97.1 The Ticket

Occurrence · January-22-12, 10:12 AM

I thought this station was suppose to carry Red Wings game on the radio? Several times in the past few weeks I have tried to put the game on [[because I can't watch it), only to be stuck listening to a Pistons game. It appears the Red Wings get bumped to AM radio if they play the same night as the Pistons. The Pistons are a horrible team and nobody cares about them.

Aside from the NBA season almost being cancelled, the Wings have been a consistently good team for over 20 year. Why are they getting bumped to AM radio for an embarrassment like the Pistons? That's backwards. What's the deal?

**Vic_doucette** · January-22-12, 11:38 AM

I suspect it's contractual. I also agree that it's a bad idea. But as somebody who grew up listening to sports [[and pretty much everything else) on AM radio, there's a level of nostalgia and romance that I like about it.

**Hamtragedy** · January-22-12, 12:12 PM

Yeah, except for Monday's game against Phoenix, Paul's mic was turned up way too loud and distorted thru my AM radio, and Ken's voice was modulated properly either, making the entire second period un-listenable. Fingernails on a chalk board.

**One Shot** · January-22-12, 12:43 PM

Same feelings here too. Baseball and basketball gotta be the most boring games to listen to.
Listening to a hockey game on the radio does have a nostalgic feel and I'm not that old!

Occurrence · January-22-12, 12:50 PM

My device doesn't even have an AM dial. It's FM only. On my other radio, AM barley comes in, making the game unlistenable.

Contractional or not, it seems odd that a team and franchise that is considered one of the the best in all of professional sports can't do better that a bad AM signal.

With all the things the NHL did to ruin the game over the years, the NBA is officially worse. Hopefully the new owner does this region a favor and moves the Pistons somewhere else. I don't think many people here would care.

**firstandten** · January-22-12, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

My device doesn't even have an AM dial. It's FM only. On my other radio, AM barley comes in, making the game unlistenable.

Contractional or not, it seems odd that a team and franchise that is considered one of the the best in all of professional sports can't do better that a bad AM signal.

With all the things the NHL did to ruin the game over the years, the NBA is officially worse. Hopefully the new owner does this region a favor and moves the Pistons somewhere else. I don't think many people here would care.

We only say that because the Wings are a good team and well run. However the facts are this the NHL is fourth behind the NFL, MLB and the NBA. Thats the big picture.

**Bham1982** · January-22-12, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

Aside from the NBA season almost being cancelled, the Wings have been a consistently good team for over 20 year. Why are they getting bumped to AM radio for an embarrassment like the Pistons? That's backwards. What's the deal?

I don't know the reason, but keep in mind that the NBA is a much more popular and lucrative league than the NHL.

Even in Hockeytown, the Pistons are bigger business than the Red Wings. They're worth more, they draw more viewership, etc.

The NBA tends to be popular basically everywhere, and derives popularity from all age groups, ethnicities and backgrounds. The NHL tends to have an exclusively white Northeast/Midwest orientation, which affects things like advertising dollars. And even in the Northeast/Midwest, NHL is a distant fourth in popularity among the major sports.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-22-12, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

My device doesn't even have an AM dial. It's FM only. On my other radio, AM barley comes in, making the game unlistenable.

Contractional or not, it seems odd that a team and franchise that is considered one of the the best in all of professional sports can't do better that a bad AM signal.

With all the things the NHL did to ruin the game over the years, the NBA is officially worse. Hopefully the new owner does this region a favor and moves the Pistons somewhere else. I don't think many people here would care.

It might not occur here in Detroit, but everywhere else, but the NBA is more popular than the NHL. That's just how it is.

**detroittrader** · January-22-12, 02:01 PM

When I turn on 950am to check the headlines, and it's Michigan football/basketball or the Pistons, I always yell "God Dammit". I only listen to the Lions on 97.1.

Occurrence · January-22-12, 02:57 PM

I don't know about the Pistons drawing more viewership. I believe the Pistons have the lowest attendance in the league while the Wings sell out every game.

I have also notice the Wings keep getting bumped off FSN and put on FSN+, a channel that everyone seems to have a problem finding. I think on my buddies it was like channel 713 or something like that.

They should really consider getting rid of all this Hockeytown garbage. For "Hockeytown", we sure seem to treat our hockey team like crap. This wouldn't happen in a real hockeytown, like Montreal or Vancouver.

**dtowncitylover** · January-22-12, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by detroittrader

When I turn on 950am to check the headlines, and it's Michigan football/basketball or the Pistons, I always yell "God Dammit". I only listen to the Lions on 97.1.

I also detest this. I mean we have 97.1, 1270, and 1130, but the newsradio station has to broadcast a college basketball game?!

**rb336** · January-22-12, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by firstandten

We only say that because the Wings are a good team and well run. However the facts are this the NHL is fourth behind the NFL, MLB and the NBA. Thats the big picture.

Yeah, and until the advent of CDs, ABBA had outsold the Beatles. the big picture = lowest common denominator. NBA was much better back when defense was permitted and when offensive fouls were called - like when a defender who has position gets run over by the guy driving the lane, or travelling! Now it's a sport totally geared toward the "superstar."

**ThisIsForTheHeart** · January-22-12, 03:37 PM

I've notice the decline in the radio stations for detroit every year. Why only have traffic reports every 8 mins? By the time I hear the reports, I'm stuck in it. It's not like i can turn off the expressway due to the limited exits and on surface streets I have to zig zag around due to only a few roads go straight thru.

And then the tigers playoff game was sent to am over the lions. They're bums and lose so why arnt the lions on am radio. I couldn't even hear the game as the station was overpowered by static.

Now this with the red wings.

I'm forced to use my cell phone while driving to follow the game and many governments want to make using a cell phone illegal while behind the world. Hmmm so I should stay home and not spend money to stimulate the economy.

**rjk** · January-22-12, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

I don't know about the Pistons drawing more viewership. I believe the Pistons have the lowest attendance in the league while the Wings sell out every game.

I have also notice the Wings keep getting bumped off FSN and put on FSN+, a channel that everyone seems to have a problem finding. I think on my buddies it was like channel 713 or something like that.

They should really consider getting rid of all this Hockeytown garbage. For "Hockeytown", we sure seem to treat our hockey team like crap. This wouldn't happen in a real hockeytown, like Montreal or Vancouver.

Many times I've had to seek out FSN+ to watch the Pistons when both teams are playing.
Also many times I've had to listen to 950 am to hear the Pistons game on the radio.

I'm wondering if it may have something to do with what times the games start. Maybe the team that has a later starting time gets placed on the am station.

**Enduro** · January-22-12, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

My device doesn't even have an AM dial. It's FM only. On my other radio, AM barley comes in, making the game unlistenable.

Contractional or not, it seems odd that a team and franchise that is considered one of the the best in all of professional sports can't do better that a bad AM signal.

With all the things the NHL did to ruin the game over the years, the NBA is officially worse. Hopefully the new owner does this region a favor and moves the Pistons somewhere else. I don't think many people here would care.

Excuse me, Arbiter of Metro Sport. The Pistons may be struggling at the moment but they're a proud franchise that's had a lot of success and generated a lot of business and excitement in the area. I don't like that they play in Auburn Hills but I'm glad they're at least in the state.

I may not care for hockey [[any sport that starts with the premise that you have to freeze the ground in order to play it is little more than a gimmick) but I'm grateful that we have them. It would seem much of the country would agree since it's rather difficult to find hockey on cable or broadcast TV. Basketball of all skill levels is on all the time and some of it's fringe players are far more recognizable than Sindey Crosby. And the Wings do not sell out every night but that's likely due to the terrible scheduling of the NHL.

So I'm sorry you didn't do research before you bought your "device" but there's no need to attack something that's been so good for the area because your regular season game got moved to AM. I returned a counter mount TV/radio because it didn't have AM because I listen to 1310. It's probably a bigger radio crime that 1130 and 760 are allowed to spew the same misinformation on two of our strongest stations while the lone voice of opposition, 1310, gets little more than a pair of rabbit ears to push their signal.

**yupislyr** · January-22-12, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

They should really consider getting rid of all this Hockeytown garbage. For "Hockeytown", we sure seem to treat our hockey team like crap. This wouldn't happen in a real hockeytown, like Montreal or Vancouver.

it was only ever a marketing gimmick. Nothing more.

**firstandten** · January-22-12, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

Yeah, and until the advent of CDs, ABBA had outsold the Beatles. the big picture = lowest common denominator. NBA was much better back when defense was permitted and when offensive fouls were called - like when a defender who has position gets run over by the guy driving the lane, or travelling! Now it's a sport totally geared toward the "superstar."

.

yeah, I don't like it either its all about marketing now days

Occurrence · January-22-12, 04:52 PM

Enduro, did you just say hockey is a gimmick because it's played on ice? It's ice hockey, what surface are they supposed to play on?

If anything is a gimmick, it's the modern NBA that resembles WWE Wrestling more than anything. Basketball is actually a good sport, as long as it's not NBA basketball. It's a garbage league now.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-22-12, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

Enduro, did you just say hockey is a gimmick because it's played on ice? It's ice hockey, what surface are they supposed to play on?

If anything is a gimmick, it's the modern NBA that resembles WWE Wrestling more than anything. Basketball is actually a good sport, as long as it's not NBA basketball. It's a garbage league now.

Again, that's YOUR opinion. There are a lot of people that like the NBA, and I'm one of them. The Pistons have brought joy to this community in the past and while they are down now, they will bounce back.

**Enduro** · January-23-12, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

Enduro, did you just say hockey is a gimmick because it's played on ice? It's ice hockey, what surface are they supposed to play on?

If anything is a gimmick, it's the modern NBA that resembles WWE Wrestling more than anything. Basketball is actually a good sport, as long as it's not NBA basketball. It's a garbage league now.

My crappy opinion is just as valid as your crappy opinion, although in my opinion it's more valid. Field hockey is a more legitimate game. Therefore I think they should remove the ice from the NHL or abolish the game altogether. Or make them broadcast on shortwave if it does continue to exist as is. Also any goals that look like accidents [[most of them) should not count and should be given to a children's charity.

**gnome** · January-23-12, 01:45 PM

Don't know if there is an Asshat award for dumb posts, but I think we have a nominee.

Occurrence · January-23-12, 02:12 PM

It's called ICE hockey. Why would they remove the ice?

Maybe they should remove the ball from the game of basketball. It would make that game more legitimate.

**Enduro** · January-23-12, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

Don't know if there is an Asshat award for dumb posts, but I think we have a nominee.

Sarcasm. It's an awesome thing.

Occurence says that we'd be better off if the Pistons move out of town, the NBA sucks and nobody cares about our proud franchise and it's history and I'm the asshat? I'm cool with that. Asshat must mean awesome, hilarious dude on the board.

And if you look at the ratings across the nation people apparently let out a collective yawn when hockey is on TV. I don't like it but again, I don't want them to move out of town. And yes playing a game on ice is pretty gimmicky.

**TKshreve** · January-23-12, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by Enduro

Sarcasm. It's an awesome thing.

Occurence says that we'd be better off if the Pistons move out of town, the NBA sucks and nobody cares about our proud franchise and it's history and I'm the asshat? I'm cool with that. Asshat must mean awesome, hilarious dude on the board.

And if you look at the ratings across the nation people apparently let out a collective yawn when hockey is on TV. I don't like it but again, I don't want them to move out of town. And yes playing a game on ice is pretty gimmicky.

This year's average through the first six home games is all the way down to 11,170, half of capacity.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ycn-10823657

Yeah, pretty popular isn't it? For you to redraw the discussion from a local standpoint to a national popularity contest is, well...... I guess gimmicky. Why don't you include all of North America with your superlative pissing contest? Read the article and you might find that the Pistons moving out of town is not that far fetched as well. But I figure you won't, so whatever.

Tell you what, any sport that needs 15 minutes to finalize the last 15 seconds on the game clock is a gimmick AT BEST! You wanna talk about yawns? And the almost canceled the season. I guess the Piston's mgmt. decided to bank on the entire season being canceled, but had to slop together a team when they realized their gamble was a bust. I call the NBA a boring joke. An April Fools sport.

Sorry the pistons suck. It was nice when they were competitive. But they shouldn't bump the World Class Red Wings onto AM or the crappy non high-def FSN+. Not now. Probably not ever. We need to pay respect to an organization that has shown it operates at a higher level of excellence than its league wide opponents and outperforms its hometown sports teams on a regular year in year out basis.

It's called "being good" and the Pistons are not that right now.

Enduro said:

And the Wings do not sell out every night but that's likely due to the terrible scheduling of the NHL.

http://redwings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=612852

LOL! What are you even trying to say? Typo?

**Enduro** · January-23-12, 03:59 PM

Remember when the Pistons were sold out 200 nights in a row or whatever? That was PR BS too. They gave away a lot of those seats. Wings do on odd nights too.

My point is just because YOU don't like something doesn't make someone else's passion for it invalid. And vice versa.

But hey, let's not argue. Let's freeze the ground and have a contest on it. That sounds reasonable.