The Athletic - Boston Athletic poll: Bruins broadcast voted worst in NHL

mikelvl

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"Brickley’s commentary generally gets positive reviews in and out of market, but otherwise respondents were merciless."

"In market, the most consistent complaint was one of presentation. The screen can be cluttered"

“Camera work, cuts, replays, graphics, etc. are atrocious,” wrote one respondent, summarizing the feelings of many.

"No other figure in NHL broadcasting attracted the same level of vitriol that NESN’s play-by-play man garnered."

"“I would rather get a colonoscopy from Captain Hook than hear Jack Edwards announce a hockey game,” wrote a voter in Columbus in the most memorable of the many, many comments listing him as the worst play-by-play man in the NHL."

"The bottom line: The league’s most biased broadcast is despised outside its local market and doesn’t inspire fans in Boston either.""
 

Babajingo

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I think Edwards does a good job with the play-by-play, which i think is the hardest in sports (right ahead of baseball which difficulty is the opposite of hockey).
He needs to stop the homer crap. I miss the days of Cusick and Wilson.

Lange in Pitts and Sterling for the Yankees are horrible.
 
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LSCII

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Can't disagree, but not because of production value. Edwards is a f***ing embarrassment and Brick is a complete schill for the team, constantly carrying their water by perpetuating their crappy agendas regarding players. Backes is a prime example. Never heard one word of critical analysis on a player that so clearly didn't belong. Instead it was he's a warrior and he's doing the little things. By the little things, you mean he's constantly 4 steps behind every play and not in any form of correct positioning? Morons. Both of them. Make the broadcast nearly unwatchable.
 

JRull86

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Jack definitely takes the homer stuff too far most of the time, and I find myself turning him off for NBC more often than not, but he's not the worst in the league, not even close.

NESN pre/post are pretty good. I'm over vanilla Dale, but Jaffe, Pederson, and Raycroft are all good.

I mean it's been discussed here ad nauseum, but the actual presentation is total shit. Their feed is blurry compared to the NBCSN one for me, especially the home feed. The graphics package, while better this season, is still poor. And finally they still have the DAMN TICKER, which even after @Fenway has explained their reasoning, it's stupid.

NESN's Bruins broadcast lives in the past,
 

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Watching the 2011 games reminds me that Edwards used to actually do play by play, and Brick actually did color. Now Jack does nothing but endless soliloquies on some imagined slight to hockey history, and Brick only gets to speak when he does an on-air commercial read.
 

UncleRico

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Awful announcing did a fan poll in 2016 and the bruins broadcast came in last as well. The biggest problem 100% is the clutter. Second biggest is Jack Edwards, I know some fans love him and others hate him. The problem is that he is just incredibly way to bias, where he says stuff that isn’t even happening on the ice or he is insanely exaggerating what is going on.

I can see why someone from Columbus (the guy the athletic mentioned) voted last for the Bruins. If you’re just trying to tune in for a game while watching out of market games it must be miserable.

I travel a decent amount for my job and listen to many opposing teams broadcasts. If I was a fan of another team I couldn’t imagine what it would be like listening to Jack Edwards
 
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Dennis Bonvie

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"Brickley’s commentary generally gets positive reviews in and out of market, but otherwise respondents were merciless."

"In market, the most consistent complaint was one of presentation. The screen can be cluttered"

“Camera work, cuts, replays, graphics, etc. are atrocious,” wrote one respondent, summarizing the feelings of many.

"No other figure in NHL broadcasting attracted the same level of vitriol that NESN’s play-by-play man garnered."

"“I would rather get a colonoscopy from Captain Hook than hear Jack Edwards announce a hockey game,” wrote a voter in Columbus in the most memorable of the many, many comments listing him as the worst play-by-play man in the NHL."

"The bottom line: The league’s most biased broadcast is despised outside its local market and doesn’t inspire fans in Boston either.""

Sounds right.

I like Brickley's commentary but even he gets sucked into homer-mode by Jack at times.

There is no question that Edwards is embarrassingly unprofessional sometime. Sounds like he's doing a pro wrestling match at times.

If the B's are playing a Canadian team, I always watch their broadcast instead. Its just so much visually better.
 

Glove Malfunction

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Jack definitely takes the homer stuff too far most of the time, and I find myself turning him off for NBC more often than not, but he's not the worst in the league, not even close.

NESN pre/post are pretty good. I'm over vanilla Dale, but Jaffe, Pederson, and Raycroft are all good.

I mean it's been discussed here ad nauseum, but the actual presentation is total shit. Their feed is blurry compared to the NBCSN one for me, especially the home feed. The graphics package, while better this season, is still poor. And finally they still have the DAMN TICKER, which even after @Fenway has explained their reasoning, it's stupid.

NESN's Bruins broadcast lives in the past,
These things are all true. The clips of Jack being a dumbass are all that a lot of other fans see, and it's what they form their opinions on. Take those 5% of calls out, and he's pretty damn good. He accurately describes the play, knows the players on the other team, and appreciates good hockey plays for both teams. People also hear from other fans that he sucks, so they believe it, and it sticks. Just like those fans who think the Bruins are a dirty, physical team. They hear it and believe it without seeing if it's actually true.

As for the presentation. I agree. It's cluttered and busy and takes way too damn much of the screen for things that aren't the game.
 

PatriceBergeronFan

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I choose the NBC national broadcast whenever available. I'll leave it at that.

NBC is generally questionable depending on which crew is assigned. At least Pierre and Doc were good. Eddie is garbage, Boucher is awful.

Listen to broadcasts around the league. Outside of Vegas many are horrible compared to NESN. Florida, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and more. They all stink with bias and whining and lack of attention to detail.

Washington is good as well I find.
 
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Dr Hook

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Zéro chance it’s the worst. More like one of the best.

Living in Québec city and having to endure opposing teams broadcasters at times with NHL center ice, I can tell you that those having NESN are very lucky.

Could not agree more- I have watched a lot of other games and broadcast teams via Center Ice over these past many seasons and there are some really bad ones out there- as in really dull, lifeless, bland bad. And the NESN broadcast quality, while sometimes not the greatest, is far from the worst I've seen.
 

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NESN needs to clear out the graphics and improve the picture quality in general.

I like Jack & Brick. Not a fan of the intermission guys but then I'm not much on talking plus I know what happened in the previous period, I have two eyes and a brain that work fairly well. Maybe if they discussed something else I'd listen. Need to get rid of the in between period "interviews" with the coaches too, they just say the same damn thing over and over again.

I'd love it if one network did an entire game without PBP or commentary, just the sounds of the game. I bet it would rock.
 

RoccoF14

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Watching the 2011 games reminds me that Edwards used to actually do play by play, and Brick actually did color. Now Jack does nothing but endless soliloquies on some imagined slight to hockey history, and Brick only gets to speak when he does an on-air commercial read.

This is exactly right. Sad part is that Jack Edwards used to be a really good play by play guy, so you know he can do it. I don't even have an issue with bias. Bias is subjective and I can live with it. Its the hysterics that have really gotten bad over the last couple of years.

I agree 100% with this survey. I've got Center Ice as well, and I watch a lot of hockey. At least 50% of the time its the opponent's broadcast, simply because its better.

While I wouldn't say the NESN broadcast is the absolute worst in the league, its definitely in the bottom 25%, which is really unacceptable for a hockey market like New England.
 
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PatriceBergeronFan

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This is exactly right. Sad part is that Jack Edwards used to be a really good play by play guy, so you know he can do it. I don't even have an issue with bias. Bias is subjective and I can live with it. Its the hysterics that have really gotten bad over the last couple of years.

I agree 100% with this survey. I've got Center Ice as well, and I watch a lot of hockey. At least 50% of the time its the opponent's broadcast, simply because its better.

While I wouldn't say the NESN broadcast is the absolute worst in the league, its definitely in the bottom 25%.

That's interesting because I also watch 5-10 non Bruins games a week via NHL TV and my goodness do most of the other crews SUCK. As dull and predictable as the NESN intermission can be some of those other ones in comparison are simply cringeworthy.
 

Glove Malfunction

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This is exactly right. Sad part is that Jack Edwards used to be a really good play by play guy, so you know he can do it. I don't even have an issue with bias. Bias is subjective and I can live with it. Its the hysterics that have really gotten bad over the last couple of years.

I agree 100% with this survey. I've got Center Ice as well, and I watch a lot of hockey. At least 50% of the time its the opponent's broadcast, simply because its better.

While I wouldn't say the NESN broadcast is the absolute worst in the league, its definitely in the bottom 25%, which is really unacceptable for a hockey market like New England.
I guess it just goes to show how different people can see the same thing and come away with two completely different opinions. I feel like Jack has toned down the "hysterics" over the past few years.
 
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RoccoF14

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That's interesting because I also watch 5-10 non Bruins games a week via NHL TV and my goodness do most of the other crews SUCK. As dull and predictable as the NESN intermission can be some of those other ones in comparison are simply cringeworthy.

Then I guess its what you are looking for in a broadcast.

For me, its a steady call of the game. That's it. I don't need a running critique of the officiating, and I don't need the hysterics of a WWE wrestling match.

I'm a big fan of Goucher and John Forslund (the Carolina & part time NBC guy). Forslund is the best in the biz right now in my opinion.
 

DiggityDog

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I think there cameras blow, there is a stark difference in quality when NBC/NBC Sports does a game in the visual sense.

I could take or leave Jack and Brick, but would take them any day over Eddie O.

Funny thing about Jack, and everyone calling him a homer is that IMO he’s not even the biggest homer broadcaster in this town. Zolak is easily the worst, and Tommy isn’t the far behind.

I would pay extra to hear a game without commentary too btw
 

RoccoF14

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Then I guess its what you are looking for in a broadcast.

For me, its a steady call of the game. That's it. I don't need a running critique of the officiating, and I don't need the hysterics of a WWE wrestling match.

I'm a big fan of Goucher and John Forslund (the Carolina & part time NBC guy). Forslund is the best in the biz right now in my opinion.

Big shout out to Pat Foley here in Chicago as well. He's a Hall of Famer and deservedly so. Still one of the best in the business.
 

jgatie

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I guess it just goes to show how different people can see the same thing and come away with two completely different opinions. I feel like Jack has toned down the "hysterics" over the past few years.

Considering the whole Pie McKenzie/Dougie Hamilton #19 fiasco was in the last few years, in no way can it be said he's toned down the hysterics in the last few years. Even Pie's family couldn't care less about that bit of fluff, and Jack turned it into a maelstrom. Think about it, a supposedly professional broadcaster actually used the words "stripped the blubber from the whale". :skeptic:
 

RoccoF14

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Considering the whole Pie McKenzie/Dougie Hamilton #19 fiasco was in the last few years, in no way can it be said he's toned down the hysterics in the last few years. Even Pie's family couldn't care less about that bit of fluff, and Jack turned it into a maelstrom. Think about it, a supposedly professional broadcaster actually used the words "stripped the blubber from the whale". :skeptic:
Yep. That Carolina game was the last straw for me as well.
 
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