The Sports Media Thread

[Sport]

18 hours ago, monkeypower said:

 

Smart move to grab the best player in NHL history (Gretzky) and the worst player in NHL history (Bissonnette) for the studio team. That's quite the spectrum of hockey perspectives to hear from before, during, and after a game. 

[monkeypower]

2 hours ago, Sport said:

Smart move to grab the best player in NHL history (Gretzky) and the worst player in NHL history (Bissonnette) for the studio team. That's quite the spectrum of hockey perspectives to hear from before, during, and after a game. 

 

Hey, there's a combined 2879 NHL points right there between the two (I also don't know if I would consider Bissonnette the worst player in NHL history. He definitely be down there towards the bottom in percentile, but I would have to think there would still be a fair amount "worse").

 

Honestly, out of all those analysts, I'm the most apprehensive about Gretzky. Bissonnette is personable and has the media experience (and I don't think he's there for the hard hitting analysis anyways), I think I've liked Anson Carter in the limited times I've seen him doing TV for NBC(?). For Gretzky, it's definitely a great pull to get the greatest player of all time but I don't know what he offers besides just being there on the panel. I don't think I've really seen him in an analyst/media role and I just don't know how well he'll do given his public demeanor.

 

I guess I might (should?) also be apprehensive about Tocchet if I knew really anything about him besides that he played and coached, and got arrested for gambling or whatever, but I don't, so I don't know what to expect out of him.

[Sport]

4 minutes ago, monkeypower said:

 

Hey, there's a combined 2879 NHL points right there between the two (I also don't know if I would consider Bissonnette the worst player in NHL history. He definitely be down there towards the bottom in percentile, but I would have to think there would still be a fair amount "worse").

 

Honestly, out of all those analysts, I'm the most apprehensive about Gretzky. Bissonnette is personable and has the media experience (and I don't think he's there for the hard hitting analysis anyways), I think I've liked Anson Carter in the limited times I've seen him doing TV for NBC(?). For Gretzky, it's definitely a great pull to get the greatest player of all time but I don't know what he offers besides just being there on the panel. I don't think I've really seen him in an analyst/media role and I just don't know how well he'll do given his public demeanor.

 

I guess I might (should?) also be apprehensive about Tocchet if I knew really anything about him besides that he played and coached, and got arrested for gambling or whatever, but I don't, so I don't know what to expect out of him.

 

I'm joking about Paul Bissonnette being the worst player in NHL history. There's loads of guys who played fewer games and scored fewer points. As a personality I think Biznasty is tiresome. He wasn't that good on the few episodes I listened to of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast (which is a mess all around and I don't understand the popularity). Maybe he's better in a polished studio show? 

 

Agreed about Gretzky. That guy's famously dull and a lot of people have reported that he's kind of an a$$hole behind the scenes. 

[monkeypower]

54 minutes ago, Sport said:

Agreed about Gretzky. That guy's famously dull and a lot of people have reported that he's kind of an a$$hole behind the scenes. 

 

I'm thinking it could be like that good, old Canadian hockey boy where someone scores two goals in a period and Gretzky will make some humble comment when another panelist turns the question to him asking how many times he did that and then call the player better than he was. Or it's like what commonly gets attributed to his coaching stint where he's just too naturally talented at hockey to be able to explain it well.

[nickp91]

TNT did a very good job putting together an NHL broadcast crew mostly made up of former members of NBC’s hockey coverage

[floydnimrod]

Are guys like McHugh and Olczyk going to also do other NBC coverage? I know TNT is somewhat it's own thing and they split rights to sports with just about every other network. McHugh does some pregame stuff for SNF, and Eddie is always involved with Triple Crown coverage.

[RyanMcD29]

On 9/14/2021 at 9:25 PM, RyanMcD29 said:

Oh, and release the blasted national TV schedule already so I know what games I'll need ESPN+ for. OITGDNHL do you have 2 new broadcast partners and it's 4 weeks before the season starts and we still know all of like 10 national telecasts, even a week after getting the Olympic thing out of the way

 

 

Hey now, they finally got them out!

 

ESPN/ABC/ESPN+

TNT

and the most hilarious, 2006 NHL on OLN-esque nationally televised (or streamed in this case) simultaneously programmed night of hockey ever conceived

[monkeypower]

1 hour ago, RyanMcD29 said:

and the most hilarious, 2006 NHL on OLN-esque nationally televised (or streamed in this case) simultaneously programmed night of hockey ever conceived

 

Well, obviously for the first game, Disney wanted to  promote the 18th anniversary of the 2003 Finals and their ownership run to those finals.

 

The second, I got nothing.

 

Since those are both home games for the Ducks and Sharks, I think they were probably just trying to fill a "late night on the East Coast" timeslot (that's actually how I am able to end up watching a decent of Angels home games on Canadian TV). It just so happens that none of the four teams are huge draws eyeball wise nor good at hockey right now.

[The_Admiral]

Jim Hughson retired just before the season. Wasn't expecting that. He really got on my nerves with his Vancouver homerism during the Blackhawks-Canucks rivalry, but he's certainly one of the great voices of hockey, and it'll be strange not to hear him.

 

EDIT: I think I pointed this out already, but the Gretzky hire is a reprise of Turner going out and grabbing Cal Ripken Jr. for their new baseball coverage. They pulled out all the stops hyping the presence of Cal Ripken Jr., who turned out to have not a single interesting thought.  They were fortunate to hit on the Shaq hire, but Shaq was a known commodity as a Personality, it was just a matter of whether he would jell with the crew, which he did. Gretzky borders on a known non-personality.

[Red Comet]

1 hour ago, the admiral said:

Jim Hughson retired just before the season. Wasn't expecting that. He really got on my nerves with his Vancouver homerism during the Blackhawks-Canucks rivalry, but he's certainly one of the great voices of hockey, and it'll be strange not to hear him.

 

EDIT: I think I pointed this out already, but the Gretzky hire is a reprise of Turner going out and grabbing Cal Ripken Jr. for their new baseball coverage. They pulled out all the stops hyping the presence of Cal Ripken Jr., who turned out to have not a single interesting thought.  They were fortunate to hit on the Shaq hire, but Shaq was a known commodity as a Personality, it was just a matter of whether he would jell with the crew, which he did. Gretzky borders on a known non-personality.

Its why I think if Antonio Brown can keep his stupid ass out of trouble, he might make a great commentator. I think Gronk or Travis Kelce would as well. Why? They’re interesting. Drew Brees right now is so bland I’m paying more attention to his suspiciously thickened hairline than I am to anything he’s saying. 

[Sec19Row53]

49 minutes ago, Red Comet said:

Its why I think if Antonio Brown can keep his stupid ass out of trouble, he might make a great commentator. I think Gronk or Travis Kelce would as well. Why? They’re interesting. Drew Brees right now is so bland I’m paying more attention to his suspiciously thickened hairline than I am to anything he’s saying. 

His hair isn't suspicious at all. There's probably billboards in New Orleans touting his procedure like there are in Chicago for Urlacher.

[Crabcake]

2 hours ago, the admiral said:

Jim Hughson retired just before the season. Wasn't expecting that. He really got on my nerves with his Vancouver homerism during the Blackhawks-Canucks rivalry, but he's certainly one of the great voices of hockey, and it'll be strange not to hear him.

 

EDIT: I think I pointed this out already, but the Gretzky hire is a reprise of Turner going out and grabbing Cal Ripken Jr. for their new baseball coverage. They pulled out all the stops hyping the presence of Cal Ripken Jr., who turned out to have not a single interesting thought.  They were fortunate to hit on the Shaq hire, but Shaq was a known commodity as a Personality, it was just a matter of whether he would jell with the crew, which he did. Gretzky borders on a known non-personality.

As an O's fan it was obviously cool to see Cal be in the national spotlight again.  But yeah, as a commentator he really flopped.  That entire broadcast team never really felt right.  Ernie Johnson is, was, and always will be a basketball voice first.  He never seemed to have the rhythym of calling baseball games down.  We know about Cal.  And Ron Darling just kind of annoyed me, couldn't really put my finger on why.  For as much stick as Joe Buck gets, I think he's a fine baseball commentator and I'd take him and Smoltz over that TBS lineup 10 times out of 10.

[The_Admiral]

43 minutes ago, Sec19Row53 said:

His hair isn't suspicious at all. There's probably billboards in New Orleans touting his procedure like there are in Chicago for Urlacher.

lol, saying there are Brian Urlacher hair billboards in Chicago is like saying there are penguins in Antarctica. It'd be a hell of a drinking game as long as you're not driving.

[DEAD!]

4 hours ago, the admiral said:

Jim Hughson retired just before the season. Wasn't expecting that. He really got on my nerves with his Vancouver homerism during the Blackhawks-Canucks rivalry, but he's certainly one of the great voices of hockey, and it'll be strange not to hear him.

 

EDIT: I think I pointed this out already, but the Gretzky hire is a reprise of Turner going out and grabbing Cal Ripken Jr. for their new baseball coverage. They pulled out all the stops hyping the presence of Cal Ripken Jr., who turned out to have not a single interesting thought.  They were fortunate to hit on the Shaq hire, but Shaq was a known commodity as a Personality, it was just a matter of whether he would jell with the crew, which he did. Gretzky borders on a known non-personality.

Gretzky is well... a little vanilla and I like to think of him as Dustin Johnson's "father in-law"

As for Jim Hughson, I still had held hope that he would call one  more Blue Jays game just for old time's sake.

[ninersdd]

Always will remember Hughson for being the voice of the NHL games in the past.

[See Red]

27 minutes ago, ninersdd said:

Always will remember Hughson for being the voice of the NHL games in the past.

 

That and the Triple Play baseball games. 

[The_Admiral]

Does this make Cuthbert the lead voice for Hockey Night? I always thought his voice was a little goofy.

[monkeypower]

On 9/23/2021 at 10:47 AM, the admiral said:

Does this make Cuthbert the lead voice for Hockey Night? I always thought his voice was a little goofy.

 

I would think so yes. 

[DEAD!]

Oddly enough, I would have thought Cuthbert would have retired before Hughson, but just realized Hughson is only less than a year older than Cuthbert. 

[Sec19Row53]

I'd really like Gus Johnson to discover a voice level that is between three and TEN!