"Take that Calgary Puck!" — SN960 and Calgary sports media discussion

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

But for the NFL coverage, it isn't just at halftime, it is non stop. The entire game and the entire coverage are now focused on fantasy points and individual players.

I disagree. None of the NFL networks outright discuss gambling during games. Not sure where you got that from. Sunday ticket may bring it up at times but I have never heard a network bring in a fantasy guy during PBP or have a guy like Aikman talk about the fantasy points of a WR or QB in a game.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I just learned today that there's three people in Calgary that don't like the NFL.

What? 90% of people I know don't watch or like the NFL. There's tons of NFL fans for sure, but they're not anywhere near the majority of people in Calgary. NFL fans by nature are very loud about their fandom and the latest games, though.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Five. Enjoy the game, don't like the league. Really don't like the sports talk surrounding the NFL, which seems to be 45% betting (which I don't do), 45% fantasy (which assumes you have in-depth knowledge of about 2,000 players' individual stats and career trajectories), and 10% actual football.

Betting and fantasy is 95% of the reason NFL is popular.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by PuckSlap

One thing I can say about Eric, he was actually right about Johnny wanting to leave. Nobody believed him

What?!!? Francis was all over the place with Gaudreau and clearly all he was every trying to do was toss a ball on black and hope that Gaudreau chose red. He even had Guadreau as staying weeks before he left, maybe you missed that?

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Betting and fantasy is 95% of the reason NFL is popular.

I remember the days when there were no online fantasy leagues and bookies didn't advertise on TV. The NFL was pretty damn popular back then, and the broadcasts were a lot less annoying to watch.

You see, there used to be this thing called ‘spectator sport’.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

I remember the days when there were no online fantasy leagues and bookies didn't advertise on TV. The NFL was pretty damn popular back then, and the broadcasts were a lot less annoying to watch.

You see, there used to be this thing called ‘spectator sport’.

I really do miss it, and I'm really upset that betting has been legitimized in Canada now to the point where hockey broadcasts and analysis are starting to resemble the chinese knock off version of NFL broadcasts and analysis.

"How does this affect your pool/bets!?!!".

And more to your point - Yes, I do understand that the NFL didn't always need to be there way they are, but they are that way now and judging by most people I see discussing the league online, the betting and fantasy aspect is the most important/only aspect to most fans now a days.

[GS Skier]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

I remember the days when there were no online fantasy leagues and bookies didn't advertise on TV. The NFL was pretty damn popular back then, and the broadcasts were a lot less annoying to watch.

You see, there used to be this thing called ‘spectator sport’.

Since it is about SN960 and we've established that about 1 out of 2 hockey fans will follow NFL I laughed when I switched to 960 about 2:30 yesterday. A full 1/2 hour on...fantasy football. Switched right back to 107.3.

[N-E-B]

I don't mind the NFL talk but the fantasy angle is painful. More people need to realize that nobody except you and your 7 other buddies care about your fantasy league.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Freeway

I like Rick Ball.

I also love Rick Ball's love of Rugby.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by jayswin

What? 90% of people I know don't watch or like the NFL. There's tons of NFL fans for sure, but they're not anywhere near the majority of people in Calgary. NFL fans by nature are very loud about their fandom and the latest games, though.

I would say I know more people who are NFL fans in Calgary than NHL and that is no lie. Most of my buddies wives are into it and play fantasy and all my friends are pretty hardcore NFL guys. I have increased my football fandom each year for the last 7-8 years.

I heard Matt Rose state he thought the NHL was 1 in this city (I fully agree) then he thought the Blue Jays would be ahead of the NFL and I had a hard time buying that one.

Maybe it is just a far more vocal minority but I get the feeling the NFL surpasses the Stamps for fandom in this city by quite a bit and I would put it second to the NHL albeit a very distant one.

Me personally I prefer the NFL to the NHL (in the sense of 2 random games) but the Flames are number 1 over anything else by a huge margin.

[Vinny01]

I was exposed to the trash that is TSN 1260 in Edmonton the past couple of days. They had these guys on the radio literally talking about their love for the smell of gasoline. One of the broadcasters discussed how amazing it would be to have a burger that tasted like a burger but smelled like gas no joke. That lead to a discussion about the smell of the glue these guys used in school when they were young. Absolute trash radio and they all sounded like they were 60+ years old.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I was exposed to the trash that is TSN 1260 in Edmonton the past couple of days. They had these guys on the radio literally talking about their love for the smell of gasoline. One of the broadcasters discussed how amazing it would be to have a burger that tasted like a burger but smelled like gas no joke. That lead to a discussion about the smell of the glue these guys used in school when they were young. Absolute trash radio and they all sounded like they were 60+ years old.

To be fair, if gasoline didn’t smell good, sniffing it wouldn’t ruin as many lives as it does.

[Bonded]

Football is structured in a way that is great for fantasy and for more casual viewing. I find hockey can be a slog with 82 games

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

While I agree with your take. At the end of the day the guy is really just another lazy nepotism hire that has failed up and is in the boys club.

Francis may have gotten his first job as an intern because of family connections, but there’s no chance he has survived over 20 years in the ruthlessly competitive and unsentimental field of sports media because he’s part of some old boys club. Not when many other well-connected professionals in the field are laid off every year.

Love him or hate him (and the people who sign his cheques genuinely don’t care which), Francis has a job because he drives engagement. And, like pretty much everyone else still in his field these days, he’s content making not very much money.

[Canada 02]

since this thread is Calgary Sports media ...

There has been a ton of content and videos on the Flames at TSN in the last 48 hours, and not Geo blocked!! Good on Salim. I hope he and TSN keep it up

https://www.tsn.ca/NHL/video/zary-sh...flames~2521316

https://www.tsn.ca/NHL/video/with-a-...t-step~2521315

and more:

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/team-page/cal...petitor_id=175

[GS Skier]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I would say I know more people who are NFL fans in Calgary than NHL and that is no lie. Most of my buddies wives are into it and play fantasy and all my friends are pretty hardcore NFL guys. I have increased my football fandom each year for the last 7-8 years.

I heard Matt Rose state he thought the NHL was 1 in this city (I fully agree) then he thought the Blue Jays would be ahead of the NFL and I had a hard time buying that one.

Maybe it is just a far more vocal minority but I get the feeling the NFL surpasses the Stamps for fandom in this city by quite a bit and I would put it second to the NHL albeit a very distant one.

Me personally I prefer the NFL to the NHL (in the sense of 2 random games) but the Flames are number 1 over anything else by a huge margin.

Thats great and no disrespect intended however that is also "anecdotal".

I posted the last national survey a few days ago. I'll post it again.

Taken in 2021 Canadian Sports fans follow these sports and of course you can follow two or more.
55% Hockey
36% NFL ( listed as "distant second". and I've seen as low as 29%
32% CFL (NFL always slightly edges out my CFL)
31% NBA and MLB
22% MLS

Nothing anecdotal about it. Steinberg can google it as well.

[Vinny01]

Are NBA and MLB grouped together or just tied?

[activeStick]

It's a bit surprising that MLB is so low. There seems to be a ton of Jays fans across Canada.

[Shazam]

I can't believe there's 22% soccer fans.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by jaydub74

I’m not a fan of fantasy sports, I just don’t get the draw nor do I have the interest or time do it. The continuous discussion around this topic vs the team or the game pushes the casual fan away.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The problem is the audience for watching sports on TV is shrinking, as is engagement among those who do watch. Almost nobody under 35 these days sits down and watches a sporting event live from start to finish. And advertisers realize this. The status quo of sports being delivered in the traditional way to existing fans means slow death.

So faced with the prospect of a fanbase aging out and shrinking, leagues are trying to find other avenues for people to engage with their product. Gambling is an obvious one. It’s a huge market, and drives engagement with people who have zero interest in sitting on a couch and watching a game for 2.5 hours strictly for the love of the game.

It’s annoying for traditional fans, but this is professional sports we’re talking about - everything is subordinated to the financial interests of the owners.