Philadelphia = Terrible MEDIA Hockey Town

[King Knut]

Eh, if the sport was any bigger, getting good seats in these stadiums would be harder than becoming a Packers season ticket holder.

I just wish Bettman and the agents and NHLPA could all grasp that Hockey has a saturation point and we're beyond it in all probability.

[Bakanekimiwa]

Bill Meltzer is is the best source of unbiased knowledge/news when it comes to the Flyers. Any of the writers that cover for the philly rags always have a chip on their shoulder about something or how they were treated by the Flyers and you can read it in every word they write.

 

That's essentially it... the other beat reporters are arrogant narcissists. Pinocchio is probably the worst, technically and contextually, writer in the NHL. Carcheesy is just plain narcissistic and negative. Philly is really being underserved as far as hockey coverage and it really is a shame. Bill M is the only one I'll give my time of day to. Ryan Bright is decent, but I think he was laid off from DailyNews(?) and now is only somewhat reporting for a blog somewhere. 

 

I suppose we need a new young crop of writers to come up... that, and somehow get rid of the dinosaurs that have somehow outlasted their extinction. 

[radoran]

The salient point here is that ALL Philadelphia sports media pretty much blows.

 

94WIP has gotten absolutely unlistenable as they've gone with the Innes crowd. The Morning Show hasn't been worth listening to in probably a decade if not longer, but Innes has really destroyed that station.

 

The Fanatic is somewhat more tolerable, if only because the bro crowd seems to have moved over to WIP. Missanelli's still an ass, though.

 

Comcast SportsNet is an advertising outlet for the teams and little more than that.

[fanaticV3.0]

If you are a Flyers, Phillies, or Sixers fan and you want to listen to sports talk radio in this town, you are sh-t out of luck. It's all football all the time here and that's how both the radio personalities and the fans want it.

[sarsippius]

flyers are different for me somehow. I'm more invested. Can't explain how or why I care more about one futility than the other.

I'm right there with you on that one. Flyboys won their Cups when I was a wee lad, the way the Delaware valley fell in love with that team and with the game of hockey left a permanent imprint on me. The Cup is the one I really want

[ruxpin]

Ive tried podcasting shows or just listening to hockey centered stations that are generated from toronto. There's a few problems with that. If I listen to toronto radio, I will hear mostly leafs talk. Then there will be some habs talk and so on down the line. Flyers talk won't be on the menu most of the time.

Also, god bless the canadians, but they are really boring to listen to. Love or hate philly sports radio guys, but some of them actually have personalities and do things to make it entertaining. It's not just a medium to get information...I want to be entertained.

And last, I was surprised at how much they talk about the NFL is canada. For not having a team, they still talk about it. I think even the CFL gets a lot of coverage when they are playing.

I honestly enjoyed NHL Network Radio on Sirius XM. Most shows and hosts were very entertaining. They talked about Philly, but not like you would get on a local station. It would be nice to have local shows.

[ruxpin]

The salient point here is that ALL Philadelphia sports media pretty much blows.

94WIP has gotten absolutely unlistenable as they've gone with the Innes crowd. The Morning Show hasn't been worth listening to in probably a decade if not longer, but Innes has really destroyed that station.

The Fanatic is somewhat more tolerable, if only because the bro crowd seems to have moved over to WIP. Missanelli's still an ass, though.

Comcast SportsNet is an advertising outlet for the teams and little more than that.

Anyone else miss WYSP?

[sarsippius]

Anyone else miss WYSP?

Right here! When WYSP went off the air, it was like WMMR stopped trying because they lost their only competition.....I don't count classic rock WMGK as competition, different groove altogether.

Hijack over, back to sports media being abysmal on Philly....

[fanaticV3.0]

The salient point here is that ALL Philadelphia sports media pretty much blows.

 

94WIP has gotten absolutely unlistenable as they've gone with the Innes crowd. The Morning Show hasn't been worth listening to in probably a decade if not longer, but Innes has really destroyed that station.

 

The Fanatic is somewhat more tolerable, if only because the bro crowd seems to have moved over to WIP. Missanelli's still an ass, though.

 

Comcast SportsNet is an advertising outlet for the teams and little more than that.

 

I don't understand what they are thinking with this move. I tune in when Missanelli is on break and his show is mostly him arguing with callers about non-sports related stuff, trash talkingMissanell (though he's cut back on that), or Hollis Thomas bragging about how much he eats or gets laid.

[radoran]

I don't understand what they are thinking with this move. I tune in when Missanelli is on break and his show is mostly him arguing with callers about non-sports related stuff, trash talkingMissanell (though he's cut back on that), or Hollis Thomas bragging about how much he eats or gets laid.

 

I used to be 100% WIP - if I was listening to sports talk. Now I won't even tune to the station.

[fanaticV3.0]

I used to be 100% WIP - if I was listening to sports talk. Now I won't even tune to the station.

 

I mostly 97.5 guy now too. The only people I like on WIP are Macnow and Didinger.

[icehole]

Setting hockey aside, because its non existant on phili sports radio, 97.5 is so far ahead of wip. You would think since jonesy and morganti are on the morning show I would listen, but they cant talk about hockey anyway so whats the point. Reah hughes might be a dude, and the only reason you need NOT to listen is Angelo Cataldi. If there's anyone you'd like to punch in the face, it has to be him.

Barkan and reese are a snoozefest and Innes just cant relate to philadelphia because he has nothing invested.

Add on their terrible commercial schedule and you got yourself a pile of crap.

[AJgoal]

Missanelli tried to outdo Eskin, now Innis is trying to outdo Missanelli? No wonder they're unlistenable.

 

I still tune in Saturday if I'm out driving to listen to Macnow and Didinger, but otherwise, I generally don't listen to either sports radio station. I liked Rob Ellis, guess he went over to 97.5?

[radoran]

I still tune in Saturday if I'm out driving to listen to Macnow and Didinger, but otherwise, I generally don't listen to either sports radio station. I liked Rob Ellis, guess he went over to 97.5?

 

I like Glen and Ray - I'll give them that. That's why they put them on when you can't really listen to them

 

Rob Ellis went over to Comcast SportsNet - he does "Breakfast on Broad" for the Comcast Channel. Not sure if he's still on radio.

[AJgoal]

I like Glen and Ray - I'll give them that. That's why they put them on when you can't really listen to them

 

Rob Ellis went over to Comcast SportsNet - he does "Breakfast on Broad" for the Comcast Channel. Not sure if he's still on radio.

 

At least Glen will bring up hockey on his own from time to time. And while he has his moments, he's not a blowhard like a lot of the others.

[icehole]

This is the $hi+ Im talking about. The backup goalie plays both games of a back to back while the #1 is on the bench, and I havent heard one thing about it. Can you imagine if Bradford was on the bench and Sanchez got the start...do you think the media would look into that?

Am I missing it...did the beat writers dig into it but I just missed the story?

[WordsOfWisdom]

Im so sick of it.

First, there is absolutly no discussion in the media about the flyers...ever. I have sports radio on in the background all day. Whenever the flyers are brought up to a caller, they laugh and say "I dont care about that...let's get back to football".

Most casual hockey fans in town have no idea what they are talking about. I dont blame it completely on them though. The information isn't present. Do the flyers even have beat writers anymore? What happened with lavy...that was never covered. What are the trade rumors...never hear anything about that in the media. Why is medvedev a scratch...who knows because the media isnt on it.

Then I watch CSN for the game recap in the morning. The flyers are on a 4 game win streak. The eagles are on a 3 game losing streak. The flyers played last night and won. The flyers play tonight. The eagles dont play until sunday afternoon. So what kicks off sportsrise...you got it eagles/patriots preview. Do I blame that on CSN...no. CSN does what they have to for ratings. Philadelphia sports fans want to watch the terrible eagles news before the streaking flyers news.

I can blame CSN for having terrible anchors that have absolutely no interest in hockey. Jen Daniels talks about the flyers going on the powerplay. Then she says "later in the game, simmer scores on the setup from voracek". She didnt watch the f'ing game. If she did, she would know that simmonds scored seconds into that PP that she mentioned earlier...not "later in the game". Then I have to hear her say that "Edward Bellemare" put the flyers ahead. She sure knows her hockey.

Oh yeah, then there's a story about how the mayor elect, or whatever the F he is, is supporting some 19 year old moron on the sixers for getting into fights and driving 100mph.

Can the flyers move to canada...I'll follow them.

 

How a typical show of SportsNet Connected opens in Ontario:

 

 

 

It's a different world up here to be sure.  

[PhilsFanDrew]

I like Glen and Ray - I'll give them that. That's why they put them on when you can't really listen to them

 

Rob Ellis went over to Comcast SportsNet - he does "Breakfast on Broad" for the Comcast Channel. Not sure if he's still on radio.

 

Ellis is on the midday show with Harry Mayes on the Fanatic.  

[icehole]

Ok, I need to get it off my chest.  I wrote a while ago how Philadelphia is a bad hockey town.  The topic was changed (by moderators I guess) to Philadelphia is a bad "Media" town for hockey.  I don't know...it's pretty clear to me now that Philadelphia, as a city, has basically no interest in hockey.

 

I often hear the radio hosts say "I love hockey".  No you don't.  That's like me saying I love salmon.  When I see a menu with steak, crabcakes, shrimp, pork chops, chicken, or salmon, guess which one I won't choose to eat.  When 99% of philadelphia looks at the cable guide and sees NFL, NBA, MLB, college football, college basketball, or NHL, guess which one doesn't get watched.

 

It doesn't even need to be on TV or even in season.  Up, until the end of april, the eagles were 90% of talk in town.  When the draft was two or three weeks passed, the attention immediately turned to the sixers draft (that's right....the sixers!).  After about 2 weeks of diddling themselves over getting the #1 pick in a bad draft, after tanking for three straight years, the conversations goes to Simmonds or Ingram for 2 weeks.  That shares the airwaves with the NBA finals.  I swear, if the flyers were in the finals right now, 65% talk would be about the NBA finals, 15% would be about the sixers draft, 10% would be about the eagles, and the flyers and phillies would share the rest.

 

If you think the radio stations, newspapers, and TV news just talk, write, or do stories on whatever they want, regardless of what the public wants to hear, you're completely lost.  They know what there demographic wants to listen to, read, and watch.  They all want ratings and they aren't getting it with the Flyers or NHL.

 

Guys that write on flyers forums or have flyers blogs are usually great fans, but that accounts for about 1%.  Outside of that, hockey is a clear #6 sport in philadelphia.  So excuse me when I hear fans say "philadelphia is a great hockey town" or when flyers players and coaches say "These are the best fans in hockey" and I laugh my tail off.  I have no pride for Philadelphia hockey nor will I ever argue with Boston, New York, Washington, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Detroit, or even west coast fans for superior fandom.  I know those cities have other interests too, but no more than Philadelphia does.  Philadelphia is a bad hockey town!

[flyercanuck]

@icehole

 

I remember trying to find Philly sports radio stations on the internet to listen to so I could get a larger dose of Flyer discussions.

 

Turns out Toronto sports radio talks more Flyer hockey than Philly does. Sad.

[icehole]

@flyercanuck

So do you live out of town?  You're not missing much.  Years ago, when the flyers got Versteeg around the deadline, I listened to 97.5 and 94.1 to hear about it.  After listening for a while, I went to 98.5 in Boston and they were talking about it.  

I honestly think race has a lot to do with it.  Beyonce and Jay-Z were at the NBA finals game last night.  Most black people can relate to basketball because that's what they grew up with.  A great number of white people think black people are cooler than they are so they try to get into it.  What celebs are at hockey games...Tom hanks?  Hockey is missing an entire race of fans.

[pilldoc]

52 minutes ago, icehole said:

Ok, I need to get it off my chest.  I wrote a while ago how Philadelphia is a bad hockey town.  The topic was changed (by moderators I guess) to Philadelphia is a bad "Media" town for hockey.  I don't know...it's pretty clear to me now that Philadelphia, as a city, has basically no interest in hockey.

 

I often hear the radio hosts say "I love hockey".  No you don't.  That's like me saying I love salmon.  When I see a menu with steak, crabcakes, shrimp, pork chops, chicken, or salmon, guess which one I won't choose to eat.  When 99% of philadelphia looks at the cable guide and sees NFL, NBA, MLB, college football, college basketball, or NHL, guess which one doesn't get watched.

 

It doesn't even need to be on TV or even in season.  Up, until the end of april, the eagles were 90% of talk in town.  When the draft was two or three weeks passed, the attention immediately turned to the sixers draft (that's right....the sixers!).  After about 2 weeks of diddling themselves over getting the #1 pick in a bad draft, after tanking for three straight years, the conversations goes to Simmonds or Ingram for 2 weeks.  That shares the airwaves with the NBA finals.  I swear, if the flyers were in the finals right now, 65% talk would be about the NBA finals, 15% would be about the sixers draft, 10% would be about the eagles, and the flyers and phillies would share the rest.

 

If you think the radio stations, newspapers, and TV news just talk, write, or do stories on whatever they want, regardless of what the public wants to hear, you're completely lost.  They know what there demographic wants to listen to, read, and watch.  They all want ratings and they aren't getting it with the Flyers or NHL.

 

Guys that write on flyers forums or have flyers blogs are usually great fans, but that accounts for about 1%.  Outside of that, hockey is a clear #6 sport in philadelphia.  So excuse me when I hear fans say "philadelphia is a great hockey town" or when flyers players and coaches say "These are the best fans in hockey" and I laugh my tail off.  I have no pride for Philadelphia hockey nor will I ever argue with Boston, New York, Washington, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Detroit, or even west coast fans for superior fandom.  I know those cities have other interests too, but no more than Philadelphia does.  Philadelphia is a bad hockey town!

 

@icehole

 

I usually disagree with you on many thing regarding the Flyers...however, on this topic you absolutely hit the nail on the head.  I remember back in the late 80's and early 90's WIP used to talk a lot more about the Flyers than they do now.  Now as you mentioned it is Eagles 95% of the time even during the summer and off-season.  I can't stand WIP now and I hate a vast majority of their hosts.  (Cataldi and Innes are right at the top of my list that I can't stand)

 

So sad...great passionate fans and crap coverage.......

[radoran]

The media is ridiculous. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

 

That said, what area of any sort of coverage is the media "good" at?

 

It amuses me no end to see Comcast SportsNet and the Fanatic/WIP spend all their time in June talking about the Eagles. It's just absurd. It's gotten worse since the Phillies' "good start" has reverted back to the mean and they're really just as bad as everyone thought.

 

The Sixers' #1 pick has taken a little interest, but after the draft the Sixers will slide back into obscurity until the season starts.

 

Look, over seventy thousand people turn up to every Eagles game. The NFL TV ratings dwarf any other league. That's why they go after that crowd - to discuss which guy will have the biggest impact on a team that won't play a meaningful game for another three months.

 

Philadelphia, though, on the whole is a "good hockey town" to the extent that they sell out every game and do have a significant fan interest (whether it can overtake football or not and regardless of whether it is represented in the media).

 

I don't necessarily agree on the race issue - I've seen MANY African-Americans in Philly wearing Flyers gear (most sporting #17). Obviously not as much as the Sixers or Eagles, but there is a significant interest.

 

Just now, pilldoc said:

 

@icehole

 

I usually disagree with you on many thing regarding the Flyers...however, on this topic you absolutely hit the nail on the head.  I remember back in the late 80's and early 90's WIP used to talk a lot more about the Flyers than they do now.  Now as you mentioned it is Eagles 95% of the time even during the summer and off-season.  I can't stand WIP now and I hate a vast majority of their hosts.  (Cataldi and Innes are right at the top of my list that I can't stand)

 

So sad...great passionate fans and crap coverage.......

 

I used to be a die-hard WIPer who hated the Fanatic. Now I never listen to WIP. At. All.

 

There was also a time when WIP carried the Flyers and was owned by Ed Snider (who launched the all-sports format) until... 1994.

[icehole]

@pilldoc

That's just it though.  Even though these radio hosts are the scum of the earth, they are giving the people what they want.  It would be like listening to a NC radio station and getting disturbed when toothless rednecks call to talk about Nascar all the time.

I can't be mad at the missanellis of the city because they're just doing their jobs.  It's the sports fan of Philadelphia that I'm disappointed in.  They're not much better than the toothless Nascar folks.

[Poulin20]

On 12/5/2015 at 2:15 PM, icehole said:

 The problem is that those races and cultures are dead set on playing basketball and football that they never give hockey a chance. I also think hockey is too expensive for underprivileged area which tend to be black or hispanic.

 

 

Hence the creation of the Ed Snider youth hockey foundation.

 

I go to almost every game and you can see that there are more and more black and hispanic fans there every year,