ESPN Hockey coverage and talk

[Steve J. Rogers]

I've been noticing a severe lack of hockey talk on ESPN national radio broadcasts, granted its still way too early in the season, but a week in and the NBA talk is allready in high gear

 

I don't watch ESPN's SportsCenter and other shows so I don't know how the games are being covered but listening to the radio makes it seem that the NHL is still being locked out!

 

I mean it seems entire shows which are general sport shows seem to be dedicated to football talk!

 

And I know its early, but the start of the NBA season was pretty much crammed down everyone's throats

 

Tell you what though, I don't think this is a "Sport killed off by labor strife" deal as ESPN was all over the NBA's return in 1999 and of course baseball in 1995, I mean its still a major deal here in North America that deserves to be covered

 

I could be jumping the gun because the sterotype is that hockey is "invisible" untill the postseason, and ESPN will be covering the playoffs

 

But my thinking is that somehow the NHL being on OLN has something to do with the "Freeze Out" of NHL talk and coverage

[The Czech Republic]

But my thinking is that somehow the NHL being on OLN has something to do with the "Freeze Out" of NHL talk and coverage

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no shit

[Slayer]

Haw-kee?

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Generally sports radio doesn't like to talk about anything unless it includes the phrase "nfl" or "Terrell Owens."

[the max]

To be fair, Erik Kuselias on ESPN's Sportsbash has a weekly segment with Barry Melrose. This is heard nationally on ESPNRadio.

 

But I agree to a certain extent. ESPN has ignored hockey's existance for years now (even when they were on their own network). But, for those with Sirius satellite radio, they have a two hour show on weekdays on channel 123 devoted to nothing but hockey.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

XM I think has a 24/7 Hockey channel.

[nl5xsk1]

Thursday on ESPN News is "hockey day" with regular in-studio appearances by Melrose. For the most part, though, hockey is regulated to brief snippets of highlights rather than any substantial coverage.

 

Also, and it's just rumor, but local media Hockey Krishna Dale Arnold alleges that he's been told that Sportscenter will NEVER begin with hockey highlights, unless it's a negative story. I'm not sure if I believe it, but I wouldn't be entirely shocked to find out it was true.

[MarvinisaLunatic]

XM I think has a 24/7 Hockey channel.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

XM is carrying some of the games this year and next and then they'll be the exclusive home of NHL on sat radio in 2007, which was big considering they finally got approval to operate in Canada.

 

Oddly enough, Im watching the Flyers/Bruins game in HD right now on OLN on Directv (ch 98, all you need is the HD package), so I have no idea how Comcast and Directv worked that out...might be because Dishnetwork dropped OLN or something though.

 

Hockey in HD is better than any other sport in HD, I think, after just watching 2 games..(this one and one on HDnet a couple weeks ago).

[Steve J. Rogers]

Okay, so it appears that I am over reacting a bit and so far its their usual non-coverage of the early goings of the NHL

 

We don't get Kausilius here in NYC and I haven't listened to the weekend Game Nights since the end of the baseball regular season, and like I said I never watch the "mothership" on a regular basis either

 

So my rant should have waited to see if they did anything come playoffs/finals time

 

Steve

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Come playoff time, they'll be discussing the NFL Draft.

[CanadianChris]

And, of course, the NBA playoffs.

[Guest Leelee]

And, of course, the daily update on TO, and Kobe & Phil's TORN RELATIONSHIP after missing the playoffs.

[CanadianChris]

And, of course, the oh-so-exciting April Red Sox/Yankees series.

[JustJoe2k5]

They still cover hockey pretty good, it is just scattered throughout the show like everything else. They'll be covering one game, then shift to a NFL game, then shift to John Clayton, then shift to Barry Melrose, then shift to Dan Patrick, then shift to highlights of another game. Hockey usually takes up about half of the nightly top ten plays.

[Guest Leelee]

NHL still gets a lot of time on ESPNEWS.

 

If you're watching Sportscenter for any game recaps, you're wasting your time.