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

[LSCII]

The last 10 or so games of Brett Ritchie (before he was waived) featured Jack and/or Brick going on long diatribes about his “effectiveness” at least once every game.

I thought the over the top love affair with Chris Kelly from the broadcast booth was bad years ago. The Ritchie agenda blew it out of the water. Especially considering his level of play.

On the topic in general, I do find Jack grating but he calls the play well when he’s focused on doing the meat of what should be his job. He says a lot of really stupid things though, and I find it silly that so many fans just can’t seem to admit that. In terms of dumb exclamations, Jack is at the top. Brick tows the line that’s asked of him (Ritchie is the prime example), but he’s one of the better analysts knowledge wise IMO.

There are guys out there who may not belt it out as loud or obnoxiously as Edwards but take just as skewed a view. Go take a listen to the Leafs radio broadcast of the Wingels/Kadri incident from 2018 playoffs. It’s scary stupid.

Also, yes the presentation on NESN sucks. That’s been the case for as long as I can remember. It feels like a company trying to present in a “high tech” manner that runs their ship as cheaply as they possibly can.

Spot on man, spot on.

 

[LSCII]

Still like Orsillo better. O'Brien is good, but ever since Jim Murray pointed out the ear worm that is how O'Brien whistles after words that end in s, I can't not hear it and it becomes jarring. Plus I dislike the way that NESN and the Red Sox got rid of Orsillo as the play by play guy.

Can't listen to O'Brien ever since my friend pointed out his sibilant S sound he makes on every TH and S he pronounces.

 

[EvilDead]

Can't listen to O'Brien ever since my friend pointed out his sibilant S sound he makes on every TH and S he pronounces.

Tonight's starter is Drew Pommeranzshhhhhhh *whistle noise*.

 

[sarge88]

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.

I don’t mind Brinkley’s level of homerism for two reasons.

First he knows the game and is able provide insight in an easy to understand way.

Second, I don’t mind a little bias because it’s acceptable for a home announcer, who is a team employee and is likely friendly with most players, to show it.

I can’t stand Jack, not because of the level of bias, but because he’s a clown.

 

[jgatie]

Fair enough. This is 100% an opinion issue, so there isn't any right or wrong answer. Just varying opinions. When he IS just calling the game, what are your thoughts on him?

He's good at play by play, when he does it. Unfortunately, he does very little of it. Instead he drowns out Brick's attempts at color, and inserts his forced shtick (that he very obviously writes before the game and reads from his app) whenever he can.

 

[LSCII]

Tonight's starter is Drew Pommeranzshhhhhhh *whistle noise*.

Lucky for me, my soundbar has a stadium setting where all you get is crowd noise and no play by play. I use this when Jack is grating my every last nerve too. It makes it a million times better.

 

[LouJersey]

I used to love Brickley. I actually thought he would make a very good head coach at some point, but Jack has just worn off on him. He's a complete homer most of the time, but in fairness has been turning back this year.

Jack is awful. He's really a good PBP guy IMO when he sticks to it, but his tangent crap is just too much. It's time to go. Crapped the bed keeping him over Goucher, so cut your losses and find a professional.

 

[sisu]

of course i'd prefer no ticker, but what really gets me is the double height + small amount of information that it loops through.

 

[Gordoff]

The 2020 NHL broadcast rankings: The best and worst markets...

"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.""

I agree with all EXCEPT the hate for Jack. I couldn't care less what people on other markets think about Jack and Brick. Jack is a homer and so am I. I don't want to hear Emrick and the others. I don't want to hear the mercenaries like the guy who does the play by play on WBZ 98.5.
I don't like vanilla play by play cookie cutter guys. I don't like over polished bullshit suits either.
I hate the ticker and NESN's lack of true interest in Bruins and their fans stinks.
I'm curious to see how they handle the games when hockey comes back and also if they
finally broadcast pre -season games.
Back to Jack: I want a guy who bleeds black & gold, who IS biased and dumps on the officiating as much as possible and I make no apologies for feeling that way. He may be a "clown" but he's our clown!

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

 

[EvilDead]

of course i'd prefer no ticker, but what really gets me is the double height + small amount of information that it loops through.

What you mean you don't like the early 2000s Sportscenter style sports ticker that gives little to no info and serves no purpose but obstructing the screen? :^)

 

[EvilDead]

I agree with all EXCEPT the hate for Jack. I couldn't care less what people on other markets think about Jack and Brick. Jack is a homer and so am I. I don't want to hear Emrick and the others. I don't want to hear the mercenaries like the guy who does the play by play on WBZ 98.5.
I don't like vanilla play by play cookie cutter guys. I don't like over polished bullshit suits either.
I hate the ticker and NESN's lack of true interest in Bruins and their fans stinks.
I'm curious to see how they handle the games when hockey comes back and also if they
finally broadcast pre -season games.
Back to Jack: I want a guy who bleeds black & gold, who IS biased and dumps on the officiating as much as possible and I make no apologies for feeling that way. He may be a "clown" but he's our clown!

There's homerism and there's being a team bobo. Edwards is now at the point of being the latter and sometimes it gets so bad that it takes me, and many others, out of the game.

 

[Sheppy]

They're still miles better than the dorks who do/did the Penguins broadcast.

 

[Gordoff]

I suppose I have to weigh in on this

At TD Garden I work on either the road feed or for Rogers and NBC. On the road, I work for the truck company that has the contract for NESN.

The NESN telecasts in 2011 were better without question. The crew knows that but NESN management does not care. Graphics NESN has gone from being in the top 5 to about the worst in the NHL.

People complain about the ticker but most RSN's use one.

NESN has become stale but Tom Werner is happy with the product and Charlie Moore being involved doesn't help.

Tom Werner is stale!
I just don't understand the deal with Charlie Moore, who does he have naked pictures of? I especially don't understand why he's doing the Bruins show (Bruins Academy?). IMO he's as obnoxious as that "Tiger King/Joe Exotic" guy. He grates on my nerves. I don't want to say (here) what I'd love to say but I will say that I've known guys like him in my lifetime and no matter how much money they make they always end up a victim of their own "success."

 

[Gordoff]

Can't listen to O'Brien ever since my friend pointed out his sibilant S sound he makes on every TH and S he pronounces.

I've noticed a trend in commercials and even in some sports broadcasts and on sports radio. To stress an "s" word they make it sound like "sh".
So in one commericial for Safelight Auto Glass the guy is talking about a 'strong seal' he says "shtrong seal." Felger and Mazz etc have been doing it too.

 

[Gordoff]

There's homerism and there's being a team bobo. Edwards is now at the point of being the latter and sometimes it gets so bad that it takes me, and many others, out of the game.

"How's your entertainment factor?" LOL

 

[LSCII]

"How's your entertainment factor?" LOL

lol

 

[eightspokedb]

98.5 and the mute button ftw...

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I agree with all EXCEPT the hate for Jack. I couldn't care less what people on other markets think about Jack and Brick. Jack is a homer and so am I. I don't want to hear Emrick and the others. I don't want to hear the mercenaries like the guy who does the play by play on WBZ 98.5.
I don't like vanilla play by play cookie cutter guys. I don't like over polished bullshit suits either.
I hate the ticker and NESN's lack of true interest in Bruins and their fans stinks.
I'm curious to see how they handle the games when hockey comes back and also if they
finally broadcast pre -season games.
Back to Jack: I want a guy who bleeds black & gold, who IS biased and dumps on the officiating as much as possible and I make no apologies for feeling that way. He may be a "clown" but he's our clown!

As a professional, even just as a human, there should be some type of limit on buffoonery no matter what angle you’re coming from. I get being quirky and having your own style, but Jack says stuff that is often completely lacking of wit and just plain stupid. I understand he’s a big Bruins fan and that’s great. That still doesn’t endear me to another human being barking idiotic things into a microphone. That is why words like “obnoxious” exist.

 

[Tbaybruin]

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.

This 100%. People with NESN probably don’t have to listen to all 30 teams. Love Jack and Brick. Listen to the Florida Panthers guys and you will put a statue of Edwards up that night.

 

[veganbruin]

Judd and Bob on the radio do a great call. Hope Judd is the next NESN guy tbh.

that being said, yes Jack is annoying and a homer. But I don’t care I love it and it’s comforting.

 

[TD Charlie]

Could you shed some light on why the NESN picture is...just plain bad, compared to NBC or even the opposing feeds?

I have a pretty good TV, and I spent a long time calibrating it. The picture is perfect for everything I watch EXCEPT NESN Bruins games it feels like, especially home games. Super fuzzy and blurry. I put on NBCSN, and it's as clear as it can be.

Is it an equipment thing?

watching a ton of dafoomie clips last night on a calibrated Samsung was priceless. Leaps and bounds better than the current NESN live broadcast

 

[TD Charlie]

Judd and Bob on the radio do a great call. Hope Judd is the next NESN guy tbh.

that being said, yes Jack is annoying and a homer. But I don’t care I love it and it’s comforting.

judd was my second choice when they narrowed it down to 3 guys, but it was close. He has settled into the job VERY nicely and does a great job

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

This 100%. People with NESN probably don’t have to listen to all 30 teams. Love Jack and Brick. Listen to the Florida Panthers guys and you will put a statue of Edwards up that night.

Panthers broadcast is indeed terrible. Two out of the three are relentless homers.

Still doesn’t make Jack Edwards less of a clown.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Judd and Bob on the radio do a great call. Hope Judd is the next NESN guy tbh.

that being said, yes Jack is annoying and a homer. But I don’t care I love it and it’s comforting.

I didn’t like Judd at all at first but have really come around.