Move back to 3 p.m. for Winter Classic should ease dilemma for Penn State/Flyers fans

FROM KEITH GROLLER

I know a lot of people were torn about what they were going to watch -- the Penn State bowl game or the Flyers-Rangers in the Winter Classic.

But now with the hockey game being moved from 1 to 3 p.m., there should be little overlap.

The Penn State game will just be about over -- or at least decided -- when the hockey game is set to begin.

Here's the official announcement from the Phillies:

The National Hockey League today announced that tomorrow's 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will start at 3 p.m., ET (NBC, CBC, RDS). The game originally was scheduled for 1 p.m., ET. The revised start time decision was based on tomorrow’s weather forecast and should offer optimal game conditions for players and fans.

All tickets to the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will continue to be honored and all ticket-holder agreement language remains unchanged.



The following is a revised timeline for fans based on the 3 p.m., ET start time:



* Sports Complex Parking Lots will open at 9 a.m., ET



* Spectator Plaza will operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., ET.



* Gates to Citizens Bank Park will open at 1 p.m., ET

And here's the information from NBC:

NEW TIME – 2012 BRIDGESTONE NHL WINTER CLASSIC ON NBC MOVED TO 3 P.M. ET

Winter Classic Pre-Game Coverage on NBC Still Begins at 1 p.m. ET

NBC Sports Network Debuts at 4 p.m. ET With Special Edition of NBC SportsTalk



PHILADELPHIA – January 1, 2012 – The 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers from Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia, which was scheduled to air tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET, will now start at 3 p.m. ET on NBC to facilitate optimal game conditions, the NHL announced today. NBC Sports will still begin its live NHL Winter Classic pre-game coverage at 1 p.m. ET with interviews, features and other content.

The NHL said in a statement that the revised start time is based on tomorrow's weather forecast and should offer optimal game conditions for players and fans.

NBC’s coverage of the Winter Classic will be hosted by Bob Costas, a 22-time Emmy Award-winner. He will be joined by NBC Sports Group studio analysts Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick for coverage on NBC and post-game coverage on NBC Sports Network. NBC’s game coverage will be led by Emmy Award-winner Mike “Doc” Emrick (play-by-play) Eddie Olczyk (analyst), and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass reporter).

The NBC Sports Network (currently VERSUS) will still launch at 4 p.m. ET with a special edition of NBC SportsTalk leading into a NHL Winter Classic post-game show at the conclusion of the game.

The new NBC Sports Network will continue with hockey-themed programming at 6 p.m. ET with the premiere of Cold War on Ice: Summit Series ’72 produced by Ross Greenburg. The documentary focuses on the hockey series played in 1972 between a team of Canadian NHL all-stars and the Soviet Union national team during the height of the Cold War.

Cold War on Ice will be followed by NHL Live at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Vancouver Canucks hosting the San Jose Sharks at 8 p.m. ET. NHL Live post-game and NHL Overtime will end the NBC Sports Network’s first day.

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/