John Bartlett to call Leafs games [Romanuk's Replacement]

[Duke Silver]

I get the nails-on-a-chalkboard feeling when he gets really excited, but I think that's just me, and outside of that, he is really good.

Are you thinking of Todd Crocker?

 

[Duke Silver]

As long as he knows which player is which. I'm content with the hiring.

Don't you know which player is which?

 

[BigBlu]

Are his nasal passages blocked? Ugh.

 

[FlareKnight]

Well fingers crossed he can at least pretend to be excited about the Leafs when handling games. At this point it's just a given none of these major studios can bother hiring someone who likes the team. But at least if this guy can fake it well enough it will do.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Huge step up from Romanuk. That's good enough.

 

[Ratboy]

Sports net should bring Mike Johnson back then their broadcast duo for us will be complete.

But really anyone but Millen would be great.

Johnson is great. He's next in line behind Ferraro IMO.

So Bartlett, this dude is a fan of the enemy. But is he a good PBP guy?

 

[Eb]

Are his nasal passages blocked? Ugh.

Lol.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Johnson is great. He's next in line behind Ferraro IMO.

So Bartlett, this dude is a fan of the enemy. But is he a good PBP guy?

I saw a poster or two say he called Marlies games in the past? May be less of an enemy and more just following the money in a competitive market. Bob Cole is a Habs fan but that didn’t keep him from being unbiased and a great play caller.

 

[Ratboy]

I saw a poster or two say he called Marlies games in the past? May be less of an enemy and more just following the money in a competitive market. Bob Cole is a Habs fan but that didn’t keep him from being unbiased and a great play caller.

You make a fair point, good sir.

 

[CanadasTeam]

He called it...

 

[MattySnipes]

If you subscribe to Leafs TV then you've definitely heard Bartlett in the past. He's actually not bad and pretty good at following the play and not messing up players names the only cringe about him is when he gets really excited. But definitely an upgrade on Romanuk

 

[Goonface2k14]

Hometown Hockey: Bartlett's history in Newmarket - Sportsnet.ca

 

[Walshy7]

Well fingers crossed he can at least pretend to be excited about the Leafs when handling games. At this point it's just a given none of these major studios can bother hiring someone who likes the team. But at least if this guy can fake it well enough it will do.

he was the marlies game caller before he went to the habs I believe.

Its just a job to these guys

 

[lovemyleafs]

Don't you know which player is which?

Well yeah. But its pretty embarrassing when your play by play announcer keeps messing up the players names.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Preview of Bartlett calling a Kadri goal.

 

[leafsrule123]

Hopefully he is a Leaf fan deep down and actually gets excited at plays the Leafs make and doesn’t criticize them

 

[Joey Hoser]

Are you thinking of Todd Crocker?

Yes. I realized that out shortly after posting that.

 

[Cleetus]

Happy with this huge improvement over Romayuck.

 

[pooleboy]

apparently he is a habs fan.... great....

from a canucks fan to a habs fan...

hopefully he does HNIC games over Jim Hughson

 

[Duke Silver]

Well yeah. But its pretty embarrassing when your play by play announcer keeps messing up the players names.

I think people focus way too hard on this.

They forget that the call is being made by naked eye from the press box, not in perfect HD on a 60" television. Of course the viewer is going to have an easier time identifying players. It's literally about perspective.

 

[Liminality]

apparently he is a habs fan.... great....

from a canucks fan to a habs fan...

hopefully he does HNIC games over Jim Hughson

Did pretty well when he was broadcasting for the Marlies. Don't think he'll be showing bias or anything.

 

[Oscar Peterson]

I think people focus way too hard on this.

They forget that the call is being made by naked eye from the press box, not in perfect HD on a 60" television. Of course the viewer is going to have an easier time identifying players. It's literally about perspective.

But not only did Romanuk confuse two players with each other a lot more often than any other commentator I've ever heard, he also would just straight up get names wrong consistently and often. Michael Nylander, John Van Riemsdyk, James Nieuwendyk, etc and that has nothing to do with perspective. Not to mention no matter your angle, it's not hard to see which way a player shoots, and for someone who covered Leafs games for a few years that should have been ample time to learn that Kadri shoots left and Bozak shoots right, yet he almost always confused these two players. Posters here who obsess over hockey obviously aren't relying on the commentator to know who is who, but Romanuk was very confusing to someone like my dad who doesn't watch hockey obsessively enough to memorise player numbers, etc. And I'm sure that there are many casual fans in a similar boat.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

But not only did Romanuk confuse two players with each other a lot more often than any other commentator I've ever heard, he also would just straight up get names wrong consistently and often. Michael Nylander, John Van Riemsdyk, James Nieuwendyk, etc and that has nothing to do with perspective. Not to mention no matter your angle, it's not hard to see which way a player shoots, and for someone who covered Leafs games for a few years that should have been ample time to learn that Kadri shoots left and Bozak shoots right, yet he almost always confused these two players. Posters here who obsess over hockey obviously aren't relying on the commentator to know who is who, but Romanuk was very confusing to someone like my dad who doesn't watch hockey obsessively enough to memorise player numbers, etc. And I'm sure that there are many casual fans in a similar boat.

Romanuks "Romanuk-isms" were also annoying, weird, and just plain cringe worthy. "Holy Snapping Eyeballs," "Eyes like a panther," "Shooting," "Serpentines through the middle," etc. He was just bad at what he did.

 

[Oscar Peterson]

Romanuks "Romanuk-isms" were also annoying, weird, and just plain cringe worthy. "Holy Snapping Eyeballs," "Eyes like a panther," "Shooting," "Serpentines through the middle," etc. He was just bad at what he did.

Full agreement from me.
I'm happy with this change haha

 

[Cor]

apparently he is a habs fan.... great....

from a canucks fan to a habs fan...

hopefully he does HNIC games over Jim Hughson

Bartlett used to call Marlies games. He’s very good