"[T]he fact that the trappings of celebrity appear to be wearing [Alex Ovechkin] down and making him a bigger jerk with every passing day should not mitigate his breathtaking abilities and his explosiveness.
almost 2 years ago
J.P.
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"My face is my mask."
by Jake Shapiro on Feb 22, 2010 6:06 PM EST up reply actions 11 recs
The trappings of him being obnoxious and snotty do not mitigate his ability to be a bad hockey writer.
Вперед, Россия! Дацюк, Семин, Овечкин = победа!
Русская машина никогда не ломается!
by cobracg on Feb 22, 2010 5:59 PM EST reply actions 9 recs
Unrec’d because I don’t subscribe to mob rules.
"I guarantee that we'll beat the Canadians." Ryan Kesler, 8/7/09
by Bald Pollack on Feb 22, 2010 9:45 PM EST up reply actions
I’m so sick of this broken record. Has any American or Canadian been asked to do an interview in Russian, declined, then been ripped for being inaccessible to the International media?
I understand Ovie’s got a certain responsibility as one of the faces of the NHL, but don’t punish him for being bilingual, or for doing exactly what everyone else on Team Russia seems to be doing. Give the guy a fucking break.
DC Landing Strip - Waxed and Ready to Go
by Alex Reed on Feb 22, 2010 6:01 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Personally, I think AO should be a little more accessible than he has been. That said, this is way over the line. It’s really a pretty outrageous quote.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Here in Washington, he is awfully darned accesible — you’d think that could serve as a frame of reference for someone who wants to slam him for being a “jerk.”
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Feb 22, 2010 6:14 PM EST up reply actions
Seriously. Even if AO is giving the cold shoulder to reporters in Vancouver this is the first instance of him doing so in his 4 and a half years of NHL stardom. It’s not like he just became a celebrity or there is some trend of him becoming increasingly cold towards the media “with every passing day”. Ovechkin isn’t completely free from blame, but the media’s total overreaction makes it hard to have sympathy for them at all, especially if it is the Russian team ordering the silence, and not a personal decision.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 22, 2010 7:01 PM EST up reply actions
ken campbell’s personal history with alex probably isn’t helping (speculation on my part): i thought AO came off as completely aloof and uninterested during campbell’s recent profile for THN (as part of AO being named the 2nd most influential person in hockey). sure, he participated. but he showed up more than hour late for his photo shoot, stayed at the basketball game for less than a quarter and was as short as possible with all his interview answers (while talking with his mouth full of hot dog). i was actually surprised campbell made his eventual piece—not available online—sound so glowing considering the attitude AO took to the whole thing.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 7:23 PM EST up reply actions
It makes me wonder about Ken Campbell’s personality in his approach to these interviews.
I have a C on my heart.
thats odd. A friend of a friend works for VS and complained about Crosby being a prima donna for any promotional shoot, whereas Ovi had more of an “ok just tell me what to do and when to do it” approach to the whole thing
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Feb 22, 2010 7:55 PM EST up reply actions
i don’t know anything more than what i saw in the piece. i’d be interested to see other people’s opinions, but i thought AO came off pretty terribly.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 8:06 PM EST up reply actions
I'm starting to suspect he's Russian.
Why does he have to feign respect for Ken Holland? Which Russian reporter’s ring do we expect Pat Kane to kiss in Sochi, really?
Ovechkin’s in town to avenge Turin and claim his birthright. A note from his coach excusing him from KenCo is just Russian dressing.
I haven’t seen that video, but if that’s the case it makes a little more sense.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 22, 2010 10:45 PM EST up reply actions
So because Ovechkin is only giving interviews to the Russian media, he all of a sudden is a jerk? The english-speaking media need to get their panties untwisted. The “Miracle on Ice” team didn’t speak to the media – English or otherwise. Were they labeled as jerks? Ovechkin is there to do one thing – bring home a gold medal. He’s not there to entertain questions from every media outlet that wants a piece of him. We don’t even know what the policy is for the Russian athletes. Maybe they don’t want them giving interviews to other outlets beside the Russian ones. Not one english speaking writer has addressed that topic!
I can’t believe that these writers will disregard the Ovechkin they have had access to for years, and now label him a jerk for keeping quiet and focusing on the task at hand.
by terpgrrl on Feb 22, 2010 6:03 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
The only time Team USA 1980 spoke to the media was after the tourney was over…
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Feb 22, 2010 10:46 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
His quote (incorrectly) assumes that Ovechkin was a jerk to begin with. Interesting that he didn’t say “making him become a jerk”.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
Yep – starting with the premise that the most charismatic guy in the League is a jerk is pretty loony.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Barry sverluga had a good article about what these athletes have to go through to satisfy the various media outlets and rights holders. It’s it’s rediculous. I don’t blame ov and the rest of the team for not wanting to run that gauntlet. Sure would be great for him to be more acessible to the media, but ov’s not the greatest English quote in the world.
Besides, if ov did all the interviews and the rest of the Russians do not, he’d be called a selfish media hog trying to out shine his teammates.
Would love to see the NHL in socci to see how much the candadians like talking with the russian press.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Feb 22, 2010 6:18 PM EST up reply actions
Sorry don’t have it as I’m working off my iphone. It was written after vonn won the downhill.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Feb 22, 2010 6:23 PM EST up reply actions
Teamwork.
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Feb 22, 2010 9:01 PM EST up reply actions
Ovechkin the Jerk
If OVechkin is going out of his way in being uncooperative with the North American Media, then he IS being a jerk. The entire point of NHL guys being there is to promote the league and the sport. Maybe Campbell is right………………………
no way
I totally disagree. During the Olympics is the one time that Ovechkin DOESN’T play for North America, and I whole-heartedly support that. He owes nothing to us during the Olympics and quite frankly WE are the jerks to not accept that he is a Russian first and does PLENTY for North America during his other 200 weeks.
And the sport is most definitely still being promoted after that Jagr smack down yesterday ;-)
Really, promote the league? So that’s why I watched the game on MSNCB lo-def. Thanks. ActualIy, I think Ovechkin is focused on winning a gold medal. Campbell is wrong, and the tone of his article:
Aside from being stopped on a breakaway early in the game, Ovechkin didn’t have much going. Instead of spending the game sulking that things weren’t going his way, Ovechkin instead chose to make another contribution, laying Jagr out right at center ice.
I’m pretty sure, like most detractors, he was predisposed to find fault while appearing to sound complimentary. More of the same. Thanks for the inside scoop, Ken.
by Pi on Feb 22, 2010 6:41 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Just because I’ve decided that I’m going to fight this meme every time I see it, hockey fans should absolutely NOT be upset that yesterday’s game was on MSNBC. A game on NBC during primetime means cut aways to other events, pre-taped human interest pieces, frequent commercial breaks, and tape delay in two time zones.
The USA game ABSOLUTELY should’ve been on MSNBC. I’d have been furious if it weren’t.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 7:28 PM EST up reply actions
i take it your cable/satellite service has MSNBC HD? ‘cause, as a hockey fan, that’s what sours me on MSNBC and CNBC more than anything. if baltimore comcast had the HD programming i need, i wouldn’t have minded.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 7:30 PM EST up reply actions
I consider myself very lucky that I have MSNBC in HD, because I think Cox just picked it up around Christmas. I probably would as annoyed as everyone else if they hadn’t.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
As did FiOS for us HoCo residents. I believe they picked it up right before the Oly along with CNBC HD. Still no CSN+ though.
I don’t even own a television.
Places that have MSNBC in HD can be found, no matter where you live.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 7:36 PM EST up reply actions
And like, the bottom line: I know watching games in SD sucks when you’re used to HD, but watching a complete game in SD beats watching bits and pieces of a game in HD (that’s not even live for many of us) every single time.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 7:38 PM EST up reply actions
disagree with your premise that they’d cut away for human interest pieces or other events (except during intermissions). we might miss faceoffs for commercials, but i’m missing faceoffs for commercials as is on MSNBC.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 7:46 PM EST up reply actions
not on my set. i had commercials that left me missing more than a minute of play at times.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 7:47 PM EST up reply actions
I got no commercials during the periods. Every other game had the issue of missing faceoffs when trying to cram in commercials, but there were no commercials in the USA-CAN game.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 22, 2010 10:47 PM EST up reply actions
NBC in primetime. That’s what they do. There’s absolutely NO WAY they show that game in its entirety while ice dancing is going on. There just isn’t. It’d be stupid to do so. Also DonCaps took the words out of my mouth.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 7:47 PM EST up reply actions
if i could load up my DVR and show you where they missed ice time for commercials, i would.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 7:48 PM EST up reply actions
I distinctly remember them announcing “brought to you commercial free” by some sponsor. And I noticed the lack of interruptions as well because of how bad they have been in every other game.
by darwintheboxer on Feb 23, 2010 2:20 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
right, and if i wanted too, i could track down live feeds of random KHL games. even for hockey fans, it’s about convenience. btw, if i’m watching in HD at a bar, i’m likely only getting bits and pieces as well, and the sound quality is going to suffer too (if i can hear the announcers at all).
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 7:44 PM EST up reply actions
I didn’t mean a bar necessarily. I’m just saying you have a myriad of options to watch the game, even if you insist on watching it in HD. If the game’s on NBC (even if you ignore the indisputable fact that ice time would be missed), a huge amount of hockey fans have no opportunity to see the game on television. That should be the end of discussion.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 7:50 PM EST up reply actions
That should be the end of discussion.
you’re right, you speak for all hockey fans. and you understand exactly the options that are available to me personally. and i’m obviously an idiot for weighing HD coverage against your issues. game set match.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 7:53 PM EST up reply actions
Natty, I think you’re a good poster. I don’t want to get in a fight. But do you disagree that not being able to see the game live trumps infrequent availability of HD broadcast?
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 7:54 PM EST up reply actions
yes i agree that not being able to see the game live trumps HD, but i don’t think it’s a walk. for instance, would watching the game on a JUSTIN.tv internet feed live be better than waiting a few hours for HD? no, not in my book. and all you’re giving me re: NBC not being able to show a game live at 7:00pm is “that would be stupid.” ice dancing isn’t the same TV draw as figure skating for downhill skiing. this would have been one game, and they could’ve packed in the commercials and/or other events during intermissions, along with a rotating advertisement on the score corner. i’d default to “they’re the professionals, what do i know,” but the way NBC has handled their olympic coverage (down to the obscene overbidding for the games in first place), i’m not ready to place absolute faith that they’ve made the correct decision—by olympics fans, or by hockey fans.
really i would have been happy if the thing had been on USA, since i do have USA HD. i guess i’m more of an HD snob than i realized, but once you have it the difference is very, very clear.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 8:03 PM EST up reply actions
yes i agree that not being able to see the game live trumps HD, but i don’t think it’s a walk. for instance, would watching the game on a JUSTIN.tv internet feed live be better than waiting a few hours for HD? no, not in my book.
A game like USA-Canada? Watching it online makes it close to impossible to watch the game with multiple friends. I’m sure you would agree, USA-Canada is best experienced in a room full of US Americans yelling their lungs out whenever they score (or that people should at least have the option to do so).
Additionally, “waiting a few hours” is a complete fallacy in the year 2010. We’re constantly connected to media. Short of shutting yourself off of ALL communication (including human interaction if you know any hockey fans), you just CAN’T keep from knowing the results.
and all you’re giving me re: NBC not being able to show a game live at 7:00pm is "that would be stupid." ice dancing isn’t the same TV draw as figure skating for downhill skiing.
It’s a much bigger draw than downhill skiing, and a much bigger draw than hockey.
along with a rotating advertisement on the score corner.
They can’t do that. It’s an IOC feed.
really i would have been happy if the thing had been on USA, since i do have USA HD. i guess i’m more of an HD snob than i realized, but once you have it the difference is very, very clear.
I’m willing to concede that if USA is indeed more widely available in HD than MSNBC is, then they should’ve chosen to air the game on USA.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 8:08 PM EST up reply actions
A game like USA-Canada? Watching it online makes it close to impossible to watch the game with multiple friends.
right, that’s what i said (or meant to say)…i’d absolutely wait and watch a game in HD if the only alternative was watching the game on some crappy internet feed. watching the game on my crappy MSNBC feed is only slightly better.
okay and again “you can’t” and “ALL communication” are just incorrect statements. i lived in hawaii for two years and yes, i was able to DVR games and watch them when i wanted. i don’t see why there can’t be two different viewpoints on this topic, which is where i started from the beginning.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 8:13 PM EST up reply actions
When did you live in Hawaii? I’d argue that in the past year or two we’ve gotten even more connected than we were before. Twitter, Facebook, breaking news updates over all internet avenues… being able to watch, say, Caps-Islanders, or even a given postseason game would be one thing, but USA-Canada would be a nightmare. At least that’s me.
And when I say “at least that’s me”, I’m acknowledging (as I always have) that there can be two different viewpoints on THIS topic, but never on the issue of live versus HD.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 8:17 PM EST up reply actions
it’s been a while since i’ve lived in hawaii, but then again i’m not active on twitter or facebook and i think i could avoid going to the WaPo homepage (or japers’ rink) if i had to.
but never on the issue of live versus HD.
okay, but say you own a ridiculous 60 inch hd flatscreen….standard def just looks like complete crap on such a big TV. i can’t overstate that.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 8:21 PM EST up reply actions
Right, I get it. I never said “you, Natty Bumppo, should be thankful this game was on MSNBC!”. Just that, when considering the entire country, it’s absolutely no contest, even if there are obvious negatives to MSNBC.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 8:22 PM EST up reply actions
you led off the conversation with “hockey fans should not be upset” and i think there’s still plenty of room to argue that point.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 8:24 PM EST up reply actions
literally, i thought to myself “HEY, i’m a hockey fan!” :)
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 8:29 PM EST up reply actions
Alright, apologies since that could easily have been misinterpreted. I never meant to imply that each individual hockey fan should be pleased—just that it seems like the general reaction among “hockey fans” (in the collective form) has been “NBC SUCKS FOR PUTTING ON ICE DANCING INSTEAD OF THE BIGGEST GAME EVAR!!!”, which I disagree with.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 8:38 PM EST up reply actions
right, i don’t blame NBC. i question NBC, absolutely. but i don’t blame NBC the same way i don’t blame comcast if the wizards are still putting up better numbers than the caps.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 8:54 PM EST up reply actions
But why use a channel that most people don’t get in HD when both USA and Universal HD are available and are just showing syndicated reruns
Aim for the head baby Jesus
Well, as I said above or below (can’t remember haha), if USA is indeed more widely available in HD then it obviously should’ve been on there instead. As for Universal HD, many, many people don’t even get that channel at all, so I’d rather have it on MSNBC.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 23, 2010 10:53 AM EST up reply actions
why would they HAVE to do cutaways for human interest stories? They don’t. They could have treated it like they treated it on MSNBC. Have sponsor logos by the scoreboard on screen to generate commercial revenue.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Feb 22, 2010 8:01 PM EST up reply actions
seriously am i the only one that had commercials during the game? am i think of russia-czech republic (on NBC)? i wasn’t bombarded with commercials, but i’d say ~twice every period they broke away for a single commercial during a stoppage of play, and ~twice during the game i missed what looked like a good chunk of action when they’d returned.
btw, if i am thinking of the russia game, and the reason for the missed action was NBC…yes, i’d still trade missed action for that beautiful HD feed.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 8:09 PM EST up reply actions
this is almost all games for me
Miss 20-25 seconds of play each time. However, I’d almost rather have that than the damn TV timeouts all the time.
On the Forecheck-where Patric Hornqvist is never underappreciated.
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by Chris Burton on Feb 22, 2010 8:10 PM EST up reply actions
I had this problem for every game except the USA-CAN game. I guess they figured it was big enough that they’d make sure there were no problems by not having commercials outside of the intermissions.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 22, 2010 10:56 PM EST up reply actions
no we all had commercials, I just threw out the sponsor logo thing (which according to 6756 is not allowed) as a way to generate more money from an NBC live broadcast.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Feb 22, 2010 8:11 PM EST up reply actions
Since this conversation has cooled down a bit, I want to fully explain the bit with sponsor logos/it being an IOC feed (because I think it’s important and not many people on other sites I’ve seen seem to understand it). If you watch the same event live on, say, NBC and a Russian television station side by side, you’ll see the exact same camera angles, the exact same score/time/stat overlays, the exact same replays, and hear the exact same background noise (obviously not talking about the commentators) all at the exact same time. I’d say this is conclusive evidence that all stations are working off a common feed that isn’t controlled by NBC/whoever else. (note: there will be times that NBC puts in their own replays. these times are given away by a giant NBC logo swooping in and out to separate it from the main broadcast). The one “sponsor logo” you generally see is the Omega timekeeping mark (it always shows up as the clock is counting down from 10 seconds to 5, or something like that)—that’s present on all broadcasts (i.e. not just NBC) as well.
I don’t have a specific book in front of me that says the IOC explicitly forbids NBC from doing the kind of thing you guys are talking about, but I’m guessing that if they were allowed to, they’d be doing so by now.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 8:47 PM EST up reply actions
I was pretty sure I missed none of the USA-Canada game specifically (though other games absolutely) for commercials, but if you guys are convinced that there were some, there probably were. I was watching with a bunch of people. In any case I’m definitely sure we didn’t miss anything big.
And as for missing parts of the Russia-Czech game, that game wasn’t primetime. For a primetime game, I’d conservatively estimate that half the game minimum would be missed.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 8:13 PM EST up reply actions
half the game minimum would be missed.
do you work in TV?
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 8:14 PM EST up reply actions
I think you’re absolutely wrong about half the game being missed. The cutaways to human interest stories is a way to fill time during events where there isn’t constant action, or to skip over performances by non medal contestant athletes from countries that NBC assumes American audiences don’t care about.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Feb 22, 2010 8:18 PM EST up reply actions
Ice dancing. Other events as well. A few human interest pieces. Commercials (much more numerous than on MSNBC). Bob Costas talking. It adds up.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 8:21 PM EST up reply actions
No, but I’ve been in love with the Olympics my whole life and I’ve had this crap pulled on me by NBC before. I also am pretty much obsessed with trashing NBC’s Olympic coverage, so I’ve read enough to know that ice dancing is a bigger draw on network television than hockey. I also know that NBC (admittedly) gears its primetime Olympic broadcasts towards the general television watcher, and NOT a sports fan. The general television watcher would probably rather see a three minute segment on Bobby Ryan’s life story than three minutes of the game.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 8:19 PM EST up reply actions
is there any stock to the argument that NBC benefits longterm from having sidney crosby and alex ovechkin become olympic stars? or do the olympic sponsors win out in that kind of argument?
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 8:23 PM EST up reply actions
I mean… both? Like, there’s no doubt that since the NBC has a contract with the NHL, they’d benefit in some way if NHL stars became increasingly well known. At the same time, the rational U.S. American in me (in opposition to the rabid hockey fan in me) wonders just how many people who didn’t already know all about Crosby and Ovechkin are going to see enough hockey during these two weeks to make them change their mind. It could be a fair amount, but it could also be negligible.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 8:40 PM EST up reply actions
I would think a lot, especially if the US makes a run for gold. We love a winner.
Additionally, this is amazing hockey being played. On Sunday it was like three all-star games in the same day. And these games mattered.
by Gin and Tonic on Feb 22, 2010 8:51 PM EST up reply actions
Well yeah, but if the nation rallies behind a USA run for gold, then 1) you have, at most, one of Crosby or Ovechkin being able to get U.S. eyes on them en masse, and 2) they would surely take a back seat to the USA guys in terms of publicity.
But yeah, Sunday was AMAZING. The all-star game comment is spot on, I mentioned that to a few of my friends and one of them was like “I was going to say the same thing!”. They were also rematches of the last three gold medal games, in order, which was sort of cool. The IIHF deserves MAJOR props for setting up the schedule that way.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 8:55 PM EST up reply actions
All the better then. We (the hockey public) hear enough about Ovi and Crosby. NBC can certainly find a few starmaking-worthy guys on the US squad to promote.
Ovi doesn’t need any more promoting, and I welcome NBC turning their attention to US players.
by Gin and Tonic on Feb 22, 2010 9:05 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
i think of the michael phelps’ and shawn whites and of the world, and it’s clear NBC knows how to make and market an olympic star even with very limited air time. but since AO and crosby aren’t american, i’m guessing it’s a very different ballgame and much harder to draw people in.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 8:56 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, but I’m sure they could. Miller already has a memorable catchphrase association.
by Gin and Tonic on Feb 22, 2010 9:07 PM EST up reply actions
Definitely true on the “very different ballgame” aspect. As for the rest, Michael Phelps’ airtime was anything but limited, and Shaun White was an established star even before competing in the Olympics.
These two guys also compete in individual sports, so it’s a bit different. Now, if the cards fall right, Ryan Miller could definitely become a star through these Olympics, but it would be tough for anyone else when they’re more or less indistinguishable from four other guys on the ice (and that’s for the third of the game that they’re even on the ice) to the general population.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 10:00 PM EST up reply actions
Somebody scores a Real American Hero Goal against the Canadians in a final, got to believe that would make him a bit more marketable. Maybe the players and the coaches are rooting for Slovakia, but there are some shrewd agents rooting for another starmaking heavyweight bout.
erskine has scored...now i can die in peace
by souldrummer on Feb 26, 2010 12:35 PM EST up reply actions
As I mentioned above (after you posted this), they can’t have sponsor logos by the scoreboard.
And no, they don’t “HAVE” to do cutaways, but NBC has demonstrated that that’s what they’ve decided to do. And, in any case, you absolutely can’t treat a primetime network television broadcast like a cable one.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 8:09 PM EST up reply actions
Does anyone agree that by the time the next Olympics come along, NBC will have to acknowledge that the internet (and Twitter) exists and do more live coverage?
I have a C on my heart.
Sort of, but I also would’ve said that in 2000.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 8:13 PM EST up reply actions
Sure don’t. As sixsevenfiftysix said people have been saying that since 2000 games. NBC’s continued love for splitting the country between live/TD has been utterly ridiculous in general. They lose lunch crowds they could get on the West Coast with their stupidity. Imagine on Wednesday how many people from Seattle to San Diego would take a long lunch if NBC was showing the US game live at Noon PT.
Ebersol and his people see the games as a drama to be scripted. Their focus is on the general viewer not sports fans. What is sad is they could have both if they just used their heads. If they did a network packaged highlight show every night on their broadcast network (which is mainly what they do now anyway)and used all their cable properties to broadcast all of the events live they’d be able to deal with both constituencies.
2014 can’t come soon enough. I’m really hoping ABC/ESPN outbids NBC & possible TNT bid. ESPN folks get that events in today’s modern world need to be shown live. They’ll overkill a story just like NBC. However, the difference is I’ll have much better choices viewing wise.
I’m a guy who grew up watching the Games. Ever since NBC got the game I’ve watched less and less. Partly due to modern communication issues and how TD doesn’t work for me like it did before. The other part is how terribly NBC does with the coverage period. Costas is the most overrated sports broadcaster of my lifetime. He’s an arrogant jerk who should only be allowed to do baseball games. The fluff pieces aren’t even done well. Well I should say the ones in the past weren’t. I have refused to watch NBC network coverage this time around, so no clue how they are doing this time around. Based on stories I’ve heard from others sounds like the same as before. I miss the Roone Arledge days. ABC at least knew how to do the human interest stuff right. Plus, Costas isn’t 1/1000th the host McKay was.
Rant over.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Feb 22, 2010 9:42 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Rec’d, I completely agree.
I’m really hoping that Disney/ABC/ESPN gets the next contract as well—you can pretty much guarantee that between ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, EPSNews, ESPNClassic, ESPN360, ESPN3-D (by then), absolutely anything that you would want to see live would be broadcasted live, and delayed for primetime in addition. Second, the potential for cross-promotion with all of Disney’s avenues absolutely boggles the mind. A U.S. athlete with a bio that tugs on America’s heartstrings wins gold? Boom, made for TV movie on the Disney Channel. Want to know what it’s like to be an Olympic bobsledder?? Boom, there’s a ride at Disney World. What to do when the Games are over? Get all the U.S. medal winners to take over Disney World/Land like that ESPN the Experience thing.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 10:07 PM EST up reply actions
Basically, the Olympics feels like it’s equal parts Disney and ESPN as it is. It’s a perfect fit.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Feb 22, 2010 10:10 PM EST up reply actions
Completely agree on all counts. They understand how to leverage properties at ESPN better than any other media organization. They may overhype, but at least I know I’ll get decent video and it will be live. I
I’m hoping that they win the rights and put hockey on the Ocho. Imagine Cotton McKnight & Pepper Brooks on the call.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Feb 22, 2010 10:38 PM EST up reply actions
When I saw that interview being referred to, the fact he didn’t want to chat for long to me was a good sign that he’s not all caught up in the cameras and circus off the ice, but rather showing it on the ice.
I still think he’s not completely free in direct English interviews, I just don’t think they’re his best medium. But he is getting better.
I enjoyed Dan Wetzel's take...
…on Ovie and the Russians bringing back the Red Army. A pretty solid counterpoint to all the whinging. http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/ice_hockey/news?slug=dw-ovechkinrussia022110
tommy want wingy
thank you for that link
Someone should send that link to Mr. Campbell. A well-written, thoughtful article on how the entire Russian team views the Olympics. Kinda puts the whole thing in the proper perspective.
by Hangsleben's Heroes on Feb 22, 2010 10:42 PM EST up reply actions
screw you ken campbell, and the horse you rode in on.
I'm not booing Stephon Heyer, he's trying hard. I'm booing the fact that Stephon Heyer plays for us.
by Area 51 Forever on Feb 22, 2010 6:37 PM EST reply actions
Reasons other than “I want him to” that Ovechkin should go out of his way to speak with the competition’s press on the biggest stage of his life:
cause my mommy says i'm special
I'm not booing Stephon Heyer, he's trying hard. I'm booing the fact that Stephon Heyer plays for us.
by Area 51 Forever on Feb 22, 2010 6:49 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Hasn’t it been reported that the Russian coach does not want his team speaking to the North American media
No.
It’s been repeatedly demonstrated that the entire team places little priority on media, and no priority on foreign-language media. The nerve.
It’s been reported that Ovechkin remembers Turin, from which the Russian hockey individuals team came home without gold.
It’s been repeatedly demonstrated that the entire team places little priority on media, and no priority on foreign-language media.
exactly. And that’s their decision. Might not agree with it, but its not like every other guy on the team is giving interviews to every outlet while Ovie is holed up in his room. Fedorov’s the only one I seen speak widely to the international media, and that may have been calculated by the Russian team.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
On Draper having to wear a USA jersey at practice: "well at least the Wings can settle bets without involving gold plated desert eagles!"
It’s just so clear that Ovi told to himself before the Olympics:
I’m playing for my country. I am the most visible player on my team and therefore responsibility is primarily on my shoulders. Whether or not Russia is going to get the gold is up to me, and therefore I will do everything I can for this purpose. In Vancouver I am not a Capital nor an NHLer. I am a Russian player and as such, I only speak Russian during Olympics and do it only with Russian media. Wanna me speak English? March 1st is the day.
“Call Alex jerk. Make Alex mad. Make Alex hit.”
Rock the Red! Rock the White! Rock the Blue! Rock the Pens!
by RedskinFan4Life on Feb 22, 2010 7:30 PM EST reply actions
Someone tell Ken Campbell that it's
Everyone wants to kill the king. But the prince, he just sails along telling all the ladies, "One day I'm gonna be king."
by Steck It Out on Feb 22, 2010 7:32 PM EST reply actions 10 recs
I've always preferred
tommy want wingy
by dozensofus on Feb 22, 2010 7:42 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
MS Paint for the win!
Everyone wants to kill the king. But the prince, he just sails along telling all the ladies, "One day I'm gonna be king."
by Steck It Out on Feb 22, 2010 7:43 PM EST up reply actions
this thread
Could become rec-city.
On the Forecheck-where Patric Hornqvist is never underappreciated.
Follow me on Twitter
by Chris Burton on Feb 22, 2010 7:48 PM EST up reply actions
huh?
On the Forecheck-where Patric Hornqvist is never underappreciated.
Follow me on Twitter
by Chris Burton on Feb 22, 2010 8:00 PM EST up reply actions
not tracking
On the Forecheck-where Patric Hornqvist is never underappreciated.
Follow me on Twitter
by Chris Burton on Feb 22, 2010 8:09 PM EST up reply actions
broken links on the pictures for some of us.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 22, 2010 8:16 PM EST up reply actions
oh, ok
On the Forecheck-where Patric Hornqvist is never underappreciated.
Follow me on Twitter
by Chris Burton on Feb 22, 2010 8:16 PM EST up reply actions
wow
IIRC, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen total hating and BS out of THN.
What a douche. Never have considered Ovechkin a jerk. Jerk—Dany Heatley. Jerk-Corey Perry.
On the Forecheck-where Patric Hornqvist is never underappreciated.
Follow me on Twitter
You forgot the King of the jerks: Sean Avery.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Feb 22, 2010 10:49 PM EST up reply actions
So much Canadian insecurity. Ken is usually pretty solid, but the limited non-Russian media availability should be viewed through the lens of patriotic gamesmanship, not celebrity jerk-hood. Ovie has been nothing but a media darling before now. Poor Canada. The world is falling in around them. :-)
Journos are so lazy and predictable. Seems the Canadian hockey media even more so. Especially regarding Ovechkin. Even when they do compliment Ovi, they do it in a manner that still bashes him as a person.
Reading the Yahoo piece, it’s evident that Ovechkin is all business right now. He is not really treating the English-speaking media that differently than he does the Russian. Not only that, but it appears that he is not the only Russian doing this. Fedorov, Markov, Gonchar, Datsyuk, Malkin, Kozlov, Semin, and the rest – none are talking much to anyone. Language barrier may be some of the issue, but not for all.
Not sure calling Ovechkin a jerk is fair, but the observation that his celebrity is starting to wear him down away from the rink seems to be pretty reasonable. Really though, I’m just commenting to say that I’m totally impressed by everyone’s RAGE. LOVVVVVIN IT.
Russian Machine Never Breaks - A Hockey Blog Focusing on The Washington Capitals and Their Awesome Russian Superstars: Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin & Semyon Varlamov.
My problem is not with him calling Ovechkin a jerk, I don’t really care whether Ken Campbell likes Ovie or not. My problem is with the phrase “…appear to be wearing Alex Ovechkin down…” That statement does not fit in with any other part of the article, and more importanly, Campbell offers nothing to support his assertion. If OV is wearing down (which I see no evidence of) then the Caps have more serious problems then who to acquire at the deadline. And that’s just shoddy journalism to write something like that without any evidence to support it.
by Hangsleben's Heroes on Feb 22, 2010 10:19 PM EST reply actions
Seems to me the North American media thinks that NHL interview rules should apply, and surely they don’t. Name calling certainly isn’t going to endear them to the Caps’ crack PR staff. Would they limit access to particular reporters in response? I’m talking about other than post-game interviews.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
While I believe that Ovie and the Russian team in general are purposefully making themselves unavailable to all but a few select Russian Journalists until after the Olympics are over….
An I’ve never been a huge Ken Campbell fan…..
That said Ovie’s schtick with some of his interviews don’t usually translate well
by markbona-capsfan99 on Feb 22, 2010 11:39 PM EST reply actions
This reads to me like trying to sell the Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry by demonizing Ovechkin and setting up the whole hero-villain thing.
Question – are we just going to complain about it here or are we going to actually write THN about it?
No Alex, no ratings. Know Alex, know ratings.
Why bother? No matter what TSN will be playing to their base and readers/viewers – it’s only smart business…
by markbona-capsfan99 on Feb 23, 2010 12:02 AM EST up reply actions
Also....
Funny, NHL.com got something. The interview confirms it – he’s flying low and trying to stay focused, and Ken Campbell is being a toolbag.
No Alex, no ratings. Know Alex, know ratings.
espn.com seems to have an interview up with him as well where he even responds to the question about his lack of interviews and his response is exactly as expected that he’s focusing on winning the gold and maintaining his emotions and focus on his team and his own game. They also asked him about NHL players participating in Sochi in 2014 and he made a savvy comment about just being on the internet seeing the large number of viewers the hockey tournament has gotten in Canada and the US…cleverly implying that it clearly is a marquee way to market the NHL by having the players involved in the Olympics.
by Davethecapsfan on Feb 23, 2010 1:11 AM EST up reply actions
Maybe NBC should have aired the USA/Canada game on the flagship instead of MSNBC afterall…
@darrenrovell1 8.2M viewers watch USA-Canada on MSNBC. Record MSNBC night was 8.23M for 11/4/08 election coverage.
@mirtle
8.2 million viewers in the U.S. is pretty impressive and MSNBC out drew NBC’s coverage. I bet the Canadian numbers on CTV were similar
@mirtle
Canada-U.S. game’s 8.22 million viewers was well ahead of last year’s Detroit-Pittsburgh Game 7 in the finals: http://is.gd/8Xrbn
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
Hmm…in his recap tonight Costas put the number at 16 million, which I thought was huge. Had to rewind it because I thought I misheard him. 8 million sounds more likely but still a great number.
by darwintheboxer on Feb 23, 2010 2:29 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I heard him say that, too. I wonder if that’s the ratings trick of saying how many people saw at least five minutes of a show, as opposed to the average number of viewers over the entire broadcast.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
likely. remember, too, that the NBC showed the last few minutes of the game. Lots of midwestern housewives had NBC on Sunday night waiting for ice dancing to come on.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
On Draper having to wear a USA jersey at practice: "well at least the Wings can settle bets without involving gold plated desert eagles!"
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