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Neil Everett has been let go from ESPN

Darren Pang has been a beloved part of the St. Louis broadcast team. He sees the writing on the wall and the Hockey part of this is now starting to hit the fan.

I’ve covered this for a while, and this is the biggest move so far. Detroit doesn’t want to lose its broadcast team. Darren lives near Waterford in the summer, and talks to Yzerman often. The GM may have heard enough at this point. The two are very good friends.

It’s time to call the broadcast swaps for what they are, an absolute disaster. No, you couldn’t have known Disney was headed for big trouble. However, as FSD transferred to Bally after year one it was clear something was off. The new studio setup, the general apathy of Howard’s segments, things started to look “cheaper”. I was leaving the room during those breaks. The focus was far more on what bets you could make than the game itself. (In my opinion).

TNT, forget it. Ted Turner revolutionized the cable industry and then lost total control. He invented CNN, and made “it’s a wonderful life” a bigger movie than ever. He found out that it fell into public domain (copyright not renewed) so aired it around the clock. Free content for paid subscription. (By the way, Winnie the Pooh in original form is falling into public domain, as is the original Mickey Mouse from “steamboat willie”. Winnie the Pooh now stars in an upcoming horror movie)

Red Wings, take a look at the landscape. You’re building, and your fans are having trouble enjoying it from a viewership model. Get rid of blackout restrictions and get the stand alone sub models up and running. If this league falls further in viewership next year (lost almost 100k last year) to sub 700 territory something is going to have to give.

Pang is loyal, and his departure is an eye opener. As is Shane Doan going to Toronto (different story for another time). The broadcasting companies and AZ leadership are destroying parts of the league at a time when people have less money. If the final ratings are lower than announced this past year (always a revision) hang on tight. I just spoke to a relative whose parents paid the 25k for their kid to be in a well known program in the Detroit area. One year’s tuition (doesn’t include pads or travel). There’s an entire side industry relying on the NHL to get it together.



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