Hockey Afternoon in Canada

I associate some sports with a time of day.  Baseball is an afternoon game.  Football is an afternoon game.  Aussie Rules Football is the middle of the night, and Cricket is on quite late.  I also put Muay Thai kickboxing as a post midnight event.  Hockey, however, is a night game.  Despite watching the NY Islanders win the first of their Stanley Cups early one afternoon, I still see these as night games.

Of course this is a TV thing.  Those post midnight sports that I mentioned are like that because that is when I watch them on TV.  If they sports channels weren't some overrun by poker, then perhaps their would be room in the daytime schedule for some of these sports.  That's another issue for another day.

Let's get back to hockey.  Maybe it's a Canadian thing.  I always think Hockey Night in Canada, not Hockey Afternoon in Canada.  Maybe, in other markets, hockey sells better, or gets better ratings.  Maybe, someone wants to keep prime time open for the NBA finals.  Maybe, I am not aware of all the business ramifications. 

I like a beer or two with my hockey games....does that mean I can start drinking at noon?

Sports, not Distractions

Sports on TV are fantastic, especially now in High Definition.  You would think I have nothing to complain about, no reason to rant, no frustrations to vent at all.  Sadly, you'd be wrong.  When it gets right down to it, there is too much stuff on the screen.

Don't get me wrong, I like information, and stats, and other relevant stuff.  My thing is, I don't need it all the time.  I don't need a tickertape running below or above the action.  I don't need to know the score all the time.  I have a pretty good memory, so I wouldn't mind being updated every couple of minutes as opposed to constantly.

Is this so much to ask?

Last night, on Hockey Night in Canada, they were promoting the second screen.  That means you should have your laptop (or most likely tablet or smart phone) opened up and web surfing while watching the game.  Okay, multi-tasking I get it.

However, aren't they really telling us that the game isn't exciting and you should divide your attention between two screens?  Aren't they just hitting us with two screens to show commercials on?  Are you falling for it?

When I look at Europe, with sponsors names being bigger than the team crest I am saddened.  When I look at North America where every power play, every penalty, every face off is "brought to you by..." some sponsor, I am saddened.  Even going to the game is no respite from the barrage of advertising and mostly irrelevant information.  Of course fellow patrons spend most of their time on their smart phones, so they might not notice how many things are taking away from the game.

I predict in the future:

Golf balls will have sponsorship labels on them (of course we will be able to follow them as they fly through the air and down the course)

Lacing up skates will be brought to you by Tim Hortons.

Players heart rates during games will be on screen for everyone to see.

Even seat part of your seat will have an ad on it.

Toilet paper in the men's room (and ladies' room as well) will have ads on them.

The screen will be even more cluttered with stats like shot velocity, basketball rpm, tennis ball wear, bathroom break elapsed time counters, and skate sharpness reports.

You may think I am overreacting (and I am) but my bleak version of the future probably isn't that far away.

I long for the simple beauty of the game.

Now What?

 

 

So, a deal is done.  Does that mean we forgive and forget?  The answer to this question is no.  I am not proposing we boycott the games, or even turn off the television, or give up the season tickets you've had since you were a child.  I am talking about making some kind of stand.

What that means for people going to the game is a boycott on the merchandise and concessions.  Wouldn't it really hurt them more if they didn't sell any popcorn, or beer, or jerseys?  Wouldn't you be sending an important message that you love hockey, but you don't have to support the marketing, the merchandising, or the price gouging.

Yes, we will be hurting some of the little people by this action, but I don't see a way around it.  Sorry concession stand worker.  We've got to stand up for ourselves and not just meekly go back and suck it up.  We have to show them that we've been the ones hurt in this.  We're the ones that need some kind of compensation.

I don't know what part of merchandising and food sales are included in "hockey related revenue" but I suspect this action will have an effect on both sides. I still side with the players on this deal, but they need to know they are not innocent.

No shirts, no pucks, no family sized cokes, no programs.

Time to take a stand.

Ego and Greed

 

So, after all this time, there is finally movement.  I guess the whole point was to wait until there was no time left to finally get a deal done.  Are these negotiators like high school students waiting until the last minute to do their essays?

Nothing is certain yet, but there seems to be more optimism than at any time this year.  At the very least, sports commentators finally have something to talk about.  Until now, there really hasn't been a lot to report on.   They've talked to every possible person they could.  They've talked to players, to owners, to fans, to the dentists of the players, and even the dog walkers of the players.  If nothing else, I hope this stops.

If it takes a couple of days to get this deal done, then, most likely. they'll talk to all these people again to get their reactions, and fill up air time.

Should it have taken this long?  No, of course not.  Did I think it would take this long.  Yes.  Congratulations ego, greed, and strategy.  You ruined the season for all of us.

A Deal? Now?

Well, there seems to be an offer on the table to end the lockout of NHL players.  Great!  The sooner the better.  I miss hockey, and would love to see it again. (now I know you're wondering where I am going to go with this.....aren't you?)

The newspapers all mentioned how shrewd a movie this was of Gary Bettman.  Shrewd.  When I read that in several newspapers, it gave me pause to think.  If this was as shrewd as reporters have mentioned, then why are they telling me it is shrewd?  They make it sound like it was underhanded (this is Gary Bettman after all). If this is so shrewd, then if really isn't bargaining in good faith, is it?  Trying to back someone into a corner and forcing a deal on them doesn't really look or sound like a team effort to get people back on the ice.  I guess I am just unclear why bad faith is shrewd?  Shouldn't the papers be trying to find out why this deal is happening now?  Shouldn't these papers be dissecting the deal line by line.

I am already tired of the games, the brinkmanship and everything else that has come with this lockout.  I still can't see the owners side of anything--my view is blocked by those massive contracts they handed out before they had to lock out the players so that they didn't really have to pay for those contracts.

I am not going to follow this in the news until the day it is settled.  Until then, there has to be something on the sports channels. 

Changing Cable Packages

If you needed proof that I have given up....look no further.  Today, I changed my cable channels.  I opted to reduce my sports channels in favour of movies.  Even if they do play hockey this year, I won't be watching it on TV.  Actually, I could still watch Hockey Night in Canada (but that's an institution) but there is no guarantee that I would.

Last time there was a lockout we were treated to one year of poker, followed by several years of poker.  As it turns out, it was pretty good to watch.  It's popularity is still quite strong, and I am sure there will be more poker on TV during this lockout.

I generally like it, but I don't love it.  The problem is that they tend to over show some TV poker moments.  I think I have see the one with Daniel Negreanu vs. the loose cannon in pink shirt more than 15 times.  That is probably 13 more times than I needed to see it.

Maybe this time they will find a new sport to showcase.  I suggest Australian Rules Football, or Hurling, or at the very least, bring back the Red Bull Air Race.

As for me, I will do my best to catch up on the movies I have missed.  I'll let you know how it works out.