Winter Classic: New York Times Goes Inside 24/7 Production, Another HBO Trailer

It hath arrived.

I was trying to describe 24/7 – which debuts tomorrow night at 10 PM on HBO -  to a non-hockey fan yesterday, and the only thing I could come up with was: sports porn.

Think about it: Most of us, as sports fans (bloggers and media), spend countless hours sifting through piles of generic, often precisely controlled, nonsense. That’s what most sports stories are– nonsense.

Perhaps as a blogger I shouldn’t let you in on that little secret, but it’s true. What coaches and players say after games is rarely what they’re thinking. What teams tell us is rarely the whole story. And what happens on the field or court or ice or pitch is the result of countless hours of hard work and, for lack of a better term, drama. That’s why we try hard to bring you the stuff you won’t find (or won’t be covered) elsewhere– the Tweets, fan reactions, off-field stuff.

Still, though, very few, if any, get a prolonged peek behind the curtain the way HBO is getting this month. Without being too melodramatic about it, we'll get to see the whole story. Edited, of course.

The New York Times has a lengthy article today about the omnipresent HBO cameras. It focuses mostly on the Rangers, but it’s a good read nonetheless. An excerpt:

“Everything’s been great, but we haven’t lost a game since the cameras showed up,” Laviolette joked.

The Rangers won their games Saturday and Sunday, the last two games to be featured in the premiere episode.

Tortorella may wish the teams had final say, as he told reporters Sunday, but they do not. Private medical evaluations, like the concussion tests that Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger had recently, are off limits.

But if it is words — profane, insulting or strategic — the Rangers or the Flyers want cut, Harmon will extend the courtesy of a discussion, but will not allow the teams to be editors.

Lavs called the scene “a big commotion, every hour and every day,” though he’s fairly positive about the whole thing. John Tortorella says the cameras shouldn't be allowed in the locker room.

The New York Times hints that we can expect to see Laviolette, Ilya Bryzgalov and Jaromir Jagr featured in the first episode.

Must-read article from the New York Times here. Another HBO trailer, this one featuring the captains, is after the jump.

There will also be a three-day festival outside Citizens Bank Park, running from December 31 to January 2. Details.

[More on the Winter Classic and HBO's 24/7]