NHL isn’t the viewers’ pet
The NHL officially has gone to the dogs, at least in the television ratings. The USA network’s coverage last week of the Westminster Kennel Club show outdrew the rating the Stanley Cup Finals generated last spring.
The two nights of dog-show coverage were seen in an average of 2.91 percent of the nation’s homes with a TV, according to Nielsen Media Research. In comparison, the Stanley Cup Finals (two games on ESPN, five on ABC) generated a 2.2 rating.
Now, this week’s decision by the NHL to cancel the season because of a labor dispute has ESPN considering dropping the league from its lineup altogether.
The network already had planned to downgrade its NHL coverage. It would have aired 40 games this season – all on ESPN2 – which is 30 less than ESPN and ESPN2 combined to carry last season, with playoff contests airing on both networks as part of a $60 million deal. But the fact that ESPN was not going to be involved until the postseason was significant, as it already had chosen taped poker and dramatic shows over live NHL coverage before the lockout began.
Now ESPN officials, who have the option to renew, might pull out altogether.
“We’re taking a wait-and-see approach,” ESPN executive vice president for programming Mark Shapiro told the Chicago Tribune. “However, anytime you cede real estate or currency with the fans or a business partner, it’s a dangerous strategy. Ultimately, others come to fill the void. And God forbid (for the league) we find something successful that takes the place of hockey.”
Shapiro said there is no indication play will be conducted next season.
“What next year? As far as we’re concerned, they’re on lockout,” he told the Tribune. “At this point, we have to make other plans. … Remember Wally Pipp.”
Pipp is the New York Yankee who was out of the lineup one day and was replaced by Lou Gehrig – who then played 2,130 consecutive games.
A few too many blows to the head
According to WLOX-TV in Biloxi, Miss., Hector Camacho was without his computer after taking it in for repairs to a store next door to his office in Gulfport, Miss. Desperate to send some e-mail, he tried breaking into the store by climbing up to the ceiling and crawling along the beams. Problem was, the ceiling gave way and he went crashing down into the store.
Asked by police why he would try such a stunt, Camacho said, “I guess I ran out of ideas.”
A catch to his stats
Josh Paul, the Anaheim Angels’ third-string catcher, had only 70 at-bats in 46 games last season and was mainly used to warm up pitchers. He avoided arbitration recently by agreeing to a $450,000 contract, but had he gone to an arbitration hearing he was prepared to support his case.
“My big statistic was the number of innings caught between innings,” Paul told the Los Angeles Times. “I think I set a record last year.”
The last word
Regarding the 2006 Winter Olympics, which begin next February at Turin, Italy, Mike Downey of the Chicago Tribune wrote: “I can’t speak for figure skaters, but the U.S. and Canada hockey teams are going to be well-rested.”