TRH PLAYOFF GAMEDAY 2 - ST. LOUIS BLUES: SIDE SPLITTING

LA KINGS

27-16-5

59 pts

5th in Western Conference

vs

ST. LOUIS BLUES

29-17-2

60 pts

4th in Western Conference

 

Kings Won Regular Season Series 3-0

 

Blues Lead Playoff Series 1-0

 

6:30pm, Scottrade Center

St. Louis, MO

CNBC, CBC, RDS2

 

ARE THE LA KINGS IN THE NEXT ROUND?

NO.

 

Tuesday night, as the Los Angeles Kings battled the St. Louis Blues in overtime, a colossal gaffe was made... a mistake so tremendous that it directly led to the St. Louis Blues scoring the winning goal and taking a 1-0 lead in their 1st Round Series.

 

 

No.

 

 

Nope.

 

 

Close.

 

 

Nailed it.

 

Click Here to Read the Rest of The Royal Half Game 2 vs the Blues Preview!!!

 

I think that back in September of last year, we all knew that on one night in late April there would be 3 Southern California teams involved in the Playoffs... and that none of them would be the Lakers. So at 5pm, you had Game 1 of the Blues-Kings series on Fox Sports Prime Ticket. Nationally, this game was also being shown on CNBC... but it was blacked out in Los Angeles. At 7:30pm on Fox Sports West, you had Game 1 of the Anaheim Ducks-Detroit Red Wings series... which was also being shown nationally on NBCSN... but blacked out in Los Angeles (and I assume Anaheim.) And finally, at 7:30pm you had Game 5 of the 1st Round Series between the Los Angeles Clippers and something called the Memphis Grizzlies... which was scheduled to air on Fox Sports Prime Ticket because of course the Kings-Blues game would be over by 7:30pm, right? RIGHT?!?

 

 

I haven't seen a split this ugly since Liza Minnelli & David Gest.

 

 

Whew... that is ugly.

 

So as LA Kings fans sat there cursing at their televisions while a split screen featured the overtime period of the defending Stanley Cup Champions on one side... and the first quarter of a playoff game involving a team that once employed Benoit Benjamin on their roster versus a team that used to play in Canada on the other side... the cable station TNT quietly aired the Clippers-Grizzlies game to a national audience... and wasn't blacked out in Los Angeles. 

 

 

I have no idea what is happening here...
but I know everyone in Los Angeles had the chance
to see it on TNT instead of Fox Sports Prime Ticket.
Followed by Rizzoli and Isles.

 

Fox Sports West knew that they screwed up... badly.

“With Clippers, Kings, and Ducks all having playoff games last night, we tried the make the best of a challenging situation and offer balanced coverage of all the teams.  In similar situations going forward, we’ll take a look a look at our plans and see if there’s a way to serve all teams and viewers better.”

 

“We sincerely apologize to the Kings and the Clippers and their fans,” said Steve Simpson, senior vice president and general manager, FOX Sports West and Prime Ticket. “We didn't serve them as well we should have with our coverage of last night’s games. Going forward, there is a plan in place to ensure all remaining playoff games are seen in their entirety, which includes lifting local blackouts if necessary.”

But what several people don't understand is that this isn't the first time something like this has happened... especially with a Fox Sports Prime Ticket broadcast. I mean who could forget where they were on July 20, 1969 when a small step for mankind happened to be occurring at the same time as a traveling violation in the paint?

Or May 6, 1937, when "Oh The Humanity!" wasn't just what Ralph Lawler screamed after a Blake Griffin dunk?

Or on August 8th, 1974, when Richard Nixon told the country that he was not a hook... shot.

Or on June 17, 1994... when the real basketball chase down began.

And finally... who could forget October 15, 1988... when people all around Los Angeles saw the impossible happen.

But don't think that this split screen phenomenon is specific to the Los Angeles Clippers. No, in fact on several occasions during a  Fox Sports Prime Ticket broadcast, Los Angeles Kings hockey has shared the screen with other important moments in our culture's history.

I'll never forget where I was when Caroline and Teresa came at each other, bro. 

"Please Stand By" is also what Darryl Sutter says to Alec Martinez each day.

Oh man, I remember this one!
That was the episode when that person got hit in the testicles!

This is pretty much every Christmas in The Royal Half Household.

OKAY FOX SPORTS PRIME TICKET... NOW THAT IS ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

You know... when a big corporation like Fox Sports treats its loyal customers this way... it makes me want to slam my head against a wall.

 

 

THE ROYAL HALF GAMEDAY PREVIEW TWEET OF THE DAY

From Shandee Berryman, regarding her mother's frustration
with the Fox Sports Prime Ticket Split Screen...

 

 

Shandee Berryman's mom might be the greatest LA Kings fan ever.

 

And as a special bonus... a brand new Game 2 Edition of All The Kings Men Podcast!!! Jesse Cohen and I chat about Jon Quick's stickhandling skills and split screens. You can check out the brand-new episode of All The Kings Men Podcast here, subscribe to it on iTunes or listen below: