Back to back games in the Stanley Cup finals

[LisaM]

This is so indicative of the lack of respect hockey gets. They are doing this to accommodate the NBA. Would the NBA ever deign to return the favor?

Doubt it.

[Forkboy]

1. Personally, I'm glad hockey is little known and little liked.

It lets it avoid the trappings and excess hoopla. I don't want Janet Jackson singing in between periods of game 7 of the Cup Finals.

As long as I can watch it, I don't care if anyone else does. :)

[LisaM]

2. I agree to an extent but back to back Stanley Cup games is tough

players get dehydrated this time of year. They won't have any legs on Sunday. And last I knew, they hadn't even announced a time!

[Forkboy]

4. My friend and I were just talking about how they used to play them back to back in the playoffs.

I can't remember when they stopped, but they used to play the two games in one city back to back, take two days off and then do the same in the other teams city. It was probably when we still had names like the Adams Division. :)

The plus side about this is that it should effect both teams equally.

[LisaM]

5. But were the games this late in the year?

It's almost June - getting hot.

[Forkboy]

6. It was in the playoffs, but the season ended a little earlier due to the 5 game series in round 1.

I understand your concern, but these guys are prime athletes and know how to prepare and take care of themselves. As long as the conditions are the same for both teams it's not a big deal, imo. In the AHL they play Friday, Saturday and Sunday in a row with no problems during the regular season.

[SteelPenguin]

8. Depends on the part of the country

In Pittsburgh it's the number 2 sport, selling out all their games, and garnering 30 shares on TV.

I agree with you though. I enjoy the fact that at this time of year I don't have to deal with all the people who only watch the Super Bowl but think they can actually have an opinion about the game because Madden said something idiotic, and they think they're supposed to agree with it.

If people don't want to watch Hockey, that's fine by me. They're the ones missing out though.

[Captain Hilts]

3. It's physically tough. NOT a good idea. nt

[LisaM]

7. They're playing three games in four days. That hasn't happened since 1955.

And back then, it only took eight wins total to win the Cup. What's going to happen if any of these games goes into multiple overtimes?

[Forkboy]

9. Now that's pushing it.

I don't think back to back games is a big deal, but it is when you only you give them one day off in between.

[LisaM]

10. Yeah, it's crazy!

Say they play three periods of OT within the first two games (which could easily happen; there's been 16 OT games so far). That would then be the equivalent of four games in four days.

Games are set for Sat, Sun (no time set!), Tue, Thur, and then Sat again.

But if they go as far as June 6th, then there will be a THREE-DAY gap between games!

I just don't think the NBA should be determining when the NHL games are.

[1gobluedem]

11. Here's Mitch Albom's take on it

http://www.freep.com/article/20090529/COL01/905290355/Here+s+your+finals+--+what+s+your+hurry?

[Forkboy]

12. Love it. Great piece by Mitch.

Imagine if the NFL worked this way?

"You going to the Super Bowl?"

"Not sure. When is it?"

"Maybe Sunday. Maybe Wednesday."

"I dunno. Who else is going?"

Hey, this isn't a pizza party, guys. It's the Stanley Cup finals.

[RockaFowler]

13. Mitch has it right

The problem is not the NBA it's that other NB company - NBC. We got the word Tuesday Morning that if both teams won their 4th game, the Stanley Cup would start on Saturday. So on Thursday Morning after the Red Wings won, we were given the info to change our Saturday schedules. Next week, we not only are showing the despicable I'm a Celebrity show all week, but it's Conan's first week on the air. NBC has been promoting it that we will have all of the 10p shows with their Season Finales this week (Medium on Monday, SVU on Tuesday, L&O on Wednesday). I'm not a Hockey fan, but I find this annoying, too.

[LSdemocrat]

14. Perhaps my biggest sports media annoyance results from ESPN dropping the NHL and getting the NBA

The near-constant attention the NBA now gets on SportsCenter and other ESPN shows has made ESPN almost unwatchable for general sports news.

I just don't get the appeal of NBA basketball.

[RockaFowler]

15. The NBA does 3 times the ratings as NHL

As someone who lives and dies by the ratings, I wish we could still be airing the NBA games on NBC instead of the atrocious numbers we get from the NHL. Plus the strike a few years ago did not help Hockey in the least.

[LisaM]

16. It was not a strike, it was a lockout.

It might sound like a trivial difference, but I get tired of hearing it referred to that way.

[LisaM]

17. Email NBC sports

[e-mail]


I'm going to try and find a phone number - it's notoriously difficult to find actual phone numbers for television channels and networks - too chickenshit to take calls, IMO - if anyone has one, please post it.

[LisaM]

18. So game three in four nights is tonight......

The equivalent would be the NBA starting tomorrow, then playing again on Friday and Saturday (only set up this way because Thursday is Game Four of the Cup).

Can you imagine how much Kobe would gripe?