286 replies to this topic

[Quinn01]

I have rather enjoyed this rare view into the workings of a hockey team especially when it involves two rivals.

I pray that one day it will involve the Devils but I wont give my hopes up. I got chills watching the .2 seconds of our team on there.

[Random Poster]

My point, to be incredibly blunt about it, is that you're a hypocrite. "Our fan base spends more time obsessing over the Rangers than they do rooting for their own team!" "I obsess over the Rangers so much that I refuse to watch a TV show because they're involved!"

In this case, you're trying to group me in as obsessing over the Rangers because i have no interest in them as some sort of "insecurity". Then you try to group that in with the "Rangers Suck" chanters and the FU Sam Rosen people i refer to as insecure.

As i said before....Really?

We've got enough people who don't attend Devils games or support them. I think that requires more attention and levels of giving a sh!t more then who watches a TV show.

When you're involved, sure. You're the one who gets all worked up whenever anyone disagrees with you.

Whatever you feel about me has no real bearing here. I'll defend myself when i have to especially on this one. I am certainly not going to let people put words in my mouth, cast judgments or point fingers over my prefernce of not having an interest in a TV show.

Edited by SJP20, 30 December 2011 - 07:57 PM.

[CAdevsfan]

Personally, I don't have a problem with the Rags being in the WC since they haven't been before. What irritates me are the teams like Philthy and Pitts who've been in twice. My understanding when the WC concept was first introduced was that each US team would have a chance to participate. We now know that's not going to happen. The Western conference teams are really being snubbed, with the exception of Chicago-Detroit. If the NHL would think outside the box in terms of locations, any of those teams could be the road team.

As for 24/7, it's been interesting so far, but I thought last year's was better. Maybe I'll change my mind when I see Torts yelling at the Rags with food stains on his shirt.

[lazer]

there is ilya "under the lights" about 15 mins. of funny

i like boston college but because boyle is a rag i hate him

the christmas stuff was kind of sad i thought

[Quinn01]

I just realized that the first episode was edited. They blanked out the f word.

[NJDevs4978]

I just realized that the first episode was edited. They blanked out the f word.

They do that during the daytime showings so 'families' can watch it.

[Quinn01]

They do that during the daytime showings so 'families' can watch it.

Oh really? Ok makes sense.

[Marv4Life]

I have been around the Devils for along time there is no way that they will be in the Winter Classic anytime soon. The networks don't want to show the Devils games. The NHL doesn't want the Devils on TV they are an embarrassment to the league, inconsistent play and financial problems owing money, paying rent and potential bankruptcy. It's just not going to happen.

Didn't the Sabres go bankrupt? They hosted a classic. And if the Devils become elite again there's no reason why they shouldn't be involved in one.

[DevsMan84]

Didn't the Sabres go bankrupt? They hosted a classic. And if the Devils become elite again there's no reason why they shouldn't be involved in one.

Devils can elite for years and they still won't ever get to be in the winter classic. Nbc decides who is in the classic and nj is not exactly a nationally recognized market.

[ChilltownDevs2673]

And Buffalo is a recognized market?! If I remember correctly that is a region that loses a record amount of its population every year and has one of the worst economys in the country.

ESPN,FOX, NBC, and CBS always say on TV and online East Rutherford, NJ and Florham Park, NJ as where the Giants and Jets train and are headquartered. Also most sports fans around the country by now know that the Giants and Jets play in The Meadowlands at East Rutherford, NJ; they say it every damn broadcast. Plus New Jersey is hosting the Super Bowl in 2014!! I think we just might get the Winter Classic in NJ at MetLife after the Super Bowl.

If they don't include the Devils in a Winter Classic at MetLife Stadium the NHL would be sorely remissed giving that our original home of 25 years is across Rte 120 from the Stadium!

Couple all the above with all the reality shows, which I despise, about Jersey and with how many movies and TV series that have been set in and starred New Jersey in the last 15 years, I think the country has damn good idea about where NJ is and that we are nationally known!

[thelastonealive]

Couple all the above with all the reality shows, which I despise, about Jersey and with how many movies and TV series that have been set in and starred New Jersey in the last 15 years, I think the country has damn good idea about where NJ is and that we are nationally known!

That has nothing to do with ratings, though. NJ is lumped into NYC/Philadelphia ratings markets - neither of which will care all that much about a Devils WC unless the Rangers or Flyers are involved.

I still contend there's only a handful of ways we're ever involved:

a) Next year, if we finish this year strong, re-sign Parise, and Marty signs a one-year contract with the Devils and next season essentially becomes a Martin Brodeur Retirement Tour season.

b) If the NHL decides they want to double up on the Winter Classic by playing two games - then you can do Devils/Isles (or Devils/Blackhawks, or another midwest team) in the afternoon and Rangers/West Coast Team in the evening, all from SnoopyField. That's probably the only way you can have a Winter Classic in the NYC area without Devils and Isles ownership pitching a fit.

Unfortunately, I feel like a Rangers/whoever WC at SnoopyField leaving the Devils out entirely is more likely than option b. It'd be a shame for so many reasons, chief of which being the blatant lack of respect that would be shown by putting a WC within the boundaries of NJ without having the NJ team involved, but it'll all be about the ratings for NHL/NBC, and let's face it - we aren't drawing national ratings by ourselves.

Even option b above would be an obvious placation of Devils/Isles ownership that the NHL probably wouldn't expect to draw great numbers - it's just something they would do for the "right" to have the Rangers and Kings or Blackhawks or whoever in prime time.

Edited by thelastonealive, 31 December 2011 - 01:36 PM.

[devlman]

Buffalo is one of the best nhl tv markets in the country, in terms of the ratings that they pull in.

[Revan]

That's where your fandom starts to comes into question. Won't watch the SCF because the Rangers are playing for the Cup? WTF?

If the Rangers reach the finals someday, I'm definitely going to watch and root HARD for the opposition.

If some new conference format made a Rangers - Flyers matchup possible in the SCF and the two teams met, I would strongly consider not watching the final, because a series like that is a loss for us either way and I know I'm going to watch one of those teams hoist the Cup, which would probably make me puke.

If anyone is hypocritical here, it's the people who, despite disliking the Rangers/Flyers and bashing them on other occasions are all going crazy because a group of Devils fans doesn't want to spend several hours watching how Jagirl prepares for the game or what Avery ate for dinner. What's so strange about it? I like hockey, I like the NHL and it's interesting to see some behind-the-scenes stuff on people I LIKE (either beacuse they play for a team I like or simply because they are NHLers who did nothing in the past to make me dislike them). I very much dislike those two teams, so I have no interest in watching them.

And, for the record, I'm a Devils fan first, THEN a hockey fan.

The NHL doesn't want the Devils on TV they are an embarrassment to the league, inconsistent play and financial problems owing money, paying rent and potential bankruptcy.

Nice provocation. The Devils' lack of presence on national TV and promotion by the NHL doesn't really have much to do with their results or their financial situation. How do the team's finances matter to some random people watching the game on NBC? Talking results? The Devils were a top team for years and they still couldn't get much coverage, while some teams got their time on air despite sucking, solely because of their location or age. It's about the club not being very popular across the country (or even in its own metro area), that's all. Thus, we have very few (if any) games on national TV and very little chance of playing in a WC.

Embarrasment to the league? LOL. The Oilers and Islanders just called, they want their title back.

[ChilltownDevs2673]

Just watched the Alumni game and they had Al Trautwig and Dave Maloney on the ice with Dano in the studio. They asked Dano if watching it made him want to get back out there and he said yea and that he hopes the Devils get a Winter Classic so he can play. They laughed at him...

fvck the god damn Rags!!

[ohms law]

Is there any sort of process for who's playing the winter classic, or do they just announce it at the start of the season?

I'm betting that there isn't another east coast team in the classic for at least a year. Or rather, the game will be on the west coast... there may be an east coast team, but it's going to be hosted in the midwest or the west coast.

[thelastonealive]

I highly doubt it's on the west coast. Remember, the game's usually on Jan 1st, and is a daytime game. So a 1 PM start is a 10 AM start in LA.

I think next year's in Detroit (well, Ann Arbor) at the Big House. No way the NHL can resist the temptation to try to break the attendance record at a place that can hold 100,000+.

[ohms law]

Yea, well... a 3 pm pacific coast time start would be 6 pm eastern...
(which, I just realized, would break up the local news. Damn.)
Well, there's nothing to say that they couldn't start it at 5pm. *shrug*

But yea, Detroit or Chicago would be more likely. I'd say Toronto too, but that's Canada and we know that's not gonna happen.
Anyway, I don't consider Chicago or Detroit to be east coast cities, so same difference.
Might be nice to see a game in St. Louis... if they can figure out how to manage the ice situation (although that doesn't seem to be a problem... it has been and is going to be in the 50's all weekend here and in Philly).

[MDPucks]

The NHL mentioned Colorado, Minnesota, and St. Louis as future locations. The Capitals were also promised a WC game in DC within 3 years when they went to Pittsburgh. 24/7 basically dictatates that the match-up be a division match but amongst different markets. Devils-Rangers, Devils-Flyers, Rangers-Islanders might be full of hate but NBC remembers the ratings bath FOX took in 2000 with the Mets-Yankees Subway series when only New York watched and the rest of the US boycotted the series. With Minnesota having a good year that now makes them viable.

Time-wise the big slot the NHL wants to avoid is the Rose Bowl at 5 p.m. EST since it always does big ratings even among non-sports fans because of the "event".

My guess is next year will either be in Washington (Caps v. Pittsburgh @ Nationals Park/FedEx Field) or in Minnesota (Wild v. Chicago/Detroit @ Target Field/U-Minn. Stadium).

Too bad the technology and forward thinking for a Winter Classic wasn't around in the 1990's because I can guarantee you that you would have seen Detroit-Colorado @ old Mile High and/or Tiger Stadium, LA-Pittsburgh @ Three Rivers, Rangers-take your pick @ Yankee Stadium.

Probably the "BEST" 24/7 rivalry would be Bruins-Habs but unfortunatly NBC doesn't get ratings points from Canada just like CBC doesn't get anything from the US when it comes to the Heritage Classic.

Edited by mdsieve, 31 December 2011 - 09:23 PM.

[ohms law]

Ah! Good point regarding the Rose Bowl. I'd completely forgotten about that.

I doubt Minnesota gets a game, because as competitive as they have been they don't have any drawing power. They don't have any star players really, their success comes from the Lemare team play school. (And besides, their rather quickly regressing to become an average team, with the number of injuries that they've been racking up recently).

I wouldn't mind seeing a Flames vs. Oilers matchup either, but... yea, not gonna happen.

[MDPucks]

Ah! Good point regarding the Rose Bowl. I'd completely forgotten about that.

I doubt Minnesota gets a game, because as competitive as they have been they don't have any drawing power. They don't have any star players really, their success comes from the Lemare team play school. (And besides, their rather quickly regressing to become an average team, with the number of injuries that they've been racking up recently).

I wouldn't mind seeing a Flames vs. Oilers matchup either, but... yea, not gonna happen.

Heritage Classic = CBC/all-Canada driven. Its taken a year-off this season because Edmonton and Calgary have already had the game, Vancouver has a wet climate, Toronto doesn't have a large enough outdoor stadium, and Montreal was the visitor for both Alberta games. Winnipeg has a brand-new CFL stadium for the Blue Bombers opening next year so one of the least kept secrets around is that in February 2013 the Heritage Classic will return as Toronto @ Winnipeg.