UPDATED 5/25 -Wayne Gretzky joining TNT’s NHL coverage after leaving Oilers post

[MattySnipes]

I think I know what you are talking about now. He says something like "tell those blankety-blanks the league isn't too tough for the kid yet." They talked about that in the SportsCentury piece on him.

That might be it

 

[jkrdevil]

Sounds like TNT or he isn’t doing it



I wonder if because of money and time commitment Turner will end up getting their choice of broadcasters over ESPN

 

[mouser]

Never really thought of TGO as having a good TV personality and presence.

 

[Ernie]

How do you fire the Great One when he sucks?

Charles Barkley at least has a personality.

 

[jkrdevil]

How do you fire the Great One when he sucks?

Charles Barkley at least has a personality.

You make it look like his decision to step aside. If he does decide to do it, I think it will end up being a 1 year and done. I can’t see Gretzky being critical of anyone, and if you aren’t then you can’t really do the job.

 

[Ernie]

You make it look like his decision to step aside. If he does decide to do it, I think it will end up being a 1 year and done. I can’t see Gretzky being critical of anyone, and if you aren’t then you can’t really do the job.

He coached 307 games with Coyotes and won just 88. That's not someone with a good awareness of their limitations. And with a $5m contract he won't be easy to make go away quietly.

 

[lazyboy]

I'm a huge fan of the Great One but I think he would be terrible at a traditional role. Maybe a sit down interview with some of the current top stars of the game and fluff pieces along those lines. I'm not sure his personality or mundane analysis are what the new carriers should be considering.

 

[Jumptheshark]

ESPN has pitched Wayne Gretzky on a NHL broadcasting role

ESPN pursuing Wayne Gretzky in broadcasting role: Sources



Will be interesting to see if this goes anywhere.

gretz has greats stories but has never been that good on air

 

[Terry Yake]

is TNT trying to have gretzky be their NHL version of barkley? because lol

gretzky's the complete opposite of chuck as in he's extremely boring and has no personality

 

[jkrdevil]

They want a name value. The better comparison is how they have Pedro Martinez and previously Cal Ripken Jr. As part of their baseball coverage.

 

[Djp]

Conflicts of interest have never stopped ESPN from hiring an analyst. See: A-Rod, Jessica Mendoza, their entire Tennis team...

many sports announcers might be primarily assigned to do team X so national games are a supplement contract for games basis.

you will see much of nbc hockey crew go to espn or tbs to do games that aren’t part of core nbc like tirico

 

[jkrdevil]

many sports announcers might be primarily assigned to do team X so national games are a supplement contract for games basis.

you will see much of nbc hockey crew go to espn or tbs to do games that aren’t part of core nbc like tirico

The examples I used were not that (which as you mention are common). A-Rod and Mendoza served as ESPN Sunday Night Baseball analyst while being employed in the front offices of the Yankees and Mets respectively. It was a problem with Mendoza when the Astros garbage can scandal broke out because the Mets had just hired Beltran (who was at the center of the scandal) as manager from Astros and she went on ESPN as an analyst blaming the people who leaked out the cheating scandal.

Many of ESPN’s tennis analysts also serve as active coaches to some of the tour players, which is barely brought up when you watch their coverage of the grand slams.

That’s the type of conflict on interest I was talking about. It would be a similar conflict if Gretzky took an analyst job and kept his Oilers role. That’s different than a broadcast for a local team broadcasting national games as well. They are for the most part removed from the teams themselves. Not being active in the front office.

 

[Djp]

The examples I used were not that (which as you mention are common). A-Rod and Mendoza served as ESPN Sunday Night Baseball analyst while being employed in the front offices of the Yankees and Mets respectively. It was a problem with Mendoza when the Astros garbage can scandal broke out because the Mets had just hired Beltran (who was at the center of the scandal) as manager from Astros and she went on ESPN as an analyst blaming the people who leaked out the cheating scandal.

Many of ESPN’s tennis analysts also serve as active coaches to some of the tour players, which is barely brought up when you watch their coverage of the grand slams.

That’s the type of conflict on interest I was talking about. It would be a similar conflict if Gretzky took an analyst job and kept his Oilers role. That’s different than a broadcast for a local team broadcasting national games as well. They are for the most part removed from the teams themselves. Not being active in the front office.

I don’t see the conflict of interest. Many teams own their own game broadcasts and thus employ thus crew.
There is a difference in player scouting vs PR/business/ marketing

tennis is very different because it’s an individual sport. Many former players become coaches or pro advisors.

 

[majormajor]

That's a bad idea.

If you want a name draw you can still find people with tv personalities. Hire Torts and put him opposite Olbermann.

 

[Gnashville]

Gretzky is way too conservative for ESPN.

 

[generalshepherd141]

The people who suggested Torts for an analyst role are spot-on...I see him as being hockey's best chance at a Charles Barkley-type persona. So I think hiring Torts would be a home run for TNT (I can't see him going to ESPN and mincing his words all the time).

 

[MAHJ71]

That's a bad idea.

If you want a name draw you can still find people with tv personalities. Hire Torts and put him opposite Olbermann.

I really haven't thought about openings, much less a fit for him -- but I think he'll be coaching in some capacity somewhere next season.

 

[golfortennis]

I don’t see the conflict of interest. Many teams own their own game broadcasts and thus employ thus crew.
There is a difference in player scouting vs PR/business/ marketing

tennis is very different because it’s an individual sport. Many former players become coaches or pro advisors.

You don't see the conflict of interest in having someone employed by a particular team on national broadcasts? You don't think there could be an issue with having someone who works for the Capitals and the subject of Tom Wilson comes up?

 

[Voight]

You would think Sportsnet would hire him before letting him become available;lable to the US networks.

 

[golfortennis]

You would think Sportsnet would hire him before letting him become available;lable to the US networks.

Sportsnet has taken such a bath on the NHL deal, I don't know that they want to pay more than minimum wage. A number of their more recent hirings suggests cost is a reason they got their jobs.

 

[Voight]

Sportsnet has taken such a bath on the NHL deal, I don't know that they want to pay more than minimum wage. A number of their more recent hirings suggests cost is a reason they got their jobs.

Extremely valid & correct point

 

[edog37]

That's a bad idea.

If you want a name draw you can still find people with tv personalities. Hire Torts and put him opposite Olbermann.

Torts would be great. Bryan Trottier would also be a huge win.

 

[donghabs98]

That's a bad idea.

If you want a name draw you can still find people with tv personalities. Hire Torts and put him opposite Olbermann.

Torts and Larry Brooks would be must watch TV

 

[Ernie]

I'm looking forward to Ovechkin retiring and joining a broadcast at some point.

I just hope they don't manage to lure Bieksa away.

 

[Bostonzamboni]

Hmmm....in America, I'm not too sure that Gretzky even resonates at all with younger sports fans who aren't hockey fans already.

So maybe no use for ESPN or TNT even having him in hopes of luring a young non-hockey audience, who likely doesn't even know who he is, especially in non NHL cities.

Remember....he hardly had any U.S. network or even ESPN games for much of his early career. When he arrived in LA, NHL was no longer on ESPN. Can't recall when it returned, but at least by 1994, the Rangers won the Cup on ESPN -- but still not network tv!

If one reads the Page Six gossip section in the NY Post, some or most younger people may think, "Oh, he's Paulina's father...right?"