Why did you have to take my beloved NHL away from ESPN and put it on Versus? Back in the day I could sit down on my couch with a soda and some chips and enjoy a hockey game commentated by Gary Thorne and Bill Clement. Barry Melrose would come on at intermission and tell me why my Colorado Avalanche were killing the Red Wings.
I never had to go far up on my dial, since ESPN was a culturally relevant channel carried by all cable providers. The Stanley Cup Playoffs were actually televised on at least three channels simultaneously thanks to ESPN having three stations available to broadcast live coverage. All of the Stanley Cup Finals games were available for everyone to watch on ABC or ESPN, instead of being available on one obscure channel no one had ever heard of five years ago.
Yes Mr. Bettman, Poker had eclipsed your league in terms of television ratings. This was at a time when the league was at its most un-followable moment, right around a lockout year with few players with any transcendent appeal. You, Gary dearest, took the money that was offered to you by NBC and Versus not realizing that in the process you doomed the sport you love so much to anonymity.
How can anyone who is new to the sport take it seriously when the coverage of it is preceded by men with funny southern accents fishing for bass and is followed by loggers sawing through trees? The average American must think "What is this game called hockey? Must be pretty boring and irrelevant if its on this channel." Bam, one possible fan lost, Monsieur Bettman.
The NHL is at its most appealing point since the league boasted none other than Wayne Gretzky. Take a look at how well the Capitals do in terms of support in Washington, DC. The district, and its suburbs, is one of the more demographically diverse areas in the nation. You do not have to be white in this town to know who Alexander Ovechkin is or why he is so great to watch.
The league is chock full of young marketable stars, surely you are aware of this Mr. Bettman. Wouldn't it make sense to try and get them out there on a network of relevance? The numbers for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Finals last season were some of the best the NHL has seen in years. And yet Gary, if these playoffs had been on ESPN and ABC just imagine how the company owned by Disney could have made those numbers grow to even higher heights?
Gary Bettman, when the time comes to decided where to take the league's television rights again, please, do take whatever ESPN offers. I want to remember what it felt like being a kid watching Peter Forsberg score on Chris Osgood. I want to remember not having to go so high on my dial to find one of my favourite sports. Gary, I am so tired of watching Daniel Negreanu & Co. play Texas Hold 'Em. Put them back where they came from, not on television.
Hell Gary, even the NHL video game last season won best sports game. Let's capitalize on this momentum Gary, I know we can make the NHL relevant again.
Yours,
Charlie Klein
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