News Article: NESN is not traveling with the Bruins, and Jack Edwards is frustrated

[The National]

How would NBC Sports Boston handle Bruins and Celtics conflicts? Would they do an NBCS Plus channel as NESN does with Bruins and Red Sox conflicts?

Oh yeah good point forgot about that.

 

[chizzler]

I guess Werner is the smart guy in the room. Didn’t learn from the Orsillo fiasco.

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

How would NBC Sports Boston handle Bruins and Celtics conflicts? Would they do an NBCS Plus channel as NESN does with Bruins and Red Sox conflicts?

Simple, Show the Bruins

 

[smithformeragent]

Give them to NBCS Boston

It’s free money for the Jacobs’ coffers school month just for their cool 20% ownership stake in NESN.

No chance, no dance they give that golden goose up.

 

[Saxon Eric]

WSBK TV

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

Give them to NBCS Boston

I wish but they have the Celtics so not sure if they have a secondary channel/station

 

[MrMars]

How would NBC Sports Boston handle Bruins and Celtics conflicts? Would they do an NBCS Plus channel as NESN does with Bruins and Red Sox conflicts?

Almost certainly not happening but if it did they would set up a plus feed. All the other NBC Sports RSNs have both a NHL & NBA team and just bump one to the plus feed.

Exception is the Bay Area, NBC has 2 RSN channels there since they are 2 MLB teams so the Sharks and Warriors are on different channels.

I think there is a half way decent chance NESN may actually end up being yanked. Comcast did a test run in Denver pulling the Avs/Nuggets RSN (Altitude) a couple seasons ago and apparently were happy with the results. They also dumped MSG (Rangers/Islanders/Devils/Knicks) in CT/NJ. Cable companies are losing TV customers in droves and right now are blaming the high cost of the RSNs are one of the major reasons.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Been watching the away broadcasts since I can't stand the product with Jack and Brick not being in person. Man, do some of the other team broadcasts run circles around NESN. The Kraken broadcast, for example, is miles more professional and overall better than what NESN is doing. Same with many others. Sounds like last night was a cluster to the point of being comical. It stinks such a great organization with a widespread fan base around the US and Canada cannot get a better product.

The Seattle crew is one of the best around. Vegas is good too, boosted of course by Goucher. I find all the various Bally Sports broadcasts do a pretty good job. None of their presentations are particularly fancy or high-tech, just good solid production, decent on-air talent and adding enough color and local touch to individualize each broadcast to each team and its fanbase.

NESN at present looks so second-rate compared to all of these that they should be ashamed. They have a big market and a sporting mad audience, and this is the sort of stuff they pump out. You sense it's almost at that point where the whole thing needs to be blown up and replaced by something new.

 

[Fenway]

Fenway posted in the game day thread I think that there is an upcoming rates battle coming between Xfinity and NESN. NESN wants 25% increase I think he said? How can they justify that with the obvious cost savings they are doing with road games. Dish and Youtube TV have dropped NESN because of the rates NESN was forcing on them. I read an article that Dish said that they dropped it because the RSN model is broken as it forces all subsribers to pay while it is only a small part of the subscriber base that watches an RSN. If another major carrier like Xfinity joins in and drops them then you would think that something has to give with the NESN RSN business model.

Xfinity/Comcast have been fighting for a year over 4K.

The core issue is Werner wants NESN to break even with commercials and infomercials and subscriber fees go directly to FSG 80% and Jacobs 20%.

College hockey they do on the cheap using arena scoreboard cameras.

I think we will see a NESN app that costs $15-20 a month sooner than later. I wouldn't be shocked if NESN rebranded as Bally given that Bally is based in Rhode Island.

Casinos & Resorts | Bally's Corporation

 

[missingchicklet]

John Forslund is tier 1.

Jack seemed way off last night. Got confused as to whether or not the first Kraken goal was a shortie.

Can’t imagine how difficult/frustrating it must be trying to do that job without being in the barn. Only comparison I can draw is trying to teach last year via remote.

Like trying to fight a heavyweight bout with one arm tied behind your back.

For sure it has to be frustrating and hard to call a game like Jack and Brick do on road games, especially given that they are professionals who have spent their careers doing things at a certain standard that is no longer there. I might be one of the few Bs fans who still really likes Jack even though I will admit he has lost some of his fastball this season. As much as I like Jack and Brick, I feel like I get a much better sense what's happening in the game when I watch the opposing team's broadcast. And for good reason. By not being at the game Jack and Brick really can't tell viewers what is going on out of the picture on their screen, whereas the folks in-person at the game can give viewers info on what's happening behind the play, anything going on at the bench, or if someone is going down the tunnel. Indeed like a fighter trying to fight with one arm tied behind his back. NESN is a joke for not ponying up the money to send its announcers to away games.

 

[The National]

 

[Fenway]

Even the Globe is fed up

Chad Finn - Edwards has made it clear he is not a fan of the situation, which at this point appears to be more of a cost-saving measure than a safety issue.

Dan Shaughnessy - More betting shows, less news content. Cheapo NESN at its worst.

 

[The National]

I hear Felger and Mazz roasted them quite a bit as well.

 

[McGarnagle]

Anyone else convinced that the fire alarm was an inside job by Jack or someone sympathetic to Jack to embarrass NESN and force their hand to sending crews on the road?

 

[Mione134]

Anyone else convinced that the fire alarm was an inside job by Jack or someone sympathetic to Jack to embarrass NESN and force their hand to sending crews on the road?

Jack and Brick got fed up, tag teamed, and hit the alarm


Then watched

 

[trenton1]

It's about time the print media is starting to hop on this.

It's time to catch Daddy Pizzuti on camera and ask him about this.

 

[chizzler]

Nesn has become unwatchable now that I think about it.

 

[Hookslide]

Yeah Jack is toast has far as I am concerned . I know he is a homer , I could live with that ( to a point) but I hate when he calls out someone else's toughness when he is sitting up and a booth getting his jolly's when a opposing player gets "nailed "............Mr. Tough Guy , just call the game.......

 

[DKH]

1. I’m giving Jack & Brick a mulligan for all away games for this year- Jack broadcasts tentatively and on 1 second delay

2. the Seattle feed was phenomenal- Forsland so freaking good - he painted a picture you didn’t need to watch to know what’s going on- I would love them here

3. John Henry and Tom Werner came in 2003 with the best interests of team and fans - now they are all about making money that they will never spend or comprehend

it’s sad but they have become unlikeable whores

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

1. I’m giving Jack & Brick a mulligan for all away games for this year- Jack broadcasts tentatively and on 1 second delay

2. the Seattle feed was phenomenal- Forsland so freaking good - he painted a picture you didn’t need to watch to know what’s going on- I would love them here

3. John Henry and Tom Werner came in 2003 with the best interests of team and fans - now they are all about making money that they will never spend or comprehend

it’s sad but they have become unlikeable whores

I have thought about your third point a lot. These guys came in with tons of money in the early 2000s and amazingly, gave the fans pretty much everything they could realistically ask for. Stadium upgrades, great FO, etc. What’s happened over the last handful of years is pretty brutal. They used to get on TV and really be convincing that the Red Sox were their #1 priority and they wanted to do everything possible to “build the brand” and make them the premiere MLB franchise. With all their other endeavors now, it doesn’t seem like they really care all that much.

Not that this wasn’t predictable given past ownership stints in MLB.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Jack is a dope and a half, but I can’t help but credit him for calling PbP as well as he does given the situation. Pretty sure I’m watching on a TV twice the size of his monitor and I can’t make out the players nearly as quickly as he can. In that sense, he really is a true professional.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Nesn has become unwatchable now that I think about it.

Charlie Moore though! And don't forget that dirty water TV.

 

[the negotiator]

FSG and Delaware North now seem to share similar dna

save money wherever possible, provide fans the minimum that keeps them coming back.....maximize the bottom line

in the case of DN that is who they have always been....for FSG the transformation has been sad to see

 

[The National]

Charlie Moore though! And don't forget that dirty water TV.

Jack better watch out before he gets replaced by The Mad Fisherman.

I will officially switch to the away feed when that happens.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Charlie Moore though! And don't forget that dirty water TV.

I've seen the Dirty Water TV ads thousands of times and have never seen a second of the actual show. Couldn't even tell you when it airs. Clearly some great advertising.

Almost every show outside of live sports broadcasts is an ad anyways. "Dining Playbook" is the worst excuse for a television show I have ever seen. The only thing it has to do with sports is that they arbitrarily stick "playbook" in the title of the show.