Good article on HNIC coverage

[AD]

from the Toronto Star Monday Oct 31

HNIC homers show their true colours

You'd think Leafs were the only team

CHRIS ZELKOVICH

It was more than a little ironic that on the same day the CBC trumpeted its Canada-wide celebration of hockey it provided some hard evidence for those who insist the regular Saturday affair should be called Hockey Night In Toronto.

With the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Ottawa Senators, who at last check were still located in Canada, the CBC was presented with a perfect opportunity to highlight one of the best teams in hockey. That's Ottawa, if you were wondering.

Instead, what viewers got was the usual Saturday night broadcast that told us far more about the boys in blue than it did about the team that won 8-0.

The game started off fine with both teams being given equal notice. Bob Cole even took time to praise the Senators ("These guys are dynamite,") though it sounded more as if he was surprised by their power.

The fact that he has seen much more of the Leafs may explain that.

If there was any doubt where the CBC stood, Don Cherry put it to rest in the first intermission.

After apologizing for calling Toronto "we," the man who has worn Leaf ties on air noted that his favourite team was no longer intimidating the guys from Ottawa. "It's sad to see," he moaned.

I imagine that played well in the Ottawa Valley.

He then came to the crucial matter that was no doubt on the minds of Canadians from coast to coast: Should Wade Belak be playing?

Instead of a focus on why the Senators were dominating the league and the Leafs, what we got was a discussion on why the Leafs were playing so poorly. In the HNIC world, that's all that really matters.

Cherry did interrupt his Leaf infomercial for a celebration of Ottawa forward Jason Spezza's amazing goal, but that appeared to be more fodder for one of his eyebrow-twitching rants against Europeans than anything else.

Cole didn't help matters in following Daniel Alfredsson's goal with, "that makes it 7-0 Toronto." It was a slip of the tongue, no doubt enabled by calling so many Leaf games.

After the game, you might think the main topic would be Dany Heatley's four goals. But Cherry had one overriding thought: that no Leaf started a fight after Tie Domi was knocked around. "That is disgusting," he spat.

The CBC's love of the Leafs is nothing new. In many ways, it's understandable.

There's no way the early game of the Hockey Night In Canada doubleheader would be averaging more than 1.6 million viewers this season if it weren't for the Leafs. That's why the Senators, Flames, Oilers and Canadiens get little national exposure in comparison.

That might be acceptable with a private network. But the CBC is supposed to be all things to all Canadians, not just those waving blue-and-white flags.

[Booche]

Leafs suck.

[badams]

Leafs suck.

Leafs suck * Infinity

[Hal Johnson]

Cole didn't help matters in following Daniel Alfredsson's goal with, "that makes it 7-0 Toronto."