The Confluence
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Assessing the NHL/NBC decision to play Pens-Caps on Sunday
by Tony on 02/08/10 at 01:45 PM ET
Comments (15)
Queue the “he’s only whining because the Penguins lost” tape (not that I agree with that). From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Rob Rossi:
Reckless and disgraceful; no better words describe the NHL and NBC’s decision to have the Penguins and Washington Capitals play Sunday at Verizon Center.
From my dialogue over the weekend with folks at the NHL and with the Penguins and Capitals, I can deduce only one reason that the league would risk the safety of two teams, fans and arena workers – ratings, as in whatever Nielsen hits the NBC “NHL Game of the Week” could garner between the Super Bowl Sunday hours of 1-3 p.m. That span of time represented treasured TV real estate, it was explained to me, because many Americans are searching for programming to fill the gap between the meat of Super Bowl pregame shows and the actual contest itself. Plus, dare I forget to mention, Sunday was NBC’s only regular-season opportunity to broadcast a game featuring league top draws SIDNEY CROSBY and ALEX OVECHKIN. (An email to NBC was not returned Saturday.) To paraphrase what an agent once told me : This is a terrible, disgusting business; and we’ve all sacrificed something we would rather have back to be a part of it.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Washington+Capitals,
Comments
Grow up. It was just a little bit of snow. Georgetown and Villanova managed to play on Saturday afternoon at the Verizon Center. Heck, the Villanova players and coaches had to take the Metro to the Verizon Center, but they got there and played the game.
Posted by PRS from Philadelphia, PA on 02/08/10 at 01:52 PM ET
^^You’re silly.
I agree with Rossi, though, of course, NBC dictates how the NHL runs itself.
Posted by Nathan from BC on 02/08/10 at 02:05 PM ET
I’m just sorry I didn’t get to see the Chief outside sun bathing again.
Posted by Lindas1st from New England on 02/08/10 at 02:12 PM ET
What really frosts me is that this league bends over backwards for a network that cuts off a playoff game for a pre horse race special. They kowtow to the network that bans the Penguins from showing NBC games outside Mellon Arena. The simple fact is, Gary Bettman doesn’t even have the minuscule cohones required to stand up to NBC. Once a garage league, always a garage league.
Posted by Mike A. from DeForest, WI on 02/08/10 at 02:24 PM ET
he’s only whining because the Penguins lost.
Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 02/08/10 at 02:52 PM ET
I love the suggestion by the Cabbage Patch doll ( i can’t take credit for that nickname, but i forget who came up with it) saying the Caps were actually worse off then the Pens and them getting 6 hrs sleep between 2 games in 24hrs, because they were worried about driving around DC and shovelling their driveways. I dont see how worrying about something is worse than actually having to do it, as the Pens did when driving from NJ. For all the whining BB does, and NBC caught most on it’s telecast, i can only imagine what he would have been saying if the roles/cities were reversed.
Posted by Greg on 02/08/10 at 03:14 PM ET
Grow up. It was just a little bit of snow. Georgetown and Villanova managed to play on Saturday afternoon at the Verizon Center. Heck, the Villanova players and coaches had to take the Metro to the Verizon Center, but they got there and played the game.
Posted by PRS from Philadelphia, PA on 02/08/10 at 01:52 PM ET
Let’s do a little test…
Let’s replace the Penguins with the Flyers…..
Then let’s have the Flyers’ bus crash along the side of I-95…. Help doesn’t get to them for a couple of hours….
Feel any different now ???
By the way, ‘Nova got to DC Friday morning, well before the snow hit DC. And they had to take the Metro, where it took them what, 15 minutes to get from their hotel to the Phone Booth ??
Oh, the humanity….
Two completely separate situations….
Posted by Tony from Virginia Beach, VA on 02/08/10 at 03:15 PM ET
Tony,
no point in arguing, i don’t think it matters to some. I will say that i can kind of understand the frustration now when two weeks ago Red Wings were upset that they had to play a game in Dallas Saturday afternoon, then fly to Detroit for the game against the Pens. So i can only assume they agree that what the Pens did has more do to with Money than common sense.
Posted by Greg on 02/08/10 at 03:25 PM ET
Tony,
I would cheer if that happened to the Flyers. *#$%@& the Flyers.
Go Wings!
Posted by PRS from Philadelphia, PA on 02/08/10 at 03:37 PM ET
The fact Bettman has a man crush on Crosby has benefited you much more than it has been a detriment.
Who plays more teams that have played the night before? You.
Who did the NHL schedule last year’s Finals around? You.
Who gets to play with six skaters on the ice for twenty-one seconds? You.
Suck it up. You lost. Big time.
And that makes me happy. 
Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 02/08/10 at 03:57 PM ET
Losing “big time” happens in the Stanley Cup finals.
Posted by Nathan from BC on 02/08/10 at 05:47 PM ET
Who plays more teams that have played the night before? You.
Who did the NHL schedule last year’s Finals around? You.
Who gets to play with six skaters on the ice for twenty-one seconds? You.
Oh, I can play this game too!
Who didn’t complain about the back to back games when they were up 2-0 and 3-2 in the series? You
Who had their hand covering up the puck in the crease in game 1? You
Who had 2-1 leads in games 3 and 4 and in game 4 gave up a SH goal? You
Who had game 7 at home and lost? You
Who is not going to make the playoffs this year? You
Who complains every Pens thread? You
Posted by pens fan in baltimore on 02/08/10 at 07:42 PM ET
Wow. The Pittsburgh whine…. There is a shock. Constantly getting bogus calls, constantly being promoted, constantly getting every break the NHL dishes out and it’s not enough. Where was the whining when the Wild’s rented equipment van caught fire and burned up all of their stuff on the way to an away game? The NHL made them play. They raided local pro shops, the goalie had to play with a scorched glove, had to get new sticks, but they did it. I’m sick and tired of the fans, team, and newspapers of Pittsburgh constantly whining. It’s never enough. Pittsburgh is the closest city for sports teams for me, but I CAN’T STAND THE CONSTANT WHINING THAT COMES FROM PITTSBURGH!!! My gosh, get some therapy or something!
Posted by G-man from Bedford, PA on 02/09/10 at 01:15 PM ET
G-man from Bedford,
Again, this article is about human safety. The comments aren’t from Penguins fans whining.
Posted by Nathan from BC on 02/09/10 at 05:13 PM ET
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Grow up. It was just a little bit of snow. Georgetown and Villanova managed to play on Saturday afternoon at the Verizon Center. Heck, the Villanova players and coaches had to take the Metro to the Verizon Center, but they got there and played the game.
Posted by PRS from Philadelphia, PA on 02/08/10 at 01:52 PM ET