Check this out…

I’m an NHL hockey fan.

This year, for the first time — ever, as far as I know — NBC Sports is televising every game of every series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That has sometimes meant as many as 5 games in one day.

The thing is, ice hockey has always been a “minor league” kind of sport as far as TV is concerned. It’s never had the viewers of the other major sports, and the regular season games have been carried on the Versus Network the past few seasons.

What? You haven’t heard of Versus? Neither have most people, which is part of the point.

If you think the quality of your air talent doesn’t make a difference, do me a favor and watch some of the Stanley Cup Playoff games this week.

You see, NBC really only has one experienced, major market, major league NHL broadcast team, and with several games every night, that means most of the games are being handled by “talent” not used to national exposure.

It is painfully obvious to anyone who watches, or tries to. I’ve resorted to muting the audio and just watching the action.

I was in Los Angeles recently. Some of the air talent I heard in America’s second largest city was painfully bad. I’m sure the price was right, but seriously…

We can’t afford to be as weak as the weakest member of our air staffs, but that’s what’s happening now, in hockey broadcasts and on the radio.

And listeners notice.