speaking the gospel.

Brett Hull has enough money in the bank to call bullshit when he feels like it, and he felt like calling out Versus, NBC, and ESPN on their NHL coverage:

On NBC's lack of pre-game coverage in USA Today (scroll down): "You need to have some sort of pregame or postgame show so we can sit down and talk about the trade deadline — or the Buffalo-Ottawa (brawl)," Hull says. "I have a lot to say. But in 20 seconds, you have to be some sort of English lit professor to do it with any style or bravado."

On Versus in the Detroit Free Press: "I don't even think people know Versus is a station. Just what is a Versus? It's a ridiculously bad channel."

I have noted here previously and in other forums that Bettman has allowed the league to be completely and utterly screwed by Versus -- a minimum of four games should be shown in prime time a week on that channel, and doubleheaders should be a constant; also, there should be a half-hour highlights show every night of the week. Money-whip people to do it. Back in the early days of NHL 2Night on ESPN2, I watched religiously. Get Buccigross and Melrose away from ESPN and re-create that again.

Hat tips for sources: Awful Announcing and Sports Media Watch.