DETROIT — Mike Commodore is a big fan of HBO and what they’ve done with their ‘24/7’ series, which has featured the time leading up to the Winter Classic the last two seasons.
But they best not ask him to mic-up for a game.
“They do a fantastic job,” Commodore said. “They’ve got great programming left and right. That adds to the event.
“The only thing I don’t like is being miced up during games,” Commodore added. “I did that once in the playoffs in Carolina and I think I was minus-3 in the first period and I tore the thing off at intermission. Whenever I’m miced up during the game I can’t stop thinking about it. You worry about what you say and I don’t talk a whole lot.”
If the Wings are chosen to participate and HBO does a series on the game coach Mike Babcock wants all the attention paid to the players.
“I think it’s great for the game, I think it’s great for the players,” Babcock said. “Myself, I’d rather not be involved in it but if that’s part of what you’ve got to do to have the Winter Classic, you gotta be involved. The game’s about the players. And I think as a coach, the more you’re in it, the more you understand that it’s about the players. I like the attention to be on the players.”