OT: Around Hockey and the NHL

[Kramerica Industries]

Dave Strader is legit. I think he's the best national broadcaster in the United States for the NHL.

 

[DFC]

Does the NHl have the worst national announcers in sports? I really only like hockey don't watch any other sports but Doc, Healy, Pierre etc are unbearable. Often have to mute my tv.

Hockey broadcasts tend to try to put at least one obnoxious guy on every panel. Milbury is probably the worst, followed closely by Healy. I have no idea why they let Healy be part of the actual game commentary. He's made me switch networks more than once. I guess they're looking for "personality" and not realizing they're airing "obnoxious."

With panels though, I find there's usually a good guy or two on all of them. Elliott Friedman, for instance, is a guy who I think has earned a lot of respect.

 

[Felonious Python]

Hockey broadcasts tend to try to put at least one obnoxious guy on every panel. Milbury is probably the worst, followed closely by Healy. I have no idea why they let Healy be part of the actual game commentary. He's made me switch networks more than once. I guess they're looking for "personality" and not realizing they're airing "obnoxious."

With panels though, I find there's usually a good guy or two on all of them. Elliott Friedman, for instance, is a guy who I think has earned a lot of respect.

I think there's a desire to replicate Don Cherry. They've eased off directly trying to find someone (both Brett Hull and Mike Milbury have been fitted for the role) and just let them be *******s, which I don't think Don Cherry is. He's got his opinions sometimes, but he'll give criticism and credit where he feels it's due, when he's not doing his act purposely mispronouncing names. Not just attacking small market teams relentlessly to curry favor with large market viewers. DC will go against what the producers want, or at least make it appear he is, in order to champion the little guy.

example of NBC trying to make someone (Brett Hull in this case) into their Don Cherry.


edit: I do think there's something to be said with the choice of targets. Milbury, Healy, and so on go after the small, usually southern markets. They don't have the viewers they'd prefer right now, so they criticize.

Where Don Cherry goes after the French Canadians and Europeans is that both of those areas are already heavily integrated into hockey. They're part of the family and can advocate for themselves. They aren't still in an adoption phase. They're turning out NHLers and with the Canadiens in particular, more Stanley Cup wins than anyone else.

Where the other personalities have gone wrong is being only slightly more welcoming to newcomers than the advanced stats community. Don Cherry coached a lightly attended Colorado Rockies team, and now the Avalance do just fine. He's seen a once non-traditional hockey market expand in his lifetime, which I don't see with Milbury or Healy, who were always with big market teams.

Sportsnet's Doug MacLean is probably the closest approximate to Don Cherry going right now and you've got to remember he was coach of the 96' Panthers and GM of the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets. Sun belt teams are not somehow beneath him because he was lucky enough to be drafted by a large market team.

 

[DFC]

I think there's a desire to replicate Don Cherry. They've eased off directly trying to find someone (both Brett Hull and Mike Milbury have been fitted for the role) and just let them be *******s, which I don't think Don Cherry is. He's got his opinions sometimes, but he'll give criticism and credit where he feels it's due, when he's not doing his act purposely mispronouncing names. Not just attacking small market teams relentlessly to curry favor with large market viewers. DC will go against what the producers want, or at least make it appear he is, in order to champion the little guy.

example of NBC trying to make someone (Brett Hull in this case) into their Don Cherry.

100%. I actually edited what you said out of my post because I couldn't pinpoint what it is that makes Cherry different than the others. I think you nailed it though. And I think it's because he does champion the little guy that the majority of viewers are willing to overlook some of his less popular opinions. And also, sometimes, because you can tell he's not pandering to anybody, one of his less popular opinions will strike a chord and you get to feel like someone's on your side in an argument when no one else is. And that's just not what Milbury, Healy, et all are doing.

If you want a laugh, go to google and type in "Glen Healy is" and see what autofill comes up with.

 

[Kramerica Industries]

totally random but seeing Heineken just reminded me that NBC and Versus aired the weirdest damned commercials seemingly every commercial break during that playoff year. Dunno if it was for Heineken or some kind of Russian vodka and I have no hope of remembering enough details to actually find the ads on YT (if they exist on there of course) but it just came rushing back to me there seeing that clip.

 

[Felonious Python]

totally random but seeing Heineken just reminded me that NBC and Versus aired the weirdest damned commercials seemingly every commercial break during that playoff year. Dunno if it was for Heineken or some kind of Russian vodka and I have no hope of remembering enough details to actually find the ads on YT (if they exist on there of course) but it just came rushing back to me there seeing that clip.

all my memories have been replaced by the commercial for farmersonly.com

 

[EbencoyE]

Can't wait to see what Johnson can do on the big ice at the Worlds. Big addition to team USA who desperately needs offense.... and a goalie.

 

[snowden]

I had no idea where to put this thought, but after thinking tonight that if say Stamkos and Bishop were healthy all year long and won maybe 5-6 more games, the Lightning would have been 2nd in the Conference with 111-113 points and STILL would have played Montreal. It seems as if being good doesn't even matter and you don't really get rewarded all that much. They could have had 94 points and still played Montreal if everything else stayed the same. Seems pointless to get as many points as possible. *edit* Therefore it seems better to rest your players as long as you stay above the 4th team in your division.

So basically I much prefer the old playoff system. If your team is good enough to be 2nd or 3rd, they should play the bottom teams.

/rant

 

[LightningStrikes]

I had no idea where to put this thought, but after thinking tonight that if say Stamkos and Bishop were healthy all year long and won maybe 5-6 more games, the Lightning would have been 2nd in the Conference with 111-113 points and STILL would have played Montreal. It seems as if being good doesn't even matter and you don't really get rewarded all that much. They could have had 94 points and still played Montreal if everything else stayed the same. Seems pointless to get as many points as possible. *edit* Therefore it seems better to rest your players as long as you stay above the 4th team in your division.

So basically I much prefer the old playoff system. If your team is good enough to be 2nd or 3rd, they should play the bottom teams.

/rant

I partly agree. But you have to consider that in case of a 94 points season for example, those 10 points you didn't get somebody else actually did get. It's unlikely we would've ended up #2 then.

 

[LightningStrikes]

The Caps have fired GMGM and Oates.

 

[ThunderAlleyNomad]

The Caps have fired GMGM and Oates.

Caps fans must be dancing in the streets. They've wanted GMGM gone for years and most of them despise Oates.

 

[Felonious Python]

Oates will be in demand as a PP coach, TB already had him in that role under previous management but without knowing what it would mean, I wouldn't mind re-hiring him in that capacity.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Entertaining game in Boston.

 

[Stelio Kontos]

I know how people say " you would love him if he were on your team" but WOW Marchand is such a good troll. Abosolutely despise him but we could probably use someone like him.

Love how the pens never get called for embellishing. Getting dumber listening to Milbury attempt to speak english.

 

[Stelio Kontos]

Also am I alone in thinking the league has gone soft? Really miss old time hockey. Playoff hockey is actually fun when your team isn't getting dominated and having to watch lindback try to be a nhl caliber goalie.

 

[snowden]

I partly agree. But you have to consider that in case of a 94 points season for example, those 10 points you didn't get somebody else actually did get. It's unlikely we would've ended up #2 then.

I just meant we would stay above Detroit for 3rd in the division assuming they didn't gain any points. Just seems weird when getting the most points isn't that important anymore.

 

[LightningStrikes]

[nhl]610339&catid=49[/nhl]

 

[Felonious Python]

USA Hockey ‏@usahockey 3m

Today is the day. Team USA goes for #U18Worlds gold vs. Czech Republic at noon ET. Watch live for free on @FASTHOCKEY

Aaron Portzline ‏@Aportzline 3m

#CBJ D James Wisniewski said #NHL expressed in a memo to playoff teams that officials would be cracking down on after-the-whistle activity.

then what's even the point of the divisional playoff format?

edit: oh, wait. forgot about expansion.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Vinny just scored for Philly!

 

[Felonious Python]

Below the NBC bug, they have the hashtag #hockeyisback.

I know it seems like the NHL goes to lockouts all the time, they do at every opportunity, but the hashtag at this moment is not particularly topical.

 

[The Macho King]

Poor Stars... that's gotta hurt.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Tyler Johnson ‏@tjohnny09
Wanted to say thank you to all you bolt fans for an amazing year! Not the end we wanted, but a year I'll never forget! You guys are awesome!

https://twitter.com/tjohnny09/status/460440687087857667

 

[Felonious Python]

Cherry also makes no illusions about who he supports. He wears them on his sleeve, or tie in this case.

Guys like Healy and Milbury weasel their allegiances through 'predicting' their favorite teams or by suggesting that their team is doing things 'right' (in a moral sense) and the other team is doing things morally wrong and try to push that ******** as expert analysis that casuals could believe is unbiased.

 

[Coopers Gum]

Lumbus almost did it. Shame they didn't. Switched to the Colorado/Minnesota game, 4-0. Switch back, 4-2. Hmm, this could get interesting. 4-3.

Wish they did it. That would've been epic.

 

[Coopers Gum]

http://vimeo.com/92867833

About Dom Moore and his wife.