Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
- 31,703
- 4,147
I can never spell his name correctly so I am going to say "Strombo" for this one. We all know who it is.
Anyway, what is your take on this? I thought it was a mistake initially to replace MacLean with Strombo. Look, the guy does seem like someone who you could sit and have a beer with and talk hockey. I'll even forgive him for being a Habs fan, in fact it would liven the debate. But there was just something desperate that came out of that choice. It is almost as if Rogers wanted a "young, hip" host in there to draw more younger fans. It doesn't work that way. HNIC has been about tradition and substance and sort of routine. No one is going to tune in more so because of Strombo or even if you had thrown Mike Myers in there.
The problem I think there was with him was that he looked out of place with the other hosts. Despite being in his 40s he still had a garage band sort of look to him. His tie wasn't always done up, his beard was messy, he still had piercings in his ear and he just never seemed to fit in with the discussion. MacLean, for all his faults, was a seasoned vet when it came to this stuff. He seemed to be able to lead the discussions better.
MacLean did hang around Rogers with that Hometown Hockey program. I get the feeling they wanted him there just in case things didn't work out (hello NBC and the Leno/Conan scenario). Then after two years in 2016 and the first time since 1970 that no Canadian team made the playoffs they let him go and ratings were sagging.
Was it fair? Or should he have never been there in the first place?
Anyway, what is your take on this? I thought it was a mistake initially to replace MacLean with Strombo. Look, the guy does seem like someone who you could sit and have a beer with and talk hockey. I'll even forgive him for being a Habs fan, in fact it would liven the debate. But there was just something desperate that came out of that choice. It is almost as if Rogers wanted a "young, hip" host in there to draw more younger fans. It doesn't work that way. HNIC has been about tradition and substance and sort of routine. No one is going to tune in more so because of Strombo or even if you had thrown Mike Myers in there.
The problem I think there was with him was that he looked out of place with the other hosts. Despite being in his 40s he still had a garage band sort of look to him. His tie wasn't always done up, his beard was messy, he still had piercings in his ear and he just never seemed to fit in with the discussion. MacLean, for all his faults, was a seasoned vet when it came to this stuff. He seemed to be able to lead the discussions better.
MacLean did hang around Rogers with that Hometown Hockey program. I get the feeling they wanted him there just in case things didn't work out (hello NBC and the Leno/Conan scenario). Then after two years in 2016 and the first time since 1970 that no Canadian team made the playoffs they let him go and ratings were sagging.
Was it fair? Or should he have never been there in the first place?