Each year The Athletic publishes readers survey results ranking the TV broadcast for each team. Disappointing, but maybe not surprising, were the Jackets ranking at 29. I’ve excerpted the write up and included below. Similar to the feedback,i like and respect Rimer but…….
I’m also including the Kracken summary, not because of my positive feelings for John Forslund, rather because of the comments regarding Alison Lukan whose analytics and podcast contributions I sorely miss.
The broadcast: Bally Sports Ohio carries Blue Jackets games, with Jeff Rimer on play-by-play and Jody Shelley doing color.
Local ranking: 28
National: 26
Last season: 29
The results: Rimer’s career is well-respected by Blue Jackets fans but the barrage of comments about his play-by-play work slipping as he gets older was overwhelming.
“He’s a legend, the only play-by-play guy in franchise history, but his calls have continued to slip each season,” said a Columbus fan. “Misidentifying players, exaggerating plays, missing key game action, and slow calls during fast moments have become common on broadcasts. He rarely has massive failures in his calls, but after 20+ years, his style has gotten a little grating as opposed to endearing.”
Some fans also complained that the production quality in terms of audio and sync hasn’t been as consistent since the Bally rebrand last year.
Shelley is a bright spot in the color position, drawing rave reviews for the work he does when he’s between the benches, but that alone can’t save this broadcast.
The bottom line: Columbus’ play-by-play call is one of the most poorly rated in the league, something that strong color commentary can’t save.
The broadcast: ROOT Sports carries Kraken games, with John Forslund on play-by-play and J.T. Brown doing color.
Local ranking: 8
National: 2
Last season: n/a
The results: ROOT Sports showed it was serious about serving new Kraken fans, making a big splash by scooping up Forslund. As expected, the reviews were fantastic.
“John Forslund is exceptional and has made Kraken games a joy to watch, which is saying a lot given how bad the team has been,” said one Seattle fan. “He’s done a great job explaining the game to new fans while keeping existing hockey fans like myself engaged.”
Seattle’s sky-high ranking, tied for second in the league, is a lot more than just the Forslund effect though. Alison Lukan is viewed as a star for her studio work where she’s often shared analytics-based content in a digestible way. It’s a big edge in a world where a lack of insightful analysis taints many other broadcasts.
“More Alison Lukan!” exclaimed another Kraken fan. “Alison has been the shining star of the Root Sports NW broadcast team, brilliantly combining data-driven analytics with on-ice storytelling.”
Brown was also popular. Fans explained that he was able to draw experiences from his playing career without resorting to the cliches that many other former players fall victim to.
hockey-graphs.com
