ESPN may drop NHL TV package altogether
By ED SHERMAN
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO - The fallout already is beginning. Wednesday's cancellation of the season could lead to the NHL losing its relationship with ESPN.
A high-ranking network executive had harsh words for the league in the wake of Commissioner Gary Bettman's announcement. The current contract gives ESPN the option to renew for next year.
Mark Shapiro, ESPN's executive vice president for programming and production, said the network would continue to work to fill the time slots the NHL had left open. He hinted strongly that the situation might lead to ESPN realizing it could do without hockey.
"We're taking a wait-and-see approach," Shapiro said. "However, anytime you cede real estate or currency with the fans or a business partner, it's a dangerous strategy. Ultimately, others come to fill the void. And God forbid (for the league) we find something successful that takes the place of hockey."
Shapiro then said tellingly, "Remember Wally Pipp."
ESPN2 had been scheduled to air 40 regular-season games. Then ESPN and ESPN2 were to televise about 60 playoff games, including the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals.
Without hockey, the network has been airing more college basketball on ESPN2. This spring it will add major-league baseball and NBA games, along with college baseball and boxing.
The NHL has enjoyed a long relationship with ESPN, basically serving as the lone national outlet for hockey fans. But Shapiro said those fans, himself included, felt betrayed Wednesday.
"They are toying with the true passionate fan," Shapiro said. "It's frustrating and sad."
As for what ESPN might do next season, Shapiro said: "What next year? As far as we're concerned, they're on lockout. At this point, we have to make other plans."
Meanwhile, Pat Foley was driving through the South when he heard the news that his "vacation" had been extended at least to the fall.
Foley hardly has been waiting around to see if hockey could resolve its differences. He spent a month in Hawaii and went skiing in Lake Tahoe, Nev. The highlight might have been driving for two days back from Florida with his father.
"There has been no grass growing under my feet," the veteran Blackhawks play-by-play man said.
Still, the entire situation feels weird to Foley. During this time of year, he is supposed to be in an arena or on an airplane going to an arena.
"I've made good use of my time," Foley said. "But I keep thinking, `There's something not right about this.' It's a strange set of circumstances."
Foley doesn't have the financial concerns that others in hockey are facing. While he won't disclose the details, the Blackhawks reportedly still are paying him during the lost season.
But Foley would rather be working. Like everyone else connected with the game, he includes himself as one of "the losers" because of the discord.
"Everyone loses," Foley said.
When hockey does come back, he said: "Everyone has to reach out and make the game more fan-friendly. We have a lot of mileage to make up."
On other fronts, NBC still is on board to air a limited slate of national games next season, provided there is one. The network was set to televise seven regular-season games and six playoff games on Saturdays this year. Then it was supposed to cover Games 3 through 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.
The arrangement was the beginning of a two-year contract that showed how far the NHL had fallen. Instead of getting a rights fee like the other major professional leagues, hockey entered into a revenue-sharing deal with NBC.
At this point, even if the NHL does play again, it doesn't look like there will be much revenue to share.
