• About: Background & Links

Ross Hollebon's Sports Pub

~ Ice time from #rockthered to the #stateofhockey

Ross Hollebon's Sports Pub

Author Archives: Ross Hollebon

On my way to the #stateofhockey

05 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by Ross Hollebon in Minnesota Wild, NHL/Ice Hockey

≈ Leave a comment

Minnesota_Wild_State_of_HockeyI am sharpening the skates that are the posts of this website. I will start slow and work my way back into things, but finishing grad school and a move to St. Paul, Minn. has reinvigorated me and now allows me to lace up the digital skates.

Away we go…my drive from the Washington, D.C. are to the Twin Cities begins tomorrow.

More details about the journey to come.

VERSUS evolves; Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic adds to Caps coverage

04 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by Ross Hollebon in Broadcasting, Digital Media, NHL/Ice Hockey, Sports Business, Sports Media, Washington Capitals

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Comcast, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, NBC, NBC Universal, New York Rangers, NHL, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Versus, Winter Classic

The National Hockey League continues to pick up assists in the re-shaping process of post-merger Comcast and NBC Universal.

The relationship between the NHL and NBC was solidified with the 10-year television rights agreement reached last April after both VERSUS and NBC saw large audiences tune in for on-ice action.

And now, one year after the Capitals downed the Penguins, 3-1, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh and with an audience that continues to grow, VERSUS’ rebrand will be launched with the coverage of the 2012 NHL Bridgestone Winter Classic.

NBC Sports Network will be introduced as the Flyers host the New York Rangers at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, Jan. 2 in the regular season signature game.

“These rebranding efforts are a major step toward a complete strategic alignment of all our platforms and businesses,” said NBC Sports Chairman Mark Lazarus in John Ourand’s story, Exit Versus, enter the NBC Sports Network (subscription required).

This should only enhance coverage of the game and the sport as hockey continues to solidify its footprint in the North American landscape.

On the local front, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic has added a new “Capitals Insider,” Chuck Gormley. Read the CSN Press Release: Chuck Gormley Joins Comcast SportsNet as Capitals Insider for Digital Media.

The regional sports network (RSN) who covers the Caps is taking a cue from the home office and dedicating more resources to their hockey team in Washington.

Gormley is no stranger to the rink, or a team facing high-expectations and demanding fans, after covering the Flyers for over two decades.

And even though the RSN’s may take a while before they share any NBC Sports Network branding, it great for all hockey fans that they are on the same page in the quality and quantity realm.

I’m looking forward to all the coverage this season.

Fans making statement to sports leagues

18 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by Ross Hollebon in MLB/Baseball

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Barry Bonds, Conor Jackson, Derek Jeter, ESPN - New York, Mark McGwire, New York Yankees, Oakland A's

Conor Jackson hit the first grand slam of his career last night as the A’s defeated the Los Angeles Angels, 9-1 in Oakland. After the game, reports say all it took for him to get the meaningful memento back was an autographed bat and ball for the local fan who retrieved it.

Yankees fan Christian Lopez after recovering the Jeter 3,000 ball.

This comes a week after Christian Lopez, a 23-year-old Yankees fan, stumbled into 15 minutes of fame as New York’s Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit, a home run, rolled to him beyond the outfield in Yankee Stadium.

Many expected Lopez to see the dollar signs of a capitalist, holding the Yankees and Jeter over the fire for a hefty ransom. Why not? It happened during the home run surge a few years ago with Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds and the fans who caught their respective moneyballs.

But Lopez, much like that fan last night, decided to see the stars of a young fan, appreciating the game, the athlete and the special experience.

From ESPN New York’s coverage of the event: “Mr. Jeter deserved it. I’m not gonna take it away from him,” Christian Lopez said. “Money’s cool and all, but I’m 23 years old, I’ve got a lot of time to make that. It was never about the money, it was about the milestone.”

Lopez did receive gifts from the Yankees, but that even brought out more angst from one sports writer who believes the team exploited the generosity of the fan.

As sports fans, maybe it is up to us to show the leagues, bickering over how best to split the millions of dollars they make because of the fans, what it is to be a good person who respects the game and its lifeblood, the fans.

I’ll never ask for his autograph or a picture with him, but I am a fan of Christian Lopez and the A’s fan that looked out for Jackson last night in Oakland.

Celebrate the game. Enjoy the community. Live the experience.

← Older posts

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 14 other followers

The Pub on Twitter

  • @DamoSpin right with you. Please be a storied match regardless. 8 years ago
  • RT @barrysvrluga: I was at Wimbledon for tennis Tuesday. And Alex Ovechkin's girlfriend played. And Ovi talked about all sorts of things ... 9 years ago
  • Check out my post and many more - Today's #Caps Clips feature our Semin sendoff plus more. sbn.to/QkrXed via @JapersRink 9 years ago

Archives

  • July 2015 (1)
  • August 2011 (1)
  • July 2011 (2)
  • June 2011 (2)
  • May 2011 (7)
  • April 2011 (9)
  • March 2011 (5)
  • February 2011 (7)
  • January 2011 (13)
  • December 2010 (2)
  • November 2010 (2)
  • October 2010 (3)
  • September 2010 (13)
  • August 2010 (9)
  • July 2010 (3)
  • June 2010 (6)
  • April 2010 (7)
  • March 2010 (6)
  • February 2010 (18)
  • January 2010 (29)

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Ross Hollebon's Sports Pub
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Ross Hollebon's Sports Pub
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...