Go Fuck Yourself WTHR
Before I even start this, I want to make something very clear. I love the Indianapolis 500. It means a lot to me and my family. I have nothing against the race.
This evening I turned on the TV to watch my beloved Chicago Blackhawks in game two of the Stanley Cup Final. Something that readers of this blog know that I have been waiting for my entire life. What I’m greeted by instead is the Indianapolis 500 awards banquet. I get it, it’s Indianapolis, the race is kinda our “thing.” Here’s the problem. THE STANLEY CUP FINALS ARE ON. This is a championship for one of the “Big 4” sports.
Yet again hockey fans, we’re pushed to the wayside.
If this was the NBA Finals, the World Series or the Super Bowl, this would never happen. I know in this exact circumstance it would only be possible for the NBA Finals to be taking place, but it is more or less the spirit of the thing.
So here’s what you get in Indy: the broadcast of the awards banquet, a thing that doesn’t need any sort of high definition.
Where is the game?
Well amazingly, it’s on TV. Sadly, it’s been relegated to the Skytrak Weather Network channel. A local 24/7 weather station. The channel is in standard definition for a broadcast that would actually benefit from high definition. To make matters worse, most digital cable subscribers in the area do not have this station. I had to unplug my coaxial cable from the box and go straight into the TV. Thank Christ that NBC fills the first 20 minutes of their broadcasts with Milbury and Pierre “Do you mind if I check your prostate while I’m interviewing you?” McGuire talking like idiots. Otherwise, I’m sure I would have missed the start of the game. Also thanks for the picture quality WTHR, I’ve watched streams illegally over the internet that looked clearer.
WTHR, why were the channels not switched? Do you really hate us that much? If both broadcasts were given a fair shake, would the awards banquet really have brought in higher ratings? In Indy people are generally fans of one of the following three teams: Blackhawks, Blue Jackets or Red Wings. That means AT LEAST 1/3 of the hockey fans in this city would have been watching, but let’s get serious this is the Stanley Cup Finals, every hockey fan in the city would be watching, instead we’re all shitty.
In conclusion, this is a rant. I’m pissed and tired of my favorite sport being pushed to the side. Sadly this is just part of life in Central Indiana, a hockey wasteland. Fuck you WTHR.
hoosierhockey.wordpress.com 
Amen brother. I have been trying to call in and remind them how much I hate them, but it’s still busy.
And to make matters worse I don’t even get that station on direcTV. Which means I have to follow a chat room that is updating me on the game. RIDICULOUS! Love the story though, good work!
I hope someone from WTHR reads your post!! Amen to it all!
Hockey fans,
We need to all band together and tell NBC that this is not acceptable!! I just got off the phone with NBC headquarters in NYC and I was told that no one is complaining about this issue to them and I was given the shaft!!! We need to call NBC and tell them it is unacceptable and set them straight!! I have the number and the contact name which is…. 212-664-4444 and ask for Maria Enriques.
Tell her that hockey is important and that fans across Indiana are outraged!! Lets flood their lines and give them a piece of our mind!!!
Getting credit: Somebody had Indy as having the 4th best ratings for game 2 in the US. I think the folks tuned into the awards banquet got counted as hockey fans!
At least there was a secondary channel available for a lot of hockey fans in the area. Years ago, the Indy market didn’t even bother to show it at all.
I suppose showing it on a crappy channel is better than no game at all. Additionally, I plan on writing my next post about us finishing 4th. I recently saw that in an article.
Peter: This is Indianapolis, not Vancouver. The 500 is the largest event this state puts on. No one gives a shit about hockey in Indiana in May. Is Hockey even in season? I guess so but who really cares? The banquet is important because it gives opportunity for fans to see the drivers personalities, up close, just like NECKCAR does. Honestly, I’d rather watch any MMA event – even a year old replay of a George St. Pierre fight than the Stanley Crap finals. Move to Minnesota brother.
Tony: You are completely entitled to your opinion. There are hockey fans in this state and we do care about the sport. It’s odd that you reference MMA when most would say that is a sport that no one cares about, so it would seem that you would be understanding to the plight of hockey fans here.
While Minnesota does seem like some sort of paradise, Indiana is my home. Because I am from a specific area of the country I’m not allowed to care about specific sports? Is that what I am to make of your final comment? If so, we should be playing basketball constantly and racing to the court in our cars.
Additionally, the race means a lot to me. My late-Uncle instilled a deep passion for IRL racing and more specifically, the 500. I get why it’s a big deal, I get why people want to see the drivers. American racing focuses more on the individual driver than the car maker, this is reversed in Europe. My issue is not the banquet being televised, but rather that it’s on during a championship series for one of the “big four” sports leagues.
Josh Koscheck is going to own GSP. GSP better get ready to hand that belt over.