It's not often that I agree with Larry Brooks, but this analysis is right on the money:
Gary Bettman, of whom the outside world finally took disapproving notice this week (the outside world being years behind Slap Shots), continues to defend the NHL's deal with Versus by stating that the network treats the league with far more respect than previous rights-holder ESPN. And the nodding heads surrounding him who hear and see no evil, nod.Perhaps one day the commissioner actually would like to explain how Versus treats the NHL with more respect than ESPN. Perhaps the commissioner might like to explain why Versus doesn't have a nightly one-hour NHL highlights show, or a nightly one-hour panel show devoted to the NHL.
Back on November 17, 2005, the morning after I spent an evening in the owner's box with Ted Leonsis, I wrote the following:
There was one thing I was trying to pass along to Ted that I didn't have a chance to fully articulate during my visit, and I don't think there's any reason why I shouldn't share it with everyone else now. Here in the states, ever since NHL2Night disappeared from ESPN2 last Spring, I've felt disconnected from the league at a very basic level -- this, even though I make it a habit to watch at least a period or two of hockey every night, and always make sure to record the Hockey Night In Canada doubleheader every Saturday night.And the reason why I feel disconnected is that I don't get a chance to see many highlights on my 32" television at home. Sure, as John Buccigross has mentioned, the addition of the shootout has meant that the NHL has elbowed its way back into the highlight reels at ESPN's SportsCenter. That's all well and good, but as we get deeper into college basketball season, the portion of the show dedicated to NHL highlights is going to be squeezed out.
Perhaps this is a problem that will solve itself once COMCAST begins distributing the NHL Network on its systems throughout the U.S. In the meantime, I think the league needs to serioiusly consider creating its own nightly highlight package and distributing it via RSS. And while COMCAST has begun to distribute a weekly highlight reel on its cable systems using video on demand, it's not enough.
Everyone who reads Off Wing knows that if I only wrote once a week, most of my readers would only show up once per month. I think the same rubric applies here.
When I told Ted this, he responded by saying that OLN puts together a good postgame show, and that's certainly the case when it comes to the quantity of highlights it shows from around the league. I just wish they did the same thing every night of the week.
It can be done, and that it hasn't already is a black eye for the league. Thanks to Steve Ovadia for the Brooks pointer.
