Thursday, October 18, 2007

Gameday - Los Angeles

Why pay more?



So I get to watch the Flames hosting the Kings tonight, which is a benefit of not living in Calgary since I don't have to worry about paying for it on pay per view. Although I do get the same ppv broadcast through Centre Ice...

My first reaction as I just turned to the game is 'Why aren't they doing this in HD?'...

People are paying money for something they normally don't get, so shouldn't they do more than just have their own graphics? I realize that the costs aren't being absorbed by a big national sports channel, but then I also wonder why they would broadcast 14 games of the season only on PPV in the first place? Wouldn't it make more sense to have a broader audience? How many people are actually going to a movie theatre tonight to watch a hockey game? It may just be me, but I don't see the motivating factor. The one thing I will say in favour of the Leafs on this issue is that at least the 13 games that are on Leafs TV can be had for $3 a month...

Maybe they reduce the quality of the broadcast on Centre Ice...

I'm hoping...

Colorado postgame

In regards to the game the other night, I don't really know what to say. You can see my gamut of emotions by looking over at Open Ice Hits in the comments section for that game. I sort of made Dave liveblog it with me...

I wonder who's around and watching the game tonight... : D

48 comments:

Steal Thunder said...

I don't think anyone else is live blogging tonight (they probably didn't want to spring for the PPV)...

So I guess I'll do it...

To start off, the Flames went down two men in the beginning of the first when Nilson flips the puck over the glass in the Flames zone...

Cammalleri scores on the two man advantage...

Steal Thunder said...

My brother just asked if somebody is filming this game with a handy cam... if they are they probably could have lent it to some random dude in Nashville last Saturday night...

Steal Thunder said...

Dustin Brown blows by Regehr as the Flames are pinching in and scores on Kipper from the hash marks...

Steal Thunder said...

After some thought, I do realize that they are commercial free, but I think that they could possibly get one sponsor and just put their name up with the score at the top...

I don't think that would be too obtrusive and they could probably increase the quality of their broadcast or make it a little cheaper than $12.95...

Steal Thunder said...

I've now switched to flipping between the Calgary and Montreal games, so you will have to bear with me...

If anyone is here in the first place...

Steal Thunder said...

Interesting to see Moss on the first line with Iginla and Conroy, but I don't think its the kind of shake up everyone wants to see from Keenan...

Especially now that Moss is in the box for not being able to control Rob Blake...

Steal Thunder said...

Another penalty to the Flames (Conroy) to give the Kings another 2 man advantage...

It was a very impressive dive by Calder though...

Which Conroy was very upset with...

Steal Thunder said...

Apparently the two man advantage didn't last long enough as the Kings try to add a sixth skater after the first penalty ends...

4 on 4...

Steal Thunder said...

Jack Johnson just got called for holding to give the Flames a two man advantage for just over a minute near the end of the first...

Steal Thunder said...

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE!!!!!!!!!!

5 seconds left in the period and 10 left in the first penaly when Huselius scores to make it a 2-1 game...

Steal Thunder said...

Wow, I have done a complete 180 on the whole PPV thing...

The goaltending stuff they were showing in the first intermission was actually pretty cool...

I actually wonder why more networks don't do this kind of stuff...

With the possible exception of NBC, which actually had that interesting thing with Brett Hull last year...

I thought it was particularly awesome when Hull was shooting one timers at an 8 year old goalie who looked a little shell shocked...

At least he wasn't going for his head though...

Steal Thunder said...

Maybe Calgary should try to do a co-PPV thing with the opposig teams so they can pay for some better cameras...

Steal Thunder said...

Lombardi just got a penalty for crosschecking...

There was a little piece on him near the beginning of the first period where we found out things such as his favourite band (Smashing Pumpkins), his favourite restaurants in the Calgary area (can't recall any, but if you said some to me I could say yes or no), pregame meal is chicken and rice, and he prefers dogs to cats...

Steal Thunder said...

Iginla is skating down the ice just as Lombardi is getting out of the box when he gets slowed up by a Kings defenceman...

Modry gets 2 minutes for interference...

Steal Thunder said...

Regehr scores from the point on a tip in by Jack Johnson's glove...

2-2...

Steal Thunder said...

Actually, it nows appears that it was Langkow's stick that tipped it in, not Johnson's glove...

Steal Thunder said...

Halfway through the game the Flames are being outshot 19-12...

Steal Thunder said...

GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!

Conroy scores from the top of the circle on a feed from Jarome Iginla...

3-2 Flames...

Steal Thunder said...

David Moss has a shot go off the inside of the post, but after review its readily apparent that it didn't quite go in...

Steal Thunder said...

Visnovsky just got away with a missed tripping call (which the crowd reacted to)...

Not sure how the refs let that go, after the dive by Calder in the first...

Even if it may have been a border call (which it really wasn't), they should at least try to right the wrong from earlier...

Steal Thunder said...

Modry picks up a penalty for high sticking on Tanguay...

Stick to the face...

Steal Thunder said...

LANGKOW!!!

Daymond scores from Huselius to give the Flames a two goal lead...

4-2 for the home team...

If they give the previous goal to Langkow instead of Regehr (who is still credited with goal #2), that would give the Flames a 2 goal scorer in each of their first 7 games...

New NHL record they would hold by themselves...

Steal Thunder said...

I've realized the problem with a commercial free broadcast...

When am I supposed to go to the bathroom?

Steal Thunder said...

I had forgotten how often Deb Matejicka blinks...

Steal Thunder said...

Apparently Eric Nystrom's favourite band is Three Days Grace...

Actually, it was a pretty interesting piece on him between the second and third...

Steal Thunder said...

After two periods the Kings are outshooting the Flames 26-18 and the Flames are outhitting the Kings 13-4...

And apparently they are not going to give the second goal to Langkow...

Steal Thunder said...

Interference called against Brian Willsie after he knocks down Rhett Warrener...

Flames on the powerplay...

Tanguay on the blueline...

Steal Thunder said...

Yelle crosschecks Handzus from behind into the boards in the Calgary zone...

Unnecessary penalty that is giving me a bad feeling...

Steal Thunder said...

They have just credited Langkow with that second goal to give the Flames sole possession of the record for most consecutive games with a two goal scorer (7)...

Hopefully they can keep this going for a while...

Steal Thunder said...

Langkow celebrates the new record (which he scored twice in three different games for), by getting into a fight with Dustin Brown...

Steal Thunder said...

Godard serves the additional minor for Langkow, probably due to his familiarity with the penalty box...

At least this way its impossible for him to get onto the ice for the next two minutes, barring an LA goal (don't say it!)...

Steal Thunder said...

And then Phaneuf gets a penalty for clearing the puck over the glass (PC's Memories of Period One, now available at a grocer near you), to give the Kings their 3rd (!!!) two man advantage of the game...

Steal Thunder said...

Its like deja vu all over again...

Kopitar scores from beside the net to pull the Kings to within one...

4-3 Flames...

Steal Thunder said...

Oh, and Langkow has also managed to pull of the Gordie Howe hat trick (G, A, fight)...

Steal Thunder said...

Skirmish along the boards...

Thornton gave Iginla a rub as he was going to the bench,and Iggy returned the favour...

Tanguay and a bunch of guys join in (Tanguay comes skating in and gives Thornton a big bear hug)...

Offsetting two minute minors to Iggy and Thornton...

Steal Thunder said...

Warrener is playing remarkably well tonight, making some big plays and big blocks...

Steal Thunder said...

For some reason they replaced Lombardi with Conroy immediately after the faceoff to start the 4 on 4...

Steal Thunder said...

This game is getting chippy as O'Sullivan and Sarich get a little touchy feely...

Steal Thunder said...

4 minutes to go in the thrid as the offsetting minors expire...

Steal Thunder said...

Two minutes left...

Steal Thunder said...

LA net is empty with 1:25 to go...

Steal Thunder said...

Huselius just misses the net with 13.4 seconds left, leading to an icing call...

Flames call a time out...

Steal Thunder said...

FLAMES WIN!!!

4-3 for the first home win of the season...

Steal Thunder said...

3rd star: Robyn Regehr

Steal Thunder said...

2nd star: Anze Kopitar

Steal Thunder said...

1st star: Daymond Langkow

leanne said...

Nice job! My turn to have a life tonight (plus as a starving student I'm allowed to be too cheap to pay for PPV), so I completely missed it...

I did make Dave txt me with the scores as they happened, so that's probably why you didn't see him ;)

Kent W. said...

Maybe they reduce the quality of the broadcast on Centre Ice...

Nope. The PPV broadcast quality is pretty bad.

The Flames do it pretty much on their own though. The HD thing is a not doable because:

a.) HD broadcasts are prohibitively expensive. A single HD camera is REALLY expensive, not to mention accompanying equipment.

b.) The Flames wouldn't see any real benefit from broadcasting in HD. A large portion of viewing public doesn't yet have HD capacity and they aren't selling ads during the broadcast anyways. There's literally no reason for them to do it.

That said, it would be nice if the production quality was at least above "totally amateur".