Philagape
05-05-2007, 08:49 AM
Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” came to the Buffalo Sabres’ defense on Wednesday after the latest “no-goal” controversy.
While debating whether the Sabres “were robbed” after Daniel Briere’s tying goal was denied late in the 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers, Wilbon playfully said: “Conspiracy, conspiracy.” He suggested the conspiracy in favor of the New York City team was intended to get “some rating” in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“I’m saying that half-facetiously,” added Wilbon. “We know it was a goal.”
To which Kornheiser added that “the happiest guy in the world” that the Rangers had tied the series and might go further into the playoffs was NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
“Because the ratings on hockey are no good on any level and relatively they would be much better if the Rangers are in,” Kornheiser said.
Many Sabres fans who believe in conspiracy theories undoubtedly ate up the words of the entertaining “PTI” crew. But pardon Kornheiser and Wilbon’s ignorance of the local ratings for the three national games played in the series.
The Rangers have the potential to be watched in 12 times as many households as the Sabres do because they play in the nation’s biggest market. If the Rangers advance, the potential is much greater in New York than it is in Buffalo, where at best there is the potential of an additional 100,000 households. (Buffalo, however, also has many national fans who have left the area and watch the Sabres from their new homes).
But in Round Two, the New York potential hasn’t translated into more viewers. The Versus coverage of Game One had a 25.3 rating here and a 1.1 rating in New York City. A rating point in Buffalo equals about 6,400 homes. A point in New York equals about 74,000 homes. According to Versus, the game was watched by practically twice as many households in Buffalo than in the Big Apple — 162,000 homes to 83,000 homes.
NBC’s coverage of the Rangers’ double overtime victory last Sunday averaged a 30 rating here for about 192,000 households. The 1.8 rating in New York equaled about 133,000 households.
Versus’ coverage of Tuesday’s “nogoal” game had a 24.8 rating in Buffalo for about 158,000 homes. In New York, the rating “surged” to a 1.5 or about 111,000 homes. And Versus reports that was the best rating ever for an NHL telecast on Versus in the New York market.
http://www.buffalonews.com/214/story/69003.html
While debating whether the Sabres “were robbed” after Daniel Briere’s tying goal was denied late in the 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers, Wilbon playfully said: “Conspiracy, conspiracy.” He suggested the conspiracy in favor of the New York City team was intended to get “some rating” in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“I’m saying that half-facetiously,” added Wilbon. “We know it was a goal.”
To which Kornheiser added that “the happiest guy in the world” that the Rangers had tied the series and might go further into the playoffs was NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
“Because the ratings on hockey are no good on any level and relatively they would be much better if the Rangers are in,” Kornheiser said.
Many Sabres fans who believe in conspiracy theories undoubtedly ate up the words of the entertaining “PTI” crew. But pardon Kornheiser and Wilbon’s ignorance of the local ratings for the three national games played in the series.
The Rangers have the potential to be watched in 12 times as many households as the Sabres do because they play in the nation’s biggest market. If the Rangers advance, the potential is much greater in New York than it is in Buffalo, where at best there is the potential of an additional 100,000 households. (Buffalo, however, also has many national fans who have left the area and watch the Sabres from their new homes).
But in Round Two, the New York potential hasn’t translated into more viewers. The Versus coverage of Game One had a 25.3 rating here and a 1.1 rating in New York City. A rating point in Buffalo equals about 6,400 homes. A point in New York equals about 74,000 homes. According to Versus, the game was watched by practically twice as many households in Buffalo than in the Big Apple — 162,000 homes to 83,000 homes.
NBC’s coverage of the Rangers’ double overtime victory last Sunday averaged a 30 rating here for about 192,000 households. The 1.8 rating in New York equaled about 133,000 households.
Versus’ coverage of Tuesday’s “nogoal” game had a 24.8 rating in Buffalo for about 158,000 homes. In New York, the rating “surged” to a 1.5 or about 111,000 homes. And Versus reports that was the best rating ever for an NHL telecast on Versus in the New York market.
http://www.buffalonews.com/214/story/69003.html