-- [ From: Michael Smar * EMC.Ver #3.1a ] --
 
 
-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------
 
> Date: Sunday, 30-Mar-97 05:40 PM
>
> From: D B Doucette             \ Internet:    ([log in to unmask])
> To:    \ Internet:    ([log in to unmask])
>
> Subject: NC$$ Should Dump ESPN
>
> Well, the Hockey National Championship was held yesterday and seen on TV
over
> E$PN (I propose we call it that on the list from now on).  So, this
morning on
> the noon Sports Center, they recap the game covered on their own network.
The
> story lasted THIRTY SECONDS !!  0:30,  at one hour 18 minutes into a 90-
minute
> broadcast.  That was, of course, after such critical sports news such as
(snip)
 
> separate stories on the NC$$ own Title-IX Politically-correct championship
--
> women's basketball.
 
Please, let's not go there. The problem isn't women's basketball. The
problem is the popularity or lack thereof of college hockey. I can deal with
the fact that college hockey isn't that popular. Women's basketball is being
covered by E$PN because they can make money off of it. If they could do the
same with college hockey I'm sure they'd broadcast and cover it more
regularly. There's probably more rodeo/tractor pulls/swamp racing/x-games
crap on ESPN than there is women's basketball. Why do they broadcast this
stuff? Because advertisers are willing to buy air time during these
broadcasts. I don't think the NCAA holds a gun to anyone's head.
 
> BTW - does anyone have records of attendance figures in Div. 1 women's
> basketball vs. Div. 1 college hockey ?  Which sport draws the larger total
> crowd, for an entire season, overall ?
 
The question you should be asking is; which sport is it easier to make money
from?
 
> Why even bother to call them or e-mail them. Do you think they would
change ?
> They don't offer respect to a sport they themselves chose to cover.  Did
Tom
> Mees passing away signal the end of E$PN's sincere interest in college
hockey ?
>  Was he in fact a lonely voice inside their organization pulling for the
sport
> ?  If Gary Thorne had been offered the play-by-play would it have been
better
> respected in Bristol than it was with old stringer Dave Shea ?
>
> Why not offer the championship game to the Fox network ?
 
And you think ESPN shows no respect for college hockey?
 
> I'd even take the
> glowing puck, and robots with sound effects, over the obvious lack of
interest
> in the sport the meatballs from E$PN show.  Imagine the hype if it were on
Fox
> compared to the present situation ?
 
What do you think Fox would do to college hockey to increase interest? Look
at what they did to the NHL. Why do they use that &^**%*&%* glowing puck?
$$$$$ Money. It supposedly attracts viewers. Now the NHL is a number of
times more popular than college hockey. What sort of gimmicks do the think
the fat heads at Fox would come up with to increase viewership of college
games?
 
Let's face it. We aren't going to be seeing college hockey regularly
broadcast nationally until someone can make money of it. Our beloved sport
ain't that popular, and maybe that's not a bad thing either.
 
>
> Maybe Bettman should pair the pro game with the college game in a package,
and
> market the two.  How about forming a partnership which would include
marketing,
> promotion, TV rights, scholarships, etc., between the NHL and the NC$$ ?
The
> two are not competition, they are complementary.  Why not recognize the
feeder
> program that college hockey provides for players as well as for fans of
the pro
> game ?
 
Why? The feeder program, as you call it, is now free. What would increasing
viewership do for the NHL, in terms of $$$$?  Besides, how many people are
consistent fans of the NHL because of college hockey? Probably very few and
only because they follow kids they knew from the college game.
 
> Enough ranting, now on to the game ...
>
> Thankfully the game transcends fools like the leaders of E$PN.
 
Fortunately, yes.
 
> Ah, the stuff of HOCKEY-L until next April...
 
> Dan Doucette
 
 
Medicines are nothing in themselves,
if not properly used,
but the very hands of the gods,
if employed with reason and prudence.
(and by a pharmacist!)
 
-with apologies to Herophilus
 
Mike Smar
4248
 
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