Mr Jaffe Still Defending Msg: " Wasn’t Their Call "

For those who follow this twitter feed, I had an interesting exchange with current part time Msg employee/guest, former Islanders announcer, Billy Jaffe, on 1/24, who again maintained his dismissal from broadcasting New York Islander hockey was not Msg’s call.

Is it possible something happened beyond the scenes with the Isles where he’s right?

Absolutely.

However Mr Jaffe on 12/20/10 went above/ beyond telling us what a great job Msg had done covering Islander hockey, is flat out disingenuous nor am I talking about about people in a truck putting in long hours to produce a broadcast.  

I invite folks to read the twitter comments and make their own judgements, no interest in repeating what’s been written here countless times in the past about Msg coverage disparity.  

Sure, I understand for Mr Jaffe to be critical of Msg has the likely potential to end any current appearances on their network,  nor was he going to go there in any exchange with me, but praising my passion?

Spare me. I do not do passion, only facts with supporting documentation, when I made my points with supporting links (direct quotes) Mr Jaffe wrote it had nothing to do with him. 

Fair enough, nor did I claim it was.

Having written that on 12/20/10 Mr Jaffe went to absurd heights to defend Msg’s coverage disparity of the New York Islanders (and Devils) vs Cablevision’s team with former Islanders media relations coordinator. 

Here is the audio link to Mr Jaffe’s comments on 12/20/10 where he claims Msg goes above and beyond to cover the New York Islanders.

Full 15 minute interview

And of course the 12/20/10 Video in full. 

For those listening to Isles former media relations coordinator here praise Msg for airing all games (they are legally obligated to)  the comical background propaganda of how tough it is airing HD is another insult to our fans intelligence considering Msg refused to air games in HD.

Verizon had to fight Msg for HD coverage until Dec 2011 when the Dolan’s lost another lawsuit. 

Even now I’ll ask are those +++ channels offering HD? 

I like Mr Jaffe’s work, praised him for being positive here when Msg/Newsday employees announced his dismissal from their coverage in my past entries. I knew of his Dec 2010 interview, and considered his defense back then insulting, but if he’s still doing this in 2013, it’s time to get real.

Of course the same former media relations coordinator defending Msg in 2010 made clear in 2008 Msg hiding Mr Jaffe’s ITV pre-season games was entirely about Msg.

Please, don’t take my word for it, read from the same man who interviewed Mr Jaffe: Sept 27th 2008  when Mr Jaffe’s preseason work could not air live on ITV

Islanders TV’s inability to show these ex games in Canada live and in living colour is a more difficult issue, but the reason is essentially the same. Not only does MSG Network have the broadcast rights for Islanders pre-season games, an impeccable TV industry source tells Point Blank that MSG Network also has the right to give the red light to any other company that wants to show the games.

It’s a fair leap to assume MSG opted to block ITV from broadcasting games live in Moncton, London, PEI or anywhere else. Yes, last year they allowed it. This year, nope.

To be clear, it’s not like the Islanders don’t want to have these games on ITV, MSG+ or anywhere else on the dial. MSG is exercising their contractual rights.

For now, it looks like you’ll have to wait to see the Islanders’ own Emmy Award-winning commentator Billy Jaffe on MSG+ when the regular season begins. While you vent, let me look into rumors I heard in Manhattan the other day about the plan to eliminate Islanders pre-game shows (and perhaps a studio analyst) from MSG+ broadcasts.

Funny, that was the year the Isles lost their pregame in the first month.

Like Mr Jaffe, I feel good about writing this. 

Islander/Sound Tiger notables

The ping pong balls start jumping tonight at 8pm with some outlet from Versus, NHL tv, or Tsn covering it. Check your local carrier.

Islanders website: Has a full interview with Rick DiPietro on why he elected to have surgery when he did along with comments on Kyle Okposo and Jack Hillen.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
I wonder if what seems from here like a rift between Greg Logan and Rick DiPietro (with Mr Logan hammering him pretty good) for a guy who played hurt and lost a relative can be repaired or is the club using the website to get out the goaltenders message because they do not think the teams beat writer will for the franchise goaltender? Sure seems to me Mr Logan went above and beyond to stir something up against Rick DiPietro and his silence in the teams primary paper has been noticable.

From the article the Isles will be gathering for the last time so we should see something in the paper from Newsday.

Islanders website: Has a feature on franchise’s Senior VP of Sales, Marketing and Operations, Chris Dey which will appear on Hockey Business News Magazine.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Most of what Mr Dey discussed with Greg Logan in Newsday recently. I cannot find a website for Hockey Business News Magazine but there is such a publication sold that releases six issues a year.

Too bad they cannot find out the real television ratings, what teams really making, true attendance at games and what is really given or taken in terms of revenue sharing.

Colmubus Dispatch: Tom Reed reports Michael Peca wants to be part of a team building toward a championship before he resigns with Columbus.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Peca’s sense of entitlement sure has gotten the better of him now for a long time, with eight goals and what the writer describes as uneven play with his injuries the question at this point should be why would any championship level club need him if he cannot produce.

Point Blank: Chris Botta reports in his blog something fair will be worked out between the Isles and Rangers to settle the Metro Ice challenge with ground rules set for anything done in the future and expects an announcement before Msg does it’s playoff preview show tonight. He also thanked the fans for their support which was not about the Isles but about the charity involving the kids.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
NYI Fan Central contacted Phil Mushnik of the Post to see if more on this can be brought to the public for the teams charity. Mr Mushnik is an Islander fans and is often outspoken about Msg injustices.

I will not be watching anything Msg does in terms of playoff preview shows because they do virtually nothing for the Isles all season. The Msg paid spin doctors and their hockey opinion is completely worthless. Anyone who dare speak their minds honestly would sooner or later wind up like Marv Albert, Bob Page or Fran Healy who was basically kicked off the Mets telecasts because he was seen as an Msg supporter to such a degree his opinion was of no use to the public.

Isles should do the challenge with the Devils and simply cut out the Rangers in the future.

AHL.com: Reports Jeff Tambellini has been named player of the week again for registering six goals and four assists in four games last week.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Good enough to be leading the league in scoring when he’s in the AHL, good enough to win player of the week twice, not good enough to be named to the league’s first or second team star players for the season?

Newsday: Steve Zipay reports Msg Network’s Billy Jaffe was named best sports analyst at the 51st annual New York Emmy Awards Sunday night.

Quick blog notable:
The NHL schedule, scoreboard and standings features were put in mothballs for the summer and the Sound Tiger live scoreboard moved up. Idea is for the page to load faster for everyone.

New York Islander Fan Central

A few words: Howie, Billy and Deb

I do not want to be critical of the on-air performance because I think in general all three do quality work overall.

Having written that I was taken aback at how little credit Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe were giving the Isles in Toronto. Mr Rose either seems too excited after any chance to score when the Isles are struggling to do anything or when they are scoring barely raises his voice after a great save or play and sometimes both announcers talk through important plays.

Mr Jaffe has a little too much cheerleading in his coverage but Islanders are so starved for someome to show them a little love in the media it’s easy to look past it. Only downside to his on-air work is Islanders could play a terrible game and somehow be winning and he see’s all the positives or they could be losing and playing well but all he does is point out the negatives.

Of course, I just was critical of both after a good win so that goes in several directions at times. Again, to me the overall work has quality.

But that’s not why I’m doing a blog today about them.

Deb Kaufman has full access to Ted Nolan and seems to be leading the media with quesrtions after games, specially on the road in terms of questions for the coach.

She has a blog at Msg that was updated on Feb 1st and 6th here but before that had not written one article since October 22nd?

Mr Jaffe has had a few recent sit downs with Chris King on Islanders television and sometimes does the practice reports. We all know on occasion he’s on Versus for games as well. But he also has a blog at Msg here and outside of one blog on Feb 1st, has done only two blogs this season for the team aside from telling Islander and Ranger fans to respect the national anthem.

Mr Rose also has a blog at Msg here which has not been updated all season but had two blogs in the playoffs against Buffalo and one on March 29th 2007.

My question is if they are around the club on game days and have a blog why not give the fans some information on a consistent basis? I’m sure Ms Kaufman still has to do pregame interviews and get the coaches comments but overall the pregame has been eliminated from Islander television coverage this year for the most part.

Devils have Steve Cangialosi, Ken Daneyko, I’m not sure if Mr Fischler has been to Newark. Butch Goring’s appearances have been infrequent.

I think these are fair questions. I know the updates have been so rare I do not post them here nor am I asking for daily blogs but how about once a week?

Butch Goring is not included for those wondering.

You may ask why did I not include Chris King and Steve Mears in this?
1. They do not have blog space at Msg because they are not employees of the Garden.
2. Both do most of the practice reports on game day for Isles TV and do postgame shows from the Coliseum on the radio.

New York Islander Fan Central

Impress me Colin Campbell

If Colin Campbell is really interested in preventing injuries it’s hits like this he has to give out suspensions for and set a precedent. Orr got four minutes for this, he clearly he was going for Comrie’s head with his elbow and just missed his jaw.

The league should review it. If Comrie had to be carried off he would have been ejected and then we would have seen Campbell do something. And if it were Comrie doing it to Orr the same precedent has to be set. Injury or not Colin Campbell has to hold players accountable for actions like this, not just when the Flyers injure players on the Boston Bruins.

Sure seemed like Hollweg was going after Martinek’s stitches. Billy Jaffe is a former player he knows when someone is trying to go after a players injury. Howie Rose has seen enough hockey to know immediately when it’s intentional and said it also during the telecast.

I’m sure folks by now know Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe are paid Msg employees, they do not work for the Islanders.

New York Islander Fan Central

10/18: Billy Jaffe Blog

Msg.com Islanders commentator Billy Jaffe occasionally blogs for Msg on the Islanders, today was one of those days. He comments on Guerin’s captaincy, Rick DiPietro and the fans.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Jaffe brings inforation and insights from the viewpoint of someone who is with the club on a daily basis and does a good job here.

The only downside is he does not blog enough with his last update before this on 9/27 from Moncton. Many consider him a homer but with the countless homers working for clubs in this league (at Msg ) he does what I consider a credible job and brings a lot of enthusiam to his job and seems to love hockey whether he’s calling an Islander game or working for Versus.

What folks may forget is Billy Jaffe is employed by Msg Network, not the New York Islanders and can be as critical as he cares to be.

New York Islander Fan Central