At 05:36 PM 3/14/2005 -0600, John T Whelan wrote:
>I imagine we're fighting a losing battle, since the Friday schedule
>contains what look like a bunch of NCAA basketball tournament analysis
>shows.  The sad truth may be that hype for basketball games broadcast
>on another network is a better sell for them than actual live playoff
>hockey, but we can only change that equation if we make our voices
>heard as hockey fans.  I encourage anyone else who cares about this to
>make their opinion known via
><http://www.collegesports.com/feedback/cs-feedback.html>.  I'd
>recommend being respectful and stressing how much you appreciate the
>live hockey coverage they do provide.

Your letter was very well put, John. I couldn't agree more about CSTV's
(lack of) coverage of the tournament playoff games, especially given how
much hockey they showed this season. The basketball hype is clearly out
of control, so I guess it's too much to ask for a nice doubleheader of ECACHL
hockey on Friday. Even though I'll be at the games in Albany this weekend,
I will be submitting my feedback, as well.

The Albany area has also been hurt by the feud between MSG/Fox Sports
NY and Time Warner Cable, which also blacked out the Fox Sports regional
networks because of this. I think they had planned on airing at least 3 or
4 games over this past weekend and by blacking out all of those networks,
Time Warner subscribers saw exactly one college hockey game this weekend,
the CHA championship game last night.

It figures....we finally get a good sampling of college hockey in the area and
the cable networks have this little spat during playoff time.

-Andy