FSN Suspends Telecast Staff Member
Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins
Jan 12, 11:36 PM | Hype this story!
In a somewhat surprising move, television station FSN Pittsburgh suspended Lowell MacDonald Jr. for an indefinite period of time after a mistake that may have cost the Philadelphia Flyers a goal in their game against the Penguins last Thursday.
The play in question was ruled “no goal” by the on-ice officials, but immediately went to the NHL’s “War Room” in Toronto for review of additional camera angles.
Per NHL policy, all local television fees are required to be sent to the “War Room” upon request, yet FSN Pittsburgh’s telecast staff, apparently led by MacDonald, failed to submit possibly the most definitive angle.
Consequently, the Philadelphia goal was not allowed and play resumed.
Soon after, FSN Pittsburgh aired the withheld angle to their television audience, a move that likely sealed their fate.
While the disallowed goal itself did not impact the outcome of the game — the Flyers won 7-4 — the principle behind the mistake remains the same.
In a prepared statement, according to the Post-Gazette, FSN Pittsburgh expressed its concern:
“There is nothing more important than the integrity of the game…Nonetheless, FSN Pittsburgh’s failure to provide video to the league officials in a timely fashion was wholly unacceptable. FSN Pittsburgh has addressed this matter and has taken steps to ensure that such a failure does not occur again.”
The NHL’s policy and procedure for goal review is questionable at best, but at the heart of the issue is the integrity of the game.
What if the play in question was a deciding goal in a game?
What if that game was during the playoffs?
What if that playoff game was a Game Seven?
Better yet, what if the infraction had come against the Penguins and cost them not just a goal or a game, but a playoff series.
On its own, this incident represents either incompetency or extreme ignorance. Either way, it shouldn’t be condoned by fans, by the team, by the league, or by FSN Pittsburgh.
Regardless of the situation and regardless of the opponent, when the NHL wants a replay, it should get it.
Period.
End of story.
Comments
Ivan
Jan 13, 12:47 AM
Well said. Huge mistake was made here. However the fact that they showed the best replay at all after the review was over shows that this was only one man’s mistake, not FSN conspiring to keep the best replay from being seen by the NHL. Else, they wouldn’t let anyone see this and the NHL would have never found out.
Flyers fans’ bubbles have once again been burst. There is nothing here. Likely just one bad apple who probably cost himself his job. And that’s if it wasn’t an honest mistake.
Brad
Jan 13, 08:20 AM
So, as I thought, the people wanted blood… a sacrificial lamb was slaughtered but only part of the issue was addressed. Intentional or not this can, and will, happen again. We just won’t know about it.
The NHL needs to shoulder some responsibily here. It will be interesting to follow this to see if anything happens.
DaBich
Jan 13, 08:45 AM
Brad, I’m with you on this one. The NHL continues to be a “garage league” in many aspects and refuses to own up to its own shortcomings.
While FSN Pittsburgh did the politcally correct thing in suspending MacDOnald, I don’t feel it should cost him his job.
When will the league itself own up and do something about how these reviews are handled?
Matt Bodenschatz
Jan 13, 09:55 AM
@Ivan, I think you’re right that this wasn’t an FSN Pittsburgh plan — or even a plan of an individual, for that matter — but rather the mistake of an individual, which reflects negatively on the network.
@Brad, called it a sacrificial lamb if you like — and I definitely get where you are coming from — but when a mistake is bad and is very obvious, the mistake needs to be taken care of.
I do not believe the NHL should take some of the blame here, as they weren’t the ones that withheld the video. They do, however, need to update their review technology so as to not rely on local networks. Until that happens, its up to the local networks to comply, as it is a privilege to be broadcasting an NHL game, not a right.
To take this one step further. The NHL fails to provide a training and equipment staffer for the referees. When something happens, the teams send their staffers to help. What if teams simply refused to do so simply because the NHL has a bad policy? Apples to oranges, I understand, as we’re dealing with health issues in my hypothetical, but we could be dealing with the integrity of the game, in the real situation.
@Dabich, I get the frustration, I really do. But the NHL, undoubtedly, has a policy and procedures contract that is distributed to all networks broadcasting NHL games that must be signed. This contract without a doubt would include the process for goal review. Whether the process is good or bad is irrelevant in an isolated case, such as this. FSN Pittsburgh compromised the integrity of the game. What if that goal would have cost the Flyers the game? It didn’t, but it could have. And, as I hypothosized above, what if was a Game 7 of the playoffs and a disallowed (or allowed) goal decided the game incorrectly? Better yet, what if the Penguins had been wronged?
As a whole, the process is flawed, I agree entirely. But as the process stands right now, those responsible for mistakes must be reprimanded. Hopefully this situation will force the NHL to review their procedures, but for this isolated case, such a review of the policy would mean absolutely nothing.
Ray aka WildcatRay
Jan 13, 10:57 AM
“I do not believe the NHL should take some of the blame here, as they weren’t the ones that withheld the video. They do, however, need to update their review technology so as to not rely on local networks. Until that happens, its up to the local networks to comply, as it is a privilege to be broadcasting an NHL game, not a right.”
(Emphasis)”...it is a privilege to be broadcasting an NHL game…”
@Matt,
I pulled that out because it is, IMO, the key aspect.
FSN Pittsburgh has purchased from the NHL through the Pittsburgh Penguin the television privileges to Penguins games. Part of that purchase agreement is the provision that FSN Pittsburgh provide all views of goals for the goal review process. Period.
By not providing all views as required, FSN Pittsburgh was in violation of their contractual obligations. FSN Pittsburgh was solely at fault here. They have taken the first steps to address this with MacDonald’s suspension. It would not surprise me that FSN Pittsburgh has/will be fined by the league, as well.
From a technology aspect, I see no need for the league to do anything more. From a monitoring standpoint, the league should consider putting a league official in the control room to monitor and insure that all available views are provided to the league’s “war room”.
Brad
Jan 13, 11:12 AM
@Matt. As a sports writer I can see you’re having a real issue with someone in the media influencing a game and you should. I applaud you for that. And don’t get me wrong someone at FSN should be held accountable. It just should not stop there. The NHL, like all of us, is responsible for its own integrity and it should never be allowed to be dictated by others. Hockey in itself is not pure and it does not have integrity, it is the people in and around hockey that need to strive for and insure those values. The NHL has a responsibility to insure compliance with their TV contracts. FSN was caught cause they aired the video. How many networks have breached the contracts without the NHL knowing it. How many games have been influenced by this? How many playoff games? How many game sevens? We don’t know because the NHL does not know.
There is another aspect too. Do you think Brent Johnson knew it was a goal? I’ve always had the opinion that there should be a penalty if any player on a defensive team intentionally pulls a puck back across a goal line. Where is the integrity in that?
Matt Bodenschatz
Jan 13, 11:43 AM
@Brad, in no way am I saying it should stop with MacDonald’s suspension. In fact, I’m hoping this incident encourages the NHL to evaluate and overhaul their “War Room” Instead of watching an open-circuit broadcast and relying on closed-circuit transmissions to be sent from local networks if/when a review is requested, the NHL should watch a closed-circuit feed of all games with immediate access to all other closed circuit camera angles.
In other words, any camera being used for a game broadcast must be licensed by the NHL and must be sent live to the NHL “War Room.” Or, as Ray said above, why not simply have several NHL “War Room” officials on hand at each game to oversee what is happening in the broadcast trucks. That’s a bit primitive, but it’s a step in the right direction.
FSN errored in showing the video — whether it was an honest mistake or an attempt to withhold evidence of a goal is unknown. But their error in showing the video hurt them. As you said, how many other times has this happened that just never came to light? And, more importantly, how many games would have finished differently?
Something needs to change with the NHL, as it is ridiculous to rely on local networks, which serve almost as extensions of the teams. There’s just too much room for error, there. Cut the middle man and do it yourself.
As for your other aspect, that’s a good point, and one I’ve never thought of. But what if Brent really didn’t know the puck was in the goal and simply was trying to prevent the puck from sliding backward into the goal as he inched his way out? It’s possible a goal could be allowed by an on-ice official if the end view shows the puck in the net — then, if no video evidence disproves the theory, the goal stands.
So, while I see the potential for unsportsmanlike conduct, I also see goalies simply trying to make sure that a puck that never went in the net doesn’t end up there after the whistle, thus influencing a referee’s call.
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