On Mon, 10 Apr 2000, Nathan Eric Hampton wrote:
 
I'll agree and disagree here.  The audience definately includes the bass
fishing and NASCAR contingent, but I think you need to let the game sell
itself.  The announcers kept mentioning the The Frozen Four was one of the
best bargains and that the action is incredible.  Focus on that, actually
dig up some highlights from the regular season.
 
Focusing on stars, absolutely the wrong way to go.  The NBA has been
absolutely burned by this, and now even baseball to a lesser extent.  It's
Shaq and the Lakers vs Karl Malone and the Jazz.  Ratings are way down
and no one cares about the HUGE matchups anymore.  That worked with
Micheal Jordan, becuase he's well - Michael Jordan.  Stars that no ones
really heard of - even if they won the Hobey - aren't stars at all.
 
A possibly better approach (not that I'm advocating it) is the
Olympic-style human interest approach.  Studies show this plays with the
common fan, especially women.  An example is UND's Karl Goehring -
seemingly the kid next door, recovering from an injury that is
increasingly associated to the game - leading his team to a title.  BC
probably had similar stories we just never heard about. I know this might
make the hard core fan gag too, but it's better than hearing about two
line passes and no-touch icing incessantly.
 
Finally if I could have any announcers, I'd take Harry Neale and Ron
McLean.
 
Just my $.02
 
Brian
 
 
> ESPN and ESPN2 are national sports networks. Their audience is a national
> audience and this is to whom the announcers broadcast. They do NOT talk to the
> knowledgable college hockey fan, because we are in such a pitiful minority as
> to be correctly ignored. IF ESPN had to rely on college hockey fans to sell
> advertising time during the broadcast, then the games would be interrupted by
> commercials. However "big" the college hockey knowledgable audience is, it is
> reduced by over 10,000 on game day.
>
> The audience is your normal golf fan checking out what's on after the third
> round of the Masters, the normal racing fan waiting for the Goody's Headache
> Power 500 to start, and the normal NHL fan wondering who the best players in
> the "junior leagues" are. So how do you appeal to the NORMAL sports fan with
> very LITTLE knowledge of college hockey? You go with the BIG name and with
> something that has AVERAGE appeal.
>
> Start with the Hobey Baker (ONLY because it relates to the Heisman) and here
> is a team with THREE Hobey Baker finalists and the winner!!! And how do you
> impress the normal fan with this --- hit them over the head with it somewhere
> between three and twenty times. Like them or not, but Leetch (NHL) and Flute
> (NFL) have more appeal and recognition to the average and normal viewer of
> ESPN than do ALL 40+ frozen four college hockey players.
>
> People on this list whined about the announcers of LASY YEAR'S frozen four.
> Who do you want to make you happy or at least quiet?
>
> Nathan Eric Hampton
>
> HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
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>
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
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