OT: Do hockey TV PBP announcers need to modernize?

[flyingkiwi]

They're calling the game for non-fanatics too. Not everyone watching has memorized all the rosters and knows exactly what's going on.
It's a fast paced game and occasionally mistakes get made. The decent pbp guys generally correct themselves. It happens in other sports too. I don't really see the problem.

Amen. I found hockey really hard to follow without pbp. It's just so fast and I still don't see every name and number, let alone understand every term or move being made.

I have more to say on the topic but am leaving for work.



In the end the commentary has to suit the atmosphere of the sport.

 

[rahzar]

It wouldnt have to be that big, hell it could even run on a track around boards, but to give the TV the chance to follow the rush at ice level with the player would be really cool.

Pretty sure they tried this before at the Olympics, but can't say with 100% certainty.

I would personally enjoy seeing helmet camera footage, even if it is from the ref's perspective. Not sure how much having GoPro-like cameras would impact a player's game, but it would be cool to see. Would be cool to have feeds from all players on the ice from one team during a powerplay/penalty kill in split-screen fashion, although it may end up being too convoluted.

 

[HannuJ]

Given that the rest of your point goes directly to concede that there's absolutely no difference whatsoever between what the white males are offering and the non-white non-males are offering, then no, it doesn't make a damn bit of sense.
.

ever watch Fresh Prince of Bel Air?
Just wondering.
that would be a neat reference point for you.
thanks.

 

[jetsforever]

I usually watch a low quality stream these days so I find it useful to hear who has the puck (especially on the other team).

 

[Hank Chinaski]

The best sports television experience I've had recently was watching the NCAA Football Championship on TSN2. They had a regular broadcast on the main network, but on TSN2 they had 6 current NCAA coaches (3 offensive, 3 defensive) and 2 ESPN analysts in a film room breaking down the game in real-time. It was amazing.

Was about to post this. That was awesome, and I would love to see football broadcasts employ this format more frequently.

Would that format work for hockey? Probably not, as the game is too fluid and random, whereas the static and controlled nature of football lends itself to that kind of analysis. But if there's a lesson that all sports can take from that broadcast, it's that fans want another option beyong some grating PBP guy telling us what we're seeing, with some dimwit ex-player throwing in lame platitudes to fill air time.

For hockey, it could be as simple as giving an option of muting the commentary and just playing the on-ice audio.