Boges

Sure there is. You see a Canucks game on Sportsnet Pacific and try to watch, you get a CP24 like graphics screen, no game. Now under this new deal many of those games won't be blacked out. Those regional channels are only really good for watching different NFL games on the 4pm timeslot and Timeshifting. Then again 2 weeks ago there were 4 UEFA World Cup qualifying games on at the same time, Sportsnet put a few of those games on the regional channels, available to all. Yep, you're SOL. Internet FTW.

Also from what I heard listening to talking heads on the radio yesterday is that they're planning on offering a Centre Ice Package for one team. So you can just pay for the 82 games of only one team you want.

Currently those Regional channels blackout those games anyway, so you need Centre Ice if you want to watch them currently. Apparently with this new deal all regional games will be national on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. So if the regional games are on the other days of the week you're still S-O-L. One could argue, so is being a sports fan. That Sportsnet World (used to be Setanta) channel is a ripoff. I sometimes see Rugby or Cricket that I might be interested in watching but then see it's on Sportsnet World and am like UHHH NO!!! It's like $14. You get the best EPL games on TSN and Sportnet already.

Who pays $1,000 for Sportsnet? Sportsnet Ontario and 360 are part of Basic Cable. You might have to pay extra for Sportsnet One depending on the service you get. I can't conceive any legit sports fan doesn't have cable. You like sports yet you only watch one or two Network games a week? It's quite easy to watch sports online, but I have yet to find a free service that even remotely approaches watching cable TV.

Do you only watch the Leafs when they're on CBC and TSN currently? Because most of their games are already on Sportsnet and/or Leafs TV.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-angers-ndp-by-quoting-jack-layton-1.2441084 So who's in the wrong here? Is JT being a bit too cheeky by throwing the late Jack Layton's word against the NDP after trouncing them in two by-elections? Or is Tom Mulclair being a bit too precious by trying to monopolize Jack's words when that's pretty much exactly what they've been doing since the man died? I think what JT did was rather clever. That being said, this quote is quite douchy if you ask me.

You're not doing business with Rogers. These networks already exist and you likely get most of them with your cable package. You at least get CBC and CityTV Over the Air. People acting like they'll be paying for this deal are just being pessimistic. You already pay extra for these sports channels, it's just that National games will no longer be shown on TSN, they'll be shown on Sportsnet and CityTV.

The reason Sportsnet was all about the Leafs was because it's largely a regional channel. If you watch Sportsnet Pacific they'd likely be talking lots of Canucks. What this deal does is allow for more National games. So all the HNIC games will be shown on the Sportsnet channels, CBC and CityTV.

Because if you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig. People don't just watch sports because of it's slick presentation. Football at many different levels are religion in parts of the United States. People flock to high school football games on Friday nights. You get 90,000 plus people at college football games. It's more than just how the sport is presented. How sports are presented certainly makes it more appealing to the masses. Interestingly NFL attendance has actually declined a bit because the TV experience is so good. But that doesn't mean the sport isn't compelling to watch, to many people. it's just better to watch on TV.

You still really haven't proven that the popularity of the sports is because of the spectacle attached to it, by that logic any sport can be a success based on how it's presented. Even some pre-season NFL games garner huge ratings. People like to follow the sport, same with how hockey is treated here.

Advertising timeouts happen in most sports. What you have in football is a one set piece after another. It's derived from Rugby, I find Rugby tedious sometimes because every time someone is tackled you have to the chaos of a ruck that's very informal and confusing. Where as football is just a succession of plays that each have a different strategic approach. So in between plays they show replays and players are subbed in based on the what the play is going to be. Then at the line, before the play starts, your Quarterback gets to see how the defence is set up and they can change the play. Even when an actual play isn't happening, other stuff still goes on. I'm not sure how you can quantify that. If you don't know anything about football, it will take time to explain but because something is complicated doesn't mean it's compelling. I actually like the complexity of the sport because it keeps things interesting. Again, to each their own.

Sportsnet 360 is the "HOME OF MMA"

What you don't think Gambling doesn't play into the appeal of Soccer? But you're throwing around hyperbole with no real citation as to what actually makes up the majority of what goes on in a game. You can use similar tropes to slag just about any sport. Baseball is 90% people playing catch, The only interesting part of a Basketball game is the last 2 minutes and even then it's just people fouling each other. Hockey is essentially Ice Soccer with hitting and bent sticks. Football is a very complex game, if you don't like it, you don't like it. But it's pretty compelling if you're into it.

You can't argue with an opinion. I'm a big fan of the NFL brand of football. Very strategic, my defence vs your offence, what play I'm going to draw up. It's hard-hitting and if you care about the result it can be quite suspenseful. If you don't like it no one is ordering you to watch but the NFL is by far the largest Western sports league so people do widely enjoy the product. When you talk about Futbol they have 90 minutes of guys kicking a ball around and occasionally they make a move to the net. Fans like the strategy in forming plays but many find it mind-numbingly boring.

Why would they pay for rights if they got nothing for it? They still get to sell ads I'm right. Cheetah Energy drink will still want to sponsor coaches corner. That is assuming Rogers still allows Don Cherry to do his thang. Don't forget Curling! The amusing thing about this that TSN bought the classic HNIC theme song. Now what do they do with it? The new theme for CFL?

CBC still gets to broadcast the games but they have to answer to their new Rogers overlords. Now TSN, they're fucked!

I assume you think we're talking about European Football and not American Football

Remember when Bell and Rogers worked together to put out 2 Olympics and bought the majority share of the Leafs? Well that comradery is done with. Rogers has basically just bought 100% NHL rights in Canada. http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2013/11/26/nhl_signs_12year_broadcast_deal_with_rogers_cbc_keeps_hockey_night_in_canada.html TSN and Bell just got PWNED!!!! They go from the source for big mid-week hockey games to essentially nothing. TSN used to be the only sports game in town but Rogers and their Sportsnet brand has basically taken over. They do radio much better, they have a magazine, they just bought out the Score, (now 360) they have 4 regional channels and 2 national channels. Now they basically have an NHL monopoly. CBC gets to keep some HNIC coverage but, from what I'm hearing, Rogers have the say in what gets broadcast. And they can take popular Leafs games off the CBC if they want. I guess if Rogers wants, they can use their Hockey Central guys instead of Ron Maclean and company.

Hyperbole from me I suppose. Makes me wonder why anyone would spend $60 or so to pay for a championship boxing match on Pay-per-view that lasts for no more than an hour. In UFC the card is all quite compelling. Not so much in boxing. It's why UFC taking the younger crowd away from boxing.

If anyone gets HBO, take a look at last night's Bill Maher show. He sort of puts up a bit of a defense for Ford. He's sort of a legalize all drugs type of guy so it's not much of a surprise. Here's an article http://globalnews.ca/news/986204/real-time-host-bill-maher-defends-toronto-mayor-rob-ford/

You misread the article. The poll has a larger base than the Ipsos-Reid goal. Again I maintain all polling is crap. But it's how the media tells us how politicians are doing so unless they are banned we can't avoid them. "Lies, damned lies, and statistics" Here's an article from Star columnist and high profile Ford hater. People should quit piling on. http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2013/11/22/rob_ford_haters_the_i_told_you_so_crowd_needs_to_hold_its_smugness_in_check_or_fail_james.html

Yeah I don't know many people that don't like Breaking Bad. 2nd season is where it gets it's legs with a season that comes full circle with the Cold Openings to each episode foreshadowing what comes at the end of the season. Season 3 and 4 are the best once we introduce Gus Fring as an antagonist/anti-hero.

The Crack Head and Chief was somewhat charming yesterday at an appearance at Casa Loma last night. Oh and a poll has his approval ratings at 40% still. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/fords-approval-strong-amid-new-report-of-domestic-police-call/article15560112/

I think the Baby Boom created temporary economic conditions where people could be well off doing medial work that required little skill or education. Unless people start reproducing like rabbits again, I doubt we'll see times like that again. I don't have stats for this but I suspect the "Greatest" generation that begat the Baby Boom could be the wealthiest group of people in the history of man. This article claims today's seniors are amongst the wealthiest people in Canada. http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/11/19/why-seniors-shouldnt-get-discounts/

More bad news for Ontario brought to you by the Liberal party. http://www.torontosun.com/2013/11/21/ring-of-fire-mining-project-suspended-in-northern-ontario It would appear that the province has dragged it's heels on infrastructure spending to help develop this project. This government seems to have a track record of only really caring about certain parts of the province and rural/northern Ontario doesn't seem to be very high on the parties priorities. Well at least Ontario is banning coal-fired power plants. That'll create lots of jobs.