Bettman gets the last laugh when it comes to animated board ads in the NHL

As much as fans hate them, it seems animated board advertisements during NHL games are here to stay. And, if you require more proof of that, here it is: the computer-generated ads have been nominated for the George Wensel Technical Achievement Award in the sports category at the Emmys, which is TV's most prestigious awards show.

Fans despise the ads as they move and change while those watching at home are trying to follow the action. It can be very distracting, especially when a puck is in the corner and more than one player is trying to whack at it. Nevertheless, with award-nominated (and possible winning) technology at the helm of the development, it's very doubtful these ads will be going away any time soon.

Despite the nomination for the ads falling under the banner of ESPN and TNT, ratings for those broadcasts have taken a massive hit this year. On January 31st, it was announced that ratings for the NHL on ESPN and TNT were down 23 percent.