OK. Here's another take on the ESPN thing.
 
Perhaps it helped college hockey.
 
Everyone I know who watched the game had the same reaction that my family did
(with whom I watched the game) - even my 12 year old daughter who is not very
aware of sports comparisons. The game [ like all hockey games ;-} ] was very
exciting, especially with the stellar goaltending, the breakaways and other
scoring opportunities in OT. The pace of the game was fast and furious - if you
turned away for even a few seconds you might miss the game winning goal
(perhpas a few of us experienced this phenomenon?). The dramatic contrast when
they switched to golf was astonishing! We were left with the impression
(truth?) that compared to hockey, golf was incredibly boring. Now I know that
there are many golf fans out there (perhaps more than there are college hockey
fans), but what about the casual browser who might have put on ESPN to see what
was on? This person might have gotten sucked into the excitement of college
hockey and then gotten blasted by the cessation of all action when the network
switched to golf. This person might in the future be interested in recapturing
the excitement and seek out college hockey - live or on TV.
 
Bob Gross