Wasn't game 7 of the Caps/Habs series an awesome game? You would have no clue, because you didn't watch it. You would think that one of these NHL execs would have an inkling of an idea how they could ride the success of the Olympics and parlay it towards the remainder of the NHL season. But no, the playoffs are still stowed away with the likes of Nat. Geo. and the Food Network (not knocking either of these channels, good stuff.) If you want your sport to make the jump from niche to the 4th major, give yourself an opportunity to earn market share; saturday afternoon games on NBC aren't going to cut it. Buy out VS's contract and go to a channel like USA, the way the NBA has dominated ratings with TNT.
The rule changes that were made post lock-out have made hockey enjoyable again (some would argue that goalie pads need to be reduced) and there are ample superstars in each conference to nationally market. An 8 seed just chopped down a 1 seed in the forest.....did anyone hear it? The answer is No.
To the NHL's defense, there are reasons a channel like ESPN doesn't carry the games. There aren't enough commercial breaks compared to the NBA (how many timeouts do NBA teams have? 15 or something, right?) and it always comes down to the dollar. Therefore, ESPN only gives Barry Melrose a 3 minute spot, compared to the 10-12 minute segments they give Legler and Jalen Rose because the NBA is the product they push. Bottom line, the games have never been more intense/exciting; a perfect opportunity to drum up loyal NHL fans for seasons to come. Bettman just sits on his hands and shrugs. If I owned a Subway, I wouldn't hire this guy to clean the fucking toilets.
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