George Strombolopolous Host for HNIC Next Year

[dreamingofdrouin*]

World's gotta change....keeping maclean and cherry on for coach's corner is a nice turn the page slowly idea though.....but we all knew this day would come. As a habs fan...ya the leaf homers are annoying sometimes, but they speak with the same pride and enthusiasm about canadian hockey as well and as a canadian saturday nights have and will always be something special....good luck mr. stromub......george. and hope to see ron and don for as long as we can.

 

[sandysan]

Recently have seen Cherry pimping a plastic lip that would make the boards less hurtful on impact. He's also shown instances of players sustaining injuries to their faces, especially their mouths based on someone getting plastered against the current board configuration. The only thing is, he was also giving free publicity to whoever is manufacturing the product and didn't say whether or not he had an interest in the venture. Seems to me a disclaimer should have been provided. I don't remember him making one, so if he didn't ... that kind of kills off his message, even if the intent is laudable.

So you are saying that he HAS a financial interest in lipless boards? I wonder how much his investment in stop patches ( the ones he funded) netted him?

I think lip less boards deserve consideration even if they are called "Don cherry style boards" and have holograms if blue on them.

 

[Shadow Journal]

MacLean= ref and 30 year host
Grapes = ahl player, nhl coach
Hockey icon
Stock= former hab/bruin dresses poorly and is a fountain of bad ideas

Stromboli = talk show host, hockey fan.


One if these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong. strombo said he's going to approach the show as a fan, this ain't local sports talk radio.

And do people really bristle at people calling strombo a hipster?

N.B. I said nothing about the merits of any of those people, I simply made light of the fact that according to that poster they meet some definition of a "real man."

 

[sandysan]

N.B. I said nothing about the merits of any of those people, I simply made light of the fact that according to that poster they meet some definition of a "real man."

Would you have complained if it were "real hockey men"? and again do you think this is the first time strombo has been described as a hipster?

if you want celebrities who deem themselves to be more of a show than the game itself, let me present Dennis miller and the NFL. Howd that work out?

 

[Shadow Journal]

Would you have complained if it were "real hockey men"? and again do you think this is the first time strombo has been described as a hipster?

if you want celebrities who deem themselves to be more of a show than the game itself, let me present Dennis miller and the NFL. Howd that work out?

1. I wasn't complaining, I was laughing at the absurdity.
2. "Real hockey men" and "real men" are two very different statements, and therefore I would have had a very different reaction.
3. No, I don't think it's the first time he has been described as a hipster. He meets some of the most popular criteria for what people consider to be a hipster so it makes perfect sense to call him one. If you thought I was bothered by the categorization of George as a hipster then you definitely read wrong. I simply pointed out that it's largely arbitrary, and is a ridiculous thing to use as an insult. It's usually just a broad term to dismiss people of a certain age and with a particular fashion sense (and apparently taste in food/dietary choices? Are all hipsters vegetarians? Are all vegetarians hipsters?)
4. I think Strombo is a great choice for the HNIC, although merit wasn't what I was talking about at all in any of my posts (which I'd suggest you read over again; they are very clear, which makes your apparent trouble reading them puzzling).

Edit: I suppose it's possible your comprehension issues are due to English not being your first language. If that is the case I apologize.

 

[sandysan]

1. I wasn't complaining, I was laughing at the absurdity.
2. "Real hockey men" and "real men" are two very different statements, and therefore I would have had a very different reaction.
3. No, I don't think it's the first time he has been described as a hipster. He meets some of the most popular criteria for what people consider to be a hipster so it makes perfect sense to call him one. If you thought I was bothered by the categorization of George as a hipster then you definitely read wrong. I simply pointed out that it's largely arbitrary, and is a ridiculous thing to use as an insult. It's usually just a broad term to dismiss people of a certain age and with a particular fashion sense (and apparently taste in food/dietary choices? Are all hipsters vegetarians? Are all vegetarians hipsters?)
4. I think Strombo is a great choice for the HNIC, although merit wasn't what I was talking about at all in any of my posts (which I'd suggest you read over again; they are very clear, which makes your apparent trouble reading them puzzling).

Edit: I suppose it's possible your comprehension issues are due to English not being your first language. If that is the case I apologize.

English is my mother tongue. And who precisely introduced the notion of real men? It was you, no?

And you seemed to take offense at kimoda implying he didn't want to hear about tofu, then go on a rant about the amorphous definition of hipster then come to admit that strombo probably is a hipster. What's your beef again?

The Dennis Miller comparison is apt ( although strombo won't be in the booth). He was popular, had a failed talk show that I completely forgot about, and tried to pass off the "passionate layman" while his analysis was largely bad jokes or pubs then people realized that as much of a fan as he proclaimed himself to be there was really little value in hearing what miller thought about the NFL as a failed comic and talk show host.

 

[Shadow Journal]

English is my mother tongue. And who precisely introduced the notion of real men? It was you, no?

I guess the youngish hipsters will like this.

Let the real men cover sports.

And you seemed to take offense at kimoda implying he didn't want to hear about tofu, then go on a rant about the amorphous definition of hipster then come to admit that strombo probably is a hipster. What's your beef again?

Haha, brilliant. So just to be clear: Ron MacLean, Don Cherry, PJ Stock, etc. are "real" men, and George Strombolopolous and anyone who meets your arbitrary definition of a hipster (which possibly includes eating "toffu") aren't.
You, my good friend, are hilarious; I'm hoping intentionally, but guessing not.

This is the "rant" about the definition of hipster you're referring to (based on your timeline of the conversation). See why I'm questioning your reading comprehension? It's not difficult to see based on both context and content that I wasn't offended, and a section of a sentence that correctly points out that the definition of hipster is arbitrary hardly qualifies as a "rant about the amorphous definition of hipster." I actually flat out said that it was hilarious in the very next sentence.
Additionally, kimoda didn't imply anything, they explicitly said they didn't want to hear about tofu. That's not offensive, it's hilarious because it's absurd.

To be clear very clear: I have no beef, I was pointing out how hilarious (again, either intentionally or unintentionally) kimoda's posts were.

 

[Shadow Journal]

The Dennis Miller comparison is apt ( although strombo won't be in the booth). He was popular, had a failed talk show that I completely forgot about, and tried to pass off the "passionate layman" while his analysis was largely bad jokes or pubs then people realized that as much of a fan as he proclaimed himself to be there was really little value in hearing what miller thought about the NFL as a failed comic and talk show host.

I don't watch football so I can't really comment on the comparison. It should be noted though that Strombo has had a successful talk show for 10 years now, and has a ton of additional broadcast experience on his resume. It's not like they're plucking some random celebrity, who was successful in another field and happens to be a fan of the sport, and dropping them into HNIC; they're hiring a guy who has relevant experience and appeals to a younger crowd.

 

[sandysan]

This is the "rant" about the definition of hipster you're referring to (based on your timeline of the conversation). See why I'm questioning your reading comprehension? It's not difficult to see based on both context and content that I wasn't offended, and a section of a sentence that correctly points out that the definition of hipster is arbitrary hardly qualifies as a "rant about the amorphous definition of hipster." I actually flat out said that it was hilarious in the very next sentence.
Additionally, kimoda didn't imply anything, they explicitly said they didn't want to hear about tofu. That's not offensive, it's hilarious because it's absurd.

To be clear very clear: I have no beef, I was pointing out how hilarious (again, either intentionally or unintentionally) kimoda's posts were.

Some posts must not be making it through, the post after tofu and hipster is yours invoking "real men" and further invoking the names of real hockey people. If this appears before, I don't see it. If you want to interpret the words of someone else, Devine what they mean and then comment on the hilarity of it, good luck with that

 

[sandysan]

I don't watch football so I can't really comment on the comparison. It should be noted though that Strombo has had a successful talk show for 10 years now, and has a ton of additional broadcast experience on his resume. It's not like they're plucking some random celebrity, who was successful in another field and happens to be a fan of the sport, and dropping them into HNIC; they hiring a guy who has relevant experience and appeals to a younger crowd.

Dennis miller has spent as much time (on snl, his failed talk show, I think several failed sitcoms and now as a professional Obama hater on O'Reilly) as strombo.

if being good in front of a camera and liking hockey is the bar, john buccigross is as good if not better, you think that ship sails? I'm not young enough to not recall when a new broadcast network tried to appeal to the younger crowd, not pretty.

 

[Runner77]

So you are saying that he HAS a financial interest in lipless boards? I wonder how much his investment in stop patches ( the ones he funded) netted him?

I think lip less boards deserve consideration even if they are called "Don cherry style boards" and have holograms if blue on them.

I agree about the enhanced safety the lipless boards provide. I don't know whether Cherry has an interest, I'm merely suggesting he should have mentioned it either way.

 

[Shadow Journal]

Dennis miller has spent as much time (on snl, his failed talk show, I think several failed sitcoms and now as a professional Obama hater on O'Reilly) as strombo.

Meh. Different kinds of experience, Strombo has experience as a host of a serious program, according to you Miller failed at his only hosting job (the talk show).

if being good in front of a camera and liking hockey is the bar, john buccigross is as good if not better, you think that ship sails? I'm not young enough to not recall when a new broadcast network tried to appeal to the younger crowd, not pretty.

I wasn't saying that's the bar, I was saying that's what George brings. Appealing to a younger audience is important for advertising, not something I actually care about but one of the many reasons they've picked George.

Out of curiosity, what is it you think will happen: how exactly do you think he's going to fail? Do you think he'll be fired before the end of the contract? Are you a fan of Ron MacLean, or would you rather they hire someone new?

 

[sventington]

Hipster is a dumb word used by lazy people.

Anyhow, I have mixed feelings about this. George seems like a nice guy, and I'm sure he will bring a lot of enthusiasm and passion to the show, but for some reason I have never really enjoyed his interviewing style. I think he is just too ******* cheery for me, haha.

 

[le_sean]

Dennis Miller? Please. Comparing Dennis Miller to Strombo is a joke. The man is a comedian that appeals solely to an elitist audience that has nothing better to do with their time but memorize characters from classic literature and read the Wall Street journal just for fun. Miller tries to shove obscure academic references down our throats and sell it as funny.

George incites intelligent discussions in his interviews and his research is top notch. You can partially contribute that to his writing team now, but it's always been that way for him since MuchMusic. He's much more charismatic than anyone currently on Canadian TV.

 

[MarkovtoSubban]

Dennis Miller? Please. Comparing Dennis Miller to Strombo is a joke. The man is a comedian that appeals solely to an elitist audience that has nothing better to do with their time but memorize characters from classic literature and read the Wall Street journal just for fun. Miller tries to shove obscure academic references down our throats and sell it as funny.

George incites intelligent discussions in his interviews and his research is top notch. You can partially contribute that to his writing team now, but it's always been that way for him since MuchMusic. He's much more charismatic than anyone currently on Canadian TV.

How's he going to do that with dumb hockey players though?

Should see lots more of Subban at least.

 

[sandysan]

Dennis Miller? Please. Comparing Dennis Miller to Strombo is a joke. The man is a comedian that appeals solely to an elitist audience that has nothing better to do with their time but memorize characters from classic literature and read the Wall Street journal just for fun. Miller tries to shove obscure academic references down our throats and sell it as funny.

George incites intelligent discussions in his interviews and his research is top notch. You can partially contribute that to his writing team now, but it's always been that way for him since MuchMusic. He's much more charismatic than anyone currently on Canadian TV.

Why is it a joke ? He had a talk show where he interviews people ( it did fail but so did Strombo on CNN), he's likely more recognizable as a celebrity than Strombo is, and he's currently an anti-obama shill on fox news. A novice at being in front of the camera and offering his opinion, he is not.

He tried to ride the " I'm just a fan of the game" as analyst. An outsider willing to, presumably say what those in the establishment would not. willing to " hip" it up to try to appeal to a new demographic. It was an abysmal failure. ABYSMAL.

And i'm not talking about Strombo's interview skills, my understanding is that they are moot. From his description he's NOT going to be interviewing anyone, he's going to be the host doing what MacLean did. how many interviews did MacLean do precisely ?

If his role is to oversee the analysts ( as MacLean did) what happens when he tries to reign one of them in ( like stock) who goes over the line ? You think that PJ stock is going to genuflect to someone with LESS ( and by this I mean no) experience in the game because he's a former VJ and does good interviews ?

Some of the writers who were on hot stove were already being dismissed by the players, and they all had WAY more experience being around the game than strombo.

If they wanted it to be the same, they would have kept MacLean. They didnt. They signed a celebrity in the express intent of getting new fans to the game. If I really cared what individual fans thought of the game, HFboards would be a godsend. Its not.

just like the NFL, the audience is going to very quickly come to the realization of " Why should I give a crap what some celebrity thinks about the game " ?

There's a reason why all sports generally use former players/coaches ( of different talents) as analysts. Because they have the specific experiences that might give them unique insights into the game ( even if they are not so good at communicating them). What does Strombo bring aside from his good interview skills that he likely wont ever get to use ? how is the comparison to miller a joke ? they are in the exact same boat.

 

[le_sean]

How's he going to do that with dumb hockey players though?

Should see lots more of Subban at least.

There's a panel that he leads on HNIC.

 

[Joe Cole]

Without question, the high water mark for hockey broadcasting is TSN. They have great play by play, great color, good studio host, great insiders and a cast of decent ex-pros that can actually turn opinions into sentences.

I am fine with Strombo. He brings a fresh edge to hockey broadcasting. But bringing along the chumps from Maclean and Cherry is a bad sign for me.

Cherry, Healey, Bob Cole, Pedneault, Michel Bergeron, Langdeau, Gaston Therrien.... these are the type of broadcasters I could lie a happy life if I never heard from again.

 

[Habs]

Without question, the high water mark for hockey broadcasting is TSN. They have great play by play, great color, good studio host, great insiders and a cast of decent ex-pros that can actually turn opinions into sentences.

I am fine with Strombo. He brings a fresh edge to hockey broadcasting. But bringing along the chumps from Maclean and Cherry is a bad sign for me.

Cherry, Healey, Bob Cole, Pedneault, Michel Bergeron, Langdeau, Gaston Therrien.... these are the type of broadcasters I could lie a happy life if I never heard from again.

Just wait to until the bozos from Sportsnet like Mallard, Kypreos etc are flooding your screen every broadcast....

 

[le_sean]

Why is it a joke ? He had a talk show where he interviews people ( it did fail but so did Strombo on CNN), he's likely more recognizable as a celebrity than Strombo is, and he's currently an anti-obama shill on fox news. A novice at being in front of the camera and offering his opinion, he is not.

He tried to ride the " I'm just a fan of the game" as analyst. An outsider willing to, presumably say what those in the establishment would not. willing to " hip" it up to try to appeal to a new demographic. It was an abysmal failure. ABYSMAL.

And i'm not talking about Strombo's interview skills, my understanding is that they are moot. From his description he's NOT going to be interviewing anyone, he's going to be the host doing what MacLean did. how many interviews did MacLean do precisely ?

If his role is to oversee the analysts ( as MacLean did) what happens when he tries to reign one of them in ( like stock) who goes over the line ? You think that PJ stock is going to genuflect to someone with LESS ( and by this I mean no) experience in the game because he's a former VJ and does good interviews ?

Some of the writers who were on hot stove were already being dismissed by the players, and they all had WAY more experience being around the game than strombo.

If they wanted it to be the same, they would have kept MacLean. They didnt. They signed a celebrity in the express intent of getting new fans to the game. If I really cared what individual fans thought of the game, HFboards would be a godsend. Its not.

just like the NFL, the audience is going to very quickly come to the realization of " Why should I give a crap what some celebrity thinks about the game " ?

There's a reason why all sports generally use former players/coaches ( of different talents) as analysts. Because they have the specific experiences that might give them unique insights into the game ( even if they are not so good at communicating them). What does Strombo bring aside from his good interview skills that he likely wont ever get to use ? how is the comparison to miller a joke ? they are in the exact same boat.

Dennis Miller is a satirist. I don't think they are comparable at all. The most similar TV personality in Canada to Dennis Miller is probably Rick Mercer, but even he panders to all types of crowds.

Ron is a celebrity too. Why do we just take his opinion seriously? Because he was a minor hockey ref? He had zero credibility in the world of hockey before he started. Christ, he was a weatherman before that.

Ron doesn't do anything when the panel gets "out of line". He provides a vanilla counter argument. The only thing Ron was ever good at was interviewing Bettman, and even those have become meaningless. George is incredible at thinking on his feet and letting conversation flow. He lets topics develop on their own and adds relevant insight.

It's also sad just how obviously in love Ron is with PJ Stock. George will call that little clown out on his bs.

 

[sandysan]

It's also sad just how obviously in love Ron is with PJ Stock. George will call that little clown out on his bs.

And stock will go all Andy Sutton on George the neophyte. what could George's response be ?

Dennis miller might have been a satirist at one point, he certainly is not one now or even recently. He's no colbert or even Stewart. Id say he is first, and foremost, a comedian whose schtick is (or was) akin to Bill Maher's ( with the opposite spin). Maher is pure entertainment, but no one cares what his position on world affairs are because he's not there for insight, he's there to entertain.

If NHiC want to follow the same path, style over substance, my guess is that this does not go over so well ( although I hope I am mistaken).

 

[gunnerdom]

Again because I guess it's not getting through. George started his carreer in SPORTS JOURNALISM.

So yes, he is talk show host, a radio host, was a VJ, and a sports journalist. It's not like they took a electrician off the street and game him a job at HNIC.

 

[sandysan]

Again because I guess it's not getting through. George started his carreer in SPORTS JOURNALISM.

So yes, he is talk show host, a radio host, was a VJ, and a sports journalist. It's not like they took a electrician off the street and game him a job at HNIC.

and being a host requires a very different set of skills than being a journalist.

You think we see players sitting on the red couches as he asks them which Rush track is their favorite ?

And his " sports journalism" experience is a regional sports radio network. You think a guy like tony Marinaro is qualified to br the face of HNiC ? I sure as hell dont.

Listen, I like Strombo and think that he IS skilled at what he does.
The question is whether these skills transfer to being a host of a sport he has only ever approached as a fan. If he was given a hockey interview show, I think everyone is on board but that's not the role that has been described.

if he IS going to use his specific skill set, the HNiC is going to undergo a fundamental change to accomodate it. this could be good or it could be a train wreck.

 

[Gary320]

and being a host requires a very different set of skills than being a journalist.

You think we see players sitting on the red couches as he asks them which Rush track is their favorite ?

And his " sports journalism" experience is a regional sports radio network. You think a guy like tony Marinaro is qualified to br the face of HNiC ? I sure as hell dont.

Listen, I like Strombo and think that he IS skilled at what he does.
The question is whether these skills transfer to being a host of a sport he has only ever approached as a fan. If he was given a hockey interview show, I think everyone is on board but that's not the role that has been described.

if he IS going to use his specific skill set, the HNiC is going to undergo a fundamental change to accomodate it. this could be good or it could be a train wreck.

How do you feel about Michael Landsberg? Probably one of the best at his jobs and a pretty smart guy when it comes to all sports.

He's not an analyst. He's a host. Remember that. His job is to bring up topics, control the show on air, sometimes voice his opinion, be entertaining.
He's not really there to state how he feels about a specific issue. He's there to bring up that specific issue.
Similar to Pierre Houde, Landsberg, Duthie... etc. Guys who have never participated in the game professionally.

Strombo is great at his job and the fact that he has a passion for the game is good enough for me. Wish him the best of luck. It will be refreshing to NOT see Maclean as much anymore.

 

[Brainiac]

How's he going to do that with dumb hockey players though?

Should see lots more of Subban at least.

I always thought that hockey players look dumb because journalists usually ask stupid questions, most often with the answer already contained in said question:

"The game didn't go as you guys planned tonight?"

"After that 4th goal, it was probably hard for you guys to come back in the game?"

"You scored 3 goals tonight, will it help your confidance going forward?"

etc etc etc.

I mean, what are you supposed to answer to that?

Of course some of the guys are not very sharp, but give them a break and ask some real questions.

Stombo should be good in that regard. His research is always top notch and he knows how to hold an interview, make people confortable, have a good discussion.