SB Nation's Derek Zona watches a lot of hockey through the Center Ice package, and has had the privilege of listening to every broadcast crew in the NHL. He's ranked those crews based on their 2010-11 performance.
Jul 8, 2011 - Sports Illustrated's amazing Dr. Z has been ranking NFL commentators for a long time (and with some hard work and luck will one day do it again), taking notes as he scores games and compiling those into an year-end column. I started taking notes at the beginning of the 2010-11 NHL season with the intent of doing the same.
My rankings however, also include tidbits gleaned from over a decade of Center Ice, watching countless regular season games through local market broadcasts.
My biggest pet peeve, even with the five-star announcers, is the overuse of cliches and hockey buzzwords, so I've excluded the use of those phrases in the analysis below. I will point out, however, that things like "net front presence", "head man pass" when being used to describe any breakout pass, "compete level" and "grit" have to go. They've had their run in hockey lexicon for far too long.
Stop with the cliches and give us poignant analysis, fellas.
Follow @sbnation on Twitter | Like SB Nation on Facebook | Sign up for our Newsletter
The rankings below are entirely subjective, but I've used the same criteria to rank each crew -- criteria that are flushed out as we go. I didn't rank Montreal's crew because I don't speak French and therefore do not watch Canadiens broadcasts on RDS.
So, without further ado...
John Ahlers, Brian Hayward - Anaheim Ducks: Ahlers might be an excellent play-by-play announcer, but Hayward overwhelms him on the air. Hayward is an ex-goaltender and as is often the case with ex-goaltenders, his analysis is heavily slanted in favor of goaltenders -- any goaltender. He speaks about goaltending as a mystical pursuit, which is extremely frustrating to viewers looking for answers or explanations about goaltending technique.
He's also heavily biased in his general game analysis and is hard-pressed to find fault in the Ducks for anything. He's the announcer who accused Brent Seabrook of "selling it" to draw a call on this hit.
He apologized later in the broadcast, but if his first reaction after seeing an opposing player take an intentional charge is to call out "Dive!", he should take a deeper look at how bias is clouding his broadcast.
Peter Loubardias, Charlie Simmer - Calgary Flames: Loubardias isn't awful, but his cadence is a special treat for Sportsnet and Northwest Division viewers. He has a bizarre habit of stretching out syllables in the middle of names, very similar to the Seinfeld "Hello!", but not during big moments like goals or hits -- just in the normal course of calling the game. His calls of "eh-GEEEEEEN-laaaaa" and "BO-miss-terrrrrrrrrrr" make his play-by-play particularly grating. He also has a terrible habit of stressing the first few words in a sentence and letting the rest of the sentence fall into the aether.
Charlie Simmer was once a very good forward for the Los Angeles Kings in the 1980s.
Ken Daniels, Mickey Redmond, Larry Murphy - Detroit Red Wings: Listening to the Red Wings crew is like sitting at your local watering hole and watching the game with the sound off. Redmond and Murphy tell tale after tale, interrupt Daniels at every turn, attempting to one-up each other from the pre-game show to the final horn, laugh uproariously and rarely pay attention to the action on the ice. Daniels, to his credit, tries to call a game every once in awhile, but typically gives up by the second period.
Kevin Quinn, Louie Debrusk - Edmonton Oilers: Quinn and Debrusk are the ultimate company men. The Oilers have been the worst team in the league over the last two seasons but you'd never know it by listening to these two. The only players they've criticized have been those openly criticized by the organization. They continue to call Nikolai Khabibulin the team's "MVP" and the worst criticism lobbed in his general direction has been "He wishes he had that one back."
Paul Steigerwald, Bob Errey - Pittsburgh Penguins: The Penguins replaced long-time play-by-play man Mike Lange with Steigerwald, and Errey took over for former head coach Ed Olczyk. Neither of these were good hires. Steigerwald is the second-biggest homer amongst play-by-play men in the NHL and allows it to creep into his call throughout the game. Even in the face of replay evidence he doesn't relent.
Errey has the same taint to his analysis, often allowing Steigerwald to build the (faulty) narrative and allowing it to continue into his explanation of the play. Errey also regularly speaks over the play-by-play call. Their calls are so bad that Twitter often erupts into a discussion about the two men in the booth rather than the game on the ice.
And of course, there was Steigerwald's horrible joke about Hobey Baker.
John Shorthouse, John Garrett - Vancouver Canucks: Western Canadians and Northwest Division fans are alone in basking in the glorious experience of the two Johns. Shorthouse and Garrett openly root for the Canucks during the broadcast and speak of the players as if they are family members during the game call and analysis. They combine to form the most biased duo in the league and it's not close.
Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley - Boston Bruins: Andy Brickley is good -- great, even. He knows his stuff and can analyze hockey on the fly with the best of them. He sees things accurately and can break them down quickly without sounding full of himself. I learn something from Brickley quite often, but only when I can stand Jack Edwards long enough to leave the sound on.
Jack Edwards is an unabashed homer and taints the entire broadcast with it. It's a shame NESN continues to employ him.
Pat Foley, Ed Olczyk - Chicago Blackhawks: Blackhawks' fans love Foley and his frank style, but his guttural exclamations during game play are bizarre. Foley truncates the words in the phrase he's using, then says the phrase like a drill instructor. For example, "Big save" becames "Bi Sayyyyyy", and "Missed wide" becomes "Mih wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii."
Olczyk obviously knows the game, but has an annoying habit of explaining on-ice technique by beginning with "Now for all of you young players out there...", rather than just explaining the proper play or technique. These two also tend to stray from the game and get lost in giggling fits when they do. The behavior isn't limited to just blowouts either. A player or celebrity sighting, a memory, or a story will set them on a meandering path where they forget the game exists.
Mike Haynes, Peter McNab - Colorado Avalanche: Haynes and McNab call an engaging game and they have very few flaws during game action. Haynes has excellent recognition and is quick with his calls, but struggles mightily with player names. His attempted pronounciations have become a running joke for those watching on Center Ice.
The two of them break down in other facets of the broadcast. McNab has said words like "Brandon Yip will be a star in this league," and "Ryan O`Reilly is showing why he's already considered one of the best defensive centers in the game," and "Slovakia will have a tough decision going into the Olympics on whether they should start Jaroslav Halak or Peter Budaj." He wasn't joking.
Haynes picks up on these cues and not only agrees but extends the point. It's no wonder the average Avs fan believes the team is on the verge of a dynasty.
Dan Terhaar, Mike Greenlay - Minnesota Wild: I've actually been embarrassed for Terhaar at times because of his botched pronounciations of player names. He and Mike Haynes from Colorado are neck-and-neck in the race for the most hilarious pronounciation attempts.
Haynes currently leads with "Day La Ray" for Deslauriers, but Terhaar's "FOLIG no" for Foligno was outstanding. These two toe the company line and rarely talk poorly of the team, going so far as to applaud things like "effort" and "grit" at the end of four-goal losses. Their between-period banter and segments are among the worst in the league.
Doc Emrick, Chico Resch - New Jersey Devils: I've written about Doc's impressive, sometimes non-sensical vocabulary, and touched on Chico Resch's awestruck, folksy demeanor, but overall, this broadcast has a tinge of insanity to it.
Doc does his thing, making up words on the go, while Chico talks about "Travis" and "Zach" like they are his grandchildren.
Howie Rose, Butch Goring - New York Islanders: Rose has seen a boatload of bad hockey over the last decade and it's starting to show.
He is capable of calling an outstanding game and still does from time-to-time, but is the most disinterested play-by-play guy in hockey. As soon as he sees an opening, he's off and talking about baseball, Al Arbour, Bill Terry or the New York skyline right in the middle of play.
Goring knows the game, especially systems play and strategy. He's very good at detailing how and why a sequence was successful. The downside is that he's quick to join Rose's tangents on everything not hockey-related.
Jim Jackson, Keith Jones - Philadelphia Flyers: Keith Jones has become a caricature of the "good Canadian boy" ex-hockey player. On Versus, he's somewhat balanced and talks about things other than physical play.
On the Comcast broadcast, Jones wears his heart on his sleeve. Everything can be improved with toughness and every player having an off night "needs more effort", regardless of the level of effort. "Being more physical" in all aspects of the game is paramount.
Jackson carries a heavy Philadelphia bias and refuses to criticize a Flyer, even when the criticism is obvious.
Rick Peckham, Bobby Taylor - Tampa Bay Lightning: Peckham and Taylor call a nice game and are okay on the detailed analysis, but everything is terribly slanted. They aren't as bad as Jack Edwards, but they aren't afraid to show their love for the Lightning in everything they say.
Sam Rosen, Joe Micheletti - New York Rangers: Micheletti does a fine job of bringing the concepts of hockey to the fan and reinforcing those concepts with examples throughout the game. He generally nails what happened during the play without the benefit of a replay and is quite good at explaining what defensemen are doing and should be doing.
Sam Rosen fumbles too many player identifications and too much on-ice action for a man of his reputation.
Dean Brown, Denis Potvin - Ottawa Senators: Dean Brown is excellent at calling a game and manages to hang on to the end, even during blowouts. He's quick to identify line changes and can tell the difference between a shot and a block, and who blocked it, on a regular basis. He doesn't scream and yell when the momentum shifts in the Senators favor -- he's able to subtly alter his tone and cadence and quicken the pace of the call without screaming into the microphone.
Denis Potvin knows a ton about hockey and he wants the audience to know it. He's self-assured to the point of arrogance in his analysis, and why not? He's a Hall of Fame player, one of the greatest defenseman in NHL history. But being a great player doesn't make a man a great analyst and Potvin misses many of the little things that the really good analysts are able to pick up on the fly and explain. He gets caught up in the "oohs" and "aahs" of big hits and big shots and becomes a fan much too easily.
Randy Hahn, Drew Remenda - San Jose Sharks: Hahn is excellent when he's calling the game and Remenda is excellent when he's doing on-the-fly analysis. When the two veer off into the storyline or the narrative, they go awry.
I'm not sure if they write their own pre-game script or not, but there is no deviation from the pre-game story. If they open with Antti Niemi returning to Chicago, the game is about Antti Niemi throughout the night and it doesn't matter if four power play goals were the actual story. Coming back from a commercial, we hear about Antti Niemi. Between periods, we hear about Antti Niemi. fter a routine save, we hear about Antti Niemi.
Remenda twists his analysis to match the narrative, facts be damned.
Joe Bowen, Greg Millen - Toronto Maple Leafs: Yet another pair where the play-by-play man is solid and the color commentator is really poor. Millen makes these broadcasts nearly unwatchable with nonsense analysis and fumbled player identification. He's bad that he's inspired his own watchdog Twitter account.
Bowen is a solid play-by-play man, and though he does tend towards a slight Toronto bias, he has kept it in the bag during the Leafs recent troubles.
Joe Beninati, Craig Laughlin - Washington Capitals: Beninati and Laughlin are excellent most of the time. When they're not, it's because they're both screaming at their audience. Beninati is an excitable gentleman and tends to crank up the decibles and excitement level in his voice when it's not necessary. He seems to want to build along with the play to a crescendo in order to make a big goal call, even when the play dies on the vine.
He ends up making calls like "SEMIN SKATES WIDE TO THE WING HE FIRES OFF OF THE SIDE OF THE NET...and the puck kicks to the corner." Laughlin does the same when he jumps in to give on-the-fly analysis, especially when coming in on a cue from Beninati.
Matt McConnell, Darren Eliot - Atlanta Thrashers: Left unemployed by the Thrashers' departure, McConnell and Eliot are very good in a terrible television market. Eliot has been picked up by Versus for a couple of national games and rightfully so. He knows what he's talking about and can explain what he knows in a very accessible manner. He does not pull punches for the home team and levies criticism at players and coaches when necessary.
McConnell could use some polish. He gets caught up in coming back from breaks and replays and often misses 10 to 15 seconds of game action as he's wrapping up the segue or in-game promo. Even with that criticism, more than half of the teams in the league could improve their broadcast by hiring these two in place of their existing crew.
Rick Jeanneret, Harry Neale - Buffalo Sabres: Jeanneret is outright despised by rival fans for his excitable nature and his strained voice, however, aside from the fact that he sounds like he's being asphyxiated when Buffalo scores, Jeanneret knows just about everything about the game as it unfolds.
He rarely misses a call or flubs a player and he's on top of small things like players bouncing around lines throughout the game. Neale is an old salt who has a story for everything. The only time these two get off track is when they recall the olden days.
Jeanneret is retiring, which is a shame because his replacements leave everything to be desired.
John Forslund, Tripp Tracy - Carolina Hurricanes: These two would be a five-star duo if not for Tracy's insistence on the infallibility of goaltenders. Forslund is very good with the in-game call, and has a special knack for hurrying back from commercials, ad copy or replay analysis to get back to the call of live action, something that even the best play-by-play guys struggle with.
Tracy knows his stuff and is very good at pointing out the mechanics of goaltending and defense, but in his analysis, goaltenders (especially Cam Ward) can do no wrong.
Jeff Rimer, Bill Davidge - Columbus Blue Jackets: Rimer and Davidge are the closest thing to a throwback announcing pair working today. Rimer is an old-time announcer, an older gentlemanly type who is both a fan and an objective observer watching the team play. He describes the action more than calls the action and has a very pleasant cadence.
His cadence is very similar to Detroit Tigers' great Ernie Harwell -- smooth and flowing. He's not nearly as excitable as your average play-by-play man, but will get riled up, especially when one of the Jackets' star players is involved. He misses details occasionally and he's not ideal for the role, but his call makes up for it.
Davidge is very similar to Rimer -- even-keeled and even-handed in his analysis -- and he's not the excitable type. He's torn between giving advanced analysis and appealing to the new hockey fan and isn't a true analyst, but he fits the attitude well. They are a true Midwestern duo.
Dave Strader, Tyson Nash - Phoenix Coyotes: Strader might be the best play-by-play man in the business. He's dead-on while working in-game, he identifies players, the action and works in line changes and team tidbits on the fly. He would shine in any market.
Tyson Nash has his moments. In fact, I listened to him explain forward positioning on the penalty kill one evening and came away extremely impressed, but far too often his analysis begins with "Oooohhh..." and he launches into 30 seconds of old-time hockey, or a story about his fighting days. I get the feeling he's still trying to establish his credentials and legitimize himself, thus the reference to his fighting days. If he would concentrate on the on-ice action rather than asking for a fight or a big hit, this pairing would be in the group below.
John Kelly, Darren Pang, Bernie Federko - St. Louis Blues: Kelly and Pang are very good, though Pang tends to allow his Blues bias to creep into his analysis, especially on penalty calls and questionable plays. There's no doubt Pang knows the game, but sometimes gets pulled into being a fan when he's detailing a replay.
Kelly calls the game with a very fast cadence which is outstanding for close and exciting games, but is tough to listen to during yawners. Federko's contributions to the team are exactly the same as Denis Potvin above. Federko knows hockey and is more concerned with the viewer knowing how much he knows.
Ralph Strangis, Daryl Reaugh - Dallas Stars: Strangis and Reaugh are the Abbott and Costello of NHL commentators, and I mean that in a good way. Strangis is a very good play-by-play man. He's not at Dave Strader's level with his calls, but he's very good at identifying the play and doesn't wander into the wilderness in the middle of games. He keeps things concise and frees up time for Reaugh to do his thing.
Reaugh's calls are legendary and his prolix nature keeps his call interesting. He's the only color commentator that I know of to ever use the word "pulchritudinous" in the middle of a sentence.
But it's not the vocabulary that makes the man, and Reaugh is not afraid to call a spade a spade and takes even the Stars to task when they deserve it. He is brutally honest in his assessments and is one of the few ex-goaltenders in broadcasting who will go after a goaltender when they deserve it.
Steve Goldstein, Bill Lindsay - Florida Panthers: It's a shame that less than 4,000 households per night watch the Panthers. Their television pairing is top-notch, hidden by the weakest television market in the NHL and a team that hasn't made the playoffs in ten years.
Goldstein is the prototypical television play-by-play voice -- engaging and fast-moving, introducing segments and reading ad copy quickly but in a relaxed manner. He calls a steady game without bias in his voice or tone and identifies line changes, blocks, tips and hits without fail.
Bill Lindsay was a plugger during his playing days, totaling 224 points in 777 games as a checking wing. His days on the penalty kill paid off as he, along with Andy Brickley, is among the very best at explaining special teams and individual breakdowns as they occur. He also understands coaching and systems like few other men on television. It's a treat to listen to him explain the tactics and strategies used by the Panthers and their opponents.
Bob Miller, Jim Fox - Los Angeles Kings: Miller is relatively high up the list for play-by-play men, maybe a rung or two below Dave Strader. Jim Fox is an ex-King who has made a name for himself as a broadcaster, not just an ex-player in the broadcast booth.
The two have been together for two decades and play off of each other extremely well. They show no active biases during the broadcast. Miller knows everything about everyone in hockey over the last 30 years and Fox isn't far behind. Fox is insightful in short bursts during the action as well as in the pregame and at intermission. Neither are afraid to criticize players or coaches.
Pete Weber, Terry Crisp - Nashville Predators: Another pairing hidden away in an extremely weak television market, Weber and Crisp know what they're talking about and connect with both the stereotypical "new Southern hockey fan" and long-time fans alike. Crisp played for a decade and won two Stanley Cups, then coached for a decade and won another, and he puts all of that experience into each broadcast.
He has no fear of taking a Predator to task for poor play or a mistake. He's plugged in with the Preds and is quick to point out when an inside tip about a tactic or strategy is applied on the ice. Weber calls a fair and error-free game and moves seamlessly from explaining the basics of the game to calling out line chances and on-ice play.
101 comments
Comments
Weber and Crisp at 5 stars?
All I can say is that you and I disagree severely on some of your rankings.
by J.J. from Kansas on Jul 8, 2011 12:06 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
From somebody who couldn’t care less or more about the Nashville Predators, I also think Weber and Crisp are one of the best duos in the league.
Visit the BSH Store :: Get us on Twitter :: facebook, too!
Broad Street Hockey - Covering the Philadelphia Flyers. Got goaltending? Searching since 1987.
by Travis Hughes on Jul 8, 2011 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You, sir, are also wrong.
I also don’t particularly like Reaugh for the same reason that Emrick occasionally gets on my nerves. It’s nice that he pulls big words out of his nether-regions, but I like Reaugh a lot more as a columnist than I do as a color guy.
In defense of my own Red Wings crew, watching game after game with them does give you the feeling that you’re at the old watering hole with two uncles talking about it. Except the uncles are former hockey greats who really know their stuff. For the idiosyncrasies with Redmond always complaining about the refs (fairly on both sides, I might add) to Larry Murphy forgetting to finish sentences, there’s almost a familial feel that Wings fans get used to. I could understand how it seems like a mess to somebody who doesn’t follow them.
That, to me is their greatest strength. They’re homer announcers, but they’re not so homeriffic as to turn off their own fans with the inability to call a mistake a mistake or a penalty against the other team a bad call. I consider it a good thing that non-Wings fans despise them because they’re not talking to those fans.
by J.J. from Kansas on Jul 8, 2011 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions 7 recs
So a "good crew"...
… is one who tells the home fans what they want to hear?
Sounds like the type of self-fulfilling bias that gets discussed every election cycle.
by BleedBlue42 on Jul 8, 2011 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Except it's not an election
They’re just hockey announcers. Hearing what you want to hear is a good thing.
Why should we shoot for “objective truth” when we’re watching a hockey broadcast, especially one that involves our favorite team? I hate objective announcing. I’d rather watch a homer crew who hates my team than deal with all the arguments over the “real” biases of the national crews.
by J.J. from Kansas on Jul 8, 2011 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Haters gonna hate, JJ. They are objective yet still are excited about our team. Tom Callahan is also awesome on the radio side.
Regarding going 0-4 in the NHL Awards, I quote the great Hornqvist: "S**t's gonna happen."
by DonBorvio on Jul 8, 2011 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions
To be fair to your guys, Don
There’s just something about Crisp that grates on me. I wish I could describe it better. It’s not that I think he lacks the right amount of respect, objectivity, or knoweldge. It’s just… something.
by J.J. from Kansas on Jul 8, 2011 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Because 2 Cups as a player and 1 as a coach isn’t enough. I think he does have a few drinks during broadcasts, maybe that bothers you?
Regarding going 0-4 in the NHL Awards, I quote the great Hornqvist: "S**t's gonna happen."
by DonBorvio on Jul 8, 2011 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Could be
I’m not particularly a fan of Larry Murphy on the Wings broadcasts and I’m pretty sure it’s because he’s hitting the sauce during games.
Still, I wouldn’t put Crisp and Weber down in the one-star range. They’re decent enough and, like you said, they do objectivity fairly well while still being excited by their own team. I’d say they have The kind of stuff that I appreciate in a team announcer duo that would make me pick them over a national broadcast if I had the choice.
by J.J. from Kansas on Jul 8, 2011 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Why do you value this over objectivity, though? Why is that “better”? Fans need to be coddled against the real world? You can’t be entertaining without the homer element?
In Dinglebarn We Trust -- JftC
by Niesy on Jul 8, 2011 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Answer a question with a question
It’s just a personal choice to me. I don’t honestly care about what announcers are telling fans and how that clouds their opinions. Just like the comment above, this isn’t an election – I’m not worried about the hordes of misinformed malcontent troglodytes beating down my door to tell me bad opinions about why Lubomir Visnovsky deserved the Norris. This entire “oh won’t somebody think about the children!” mentality that we have to somehow protect others from biased opinions is disingenuous at best – Fans don’t have “needs” – they have demands.
I like to think that I have a very good handle on the objective truth – that doesn’t make it entertaining. When I watch sports, I want to be entertained. It’s a partial escape from the real world’s often-annoying search for truth, beauty, and contention.
I’m not asking for homeriffic crap. In fact, if you read carefully enough, my earlier comment stated that there is such a thing as being TOO biased for one side or another. I just don’t want things to be TOO objective either.
I’m the idiot caveman for thinking this, but I like fighting in hockey too. There is no ultimate objectively good reason for it to exist – I like it because it’s contentious. That’s the exact same reason I prefer local homer announcers to national objective ones. It is VERY rare that you find announcers with no rooting interest who are also interesting. Thorne and Clement pulled that off. Doc Emrick is good on the national stage, but gets pulled down by a whole host of crappy color guys. My problem with that kind of overly objective analysis is that when neither team is the “star” of one piece of analysis, then the star becomes the analyst himself. For more info on that, please see Pierre McGuire and why most people hate him.
I’d ultimately rather be angered by an announcer than bored by him.
by J.J. from Kansas on Jul 8, 2011 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Heh.. “contentment”, rather.
by J.J. from Kansas on Jul 8, 2011 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, I think an announcer can inform as well as entertain. And I don’t see them in conflict.
In Dinglebarn We Trust -- JftC
by Niesy on Jul 8, 2011 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions
^I guess it’s implied that it should be an obligation for the broadcast crew to impart the truth.
In Dinglebarn We Trust -- JftC
by Niesy on Jul 8, 2011 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions
The best of them can do that, sure
But when we’re talking Fox Sports and other regional broadcasts, there are only a handful of them that pull that off.
I never said I’d give the Detroit guys 5 stars. I’d give them 3. There are times when they get on my nerves. But, they’re aimed at a specific audience and they don’t piss their own audience off.
And yes… no announcers should lie.
by J.J. from Kansas on Jul 8, 2011 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Weber and Crisp are incredible announcers.
On the Mike Weber bandwagon!
I hate Christian Ehrhoff because he should have been Tomas Kaberle.
by Ubiquitous on Jul 8, 2011 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Rick Jeanneret
he’s the best. “Top shelf where mama hides the cookies”
There is nothing worse than exaggeration!
"This is a long-term plan. We’re trying to build a mansion here."- Carmelo Anthony
by 78sackdance on Jul 13, 2011 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Emrick has a utensil fetish
“he knifes it through”
“ladling it back onto Parise..”
by scottymac on Jul 8, 2011 1:46 PM EDT reply actions
I like it when somebody ‘golfs it’ into the zone or ‘soccers it’ past the net.
And yes, he said BOTH of those things during game 7 of the cup finals.
#FireBobBradley
2011 Buffalo Bills - as of right now, guaranteed not to lose a game this year!
Burgundy Wave - SBnation's Colorado Rapids site
Crystal Palace FC - Eternally a point from relegation (._. )
by UZ on Jul 8, 2011 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Funny how that was one of the requisites for being a good announcer, that the cliche calls need to go. But then you guys complain when it happens. How does that work?
by Skuba7 on Jul 8, 2011 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions
…what?
In Dinglebarn We Trust -- JftC
by Niesy on Jul 8, 2011 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I don’t think you can accuse Emrick of using “cliched” phrases…
Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
To help with basic Timeonice functions.
If I reference a lot of stats, just assume I haven't seen anything to contradict or invalidate them.
by red army line on Jul 10, 2011 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions
absolutely we can
During the Finals I tried counting how many times someone “rattled it” around, behind, off of, through, along to, and any other preposition you could possibly imagine.
In Emrick’s supple hands, the expression “rattled it” is like the Great Glass Wonkavator – just shoot the puck and ZING! You’re off!
FWIW I lost count roughly around the time I lost the will to live. And don’t even get started on the rest of his verbal tics. Let’s just say that “Someone mentioned the SUDDEN RIIIIISE in Emrick’s delivery when shots were taken, but Mikb said no.”
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
by mikb on Jul 12, 2011 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Standard verbs are not cliches
Hockey cliches, as mentioned, include “grit” and “heart” and the like — not the simple verbs “pass,” “shoot,” “dump,” “bank,” etc.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik Jansky on Jul 11, 2011 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
That, and shouldn't there be a penalty for "Spiking"
Also, he seems to be on a mission to have shots that hit off the glass being introduced as a stat.
by Edanger6 on Jul 8, 2011 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Great List
Thanks for this Derek… no complaints really, I tend to jump around the dial and I do enjoy the St.Louis, Dallas & Nashville crews especially.
Jim Fox is good but the way each one of his sentences is spoken like a poem is a little annoying.
SBN Fantasy Hockey Blog: Fantasy Hockey Scouts
by Cam Collingwood on Jul 8, 2011 1:47 PM EDT reply actions
That and he’s got a bent for the hyperbolic statement. But he really knows his hockey and he can explain it on the fly.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Fixed that for ya.
[Insert witty line here]
by Cheryl Bradley on Jul 8, 2011 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions
He has a funny voice quirk, that’s true. I’ll take his analysis over that of other color men, anyhow.
In Dinglebarn We Trust -- JftC
by Niesy on Jul 8, 2011 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I think it's interesting...
… that the best-rated broadcast teams are mostly employed in southern and “non-traditional” markets. Save Buffalo and St. Louis, all of the 4-star and 5-star crews fit this description.
So naturally, the next question is “why”? Why are the best-rated crews working in markets with ponds that don’t freeze over? Do those teams see more potential in attracting fans via their game broadcasts, and thus put more effort into assembling a strong production? Do the better announcers gravitate to warmer climates naturally? Is there an editorial bias in this article’s ratings? So many questions, but it’s fun to ask them while waiting for September.
by BleedBlue42 on Jul 8, 2011 1:52 PM EDT reply actions
I’m not sure location matters. Each of the color guys in those markets is Canadian by birth and each of the play-by-play guys worked up through different sports or organizations. The homogeneous backgrounds of the entire group mean they are going to be especially similar. The ones who can’t escape the marching orders of their team or their own schtick end up becoming really grating, but the guys who don’t become caricatures of themselves stand out.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Better weather?
That rug really tied the room together...
by Streams Of Whiskey on Jul 12, 2011 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions
As a Wings fan
I don’t necessarily disagree. Mickey and Larry can get a little annoying sometimes, especially when it interferes with Ken Kal’s call which is actually extremely good. Kal is my third or fourth favorite announcer to listen to behind Hahn and Strader for sure. I really miss having Dave Strader in Detroit. Great memories like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlzCxkfqIfo
by daileysc on Jul 8, 2011 2:04 PM EDT reply actions
Ken Kal is radio
Ken Daniels is TV
by Kendal on Jul 8, 2011 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions
I like Ken Kal on the radio
His goal call always cracks me up, and it always lets me know that someone has scored — regardless of team. Sometimes you get guys who don’t call an opposing goal the same and you’re not sure what just happened for a few minutes.
by jhitts08 on Jul 8, 2011 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions
If you get rid of Murphy
it solves 70 percent of the problem
Back off man, I'm a scientist
SB Nation Detroit --SB Nation's regional hub for all your Detroit sporting needs
Twitter
by Ryan Weiss on Jul 9, 2011 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Quick question: How many NHL teams run a simulcast?
I’ve got to imagine much of Strangis’ ability to keep things concise and stay with live action can be attributed to the fact that his voice also serves the Dallas radio audience.
RockMNation.com (@rockmnation)
Fighting mob mentality since 2007
by RPT on Jul 8, 2011 2:42 PM EDT reply actions
For the new york teams, buffalo’s does for sure, and NYR whenever Sam Rosen is doing one of his other gigs.
I have also noticed that the guys that started in radio are the announcers i like more.
On the Mike Weber bandwagon!
I hate Christian Ehrhoff because he should have been Tomas Kaberle.
by Ubiquitous on Jul 8, 2011 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I wonder if it’s because they can fill the downtime without being terribly off-topic?
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Also, because they call the game without getting distracted. I find that more annoying than Jack Edwards and is my biggest complaint against the Tampa Bay crew. They’re really easily distracted. Maybe not as bad as the Red Wings crew, but they’re bad enough.
"We don't need the designated goon. Those fights aren't even fun to watch." -Mike Milbury
Litter Box Cats - Your Panthers Colossus.
by John Beatty on Jul 8, 2011 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s my theory at least but it could just be confirmation bias.
On the Mike Weber bandwagon!
I hate Christian Ehrhoff because he should have been Tomas Kaberle.
by Ubiquitous on Jul 11, 2011 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
To me, it's because former radio guys are already good at describing play by play
Rather than filling PBP time with their own stories and yammering because, hey, the people can “see” what’s going on while I tell them about what I had for dinner last night.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik Jansky on Jul 11, 2011 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions
John Kelly is awful...
…and this is coming from a guy who’s been a Blues’ fan since Day One.
Pang is good, but Bernie Federko — God love him for his contributions to, and loyalty towards, the Blues — is as stiff and wooden as Kaw-Liga, the Indian that used to stand outside the cigar store.
The Blues’ radio team of Chris Kerber, Kelly Chase and (occasionally) the legendary Bobby Plager is 100x better than the TV team.
"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."
-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851
http://futurenotes.blogspot.com
by Tomorrows Blues on Jul 8, 2011 2:44 PM EDT reply actions
Kelly Chase is good
I think he does tend to do the “I hate the referees and will point out every single missed call and will not let up” thing too much, but I still think he gives good insight.
by jhitts08 on Jul 8, 2011 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions
The best nights
are when the radio and tv are pretty closely synched. Always mute John Kelly. Love listening to Kerbs.
by thesystm on Jul 9, 2011 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m confused on how you (or anyone) can be pro Panger. Pang is one of, if not THE, worst TV guys I have the displeasure to hear. I know he played goal and I also know he was sieve that played in a time where goalies were still the fat guys that couldn’t skate (for the most part). Why he feels the need to bring that up 5-6 times per period, I’ll never know. His crowing achievement was getting lit up by Hall of Famers. That doesn’t make for compelling TV.
If we don't get our sauce, we ain't watching the game!
by Mike @ MHH on Jul 10, 2011 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Crowning achievement
Actually, his crowning achievement was giving up four goals in one game to Tony Hrkac.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik Jansky on Jul 11, 2011 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Good point. I stand corrected.
Prosecution rests.
If we don't get our sauce, we ain't watching the game!
by Mike @ MHH on Jul 11, 2011 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Thank you.
I remember Kelly broadcasting Avalanche games back in the day and I could never stand listening to him. Nails on a chalk board.
Very friendly guy, I just don’t need to hear him broadcast.
That rug really tied the room together...
by Streams Of Whiskey on Jul 12, 2011 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Hit the few I know right on
After watching a few red wings broadcasts where they ramble on then having one of the broadcasters with complete sincerity try and explain to the viewers why Datsyuk should be allowed to elbow people in the head, I gotta say I never listen to them again. You hit that one on for me
Watching the Anahiem feed then watching the preds feed this playoff was an amazing differance. On one feed a play is called a nifty move on a bang bang play. The other feed its the left wing drawing the defenderer so he can hit his center in the high slot who puts a wrister in over the glove side. Good call there
As a STL fan we sort of expect high quality announcing at all times, we sort of pump out national broadcasters here. We heckle our blues announcers a little bit but after listening to feeds from a fair amount of other teams they are honestly pretty good.
He raged at the world, at his family, at his life. But mostly he just raged.
Aren't you that guy who hates the blues?
by Icion on Jul 8, 2011 4:14 PM EDT reply actions
I think every fanbase should be exposed to all announcers every once in awhile.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Most feedback on the Preds’ crew is positive, the Blackhawks fans and the Red Wings fans don’t like them much.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions
huh?
Link to video of Datsyuk elbowing people in the head, please.
by Brad Hughes on Jul 12, 2011 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions
good effort
good read/effort on the rankings
..however..“being a homer” and being extremely biased seemed to be linked with nearly every announcer you disliked. i’m a life-long blues fan and was surprised to keep reading without finding the blues crew til the 4th star section. i was sure you’d blast kelly for his inability to identify players, and federko for being the most biased commentator on the planet..all while praising panger who single-handedly made the group 4 stars. howevever, you criticized panger and praised kelly…what?? ..also the statement “Federko knows hockey and is more concerned with the viewer knowing how much he knows.” couldnt be farther from the truth. Bernie never says anything extremely insightful and is quite dry, he’s more concerned that the viewer knows how much he adores the blues organization.
nice try with rankings, must be hard and even harder to please fans/readers. good read. go blues
by bleedblue942 on Jul 8, 2011 4:18 PM EDT reply actions
Read what I said about Potvin if you think I was too easy on Federko.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions
i did
im just sayin i disagree with ur take on bernie. he’s actually a real humble guy, even on telecasts. my take on federko is that he is beyond a homer, and see’s no negatives in the blues game…not so much that he is arrogant about his knowledge of hockey as a hall of famer. in fact i wish he was, i’d love to hear his takes on the x’s and o’s of hockey more on tv.
by bleedblue942 on Jul 8, 2011 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions
The only downside to Goring, besides going off on tangents, is that he apparently was told Rick DiPietro can do no wrong, so on just about every goal against DP you can hear him say “Rick didn’t really have a chance on that one”
"I bet Calgary wishes they had a backup goalie as their GM" - Pauly C
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
by Mark D on Jul 8, 2011 4:26 PM EDT reply actions
The same cliche exists everywhere. It’s either “He didn’t have a chance” or “He wants that one back”
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 6:15 PM EDT up reply actions
except he rarely says it when someone else is in net.
"I bet Calgary wishes they had a backup goalie as their GM" - Pauly C
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
by Mark D on Jul 8, 2011 9:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Doesn't help that the man has no clue about goaltending.
Goring, not DiPitero – although it could easily apply to both.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
Keep Reyes, Trade Wilpon.
by Ogre39666 on Jul 8, 2011 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions
zzzzzing!
Actually, I think Rick’s got more of a clue than most people. He has to approach the game that way now that he physically can’t just go out and react. Sadly, his skills have been trapped in a crumbling body for a while now.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
by mikb on Jul 12, 2011 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions
so true
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Jul 9, 2011 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Ah, so it’s not just Kings fans who find Brian Hayward insufferable. That falls under the heading of, “I guess it’s not just me, then.” Ahlers seems like an okay play-by-play guy, but for me, the thing that always comes to mind is that he tried growing a mustache-goatee combo once, and it just made him look like the Star Trek Mirror Universe version of himself.
I’m glad that Pete Weber is working out well with the Preds. He was Bob Miller’s color analyst years ago, in the pre-Jim Fox days, and he was pretty good at it. Sharp sense of humor, very smart and observant. I think he was always destined for play-by-play, though, and after he left the Kings he did play-by-play for the Albuquerque Dukes AAA baseball team. And that was the last I’d heard of him until I listened to the Kings’ radio feed for a game in Nashville a couple of seasons ago. I guess Weber and Kings radio play-by-play guy Nick Nickson are still buddies, so without any warning they switched places after the first period. It was good to hear him again.
"I think you just outed yourself as Dean Lombardi. I knew it all along." — Rudy Kelly
by DougX on Jul 8, 2011 4:31 PM EDT reply actions
Given the feedback I’ve received so far, Weber is very polarizing.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I was watching a Stars broadcast once and was surprised to see Brian Hayward as the color guy. I guess Razor was out on assignment with Versus or NBC or something.
Let’s just say, Hayward is a homer, no matter what team he is working for. He was a Stars homer that night, and the broadcast was less than it’s usual high standard with Razor behind the mic.
I appreciate announcers that call a spade a spade and don’t dumb down the game for their audience.
by Lee Irwin on Jul 12, 2011 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Well folks I agree to ...
to disagree with “some” of the rankings…and this fan appreciates rte ranking for Carolina’s pair of Forslund & Tracy…while I don’t always ageree with "tripper’…but If this fan could…I’d replace him with Eddie O for the reasons some are ticked off about…as his pointing out falts and flaws of a team or player does serve a purpose..but hey…I’m just a fan…what do i know ?
What did you do during the summer when the playoffs are over ?
Go Canes & Checkers !!
by CaniacSteve on Jul 8, 2011 4:35 PM EDT reply actions
My favorites...
Rick Jeanneret is fantastic. Really enjoy the Nashville crew as well. Kings games are rock solid. Also agree that Andy Brickley is phenomenal.
Not sold at all on the Panthers team…listened to them go on and on about global warming being a scam one night and that really turned me off. Leave the politics at the door when doing a hockey game, please!!
I think the Rangers crew is a little underrated here. I’d give them an extra star. Beninati & Laughlin with the Caps too.
I really can’t say anything about Jack Edwards other than I’m biased because I’m a Bruins fan and I enjoy that homer-ism.
Great post, Derek.
by Danno11 on Jul 8, 2011 4:37 PM EDT reply actions
Thanks for the kind words.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Regarding Preds-Canucks broadcast on Versus during playoffs
They had the color/play-by-play crew from the canucks broadcasts, terrible..by far the most biased crew of all 30 teams. Glad to see I’m not alone in thinking this…
by JBoogie22 on Jul 8, 2011 5:07 PM EDT reply actions
For the record
The guys you heard in the Playoffs weren’t the regular Canucks crew. That was the CBC crew, the national crew
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
by Semi_Colon on Jul 9, 2011 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd rank Hahn and Remenda a bit higher...
I know I’m a Sharks fan and I’m biased… and I dont know if I’d put them as one of the best 5 duos, but… I dont know any other announcer whos as exciting to listen to as Randy Hahn, or as insightful as Drew Remenda.
Hahn’s play by play is akin to that of the guy who does Mexican soccer… Even in some 0-0 low scoring, downright snoozefest of an affair, he makes the game exciting to watch… and when a goal horn sounds for the Sharks, he might as well make the same GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL call you’ll hear from a guy like Andres Cantor…
It’s not matter of fact like a Jim Hughson call… or said with a bit of veracity like that of Mike Lange… but instead, he gets straight up jubilant. It’s not for everyone perhaps, but its so fun.
Remenda on the other hand, is a lot more relaxed than Randy, and is very quick to get back to the point of what just happened, just like a true Colour announcer should, and it’s awesome. He has a coaching background, so his analysis is like that of listening to a coach go over video, and it makes you that much more understanding of hockey play that just happened.
Drew: 'Oh no.. That is certainly the meaty part alright, but it's not the thigh..."
Randy: "No... that bone is NOT connected to the thigh bone..."
www.fearthefin.com - Where masochism is defined.
I rushed the Furd's farm in 2009
www.californiagoldenblogs.com - Where Cal grads prove they learned something.
by SeanCrosby87 on Jul 8, 2011 5:51 PM EDT reply actions
Like I said, Hahn and Remenda are great in the middle of the call, maybe the best in the league after Strader.
They are terrible when they talk about the narrative or the storyline. They cannot give up the story for anything.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I get all of my hockey through Center Ice, and I just have to say “kudos.”
PS Remenda drove me to drink in game 1 of the playoffs. No time for play by play at all. Rambling about side stories and butterflies. I can’t even…
In Dinglebarn We Trust -- JftC
by Niesy on Jul 8, 2011 6:31 PM EDT reply actions
It comes with the territory when you watch the Sharks.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Radio
Any chance of ranking the radio guys? I listen to a lot of Wings games on the radio these days since it’s free to stream, and also the Blues since I live down there… I’d love to hear what people have to say about them and where they’d rank in comparison to other guys.
by jhitts08 on Jul 8, 2011 7:55 PM EDT reply actions
I think that would be a project for someone with Sirius or XM and the NHL package… (hint hint SB Nation editors)
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions
This was an amazing article, I really enjoyed it
Chicken soup for the summer-starved hockey fan’s soul right here. For the most part, I agreed with your rankings (I have Center Ice as well and watch a lot of hockey), but I did have one issue with the rankings: Tampa Bay (and feel free to take this with a grain of salt as I am a Bolts fan). It just felt like you gave Peckham and Taylor the short end of the stick and mysteriously rated them as “homer”, even though I don’t think their homerism is near many of the other awful crews in the league. FWIW, I was inclined to think that you really didn’t know much about them; you’re analysis seemed slapped together.
Besides that, though, you’re stuff was dead on and very enjoyable to read. In particular, I notice Doc’s occasional made-up words; and also, as a Wings fan, I completely agree with your assessment of Murph, Daniels, and Redmond. They are terribly homer (Mickey’s the worst), they go off on tangents all the time, and while I think Daniels does try to stay in the game, his calls can become grating and the differences between an opponent goal and a Wings goal are like the difference between night and day.
Once again, great read and thanks for posting.
you're not defending him are you?
are you his mom?
by toppleprone on Jun 7, 2011 9:43 PM EDT
My Twitter- follow for NHL updates
by SnipeShot on Jul 8, 2011 9:21 PM EDT reply actions
I certainly could’ve sussed this out, but the two of them have an ongoing love affair with St. Louis and Lecavalier and it’s growing with Stamkos. There’s a Teen Beat sense to everything they say about them. It’s not like Steigerwald with Crosby, but it’s strange.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I can grudgingly agree with you about MSL and Vinny
Fair point, though I still feel you gave them a bad rap, it’s probably just the rose colored glasses.
you're not defending him are you?
are you his mom?
by toppleprone on Jun 7, 2011 9:43 PM EDT
My Twitter- follow for NHL updates
by SnipeShot on Jul 8, 2011 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions
This is a great article. I also have Center Ice so can listen to many of the announcers, some you just want to reach thru the screen and strangle them. What I’m finding amusing now is the fans coming over to defend their announcers tho.
GO SHARKS!
Ever get the feeling we are on a collision course with reality?
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" -- Benjamin Franklin (see profile for more info on this quote)
by Angy on Jul 8, 2011 9:43 PM EDT reply actions
The email feedback I’m getting is mostly positive except from Canucks fans and Red Wings fans.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 8, 2011 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm a Wings fan, and I agreed with your assessment
Though I’m unsurprised that you’re getting negative stuff from other Detroit fans; people love our crew way too much around here and I get a lot of odd looks whenever I complain about their homerism and general ineptitude.
you're not defending him are you?
are you his mom?
by toppleprone on Jun 7, 2011 9:43 PM EDT
My Twitter- follow for NHL updates
by SnipeShot on Jul 9, 2011 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Derek, the reason you are hearing from Canucks fans is because we feel you are undervaluing Shorthouse’s play by play abilities. No one will argue with you that Garrett is terrible, but Shorthouse is very good at pxp.
He was the only one calling that Game 5 in the WCF that got the call right on Bieksa’s OT winner.
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
by Semi_Colon on Jul 9, 2011 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Really? No Colorado fans have called you out for the cheapshot? Odd.
If we don't get our sauce, we ain't watching the game!
by Mike @ MHH on Jul 10, 2011 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions
2 things:
Butch Goering is a pretty big homer (didn’t see anything wrong with their embarrassing display against the Penguins) and has no clue about goaltending but doesn’t let it stop him from opening his yapper. Also, he seriously has a infatuation problem with DiPietro.
Doc Emrick and Chico Resch: Ugh, where do I begin. They are pretty unbearable. Bewteen Doc with his nasaly voice that sounds at times like he’s just hitting puberty and his made up words and Resch acting like he is in the players head, they are laughable. They give way too much credit to players in general (odd bounces are suddenly planned occurrences) but especially to Devils. And for being a former goalie, Resch doesn’t really know much – or he lets his love of Brodeur taint his knowledge. Yes, we all know Brodeur is an all-time great, but his style is not superior to others just because he uses it. If I had a dollar for each time they lamented the use of the butterfly, I’d be a rich man.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
Keep Reyes, Trade Wilpon.
by Ogre39666 on Jul 8, 2011 11:06 PM EDT reply actions
Thanks for this,
it was a really fun read – found myself laughing out loud several times. I appreciate that you didn’t pull any punches in your analysis. And like you said, it is subjective – what one person likes, someone else may not.
As a Sharks fan, I love Randy Hahn – especially his quick wit…“With Stoner in the box the Wild light up the Sharks!” (after John Madden scores short-handed with Clayton Stoner in the penalty box).
You are right about Drew though, he definitely gets on his rants to the point I sometimes yell at the TV “SHUT. UP. DREW!!” He has a healthy ego that can also be annoying.
But, Randy and Drew have great chemistry together, and they keep the broadcasts upbeat and fun, even during the most ragged of games.
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who thinks Doc Emrick is overrated. I’m sure he’s a perfectly nice man…I just don’t get how he is the main U.S. national TV announcer. I mean, if you’re trying to attract “new” fans with those broadcasts wouldn’t you want to put the best possible guy out there?
Lastly, the first few times I heard Joe Beninati call games I almost couldn’t sit through it because he couldn’t get through a sentence without using three or four clichés. But, I haven’t noticed him being as bad about that lately…I don’t know if he’s doing less of it or if I’ve just started tuning it out.
Thanks again – very entertaining.
by klh on Jul 9, 2011 3:51 AM EDT reply actions
Montreal crew
There is Dave Randorf and Mike Johnson now on TSN regional broadcasts for English, but I’ve only seen a couple of their games.
Pierre Houde calls a very rhythmic game, but he gave far too much voice to Benoit Brunet, who was awful at pretty much everything. I’m not fluent en Francais, but I get ‘the gist’ of it, especially the spoken word (I’m terribly illiterate in the language). Brunet has been replaced by Marc Denis I believe, and Canadiens fans can now be set free of the inane Andrei Kostitsyn bashing and probably now get the same ‘goalies do no wrong’ bias that several markets have. Houde and Yvon Pendenault were a solid, 3 star worthy pairing. Brunet made RDS a one star pairing. You don’t learn anything from watching their broadcast, except for bits of the French language.
The Pendenault for Brunet trade off was due to salary demands. Usually fans know they’re getting the worst of it in those trade offs.
Puck Worlds: Chasing Pucks from here to Turku.
For Twitter Updates on Puck Worlds, follow @puckworlds. For updates plus additional witty banter from yours truly, follow @saskhab.
by Bruce Peter on Jul 9, 2011 11:54 AM EDT reply actions
Brunet was also an apologist for blindside hits and other concussion-causing plays (“It’s a physical game”), was a proponent of blaming the victim (“you have to protect yourself”), and harped on and on about effort (“move your feet!”). He was caricaturally bad, to the point that he’s been harshly criticized by other media outlets. Despite being a francophone I would systematically prefer the English-language broadcast when available, just to avoid him. It is a good thing that he is being replaced and it’s difficult to imagine Marc Denis doing worse.
Houde is good, and he is exacting about the pronunciation of player names. He’s homerish in tone, but not so much in actual comments, though he will mutter about the occasional missed call. But RDS has never been shy about criticizing the home team when warranted, and sometimes when it isn’t.
Traditionally RDS has been homerish in a different way — they are not homers for the Habs, they are homers for francophone or Quebecer players, especially stars on the other team. Par for the course for sports media in the province really.
by MathMan on Jul 11, 2011 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions
“the most disinterested play-by-play guy in hockey”
Ridiculous. And wrong. The only thing you could find to back up that crazy idea is a comment from the middle of a streak where the team won one out of 20 games.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Jul 9, 2011 2:04 PM EDT reply actions
Agree with all of them I read, but after all the bad things you say about the Wild announcers (all deserving) Can’t imagine how they got the second star.
One thing I’ve noticed with them, mainly because Minnesota and Colorado currently have the shittiest rivalry in hockey, is that anytime an opposing player and the Wild player get into any kind of scuffle, the opposing player is “classless” and they act abhorred that someone would do that in a hockey game, even if it’s just a standard issue face wash-fest.
Also the Wings announcers are horrible homers who whine about reffing 1/2 the game when they aren’t BSing everything
so you pretty much nailed it (including the Avs, umm, over-enthusiastic approach to players. In fairness to them, they are overly positive for opposing players too)
Maybe
Jibblescribbits: C'mon over and waste some time
by Jibblescribbits on Jul 9, 2011 9:18 PM EDT reply actions
Jibbs brings up a good point. As high as the Altiboobs are on Colorado players, the gushing lovefests they express for the opposing teams’ stars is grating to the point of justifiable homicide.
If we don't get our sauce, we ain't watching the game!
by Mike @ MHH on Jul 10, 2011 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions
I live in NY. Big Rangers fan. I have to say Sam is one of the best. He calls a great game and calls it straight down the middle. But he is starting to get a little old. I didn’t like Joe in the beginning but he has grown on me. He can be annoying but he knows the game and also calls it down the middle.
Living in NY, I also get the Devils and Islanders games. I will watch from time to time. Doc is 100% the best play-by-play guy I’ve ever listened to, in any sport. He calls an amazing game (Also on NBC and Versus).. But he is stuck with Chico. Not only is he annoying but he is one of, if not the biggest homer in the league. He takes it to another level and almost tops the Pens announcers. Isles broadcast is solid. Howie is pretty good and Butch knows his stuff. Good but not great.
For me, the Pens broadcast is 100% by far, the worst. It’s not even close. These two guys are disgusting. Awful. I always wondered why Pens fans were so stupid, and they are the answer. I could go into great deal about how awful they are but by now, everyone already knows. I think it’s almost unanimous that they are the worst.
I would put the Capitals and Canucks near the bottom. I hate Joe Beninhaha and the other Laughlin idiot. Glad Versus fired both. you already spoke enough about the Canucks.
Also like you said the Lightning guys aren’t that bad, but they’re homerism is ridiculous. Take it down a notch guys.
I actually find Jack Edwards to be funny. I think he does it more as an act. He’s also 100% open about the way he is during games. It’s not like he’s a crazy homer and doesn’t realize it. With that said, I’d probably get a little annoyed with it over a full season.
You also said only 4,000 people in Florida watch Panthers games. I find that hard to believe since they have over 10,000 season ticket holders. But we’ll never know 100% how many people are watching because those numbers are still done by Nielsen. If you don’t know, there system is based on statistics and not really that accurate. They take info from the 25,000 homes they have boxes in and what the people in the other 116,000,000 households are watching. That’s only a .03% sample. If that .03% sample is a perfectly diverse sample, they have about a 22% chance of getting accurate numbers. Not very good. But it’s the only system (Flawed and inaccurate) they have right now so I guess it’ll do. But it annoys me when people take those numbers as 100% fact when they are not.
twitter.com/NYRangers365
by NYRangerFan718 on Jul 9, 2011 11:24 PM EDT reply actions
As someone who finds Doc insufferable
I’m curious what is it that makes people like him. Is it the “creative” language? The use of the passive voice?
Save Jenrry Mejia!
Keep Reyes, Trade Wilpon.
by Ogre39666 on Jul 9, 2011 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions
DEAN BROWN RULES
He alone deserves a five star too bad he’s been pair with Greg Millen and Denis Potvin I do agree with your senators breakdown. Too bad its a 5 star 1 star pairing.
by Beanster on Jul 10, 2011 12:27 AM EDT reply actions
I agree about Joe B and Laughlin. Great commentating team but they tend to yell and get excited a little too much. I remember in a game against the Ducks, Brooks Laich almost scored a goal but Ryan Getzlaf stopped the puck from going in at the last second and Joe B’s reaction was like this “LAICH A SHOT SCOR-OH NO! KEPT AT THE LINE! I GOT FOUR LETTERS OF FIVE OF THE WORD SCORE OUT OF MY MOUTH LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” It was pretty hilarious to watch.
"My Sports Blog":http://myfriendcorey.wordpress.com
by MyFriendCorey on Jul 10, 2011 3:58 PM EDT reply actions
The most important yet too often overlooked skill
This:
If every PBP man could master this simple concept, I’d only have color men to piss and moan about.A lot of the older classic voices (Dan Kelly, Jiggs McDonald) did this. These days, we’re stuck with guys who have heart attacks when the game shifts (hello, Doc) and we’re supposed to act like they are all-time greats.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik Jansky on Jul 11, 2011 1:28 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Ah, Jogs McDonald.
Now there is a face for radio.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
Keep Reyes, Trade Wilpon.
by Ogre39666 on Jul 11, 2011 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Jigs*
Save Jenrry Mejia!
Keep Reyes, Trade Wilpon.
by Ogre39666 on Jul 11, 2011 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions
curiously
Derek, do you get to catch any of the Isles games where Howie’s on assignment and Jiggs is handling the play-by-play? Would that result in a bump upward?
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
by mikb on Jul 12, 2011 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Murph and Mick
So about the Red Wings announcing team:
1. Ken Daniels is a fine play-by-play man. When working Red Wings games he’s no more a homer than any other team’s play-by-play announcer, and I think his homerism comes through more in tone than substance, which isn’t as bad as most. He’s also getting a lot more non-Red Wings work, which reflects on his professionalism. He’s not just a “Red Wings” announcer.
2. Larry Murphy is terrible. I mean, absolutely terrible. Sure, he’s a Hall of Famer and important in Wings’ history and all, but I cringe whenever he speaks. He seems like a nice guy, will occasionally impart some insight, and is sincere and all, but that’s not enough to be a member of this franchise’s top announcing team.
3. Mickey Redmond is wonderful. I’m not sure how PC this is but Mickey has this fuck-it attitude that you sometimes see from cancer survivors. He isn’t afraid to criticize whatever he thinks needs criticizing. Yes, he will criticize the reffing, but he blasts the refs whether they blow a call against the Wings or blow a call against the opponents. He’ll call out a questionable play if it’s by an opponent but also if it’s by a Wing. He’ll rail against the League, against composite sticks, against a coaching decision or a blown defensive assignment or a bad line change that leads to a goal. He’ll also praise an opponent’s great play as much as a Wings’s great play. He’ll stick up for the refs if he thinks they made the best call they could given the circumstances, and he is quick to give the benefit of the doubt in situations where some, if not most, other announcers would condemn.
However…
If the upside to Redmond’s being a cancer survivor is that we here in Detroit get him unfettered, the downside is that he doesn’t travel to away games, and therefore other markets don’t experience him in his full glorious Mickeyness, and instead get Larry Murphy as Ken Daniels’s color man. This is really too bad, and you can see how the rest of the country can look at the Red Wings announcing team as being, well, terrible.
by Brad Hughes on Jul 12, 2011 8:02 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Can't there be zero or negative stars???
In 2006 at the age of 25, I had neurosurgery to remove a cyst. The first thing my brother told me after coming to was that Mike Lang was taken off the Penguins tv broadcasts to radio only and Steigerwald was on tv. This was a bigger punch in the stomach than “I’m afraid its bad news” from the doctor was a couple weeks earlier. For the radio broadcast, this was a vast improvement. Mike Lang can actually keep good tabs on the game. However the tv is just awful. Errey isn’t so bad, but it is hard to separate my feelings for him as one of my favorite players growing up. Steigy is awful though. Not only is he a homer to the point of being outright blind (Matt Cooke is dirty, D-I-R-T-Y), he will then whine and whine about everything. Lange/Phil Bourque team is much, much better. The rumor mill in Pittsburgh has been abuzz in recent months that the Pens have asked that Steigy be replaced on the ROOT broadcasts. I can only hope this comes true and we can get Lang on a simulcast.
Too bad there hasn't always been a DH...then we never would have to hear about this Ruth guy...
by Brad Spontak on Jul 13, 2011 3:30 PM EDT reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed