The End Is Near For "The Score"

Many, many years ago, a channel popped up on our TV screens. All it was a channel that gave us scores. Today, the Score isn't close to being what TSN and Sportsnet are, but it delivers a niche to Canadian sports fans as things like WWE, NCAA college hockey, basketball and football along with soccer from across Europe could be found on the network. Its most famous moment was perhaps when Elliotte Friedman had his conversation with Indianapolis Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt who criticized Peyton Manning resulting in Manning calling Vanderjagt "an idiot kicker".

While a distant 3rd, it would appear as if the network has been swallowed up. Reports out of Toronto say Rogers is buying out the network at a cost of around 150 million dollars and that most if not all employees are gone including the on-air talent. I'm sure someone like Renee Paquette (who like Friedman and now Sportsnet's Martine Gaillard) are too talented to be at that network will find work elsewhere, but what isn't known is what will become of "The Score". What plans does Rogers have for it? Will it become another version of Sportsnet somehow. I'm guessing a lot of the soccer that was on the network will be moved to Sportsnet One and Sportsnet World and I'm guessing WWE staples like "RAW" and "Smackdown" will be moved over to Sportsnet One.

Regardless, the Sportsnet empire has grown bigger as they try and compete with TSN. I still think TSN is the premier sports network in this country and that Sportsnet has a lonnnnnnnnnnggg ways to go to change that---especially when it comes to personalities, but what is certain is that the profile of Canadian sports television is about to change. How that will be will be determined very soon I'm guessing.