How safe is this guy's job?

[sparty07]

With another game coming up this Wednesday against Pittsburgh, whoever set up the NBC schedule of nationally televised games has to be feeling hot under the collar. Old news story below

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...813-story.html

[LecavalierFan]

To be fair, the Blackhawks are still one of the most popular teams in the country. Their record doesn't necessarily diminish that. I'd like to see what the ratings for their games have been like so far this season.

[30ranfordfan]

Good doesn't necessarily equate to popular. I suspect there are way more people interested in watching the Blackhawks than Lightning.

I know I hear a lot of NBA (Raptors) talk on the radio. Raptors have been really good for years, but fans are always miffed at the fact that the team doesn't get national coverage (much) by ESPN. From the sounds of things.... playing on Christmas Day is a point of pride for players, and the Raptors don't typically get that game. NBA would rather schedule a terrible New York Knicks team. Why put up a junk team, rather than one of the best in the league? It's simple.... if the Knicks were 2-40, and the Raptors were 40-2.... there are more people that want to watch the Knicks. How good the teams are has nothing to do with it.

Same thing happens in hockey, and all sports. Teams with a larger national following are going to get the national games, since more people will tune in to watch.

[pwaldo]

I know I hear a lot of NBA (Raptors) talk on the radio. Raptors have been really good for years, but fans are always miffed at the fact that the team doesn't get national coverage (much) by ESPN. From the sounds of things.

They really shouldn't be miffed on that one. This is one of the few things I'd agree with ESPN about. TV ratings only count viewers in the United States. Not from Canada/Mexico/etc so it doesn't matter if the rest of the world watches the Raptors because if they put up a dud rating in the US it will hurt the TV channel.