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Eulogy: The 12 things we’ll miss about the VERSUS network



 
 
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Old January 4th, 2012, 01:52 AM posted to rec.arts.tv,rec.outdoors.fishing.bass,alt.sports.hockey.nhl.det-redwings,rec.bicycles.racing,alt.sports.hockey.nhl.phila-flyers
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Default Eulogy: The 12 things we’ll miss about the VERSUS network

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puc...rn=nhl-wp21386

By Greg Wyshynski

http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/p/sp/edit..._netwo rk.jpg

Well, today's the day, kids. The day we lay to rest the VERSUS brand,
as the NHL's cable home officially becomes NBC Sports Network. From
Awful Announcing:
http://awfulannouncing.com/2012-arti...ork-today.html

The Outdoor Life Network has come a long way since its beginning in
1995. From televising fishing shows and the Tour de France as the
signature series, to becoming Versus in 2006 and acquiring the NHL as
its flagship sport, to now becoming the NBC Sports Network at 4:00 PM
ET today. The official name change happens five months and a day
after plans for the launch of NBC Sports Network were officially
announced thanks to the Comcast/NBC deal.

The relaunch was supposed to begin with a Winter Classic postgame
show, but with the hockey game being moved from 1:00 to 3:00 because
of weather conditions, Versus becomes NBC Sports Network with a
(presumably special) edition of NBC Sports Talk. In the evening, NBC
Sports will broadcast a hockey documentary Cold War on Ice: Summit
Series '72 followed by Canucks/Sharks.

The NHL began its relationship with OLN/VERSUS back in 2005, when the
fledgling network offered the League more money than ESPN and a chance
to have the sports spotlight all to itself. (In addition, the NHL
hooked up with NBC for broadcast TV rights.)

Hockey had been pushed to the margins on ESPN, which offered the
League just $30 million for a season of rights. Said Gary Bettman in
"Those Guys Have All The Fun":
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puc...medium=twitter

"We'd been partners for all those years; they built ESPN2 into this
behemoth on our back for virtually no cost for our programming. We had
just come through one of the most difficult and extraordinary times
that a sports league had ever been through, and their answer, instead
of embracing us and trying to make it right, was 'We're going to take
another pound of flesh.' Unlike when Dick Ebersol came to the board
meeting during the work stoppage and said, 'We know you guys have
business to take care of. Do what you have to do and we'll be there
when you get done.'"

VERSUS was … well, a frustrating television partner at times, but one
that certainly gave the NHL more airtime than it ever would have had
on another network. Ratings have climbed, production has improved. The
VERSUS brand can close its eyes and enter the void knowing that it
helped the NHL get to a better place.

But, like we said, it was a bumpy ride. Here are 12 things we'll miss
about VERSUS …

Buck Hunting and Fishing Channel

When the NHL made the move to the Outdoor Life Network it was … well,
a network about outdoor life. While ESPN was showing programming about
pro and college sports throughout the day, and using it to promote its
properties, the NHL was languishing on a network that had bass fishing
on hours before the puck dropped.

The "Buck Huntin' and Fishin' Channel" jokes were plentiful. But
here's the thing: Their weekend outdoorsy programming actually made
the network a mint.

Can't Find The Station

For years, every single critic of the NHL's deal with OLN/VERSUS had
the same battle cry: NO ONE CAN FIND THE CHANNEL.

This became an embarrassment for the League, as teams traveling on the
road couldn't watch games in their hotels because they didn't carry
VERSUS. Like in 2009, when Chris Osgood called out the fact that he
and the Detroit Red Wings couldn't watch the Eastern Conference Final
because his hotel didn't carry the network. So for big events like the
NHL All-Star Game, the League would make deals with the hotels to add
VERSUS to its channel lineup temporarily.

In the great "ESPN vs. NHL/VERSUS" wars, this was always a stiff punch
landed on the League.

Show Me Your V
http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/p/sp/edit..._netwo rk.jpg

In Jan. 2009, VERSUS began one of the single worst social media
campaigns and/or greatest misuses of double entendre in its short
history: 'Show Me Your V.'
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puc...urn=nhl-132481

The network asked viewers to send in photos of them engaged in
"extreme" activities while flashing their "V". When we all stopped
giggling about the unintentional call for images of female genitalia
flooding the VERSUS inbox, we realized that VERSUS was actually asking
for viewers to flash and peace-sign-like "V".

The gallery was abandoned in a matter of weeks.

Bill Clement, Studio Host

For years, Clement was the top color commentator of ESPN, working with
Gary Thorne and becoming on the most familiar voices to American
hockey fans. In 2006, he became a studio host for both VERSUS and NBC,
and … well, let's just say he revealed that breaking down plays during
a game and presenting highlights after it were two very different
skill sets. Clement was replaced by Bill Patrick in 2007.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hocke...-clement_x.htm
http://www.sportsrumormill.com/threa...-versus.10153/

An aside: We spoke to Doc Emrick about VERSUS on Sunday, and he said
that the early days of the studio show were pretty frenzied behind the
scenes — to the point where Clement was watching the game highlights
for the first time as he broke them down live on the air.

http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/p/sp/edit..._netwo rk.jpg

The Great DirecTV Showdown
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puc...urn=nhl-228103

From Aug. 2009 to March 2010, a dispute between VERSUS and DirecTV
kept the network off the satellite provider and caused endless
bitterness from hockey fans. The two sides battled for months, with
DirecTV nailing VERSUS as "basically a paid programming and
infomercial channel with occasional sporting events of interest."
Burn.

It got to the point where VERSUS was sending cute girls with
propaganda fliers to NHL games. So no, it wasn't all bad.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puc...urn=nhl-194018

"The Daily Line"

Remember "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" on Fox Sports Net? If you
do, some of you are probably smiling about the antics of John Salley
and Tom Arnold; others are probably choking down the bile.

When that show was mercifully canceled, VERSUS attempted to ensnare
the orphaned lunkhead frat humor sports moron demographic with "The
Daily Line", a 5-nights-a-week look at the world of sports that
attempted to blend humor with nightly news and highlights.

Attempted being the operative word. It was also an odd fit for VERSUS,
as their hockey content was sporadic for a network known primarily for
hockey. (Full Disclosu I was an occasional guest on the program.)

The most infamous legacy for the show: Jenn Sterger, she of the Brett
Favre sexting, whose job was to read emails off a computer and look
fetching. (Full Disclosu I nearly texted Jenn Sterger a photo of a
pianist once.)

http://www.aolnews.com/2010/10/29/je...ine-cancelled/

Our favorite legacy from the show: Rob DeAngelis, a.k.a. Rob The
Numbers Guy, an un*-telegenic sports handicapper who would bring the
show to a halt like a boulder strapped to the back of a tricycle.
"I'll take the Yankees layin' the odds tonight!" No one cares.

Surviving this program: Host Liam McHugh, who is gradually a very
solid and appealing studio host on NBC's NHL coverage. Phoenix from
the ashes, that one.

http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/editorial_i...b066f/woah.jpg
Brian Engblom's Hair

Brian Engblom was, for some reason, used as a studio analyst for
VERSUS with Keith Jones. He never really said anything controversial
or memorable. His lasting legacy on the network was … his hair.

http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/p/sp/edit..._netwo rk.jpg
Rumpelstiltskin wants to spin that straw into gold.

Mike Chen broke down the evolution of Engblom's mop back in 2009. He's
currently a "between the benches" analyst for NBC Sports Network.
Alas, he has tamed his Dubai-dust-storm of a coif.

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.ph...engbloms_hair/

"Sports Soup"

Hey, did you see that hilarious clip on YouTube where the guy in the
softball beer league gets hit in the how-do-you-do by a flying bat?
Well, the glory of VERSUS "Sports Soup" was that you could see it
again weeks after the clip went viral and everyone stopped laughing.

Produced by the folks who gave us "The Soup" on E!, where having the
show shot in front of a green screen and the crew acting as a
guffawing audience somehow seemed more entertaining. Probably because
the clips are actually funny.

Def Leppard, Stanley Cup Fail

This happened.
http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/p/sp/edit..._netwo rk.jpg

Full details of this great moment in rock and roll and hockey goofs
here.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puc...urn=nhl-113984

****ing Off Lance Armstrong

Other than the NHL, VERSUS/OLN was best known for the Tour de France
early on in its network life, which meant copious amounts of Lance
Armstrong.

In May 2010, VERSUS was covering the Tour of California cycling race.
It was two kilometers from finishing when the clock struck 7 p.m.;
that's when the network cut away to Game 2 of the playoff series
between the Montreal Canadiens and the Philadelphia Flyers … which was
simply pregame interviews at that point.

The decision by Versus to leave immediately for hockey was a
contractual obligation, according to a company spokesperson. Race
spokesman Michael Roth blamed rider fatigue from rain in an earlier
stage for the slow pace for Tuesday's third stage. The race was
replayed on Versus after the Canadiens-Flyers game had ended.

Cycling fans were enraged … as was Lance Armstrong.
http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/p/sp/edit..._netwo rk.jpg

Never upset your network stars.

"Sports Jobs with Junior Seau"

The former San Diego Chargers linebacker tries his hand at a variety
of different jobs in sports on a blatant ripoff of Mike Rowe's "Dirty
Jobs". Problem was that Seau didn't really do anything that
outrageous. Wow, a former NFL player as an LPGA caddy! A Sports
Illustrated reporter! A Dodgers Batboy! He was also the equipment
manager for the Washington Capitals for one game in which (gasp!) he
did laundry.

http://5-hole.com/2009/11/16/versus-...h-junior-seau/

http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/p/sp/edit..._netwo rk.jpg

Their Various Bloopers and [Expletive] Ups

Finally, we must give a shout-out to the various graphical blunders,
commentating bloopers and other assorted FAILs that hockey fans would
smack their heads in frustration over. Sometimes they were just silly
mistakes (see above) or bad decisions (that commercial where the guy
throws his beloved Chicago Blackhawks hat on the ice).
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puc...urn=nhl-284540

That they've become much, much, much less frequent in recent months is
a credit to the new regime and a promise that NBC is running a
different, better ship.

R.I.P. VERSUS. You showed us your V.
 




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