I like to watch American Idol. I write about each episode on my weblog.

Tonight's show (the wild card round results show) is being pre-empted in the Twin Cities market because of the Boys' High School Hockey Tournament.

How many players are there on a hockey team? 20? Assuming that each of these 20 players have two parents, two teams worth of players amount to 80 people who actually care about the game. I would bet that the majority of those parents will be watching the game live.

The most popular show in America has been bumped by a show on which the only people interested will not even be at home to watch television. What a bunch of crap! American Idol at 12:30 AM? Just replay a half-hour of hockey at 12:30 AM.

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This reminds me: The local radio station that carries Twins baseball in this market is also "the weather leader." They'll cut into the games if someone sees a dark cloud over North Dakota. It drives me nuts! (This is a GIANT station. They own lots of stations in the market. They don't even show the courtesy of putting baseball on another station while they pander to the geriatric-set. -they're the only ones who care about the weather report anyway.)

Here comes the 3-2 pitch. Bases loaded. If Mientkiewicz can get a hit here, the Twins will score at least two and the game will be tied. We may go into extra innings ****This just in from WCCO weather. We have just had a report of drizzle in the International Falls area. We have not as-of -yet received confirmation on this; but we will continue with wall-to-wall coverage of this weather until well after the game is over. Thanks for listening!

Comments
on Mar 11, 2004
Hi Jamie - I'm just writing to tell you that hockey is more popular than I could have imagined. My reaction to last night's pre-emption of my two favorite shows (AI and That 70s Show) really bummed me out. I work at a school that never had a prayer of making it to the state hockey tournament, it's the first day of finals, and all the kids talked about today was last night's game! They are obsessed. There's even a teacher here who has it on in his room all day. Last year a girl came to my class (with a pass from a teacher) 30 minutes late because she was "watching the state hockey tournament" on TV. Tons of people watch the tournament even if they don't know anyone involved.
on Mar 15, 2004
They did something like that up here a few years ago. Took off Thursday night's prime time TV and replaced it with high school girls basketball. It caused quite a furor...I called the station to complain and they said "yeah, well, you're about the 1200th caller to complain" (now where I live that must have meant that EVERYONE who owned a TV set had called in!)
The didn't do it again.
On a different but related note, some idiot from Wyoming called the TV station the day after 9/11 to complain because they hadn't aired his football game....some people, I tell ya...
on Mar 21, 2004
Gee what a great thing to admit: American Idol is your favorite show!
Pretty boring life. Hello--it's crap!!
The Hockey Tournament rules in Minnesota, my little boring friend!
Get a grip and a life...and grow up...
on Mar 21, 2004
Ooooh! Contraversy.
on Apr 07, 2004
No offense but this IS Minnesota, the state of hockey. I think that for one week you can wait a little extra for American Idol! It's not like it was the crowning night. I am a huge AI fan myself, but I can live with it, and so can you. I know this happened awhile ago, but I still think that you were a little rude. About 80 people who actually care? PLEASE, this is MINNESOTA. Just because you don't care for hockey like that doesn't mean you have to diss it by saying no one cares and no one will watch. If you don't like the idea, go to a different state for the show.
Most of these kids would do anything to go to the state tournament and be on TV for one night, and all you do is complain that you can't watch your TV show at the right time. I suppose if the MN Wild were playing for the Stanley Cup in the championship game at the same time you would complain also.
I am just saying I'm speaking for many people in MN that think your sounding like a 17 year-old girl complaining because you didn't get your way over something dumb like that. Cry me a river! Think I sound pathetic saying what I just did? I'm 16, and a hockey fan that does care about and watch it, like most Minnesotans.
on Apr 08, 2004
I hope that your son did well in the tournament Kelly.
on Apr 08, 2004
I re-read. I hope that your boyfriend did well in the tournament kelly.

I may have miscalculated. By adding girlfriends, that may have increased the number of interested viewers per game. Assuming that each player has two girlfriends, that would increase the viewership of each game by 80 people.