To be fair Paul, ESPN just hates hockey period.

Posted by Jennemy of the Skate from putting the b*tches in the box on 05/05/08 at 03:16 PM ET

What’s ESPN care? It’s not like they had to postpone the midnight replay of the 2002 World Series of Poker or anything for the Sharks and Stars…

Posted by Tim from Columbus, OH on 05/05/08 at 03:18 PM ET

There has been talk ESPN execs hate the OT and this may be a way to influence some people, but with the way the voting is going, it looks as if it is backfiring.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 05/05/08 at 03:21 PM ET

I’d love it if Versus could get their (improving) act tightened up so I never had to pay attention to ESPN again.  Staying out of the whole self promotion debate, I am so sick of ESPN’s on air personalities taking shots at hockey.  I’m not in the least a fan of either Dallas or San Jose, but the intensity level of that game last night was off the charts.  I know I’m biased as a hockey fan first, but no other sport has that intensity level…certainly not the ones ESPN promotes…although I did see a very very compelling poker game the other night, NOT!  God forbid Gary does anything to alter the sport further to pander to them.  How many days til Thursday???

Posted by dip from philly on 05/05/08 at 03:45 PM ET

I wish that ESPN would just ignore hockey - it would be better than the patronizing condescension that they give the sport right now.

It’s clear they don’t like the sport, they don’t understand the sport, and they can’t pronouce the names of any of the star players except for Sidney Crosby.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/05/08 at 04:09 PM ET

Show your support, hockey fans. It’s obvious that the answers ESPN wants are not the answers they’re getting. Keep up the voting for real, old time, and exciting OT hockey.

Posted by James from Southfield, MI on 05/05/08 at 04:13 PM ET

If this were about a 4OT basketball game, the questions would be phrased quite differently.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 05/05/08 at 04:38 PM ET

1) How many extra innings are you willing to watch before you call it a night?

One
Two
Three
Four
I’ll watch as long as it takes
I don’t watch extra innings

2) Are you more likely to sit through a multi-extra inning game if you are at the event?

Yes
No

3) Should the MLB consider a rule that would have extra inning playoff games decided by home run derby?

Yes, after one extra inning
Yes, after two extra inningss
Yes, after three extra innings
Yes, after four extra innings
No

4) Does the quality of play diminish in extra innings?

Yes, in the first extra inning
Yes, in the second extra inning
Yes, in the third extra inning
Yes, in the fourth extra inning
No

5) Are extra innings fair?

Yes
No

Posted by Robert Morton from Vancouver on 05/05/08 at 09:06 PM ET

It’s clear they don’t like the sport, they don’t understand the sport, and they can’t pronounce the names of any of the star players except for Sidney Crosby.

I have to read things like this to know what ESPN does or does not do, because I don’t watch them.

It’s not like they had to postpone the midnight replay of the 2002 World Series of Poker or anything

For the life of me I can’t understand how a freakin’ card game became a sport.  But maybe we need more of this kind of programming…  a World Series of Cribbage…  a Canasta Showdown (sponsored by partycanasta.com, of course).

Does anyone really think that the quality of play diminished in last night’s overtime???  Speed diminishes to an extent, but quality is far more than just speed.  As dip said, there was an elite level of guts and determination and intensity in the overtime—it was just incredible to watch.  I’ve seen a lot of hockey in my lifetime and I like it all, but last night I was in awe.

We hockey fans have a unique, outstanding, and unmatched sport to enjoy, to argue and fret about,  and to be proud of.  But let’s change it because the folks who want to make more money would rather have four quarters than three periods.  Let’s alter the very fiber of it’s character so it can fit into Madison Avenue’s picture of what a sport should be. 

Let’s make it just like Poker…  or Cribbage, or Canasta.  [Insert vulgar/swear word here]

Posted by BobTheZee on 05/05/08 at 11:13 PM ET

And one last point about overtimes in playoff hockey: When I first met my boyfriend (almost 9 years ago) he HATED hockey. He thought it was dumb. This was quite nearly a deal breaker for me. But then one night in 2000 I made him watch the Pittsbugh/Philadephia play off game. Of course, as you all know it went into multiple overtimes. And with each overtime period he was more and more hooked. By the next morning he was a hockey fan. We now watch almost every single game on Center Ice and even regularly attend our local ECHL club games. So ESPN can bite me. Overtime playoff hockey effing RULES. And creates fans.

Posted by Jennifer on 05/06/08 at 10:36 AM ET