-We all have heard the term "don't mess with Texas." Yeah well, up here don't mess with hockey. You can mess with public health, eudcation and even rob from the citizens, but don't EVER mess with hockey, Mr. NBC.
In an insecure country where the "Hockey Night in Canada" song theme is the single most recognizable tune in the history of this country - no exaggeration intended - messing with hockey is not a good idea.
It seems that certain Canadian sports fans in some circles of the media are in a hissy and haughty rant about how NBC disrespected the NHL. None of the people, of course, doing the incessant whining are businesspeople or have any clue on what it means or takes to run a business - and it darn well shows through their rhetoric. For those of you who don't know - or care - NBC cut away at 5pm from the Buffalo/Ottawa overtime game last week to show the Preakness. I'm not defending it but I also see their point.
One thing I learned in business - among many, many things - is when you are negotiating from a position of little or no leverage, you have to be extra cautious and diligent to ensure the deal you (meaning the NHL) sign is a healthy one for your business. Did the NHL do this? I'm not sure. If not, where does the blame lie? These are tough times for hockey in terms of getting national exposure in the U.S. The game itself is fine. Is it time for a new strategy?
Canada is not a business culture so I don't expect our media to get this. However, it seems to me we're overdoing this episode. This stuff happens from time to time. We just don't like it when it happens to us good old Canadians. Hockey is the be all and end all here. It just isn't the case elsewhere.
You want to direct some anger at someone? Direct it at the people over at Global who have pulled some second-rate blunders over the last couple of years.
The reaction is slightly overdone. To borrow the lyrical words of Warren Zevon, "send, lawyers, guns and money." NBC is dissing us.
-From the desk of The Commentator: Note to the Mayor of Montreal, you scammed us with the parking meter hikes, now you can make amends by standing firm with the transit union for mechanics and maintenance represented by the Confederation des syndicats nationaux. Eroding the grip of union power has to begin somewhere. Why not here and now?
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