Good day Jim,all. Here's good reading.
Remember this has nothing to do with Fox Sports Net. This is for National rights.
>Despite the growth of hockey as a participation
sport, the NHL remains a viable TV product only through regional cable
networks, and Fox Sports Net is already a huge player in that sunny side of
the business.<
DISNEY'S NHL DEAL IS DUCKY FOR FOX
By PHIL MUSHNICK
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FOUR YEARS into its five-year NHL deal, Fox, as early as this week, is
prepared to lose the NHL to Disney (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2), which has made a
staggering, five-year, $600 million bid for exclusive national rights. If Fox
fails to match Disney's bid - and it's unlikely to match - several things are
abundantly clear:
'1) Fox will not shed a tear. It's losing a fortune on the NHL at $155
million, $95 million less than ABC's current bid of $250 million for over-the-
air rights. Fox's only regret is that it will have no use for the Mike Emrick-
John Davidson duo, now widely regarded as the best broadcast team working
national telecasts of any sport. ABC would be wise to do lunch with them.
'2) Fox will try to sell this season's NHL rights, its final year, back to the
NHL or directly to Disney. Fox isn't interested in lame-duck status on a
going-nowhere cash-drainer. Fox already had announced plans to scale back
coverage from six regional games to two or three per Saturday.
'3) A legal hassle looms if Fox is not satisfied that the NHL has made full
disclosure as to the cable ($350 million) vs. broadcast ($250 million)
breakdown of Disney's bid. Common sense dictates that programming that
averages a 1.4 rating does not zoom in value. Why would ABC bid so much for so
little? Is the NHL pulling Fox's leg? Is it so eager to grab Disney's offer
that it toyed with the breakdown to ensure that Fox would never match the ABC
portion of the bid?
'4) Fox's computerized puck, for which it owns the patent, will be available
for rent. Ask about the special wedding and bar mitzvah discounts.
'5) Fox's local affiliates, with only a few exceptions, will be doing
handstands. ABC's affiliates (ABC would televise several regular-season games
and a bunch of playoff games, including prime-timers) already are asking why
Disney has chosen to play Santa Claus for the NHL.
'6) Expect more Mighty Ducks telecasts. The Ducks are owned by Disney.
Ironically, Fox won NFL rights through a similar knockout offer, five years
ago, when it blew CBS out of the NFL business with a then-staggering $1.58
billion bid over four years. But that's where the parallels end.
CBS, the NFL's original network, was devastated by the loss of the NFL, which
led to the loss of affiliates and the emergence of Fox as a big-time
competitor. Fox and its affiliates will be relieved by the loss of the NHL.
Fox tried hard to make the NHL an over-the-air national presence; it just
couldn't find an audience. Despite the growth of hockey as a participation
sport, the NHL remains a viable TV product only through regional cable
networks, and Fox Sports Net is already a huge player in that sunny side of
the business. Next up to learn that lesson the hard way is Disney. And ESPN
says it will not seek a hike in its rates to cable systems (which pass the
costs along to subscribers) to help fund the deal.
Disney and the NHL will tell us that Disney has made a great deal, that the
numbers make sense. As a hockey fan, I hope they're right. As a realist, a Fox
decision to not match ABC's part of the offer would seem the most sensible of
those yet to be officially made. The big winner would be the loser. Fox throws
money around pretty good on sports, but sometimes the mighty duck.
IF THERE'S one thing we've learned from the networks that televise golf's
majors it's that there's no reason to rush home. Saturday, CBS's third round
PGA Championship coverage began at 2 p.m. Sorta. CBS spent the first 25
minutes encouraging us to watch an event we already had tuned in to watch.
With golfers on the course, contesting a major, CBS first provided a lengthy
recap/highlights package of rounds one and two. But if you cared enough to
tune in, it stood to reason that you already knew about the first two rounds,
and had seen the highlights five times. Then we were off for introductions of
the commentators who would work each hole. Next, a chat with Tiger Woods,
because he's good for ratings. Except we were already watching.
Another annoying, standardized element of golf coverage was in evidence during
the PGA. Saturday, as Phil Mickelson was seen preparing to putt, an enormous
roar was heard from elsewhere on the course. CBS then showed a couple of
shots, neither of which inspired a roar, before showing Paul Azinger,
ostensibly live, using a wedge from on the green, pitching down a severe,
curved slope, and into the hole. That certainly was met with a roar.
But was that the roar we'd heard while Mickelson putted? Probably. Yet, we
couldn't tell for sure because CBS presented Azinger's shot as if it were
live. And if it was live, then what was that other roar for?
Finally, the misuse of the word "courage" by golf commentators has become
epidemic. Yesterday, after Steve Stricker stiffed his approach shot at the
par-four 15th, Bobby Clampett cited him for "courage."
Why does it take courage to aim at the hole? Isn't that the idea? The pin
wasn't tight to a bunker and Stricker was one shot back with four left. What
was he supposed to do? Punt?
IF YOU don't think athletes operate under a different set of rules, you're not
paying nearly enough attention. This week's Sports Illustrated included a
feature on second-year Cards QB and ex-Arizona State star Jake Plummer.
Plummer, the article notes, is extremely popular throughout Arizona.
Midway through the piece, the reader learns that last year, a few days before
he was drafted, Plummer was charged with four counts of felony sexual abuse
and one count of misdemeanor assault for an incident involving four women.
Proclaiming his innocence but not wishing to endure a trial, Plummer plea-
bargained out of the felony charges and pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor.
Sound familiar? It's the Marv Albert caper, times four.
Except Plummer suffered neither national humiliation nor a missed day of work.
And he remains a favorite son of both Arizona and his employers.
THE WEEKEND'S most unusual sights came Saturday night, top of the sixth, Mets-
Diamondbacks on FSNY. First, John Olerud, slightly slower than molasses,
legged out an infield hit. Then Olerud stole second. Then Olerud stayed in a
run-down long enough for batter Brian McRae to reach second.
ESPN's "Sportsweekly" show yesterday presented a touching feature on Pat
LaFontaine, lamenting the fact that concussions caused a premature end to his
NHL career. Of course, when it's time to produce NFL and NHL promos, ESPN will
choose footage of players being smashed, often illegally, in the head.
One on One Radio soon will announce that Tim McCarver, beginning this fall,
will host a two-hour weekend show ... Lifetime Network's Cleveland-Charlotte
WNBA telecast Friday included a graphic showing technical fouls to be more
than double what they were all of last season. To her credit, analyst Mary
Murphy called this "alarming." Most NBA commentators would be more inclined to
say that "enthusiasm for the game" has increased. (Phil Mushnick hosts a live
Internet chat, Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on the TV Guide Entertainment Network,
tvgen.com)
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