Canadian Sports Media Called Out For Bias Towards Toronto Maple Leafs

[kinot-2]

Jack Todd wrote two excellent articles regarding how HNIC, SN, and TSN are portraying the Leafs at the expense of all other Canadian teams. Well worth the read. He is bang on. 

The first was dated Oct. 7, and the second is dated today.

https://montrealgazette.com/sports/jack-todd-hockey-night-in-canada-more-like-hockey-night-in-toronto

And

https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/jack-todd-hnic-is-dividing-hockey-fans-from-coast-to-coast/wcm/66225b54-9e38-4444-bb59-63d2a9c27940

[kinot-2]

On a Sat. night, you never seen HNIC (CBC), broadcast a Habs, Jets, or any other Canadian team, and the Laffs are broadcast on SN or City TV. The laffs ALWAYS get coast to coast coverage. 

[campabee82]

19 minutes ago, kinot-2 said:

On a Sat. night, you never seen HNIC (CBC), broadcast a Habs, Jets, or any other Canadian team, and the Laffs are broadcast on SN or City TV. The laffs ALWAYS get coast to coast coverage. 

I read the first article and fully agree with the assessment. Even if they do broadcast the games they are almost always blacked out so you can't watch them if you want to. It's such BS but what can you do about it

[kinot-2]

5 minutes ago, campabee82 said:

I read the first article and fully agree with the assessment. Even if they do broadcast the games they are almost always blacked out so you can't watch them if you want to. It's such BS but what can you do about it

It's one thing for us to complain about it, but when a media person also complains about it, then "maybe" it will have legs. 

[campabee82]

19 minutes ago, kinot-2 said:

It's one thing for us to complain about it, but when a media person also complains about it, then "maybe" it will have legs. 

Doubt it but hopefully. Only way I see something changing is if the NHLget involved 

[Habberwacky]

Not holding my breath on this one. But will say trying to expand and protect your market is a natural part of the business and so I get why we might have to put up with Maple Leaf myopia barring some NHL regulations. My bigger concern is with the popularity of the game in Canada. While hockey may be growing in popularity elsewhere, and  marketing hockey at lower levels has also become a priority due to about a 13 % drop in enrollment (https://www.statista.com/statistics/282125/number-of-registered-ice-hockey-players-in-canada/) from 2014 to 2018. This bias may be leading people to turn off hockey in communities out side of the GTA. See Quebec. If the economies in Alberta and Saskatchewan continue to struggle the number of kids playing a very expensive game will continue to decline. The media may be missing the bigger picture. While the skills exhibited by the players are better than ever, media's coverage may be negatively impacting teams in smaller markets at a time when Ron Maclean and co. promote hockey roots and home town hockey.

[habs1952]

2 hours ago, Habberwacky said:

Not holding my breath on this one. But will say trying to expand and protect your market is a natural part of the business and so I get why we might have to put up with Maple Leaf myopia barring some NHL regulations. My bigger concern is with the popularity of the game in Canada. While hockey may be growing in popularity elsewhere, and  marketing hockey at lower levels has also become a priority due to about a 13 % drop in enrollment (https://www.statista.com/statistics/282125/number-of-registered-ice-hockey-players-in-canada/) from 2014 to 2018. This bias may be leading people to turn off hockey in communities out side of the GTA. See Quebec. If the economies in Alberta and Saskatchewan continue to struggle the number of kids playing a very expensive game will continue to decline. The media may be missing the bigger picture. While the skills exhibited by the players are better than ever, media's coverage may be negatively impacting teams in smaller markets at a time when Ron Maclean and co. promote hockey roots and home town hockey.

Agree. If parents aren't earning 200k a year their kid, for the most part, ain't going anywhere. Is it any wonder soccer is becoming so popular? Anyone can play.