followed along, leaving lots of Blue Jackets fans wondering why their announcers were so subdued on such a historic night for the franchise and for Columbus sports. Later, when the fans found out why the long-awaited moment was so, um, “unhistoric,” fans were mad. Rightly so.

What a ridiculous load of crap, to want an announcer gone for calling a key loss “disappointing”.  This is flat-out unprofessional for the Blue Jackets to request and, frankly, it’s big blow to the credibility of a franchise if they treat its’ personnel this way.  Portzline has the ultimate bottom-line on how it’s going to affect the perception of this hockey team:

Nobody with any legitimacy whatsoever is going to feel comfortable taking a broadcasting job with the Blue Jackets if the word “disappointing” is deemed inappropriate. Word travels fast in the world of broadcasting, believe me. Faster than the speed of newspaper, certainly. Faster even than the blogosphere. The constant meddling in the booth is quickly making Columbus an organization that folks in the business whisper about, usually with a roll of the eyes. One big-time national broadcaster — not John Buccigross — told me a year ago that he’d love to work for the Blue Jackets, if only he could convince his wife to move to Columbus. When I talked him today and asked the same question, he chuckled: “Not a chance.”

Anyone wanna guess the name of that broadcaster?  Not to be too flippant about it but this kind of thing just can’t fly if this team wants to be taken legitimately.  

VERSUS Draws 1.3 For Game 2 of Red Wings/Blackhawks

Just reported by Rob Simpson on NHL Live.  This is the national overnight rating, not the cable rating, which will likely be bigger.  The numbers are up from 2008.  As for the local markets:

Detroit – 15.5

Chicago – 5.5

Conf. Final Ratings                                                                                                                                        Game 1, CHI vs. DET (NBC, 5/17/09): 2.0
Game 1, CAR vs. PIT (VERSUS, 5/18/09): 1.1 (1.4 cable rating)
Game 2, CHI vs. DET (VERSUS, 5/19/09): 1.3 (likely 1.5/1.6 cable rating) 

I’m only here for the cake.

As a chick, it’s pretty much programmed into my brain to be a bridezilla. I mean, have you been the movies lately? Man, I am supposed to be materialistic, psychotic and generally uncivilized. And I am supposed to ruin my best friend’s life in the process and make my husband elect want to skip town on the day of the blessed affair. Seriously, being that much of a headache is sooooo taxing. I mean, I still have to find time for tanning, manicures and pedicures, picking out ugly dresses for the bridesmaids. What’s a girl to do? Anyway, out of boredom I google image searched “hockey wedding.” And this came up;

she does disdain well.

Ok first they need real skates. And not figure skates. And the groom needs a goalie mask I think. And where are the team colors? Blasphemy. It’s called team pride.

You’re right, it will probably be the cake topper for my fake wedding I’m planning. Fingers crossed I end up on one of the wedding reality shows. I’ll be the one shrieking about a custom 8,000 dollar gown with the Chiefs logo and throwing a hissy fit because I want to walk down the aisle to Welcome to the Jungle. Because that opening is just killer.

I’m such a hypocrite.

Sorry We’re Late, TV Guide and Open Thread for Game 2 of the Western Final

7:30 PM ET, Chicago vs. Detroit, Game 2 (DET Leads 1-0)

National TV (US): VERSUS (HD)
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Reporter: Bob Harwood

National TV (CANADA): TSN (HD)
Play by Play: Gord Miller
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire
Reporter: Ryan Rishaug

Game 1 of Pens-Cane Draws a 1.1 Rating on VERSUS

NHL Live’s Rob Simpson just reported the figure.  A 1.19 for Game 1 of Penguins-Hurricanes on VERSUS, up from 2008.  Game drew a 20 rating in the Pittsburgh market and a 7 rating in the Raleigh market.

We’re working on getting more numbers on this, so please stay tuned.

Playoff Viewership Nothing to Do with Broadcasters

You know, often during the Stanley Cup playoffs, we feel really useless as bloggers, because we don’t really breakdown the ins and outs of what happened in the Carolina-Pittsburgh series, or why Dan Cleary’s becoming yet another beastly Red Wing to emerge this playoff year.  Frankly, we don’t think we’re that good at talking about the game, so we talk about the people who talk about the game instead.

But let’s step outside ourselves to point out that Stanley Cup Playoff hockey is as good as it’s ever been in the 14 years we’ve watched it.  We’re biased in thinking that our hockey tournament is the best tournament of any in the world of sport, but this year, a year in which the NBA is actually getting kudos for it’s post-season, it needs to be reiterated again and again how lucky we are as puckheads to be seeing such great stuff.

The point that needs to be made to people like Gary Bettman, John Shannon, Sam Flood, and anyone else with a hand in how hockey’s being broadcast, is that this ratings uptick on VERSUS and NBC has absolutely NOTHING to do with VERSUS and NBC.  The 2.0 could’ve happened on the freakin’ CW if the games were this good.  The VERSUS ratings could’ve been on ESPN, where they let an unqualified moron like Steve Levy call the games.  

What these networks need to learn is that it isn’t about them.  It’s about this game and these athletes.  They are the reason the ratings are getting better and better.  Yes, HD has helped and the players are becoming more fan-friendly and VERSUS and NBC have done some good things.  But the only thing that’s gonna’ flat out sell our game is our game, and our athletes have been Monty Hall out there this entire playoff year.

POLL: VERSUS New New Scoreboard

Your TV Guide and Open Thread for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals

7:30 PM ET, Carolina vs. Pittsburgh, Game 1

National TV (US): VERSUS (HD)
Play by Play: Joe Beninati
Color: Daryl Reaugh
Reporter: Chris Simpson

National TV (CANADA): TSN (HD)
Play by Play: Chris Cuthbert
Inside the Glass: Ray Ferraro

BREAKING: Western Conference Finals Game 1 Draws a 2.0 on NBC

What’s that funky-looking number next to the zero?  According to SportsBusinessDaily (reg. required), NBC’s coverage of Game 1 of the Detroit/Chicago series drew a 2.0/5 on Sunday.  That rating marks the best ever rating for an NHL On NBC broadcast, excluding obviously the Stanley Cup Finals and Winter Classic.  The number is also up from last year’s comparable broadcast (Flyers/Penguins Game 5, which drew a 1.7). 

We’re working on getting local numbers and attempting to find out when the last time hockey drew a 2.0 on broadcast was, and we’ll update later if we get that info for you.

UPDATE 1:07 PM: This is the first time a non-outdoor or Stanley Cup Final hockey game has drawn a 2.0 overnight on broadcast since regional playoff action (DET/NSH Game 6, NJ/PHI Game 5, COL/DAL Game 5, ABC) on April 17, 2004 drew a 2.1/5, according to Sports Media Watch.

UPDATE 1:10 PM: Thanks to NBC Sports spokesman, the perpetually helpful Brian Walker, we now have the local numbers for Game 1:

Chicago – 7.7/19
Detroit – 16.9/38

Also from Mr. Walker, the news that this is the highest-rated single-game (non-regional) NHL telecast (obviously excluding outdoor games and SCF) since May 25, 2002 (DET/COL Game 4, ABC, 2.2/6).  Impressive numbers for a series that’s just beginning.  If the set remains close, NBC can expect even higher numbers for it’s telecast of Game 4, next Sunday at 3:00 PM ET.