NHL coverage - CBC vs. NBC

by jgr80


Full disclosure: I'm upset that there's no more hockey.

I suppose it's time though. I cheered on a lot of losing teams this year. And not because of any particular affinity for underdogs. It started the awful Maple Leafs... I won't comment any further about them.

I jumped on the Penguins bandwagon early on. They were always my second favourite team. I was wearing the Crosby jersey I bought in Korea for every game they played. They were still winning at that though.

Then there was Team Canada at the World's. They won every game I watched in person, which was incredible to see. Ended up losing the big dance though.

Then back to the Pens for the rest of the playoffs, only to come up short in the finals. The three teams are all lovable losers. Still... a disappointing year for hockey.

Speaking of hockey losers... how about the CBC's coverage of the NHL versus that of NBC. In previous years, the American stations just never seemed to get it together. CBC was always the station to watch.

Not this year. NBC melted the ice right out from under CBC when it came to live coverage. I'd still give a slight edge to CBC for intermission coverage since still they have Cherry.

Let's compare... Here's NBC highlights from last night. Mike Emerick and Eddie Olczyk are on the announce team.




And here is an example of CBC's coverage. I wasn't able to find anything from last night. But it's almost as though Bob Cole isn't watching the game or that he doesn't care or something. He's especially bad whenever the whistle blows and there's no action on the ice. He just kind of keeps talking (about nothing) until the puck drops again instead of letting the color guy come in with interesting tidbits about injuries or stats or whatever.



I was surprised. NBC stepped up their game. You can decide for yourself. I know this is a controversial thing to say in this country. I've always liked CBC HNIC, but NBC wins this round.

Numb... nut?!

I'd like to draw your attention this CBC online article.

'Guerdon' rewarding word in spelling bee

Sameer Mishra won the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington on Friday by correctly spelling the word guerdon, which appropriately means reward.

Sameer Mishra, after winning the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington on Friday. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)

Mishra, 13, from West Lafayette, Ind., won $35,000 in cash, a $2,500 U.S. savings bond and thousands of dollars worth of reference books.

He's a reader, enjoys video games, has played the violin for four years in his school orchestra and wants to be a neurosurgeon.

It was his fourth appearance at the bee, after moving up the rankings from ties for 98th, 14th and 16th place in the previous three competitions.

He beat first-time contestant Sidharth Chand, 12, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Sameer was coached by his sister, Shruti, a high school student and three-time bee contestant.

The last seven Canadian contestants were eliminated earlier Friday for flubbing such words as accordatura (the notes to which a stringed instrument is tuned), tonneau (an early style of touring car) and otacariasis (an infestation of the ear with mites).

"Seven up, seven down," said Pam Penny of Ancaster, Ont. Her daughter, Veronica, was one of the seven.

Frank Neuhauser, 94, who won the first bee in 1925 with gladiolus (a flower), said : "It was a lot easier back then." He only had to beat seven others; Mishra vanquished 287. " I'd never make it now," Neuhauser said.

He won $500, and was honoured with a parade in his hometown, Louisville, Ky.

There's nothing inherently special about the article. It's fairly well-written and all, it provides some decent background info, tells a heartwarming story...

But I'm not sure why a spelling bee story doesn't mention the word "numbnut." Watch the video...