It’s outrageous. It’s ridiculous. It’s unacceptable. And I’m not even talking about the Blue Jackets’ play through the first few games of the season. I’m talking about Versus’ television agreement with the NHL that provides exclusive broadcast rights to one game on certain nights.
I’m sorry, is FDR getting ready to roll out the New Deal during one of his Fireside Chats? No? Then, pray tell, why are we being forced to huddle around our radios this evening to catch a broadcast over the airwaves? Do you mean to tell me that the NHL is so in love with Versus, Boston and Carolina that it can’t allow its fans to fully enjoy its product on television?
I get that Versus is trying to drive more viewers to its network; but in allowing Versus to do so, is the NHL not alienating other loyal fans? How many Blue Jacket fans that you know are such intense hockey fans that they’d watch whatever game Versus aired on this random Wednesday? I know quite a few CBJ fans, and can safely say that most people, like me, don’t give a cheese about what the Bruins or Hurricanes do this evening. From the die-hards who weren’t able to make it to Nationwide to the casual bar-goers who might’ve gotten into the excitement, the Columbus NHL market did very little to sell its product this evening. On the contrary, these ad wizards have angered the very people they depend upon to fuel the business of hockey in Central Ohio. I hope that many others did what I did this evening, which is to tune their televisions into the Major League Baseball NLCS on TBS.
Life, of course, finds a way; and hockey fans also find a way to see their teams. I did get access to a Web site that was streaming the Nationwide Arena jumbotron feed, along with 97.1 The Fan’s radio broadcast. I do enjoy listening to the masterpiece that is George Matthews’ every call of a CBJ game. I just perfer to enjoy it when I’m driving in the car or not near a TV.
While I believe the Versus network’s game of the week agreement with the NHL is chiefly to blame for forcing me to endure the Kiss Cam from my home computer, let’s not forget the league, the Blue Jackets and the Avalanche for allowing this to happen. (Vancouver is also playing at Philadelphia tonight, with the game appearing — from the NHL.com scoreboard page — to be available only on TSN in Canada.) I seriously doubt that the Versus game of the week schedule is kept a gigantic mystery from the rest of the universe; although, admittedly, a Google search for information turned up next to no information. If the league really wants to support a game of the week, then why not just ensure that it’s scheduled as the only game of the night? I’d have gladly waited until tomorrow to watch the Blue Jackets if that’s all that needed to happen.
The game didn’t exactly end with a bang (or a cannon blast) for the CBJ. The Avalanche emptied their net and scored to tie the game 2-2 with 40 seconds remaining — former Blue Jacket defenseman Jan Hejda got credit — before winning in a shootout. But fortunately, you probably didn’t see it.
Check out the Fansided network’s coverage of the Colorado Avalanche at the site Mile High Sticking.
Read previous editions of The Weekly Reader here.
Follow Joe Reader on Twitter: @osujoe.