Prime time ready for hockey, but is hockey ready for prime time?
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There’s an entertaining debate going on in the hockey world. As far as Los Angeles is concerned, it resonates like the proverbial tree falling in the forest.
We’re dragged into it only peripherally and somewhat unfairly, but, hey, it makes for some good reading before the Stanley Cup Finals actually start tomorrow in Detroit.
About the time Game 1 ends, Game 2 is scheduled to start. Thus, the debate.
Sports Illustrated’s Michael Farber is one of the best hockey writers around. Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press is, well, Mitch Albom.
They’re superb writers. But don’t let either run a TV network, unless it’s Versus.
Albom actually suggests there’s something wrong with NBC for preferring Conan O’Brien’s debut week on the Tonight Show next week to prime time hockey. He says it’s because we in Los Angeles and they in New York -- I assume he means the TV execs -- don’t like hockey.
Actually, it’s that they don’t like low ratings in prime time, which is what they’re going to get for Games 1 and 2 of the Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday and Sunday nights. That’s especially true if Game 2 is up against Game 7 of the Lakers-Denver Nuggets on ABC.
Farber places more of the blame on the NHL. He also has a very funny line about Los Angeles Kings fans.
Meantime, NBC Coordinating Producer Sam Flood is upbeat, saying the playoffs so far have created great momentum for the Finals. Of course, he’s not so upbeat that he’s volunteering NBC to televise Games 3 and 4 next week in prime time. Those games are on Versus.
-- Randy Harvey