TSN Could Do Better

I agree Sambo. From what I've seen, which is admittedly limited given where I live, TSN is doing a first-rate job. I really love the TSN CFL section of the web site. I also really like the panel discussion. If they come up with other ideas that are doable I'm confident they will do them. So suggestions for how they can improve are always a good idea, but lets give kudos where they are warranted.

I wish they would have a pre-game show before every game (time permitting between games on double-header nights obviously). There are a number of those afternoon games where they don't bother with one even when it is SportsCentre airing immediately before the game. Also I wish they wouldn't do features in the pre-game shows about teams/players who are playing on a different night. There was one pre-game show where they ran a feature about Jason Tucker coaching in Edmonton but the Esks weren't playing until the next day.

The lack of a post-game shows does bother me probably more on the double-header nights. A lot of times the pre-game show will focus more on the first game and then they also talk about the first game during the second game's half-time so the second game seems to get not as much attention.

It might be a simple numbers game. If more people tune in to Sportscentre than watch post game talking heads, then it's a no-brainer.

Pre-game shows, post-game shows, they don't matter to me, as I rarely watch those anyway.

Talking about other sports at half-time doesn't bother me. It doesn't take a lot of time, and is sometimes interesting.

But I still say when a game ends before its scheduled slot is over, they should fill that time with talk about the game. They started SportsCentre early, and that's just dumb. People who don't want to watch the game but want to watch SportsCentre are not going to know that they should tune in ten minutes early, and will tune in part-way into the program. They will have missed the late-breaking, earth-shattering story about Halliday not being traded.

I'm not saying there should be additional CFL programming, but why can't a 3-hour CFL slot go 3 hours? Sporting events often delay programming, but I've never heard of one forcing programs to start earlier.

Hey look! A post-game interview!

Yeah! They got it right this time.
Of course, the NEXT program is a CFL game. So it could be said that they started the next program early, and began it with talk about the last game. :lol:

They do that even things out because in most cases the CFL games actually go over the alloted 3 hours.

But you’re missing the point.

Say I can’t stand the CFL, but I love baseball. (Quite a stretch, I know, but hear me out.) I see in my listings that SportsCentre starts at 12, because that damn CFL goes from 9-12. So I turn to TSN at 12, expecting to hear about my beloved Jays. But lo and behold, SportsCentre has already been on for 10 minutes, and has said all there is to say about Roy Halladay. I missed the only thing I care about, because that damn CFL ended early.

It’s not about “evening it up”. Games will often delay programming. But go ahead and ask any programming executive and they will tell you: You never, ever, ever, ever, ever start a program early. It’s stupid. That’s why they invented “filler”, so that when a program ends early, you can put something on other than dead air before the next program begins.

Ever since TSN came on the air, SportsCenter or its forerunner Sportsdesk, usually came on right after a sporting event was over.. be it football, hockey, baseball, tennis, NASCAR or golf. I find if you can tolerate a sport for 5 minutes if runs too long, or tune in early before a particualar event is over(if you are able to) you can usually catch whatever you want to hear... and that is what the morning loop is for...

I rember a year or two back when we missed most of a first quarter Argo football because the Jays went into overtime>

You know, the football game would have been on TSN (alt) while the baseball was on.

Of course; because most sporting events run late. And when they end early, they use the extra time to talk about the game until the next program is scheduled to start. If they wanted to do a SportsCentre Update for 10 minutes and then start SportsCentre at the top of the hour, that’s one thing. But they actually started the show early, which networks NEVER DO.
I’m not making this up. Networks never start programming early. Ever.

You missed my point… TSN ran sportsdesk or sportscenter no matter if the event finished early or late… the only exception I’ve ever seen is the NHL playoffs, usually in the first or second round when there are 3 to 4 games per night.

You missed my point: they shouldn't. No other network runs programs early, no matter what's on before them.

But I'll have to concede this argument to you. I've got to get going: it's coming up on 1:00, and I want to watch the 6:00 news. I've got to turn on the TV, in case they decide to start it early. :wink: