Hockey on the fan.

[Cap pitt]

I am not a fan of hockey, as a matter of fact I hate hockey, and when I turn on the fan, what are they talking about? You got it, hockey. One talk show after another, one show talks about the same things that the show before it talked about and on and on one show after another all saying the same thing, the messengers are different but the messages are the same. I know a lot of you like or even love hockey. But I don't. I don't even like watching highlights on tv. The fan is totally consumed with hockey. What say you?

 

[Tuck Shop Gal]

I agree. Sick and tired of hockey hockey hockey. Also The Nightly Sportscall beats that hockey drum too. Zzzzzzzz

 

[str6116]

I echo commonly heard sentiments that today's NHL isn't very entertaining.

 

[Jakey_John]

The team is under the microscope because of their underwhelming performances since 09. As you said, it's a drum that gets beat incessantly. I enjoy hockey but there's no need to garner the attention it's receiving right now in the middle of November.

 

[mike 301]

PITT FOOTBALL

 

[OmarLittle]

I have tried so hard to get into hockey but also gave up.
We have had the most entertaining players in the world here for decades and I still can't watch more than 10 minutes of a game, so I guess its never going to take.

And this is coming from a guy who watches every single Hotspur game I can get, so its not a lack of scoring..

I actually really like MM but I never listen to him because I can't stand hockey. Used to listen to the fan but once i got sirius I just listen to the college football channel.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

Count me among the people who love hockey on this message board. I am not interested in trying to convert you and I respect your position. However, I think it is an infinitely interesting sport with so many variables inside the game and in the politics that surround the game.

It probably is over covered in Pittsburgh but it is probably undercovered nationally. ESPN in particular has done everything it could to marginalize the sport after it lost out on the NHL contract to the network that is currently called NBC Sports Network.

What is frustrating is listening to anchors who clearly don't understand the sport mangle everyone's names and do a wretched job of describing a sport of which they clearly don't even have a cursory understanding.

That can be difficult to sit through.

Also, not to pick on ESPN, but even the top plays are a joke. You will see a relatively pedestrian pass or dunk ranked number one. You will also see an absolutely amazing hockey play that doesn't even make the top 10.

Very weird stuff.

As for Pittsburgh, my frustration with the hockey discussion in this city is that it is often very underinformed and what we are seeing right now is a great illustration of it.

The hyper negativity surrounding the Penguins right now is ludicrously over-the-top.

When they win, everyone just kind of ignores it and pretend it didn't happen or that it happened but it doesn't matter that it happened.

When they lose, everyone wants to trade all of the players on the team and fire all of the coaches and management.

It is one thing when people act this crazy in a short season like football. Hockey seasons are long and this type of hyperbolic BS is tiresome.

Do people even realize that the Pittsburgh Penguins have won 8 of their past 11 games? Has anyone made that point during any of these talkshows? I asked that because I have listened intently and I sure haven't heard it. No one seems to care because Sidney Crosby is not scoring.

"Oh, my God! What are we going to do?! Sure, we beat the Canadiens, Capitals, Predators, and Wild as part of that streak but does it really matter? After all, Sidney's not scoring."

It is very, very strange and more than a little frustrating. It is negativity for negativity's sake.

Let's put the shoe on the other foot. Let's say that Sidney Crosby was lighting up the score sheet for the Penguins but for whatever reason the team had lost eight of their last 11 games. Would people be thrilled then? No, they would be just as pissed then too. They would say that all that point scoring does not matter because the team is losing.

And they would be right.

 

[daminals76]

Haven't watched a Pens game since the 2009 cup finals...

I don't miss it one bit.

 

[drunkinoakland]

I am not a fan of hockey, as a matter of fact I hate hockey, and when I turn on the fan, what are they talking about? You got it, hockey. One talk show after another, one show talks about the same things that the show before it talked about and on and on one show after another all saying the same thing, the messengers are different but the messages are the same. I know a lot of you like or even love hockey. But I don't. I don't even like watching highlights on tv. The fan is totally consumed with hockey. What say you?

Sunday morning I had a long drive. Turned on the Fan thinking I'd get Steelers coverage (not a steelers fan, but I get why they are covered so much and I like the NFL) or if I was lucky, some talk about the Pitt win. Nope, it was all Penguins. Awful!!!

 

[sonofabit]

Sunday morning I had a long drive. Turned on the Fan thinking I'd get Steelers coverage (not a steelers fan, but I get why they are covered so much and I like the NFL) or if I was lucky, some talk about the Pitt win. Nope, it was all Penguins. Awful!!![/
Well the flagship serves the Steeler nation DVE. So there's the alternative thing going on the Fan. And I do believe any would-be Pitt callers get their Pitt-on by posting here with other Pitt fans. Pitt just isn't irritating the common fan this year. Makes for boring sports talk.

 

[OriginalEther]

The Penguins are a big deal in Pittsburgh. Not difficult to understand why.
Deal with it.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I agree. Sick and tired of hockey hockey hockey. Also The Nightly Sportscall beats that hockey drum too. Zzzzzzzz

Would you rather them talk about Stillers, Stillers, Stillers? Look, it is a Pro City, the Pirates are out of season, the Steelers are off this week.

They could talk about college football, but the locals would turn the channels. Besides, most of you (according to your posts) don't listen to the Fan anyways, and when they do Pitt segments, you don't listen or call in (again according to you guys). So why should they spend time?

 

[Pghfan]

I'd rather have sex with Charlie Sheen than listen to radio talk discuss Perron or Scuderi's performances.. And I am a pens fan. This coach isn't the answer, too much talk about him to think he will finish out year.. Pitt fans complain about the topic but when these shows cover Pitt, no one calls in.. YOu can only talk about Pitt for one or two segments tops if no one is calling in.. People call in and talk about steelers, pens, pirates and it makes it easy to talk about.

 

[HailToPitt71]

Count me among the people who love hockey on this message board. I am not interested in trying to convert you and I respect your position. However, I think it is an infinitely interesting sport with so many variables inside the game and in the politics that surround the game.

It probably is over covered in Pittsburgh but it is probably undercovered nationally. ESPN in particular has done everything it could to marginalize the sport after it lost out on the NHL contract to the network that is currently called NBC Sports Network.

What is frustrating is listening to anchors who clearly don't understand the sport mangle everyone's names and do a wretched job of describing a sport of which they clearly don't even have a cursory understanding.

That can be difficult to sit through.

Also, not to pick on ESPN, but even the top plays are a joke. You will see a relatively pedestrian pass or dunk ranked number one. You will also see an absolutely amazing hockey play that doesn't even make the top 10.

Very weird stuff.

As for Pittsburgh, my frustration with the hockey discussion in this city is that it is often very underinformed and what we are seeing right now is a great illustration of it.

The hyper negativity surrounding the Penguins right now is ludicrously over-the-top.

When they win, everyone just kind of ignores it and pretend it didn't happen or that it happened but it doesn't matter that it happened.

When they lose, everyone wants to trade all of the players on the team and fire all of the coaches and management.

It is one thing when people act this crazy in a short season like football. Hockey seasons are long and this type of hyperbolic BS is tiresome.

Do people even realize that the Pittsburgh Penguins have won 8 of their past 11 games? Has anyone made that point during any of these talkshows? I asked that because I have listened intently and I sure haven't heard it. No one seems to care because Sidney Crosby is not scoring.

"Oh, my God! What are we going to do?! Sure, we beat the Canadiens, Capitals, Predators, and Wild as part of that streak but does it really matter? After all, Sidney's not scoring."

It is very, very strange and more than a little frustrating. It is negativity for negativity's sake.

Let's put the shoe on the other foot. Let's say that Sidney Crosby was lighting up the score sheet for the Penguins but for whatever reason the team had lost eight of their last 11 games. Would people be thrilled then? No, they would be just as pissed then too. They would say that all that point scoring does not matter because the team is losing.

And they would be right.

This is Pittsburgh Sports talk in a nutshell. They love dwell on the negative. It seems they all do it generate a reaction. Which in turn, generates the ratings. You would think they could do a little research and find some subjects to, talk about for the teams that are winning. Most of these guys don't want to do the research.

 

[HailToPitt71]

Sunday morning I had a long drive. Turned on the Fan thinking I'd get Steelers coverage (not a steelers fan, but I get why they are covered so much and I like the NFL) or if I was lucky, some talk about the Pitt win. Nope, it was all Penguins. Awful!!!

I'm not sure I can complain about the PITT coverage this year. There definitely seems to be more of it this year.

 

[HailToPitt71]

I'd rather have sex with Charlie Sheen than listen to radio talk discuss Perron or Scuderi's performances.. And I am a pens fan. This coach isn't the answer, too much talk about him to think he will finish out year.. Pitt fans complain about the topic but when these shows cover Pitt, no one calls in.. YOu can only talk about Pitt for one or two segments tops if no one is calling in.. People call in and talk about steelers, pens, pirates and it makes it easy to talk about.

This is correct. Then when no one calls, the stations resort to thier negativity to get a reaction. Still no calls, but more complaints on the board.

 

[pittdan77]

A hockey team making the playoffs isn't much different than Pitt making a bowl game last year. You can be pretty average and still get in to the post season yet people lose their minds in Pittsburgh over the hockey team. Yet tonight, the house will be full over at the Consol money factory as Yinzers file in to empty their wallets.

I give the Rooney's some credit in this regard. They managed to make the North Shore somewhat viable economically and have kept their training facility in the city limits. None of the other pro sports teams can make such claims. The Pirates have just sort of ridden the Rooney's coat tails and the hockey team, despite its "efforts", needs another entity involved to make anything happen around the Consol. Not shocked that USX backed away from that mess.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I am not a fan of hockey, as a matter of fact I hate hockey, and when I turn on the fan, what are they talking about? You got it, hockey. One talk show after another, one show talks about the same things that the show before it talked about and on and on one show after another all saying the same thing, the messengers are different but the messages are the same. I know a lot of you like or even love hockey. But I don't. I don't even like watching highlights on tv. The fan is totally consumed with hockey. What say you?

The Penguins have a huge fanbase locally. In the 18-40 demographic, their numbers are almost equal to the Steelers, who have one of the largest fanbases in all of sports.

I'll sum it up this way. Hockey in Pittsburgh is soccer in Manchester or Barcelona.

 

[ThePanthers]

Hockey is big here, and it brings listeners. Same with the Steelers.

They do have segments for different sports thoughout the day, so if you are listening periodically, you just may be catching those segment blocks, because I listen at my desk and they talk about the Steelers as well and sprinkle in Pitt. During baseball season you have the Bucs as well.

 

[NCanton Panther]

I live in OH a couple hrs or so outside of Pittsburgh so I don't listen to the Fan on a regular basis. However, I happened to be in the Burgh yesterday and then driving for a good hour or so listening to it early evening. Based on that, I'd have to disagree with the OP regarding the inference of it being all Hockey. They were doing a good bit of hockey talk on just what I think any impartial observer would expect, i.e., Malkin's performance in the prior night's game coming off his weekend statements calling out the team, and the hit on Matta and the NHL's statement regarding the hit. Again, this all seemed like reasonable and expected discussion to me so I think you have to definitely be biased against hockey and the Pittsburgh media to think that wasn't reasonable.

Also, in addition to the Pens, I also heard them talking about the Steelers as expected as well as the Pirates as they were dissecting Huntington's recent comments on 1B, etc etc. This should also all be expected unless you are biased or anti-any pro Pittsburgh team.

And lastly, I also heard them talking about Pitt some, the recent game against Duke and the upcoming game. And that was even right before they proceeded into an HOUR LONG PAT NARDUZZI show from the South side. So if the OP is complaining about it all being hockey talk, that must have been because it was right after talking about Pitt for essentially an hour straight.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Here is the semi annual, "the Pittsburgh media covers hockey too much" post.

Which is followed by the hockey haters and those too old or stupid to understand the sport to chime in that "they hate hockey!".

It is like clockwork, they should use these posts to mark daylight savings time, because they happen twice a year with the same familiar responses.

"Hockey draws lower than Ping Pong!" Okay, it might in Bugtussle, Alabama, but you are in Pittsburgh, PA. Hockey here draws better than basketball and baseball in most cities.

"I hate hockey". Great, thanks for sharing. I hate cucumbers. I don't expect you to stop eating cucumbers.

"The Pens suck". Great, I am guessing you are Flyers fan. 1975.

"Nobody watches hockey". Probably not in the Munhall Retirement home. Please, continue amongst yourselves discussing Floyd Patterson's title bouts.

"Hockey is boring". Well, the NHL is trying everything they can do to make sure you are right.

"I don't understand the rules". You don't think football has subjective rules?

"Hockey is a Canadian Sport". And football derived from Rugby.

"I hate the Fan". Then what are you complaining about when they discuss hockey.

"I am sick of Pro Sports dominating coverage". Move.

 

[OH Pete]

I think the radio hosts love to talk hockey because it is so much harder for the listeners to catch on to the fact that they know nothing about hockey. About 2% of Pens fans that I've met actually understand the game vs about 50% of the fans of football and baseball. So the hosts can spout BS and no one ever catches on that they are clueless.

 

[Pghfan]

good post recruits. Can't imagine anyone hating cucumbers though, besides cats of course.. Frustrated with NHL though and I admit, I am not smart enough or knowledgeable enough on how to fix it.. Refs calling consistent interference calls, decreasing size of goalie pads is pretty much the standard answer from casual fans, unfortunately I can't come up with anything better. I am always pushing the "make the ice bigger" angle but smarter people than I respond that will only take action "away" from net, and not fixing issue. I will assume they are right.

The NHL vs NBA debate gets old, then it always morphs into a soccer bashing because some poster chimes in about soccer being popular in the rest of the world so it goes into a 100+post thread with everyone insulting everyone..

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

This is Pittsburgh Sports talk in a nutshell. They love dwell on the negative. It seems they all do it generate a reaction. Which in turn, generates the ratings. You would think they could do a little research and find some subjects to, talk about for the teams that are winning. Most of these guys don't want to do the research.

Actually......they were right to dwell on the negative in this case. The winning "streak" was mostly smoke and mirrors and their goalie playing over his head. When you have supposedly the top player in the world (here's a tip, he ain't anymore) and paying him over $10 million a year and he is producing at a level less than you would expect from a 3rd liner, your supposed, high price "core defenseman" is playing like he completely forgot how to play hockey, well it is concerning.

And this goes back into last year. Always excused for Sid. At least Geno backed up his words with a Mario like performance the other night. But again, a 4-1 lead turned into another 4-3 nailbiter with Sid and Letang not producing much offensively.

The coach is overmatched. Completely misfit for this team. Everyone knows it. The Pens have become the Cleveland Browns as far as organizational decisions. Only a few years ago they seemed like the model franchise in the NHL.

So.......there is a lot of frustration amongst the fans and the media. Which in most cases here are one and the same. That drives a lot of discussion. It is what people want to talk about.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

good post recruits. Can't imagine anyone hating cucumbers though, besides cats of course.. Frustrated with NHL though and I admit, I am not smart enough or knowledgeable enough on how to fix it.. Refs calling consistent interference calls, decreasing size of goalie pads is pretty much the standard answer from casual fans, unfortunately I can't come up with anything better. I am always pushing the "make the ice bigger" angle but smarter people than I respond that will only take action "away" from net, and not fixing issue. I will assume they are right.

The NHL vs NBA debate gets old, then it always morphs into a soccer bashing because some poster chimes in about soccer being popular in the rest of the world so it goes into a 100+post thread with everyone insulting everyone..

Another thread. Just to piss off the hockey haters. I am going to post how I would "fix" the game.

 

[Pghfan]

Johnston needs to go now. It's gonna happen sooner or later, might as well get it over with and move on..

 

[JohnnyGossamer]

Honestly, they probably should cover pro sports more than Pitt given their listeners. But, for me, I never hear it. Pretty easy to avoid the Steeler and Pens. Two teams I root for but don't invest much time in or energy in. I mean, I watch Red Zone for fantasy on Sundays. And, I just never watch hockey and essentially avoid bars when I know the Steelers or Penguins will dominate the televisions. Not too tough.

 

[HailToPitt71]

Here is the semi annual, "the Pittsburgh media covers hockey too much" post.

Which is followed by the hockey haters and those too old or stupid to understand the sport to chime in that "they hate hockey!".

It is like clockwork, they should use these posts to mark daylight savings time, because they happen twice a year with the same familiar responses.

"Hockey draws lower than Ping Pong!" Okay, it might in Bugtussle, Alabama, but you are in Pittsburgh, PA. Hockey here draws better than basketball and baseball in most cities.

"I hate hockey". Great, thanks for sharing. I hate cucumbers. I don't expect you to stop eating cucumbers.

"The Pens suck". Great, I am guessing you are Flyers fan. 1975.

"Nobody watches hockey". Probably not in the Munhall Retirement home. Please, continue amongst yourselves discussing Floyd Patterson's title bouts.

"Hockey is boring". Well, the NHL is trying everything they can do to make sure you are right.

"I don't understand the rules". You don't think football has subjective rules?

"Hockey is a Canadian Sport". And football derived from Rugby.

"I hate the Fan". Then what are you complaining about when they discuss hockey.

"I am sick of Pro Sports dominating coverage". Move.

Good post but this may be the best of the bunch:

"Hockey is boring". Well, the NHL is trying everything they can do to make sure you are right.

I'm a huge hockey fan. To this point, I would rather watch either my sons (one squirt, one peewee) play a game than some of the stuff I've been watching lately.

I'm not a "make the nets bigger, make the goalie smaller" guy either. Its all about the flow of the game. If the skilled players had some room to move without being hooked, held, trippped, no one would care about the goals or goalies. A 2-1 hockey game can be really entertaining if there are scoring chances at both ends.

The NHL really needs to figure this out. The best hockey was the season after the lock out, when they called everything and players adjusted.

 

[HailToPitt71]

good post recruits. Can't imagine anyone hating cucumbers though, besides cats of course.. Frustrated with NHL though and I admit, I am not smart enough or knowledgeable enough on how to fix it.. Refs calling consistent interference calls, decreasing size of goalie pads is pretty much the standard answer from casual fans, unfortunately I can't come up with anything better. I am always pushing the "make the ice bigger" angle but smarter people than I respond that will only take action "away" from net, and not fixing issue. I will assume they are right.

The NHL vs NBA debate gets old, then it always morphs into a soccer bashing because some poster chimes in about soccer being popular in the rest of the world so it goes into a 100+post thread with everyone insulting everyone..

Don't assume they are right. Hockey doesn't need a softball score to be entertaining.

 

[daminals76]

Consol won't be full at all!
It will be "sold out", yet hundreds of empty seats! Lol

 

[Cap pitt]

I'm not sure I can complain about the PITT coverage this year. There definitely seems to be more of it this year.

I'm not sure I can complain about the PITT coverage this year. There definitely seems to be more of it this year.

Most Pitt talk is pregame and a little more now with the Paul Zeise show, remember, 93.7 the fan is the home of Pitt and the Pirates

 

[Panther Parrothead]

I am not a fan of hockey, as a matter of fact I hate hockey, and when I turn on the fan, what are they talking about? You got it, hockey. One talk show after another, one show talks about the same things that the show before it talked about and on and on one show after another all saying the same thing, the messengers are different but the messages are the same. I know a lot of you like or even love hockey. But I don't. I don't even like watching highlights on tv. The fan is totally consumed with hockey. What say you?

I don't begrudge anyone speaking about whatever interests them. But I share your observation about the lack of original thoughts. I mean, really, how many times can callers repeat the same things that have already been said - and only a few minutes earlier? For this reason, I've stopped listening to the blabber.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I hate cucumbers. I don't expect you to stop eating cucumbers.

Those things are vile and should be outlawed!