Leaf play-by-play guys

[hoglund]

Hughson, I have no problem with, I can't say I play close attention to them either, Glenn Healy does seem to be a bit negative and has very few positive things to say (even when there are legitimate good part of their game). I suggest you ignore them, I enjoy the games without them and in many cases I feel just as informed and my knowledge of the game is just as good, so why bother if they have nothing good to say.

 

[ACC1224]

Every Team needs a home broadcast crew.
Are the Leafs the only Team without one?

Watching a game and listening to your Team being put down at every turn seems a little self loathing.

 

[thewave]

Bob Cole came from the old school where the announcer hyped/sold the game. He didn't attempt to analyze the game. His objective was/is to make the game more exciting to the viewer.

These modern guys try to analyze and critique the game and the players. Part of it is just to fill the air with blather. Some of it is ego puffing. Some of it is to delivery a product that appeals beyond fans of any single team.

Sell the game, that's all we want. Fans are excited not analyzing the game we want entertained not lectured. The fans that want to analyze the game have read books, come here, played or coached themselves anyways!

 

[thewave]

Every Team needs a home broadcast crew.
Are the Leafs the only Team without one?

Watching a game and listening to your Team being put down at every turn seems a little self loathing.

It's terrible. They are trying to break a fast paced game down as though its football. Hockey is about action and most people want to focus in the excitement not the opinions and breakdowns, save that for goals and things of that nature.

 

[The Examiner]

Bob Cole came from the old school where the announcer hyped/sold the game. He didn't attempt to analyze the game. His objective was/is to make the game more exciting to the viewer.

These modern guys try to analyze and critique the game and the players. Part of it is just to fill the air with blather. Some of it is ego puffing. Some of it is to delivery a product that appeals beyond fans of any single team.

Exactly. Bob doesn't let his ego get in the way when he calls a game. Say what you will about him mixing up players names (even though all the current commentators do that just as much), Bob is the only announcer I've heard that makes the effort to actually pronounce the player's names properly. I remember people would laugh at him for doing so too. Remember how he used to pronounce Gus' name? That's how his name is supposed to be pronounced.

Also, what happened to Dean Brown? I assume he does the Sens games on the radio. He was the worst of all them. He would always spend 10 minutes telling some dumb story while the play was going on. That guy was the epitome of egotistical commentator. I love how he stole Cole's "scramble" from him but added his own obnoxious twist to it and then proceeded to force saying it as much as he could. Most annoying commentator ever!

 

[thewave]

Bottom line, they lost the plot. They are clearly trying to teach the game rather than let fans enjoy it and get excited. The need to clue in that Canadians don't need taught.

 

[Warden of the North]

It's not only Hughson, Simpson, and Healy who are always negative towards Toronto. Rogers got rid of Joe Bowen for Leafs regional games on Sportsnet and they use either Paul Romanuk or Dave Randorf.

Also next Saturday with Toronto playing in Vancouver you know that Hughson will be cheering for the Canucks.

Leafs have no regional games on Sportsnet. They're all national. Thats why Bowen was moved to the radio.

 

[Dr.Funk]

Leafs have no regional games on Sportsnet. They're all national. Thats why Bowen was moved to the radio.

Don't think so.


I can't watch Leafs game that are only on Sportnet Ontario in Manitoba.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I don't like Romanuk but I don't think its fair to say that he bashes the Leafs. He is just bad at play by play in general.

I never said he does. I said he was made the Leafs regional play by play announcer on TV replacing Joe Bowen.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Leafs have no regional games on Sportsnet. They're all national. Thats why Bowen was moved to the radio.

I think that's wrong because they have said in the past games in the Leafs region only.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Joe Bowen was the biggest Leafs fan/homer?

He's no different than any other regional broadcaster. I mean he has never called a game for them nationally on CBC.

 

[LeafsNation75]

One more time - my issue with Hughson, Simpson and Healey aren't that they are "negative" towards the Leafs. I do think it is an issue. But there is a massive difference between being held by your hand, and EVERYTHING IS GREAT, ISN'T EVERYTHING FAN.TAS.TIC, LEAFS NATION?! - because I don't want that, which is why for the most part, I am not "missing" Joe Bowen -

but at the same time I don't want Neutral-Negativity all the time either. Which is what those three bring about. ALL. THE TIME (or at least 80% of the time). When I was able to, I was always watching the away-cast. and they are relatively biased to the home team as most tend to be - but they were Neutral-Positive. that, it wasn't like. this team is the best team ever today, and let's ignore the road team. There were equal talking points towards Home Team & the Leafs, and when the Leafs do do something (or when talking about what's going on), it's done in again - Neutral-Positive tone.

Example
"Shanahan is doing what he's doing. While we don't know if it will work or not, I'm sure that they are on the right path BECAUSE of, example, example, example, and what the Marlies are doing, example example"

Neutral - like it's not screaming "it's gonna be perfect!" - but in a positive tone.

what those three do is this

"Shanahan is doing what he's doing, but God, you know, who knows what it will be like, because, LOOK AT ALL THE TIMES THE ORGANIZATION HAS DONE SOMETHING STUPID, AND THIS FAN BASE, AND THIS, AND THAT. - SO who KNOWS what will happen, but i mean, God, remember when they traded STRALMAN?! THEY CLEARLY KNOW NOTHING" (and more often than naught, ignoring the fact that for most of the pieces that we've traded, several teams bypassed said player too).

I am ALL for putting the Leafs through their paces when it's deserved. but again - for the most part, it would be nice of the stance was more Neutral Positive, or even just freaking Neutral, than a Neutral Negative, hahahah this team, this organization, etc.

not to mention - that all three together aren't good. Healey is useless.
Hughson is fine I suppose, but I don't like him and how he calls a game.
Simpson I actually don't mind, and when he's with someone else (like Randorf), I find him completely different.

Neutral would be nice since Healy says these things during a national broadcast where it should be the same for both teams. Last night did Leafs fans watching want to hear once again how great Erik Karlsson is and Healy saying he should win his 3rd Norris Trophy, I sure as hell did not.

 

[-DeMo-]

yea I don't really see the Announcer's being overly negative then they should be, the Leafs have been one of the worst teams in the NHL over the last decade so most of the unbiased comments should be negative if they want to be accurately calling the game and give proper insight, there's been very little positive to talk about. however they constantly talk about Rielly very positively, almost never do they talk about Rielly in the Negative, Kadri same way, and Bozak is constantly praised about his Faceoff acumen, I personally see nothing wrong with them, based on Toronto's play they should be more negative then positive because that's what Toronto's on ice performance over the last decade deserves if the announcers want to be accurate. and yes I hear lots of positive stuff aswell.

 

[-DeMo-]

Neutral would be nice since Healy says these things during a national broadcast where it should be the same for both teams. Last night did Leafs fans watching want to hear once again how great Erik Karlsson is and Healy saying he should win his 3rd Norris Trophy, I sure as hell did not.

Erik Karlsson deserves all the air time he got, when you get 4 points your a huge reason why your team won and deserved to be talked about... he's also tied for 2nd in league scoring as a Dmen how doesn't he deserve to be in the discussion for a Norris trophy? and why wouldn't the announcers talk about and feature one of the best players in the game? your just upset because here's Healy talking glowingly about a player on Ottawa who I'm assuming you dislike because there one of our biggest rivals. in a 6-1 blowout it would have been really hard to say anything positive about the Leafs last night... you talk about why they don't do it aswell for the Leafs but they do almost every game they talk almost as much about Rielly and how good he's been and how good he will be all the time.

 

[Warden of the North]

Don't think so.


I can't watch Leafs game that are only on Sportnet Ontario in Manitoba.

hmmmm. Guess you're right.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Erik Karlsson deserves all the air time he got, when you get 4 points your a huge reason why your team won and deserved to be talked about... he's also tied for 2nd in league scoring as a Dmen how doesn't he deserve to be in the discussion for a Norris trophy? and why wouldn't the announcers talk about and feature one of the best players in the game? your just upset because here's Healy talking glowingly about a player on Ottawa who I'm assuming you dislike because there one of our biggest rivals. in a 6-1 blowout it would have been really hard to say anything positive about the Leafs last night... you talk about why they don't do it aswell for the Leafs but they do almost every game they talk almost as much about Rielly and how good he's been and how good he will be all the time.

My problem is when Karlsson makes a mistake it never gets mentioned, the same way every Leafs mistake gets looked at with a magnifying glass. During Karlsson's first Norris Trophy season he made this mistake and Healy didn't care.



Last night Karlsson also made a bad pinch that lead to a Leafs chance and even though they did not score on it, it was mentioned once and no more. Had a Maple Leafs player done the same thing with the same result, I guarantee Healy takes about it at like it's the end of the world.

 

[thewave]

yea I don't really see the Announcer's being overly negative then they should be, the Leafs have been one of the worst teams in the NHL over the last decade so most of the unbiased comments should be negative if they want to be accurately calling the game and give proper insight, there's been very little positive to talk about. however they constantly talk about Rielly very positively, almost never do they talk about Rielly in the Negative, Kadri same way, and Bozak is constantly praised about his Faceoff acumen, I personally see nothing wrong with them, based on Toronto's play they should be more negative then positive because that's what Toronto's on ice performance over the last decade deserves if the announcers want to be accurate. and yes I hear lots of positive stuff aswell.

We just seem to lack big time personalities in the media. Ray Is a personality and a talker. Don and Ron are as well. Jim is ok at times save for the negativity which he has eased up on lately.

3 letter name guys seem to rule Canadian hockey Media.

 

[BertCorbeau]

I think Hughson's unbearableness stems from Healy being consistently negative against the Leafs, and pro-whatever superstar is playing against the Leafs.

Last night was awful.

Healy makes reference to Sittler's 10 point game, and somehow tries to compare Karlsson's 4 point.. Well "almost 5 point" as Healy puts it to that game. I mean come on

 

[LeafsNation75]

I think Hughson's unbearableness stems from Healy being consistently negative against the Leafs, and pro-whatever superstar is playing against the Leafs.

Last night was awful.

Healy makes reference to Sittler's 10 point game, and somehow tries to compare Karlsson's 4 point.. Well "almost 5 point" as Healy puts it to that game. I mean come on

Just wait until next week when Toronto plays in Vancouver. You know that Hughson will be pulling for the Canucks and get excited every time they score.

 

[i1]

I miss Bowen; homer or not (most local broadcasters are), there's something to be said for an announcer who cares about the team as much as the viewer. He felt the highs and lows along with us and you could hear/feel it. Some of the games he called in 2011 when Reimer almost got them to the playoffs are classic:

 

[LeafsNation75]

I miss Bowen; homer or not (most local broadcasters are), there's something to be said for an announcer who cares about the team as much as the viewer. He felt the highs and lows along with us and you could hear/feel it. Some of the games he called in 2011 when Reimer almost got them to the playoffs are classic:

That's exactly why I have no emotional attachments to Paul Romanuk. Since Rogers made him the Leafs play by play announcer on their Sportsnet regional games, it's like they were force feeding him to Leafs fans. I grew up with Joe Bowen and in my opinion he will always be the true voice of the Maple Leafs.

 

[-DeMo-]

My problem is when Karlsson makes a mistake it never gets mentioned, the same way every Leafs mistake gets looked at with a magnifying glass. During Karlsson's first Norris Trophy season he made this mistake and Healy didn't care.



Last night Karlsson also made a bad pinch that lead to a Leafs chance and even though they did not score on it, it was mentioned once and no more. Had a Maple Leafs player done the same thing with the same result, I guarantee Healy takes about it at like it's the end of the world.

of course they talked about the Leafs Dmen pinching and getting caught because it directly resulted in the first two goals... and every time(usually 3-4 times a game) when they do the recaps of the goals they have to show it... mistakes that happen in the course of a game that don't result in goals against get shown once and that's it unless it's a recurring theme in the game. that one bad pinch was a one off last night...

and lets be honest with the video you posted, when a player is having a great year and you see him make a mistake it's not that big of a deal, when you see poor teams/players making the same mistakes night after night after night that's when you make it a big deal like what they Leafs have done year after year... I mean I still remember the shorten season when Karlsson came back from his injury and got walked by Crosby who then went in and scored they showed it endlessly and the Media grilled Karlsson after the game. as they should have because he simply wasn't playing as well as he should have been. and lets be honest should Karlsson score on his own net again they will show that video you posted.



now that's the US feed but it was no different in the Canadian broadcast. I really don't see why you can't see the difference, a great player makes a rare mistake vs an average player who makes alot of mistakes, who are you going to be constantly talking negative about?

 

[-DeMo-]

We just seem to lack big time personalities in the media. Ray Is a personality and a talker. Don and Ron are as well. Jim is ok at times save for the negativity which he has eased up on lately.

3 letter name guys seem to rule Canadian hockey Media.

oh don't get me wrong I don't think hughson is that great of a play by play guy, but that's not because he's too negative, imo the best 2 play by play guys are not available to Sportsnet/CBC/Rogers and thats Chris Cuthbert followed by Gord Miller. Hughson is the best CBC/Sportsnet has unfortunately.

 

[LeafsNation75]

and lets be honest with the video you posted, when a player is having a great year and you see him make a mistake it's not that big of a deal

My point is if that was Jake Gardiner scoring into his own net since that was his rookie season, I guarantee you Healy would have made it sound a lot worse than saying oh it's a mistake by Karlsson and nothing more. So if someone makes a bad mistake like scoring on their own net they deserve to be criticized and held accountable by the broadcast team, even if they are having a Norris Trophy type of season.

 

[ACC1224]

oh don't get me wrong I don't think hughson is that great of a play by play guy, but that's not because he's too negative, imo the best 2 play by play guys are not available to Sportsnet/CBC/Rogers and thats Chris Cuthbert followed by Gord Miller. Hughson is the best CBC/Sportsnet has unfortunately.

I'd agree with Miller and Cuthbert when calling a game not involving the Leafs.

When I watch the Leafs, I want a homer broadcast. With things being as bad as they have been, it would be nice not to have their many flaws piled on in addition to watching them lose.
I'd much rather hear Bowens voice crack because of excitement when the Leafs hit the post when down by 3.