Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 00:19:38 EST
From: Ryan Robbins <[log in to unmask]>
Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: maine.hockey-l
Subject: Be rational -- ESPN justified
 
Let's be rational and logical about the situation, guys. The world
does NOT revolve around college hockey. That may come as a
surprise to some of you, but it is true. Face it, most ESPN viewers
are NOT interested in watching college hockey.
 
What many of you seem to be forgetting is that ESPN has contractual
obligations. The tennis match ran long, therefore the Maine-
Michigan game broadcast time had to be delayed. As most of you have
pointed out, that's ESPN's policy.
 
What about ESPN's not showing the end of the Maine-Michigan game
live? you may be wondering.
 
Think: the game began at 1 p.m. It went into three overtimes and
ended after more than 4 1/2 hours. The average college hockey
game is about 2 1/2 hours long. Have you considered the possibility
that ESPN would have to honor its contract with golf? Who expected
a hockey game to last more than four hours? There was probably no
provision in ESPN's golf contract to delay broadcasting that in
favor of the hockey game if the hcokey game ran over its expected
time frame. I doubt anybody on this list would have put a clause
in the golf contract giving priority to hockey if they were a
manager at ESPN. Hockey games just don't last 4 1/2 hours.
 
ESPN was justified for doing what it did. It had to honor contracts.
Most of ESPN's audience doesn't care for college hockey, regardless
of whether its a regular season game or an NCAA semi-final game.
Deal with it. You got to see the end of the game.
 
 
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Ryan Robbins               "Nothing in fine print is ever good news."
University of Maine                                  -- Andy Rooney
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