Pan American Games television coverage dwarfed by 650 hours of online streaming

It happened almost two decades ago, but mention the words ``Stubby Clapp Moment" to anyone in the Canadian sports broadcasting business and they'll know exactly what you mean.

Clapp was, well, a rather stubby second baseman for Canada's national baseball team during the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. As usual, the Games hadn't drawn much notice until Clapp, a minor leaguer, drove in the winning run in an upset victory over the heavily favoured Americans.

Clapp and his teammates caught the country's attention and turned those Games into the most successful ever for CBC (and partner TSN.)

Sixteen years later, CBC is hoping for another Stubby Clapp Moment. When coverage of the 2015 Games opens on the weekend, CBC will be searching for that guy, or gal, who will provide the spark that makes the Pan Ams a success.

``You never know where it will come from," says executive producer Paul McDougall.

Knowing the way Canadians think, it will likely come from somebody who, like Clapp, is involved in beating the Americans. Right now, you can put sprinter Andre De Grasse at the top of the candidates list, though there certainly are other possibilities.

While the Stubby Clapp story took place 16 years ago, it seems more like a century in terms of broadcasting. Back then there was no such thing as online streaming. This time around, it will be the biggest part of CBC's coverage.

There will 100 hours of coverage on CBC, the most ever and double what was produced during the last games in Guadalajara, Mexico. In addition, another 650 will be available online -- also a record for this event.

CBC has developed apps for streaming, both IOS and Android so Canadians can watch live coverage of the main sports -- track cycling, gymnastics, athletics, diving, swimming, show jumping, volleyball, beach volleyball, combat sports, boxing, soccer and basketball -- online. The rest will be available in highlight form from the medal rounds. (If you're wondering, which sports get live coverage was the decision of the Games organizing committee.)

As McDougall says, these aren't the Olympics so not everything will get the full broadcast treatment. But CBC will try to get as much information and as many highlights as possible on its website.

For those who prefer watching the Games the old-fashioned way, CBC is offering upwards of five hours a day coverage. In addition, Sportsnet will carry the men's and women's soccer competition.

While there will be live broadcasts of the aforementioned events, CBC is aiming to put lots of focus on Canadian athletes.

``This is time for us to start to introduce these athletes," McDougall says. ``It's an opportunity to get some name recognition for these athletes so that when they are competing in Rio at the (2016) Olympics we've already started that process.

``With the limited number of hours, we really have to focus on the Canadian athletes who are competing at that time."

But that doesn't mean the evening prime-time show will be filled with soft features and highlights.

``We want people to sit back and enjoy some good sports," he says.