NHL and Google sittin in a tree. A W E S O M E

Oh, this could be good.

posted by chicobangs at 01:39 PM - reply - flag:

I wish I knew how to hook up the audio on my computer. Yes, I'm that stupid.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:52 PM - reply - flag:

I can finally watch my hockey team! I thought that the NHL live internet broadcasts on comcast.net were cool, this is f'in awesome. Oh and Weedy, if you want help drop me an email. I'll see what I can do.

posted by apoch at 01:55 PM - reply - flag:

I can watch hockey now. I am speechless. Thank you, do-no-evil overlords.

posted by qbert72 at 01:57 PM - reply - flag:

Weedy, you still rockin' that old rotten Apple? I don't think sound was invented when that thing came out.

posted by garfield at 01:58 PM - reply - flag:

I ... I think I'm going to cry. Time to run to the store for more memory and a bigger monitor, 'cause I'm gonna be watching the Blues all day at the store from now on! Oh, Weedy? I'd be happy to record me humming the HNIC theme for your listening enjoyment during these rebroadcasts.

posted by wfrazerjr at 02:04 PM - reply - flag:

Awesome indeed. Now I can show my co-worker Islander fan just how far offside the overtime forcing goal was in game six of the '80 finals.

posted by SummersEve at 02:08 PM - reply - flag:

Why Google video and not Youtube? I like Gootube so much more than Goovid.

posted by tron7 at 02:09 PM - reply - flag:

Bob Myers is the referee, and he is joined by Leon Stickle and Ron Finn. *cries*

posted by qbert72 at 02:09 PM - reply - flag:

Why Google video and not Youtube? Google Video allows you to download, and has better video quality. Now how do you get the AVI out of this GVI file?

posted by qbert72 at 02:12 PM - reply - flag:

It'll be nice to be able to see games featuring teams that Detrot doesn't play with the stupid scheduling. I'll enjoy watching some younger teams such as the Penguins and Capitals play once in a while.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 02:22 PM - reply - flag:

Trying to download the Flyers-Islanders game for ipod but it isn't working. Hoping it's just a glitch because how incredibly awesome would it be if you could get full hockey games on your ipod? Garfield, you've made me very happy.

posted by SummersEve at 02:31 PM - reply - flag:

Time to run to the store for more memory and a bigger monitor, 'cause I'm gonna be watching the Blues all day at the store from now on! Will more memory allow it to run smoothly? I'm watching a game and it is jerky (but my computer is a piece of crap, with sound though).

posted by Aardhart at 03:02 PM - reply - flag:

Aaaargh. This won't last. "To celebrate its 89th season and this increased access to video content, the NHL will be offering its content for free -- without ads -- for the first two weeks of November." Enjoy the next two weeks. Let's hope that its the "without ads" that changes and not the "for free".

posted by Aardhart at 03:25 PM - reply - flag:

This is great, even though most teams only had 7 videos. Sorry DrJohn, but I can't find game 7 of the 2003 Eastern Conference finals.

posted by MrFrisby at 03:36 PM - reply - flag:

Well, I'd appeal to the Pantheon to remove the "A W E S O M E" from the fpp if the service becomes pay-per-view, as it would no longer apply. If they want to grow the game, they have to make it widely available at no cost. It really isn't rocket science. The League doesn't have a network or basic cable deal, so the only other option with similar reach is free internet broadcasting. But no new fan will pay.

posted by garfield at 03:44 PM - reply - flag:

HOLY SHIT!! *ahem* I mean, this is very good.

posted by NoMich at 03:48 PM - reply - flag:

Whoa. MrFrisby, that's because there was no 2003 Eastern Conference finals. It's a shame that two full seasons were wiped out with the 2003-2004 lockout...

posted by DrJohnEvans at 03:50 PM - reply - flag:

This is great, even though most teams only had 7 videos. They were kind enough to put game four of the '97 Cup finals under the Flyers. Thanks. I'm watching a game and it is jerky If the video is jerky, try pausing it for a minute or two so the downloading bar can get ahead way ahead of the playing bar.

posted by SummersEve at 04:11 PM - reply - flag:

I'm watching a game and it is jerky It might not help on all broadcasts, but Flyers' games may become less jerky now that Bobby Clarke is no longer GM.

posted by wfrazerjr at 04:20 PM - reply - flag:

I'm 25 minutes into last week's Leafs @ Sens broadcast (which I missed live) and the video feed seems to have died on me. No goals yet, but Darcy Tucker's already got little cartoon stars circling his head.

posted by DrJohnEvans at 04:33 PM - reply - flag:

Terrapin it's good to know your concerns were taken into consideration. They were kind enough to put game four of the '97 Cup finals under the Flyers. Thanks. Take solace in the fact that there are some people out there who will enjoy watching that game.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 04:35 PM - reply - flag:

Oh, I'm not saying it won't be enjoyed. Just saying it's probably enjoyed a lot more under "Red Wings" than it is under "Flyers".

posted by SummersEve at 04:51 PM - reply - flag:

This is excellent. Thanks, garfy.

posted by Ufez Jones at 04:59 PM - reply - flag:

Very cool. I mean, the NHL really has to pursue different ways to reaching their audience that the other major North American sports just don't have to do. (FWIW NBA arena attendance last year was 21,595,804, the NHL was 20,854,169) So this is great news. Don't know how much I'd partake, but I've always been more pleased with the NHL's highlights packages on their website than what you can get on the MLB or NBA sites (be it awkward formatting or the need to pay for access I don't recall what it is I don't like about highlights on MLB or NBA website, or whether it has changed, but earlier experiences just encouraged me to not bother). This is another step in the right direction. You know, because truly last week's game (let alone yesterday's, to a lesser extent) it just a product with a very limited audience. Long tail and all that.

posted by gspm at 05:05 PM - reply - flag:

Oh, I'm not saying it won't be enjoyed. Just saying it's probably enjoyed a lot more under "Red Wings" than it is under "Flyers". Exactly what I thought about game 6 of the 1994 ECF being under "Devils".

posted by MrFrisby at 06:47 PM - reply - flag:

I work at Yahoo!, and I'm mainly just asking this as a matter of curiosity: did anyone know that Yahoo! Sports streams 3-4 live NHL games each week? Do you think that having live games is a useful service, or are delayed/classic games more compelling?

posted by seanm514 at 07:22 PM - reply - flag:

*GLEE*

posted by grum@work at 08:38 PM - reply - flag:

did anyone know that Yahoo! Sports streams 3-4 live NHL games each week? I didn't. Thanks for the heads-up. Judging by the comments, I assume others didn't either. Do you think that having live games is a useful service, or are delayed/classic games more compelling? Live gemes are better, but I think that is trumped by being able to watch every game of a team of your choice if the delay is minimal. I would think it would be cool if the Miracle on Ice 1980 USA-USSR game were made available. (And I hoping it is and someone points me to it.)

posted by Aardhart at 08:54 PM - reply - flag:

AWESOME Also, to counter grum's GLEE, I present this anti-Glee Right here

posted by mkn at 09:03 PM - reply - flag:

did anyone know that Yahoo! Sports streams 3-4 live NHL games each week? I knew. Those streams rarely work on my Mac, and the image quality is too poor. I'd rather wait a few hours and be able to download something that's good enough to watch full screen and see the puck.

posted by qbert72 at 09:06 PM - reply - flag:

I feel like it's going to be christmas every day until June. And, I didn't fork over the bucks for Center Ice for the first time in 5 years. I love my company :)

posted by adampsyche at 09:09 PM - reply - flag:

I work at Yahoo! welcome sean. can you fix the StatTracker so it doesn't crash my browser every 5 minutes?

posted by goddam at 09:43 PM - reply - flag:

Holy Hockey Heaven, Batman! Thank you ever so much for this tidbit of info, garfield.

posted by wingnut4life at 12:54 AM - reply - flag:

sean, I see that it is only available in the US. So I'm assuming that most of the NHL teams are going to be American. So your service isn't going to help me watch the Senators except for the rare occurrence when they are visiting some team. Is there a schedule available of which games are going to be broadcast?

posted by apoch at 01:42 AM - reply - flag:

*GLEE* posted by grum@work at 8:38 PM CST on November 1 Holy Crap grum, it doesn't look like the goalies wore helmets. Wow!

posted by skydivemom at 04:50 AM - reply - flag:

Gump Worsley vs Terry Sawchuck. Titanic.

posted by mjkredliner at 06:09 AM - reply - flag:

can you fix the StatTracker so it doesn't crash my browser every 5 minutes? Oh yes. That would be good too. The baseball one (in Flash) works OK, but the hockey one (in Java) is painful. I have stopped paying for the real-time stats because of it.

posted by qbert72 at 07:49 AM - reply - flag:

I suspect we will never see Sean again. I watched part of the Blues/Red Wings game the other day. Pretty nice feed, although the guys calling it were tools.

posted by wfrazerjr at 09:48 AM - reply - flag:

I think the live Yahoo games is an incredible offering, but I'm on a Mac. And it don't work. So I usually go straight to the source, over at Comcast.com (or is it .net) and the Comcast/Versus games seem to work fine there. Question: how delayed will "delayed" games be over at Google? Can we sort of fake that it's live, or will it be, like, "next-day" delayed? Just want to know how much work I won't be doing starting at 4 p.m. daily this winter. ;-)

posted by diastematic at 11:15 AM - reply - flag:

If anyone who has the power/connections to get this to someone who decides what is shown on Yahoo/Google for hockey videos, here is my "wish list": 1972 Summit Series - sure, I could get the videos, but making it available to everyone (at a lower quality) would be cool 1987 Rendez-Vous series - A nice 2-game series between Canada/USSR 1987 Canada Cup Finals - probably the greatest collection of hockey talent on two teams in the history of the game. The NHL-USSR series - including the games against the Canadiens and Flyers. All-Star Games and Competitions - Sure the games aren't that great, but watching the speed/power and goalie competitions were great.

posted by grum@work at 11:55 AM - reply - flag:

My list would include: the 1994 Final between the Canucks and Rangers. Bure and the gang in their prime vs. Messier, Leetch and Richter. Also may feature one of the great saves in Stanley Cup history - that crazy toe save from Kirk McLean - I can't remember off who. Is considered one of the best finals of all-time. I remember the hockey being unbelievable. I thought some players were out there willing to kill or be killed. Of course, I was 16 then and likely pretty impressionable. Oilers Dynasty years - Playoffs - 1984, 85, 87, 88 - Gretzky and the boys making magic. This team scored 500 goals one or two of these years. Check out the goalies back then and their equipment. They look like fucking elves by comparison. Montreal Canadiens - Playoffs - 1986, 1993 - I never watched the 1986 one. I hear some kid named Patrick played well. The 1993 one was the Canadians winning 11 straight overtime games in the playoffs. Ridiculous. I'm with grum on the 1987 Canada Cup. Team so good Yzerman was left home. And the collection of Russian players is just as spectacular. World Junior Championships - 1989(?) - Can't remember the specific year, but there was one where Russia had a line that was Federov between Bure and Mogilny. All 18-19 years old, all skating like they had jet packs. There was also that year that Canada and Russia got kicked out because they had a bench-clearing brawl. It got so bad the refs left the ice and they kept switiching the lights in the arena off and on to make them stop. I'm sure that one's on YouTube - but I can't link it from work.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 12:25 PM - reply - flag:

the 1994 Final between the Canucks and Rangers. Game 7. Some more 92-93 Penguins games would be nice. Mario at his prime. I think they have a game against Chicago, but some of those Wales Campbell series were great.

posted by mkn at 12:55 PM - reply - flag:

The '94 Final features one of beloved memory for my sister and I, a Canuck* bellowing "WHAT THE FUCK, TERRY?" at Terry Gregson. I think they were still working out the kinks of the parabolic mikes. * Weren't they all?

posted by yerfatma at 01:10 PM - reply - flag:

grum, I'll be watching GLEE this weekend. Thanks for finding that. 1987 Flames finally beat the Oilers in the Playoffs. Smith off of Fuhr's heel. That is the biggest hockey memory of my early childhood. Sundin's six pointer from 05-06 against the Panthers. I have it on DVR, but I'd rather have it on my hard drive. Any Leafs/Sens Playoff Series. Oh yeah, Kukla has followed up on the 'Free or Not' issue. They might go with in game ads, rather than charging a fee. We'll have to wait and see on that. and spofi hockey threads ROOL

posted by garfield at 01:41 PM - reply - flag:

...but Flyers' games may become less jerky now that Bobby Clarke is no longer GM. Diet Coke just totally came out of my nose.

posted by captaincavegirl at 01:43 PM - reply - flag:

I just realized that I wrote "Wales Campbell" when I meant "Wales Conference". It's been so long since I've used those words, I guess I was too eager. NORRIS

posted by mkn at 02:23 PM - reply - flag:

My wish list would include the last 2 games^* of the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals. Eddie the Eagle and Marty B were both outstanding. ^*Or should I say 3 games, since game 5 was long enough to count for 2 games?

posted by MrFrisby at 03:04 PM - reply - flag:

There was also that year that Canada and Russia got kicked out because they had a bench-clearing brawl. That was 1987, and you can watch the brawl right here. They might go with in game ads, rather than charging a fee. We'll have to wait and see on that. If they appear less often than commercials (say, one every 10 minutes), I'd be fine with that.

posted by grum@work at 04:33 PM - reply - flag:

Holy cow, Grum. I'd read about that, but never actually saw it. Feel sorry for the refs. My favorite brawl involves Milbury and a shoe and is completely unrelated to this conversation. If they need commercials so we don't have to pay, I wouldn't mind as long as they aren't ridiculous.

posted by SummersEve at 05:28 PM - reply - flag:

Sean: Tell your employer their website sucks. Seriously. All the World Cup stuff NEVER worked for me, across multiple computers. Very little other video on the site works either. In short, I associate Yahoo with "Crap" these days. (And I remember them at their old address before they got the Yahoo domain, so I've been using the site for years.) Crap, bloated messenger, lousy content etc... I mean I had no idea you show NHL games. That's because I won't go near the site anymore due to it's utterly piss poor design. MLB highlights: Short and dull. The condensed games aren't much better as nobody there seems to have realised the ideal is seeing every pitch. Of course if they did that, we'd realise just how much of our lives are wasted on stuff between pitches, and never watch a live game again. Not a big hockey fan, but offering the games up like this may get me hooked, but ain't no way I'm gonna pay for them. Of course a big reason I've given up on watching football, baseball etc... Is the bloody commercials every five seconds. I'm sick of them all. "Heaven forbid you should get involved in the game. Here's some commercials. There's a ball. Here's another commercial." What's ultimately galling is the fact that MLB charge for their games online AND you get commercials as well. There's no reason to not just have the feed from the cameras while the broadcast is at commercial. MLB.TV is a huge scam.

posted by Drood at 05:58 PM - reply - flag:

Woohoo. Always good to hear what people are thinking, even if it's resoundingly negative. :) Re: Video and Macs: We generally have to deal with a lot of video content that we don't own, and the owners typically want to apply some sort of content protection on top of it. What that historically meant is that we used a lot of Windows based DRM stuff, which doesn't play nice with Macs. We are moving forward with our general flash offerings, though (see Yahoo! Video), and I'm pretty sure that our general video player (Windows codec and all) is supposed to work on the Mac. Check out the Mac system requirements for the NFLGamePass ( sports.yahoo.com : bottom right of the page); if you fit all of those requirements, then it should theoretically work? I'll try to test it out with the Thrashers/Capitals game today. Re: StatTracker: We're working on moving all of our StatTrackers to Flash, like we did for the NFL/MLB versions. It's a big project, though, and we're a pretty small team with lots and lots of stuff to work on. Sorry. :( Re: Only in the US: Ah, I suppose that would be part of our deal with OLN. Yeah, okay, that sucks. At least the non-Americans can use all of the NFLGamePass stuff and none of us can! ...sigh. I hate the hoops we have to jump through to show good video. Don't know if we have a schedule in advance, but the weekly schedule is available on our NHL site, right beneath the featured stories. Seems like a pretty random sampling, but I think we do have home games from some of the Canadian NHL teams (see Stars at Canucks on Monday). Re: Website suckage: I've gotta disagree with the overall premise, but yeah, there are lots of points on which we can improve. We're working on it, really. Check back in a few months. Or enjoy our fine Fantasy offerings! :P Thanks for all the comments, really.

posted by seanm514 at 02:28 PM - reply - flag:

Hey, you came back. Good on you, mate. The sole fact you're here reflects well on Yahoo! in my book. And you're right that, apart from the Java StatTracker, Yahoo!'s Fantasy stuff is very good.

posted by qbert72 at 02:40 PM - reply - flag:

cool. thanks sean.

posted by goddam at 03:25 PM - reply - flag:

Thirded. Thanks.

posted by yerfatma at 03:37 PM - reply - flag:

Or enjoy our fine Fantasy offerings! :P I'd have to say the biggest reason I like Yahoo! is for the fantasy sports.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 04:14 PM - reply - flag:

Just one last follow-up: I tried to watch the Thrashers/Capitals game on my manager's computer. Using Safari was patently unsuccessful, as you guys indicated -- we showed an advertisement and then sat around for a bit. However, Firefox (2.0, in this case) worked pretty well, so give that a shot if Safari doesn't work. It's still flaky, though, definitely. Also, side note: if you have a pretty good network connection, you can get a pretty damn high quality feed by clicking the Customize button in the upper left and increasing your selected Connection Speed. Streaming at 700 Kb/s, I had excellent full-screen quality. Very visible puck. :D

posted by seanm514 at 06:30 PM - reply - flag:

seanm514 Seriously appreciate you showing up for this thread. I have used Yahoo's live NHL video many times when I'm away from the house or used it when I have other games on my TV and PC that are playing at the same time and haven't had any problems with them. I certainly hope you guys continue to show them. I'm also in several Fantasy Leagues (Hockey mostly) from different providers and Yahoo's Fantasy Products are definitely the best and I'm really hoping you guys add a Hockey Fantasy Keeper League (36 months would be perfect). I would definitely spend money on that! A Keeper League with Yahoo's software and interface would be sweet!

posted by skydivedad at 11:53 AM - reply - flag:

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

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