Eskies and Stamps fighting already!

[url=http://calsun.canoe.ca/Sports/Football/2006/05/31/1607821-sun.html]http://calsun.canoe.ca/Sports/Football/ ... 1-sun.html[/url]

The Calgary Stampeders don't like change -- not, at least, when it comes to start times and the Edmonton Eskimos.

Should the Edmonton Oilers' miracle Stanley Cup run extend to six games, that tilt against either the Carolina Hurricanes or the Buffalo Sabres will conflict with the Stampeders' regular-season opener against the visiting Eskimos, both scheduled for June 17.

The Oilers would hit the ice at Rexall at 6 p.m. on CBC, while the Stamps and Eskimos kickoff at the same time on TSN. Viewership for the Eskimos game in the Edmonton market would plummet.

And nationally, the conflict could cut TSN's average audience at least in half to less than 195,000 people.

But Stamps president and co-owner Ted Hellard is indifferent to the Eskimos' plight.

"We're not going to move the game so that people in Edmonton can watch us play on TV," he said.

The Stampeders already have the tickets printed and Hellard said it's a big issue to make the change.

And Stampeders fans are his first concern.

"We don't know how many fans in Calgary would sit out the game to watch the (Stanley Cup) final, or how many Calgary fans would miss our game to watch a Canadian team in the sixth game," Hellard said.

The CFL wasn't interested in the change, either.

"There will be no change in the broadcast time," said CFL spokesperson Jamie Dykstra. "The schedule has already been set."

An afternoon kickoff would also conflict with the Toronto-Hamilton opener that day, airing on CBC at 1 p.m.

"In a perfect situation, we would love both games (the Stanley Cup and our season opener) to be seen in their entirety," said Eskimos director of marketing Dave Jamieson.

Hellard said there is plenty of time for the Eskimos to convince him to change the start time.

But conditions have to make sense for the Stamps, he said.

"If it is to our benefit, we'll consider it," Hellard said. "If it's not to our benefit, it won't move ...

"If I'm not convinced there is a monetary reason to move it, we won't. We're not moving it for them, that's for sure."

Im reading on tsn.ca that a Dora the Explorer stage show is scheduled for Rexall on June 17 already. This show has already cause the Senators to move a game earlier in the play-offs so the same thing may happen this time too making this conflict between the esks and stamps a moot point

good...i hope they move the playoff game, or the oilers sweep the sabres in 4 so this conflict is avoided.

Same here. It would be tough choosing what to watch... but I'd have to go for the Stanley Cup final.

flip flip flip s'all you gotta do it's why they invented the remote control.

On the assumption that the Sabres will win game 7, in Carolina…getting ahead of ourselves just a tad arent we…

im not allowed to make a prediction? :roll:

I hope the Oilers sweeps the SC too so this cane be avoided, although I wonder if the NHL will change for the CFL, and I don't see the problem with just changing the home games of Edmonton and Calgary around. More people would go to the game if it were in Calgary than in Edmonton.

and I love Dora. :lol:

Is it just me or is there more "hatred", using this term in a good sense here, this year with the Cats delaying the Williams thing and now the this with the Eskie-Stamps and I think I heard Don Matthews say something on the tube the other day that he was pissed at something. Should make for one interesting season that's for sure!

KK Please read before you post. I know youve got alot of catching up to your past posting numbers.

Ive only included the relevant info.

Should the Edmonton Oilers' miracle Stanley Cup run extend to six games, that tilt against either the Carolina Hurricanes or the Buffalo Sabres will conflict with the Stampeders' regular-season opener against the visiting Eskimos, both scheduled for June 17.

Venturing into the slightly off-topic on the whole Game 6 vs. Dora thing, doesn't this totally remind you of when the Wiggles bumped the date of the Argos' semi-final game a year or two back?

Esquimaux, you,re slowly becoming one of my favourite posters. I love your light-hearted attitude on every topic. :thup:

Isn't it something how this Dora has now forced rescheduling of two NHL playoff games.
Can we call the NHL mickey mouse, like some people were calling the CFL when last year the Wiggles forced our Argos to change the Sunday playoff game.

oh, your right, Eskylo! in that case, there is no need to reschedule, cuz most of the attendance will be from Calgary anyway.

and the Wiggles, one of the great Aussie bands, kicked you guys out? I wouldn't be too bothered by that.

Nice prediction…

i dont recall u making a prediction at all....so why are u bragging?

Oh yes, the Wiggles thing, Rogers dickering around with the Argos to make them and the CFL look bad. Nice try Ted, another reason I don't go watch your baseybally team play in your stadium, besides that employee you have Mr. Godfrey.

So I didnt make a prediction ... big deal, I just said you were getting ahead of yourself... and making a prediction on a game 7 is a crap shoot at the best of times... I didnt make a prediction cause I really didnt care who won that game anyway...

i didnt care either...and i didnt think anyone else would make a big deal about a prediction.

i was wrong.

I don't care if the Wiggles or Dora are from Atlantis, the fact is that it's aimed at a demographic that I've been out of for 15 years.
All those NHL fans that love to bash the CFL (eg, about the Wiggles and the Argos game) should take a look in the mirror. If the CFL was "Micky Mouse" with the Wiggles/Argos, then the NHL definitely is too, with Dora and the Sens/Oilers.
But what it really comes down to is who has the venue booked first. Dora booked Rexall place before the NHL even scheduled the Stanley Cup finals ... and so they have dibs. Likewise with the second round in Ottawa, and so on. Maybe the NHL should have paid attention to when the arenas were available BEFORE making the schedule. Idiots ...