Ducks Could Be Seen on Road

Could there be a full house at the Pond during the playoffs even if the Mighty Ducks are on the road?

With the Fox Sports West 2 controversy about to spill over into the Stanley Cup playoffs, Duck President Tony Tavares is looking into putting any road games broadcast by Fox Sports West 2 on the scoreboard video screens, then opening the Pond to the public.

For free.

That’s how you know this is serious.

“I want to be absolutely sincere: I’m not trying this to make money,” Tavares said. “All I want to do is make sure fans have some place to watch the games.”

As for the reaction of Fox Sports, which is hoping fan demand for playoff games will lead cable operators to accept their temporary free offer and break the stalemate . . .

“We’re already suing each other,” Tavares said. “Who cares?”

It has been strange enough that so many Duck broadcasts down the stretch have been unavailable on local cable because of the standoff between Fox Sports West’s spinoff channel--which has Dodger and Clipper games as well--and cable operators, who don’t want to pay extra for the new channel.

Regular season is one thing. But the playoffs? Fox Sports West 2 has the rights to weekday home games through the first two rounds, and might broadcast weekday road games or weekend games if other rightsholders pass.

Fox Sports West spokesman Steve Webster contends the entire situation is the cable operators’ fault--especially since the channel is being offered to operators for free during the playoffs. (Cable operators consider that a ploy to get viewers accustomed to free programming that they would complain about losing.)

In any case, the first playoff game in Duck history will be either Wednesday or Thursday--and if the Ducks have home-ice advantage and open at the Pond, Game 1 is tentatively scheduled for Fox Sports West 2, which is unavailable on local cable TV.

“The sports bars have been the winners in all this,” said Rodney Imai of Costa Mesa, a season-ticket holder since the first season who will be at the Pond for the home games. “I’ve been very upset about this.”

So has Jim Ort, an Anaheim resident who is a director of the Ducks’ booster club.

“We have been waiting since 1993 for this and now we won’t get to see some of the games,” he said. “Those games should be on TV. We have an Orange County team in the playoffs, why can’t people from Orange County watch it? The fans are the big losers.”

The smidgen of good news for viewers is that when it’s time to determine who broadcasts which games--the TV schedule is expected to be released by Monday--Fox Sports West 2 is last in line.

The NHL’s national television contracts with Fox and ESPN and ESPN2 take precedence (and exclude any other national outlet such as the Disney Channel or Fox’s FX.)

Locally, Channel 9 has first call on weekend games, with an option to claim weekday road games.

Last is Fox Sports West 2, with the rights to weekday home games and games the others pass on.

But that could be crucial, since Channel 9 General Manager Don Corsini admits that a Laker regular-season game, for example, would take precedence over a Duck playoff game. Based on ratings, that’s an easy call.

Most fans still see themselves simply as pawns in the battle between Fox Sports West and cable operators.

“It’s a sad situation,” said Bob Wilson of Downey, another season-ticket holder. “What it will come down to is the cable companies have a monopoly and we’re going to end up subsidizing the cost.”

The controversy hasn’t exactly created any goodwill.

“If they have playoff games at home, then I will be here,” said Ken Fortinberry of Anaheim. “If they are on the road, I’ll listen to it on radio. I won’t go see it at some site set up by Fox.”

Staff writer Chris Foster contributed to this story.

* FOX SUES ANGELS, DISNEY

Fox Sports West claims they are unlawfully trying to breach the cable station’s contract to televise games. C5