Honestly...What Do We Think of Jack Edwards?

[jgatie]

I bought a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta from Dave Shea during the lockout - it had a good radio

I'll never forget Dave's condescending, down the nose attitude about fighting. He had some clue of what the fans wanted, so he didn't outright call it stupid, but he often said something smarmy like "Well, boys will be boys" when a brawl broke out.

 

[JOKER 192]

To be honest, I rarely think of Jack Edwards.

 

[sarge88]

I'll never forget Dave's condescending, down the nose attitude about fighting. He had some clue of what the fans wanted, so he didn't outright call it stupid, but he often said something smarmy like "Well, boys will be boys" when a brawl broke out.

Google the Brawl in the Hall from 1987 and pay attention to just how terrible Shea was during it.

Absolutely brutal!

I watch it from time to time when I’m killing time watching hockey fights or Bruins videos in YouTube and I find myself getting angry because he just won’t shut up.

 

[GordonHowe]

75% of the time I watch the games delayed on DVR, so that doesn’t work.

Also, there's a delay, which means syncing the pbp with the television feed often doesn't work.

I tried this when Dale was calling the NESN games.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I find the “he’s an idiot, but he’s OUR IDIOT” posts to be rather curious.

Almost like there’s people who damn well know he is bad, but don’t care to straight up admit it and confess it’s a little bit embarrassing.

 

[GordonHowe]

Google the Brawl in the Hall from 1987 and pay attention to just how terrible Shea was during it.

Absolutely brutal!

I watch it from time to time when I’m killing time watching hockey fights or Bruins videos in YouTube and I find myself getting angry because he just won’t shut up.

I just watched it again. I understand that many never cared for Dave Shea, but don't believe he was particularly bad on this occasion. Fred didn't say a peep, save "Where's O'Reilly?"

As for Jack, I like him, for all the Bruins-centric, homer reasons mentioned elsewhere in this thread. As noted, be glad we don't have Johnny Most.

PS I don't think he's trying to make it the Jack Edwards show, either. He's a smart fellow, and he knows what Bruins fans respond to and like. To the degree he pisses off other fan bases, especially the Canadian ones, that's fine with me, too.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I find the “he’s an idiot, but he’s OUR IDIOT” posts to be rather curious.

Almost like there’s people who damn well know he is bad, but don’t care to straight up admit it and confess it’s a little bit embarrassing.

Its a national phenomenon.

 

[sarge88]

I just watched it again. I understand that many never cared for Dave Shea, but don't believe he was particularly bad on this occasion. Fred didn't say a peep, save "Where's O'Reilly?"

As for Jack, I like him, for all the Bruins-centric, homer reasons mentioned elsewhere in this thread. As noted, be glad we don't have Johnny Most.

PS I don't think he's trying to make it the Jack Edwards show, either. He's a smart fellow, and he knows what Bruins fans respond to and like. To the degree he pisses off other fan bases, especially the Canadian ones, that's fine with me, too.

I just watched again....maybe it’s my disdain for him in general, but every word Shea said that night, was just dumb or annoyed me.

As an aside...Kevin Collins would have loved officiating in today’s NHL....nobody seemed to be more intent on preventing fights than him.

 

[Aeroforce]

Like others, I used to like Jack Edwards, but don't care as much for his shtick these days. I thought it was just me getting older, but since I'm not the only one, maybe not?

Two examples from this year that perturbed me: First, toward the end of the recent victory in Montreal, Jack was mocking Habs fans as they were leaving. Now if it were obnoxious fans getting their comeuppance, maybe. But these were adult fans leaving a weeknight game that was already decided, in the waning minutes. The only thing worse than a sore loser is a sore winner, and Jack's banter came off as classless, unprofessional, and extremely childish.

Maybe when there was more truculence in the games, Jack's abrasive act went over better than it does in today's 'kinder, gentler NHL?'

Secondly, while I do appreciate Jack trying to make boring games more exciting, his constant ball-washing of the Nashville crowd every time they went into a minor-league-inspired chant during a 1-0 snoozefest, was lame.

 

[jgatie]

Jerry Remy once said that a broadcaster has to know that a home run in a 7-1 game against Kansas City in May is different from a home run in the 9th inning to win the World Series. Calling the former like the latter is not "making a boring game more exciting". If the game is boring, it's boring, and the announcer acting like he has some sort of control over that sounds like a fool.

Jack is a fool for just this reason.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Jerry Remy once said that a broadcaster has to know that a home run in a 7-1 game against Kansas City in May is different from a home run in the 9th inning to win the World Series. Calling the former like the latter is not "making a boring game more exciting". If the game is boring, it's boring, and the announcer acting like he has some sort of control over that sounds like a fool.

Jack is a fool for just this reason.

Edwards is an idiot, but I’m still not sure as to whether the “how’s your entertainment factor?!?!” shtick is him being an idiot or NESN really staying on Brick and him to act like things are happening when they’re not.

Some of the self-promotion/propaganda NESN does is insulting to educated fans. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of that is pushed onto Jack.

 

[LSCII]

Edwards is an idiot, but I’m still not sure as to whether the “how’s your entertainment factor?!?!” shtick is him being an idiot or NESN really staying on Brick and him to act like things are happening when they’re not.

Some of the self-promotion/propaganda NESN does is insulting to educated fans. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of that is pushed onto Jack.

True story. I also feel like a lot of the stuff they say is being dictated by the organization.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

Weak poll. Binary choice doesn’t capture people’s feelings about Jack.

I love the guy. He could use a “tv-worthy” set of fake choppers, but as for his PxP, love him. I love Rick Jeannette, too, so take that for what it’s worth, but love Jack’s quirky homerism. He bleeds black and gold.

 

[Gator Mike]

I think sports are supposed to be fun, and Jack makes me laugh.

 

[Fenway]

I think sports are supposed to be fun, and Jack makes me laugh.

Bob Wilson was a master at that

In his perch in the press box in Montreal, Bob Wilson, the longtime radio voice of the Bruins, led listeners through his pregame setup. It was a potential series clincher for the Habs. With almost a stand-up comic's refined delivery, The Voice fired off the names of Montreal's hot scorers. Based on Wilson's frustrated tone and, the French names rolling from his tongue in near perfect accent, another end was upon his beloved B's.

"That rounds out the Montreal attack," boomed Wilson, segueing directly out of the roll call of Canadiens scorers. "And who do the Bruins counter with, but Lyndon Byers . . . who couldn't put the puck in the ocean if he was standing at the end of the dock!"

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Edwards is an idiot, but I’m still not sure as to whether the “how’s your entertainment factor?!?!” shtick is him being an idiot or NESN really staying on Brick and him to act like things are happening when they’re not.

Some of the self-promotion/propaganda NESN does is insulting to educated fans. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of that is pushed onto Jack.

The number of times this season (not very entertaining across the league) he has talked about the game being so EXCITING is hurting my brain.

 

[crimsonace]

Jack has a background in theatre. He understands it's a show and it *is* entertainment and makes the game a performance. He's also a lifelong Bruins fan and wears his heart on his sleeve. There is pure passion for the game and for the Bruins in his call. That obviously will turn some off, but endear him to most, especially given it's a local broadcast.

One thing I appreciate about Jack is you can tell he's having fun on the air. He goes over the top sometimes (often in Bruins-Habs games) but he's enjoying himself and you can feel the pure energy in his broadcast.

Some of us may enjoy that more than others, but fundamentally, Jack is a really solid play-by-play broadcaster. He's on the play, perfect amount of description for a TV broadcast, he and Brick have great on-air chemistry and they complement each other well. His preparation is insanely detailed. With Brick's insightfulness and Jack's ability to tee him up, I feel like I learn something about the game when watching the B's.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

Jack has a background in theatre. He understands it's a show and it *is* entertainment and makes the game a performance. He's also a lifelong Bruins fan and wears his heart on his sleeve. There is pure passion for the game and for the Bruins in his call. That obviously will turn some off, but endear him to most, especially given it's a local broadcast.

One thing I appreciate about Jack is you can tell he's having fun on the air. He goes over the top sometimes (often in Bruins-Habs games) but he's enjoying himself and you can feel the pure energy in his broadcast.

Some of us may enjoy that more than others, but fundamentally, Jack is a really solid play-by-play broadcaster. He's on the play, perfect amount of description for a TV broadcast, he and Brick have great on-air chemistry and they complement each other well. His preparation is insanely detailed. With Brick's insightfulness and Jack's ability to tee him up, I feel like I learn something about the game when watching the B's.

I couldn’t disagree with you more that he has the perfect amount of description for TV. He tells us everything we see. So much that he falls behind the play and will be describing something that happened 15 seconds ago. He is doing a radio broadcast on TV

 

[jgatie]

I couldn’t disagree with you more that he has the perfect amount of description for TV. He tells us everything we see. So much that he falls behind the play and will be describing something that happened 15 seconds ago. He is doing a radio broadcast on TV

Exactly. Why in the Wide Wide World of Sports do I need to know the number of icings that have occurred? Outside of having no icings in the game late in the third, or 10 icings in the first 2 minutes of the first, what the f*** does "And the Bruins have iced the puck for the seventh time this game" really tell me?

 

[crimsonace]

Give me bruins former radio play by play guy Dave Goucher who does tv play by play for Vegas golden knights over Jack Edwards any day.

I often pull up a late game on NHL.tv to watch as I'm winding down for the night. I used to watch a ton of Kings games to listen to Bob Miller. Now, it's *always* Vegas if they're playing. Dave is a fantastic broadcaster and IMO the best in the league, especially at describing the play. He's transitioned well to TV.

 

[Glove Malfunction]

When Jack calls the game, he's among the best in the game. His preparation is top notch, and he always knows the opposing players names and their important (or at least interesting) stats. It's when he goes off on a rant that he loses me. He's a homer, but so are 90% of teams' broadcasters. I don't think that's a thing to rip on him for.

 

[Mathews28]

Don’t like him and find him to be embarrassing. I get some like him, that’s fine. I never really have, he’s like a bad sideshow. Brick is great and the pre, post and between period guys are top notch.

 

[crimsonace]

Exactly. Why in the Wide Wide World of Sports do I need to know the number of icings that have occurred? Outside of having no icings in the game late in the third, or 10 icings in the first 2 minutes of the first, what the **** does "And the Bruins have iced the puck for the seventh time this game" really tell me?

Because of the fact that a team cannot substitute on icings, there is a penalty for doing so and so there's some significance. It can indicate a team needing to bail the puck out of its defensive zone a lot. Montreal's go-ahead goal in Game 7 in 2014 was directly after an icing. That might be a case of over-preparing, but there are moments where that's useful in context. There are a few times when I've been in the booth and referenced it if there have been several in a row and it's keeping tired lines on the ice/allowing the visiting team to dictate matchups.

 

[jgatie]

Because of the fact that a team cannot substitute on icings, there is a penalty for doing so and so there's some significance. It can indicate a team needing to bail the puck out of its defensive zone a lot. Montreal's go-ahead goal in Game 7 in 2014 was directly after an icing. That might be a case of over-preparing, but there are moments where that's useful in context. There are a few times when I've been in the booth and referenced it if there have been several in a row and it's keeping tired lines on the ice/allowing the visiting team to dictate matchups.

I don't care what anyone says, telling me how many icings there have been, without any context, is completely useless. Yeah, tell me if there are 3 in a row without a change, but I don't need to know it is the 11th one of the game. Jack tells us the count for every icing there is and that's nothing but stupid.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Exactly. Why in the Wide Wide World of Sports do I need to know the number of icings that have occurred? Outside of having no icings in the game late in the third, or 10 icings in the first 2 minutes of the first, what the **** does "And the Bruins have iced the puck for the seventh time this game" really tell me?

because if 1 team is icing the puck more, 9/10 times that means that team is getting dominated in zone time and in the game.

more icings = more o-zone faceoffs + tired opponents and more scoring chances.