The hype machine for the NHL on NBC vets Doc Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and producer Sam Flood were joined by newbies "Mad" Mike Milbury and Costas, whose focus is clearly on making a game between what are currently two non-playoff teams into something transcendent, saying that "you don't have to be somebody who follows the NHL day in and day out to enjoy it as an event."
Being that this is a large-scale sporting event with an opportunity for some NBC cross-promotion, someone asked Flood if there would be an NBC celebrity component at the Winter Classic, and specifically about arguably the network's biggest prime-time star and most prominent Canadian, Howie "Deal or No Deal" Mandel. "In terms of Howie Mandel, no plans at this time to have him at the game site. Remember, Jan. 1 is a different kind of day to have these celebs in different locations," said Flood.
Having Mandel at the game, or on any hockey telecast, would obviously be a coup based on his current popularity and general appeal; but it would also be the safe, obvious play. If NBC and the NHL really wanted to create some buzz, they should draft some of the network's stars whose hockey credentials are a little less established. Who isn't tuning in to the Winter Classic pregame show to hear Tracy Morgan of "30 Rock" do five minutes on hockey? Of course, the probability of getting Tracy Morgan to Buffalo, NY on New Year's Day afternoon for a hockey game is about the same as the probability that Jamie-Lynn Spears was going to save it 'til marriage. Some other points of interest from the conference call...
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Costas said he wasn't assigned by NBC to host the Winter Classic, but rather was asked by Flood and sports television guru Dick Ebersol, who had already run the idea by Gary Bettman. Costas said yes immediately. "If it's a big enough event, I guess people expect me to in some way be involved," he said. Costas clearly sees himself as a presenter and moderator here, rather than a more active host like he is on something like "Inside the NFL" on HBO. "It's not unlike when I host the Kentucky Derby or the U.S. Open golf. Other guys have more expertise in horse racing and golf who are on our team than I do," he said. "My job is to provide the overview and set the scene, which is what people, I guess, have come to expect from me in my various roles at NBC. I'm not going to be analyzing the game or providing any of the bits of information that Doc Emerik does so well."
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Flood said that the potential for Costas to return and host the Stanley Cup Finals is contingent on his pre-Olympics schedule.
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Flood was asked what this Winter Classic will look like if Buffalo has a warm Jan. 1. He said the ice will be in no danger, as it's controlled by the same technology as is found in hockey arenas. "Unless it's 80 degrees out, they'll be in good shape," said Flood.
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(An aside: It's sort of a shame Howie Mandel won't be appearing at the Winter Classic. I would have loved to have seen the self-professed germaphobe take a dare and insert his hand in a sweat-drenched Reebok EDGE System glove. It would have been as intense as the time when Flash Gordon reached inside of that tree trunk on Mongo, only without the eminent coolness of Timothy Dalton watching close by.)
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Jim Williams from the DC Examiner asked about making the Winter Classic a permanent thing, which I found odd because I thought it was generally assumed that this was basically a pilot -- to put it in television terms -- for an annual NHL New Year's Day tent-pole event, should hockey remain on NBC. "The League is going to make the decision on that. We think it's a wonderful start," said Flood, diplomatically.
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I asked Milbury about taking over the role that Brett Hull failed to play last season as the broadcast's provocateur. "I'm going to call the game as I relate to it. I'm entering the third period of my life here. I've had experiences at every level ... I just hope to be able to bring some measure of candor when it comes to the game and then relate it to experiences in my life. I didn't go to Bob Costas Broadcasting School. I kind of grew up in the hockey world, and I carry my passion on my sleeve. If I guy is dogging it, I'll let you know," he said. "I'll broadcast the way I played: obnoxiously."
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From an event coverage standpoint, I asked Flood about the technology NBC will trot out for this game, referencing the "rail cam" that made the Heritage Classic so bitchin' cool on Canadian television. "We want to be bigger than the rail cam. The rail cam, to me, was not the right thing for an outdoor game. The outdoor game, you want to see the spectacle and the size and scope of it."
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To that end, Flood said there will be the same number of cameras as the network uses to cover the Finals, plus one more: a camera in a plane over the stadium, proving aerial shots like the ones seen on "Sunday Night Football." Flood said part of the game will be covered by the plane, which sounds intriguing: We're either finally going to get an NHL game presented with the simplistic glory of the overhead perspective in NHL '94 for the SEGA Genesis, or we're going to be seeing what looks like 10 raisins in shoebox as filmed from Ganymede.
