The NHL can’t get anyone to watch its games in 2D, but maybe it will have better luck with 3D.
When the Rangers played host to the Islanders at the Garden last night, MSG Network provided the first three-dimensional broadcast of a live hockey game and drew rave reviews from some interested onlookers.
“It might revolutionize the way games are telecast,” Mark Messier said, shortly after donning the 3D glasses. “Obviously, from an interest standpoint, it might be what we’re looking for to sell our sport.”
Well, not much else has worked.
And the reaction from the 2,000 or so on hand at the Theater at Madison Square Garden last night was positive.
“Three-D is really gonna change the way we watch sports,” said the Jets’ D’Brickashaw Ferguson. “It’s like you’re in the stands. It magnifies the fights and when they get hit into the glass, it’s like when a bird crashes into your windshield. You duck even though you know you’re not gonna get hit.”
Six cameras were brought in and a separate crew was added for the telecast, meaning that this won’t become an every-game feature anytime soon. But other players agreed that they liked what they saw.
“There’s nothing more fun than to go watch a hockey game live, but one of the question marks about hockey is that sometimes the speed of the game doesn’t translate that well on television,” Knicks center David Lee said. “It’s tough to see the athleticism, it’s tough to see how big and strong and fast the players are. This, I think definitely gives a better perspective of the game, as if you’re watching it live.”
And the players were interested in seeing their own sports shown the same way.
“I think football in 3D would probably be something pretty cool,” said Shaun O’Hara of the Giants. “It might be a little bit over-stimulating because so much action happens so fast, but I think it would be great to see.”