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Clement Gives Devils Respect


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http://nypost.com/sports/30090.htm

5 QUESTIONS FOR

BILL CLEMENT

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February 7, 2003 -- This week, The Post's Andrew Marchand spoke with Bill Clement, ABC/ESPN's lead NHL analyst. The 52-year-old Clement will work his 17th straight Stanley Cup Finals this year.

Q: Who do you think will be standing when the Stanley Cup Finals take place?

A: Before the season I picked Philadelphia and Dallas, but the Flyers seem to have so much trouble with the Devils and Ottawa that I'm not so sure it won't be the New Jersey Devils and the Dallas Stars, a repeat of 2000.

Q: Why the Devils?

A: The East is reasonably wide-open, so that is a tougher pick for me. But the Devils' goals-against is just astronomically tiny. They are just so good defensively.

Q: Where's your guarantee on the Rangers and the playoffs - in or out?

A: I think they are going to make it. I look at who they have ahead of them. I said all along that they are going to make it, and I don't see any reason right now to change.

Let me say this: If Glen Sather can't get them into the playoffs - and with the Rangers, it is not about system, it is how hard they play - then everything has to be dismantled and they have to start from scratch. I think they will squeak into the playoffs.

Q: Would you think Sather would return if they don't make the playoffs?

A: That's a tough question. It depends on how strong his relationship is with [ownership]. It's really tough. Obviously, there has to be accountability at all levels.

Q: What is your take on where hockey is as a television sport and where it is going?

A: The style of play over the last five years has been so suffocating that scoring totals for individuals has gone down and down. There hasn't been much glamour in the last five years. With the rule changes this year, it is starting to open up, and as a result the entertainment value is increasing.

But the biggest thing we are hoping [for] is high def TV (HDTV). Hockey is a difficult sport to follow on TV unless you really understand it, because you can't see the puck. With high def TV, it will give people a whole different perspective of what is going on during the game.

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What I don't understand is how HDTV is going to help hockey anytime soon. Isn't HDTV still priced way out of most people's range?

Not really. A lot of people have been holding off on buying a new TV so that they can buy a HDTV ready one. The actualy HDTV signal is free. I have it through Comcast Digital and it's fantastic. I can't wait to see the Finals in HD!

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Cool! We have an almost 20 year old TV that still has a great picture, but I've been wondering what we would do if it goes out in the next couple of years. I would love to get HDTV at that time but I didn't think we could afford that.

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Cool!  We have an almost 20 year old TV that still has a great picture, but I've been wondering what we would do if it goes out in the next couple of years.  I would love to get HDTV at that time but I didn't think we could afford that.

The price difference between comparable-sized 'normal' TV's and so-called HD-ready TV's (HDTV's with no HD tuner in them) usually isn't all that big, the 'problem' is that there's no such thing as a small HDTV yet. (actually, you could say there is, at least in terms of picture quality - it's known as your computer monitor :P ) I expect cheaper HDTV's to become available over the next couple years as more and more HD programming becomes available.

I believe federal law says all TV programming must be available in HD by sometime in 2005 and the old analog feeds must be turned off in 2006 (so all TV will be HD-only at that point), which really isn't that far away. Last I knew, this schedule was actually progressing at something just a bit slower than these target dates, as broadcasters are finally deciding to stop dragging their feet on the switchover. :)

And BTW, if you've never actually seen true HDTV in action, you're missing out. Basically take DVD-quality and make it somewhere about 2-3x as sharp and detailed as that and you've got it. :) Note that on any screen smaller than somewhere around 30" (no matter how good it is), you probably will be hard-pressed to actually see that kind of detail from any 'normal' viewing distance, but hey. :P

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