Versus make Canes no-shows

I've set up a Facebook group about this issue.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=121673712021

Stop by and join!

I'll try to organize some feedback to VERSUS and the NHL, maybe a mock campaign to support Direct TV in its negotiations with VERSUS

Please consider joining
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=121673712021

"CanesAreBoring "- clearly you are from BUF, BOS or NJ what with all your stereotypical blasts at this fan base and what has been created. Perhaps you're still mired in the pre-lockout days when everyone played dump and chase, that style of play doesn't work here. Oh, and excellent job at the 'hee-haw' reference, cause as we all know, that's pretty "original".

Since you've not been paying attention, the Canes and the Caniacs you so despise, have had plenty of national and international exposure just based on the atmosphere created in games and surrounding game day (e.g tailgating for one) if you were really paying attention, CBC, TSN, NESN and other media outlets, including The Hockey News, YahooSports and NHL Home Ice on XM/Sirius satellite radio have all paid major attention and focus on what happens "in Raleigh" and with this team, because for some reason, all of these outlets find the Canes org and the fan base exciting, refreshing and the new breed. But again, you'd have to pay attention to that, which you clearly don't.

Having work and personal friends who are hockey fans in other parts of the country (so called 'traditional hockey markets) say how much they enjoyed seeing the little local team from Raleigh play on a national stage and how 'fun' to watch they are, I am pretty sure we were a direct result of the ratings jump that Versus got in April and May. I have no doubt. 

The Versus deal, is a flawed one, they show games on two nights of the week. Big Deal. If they were a true "exclusive broadcast partner of the NHL" they'd be rolling like TSN/RDS and CBC do up in Canada- showing games on nearly every night of the week. Yet, they choose to fill the schedule with Ultimate Fighting or crap like that. We would not get the courtesy of a game from Versus if we were crowned Stanley Cup champs (again) we got one lousy game the year after we won it, They've decided to broadcast games in which we appear, when they count apparently, i.e. the playoffs, and oh well, I guess we'll just have to go deep through the playoffs --- again.

What's really annoying is that Versus has no problem using one of our star players, Eric Staal in their regular advertising campaigns and then use him some more with his brothers to "promote the league" yet they don't see fit to include his team and other star, the 2006 Conn Smythe Trophy Winner Cam Ward, on their regular game broadcasts. LAME.

It's always really quaint when people who know nothing about this team, the fan base and the Canes org, chime in and decide they know what they're talking about. 

...blame Rutherford who has narrowed the Canes marketability to primarily a local team (a Durham Bulls hockey team).

I understand your frustration, but not one of you can even take a critical look as to why the Canes are not shown on t.v. It is impossible for any of you because you fail to see the world outside your own zip code. You all want the Canes, all the time, but most others around the hockey world do not. The other hockey fans cannot relate to this southern hillbilly ethos that Rutherford has embraced. It works for this area, but thats as far as it goes.

I disagree with Chip's assumption that the Canes directly helped the ratings during last season. The ratings got higher because the fans were watching to see if the "Goliath" Bruins would lose to the "David" Candy Canes, they were not watching the Canes. For example, other fans may wish for the Canes to win, so as to help their team in the playoff rotation, but rarely are any of them wishing to watch the Canes play.

The NHL, Versus, ESPN, ABC or whomever is not going to showcase a team that only appeals to the Raleigh Fan base when it is trying to include more fans, not exclude.

Take for example, a new non Raleigh hockey fan turning to Versus to see a hockey game. Would that fan rather see a game that showcases multiple top talent, speed and grit. A game that showcases a total package forward like Crosby, OV, or an Iginla skating along side a bone crunching Defensemen like Chara, or Phaneuf? Or would that novice fan rather watch a non hitting, single talent team play dump and chase while the fans yells "heehaw" all game long?

I know what you local and and uncompromising loyal fans will say, but truly everyone else can't always be wrong and you Caniacs always right. If that was so, then this wouldn't be an issue.

This has Bettman and the NHL stink written all over it...Versus is a joke of a network to begin with to be picked as the official network for coverage for the NHL...the league is run by a non-hockey guy that is despised everywhere, he is the only league Commisoner in any sport that gets booed everywhere he goes and everytime he gets announced...Bettman is the worst thing to happen to the NHL in decades, and the league will once again flourish when they have a real commish running the show that knows hockey, understands the fan base and the markets and really truly understands how to market the game everywhere. How funny it will be if the Canes have a huge season and are one of the best teams in the East and never get a single sniff on Versus...

Here's the Versus email/feedback address:
feedback@versus.com

i think johnny forslund should boycott the broadcasting booth at versus
.

I'm not going to let this foolish decision by Versus make me pass up opportunities to watch hockey on Mondays and Tuesdays. I think Canes fans, when they don't have one of our own games to watch, should try to support the league in general.
As for the fan who said he wished ESPN would come back, so do I. But I also remember how ESPN did its best to continually ridicule our franchise. Remember "Whaler-Canes" and "Candy Canes?" I don't think Versus has ever done anything that awful. They just ignore us.
As for Doc Emrich, I share the opinion of the writer who noted his enthusiasm for the game. Doc knows a heck of a lot about hockey. Too bad for Doc that he won't get a chance to see the Canes this year.

The NHL office is to blame for this intentional oversight by Versus. Can you imagine any of the other major sports allowing this to happen? Didn't think so. The NHL has never known how to market the sport outside of the traditional market areas.

Main reason is we don't market our stars. When you have a small market we need to market the heck out of Staal and Ward. An average hockey fan outside of the Southeast and some northern cities do not know Staal and Ward. I'm sure when they saw us during the playoffs it was more of a meet and greet like who is on this team. If they both have career years and become household names we will be on Versus.

for those of us who has "verses" is to NOT even watch what is on now... Now i will admit that i am NOT sure yet just how many games FS Carolina will be picked up by TWC so we in the Triad can watch the Canes ( with John & Tripp) but if all else fails...there is Good ol Chuck K via the internet live stream too !!! hehehe...So while i think what Verses did stinks...but if they went broke and died tomorrow...would i cry ?? I don't Think So...
Go Canes !!

I don't know how to process all this information with all of these Canes articles! Good sign that it's almost hockey time.

Oh yeah, F*** Versus!

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=479918

"Pittsburgh and Detroit will appear eight times on Versus, including their March 22 rematch of the last two Stanley Cup Finals. The New York Rangers, Chicago and Philadelphia will also appear eight times on the network." -- 8 times each for five teams -- puts it all in perspective for the Canes

"Versus has exclusive rights in the United States for a Game of the Week, meaning there can be no other game being broadcast in the country at that time." -- VERSUS televises Mondays and Tuesdays. We should have seen the handwriting on the wall when our schedule was released and only 16 of our 82 games were on those nights. Now, in return for NONE of our games being televised, 14 of those 16 games can not be televised by ANYONE as they conflict with VERSUS exclusivity rights. So it does no good to say we can watch John and Tripp broadcast the games.

"Versus will air the first two games of the Compuware NHL Premiere. It will televise a doubleheader Friday afternoon, Oct. 2, starting with Chicago and Florida from Helsinki, Finland, and closing with Detroit and St. Louis from Stockholm, Sweden." -- so Canes owner Peter Karmanos is enabling them with his ad buy

I can't stand the Versus announcers anyway. Honestly, the nasally voice of their top play-by-play guy, 'Doc' Emrick, drives me nuts. When his voice goes up three octaves after a goal, it's like fingernails on a chalkboard.

No one, in a million years, will be as good at calling hockey play-by-play as Gary Thorne. Just a shame ESPN and ABC ain't in the game.

That just means we get to watch the best commentators in the league with John and Tripp and not those idiots on VS. I saw a game 2 years ago where the guy kept talking about a Canes player on the ice Mark Recchi...hello Recchi hasn't been on the team since 2006 and was #18. That was Matt Cullen he was actually talking about. Maybe it's just me but if you are going to be the announcer for an NHL game you need to know who the players are...for both teams.

Remedy: do not watch ANY games on VERSUS.