2013-14 NHL Season: "We Are North American Scum"

[TorinK92]

(someone responded to the rant by pointing out that there was a Harvard study recently where most of the people there didn't know that Ottawa was the capital, so, umm, yeah.)

There had to be a Harvard study to figure this out? What a waste of funds. Just look at social media and America's celebrity culture to see how stupid we all really are. Ugh.

yes, because Buzzfeed = Harvard

[Sodboy13]

Can't wait till NBC goes away, FOX comes in and cares again.

Go look at some NHL on Fox clips on YouTube and get your head on straight, son.

NBC puts a lot of dimbulbs in suits front-and-center (wouldn't be surprised if they hired Modano after today), and, like I said, is basically a 7-team league on the network side. But the truth is that those 7 are the only ones to get reliable ratings, and NBC has been the best media partner the league's ever had.

If you'd like further evidence, ask any U.S.-based soccer fan about Fox's EPL coverage versus NBC's.

[Kevin W.]

Fox has attempted to make Gus Johnson a soccer commentator. 'Nuff said.

Of course, I certainly wouldn't mind if Gary Thorne got hired by NBC. Having two separate commentary crews, one with Emrick and the other with Thorne, would be fantastic. Honestly, even though I'm not even an Avs fan, his call of Bourque raising the Cup is probably one of my top five hockey moments ever.

[RyanMcD29]

Can't wait till NBC goes away, FOX comes in and cares again.

Go look at some NHL on Fox clips on YouTube and get your head on straight, son.

NBC puts a lot of dimbulbs in suits front-and-center (wouldn't be surprised if they hired Modano after today), and, like I said, is basically a 7-team league on the network side. But the truth is that those 7 are the only ones to get reliable ratings, and NBC has been the best media partner the league's ever had.

If you'd like further evidence, ask any U.S.-based soccer fan about Fox's EPL coverage versus NBC's.

Fox did a good job with the NHL, but they did the same thing NBC does with "let's show the same 6 teams all the time" strategy, albeit with regional coverage (and, to be fair, went nuts Stanley Cup time with about 5 games going on at once no matter the matchup). I'm with you with NBC being the best partner the league's had, though. The playoff deal alone puts them over the top.

(thankfully nobody here brought up ABC like half of HFBoards does completely forgetting the whole "4 weeks of regular season games and LOL you're getting the Rangers-Red Wings-Flyers automatically" crap they pulled off. For as much [deserved] flak NBC got the beginning of their tenure of not promoting enough, oh ho ho they looked like The Masters on CBS compared to ABC with hockey, especially once the NBA deal kicked in)

[TorinK92]

I'll rebut the fact that FOX does a good job with the NHL. I can't take a channel seriously that says "The stick glove" [blocker] or "Man power advantage" or "We now bring you the Phoenix Coyotes"

[dbadefense1990]

Honestly, I'd be curious should CBS ever have NHL American television rights. Between the big-4 broadcasters and their affiliates (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX), each has had a crack at broadcasting the four major sports in North America (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) within the last 30 years except CBS and the NHL. But we won't know if they'll ever hold those rights until the next decade, so it's still a long time to wait.

[NEW.ERA]

FOX from 1995-1999, would definitely not be like FOX now, so yeah the factory score bugs and graphics with cleatus on skates might still be around,

This was great, don't care what anyone says.

I'm just thinking with FS1 and FS2, they could do well.

[charger77]

2 things about that video...

That is not the Stanley Cup in the promo, you'd think they would be able to use it.

It's Lindros' 3rd season and they're already talking injuries.

[dbadefense1990]

2 things about that video...

That is not the Stanley Cup in the promo, you'd think they would be able to use it.

It's Lindros' 3rd season and they're already talking injuries.

Of course. Networks have always had knockoffs of sports trophies for their promos. Heck, when NBA Jam Session came here in 2011, ESPN's fake Larry O'Brien trophy was put to display on the RV tour, and they openly told people that it was used for promotional pieces for their RV and playoff commercials.

[RyanMcD29]

The thing is though Fox... has uhh.. kinda taken a turn way for the worse. The period when they had the NHL was when they were actually at their best. Nowadays? Their NFL coverage is the worst of the bunch, their MLB deal is a quagmire, the NASCAR coverage went from the gold standard to "HEY LARRY LOOK AT OL' JUNEBUG OUT THERE SIDE BY SIDE WITH DANICA" "YEAH I TELL YOU WHAT THAT 88 TEAM LOOKS AS STRONG AS EVER DW" (/Dale Jr finishes 8th), and their venture into college sports has kinda been a mess and "say, let's have 3/4 screen ads while the game's going on!"

Again, don't get me wrong, the NHL on Fox was perfect for both parties in the 90s. I just think NBC's coverage, even with the "same teams" trap they fall into on network TV, has been a better partnership. The "every game, every night"/eventizing of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (yes I know NHL Network also gets games too, but that's still way better than it was when NBCSN was Versus), Winter Classic, and 4 nights of games during the home stretch have been great. Being the head property of NBCSN doesn't hurt, either.

[dbadefense1990]

The thing is though Fox... has uhh.. kinda taken a turn way for the worse. The period when they had the NHL was when they were actually at their best.

You cannot be serious. Yes, FOX has had their round of issues today, but consider all the gimmicks we all had to put up with in the early days (glowing puck, cartoon sound effects in promos, split coverage during simultaneously running games, scoring bug graphic in a time period where it wasn't acceptable to have one).

Yes, their constant picturing of graphics on-screen is annoying, but that's now an habitual pattern of every network today. Heck, I feel as if I'm watching half a screen with all the graphics CBS has on their NFL games. Speaking of the NFL, their broadcasters usually get the technical stuff right, but are static in their presentation of that stuff (hence all the hatred towards Joe Buck and similar people). In terms of screwing up MLB coverage, it has been a league-wide problem since awarding CBS full control of broadcasting rights in 1989, so they're the latest network to botch coverage of MLB baseball (although FOX's integration with MLB Network has stemmed some of the hor-awful days of Zelasko and Kennedy).

Yes, today's FOX Sports has its issues to work on, but I'd rather trust a FOX Sports with 20 years of experience than the joke of a fledging sports division they had back then, whose initial goal 20 years ago wasn't necessarily to be successful in sports but to be bigger than the big-3 networks (CBS, ABC, NBC) of back in the day, evident by the UHF/VHF switches of 1994.

[TorinK92]

What in the hell, Ottawa? Where was that all along?

[maz]

Don't get your hopes up, team USA fans. Teams run by Bylsma and Shero like to get hurt.

FWIW the young guys are playing really well and I feel like this will only benefit the Pens in the somewhat-distant future. But for right now it's damn frustrating.

[OMMF]

If you guys hate Mike Smith, and it seems you do, you'll love the highlight from Buffalo's OT winner tonight.

Pysyk, a call-up from Buffalo's AHL affiliate in Rochester, scored when his deflected shot hit Martin Hanzal and became lodged in the back Mike Smith's jersey. The goalie retreated into his crease, unwittingly carrying the puck across the line and ending the game.

Edit:

[TorinK92]

That's karma for robbing us Senators of a OT win last week.

[Sodboy13]

If you guys hate Mike Smith, and it seems you do, you'll love the highlight from Buffalo's OT winner tonight.

Pysyk, a call-up from Buffalo's AHL affiliate in Rochester, scored when his deflected shot hit Martin Hanzal and became lodged in the back Mike Smith's jersey. The goalie retreated into his crease, unwittingly carrying the puck across the line and ending the game.

Edit:

It's a Festivus miracle!

[zpqmaowl]

[Kevin W.]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

[ninersdd]

God, why did Niemi have to give up 2 softies?

[DaRadniz29]

God, why did Niemi have to give up 2 softies?

He did good in the shootout, but I think Stalock is playing well enough and maybe more consistent, if not better than Nemo right at the moment to get a few more games than possibly anticipated. Still they got the win, but what an exciting but anxious night between the 49ers and Sharks wins. I hear the Dubs beat the Nuggets, but in not as much dramatic fashion.