Michael Hardner Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/rogers-early-season-tv-ratings-down-sharply-for-nhl-maple-leafs/article27702912/ "The early television ratings on the NHL and Toronto Maple Leafs blasted away any lingering good news from the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Media. While NHL TV ratings are down across the board on average for Rogers for the first seven weeks this season, as expected the worst news concerns the Maple Leafs, the team that drives the numbers because it is in the largest broadcast market in Canada. The combined ratings for the Leafs on all the Rogers-connected networks that carry them, CBC, Sportsnet and City, are down 30 per cent from Oct. 7 through Nov. 21 according to Numeris, the only company in Canada that compiles broadcast ratings." You can start getting your minds around it right now: hockey is dying in Canada. They have completed the epitome of killing the goose that lays the golden egg: they oversold it, over advertised it, built condos on it, made a lousy product and sold it at prices only a rich man can afford. Now they're about to get the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmy Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 I will wager you valuable Kimmy Points that as the Leafs on-ice product improves, their ratings will also improve. Leafs fans endured another very poor start to the season and I can't blame them for not tuning in, but it appears that Babcock has them moving in the right direction lately. -k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 After such dismal mismanagement most franchises would be experiencing far more than a drop in TV ratings. The Leafs have been a horrible team for a decade now and somehow still fill the building and sell gobs of merchandise. If the club improves to the point that they are even remotely in a playoff race, the ratings will not only rebound, but fans will start planning the Stanley Cup parade route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted December 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 I will wager you valuable Kimmy Points that as the Leafs on-ice product improves, their ratings will also improve. Sure. But the underlying assumption is that Torontonians need the Leafs like they need oxygen. They're not inducing the immigrant demographic, the youth demographic... and with more years of losing ahead it's going to be less of a bump once they do get better, if there's a bump at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted December 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 After such dismal mismanagement most franchises would be experiencing far more than a drop in TV ratings. The Leafs have been a horrible team for a decade now and somehow still fill the building ... Home opener against the Habs this year did not sell out. This should be a big story but there's too much at stake if the Leafs decline becomes a juggernaut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 I will wager you valuable Kimmy Points that as the Leafs on-ice product improves, their ratings will also improve. Leafs fans endured another very poor start to the season and I can't blame them for not tuning in, but it appears that Babcock has them moving in the right direction lately. -k It's more than that: there's no buzz around the Leafs, no star power or sex appeal. The Jays have had success and have a roster of real stars like Donaldson and Bautista. the Raptors are winning with Lowry. Even lowly TFC had success with MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco as their centrepiece. The Leafs are a bad team with no personality. Maybe if they draft Matthews or sign Stamkos next year that will change, but there's no compelling reason to watch this team. The other factor in all this is that Sportsnet itself has made a compete hash of their NHL broadcasts. They're awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmy Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 The other factor in all this is that Sportsnet itself has made a compete hash of their NHL broadcasts. They're awful. I agree with that much, but they were this bad last year as well, so I can't see that being a rationale for a year-over-year drop. -k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 The television product itself has declined considerably since Rogers took over (even the CBC broadcasts are produced for them by Rogers now). It's no wonder that people aren't watching. If your team isn't doing well, that's bad enough. But if the broadcast is torture to begin with, it doesn't take much of a reason for people to tune out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 I agree with that much, but they were this bad last year as well, so I can't see that being a rationale for a year-over-year drop. -k Well last year was the first year for it so there was probably some willingness to overlook some of the flaws as they sorted themselves out. Then, when it became clear that the flaws weren't bugs but features, people tuned out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boges Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 The Leafs are starting to come into form as a well coached group of underdogs. They may not ever compete for a playoff spot but they're more interesting to watch lately then they were last year. They also have to compete with the Raptors for casual fans, and the Raps are a winning team. I like Sportsnet. Much better than TSN, they've brought a lot of the CBC talent over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overthere Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 I like Sportsnet. Not really. They populate their game broadcasts with shrill meatheads like John Garrett and Greg Millen and many others . They have so much time to fill with the mega-contract. They have a couple of 'hosts' -like David Amber and George Strombopoulos- that have nothing to offer IMO. The regional broadcasts have on-air ' personalties' that are a long distance from interesting. On the other side, TSN has some superb analysts like Ray Feraro that are underutilized because they have no actual product to produce. James Duthie and Bob MacKenzie are in a simalar boat in the studio. I almost always change channels between periods on Sportsnet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 I like Sportsnet. Much better than TSN, they've brought a lot of the CBC talent over. Their play by play crews are, at best, ok. But their studio analysts? WOOF. Don Cherry: 2014–present Damien Cox: 2011–present Elliotte Friedman: 2014–present Glenn Healy: 2014–present Kelly Hrudey: 2014–present Billy Jaffe: 2014–present Mike Johnson: 2014–present Chris Johnston: 2014–present Nick Kypreos: 1998–present Doug MacLean: 2009–present Scott Morrison: 2014–present Darren Pang: 2014–present John Shannon: 2014–present Mark Spector: 2014–present P. J. Stock: 2014–present Colby Armstrong: 2014-present Louie DeBrusk: 2014-present Outside of Elliotte Friedman, there's not a brain cell to be found. Terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Squid Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 I don't mind Nick Kypreos... but compared to the TSN crew, these guys suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmy Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 I can't believe they're still trying to make Nick Kypreos happen. He's awful. I don't get it. Is it because he used to get his face punched a lot as a Leafs enforcer that they think people like him? -k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmy Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 It's more than that: there's no buzz around the Leafs, no star power or sex appeal. The Jays have had success and have a roster of real stars like Donaldson and Bautista. the Raptors are winning with Lowry. Even lowly TFC had success with MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco as their centrepiece. The Leafs are a bad team with no personality. Maybe if they draft Matthews or sign Stamkos next year that will change, but there's no compelling reason to watch this team. If the Leafs improve-- and with a hockey man like Mike Babcock running the show I think it is inevitable that they will-- I think the fans will invent their own stars. Somebody will be seen as the leader or the guy driving the on-ice success, and he'll be a star. If Toronto was able to turn a scumbag like Darcy Tucker into a hockey hero, they can make anybody into a hockey hero. -k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted December 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Why is Babcock so universally admired ? I am starting to suspect groupthink or armchairism... No offense intended here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boges Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Why is Babcock so universally admired ? I am starting to suspect groupthink or armchairism... No offense intended here. He has a pretty impressive track record. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted December 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 He has a pretty impressive track record. I guess so. I used to think that about Scotty Bowman and Pat Burns because they won cups, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Squid Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 (edited) I guess so. I used to think that about Scotty Bowman and Pat Burns because they won cups, though.Pat Burns made 2 appearances in the Cup finals and won one of them. In about the same amount of seasons, Babcock made 3 appearances and won one cup. ETA: Babcock's 2 losses both went to game 7. We could easily be talking about his 3 wins... The difference between 1 and 3 cups for this guy is paper thin. Edited December 12, 2015 by The_Squid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted December 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Ok... I didn't research my post, just based on old memories from when I used to like hockey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 Pat Burns made 2 appearances in the Cup finals and won one of them. In about the same amount of seasons, Babcock made 3 appearances and won one cup. ETA: Babcock's 2 losses both went to game 7. We could easily be talking about his 3 wins... The difference between 1 and 3 cups for this guy is paper thin. I think Ken Holland was responsible for most of the success you listed, but still Babcock is highly regarded by players and management alike. Mike came from a a well managed franchise with great scouting, a phenomenal development system and patience. We'll see if his reputation persists when he's not in the ideal hockey situation. Mike will get a few years grace before fans start to blame him for the mediocrity, hopefully Lou can turn things around in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted December 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 Well, let's see if he can deal with incompetent owners and plunging interest as this once-great franchises continues to plummet in value to real estate assets + $0. They're soon going to have a stupid animal mascot on the jersey, as well as finally correcting the 100-year old misspelling of the plural of 'Leaf' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overthere Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 Regardless of what we think, the big brains in Canadian hockey think enough of him to offer him the job of head coach for the Olympic Team, where he won both times. He is the only coach ever to win Olympic gold, World Championship and a Stanley Cup. While entirely predictable, it is pretty funny to see Leafs fans turn on Babcock already- well short of half a season since he took over a very poor team with crappy players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boges Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 Regardless of what we think, the big brains in Canadian hockey think enough of him to offer him the job of head coach for the Olympic Team, where he won both times. He is the only coach ever to win Olympic gold, World Championship and a Stanley Cup. While entirely predictable, it is pretty funny to see Leafs fans turn on Babcock already- well short of half a season since he took over a very poor team with crappy players. I wouldn't classify said poster as a Leafs fan. Funny no one calls MLSE incompetent in how they run the Raptors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overthere Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 Can't you see the humour in the Leafs situation though? The fan base is restless after 30 games with a guy they signed for crazy money and crazy term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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