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November 30, 2007

The Admirals moved their radio broadcasts across the dial to SportsRadio 1250AM this season. When the announcement was made in the offseason, I was all for it. 1250 offers a webcast of the games, as well as a stronger over-the-air signal than any of the recent stations that aired Admirals games. It was also noted that the team would have a higher priority and would not be preempted very often... another plus.

A few months later, my positive thoughts about the new station have tamed a bit. A few issues have touched a nerve, but I'm still in favor of the new station... just not as much as I thought I would be.

To be honest, I haven't listened to every road game this season... probably 8 of the 12 games so far this season.

When I listen, it's always online. I do not have an AM radio in my "Cave of Entertainment" (my bedroom). Internet, XM radio, TV/DVD/CD, and PS2. No need for an old fashioned radio in that environment as long as I can get the hockey games online.

Unfortunately, the webcasts of the games are a bit disappointing. Aaron Sims is doing everything the same as before. I have no complaints with his work. He does a fine job. My issues deal with technical issues with the radio station and webcasts.

- When going to commercial, Sims is usually cut off in mid-syllable... as if whoever presses 'play' on the commercial machine jumps the gun by a half second or so.
Minor irritant.
- The webcasts do not air the commercials heard on the air, instead we hear 15-30 second promos for other shows on the station. I really dislike a few of those clips. I'd rather listen to the ads of those businesses who choose to support the Admirals.
Medium irritant.
- One of the annoying station promos has background music of an early-80s rap song in the background (wicky wicky wicky wicky... from "Jam On It"). I hated that song then, I still hate it now.
Medium irritant.
- I also can not stand Jim Rome, whose nationally syndicated show is advertised several times during a session of listening to a game.
Medium irritant.
- And on some occasions, like tonight, I lose the webcast connection completely. Dead air. Not sure if it's an issue on my end, or from the source. I have no problems accessing other web sites with streaming audio or video, and since it's an intermittent problem, I'm leaning towards a problem with the source. **Update** - as I type this, the feed magically reappeared on it's own, about a half hour of dead air. Definitely not a problem on my end.
Huge irritant.

posted by Todd # 9:00 PM 1 Comments

Hockey in Hi Def

November 28, 2007

I've gotten dangerously jealous at my brother in the last week. He bought himself a Sony Bravia 32" LCD HDTV and upgraded his cable box to get the hi-def package from Time Warner. Thanksgiving was spent watching hockey, football, and just about anything else we could dial up in HD. Not only did I drive home stuffed from a big meal, I came home pleasantly numbed from that awesome TV viewing session. Best Thanksgiving Ever.

I had a strong urge to go shopping for an HDTV on Black Friday, with a bigger screen of course. As brothers, we have always been competitive, and this will be no exception. If I'm going to do it, I'm getting at least a 40" model. But after sleeping on it, I came to the realization that it's not quite in my budget, so the experience will have to wait awhile.

Yes, I have seen hi-def television a few times in the last few years. Mostly at sports bars. Usually just football or baseball. But until last week, I have never enjoyed a hockey game in glorious HD.

Hockey was made for watching in wide screen HD. The super crisp video makes the puck come alive. I could write a few more paragraphs trying to describe how many more details you can see in HD, but it would not do the experience justice. The wide screen format is also a big plus, as you see more action behind the play. When the puck is deep in the zone, you can still see what's happening in front of the benches.

As expected, Time Warner's HD lineup is anemic. 19 channels, most of them duplicates of what is already available in standard-definition (over-the-air channels, ESPN, ESPN2). Over time, that number will surely grow. Unfortunately, the NHL Centre Ice package and the Versus channel are not yet available in HD from Time Warner.

Hockey fans can see two games each week on the HDNET channel. Former Chicago Wolves radio/TV guy Judd Sirott does the play-by-play along with former NHL goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck. On Thanksgiving, HDNET featured the Predators hosting the Red Wings, in a game that Nashville came from behind to win 3-2.

Sirott did a decent job, although at times he seemed biased towards Detroit. He seemed especially surprised at the shot-blocking abilities of Greg Zanon, which made me question why he didn't remember that from the dozens of games Zanon played against Chicago from 2003-2006.

Vanbiesbrouck also did well, making several notable observations. I was surprised to see him working for HDNET, as he was driven away from the sport after using a racial slur on Trevor Daley (now with Dallas), when coaching him in juniors four years ago.

How many years before the Admirals TV outlet, Time Warner Sports, is available in HD? 3? 5? 15? I will wait patiently, making sure not to hold my breath.

posted by Todd # 5:50 PM 1 Comments

Coverage like it ought to be

November 11, 2007

One of my daily routines is to find and read news articles online about the Milwaukee Admirals. It keeps me much more informed than what little I find in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

On an average day, I find a few articles mentioning the Admirals through a Google News search. Some of the articles I find are local, sometimes they are from an opponent's newspaper, and occasionally I come across miscellaneous pieces about former Admirals.

With the Admirals playing a pair of games this past weekend against the Manitoba Moose in Winnipeg, I found several articles from the Winnipeg media, most notably from the Winnipeg Sun and the Winnipeg Free Press.

Both of those papers truly put the Milwaukee Journal to shame. Game preview articles (not just an abbreviated paragraph), decent game reviews, and even an article about Manitoba's morning practice between the two games! Let me repeat. An article on the team's morning practice!!

The Sun even had an article about the Vigilante brothers playing against each other (also covered this week by nhl.com). When was the last time the MJS wrote a human interest story about an Admirals opponent?

The city of Winnipeg is roughly the same size as Milwaukee (both in the 600,000+ population range). Last season, the Moose averaged about 2,000 more tickets sold than Milwaukee... very good, but only about half of their arena's capacity. Am I comparing apples to apples?

No. I'm not stupid. I realize Canadians love hockey, and Americans largely ignore it. The Milwaukee media will never compare to any news outlet in the Great White North. However, I could bring up several examples of American news outlets who put the MJS to shame, even at lower levels of hockey. The lack of local coverage is nothing new, but I will bring it up any chance I get in hopes that it makes someone who can do something about it budge a little.

Before I end this entry, I'd like to acknowledge Veteran's Day. This day is for us to recognize those who have proudly served our country and to think of those who remain in harm's way overseas. It's easy to live our lives without giving much thought to the sacrifices made by those men and women who have fought to defend our freedom. Make every day Veteran's Day and keep them in your thoughts.

posted by Todd # 9:55 PM 0 Comments

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