Dino Blogger Made A Point.

Some of you noticed over the weekend my disgust with TSN cutting away from the NBA ALL-Star Game before announcing the MVP. I started a hashtag on Twitter that was #TSNHATESBBALL. We have all experienced how they shutout Raptor fans with the start up of TSN 2. Even Jose Calderon was impacted by that not being able to watch the Raptors. I have made no secret to how I feel about both TSN and Sportsnet for their lack of respect to basketball. I make little smart remarks when I post where the game is on in our game previews. I try in my own small way to make a point. The hash tag became a hit and actually was a trending topic in Toronto for awhile. It also got the attention of someone in Montreal. I do radio in that city on Wednesday Nights and Saturday Mornings. The home the Montreal Canadians but as they proved when Raptors came for an exhibition game a place that can love basketball.

They also love UFC. I have always respected fans of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. They pound the traditional media and have started to see the results. They stuff the ballot box each year for Sportsnet's Athlete of the Year and Georges St Pierre has been the winner 3 years running. Basketball fans could learn something from what UFC fans have done. They are well organized and they fight as one for the sport. Basketball fans tend to be not as organized and together for whatever reason. At least for one Sunday night a bunch of us got together and said you know what screw you to TSN. It is about time people realized that some Canadians actually don't LOVE HOCKEY. Some actually don't want to have Hockey jammed down their collective throats. While this blog is primarily about the Raptors it is also about love of basketball in Canada. A place for people that love the game to enjoy it and be not ashamed to do so. In our partnership with The Score the fact they have always treated basketball with respect was a huge factor in coming on board in their sports federation, that we have been a part of from day 1.

Does TSN actually HATE basketball? I worked there they don't. But do they respect it as programming? I think you only need to watch Sportcentre for your answer. Sportsnet is no better and even though both carry the Raptors by the number of games they ship to their secondary networks that speaks to that lack of respect as well. MLSE has never got involved to change it. It would just take threatening to take away Leafs games and I am confident TSN and Sportsnet would fall all over themselves to make it happen however MLSE desired.

So as I mentioned someone in Montreal was paying attention. The article on Jet7Basket.com is in french. Despite having French blood in my veins I don't know how to speak or read the language. Guessing that applies to most of you as well. So I translated the article for you to read.

For those who follow a few social media like Facebook and Twitter, we witnessed last night in a first in Canada, Canadian basketball fans have united in order to be heard from TSN.

The "leaders" of the sports coverage in Canada cut the award of an All-Star Game MVP in the NBA to make their late night bulletin, Sports Centre. It was enough to stir the Canadian basketball fans already irritated by the lack of coverage and interest shown by the network in respect of basketball.

Moments later, Twitter was assailed statutes including the expression # TSNHATESBBALL (TSN hated basketball), for the uninitiated the word is preceded by a # key phrase searchable. If this term is widely used by the "twitteux" or "chirp" can become a fashionable topic or "trending topic" in a particular region or throughout the world, according to its importance.

For example, when the victory of the Egyptians on Mubarak, he had become a popular topic on a global scale, # Mubarak. # TSNHATESBBALL yesterday was popular in Canada only, which shows still the extent of dissatisfaction of TSN viewers. Besides, when announcing the MVP title, won by Kobe Bryant on the Facebook page of TSN debate among Canadian sports fans erupted over the importance of different sports on a global scale.

We can clearly see the lack of openness of Canadian hockey fans who show no interest in other sports and we also feel the impatience in regard to other sports fans who would like their sports are a little more attention from the media.

This could lead us to ask ourselves the following question: is it that TSN and RDS in this world are responsible for the lack of openness in sports lounges in us having a majority of content related to the NHL and a small portion of other sports or networks are simply responding to demand? "

The debate is timely, with rumors of the coming of an NHL team in Quebec City and the importance PK Peladeau seems to provide its channel devoted to coverage of a hockey team, so that it is still locked out its employees with the Journal de Montréal ....

To me, it would be essential for the various amateur sports associations demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the treatment accorded by the CRTC specialty channel draft of amateur sport and a movement RSAC snaps to allow things to move. A recently published study demonstrates the importance of amateur sport in the economy and demonstrates the importance of investing in the development of athletes.

These investments are mainly from companies wishing to join a sport or an athlete to enjoy a degree of visibility. But without media coverage and visibility farewell farewell sponsorship and investment!

Some companies such as Jet7basket, TVGO, CKLN, etc.. understand the importance of media coverage in sport and we work hard to enable the amateur to make. Our financing remains difficult and I struggle to understand that businesses and individuals continue to encourage the Journal de Montréal in buying ads rather than finding alternatives to make themselves known to their clients.

Social media and internet are great ways to be heard then I invite you to use them to make known your dissatisfaction! Begin the war against these traditional media who are there for one reason, your money!

Not sure if it was any kind of revolution I started. In fact I doubt it. But what the message of all of it should be is that as individuals complaining we can not do a heck of a lot to change things. Together we can at least make our voices heard. Things are changing though. The Basketball Jones having a show on The Score is likely the most excellent example of that. Watching their show, reading a blog like this is a way a lot of people without doing it directly stick up their middle finger to traditional media. There should be a place for balanced coverage in this world. While ESPN has a lot of issues and we can't get into all of them here. What they do accomplish is a fairly balanced coverage of all sports.

Shame that TSN and Sportsnet in their quest for domination of the hockey fans in this country, has forgot that people love OTHER THINGS and OTHER SPORTS. Perhaps the best example of the INSANITY that is TSN and SPORTSNET is the NHL Trade Deadline. Which this will surprise folks but I watch. Why when I don't even follow hockey? Simple. It is the best train wreck you are ever going to see on T.V. Even a 6 hour Super Bowl pre-game show can not offer the pure comedy it does. But on Thursday will we even see a 30 minute program on NBA Trade Deadline. Of course you won't because #TSNHATESBBALL. Well they don't but it is worse they and Sportsnet don't care. Having a Paul Jones on Sportsnet and Jack Armstorng on TSN doesn't change that. Jack and Paul both care a lot and both do an excellent job. But the people that decide on programming are the problem and they don't care about basketball or it's fans. In other words they don't care about you. But thankfully people like myself and many others on the internet do. Still it be nice to see change come in the main stream media. If they don't change the way the world is changing they might get left behind.