TSN2 throws Jays fans a curveball

Many Blue Jays fans rejoicing at the prospect of being able to watch their beloved team's way-too-early-to-matter-much big series opener in Boston Tuesday night probably took a double take, or maybe a triple take, when they tuned in to TSN2.

Expecting to see a TSN production in the channel's much-ballyhooed debut on Rogers Cable, they were no doubt taken aback when they got the Red Sox NESN broadcast. Heck, they could have got this on the Rogers promo channel.

Not to imply that TSN did this on the cheap, but TSN did this on the cheap.

Okay, there were mitigating circumstances. According to TSN insiders, the company wasn't keen on paying $300,000 in production costs for what might amount to an audience of 50,000, which is what the games probably would have drawn had TSN2 not finalized its deal with Rogers. So, with the Rogers deal still up in the air, TSN made the decision to pick up the NESN feed.

By the time the Rogers deal went down two days before the series opener, TSN couldn't have found a production trailer even if it wanted to do the game itself. So it stuck with NESN.

That's all well and good and it was probably a wise business move to save a few hundred thousand dollars. But you might think that a little-watched channel might have taken a gamble to at least look like a real channel for its first turn on the big stage.

By the way, it's NESN all the way for this series. We'll assume TSN2's two other Blue Jays games will be done the right way.

Comments

[Chris]

First TSN uses the NBC, Versus and local American feeds for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, now this crap? The NESN colour analyst was extremely biased and I eventually gave up and switched the channel.

[James]

No big deal - at least we got to see it - thanks Rogers and TSN!

[Clarkie 90210]

Never thought I'd see people irate at not having to listen to Rod Black.

[Noah]

That's a very good point made on looking professional for TSN2's debut to the masses.

Similarly, I was shocked to see TSN picking up NBC's broadcast of Sunday's Western Conference Final Game 1. For viewers still surprised not to see the NHL's final rounds on CBC, who's coverage appears a little more slick than TSN's as is, this just further ingrains the view that hockey on TSN just isn't quite up to par with CBC.

[Bob Raiser]

Unfortunately, regardless of whether we see TSN's broadcast or NBC's we still have to put up with Pierre McGuire's blathering. He must be the least knowledgeable, and most annoying colour person I have had to listen to this season. What ever did he do that qualifies him as an "expert"?

[Josh O'Donnell]

First it makes sense for TSN to pick up NBC's feed of hockey for two reasons (besides production costs). The first is that they can't put Ferraro between the benches if McGuire is already there for NBC, and second McGuire is their #1 analyst, no matter who he's working for they probably want to use him.

As for the Jays, I love the NESN production. Sure the analyst is biased (even as a Red Sox fan I noticed that), but Don Orsillo is great. As Clarkie said, at least we didn't have to Rod Black. It did surprise me though.

[G. Prettie]

I don't get TSN2 so I'm out of luck.
I guess I'll do yard work this summer!
Nice move Rogers!!

[Ian]

Wow, I never thought anyone would top Tommy & his crew (Celtics) for biggest homers, but Dennis Eckersley, or Eck as he likes to be called, and his partner might be the biggest homers I've ever heard. Hopefully TSN can send down a crew for upcoming series or else I won't be paying for this channel when the free preview is up.

Also... I don't know if anyone from NESN is reading, but would it be too much to ask to get Eckersley to maybe learn something about the team "his" Red Sox are facing? At least our color guys seem to do some research before each series.

[Jim Todd]

That was my first reaction when I tuned in Tuesday night. With all the hype that TSN had put out about the series, and the fact that Rogers customers in Ontario, after a 9-month wait, were finally able to see what the fuss was about regarding TSN2, we end up with this: instead of seeing a TSN-produced Jays telecast (as was implied in the schedule on TSN.ca, which listed it as "Rogers Jays on TSN" as opposed to "MLB Baseball: Toronto @ Boston"), we get a Red Sox game that just happened to have the Blue Jays as opponents. During the game, even the story about the matchup had been buried in the "More Headlines" section on the website, when it should have been front and centre.

First impressions are everything, and the first impression TSN2 gave Rogers customers left something to be desired.

[baseballfan]

Eckersley is terrible. It should be noted that NESN's regular colour commentator, Jerry Remy, is out of commission due to illness and is one of the best in the game. Orsillo and Remy are one of the best broadcast teams in baseball.

The only thing I've enjoyed about listening to Eckersley? Hearing his voice constantly reminds me of that ALCS homerun Robbie Alomar knocked him up for in 1992 in Oakland. Good memories indeed.

[JP]

The problem is that Eck isn't the usual Sox TV analyst. Jerry Remy is, but he's undergoing cancer treatment. He's a lot more entertaining and even-handed.

[Tabber]

Nice touch on Thursday's game to go to a blank screen for a large chunk of time. I thought the free trial was over at 8:00, with the lovely blank screen, but the game came back a few innings later. What the deuce do those jokers at TSN smoke, expecting us to accept this crap?

[905 dude]

Does this surprise anyone? Remember in 92 & 93 when CTV had the rights when the Jay were in the World Series and CTV just took the American network feed. CTV/TSN fails.

[marcb]

Local channels never get the rights to playoff games. Same thing happens in New York/Philly or wherever... they get FOX or TBS. So those playoff games were and are just par for the course.