Thanks to a "storm of criticism on Twitter that spread to traditional forms of media" yesterday, senior execs from both Rogers Communications and Bell Canada, which share the Maple Leafs’ radio rights and ownership of the team, "reversed a decision" to have announcers Joe Bowen and Jim Ralph call road games off a TV monitor in a Toronto studio this season, according to David Shoalts of the GLOBE & MAIL. Neither company "would officially confirm the change." But sources from Rogers and Bell said that it "was in the works." One source said that both companies "did agree that Bowen and Ralph would be travelling to the Leafs’ away games." Starting this season, both Bowen and Ralph "became contract employees with both Rogers and Bell." The "Twitter firestorm erupted" in the wake of a story posted by TorontoSportsMedia.com. The no-travel decision came after new Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello "instituted a policy he employed for years" when he ran the Devils -- team charter flights "were strictly for players, coaches and team executives." TV crews "could no longer take advantage of the charters and team buses." That left Rogers Sportsnet's CJCL-AM and Bell's CHUM-AM "faced with footing the travel bill for Bowen and Ralph, which would cost up to $130,000 [all figures C] for the regular season." The stations also will have to "pay travel costs for at least two television broadcasters and a producer, which brings the total travel bill to about $500,000 for this season." By the time Lamoriello’s "decree became known, the budgets for both stations were set" (GLOBE & MAIL, 9/29). In Toronto, Sean Fitz-Gerald notes having broadcasters call games from a TV feed "is not a new concept." In this case, the difference "seemed to be the subject, and the idea that the richest team in the NHL could have been travelling without its own dedicated radio crew" (TORONTO STAR, 9/29).
MINOR-LEAGUE MOVE? In Toronto, Steve Buffery writes the decision "smacked of something right out of Bull Durham," and it "probably had much to do with Rogers looking to save money after investing all those billions on their NHL contract." Buffery: "Talk about bush league. Surely, there was some other way to save money" (TORONTO SUN, 9/29). Also in Toronto, Rob Longley writes a "stunning collision of events over the past few weeks once again left a fresh batch of egg on the face of the storied franchise." Longley: "How could it be that one of the richest franchises in North American pro sports actually thought having a radio crew trying to call half of the team's games on the cheap would fly?" (TORONTO SUN, 9/29). YAHOO SPORTS' Greg Wyshynski wrote this situation seems "like a snapshot of where the broadcast media is" in '15. Wyshynski: "There's a chance that, in one or two years, we’re going to see this decision as less insult and more moving with the times" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 9/28).
