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.