Fox's telecast of Wayne Gretzky's final game yesterday
scored a 2.5/6 overnight Nielsen rating, which is 78.5% over
Fox's current season-to-date NHL average of a 1.4/3. The
rating is Fox's highest NHL overnight in two years, but it
does not include the N.Y. market, as Fox's N.Y. affil WNYW
joined the game in progress (Fox).
PAINTING PICTURES: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes
that Fox "produced a delightful montage of images, none of
which required great skills or wizardry, but were
nonetheless memorable" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/19). USA TODAY's
Michael Hiestand writes that Fox's coverage of the game "was
great, filled with fun old TV footage and touching nuggets."
Noting that Fox is in a "lame duck" NHL season after losing
TV rights to ABC, Hiestand writes that Fox "hardly skimped
on Sunday's game," as "viewers saw everything." Hiestand
adds that Gretzky "might even resurface on Fox's playoff
coverage." Fox Manager of Media Relations Dan Bell: "It's
not out of the question" (USA TODAY, 4/19). In Toronto,
Chris Zelkovich writes that both Fox and the CBC "managed to
avoid the wretched excess" and the "kind of coverage we saw
when Michael Jordan hung up his Nikes." Zelkovich adds that
CBC and Fox "handled yesterday's final game with similar
style that let the events produce the emotion without
prodding from overwrought prose and soap-opera music"
(TORONTO STAR, 4/19). In Houston, David Barron writes that
Fox NHL announcer Mike Emrick knew "when to talk and when to
shut up" and "he let the pictures do the talking for much of
Sunday's game." Barron adds that if ABC has "any snap, it
will snap up" Emrick and fellow Fox announcer John Davidson
for next season's coverage (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/19).
GAME ON: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes that Fox
"blew it" in not mandating that its affil WNYW-NY carry
yesterday's game, as it "could have found another outlet"
for the Yankees-Tigers game. NHL COO Steve Solomon, on the
station's decision not to carry the game: "It was wrong. I
don't know what kind of rating Wayne's final game would have
done with the right promotion." Sandomir notes that Fox
"relented a bit and generously allowed three highlights from
the opening ceremony to sneak" onto WNYW's MLB coverage and
"share precious screen time with the Yankees" (N.Y. TIMES,
4/19). In Philadelphia, Bill Fleischman writes that the NHL
and Fox Sports "arranged to delay the start" of both the
Bruins-Flyers and the Avalanche-Stars games until 3:15pm ET
so viewers "nationwide could see the Gretzky pregame
retirement ceremonies" (DAILY NEWS, 4/19). In Toronto, Rob
Longley, writes that CBC's move to break a "rule of
broadcasting by leaving" the Blue Jays-Orioles game to show
the Gretzky pre-game show was a "no-brainer" (TORONTO SUN,
4/19). Cablevision/MSG/Rangers take out a full page ad in
N.Y. newspapers thanking Gretzky "for the memories."
