From: bimson@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov (GREG)
Subject: Re: ESPN Followup
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 16:41:00 GMT

In article <1992Sep3.122302.27548@cs.rochester.edu>, hoebel@cs.rochester.edu (Lou Hoebel) writes...
>In article <Sep03.040044.58615@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU> mmb@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Michael Burger) writes:
>>Some details:
>>
>>--25 regular season games (mostly on Fridays)
>>--up to 37 playoff games
>>--Full Stanley Cup Finals
>>--$80 million over 5 years (comprable to $50/3 year with Sports Channel
>>   parts of America)
>>--Provisions for future network TV coverage
>>--First game will be Oct. 6 (Tue.) - Phila. vs. Pitt. (Lindros vs. Lemieux)
>>
>>Enjoy
> 
>I'm not sure that this is a great deal for hockey fans that already get
>good coverage. It might be good for places like Tampa or SanJose that
>don't have decent coverage. Last year I had great viewing options.
>SportsChannel NY gave me NYI, NJ and MSG gave me the Rangers. We also
>get HNIC. SOme occasional late games from from SC Chicago and their
>wonderful anchor at his wonderful set. A choice of over 10 games a week
>and almost every night! wife? child? thesis? my job....? huh? what?
>But I only play two nights a week.
> 

Here in DC, the situation is different.  Home Team Sports shows some 
SCA games, but since I'm a hockey fan, the Caps and some extra games 
from SCA just don't cut it.  Ten games a week, huh?  Think you could 
find me a job up there?

>I could care less if X million homes in Houston, Miami or Atlanta
>now have access to hockey......the sport ain't gonna make it done south!
>How many Super Speedways are there in CanadaLand...right. Its a religion
>down south...Petty is a diety, the names are Foyt, Earnhardt and Waltrip.
>Not Igor, Ivan and Mario. Visit Alabama or Texas and tell me if hockey'
>is going to make it there...or Arkansas or Tennessee or Georgia or
>South Carolina or Arizona...hey gary!..got any ice there?
> 

I do disagree with this, however.  The NHL could have ad some serious 
rivalries if they had accepted Cincinnati and Birmingham from the WHA. 
Considering that the Flames didn't move to Calgary until the following 
year, Birmingham, Atlanta, and Cincinnati could have been a great 
rivalry.  Also, Birmingham and Cincinnati were starting to make money, 
so they weren't deadwood teams.

Don't forget, Houston had a WHA team, too.  The original owners sold 
the team, which was in the red, to new people, and when they found out 
that they were responsible for the operating loss from the team, they 
just folded it up.  That had nothing to do with the fans.  The south 
could probably support many teams, since the main reason for their 
population growth over the past 15 years was due to Northerners moving 
south.

>Orgeon? Washington? Idaho? The NHL could get better viewing numbers
>in Europe on tape delay. Do people in Connecticut even watch ESPN?
> 
>.....now onto my second cup of coffee
>->Lou
> 

Which brings up an interesting question.  How often does the NHL have 
games broadcast in Europe?
> 
>-- 
>->Louis Hoebel
>  Computer Science Department 	hoebel@cs.rochester.edu
>  University of Rochester       {ames|rutgers}!rochester!hoebel
>  Rochester NY 14627            716 275 5414