THN's Ken Campbell notices that Cassie Campbell's husband is Flames AGM

[Gunnersaurus Rex]

I mean, TSN is called Toronto Sports Network, and no one ever raises any issue when all they do is talk Leafs...

Ummmm...happens all the time in Edmonton. And I'm sure everywhere else

 

[Steve Kournianos]

There's nothing wrong with her connection to Calgary. She's not a beat writer. She's just color, and every color announcer -- national or regional -- usually has deep connections to at least one NHL team.

I just don't find her easy to listen to. Talks way too much, lacks chemistry with every partner and over-analyzes basic plays like icings and shots getting deflected.

 

[JPeeper]

It's not about being a homer. Drew Remenda isn't getting paid by the Oilers. I'm mystified this needs to be spelled out. The person Cassie is married to gets paid by the team she covers. She has a direct interest in the Flames doing well and succeeding because it affects her family. Again, if you people think it's not a big deal at all then certainly you'd have no problem with the broadcast letting folks know who her husband works for at the start of Flames games.

This should apply to any media member who has relatives/family playing or working for other organizations. It's hilarious to me people don't care about transparency.

She has NO EFFECT on anything that happens in game, pre-game, post-game, or anything to do with the Flames playing hockey. She is a broadcaster, not an NHL ref calling the game.

It's exactly about being a homer, because at worst she could be is a homer for the Flames and just trash the other team, what else is she going to do?

I'm mystified you think this actually matters, because it matters literally 0%.

 

[Peanut]

Is she the one who interviewed a team canada world junior player asking how they would build momentum from a own goal?

 

[Blade Paradigm]

Cassie Campbell only replaced Kelly Hrudey on Flames broadcasts about a month ago, and she took Louie DeBrusk's place for the first time last Saturday.

The Flames telecasts are regional broadcasts where the presentation is tailored towards one team's viewer base. From the perspective of bias, her opinions of the home team are no different than those of any other regional color commentator.

As others have mentioned in this thread, all Bell and Rogers employees are paid by the same companies that own the Toronto Maple Leafs. To what degree can an employee publicly criticize their employer's other property?

 

[Nickmo82]

she just states the obvious and says one line at a time

This, and then some.

It's like reading the event ticker thing on the NHL game centre.

 

[CalgarySnow]

Let’s face it it’s probably because she’s a woman, notice how he hasn’t called anyone else out. I say again it’s her annoying voice that gets me

 

[Crosstraffic]

Can't stand her voice more than any conflicts of interest. Talks like a computer without any emotion.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Not suggesting she should be thrown in jail. It’s called ethics, and media companies should strive to be transparent to their viewers. It’s if not a big deal then there should be no issue letting people who tune in know that her husband works for the team she covers.

If she does commentary, it's not exactly a conflict. There's also a difference between a sports journalist, like James Mirtle, and a broadcaster like Campbell.

Her line of work is more akin to a radio DJ.

 

[Snakepit]

Can't stand her voice more than any conflicts of interest. Talks like a computer without any emotion.

I hate how she talks and enunciates words. "The player gets 'is arm up a little too high... on the hit in tha carner, and it draws a penaly "

 

[Claypool]

If she does commentary, it's not exactly a conflict. There's also a difference between a sports journalist, like James Mirtle, and a broadcaster like Campbell.

Her line of work is more akin to a radio DJ.

So let's take sports radio. Say there's a radio host for the Leafs who's married to someone who works in the Leafs front office doing public relations. Wouldn't you want to know something like that? You're telling me that wouldn't bother you in the slightest if that fact wasn't disclosed? You don't see how that could be perceived as deceptive or a conflict of interest?

The FCC has strict rules and regulations about disclosure. I don't know what if broadcast regulations differ in Canada. Cassie is indirectly being paid by the Flames and directly by CBC, which is funded via taxpayers. Her relationship should absolutely be disclosed at the start of every broadcast she does featuring Calgary.

 

[Baxterman]

She is terrible and if this gets her out of the Calgary job then great but I don't see how it really matters that much. She is way less of a homer than Kevin Quinn or Drew Remenda or Gene Principe and they seemingly have zero fan connections to the Oilers to make them the embarrassments they are.

That said i am not really sure why Ken Campbell is getting blow back for pointing it out either. Now I am fine with it because like Cassie, Ken is terrible as well but I don't think there was really anything wrong with him bringing it up.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I hate how she talks and enunciates words. "The player gets 'is arm up a little too high... on the hit in tha carner, and it draws a penaly "

I enjoyed the line "Matt Benning with the nice play, takes a shit.. ugh a hit here."

 

[Tobias Kahun]

She is terrible and if this gets her out of the Calgary job then great but I don't see how it really matters that much. She is way less of a homer than Kevin Quinn or Drew Remenda or Gene Principe and they seemingly have zero fan connections to the Oilers to make them the embarrassments they are.

That said i am not really sure why Ken Campbell is getting blow back for pointing it out either. Now I am fine with it because like Cassie, Ken is terrible as well but I don't think there was really anything wrong with him bringing it up.

Kevin Quinn is an idiot, and Remenda definitely isn't a homer, spends most of the game propping up the away team, and I think all oiler fans wish gene was no longer around, he is incredibly cringe worthy, Neither of the edmonton casters are anywhere near the level of homer that hrudey is anyways.

 

[Da McBomb]

As an Oiler fan, I much enjoy Cassie's in game commentary over Hrudey's.

 

[Snakepit]

I like Hrudey but mostly because of his chemistry with Rick Ball. Ball calls one of the better games out there so having a guy that works well with him is great. Compared to Cassie who is always interrupting the PBP person to talk about nothing.

Although I agree with only having Hrudey do regional games and someone else doing national ones because he's definitely a homer. I just wish it was DeBrusk filling in for him on weekends like last year and not Cassie

 

[Lunatik]

I like Hrudey but mostly because of his chemistry with Rick Ball. Ball calls one of the better games out there so having a guy that works well with him is great. Compared to Cassie who is always interrupting the PBP person to talk about nothing.

Although I agree with only having Hrudey do regional games and someone else doing national ones because he's definitely a homer. I just wish it was DeBrusk filling in for him on weekends like last year and not Cassie

DeBrusk is fantastic.

 

[dynasty3]

There should be no issue with her being married to a Flames Asst gm. However she has no business being a colour commentator for an NHL team. She is by far the worst I've ever heard. Notwithstanding her voice and bland appeal.

Play by play people don't need to have had pro hockey or NHL experience. However colour analyst commentators absolutely need to have played or coached in the NHL or minors at the very least.

The weekend game with the Flames and oilers was the worst. You had a horrible pbp person in Dave Randorf to go along with the worst colour commentator in the league with Cassie Campbell. Talk about giving the second game of the night the crap. Give us Debrusk on the weekend games instead of her.

If they want to employ her for the gender issue, let her do interviews with players or intermission work. That's all she is qualified for.

 

[Reinhart]

Much ado about nothing. I am surprised it just isn't common knowledge. Also, she is anything but homerish - at times it almost feels like she works too hard at talking about/praising the other team. When the Flames make a bad play, she criticizes them.

Who cares who she is married to. What is it affecting? This is entertainment, right?

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

she just states the obvious and says one line at a time

I noticed this too however i give her the benefit of the doubt, she's (as far as i know) the only woman doing commentary for games in the NHL, I think she figures she needs to keep it safe. If she was too 'interesting' or unusual she would invite a lot of unfair criticism im sure. She's vanilla and boring but I think she does a decent job.

 

[Lunatik]

I noticed this too however i give her the benefit of the doubt, she's (as far as i know) the only woman doing commentary for games in the NHL, I think she figures she needs to keep it safe. If she was too 'interesting' or unusual she would invite a lot of unfair criticism im sure. She's vanilla and boring but I think she does a decent job.

That is a fair assessment. I personally didn't mind her at first, but she has grown irritating as more games have passed.

 

[Crease Master]

It's criminal that Cassie Campbell makes a living by talking about hockey. You should be required to know stuff about the sport if you're paid to do that. I fail to see how playing a couple of barely meaningful games every 4 years qualifies you for that job considering the game she played looked nothing like the game she comments on.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

So let's take sports radio. Say there's a radio host for the Leafs who's married to someone who works in the Leafs front office doing public relations. Wouldn't you want to know something like that? You're telling me that wouldn't bother you in the slightest if that fact wasn't disclosed? You don't see how that could be perceived as deceptive or a conflict of interest?

The FCC has strict rules and regulations about disclosure. I don't know what if broadcast regulations differ in Canada. Cassie is indirectly being paid by the Flames and directly by CBC, which is funded via taxpayers. Her relationship should absolutely be disclosed at the start of every broadcast she does featuring Calgary.

Campbell appears on HNIC but she would be paid by Sportsnet. She also does stuff for the Fan590, in addition to speaking engagements.

Her ability to appear on anything other than Radio-Canada/CBC would be non-existent if she were being paid by the public.

She's more of a contractor, and if she was being paid by CBC, it would be on a casual contract -- which means she's not bound by the same guidelines.

 

[Paralyzer]

Probably the reason why she got the Oilers-Flames Play by play on saturday...gross.

 

[stepdad gaary]

She’s a member of the media. You should disclose if a family member works for a team you’re covering.

its not a f***ing secret. At least i didnt think so. Also Ray Ferraro has called his sons games a bunch of times. Even interviewed him.