I have found yet anouther dimension to my excessive television watching. I have subscribed NHL Center Ice, where I can watch practically every NHL game live. I get to see the local stations all the games come on, like New York, both the city and Buffalo. I thought I would be a witness to unique and colorful aspects of so many different regions. I was pretty much wrong. Since watching games from countless local markets since October, I have only found 3 unique things about my experience.
Number 1: Don’t eat-especially if you are from Chicago, Canadian pizza. Commercials for Pizza 23 and some other weird joint in the Alberta markets looks like frozen pizza does in Chi-town. If you are familiar with Reggios here, then you get a good mental picture. Imagine a nice thick, crust, bubbling cheese and succulent toppings. Got that? well, imagine the oppposite, more like a pizza made for astronauts. Maybe Toronto has better pizza, but then they have far more interesting cuisine, due to Asian and Carribean populations and those looking for gourmet fare.
Number 2: Smoker’s guilt
Watching the home broadcast for any Californian team will introduce you to public service announcements that try to make you cry. They are all about smoking, or making you feel guilty if you smoke. Smokers are reminded that they are the cause of brown skies and that everyone around them, even that cute little baby down the hall and behind a closed door from someone smoking on a balcony will be affected by their second-hand smoke.
Number 3: Name that Tune
Ever heard of The Keg? of course not! it’s waaaaaaaayyyy up in Alberta, but I can’t get their theme song out of my head. Apparently they have a great bar and great grilled items like steaks and seafood. Perhaps the Longs will make that 2012’s Christmas outing.
So there you go, I only found three remarkable things about regional programming. There are plenty of commercials for cars, legal services and Lasik clinincs. I did leave out TIm Horton’s commercials, but they aren’t particularly catchy or unique. I really had my hopes up. I guess I wanted to see incredibly stupid commercials like the the Chicago area’s “Eagleman” insurance commercials of the 90’s. Well, I’ll keep on watching, I may be surprised some day.
theChiMaven 