Twitter roasts NBC for showing golf over NHL playoffs
Twitter put NBC on blast after the network decided golf was more important than the NHL playoffs.
The NHL has a television deal with NBC. Most of the Stanley Cup Playoff games are shown on one of its networks. The first round games that aren’t on its primary or sports network are shown on USA Network. Despite owning its television rights, the channel often puts hockey on the back burner.
On Saturday, May 13, NBC was on schedule to air the Eastern Conference Finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators. However, instead of pregame coverage, fans looking for hockey got treated to the third round of a non-major golf tournament. Obviously, people on Twitter weren’t too happy. And if we’ve learned anything from the past, making people upset on social media is never a good idea.
Though NBC eventually switched to the game just before the puck dropped, fans missed the dual national anthems and virtually all the pregame coverage. This is another chapter in the awkward relationship between the NHL and NBC. It leaves fans questioning why the league jumped on NBC’s television coverage offer over ESPN several years ago, even if NBC offered more money.
Penguins and Senators fans were especially outraged. And rightfully so, as there’s no reason they should have to play second fiddle to a non-major golf tournament. Penguins fans got to miss the home crowd giving Marc-Andre Fleury an awesome ovation. Senators fans got to miss “O Canada”, complete with the few Ottawa fans in Pittsburgh singing along.
Here are some of the best reactions Twitter had to NBC’s shenanigans.
https://twitter.com/cammiebuckeye33/status/863533358453796865
wow instead of playing the pens vs sens game, NBC decided to air a live feed of the Edmonton Oilers
— Kyle M. (@KyleWIIM) May 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/SDarling_33/status/863532113961857024
How I feel when NBC's golf coverage runs long pic.twitter.com/3lb8C8w9wB
— Penguins Nation (@EngellandsEye) May 13, 2017
why is NBC showing us the caps offseason rather than the pens
— Emmonite (@armadillorollup) May 13, 2017
So basically you are saying 3rd round golf is more important than the @NHL eastern conference finals in Pittsburgh. Way to go NBC! pic.twitter.com/rb5NDGGF8z
— Rich Walsh KDKA (@RichieWalsh) May 13, 2017
golf isn't a sport. put on hockey now
— 𝔧𝔞𝔯 (@vaidyeah33) May 13, 2017
@NBCSports if I wanted to watch golf during @NHL playoffs, I'd be a @NHLFlyers fan.
— Jay Okay (@JasonJayokay66) May 13, 2017
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Hopefully NBC has learned its lesson. Don’t get a bunch of hockey fans angry or you will face their wrath and be mocked online. A lot of solid insults tonight and all of them were quite deserving.