Red Head Trumps Red Wings
This isn’t exactly a news flash, but Conan O’Brien has a far more powerful slap shot than anybody the National Hockey League can produce – at least as far as NBC is concerned.
That’s pretty much why Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals will take place Saturday and Sunday – the first time since 1955 that the NHL’s showcase event will play on back-to-back days.
NBC is broadcasting Games 1 and 2, and then will pick up Games 5, 6 and 7, if necessary. The Versus Network (otherwise known as, “What Channel Is That Again?”) will broadcast Games 3 and 4.
The Stanley Cup TV sked tells you all you need to know about network priorities and hockey’s place in the stateside pecking order.
O’Brien launches his “Tonight Show” gig beginning Monday, and NBC didn’t want to risk a low-rated hockey telecast as his lead-in or, heaven forbid, an overtime marathon that might actually delay the broadcast.
That’s why NBC was fine with broadcasting hockey on the weekend, but not so much during Conan Inaugural Week. Hence, a Saturday-Sunday schedule and not Saturday-Monday or Saturday-Tuesday.
Think about that: The NHL provides the most compelling Cup Finals possible, the defending champ Detroit Red Wings, probably the premier organization in hockey, versus the Pittsburgh Penguins and uber-star Sidney Crosby, and the two teams don’t even get one day of rest between Games 1 and 2.
Imagine ABC telling the NBA that the Lakers and Cavs would have to play consecutive nights in the finals because the network didn’t want to interrupt the schedule for “Dancing With The Stars.” Or, Fox not wanting to muck with “American Idol” telecasts, so it tells Major League Baseball that the World Series teams can’t have a day off between Games 2 and 3, when they change cities.
Know why you can’t imagine that? Because it wouldn’t happen. Baseball and hoops are much bigger draws than hockey nationally and still relatively sacred, as far as the networks are concerned.
NHL commish Gary Bettman is catching considerable gas for compromising the competitive integrity of the Finals in exchange for a big network presence.
If only Bettman had negotiated with Conan beforehand. Maybe if he had offered up the Caps’ Alex Ovechkin to be Conan’s bodyguard, or Crosby as cabana boy, this could have been avoided and we’d get the Cup Finals that hockey deserves.
Or, if Bettman had just said, no thanks, we'd rather be on Versus and dictate our own schedule, instead of giving ourselves the opportunity to be ignored by a much larger audience.