John McEnroe inquires about the exact time for the start of the Stanley Cup Final match, expressing disinterest in the pregame coverage.
Hitting the Ice, But In a Frustrating Way: John McEnroe Calls Out TNT's Stanley Cup Final Coverage
With the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers set to commence on Wednesday, sports enthusiasts worldwide are gearing up for an exciting showdown. But tennis icon John McEnroe isn't here for the usual fan experience.
While commentating alongside Brian Anderson for TNT's French Open coverage, McEnroe raised a common spectator complaint when Anderson announced the Stanley Cup Final.
"Now, time-wise, and I've got a match tomorrow, but that Stanley Cup Final, does that start at 7 Eastern or is that the pre-game show?" McEnroe questioned.
"That's when you wanna start watching; at 7 Eastern for the build-up," Anderson responded.
As a dedicated Rangers fan and bandmate of former Rangers goalie and current TNT analyst Henrik Lundqvist, McEnroe is no stranger to the network's time-honored tricks. So, he wasn't holding back.
"The puck drops when?" McEnroe pressed.
"No, no, we're gonna hold that information," Anderson said, playing coy. "9:30, it said. A lot of things you've got to know before then, John."
While it's nice to see McEnroe standing up for viewers who've been fooled by the "start time" illusion, it's a practice known to infuriate fans like rushing home after work, hoping for an evening filled with hockey, only to be greeted with pre-game warm-ups.
"Maddening," McEnroe said, clearly agreeing with the fans at home.
It takes some guts to challenge the very network you work for, but McEnroe showed that he doesn't play by the usual rules. Unfortunately, with networks marketing pre-game shows as the actual game, many fans get hoodwinked, leading to missed game time[1].
Enrichment Data: Networks often advertise the starting time of games, but it often refers to the pre-game show instead, leading to frustration among viewers who expect the game to start at the advertised time. This practice may be due to several factors, such as advertising revenue, audience engagement, higher ratings, and scheduling flexibility[1].
John McEnroe, a devoted fan of ice hockey and a commentator for TNT, demonstrated his frustration when discussing the network's Stanley Cup Final coverage, questioning, "The puck drops when?" His query echoes the concerns of hockey enthusiasts worldwide, who often miss the game due to network practices that market the pre-game show as the actual game, leading to inevitable disappointment.
