Thoughts On What Could Be NBC’s Last Two Hockey Telecasts of the Year

We didn’t feel like doing two separate posts for both games, we’ll just jumble the two telecasts into one.  Ratings post between 12:30 and 1:30.

• So, I know a lot of you aren’t happy with the pre-game.  You’ve got to understand that NBC isn’t 100% playing into the hands of the converted diehards with these games.  They do have to hammer it away a little bit with why the games mean so much, why the storylines mean so much, and for some people just what the Hell is going on down there.  So for that, most of the NBC crew – actually, just Doc Emrick and Darren Pang, who are the only understated members of that team – have done a good job with that.
• More on Darren Pang: If he can ease up a little and calm down just a skitch, he may have himself a job with this studio host thing.  He’s the anti-Pierre McGuire: He’s non-confrontational, analytical to the point where you understand what he’s saying, and sets up Milbury fairly nicely.  It is shaky every now and then, but overall Pang and Milbury are better than McGuire and Milbury.  While NBC could just as easily call in a favor to Al Michaels, Bob Costas, Keith Olbermann, Dan Patrick, Jimmy Roberts, Dan Hicks, Tom Hammond, Bob Neumeier, Chris Collinsworth, Peter King, Andrea Joyce or freakin’ Rachel Maddow to do this job, Panger gets credit for pulling the ultimate hockey duty: go where the coach tells you and do your job fairly well.  And dare we say: Darren Pang > Bill Patrick?
• As for the other two members of the NBC team, Edzo and Pierre were all over the audience with their “I-me-me” brand of yelling.  Pierre needs to understand that NBC has audio mixers and the people at home will hear you.  We have the technology.  Olczyk was all over the place with his commentary, very often the wrong side.  He complained far too much about the refs in game 2 particularly.  Edzo needs to calm down for Games 3 & 4 on VERSUS.
• Speaking of VERSUS, how stoked do they have to be about the possibility of the Cup being raised on their network.  While I do think the Penguins will win at least one game on their home ice, the potential is certainly there for a Red Wing sweep.
• One last note.  Wrap is here Tuesday and Thursday this week.  I’ll be locking it down today, Wednesday and Friday.  Open threads will still be around.