Further Proof ESPN was biased against Tampa Bay all playoffs long

by John Fontana on Jan 12, 2005 4:12 PM EST in Business of Hockey

I bitched and I bitched and I bitched and I bitched about the porrous coverage form ESPN during the playoffs this past year. Not just porrous coverage but limp, uninformed coverage that boosted the bigger markets while they were clueless about how to handle the smaller ones....

Especially the smaller one that was a hell of a lot better than the teams they were playing against (The Isles and Habs were media darlings, and outplayed... And Keith Primeau got public oral gratification from ESPN's commetnators).

Now ESPN has gone about their egocentric ways and further showed their ineptitude with ESPNHL. There version of the NHL with all of the evidence of their idiocy being worn on their sleeve along with their anti-Tampa bias.

Anti Tampa? Why do I say this? Yeah, they contracted a few teams including the Islanders and the Capitals to go along with the Bolts... I shouldn't feel TOO bad right?

They kept a team in Miami though... A team in Miami where the arena is in the middle of the sawgrass, where the fans are far more fickle than there northwestern brethren, where the franchise was rumored to be in financial dire straights and talking to Winnipeg about relocating there.

Yeah, lets keep Miami and the fickle market of Atlanta. Lets give Las Vegas a team, contract Ottawa and bring back the Hartford Whalers!

You're full of shit, ESPN.. No wonder I don't visit your site, watch your programming or find you a credible source anymore.

Please give credit to Off Wing Opinion where the first blog reference to ESPNHL was made.

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Comments

The entire ESPNHL thing was absolutely ridiculous. And you’re right, their hockey coverage is shite… sometimes we in Canada forget that’s what you’re stuck with. No wonder no one likes watching it.

by James on Jan 12, 2005 11:46 PM EST reply actions

I have my friend and collaborator ont he site, Keith, feeding me things from Calgary all the time – how different the broadcasts are is scary…

Back int he early to mid 1990’s, ESPN was a great thing…. But now? It’s just a sad joke and I’m sorry I’ve got to go off on them as often as I do.

by John on Jan 12, 2005 11:52 PM EST reply actions

That ESPNHL crap is… hrm… well, crap.

But given the choice between that and nothing, I’d choose the crap. That’s not to say that the NHL as we know it will be dissolved; I don’t believe that will happen (or, at least hope to hell it doesn’t). So, hopefully, the ESPNHL pipe-dream will never have a chance to see the light of day.

by Gary on Jan 14, 2005 7:15 PM EST reply actions