YES tape-delaying Cornell semifinal?

[jtwcornell91]

According to http://www.tvguide.com/listings YES network is showing the ECAC semifinals at 7pm and 10pm EST; NESN has them listed at the actual times of 3:30pm and 7pm EST.  So it looks like YES will be showing one of them (I assume the early one) on tape delay.  What do they have on at 3:30, you ask?  Mike and the Mad Dog.  Yet another reason Steinbrenner sucks.

Also, Danger Will Robinson: NESN has a Bruins game on at 9:30pm EST, so watch out if one or both semis goes into OT.  ::uhoh::

[ugarte]

Looks like I won't be hanging around eLF next Friday.  

Or watching the other semifinal.  I figure that the broadcast team will spend the game saying ". . . and the winner of this game will face ____, who won the first semifinal game this afternoon."

[kingpin248]

They could tape-delay both semifinals, broadcasting the Cornell game at 7 and the Harvard game at 10.

[nyc94]

That makes more sense.  They probably have to delay it because the arena won't be sold out and Albany is in YES home territory.  Unlike the broadcast networks with football, YES probably can't change their programming for each city.

[ugarte]

Unlikely.  More likely, they just have a weekday broadcast commitment to Mike and the Mad Dog.  I can't imagine that the ECAC tournament - an event that is not expected to sell out, and is not particularly "local" - has a broadcast blackout provision.

[marty]

If I were the ECAC I sure would want the blackout.  One of the major reasons for the move was to make more money.  Hopefully the turnout will be good and hopefully most of the fans will be wearing red.

[Rich Stamboulian]

John,

I'm no huge fan of Mike and The angry Puppy but c'mon...you know darn well their national ratings will dwarf ECAC hockey...and bring higher ad dollars.  We should be happy YES has the games at all!

Of course, the YES-Cablevision settlement doesn't go into effect til 3/31 so I'll still be without YES next weekend...:-/

[jtwcornell91]

Rich Stamboulian wrote:
I'm no huge fan of Mike and The angry Puppy but c'mon...you know darn well their national ratings will dwarf ECAC hockey...and bring higher ad dollars.  We should be happy YES has the games at all!

Every year we get a lot of apologist statements like this.  I understand why networks do things like cut away from hockey overtimes to show basketball pep rallies, but it doesn't mean it isn't wrong.  My main problem with YES is that they seem to have done a good job of outbidding other networks for broadcasts but have a spotty record when it actually comes to showing the events live.  Sort of like NBC.  Anyway, this time that complaint doesn't apply, since I'll be watching both games live on NESN.

[ugarte]

You think that they outbid someone else?  It seems to me that the ECAC had to pay to get the game of the week on in the first place.  As a fan of a less-than-popular sport, I take my blessings where they come, and tape-delay is a disappointment, but better than just radio. (No offense, Adam - I'd rather have you on the telecast than the team YES has.)

[jtwcornell91]

I know that twice this year NESN announced TV packages and then later scrubbed them, with YES putting on similar packages.  I don't know if NESN pulled out and YES filled the void, or if YES drove them out.

[Jordan]

2 1/2 hours of Jerome ::scream:: would get better ratings than the hockey game.

[Rich Stamboulian]

John,

I'm hardly an apologist and I think you know that.  I'm as big a college pucks fan as anyone.   Believe me, I'm really ticked that the evil Dolan did not see fit to settle with YES til now....too late for Cablevision cutomers here to get the games next weekend.

However, I also spent a number of years working for a major cable programming company and I know first hand how these decisions are made...it's not that difficult and they're not about to take college hockey fans' concerns into consideration.  However, I do think it stinks when OT games get cut off to show other programming.  Unfortunately, the big ticket sports have that covered in their contracts.

Lets hope we get to see ALL of ALL the games next weekend...even if some of us have to go to a sports bar to do it!  :-/

[CUlater \'89]

For those of us with Time-Warner cable in NYC, but without digital cable, it's actually better to have the game tape-delyed -- TWCNYC doesn't start showing YES until  6 p.m.

[rhovorka]

Matt Carberry wrote:

They could tape-delay both semifinals, broadcasting the Cornell game at 7 and the Harvard game at 10.

And this is exactly what they are doing on YES, according to http://www.yesnetwork.com/network/index.cfm?cont_id=97453#friday
Cornell-Brown at 7 pm
Harvard- Dartmouth at 9:30

NESN will have both games live.

[jkahn]

I note from the above referenced site that YES will also delay the final on Saturday due to commitments on the Nets telecast.  NESN shows the final as being on live, but with the Bruins in LA, there could be problems if the game goes to overtime.  Is there a time limit on the consolation game or do they play until there's a winner?
NESN Schedule:
7:00 PM  ECAC HOCKEY '03 (L)    MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
10:00 PM  THE BOSTON GLOBE PRE-GAME REPORT (L)
10:30 PM  BOSTON BRUINS HOCKEY (L)    BRUINS VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS