Comments on: An End of Summer Letter to Comcast SportsNet

By: pucksandbooks

pucksandbooks — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:54:17 +0000

DrinkingPartner, you’re my kind of drinking partner. You got the spirit and target of this file smack in the bullseye.

By: DrinkingPartner

DrinkingPartner — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:17:32 +0000

This post wasn’t about, nor should it have been, suggesting how realistic it would have been to get these features, just that it seems like Comcast should have tried a little harder. I agree with most of what Pucks said — there should have been more long-lasting acknowledgment of the Caps’ incredible year with O-V-P, Bruce’s Adams, and the Gustafsson family tree. As soon as the new schedule came out, there should have been a string of commercials with an Ovie highlight ending in silence with “Opening Night: October 11, 2008.” But there wasn’t.
They were Washington’s most successful, most exciting franchise (exception to DC United), and you’d never know it. Comcast should have been on constant red alert trying to keep people excited and interested about the coming season.
Side notes: there should have been localized draft coverage, and there should have been World Championships coverage, too. TV coverage, I mean. Oh well.

By: evil blog hater

evil blog hater — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:49:06 +0000

Nice suggestions…but it is obvious you don’t know what it takes to PRODUCE such a program. Have you worked in TV before??? Guess not.
First, where is Bengt??? Can you get access to him? Is he out of the country?? If he is, that makes that kind of travel difficult. Traveling overseas with TV gear is not easy.
As to your suggestion about interviewing Bruce. Love to…but most of the key figures around the team LEAVE during the summer. Again, find coach, get access and THEN produce a piece.
TV stations are not bottomless pits of money that get to flit all over the place at the fan’s whim. They are businesses that have to weigh ALL coverage of ALL sports based on their resources. I understand your passion for the game and wanting more coverage since I am a puckhead, too. But, be realistic. Even stations that do care about hockey coverage have parameters they have to operate in. Your “fix” will be well accomadated in the fall.

By: pepper

pepper — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:06:34 +0000

Relentlessly, keeping the local MSM’s feet to the fire, eh pucks?

By: pucksandbooks

pucksandbooks — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:24:09 +0000

Aim higher, Cathy. Believe it or not, even in a Michael Phelps summer there’s room on a 24-hour cable sports outlet for a little hockey love.

By: Cathy W

Cathy W — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:44:15 +0000

Tarik has been on Washington Post Live several times in the off season as well as posting in his blog. Comcast had stories on the World Championship,the NHL draft, rookie camp, the NHL awards, Ollie leaving, signing Theodore, Green’s contract, Laich’s contract, Ovie getting the keys to the city, an interview with Bruce, Jill interviewed Chris Clark, and Comcast had Caps week when they replayed five games. I thought there was more Caps off season coverage this year. There are three local professional teams (DC United, Mystics, and Nationals)that play during the off season, as well as the Olympics this year , so unless something news worthy happens I don’t see Comcast doing feature stories on the Caps until the upcoming rookie camp.

By: Dan, Jr.

Dan, Jr. — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:29:47 +0000

While I share in your hockey enthusiasm, in a general way, I don’t expect to see Comcast SportsNet give our sport the coverage it deserves until the Cap’s win the Stanley Cup. As long as our guys continue their winning ways though, I’m sure we will see small increases from time to time.

By: b.orr4

b.orr4 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:44:17 +0000

Comcast must have heard you since Tarik is going to be on Washington Post Live tonight.

By: Flying Cloud

Flying Cloud — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:01:36 +0000

Ditto. I remember seeing Gustafsson Sr. (on a B&W TV) fly straight to the net, stick-handling with one hand and the other arm lying on his back in what the announcer called “the European style,” opponents slack-jawed and standing around, and of course he scored! They don’t skate like that anymore except in short track, I guess, but it was stunning then. I don’t know who the announcer was but he made the point that the Europeans were coming to this league, and it would be a good thing for hockey. That would be an interesting story for Comcast, too, especially since our team is multi-national. Like our capital.