Even A Regular Fan Sees It

June 3, 2009   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

So, I was over my friend’s house last night and he’s not a hockey fan by any stretch but said he was rooting for the Pens because he liked Super Mario back in the day.

When he asked where we could find the game, I told him it wasn’t on NBC but rather Versus. Now, he has Dish Network. So, he’s got tons of channels. I tried to find it in vain but realized after a couple of turns around of aimless flipping that it was a total waste.

Here came the predictable question from him about Game 3:

“Why isn’t the game on network television? It’s the Stanley Cup Finals!!!!!“

If a regular person like P realizes this, what does that say about the direction of our sport? There are lots of sports fans but not every single one is a diehard pucker like us. I even have to admit I foolishly had NBC on at 8 forgetting that the game was on Versus until I saw the latest dopey reality show and reacted this way:

‘Oh yeah. That’s right. It’s on Versus.’

And at that point, with plans to go over and chill, I realized it would probably be hard to catch the game. Though we did have a laptop and I was able to see a little bit when the feed on Ustream was coming in. But by the third, they needed the laptop for other stuff. So, I checked my cell while finishing eating to see the Pens had gone ahead. Then Talbot got the empty and that was that.

Had the game been on NBC, we could have all watched it on the big screen. But because he didn’t have Versus, it became moot. So, a game featuring four of the biggest superstars was missed. For myself, it didn’t matter because it’s not my team playing. Plus I know how great Crosby, Malkin, Zetterberg and Lidstrom all are. But for others like P and Lisa, they missed a chance to see how gifted these guys are and what makes our sport so special.

The league has always talked about growing the sport and for the most part due to over expansion, they have. But since the lockout, the focus has been on making the game more fan friendly by tweaking rules sometimes to a fault like with Malkin instigating a fight with Zetterberg the other night. Of course, everyone knew he wouldn’t face suspension for the silly rule they instituted about “message sending.” That’s why I couldn’t believe the incredible fuss Puck Daddy made over it. They’re just not going to risk losing one of the game’s brightest stars over a dumb rule. Now, if Malkin had delivered a blatant cheapshot, that would’ve made the decision much tougher instead of the historic 24 minutes it took following Game 2.

The point being sometimes, the NHL overdoes it. That rule looked pretty bad with League Deputy Colin Campbell basically ignoring the obvious so Malkin would be available for the all important game last night. Had he not, this great rematch would be a dud. Now, with Geno delivering three assists, it’s at least interesting. Boy. Wouldn’t it be great if Game Four was on NBC so the game could attract regular fans like P? Oh well.

And that’s what Gary Bettman’s former NBA partner David Stern has going for him when tomorrow’s NBA Finals kickoff between the Magic and Lakers. They’ll be on ABC while our Game Four will be on Versus. Who do you think wins that one?

Until they get all seven big Cup games on network television, it’s going to continue to haunt them.