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Legendary broadcaster Bob Cole passes away at 90

The Panther

The Panther

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Mar 25, 2014
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Koivu11 said:
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Wow, that is very classy of Cooper. Love that he took time to do that after a playoff loss.

And yes, Bob Cole was the best, ever. For those of you who might have only heard him in the post-millennial era, you unfortunately missed his best years, which went up to maybe the late-90s or maybe just into the early 2000s. I have never heard anybody with the combination of vocal authority and viscerally-communicated excitement that Bob Cole had.

What's more, he was a non-partisan true fan of the sport and its players. Oh, and the players loved him. (For example, after the 1987 Oilers' game seven Cup win, Mark Messier went to Bob Cole to make sure he attended the teams' Cup-win party after the game.)

Nobody else could make a late third-period comeback sound this exciting!:
 
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Squiffy

Squiffy

Victims, rn't we all
Oct 21, 2006
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Everything else is just not Bob Cole. I mean it’s fine and all, but not Bob, so not as good as it could be.

And just caught Coopers post game above there, and he says it very well, and thanks for doing it there Coops.

Problem with all these greats that you grow up loving is that they got at least 20-30-40 years on you as kid growing up, and you get to this point where they all start going.

RIP Bob Cole, legend. Can. You. Believe it!
 
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the valiant effort

the valiant effort

settle down, bud
Apr 17, 2017
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He called games in mid-December with the same vigorous approach he would bring to the playoffs and best-on-best tournaments. If I live long enough to go senile I’ll be sitting in a chair yelling non sequiturs about shots that just missed and “dandy” saves in Bob’s cadence.
 
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thegazelle

thegazelle

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Nov 11, 2019
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The Panther said:
Wow, that is very classy of Cooper. Love that he took time to do that after a playoff loss.
Click to expand...
Jon Cooper had always exuded the class and honor that sets him apart as a great coach. Many coaches nowadays would not be so self-less and do something like that, especially after a tough loss. Many coaches who whine and complain can take a lesson here about reflecting on what is important and have proper perspective on life.

What a great tribute to Bob Cole.
 
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Lshap

Lshap

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Jun 6, 2011
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From one legend to another: Dick Irvin Jr. talking about his memories of Bob Cole:


Irvin is 92 and sounds like he could still be broadcasting.
 
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Sergei Shirokov

Sergei Shirokov

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Jul 27, 2012
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As a kid who started watching/falling in love with hockey in the early 2000's Bob was absolutely the man.

I was hooked on hockey & studied the history, books/shows/DVDs/Cassettes/exc,, anything me & brother had, we wrecked the 'Gold Rush' Salt Lake 2002 DVD how often we watched it & those Cole calls are burned in my mind forever. Among my earliest memories are watching those peak WCE Canucks, then the lockout came, and I remember specifically during that lost season watching NHL network endlessly & they would have classic games, 'classic series' (fantastic show), and more, and it was almost always Bob Cole's voice to those terrific moments & it ingrained him in me as if I had been watching live since the 80's.

Gretzky's 50 in 39, the Oilers taking over as the new kids on the block, Flames/Canadiens in '86, Oilers/Flyers in '87, Canada Cups, my beloved Canucks falling to the Flames in G7 '89 (Otto kicked it in), the Flames getting revenge on MTL in '89, the Oilers & Bill Ranford in 1990, Lemieux & Pens brilliance in 91-92, "Desjardins" and the Canadiens in '93, Curtis Joseph playing hero against Dallas in 97(?), exc, exc, exc, could go on forever. These moments & more were all there for me to learn & it was always Bob Cole as the voice stapling them in my mind with his terrific calls.

An absolute legend. There's no better word to describe him. I hated when people trashed him at the end, even though some critiques may have been correct, what are you doing trashing a legend of the sport? And he was a legend.

RIP Bob Cole. The sound of Canadian hockey for generations.
 
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Crosby2010

Crosby2010

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Mar 4, 2023
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There was something about how Cole said "Scores!" when a goal went in. Especially in the playoffs, especially when a team was at home and the crowd was cheering just as he said it. I can't describe it. But all I can say is that it just elevated the excitement you already had when you heard him say that. And if it was against the Leafs he did it, if it was for the Leafs he did it. Same with the Habs. Same with the Oilers. Same with the Red Wings or Hawks or Bruins or Mario's Penguins. He was born to call the game.

I can remember him calling the last game in 2019 and we all knew he was retiring. It ended in a shootout. You couldn't see him calling the game, but you could very much hear the long pauses meant that he was choking up and having a hard time getting the words out. It was heartbreaking to listen to. Honestly, Cole should have died calling hockey. That to me is the only way you ever get rid of him so long as he can get the words out of his mouth, because someone that legendary you never fire. Ever. He had the same voice in 2019 and it was worth listening to even then.
 
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red devil

red devil

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Oct 14, 2004
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Thompson always did the intros for the playoff games when CBC had the rights and Rogers didn't bring him over when they got rights a decade ago.

 
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