World Championships in Canada

[Salopian]

Well, I'm not getting involved directly, but when it's a holiday and/or a weekend and there's f**king ski jumping and other snow-munching monotony on for the whole day, there's many a person a bit annoyed.

But then again, popularity/'want folk want' is not the ultimate criteria of what is best. We'd be faced with declining sporting standards and shows like 'Fat Brother' on the box constantly if we're not careful.

[simon]

Just stop sulking, get a life and watch the uefa crap via the net.

IIRC your a Bayern supporter

[simon]

If Finland wants to show Icehockey instead of the Football like some other countries in of Europe, it's their decision and I'll take it like an adult and not like the crowd of SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND/ENGERLAND ENGERLAND ENGERLAND chanting m*r*ns who try to compensate for not playing in the European Championships.

You been drinking pierrot? thats not like your ususal response, to insult nations? Anyway I dont see why Finland didnt want to show the final its not like it conflicts, but to be honest they havent shown the uefa final for as long as I can remember, its only the CL final

[pierrot]

Just stop sulking, get a life and watch the uefa crap via the net.

IIRC your a Bayern supporter

As much as you are a ManU fan
Bayern.. please... whats next?

[pierrot]

If Finland wants to show Icehockey instead of the Football like some other countries in of Europe, it's their decision and I'll take it like an adult and not like the crowd of SCOTLAND SCOTLAND SCOTLAND/ENGERLAND ENGERLAND ENGERLAND chanting m*r*ns who try to compensate for not playing in the European Championships.

You been drinking pierrot? thats not like your ususal response, to insult nations? Anyway I dont see why Finland didnt want to show the final its not like it conflicts, but to be honest they havent shown the uefa final for as long as I can remember, its only the CL final

No, I was simply taking someone's answer and turning it around, making an engerland/scotland crowd out of the original "SUOMISUOMISUOMI chanting morons" found here:
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=30548&p=277340#p277340


And I rather see 1 WC/EC/CL game than 100 uefa cup finals.

[TampereOwl]

Thanks for your pm, that is an option for me if I am motivated enough.

My point with the original post was that there would be a market for this sort of game, as it's a very interesting match between two teams with.....'interesting' reputations and a lot of off-field baggage. As well as a fascinating match up between one of the worst teams ever to have a shot at four trophies in a season, and a genuinely brilliant Zenit team. Bunging Viasat a few grand would have secured the rights, you could make that back pretty easily, and YLE's decisions in relation to its budget have been baffling for a long time. The HBO deal, for instance. So i'm quite happy to do without a telly, I can get most of the interesting stuff online.

And your last comment is just unfathomable. These Zenit players will be at the European Championships, and both clubs will be in next year's CL. I guess you must have a hockey mentality, favouring closed leagues and anti-competitive practices to ensure the 'best' clubs compete again and again and again and again till we all die of boredom.

[Ravvy]

Geez Louise, a total hijacking. Anybody want to talk hockey?

[pierrot]

Thanks for your pm, that is an option for me if I am motivated enough.

You are welcome

And your last comment is just unfathomable. These Zenit players will be at the European Championships, and both clubs will be in next year's CL. I guess you must have a hockey mentality, favouring closed leagues and anti-competitive practices to ensure the 'best' clubs compete again and again and again and again till we all die of boredom.

Zenith is imho nothing else imho than a russian Chelsea: a team which has all of a sudden plenty of money (and friends in big politics) from a big sponsor/owner. That's not really sooo interesting and promising.
And thanks for your guess, but I dont even watch Icehockey besides for finals if the right team is involved.
I watched league football many years (England, Germany, France and a bit of Spain) but nowadays almost only watch EC/WC games and CL final rounds (often more intense than the finals themselves). My heart is with national teams as these seem to stay the only ones where money doesn't help at all, but talent and passion.

So here for Ravvy: GO FINLAND!

[Ravvy]

I see Sweden just beat the Czechs in OT.
Canada scores on their first shot of the match to go up 1-0, 37 seconds into their game with Norway.

[otyikondo]

Thanks for your pm, that is an option for me if I am motivated enough.

My point with the original post was that there would be a market for this sort of game, as it's a very interesting match between two teams with.....'interesting' reputations and a lot of off-field baggage. As well as a fascinating match up between one of the worst teams ever to have a shot at four trophies in a season, and a genuinely brilliant Zenit team. Bunging Viasat a few grand would have secured the rights, you could make that back pretty easily, and YLE's decisions in relation to its budget have been baffling for a long time. The HBO deal, for instance. So i'm quite happy to do without a telly, I can get most of the interesting stuff online.

And your last comment is just unfathomable. These Zenit players will be at the European Championships, and both clubs will be in next year's CL. I guess you must have a hockey mentality, favouring closed leagues and anti-competitive practices to ensure the 'best' clubs compete again and again and again and again till we all die of boredom.

Interesting idea... you are quite sure Viasat have free-to-air rights for Finland to sub-licence? Or was this a drive-by comment? All rights for ECL and EURO 2008 are bought directly from UEFA. I'm most interested in the idea that Viasat (a satellite distributor - what would they want with terrestrial rights in the first place?) would be a player in all this with a product to offload, bypassing the organising association - and even more so that it would be "a few grand", given the cost of EURO 2008, where we are talking telephone numbers. Yes, even to a country where access is considerably less vital for something like the UEFA Cup final than for the IIHF Worlds. And it is the degree of "need" that determines the cost - Germans will pay less for hockey, in spite of their greater population.

And yes, I do know a tiny bit about the contractual arrangements of these things. And about the fears of a public broadcaster at prompting a humungous groundswell of dissatisfaction if a major sport within the country (read: ice hockey, skiing, ski-jumping, whether one likes it or not) were to go onto the pay side. As it did in the past on a few occasions.

As for the HBO deal, believe me, the sums involved pale into insignificance beside those for sports.

[Ravvy]

Norway-Canada at 2-2 midway through the match!UUFF DAA!!

[Salopian]

Norway-Canada at 2-2 midway through the match!UUFF DAA!!

Floodgates have opened now. Three goals in a few minutes and it's goodnight before the end of the second.

[raamv]

d*mn I started watching this..and I have a feeling that I am going to lose my 4-5 hrs of sleep that I get!!

[glorius]

Zenit is a champion!!!! 2:0!!!!!

[TampereOwl]

otyikondo: The UEFA Cup broadcast rights bidding process is run by these people, and they sold the whole thing as a package to Viasat for the Nordic area. Just like they did for the Champions League. YLE bought the rights for the CL, but have adopted a pick and mix policy for the UEFA Cup. Well, a not picking anything except TamU-Bordeaux policy, actually, but never mind.

The problem for Finland is that Viasat does not have a terrestrial channel here, whereas it does in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. They show the juicy bits on those channels, but need a partner in Finland. Unfortunately nobody stepped up on this occasion, and I'm quite happy to express my displeasure by withdrawing my custom.

And as for HBO-it was a needless purchase. It was already shown in Finland, it does not add anything to the viewer's experience. Incredibly poor use of the licence payer's money and it should be punished.