ESPN Quelches Reporter For Leaking Hockey Info

Friday, September 28, 2007


I saw a piece the other day that where John Buccigross had mentioned ESPN was almost certain to get Hockey back on the network. It was in an article by Sports Business Daily, so I jumped over to Buccigross' page to see what the statement was. I couldn't find anything related at all in any of his pieces so I just passed on the item all together.

Well as it turns out there was a reason I couldn't find anything. Via Sports Media Watch....

ESPN has edited a column by SportsCenter anchor and hockey writer John Buccigross to no longer include a reference to a potential reunion between the network and the National Hockey League. Buccigross, writing the season debut of his weekly hockey column, speculated that ESPN would gain the rights to air National Hockey League games for the first time since 2004.

"NHL players want it, the NHL wants it and ESPN wants it," Buccigross wrote, "NBC and Versus somewhat holds the cards however, so we will have to wait and see; but my guess is yes. ESPN will have a piece of the pie."

That entire portion of the article has now been omitted.
That is actually a good move by ESPN since the decision is solely that of NBC, but blogs scare the hell out of me. Putting up un-edited content like that is horrible and cannot be tolerated! (I kid, I kid)

Barry Melrose is rolling over in his grave.......What's that? He's not dead??? Well then.....warm up that mullet my friend.

ESPN deletes Buccigross speculation (Sports Media Watch)

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 12:45 PM

13 Comments:

He alluded to something about hockey at the end of SportsCenter too (last night I believe) but I didn't catch it. Should have rewinded it to see what it was.

Anonymous said...
Sep 28, 2007, 1:04:00 PM  

I was wondering why ESPN was pimping this year's version of New York's (of course!) latest version of an NHL all-star team that doesn't know how to play together. Also known as the Rangers.

And you don't think ESPN has power. They dropped the sport, ignored it, and subsequently it suffered from a lack of exposure. Now, the NHL has to come crawling back to them, begging for publicity and a TV contract. Worldwide Leader indeed.

Anonymous said...
Sep 28, 2007, 1:08:00 PM  

I hope Versus doesn't waiver. Cable companies are starting to pick it up and Versus has reason to showcase the NHL. If ESPN gets it back, it'll go back to Friday night garbage duty.

Kyle said...
Sep 28, 2007, 1:23:00 PM  

Anonymous above is a moron. The Rangers are an all-star team ? They play with a salary cap in the NHL now silly little dunce, which doesnt make them able to overpay players like they didi in the past. They got Gomez and Drury and their defense is less that ALL-Star

I thought the Rangers played very well last year. You are probably some dopey islander fan who's a bit dissapointed that the only off season signing you got was Jon Sim.

Puck You Fruitcake

Troublizing said...
Sep 28, 2007, 3:39:00 PM  

Every year, the Rangers hog the "national" headlines because they've just picked up the final pieces of the puzzle. From Gretzky to Robataille to Lindros to Messier (one more time) to Jagr to Shanahan.

And I'm supposed to get excited now that they have Gomez and Drury? Sorry, but I've heard it all before.

Anonymous said...
Sep 28, 2007, 4:02:00 PM  

I hope it does come back to ESPN. The versus coverage is awful as is NBC's. Plus in a lot of cable systems you need the upper tier digital channels or a sports tier to even get versus. So just because a company has them doesn't mean everyone can see it without paying extra for it.

Steve M said...
Sep 28, 2007, 5:30:00 PM  

I am mixed on it. I want it back on ESPN because then more people get to watch which helps the sport. But on VS they at least are treated properly, and not pushed around by ESPN.

I wish more cable companies just picked up VS, or the NHL worked out a deal similar to what the NBA has with TBS and TNT and all those cabal companies.

Jibblescribbits said...
Sep 28, 2007, 6:13:00 PM  

cable* damnit

Jibblescribbits said...
Sep 28, 2007, 6:13:00 PM  

Hmm, must depend where you are. I've lived in three different areas over the last two years and have had OLN/Versus standard on each cable system.

Kyle said...
Sep 28, 2007, 6:17:00 PM  

Troublizing said it best..um there's a salary cap, this isnt 1999..

Rahul said...
Sep 28, 2007, 6:54:00 PM  

Screamin A shows up on O'Reilly.

talking about Sheffiled, HUH!

E Buzz said...
Sep 28, 2007, 8:44:00 PM  

It's like the NFL guys.

Salary caps don't mean shit if you don't want to spend enough to reach it, like some teams do. And salary caps didn't stop teams like the Lakers, Patriots and the 49ers teams of the 90s from getting anybody they wanted.

Anonymous said...
Sep 29, 2007, 10:07:00 AM  

It doesn't make sense for Versus to pull out now since they've already taken their lumps to introduce their coverage last year. As a network I've only heard of them as a disgruntled hockey fan and I've called my cable provider to get them.
The network should be picked up more around the country this year, as it takes about one lost season for providers to accomodate fans, as they did with NFL network and the YES network before that.
If anything, I don't see why NBC shouldn't deal their coverage to ESPN (except that ESPN is ABC). I've never seen a single hockey commercial on NBC and they made their intentions clear by bailing on overtime in last year's Eastern Conference Finals for the Preakness pregame...

...as for the Rangers, they could take a while to mesh so they won't set any records (Lundqvist may be a slow starter), but only injuries or Ottawa will keep them out of the cup finals this year.
A bump in the cap and not signing Nylander kept the Rangers from choosing between Drury and Gomez. Either way, you can't buy players that don't want to be on your team and even if you could, that doesn't make your team good. You don't even have to leave the Garden for an example, since the Knicks have spent their way into an nega-dynasty.

Unknown said...
Oct 5, 2007, 1:33:00 PM  

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