Moldy Peaches

As a typical Canadian I am allowed to complain about services in Canada without appreciation of how good "we" have it. Anyone who frequently travels will know that Air Canada is actually a good airline and wins international awards. This might be a function of the poor competition, however, even the bad have to beat someone.

The NHL playoffs are no exception to this rule. The hockey coverage in the United States is AWFUL. We do not know how good CBC coverage is. You need to pay a guide to find hockey games on a cable package.

I have been in two major US centers in the past two weeks and have managed to catch exactly 1 game on television - to be fair NBC apparently had a game on a Saturday morning sandwiched between re-runs of Pee Wee's Playhouse and a Bowflex infomercial.

Now, back to my rant. The Ottawa and Buffalo series finale was the only game that I could track down. The coverage was from the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), and it was, to be kind to backpackers, fly fisherman and Babe Winkelman, terrible. The camera work was junk. This network has no business trying to carry hockey. The professionals stopped playing hockey outdoors the same year the "puck" was invented, many of the the OLN cameras - and most of their technology - were purchased. There were so many times when I was craving CBC coverage - even with Neale, Whitman and Millen. Desperate times call for drastic measures. What is even worse, is that very few cable providers have that channel on their package. There hasn't been a hotel that I visited that carries it.

The league has an exciting and improved product. It now needs a major league television deal. Please get back on ESPN. Beg the network to take you back and sandwich your game between 5 pin bowling and a spelling bee. Ask to be shown at half-time on the WNBA. Negotiate for a slot next to Stump the Schwab. I don't care. Get on a network with a sporting background.

Happy to see the Oil win again and hoping to catch game 3 at the ESPN Sports Zone in Vegas and maybe lay a few "dead presidents" on the lads for Redmonton.