Was CBC's Firing of Chris Cuthbert in 2005 A Mistake?

[The Panther]

Maybe it's a regional thing, but to this day I still mainly associate (a younger) Chris Cuthbert's voice with many Smythe-Division (i.e., Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, L.A.) 1st and 2nd-round playoff series from the tail-end of the 80s through the mid-90s or so. He was, and is, really good.

I can't believe how the CBC crapped the bed during/after the Lockout. Big Phil summarized it well. Honestly, they'd have been better off putting Don Cherry out to pasture, or at least reducing his (no doubt absurd) salary in order to keep Cuthbert.

Speaking of being out to pasture, I'm also sad to see Bob Cole being sidelined, but, in fairness, he is really old. I don't so much mind that he's done, but I just hope that they went about it correctly.

Gord Miller is a good guy and a good broadcaster, but he's not a good play-by-play guy. He does the annoying million-words-a-minute style of calling that deflates excitement quickly (his "scores!" call is terrible too). However, I like him very much as a general broadcaster and if Ron McLean retired anytime soon, I think Gord Miller would be his perfect replacement.

Jim Hughson isn't terrible, and he isn't good. He's just there. A dull, monotone speaker who over-analyzes everything and over-articulates words for no reason I can figure out (he loves names of more than five syllables, which he hilariously over-articulates... yet he can't pronounce "Marchessault").

I honestly cannot figure out why the current generation of hockey announcers is so bad. But they're terrible, mostly.

 

[Crude]

Still called the Golden Goal. Suck it Hughson.

 

[Fenway]

@Killion My understanding was Nancy Lee who ran CBC then wanted a Vancouver based announcer because it would cost less. Turns out for the 2010 Olympics she gave men's hockey to Cuthbert.

The man is happiest when he calls CFL games.

 

[Royal Thunder]

It's bizarre, he's easily one of the top 5 announcers out there. I mean no offense, but how the Rogers execs prefer a guy with a very raspy voice and an irritating candor in Romanuk baffles my mind. He's suddenly doing conference finals games based on such little merit. I don't know, it just makes the whole thing feel so low budget to me. Give me Cuthbert or Thorne or Gord Miller or even the aging legend Bob Cole instead, just someone who makes the game feel epic and momentous! It's been a long time since I've really been impressed by an NHL announcer and many of the best ones are barely calling any games at all, stuck on the sidelines. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing but it feels like it's an old boys club which is a bit frustrating as a fan. It's weird because shouldn't these guys be part of that club? I don't know, it's just seems like we don't really get the classic goal calls anymore.

 

[Never]

Pretty much everything CBC does is a mistake.

 

[Royal Thunder]

Maybe it's a regional thing, but to this day I still mainly associate (a younger) Chris Cuthbert's voice with many Smythe-Division (i.e., Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, L.A.) 1st and 2nd-round playoff series from the tail-end of the 80s through the mid-90s or so. He was, and is, really good.

I can't believe how the CBC crapped the bed during/after the Lockout. Big Phil summarized it well. Honestly, they'd have been better off putting Don Cherry out to pasture, or at least reducing his (no doubt absurd) salary in order to keep Cuthbert.

Speaking of being out to pasture, I'm also sad to see Bob Cole being sidelined, but, in fairness, he is really old. I don't so much mind that he's done, but I just hope that they went about it correctly.

Gord Miller is a good guy and a good broadcaster, but he's not a good play-by-play guy. He does the annoying million-words-a-minute style of calling that deflates excitement quickly (his "scores!" call is terrible too). However, I like him very much as a general broadcaster and if Ron McLean retired anytime soon, I think Gord Miller would be his perfect replacement.

Jim Hughson isn't terrible, and he isn't good. He's just there. A dull, monotone speaker who over-analyzes everything and over-articulates words for no reason I can figure out (he loves names of more than five syllables, which he hilariously over-articulates... yet he can't pronounce "Marchessault").

I honestly cannot figure out why the current generation of hockey announcers is so bad. But they're terrible, mostly.

Well said.

It's weird that this era of commentators is so dull, and there doesn't seem to be anyone really on the come up either. I really miss the commentating from like 15 years ago. It really started to fall off after that 04 lockout, and it got worse when ESPN and then TSN lost their NHL rights

 

[Killion]

Pretty much everything CBC does is a mistake.

... hard not to agree.

 

[The Panther]

Well said.

It's weird that this era of commentators is so dull, and there doesn't seem to be anyone really on the come up either. I really miss the commentating from like 15 years ago. It really started to fall off after that 04 lockout, and it got worse when ESPN and then TSN lost their NHL rights

My theory is that the old-skool guys were manly-men who dominated broadcasts with their forceful (but fair and polite) personalities, whereas the new-school guys are wimps and dweebs who went to broadcasting school.

 

[Fenway]

Pretty much everything CBC does is a mistake.

A good friend from college has been involved in promoting comedy shows in Canada and told me the story of how he spent weeks negotiating with CBC brass in Toronto and hammering out a deal he was then told he had to go to Ottawa and close it.

He took the show to Global that afternoon.

 

[CokenoPepsi]

Cuthbert lost it after the switch to TSN

 

[Jets4Life]

Jim Hughson is the best announcer in hockey AINEC. Cant believe people are actually saying negative **** about him ITT. I guess it's the HF way though, hate on everybody just cause.

A Canuck fan defending Hughson. Colour me surprised. Hughson is the biggest Vancouver Canuck homer out there. He was nearly unbearable to listen to during the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.

 

[The Panther]

A Canuck fan defending Hughson. Colour me surprised. Hughson is the biggest Vancouver Canuck homer out there. He was nearly unbearable to listen to during the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.

These kinds of accusations are completely baseless unless you did a neutral and longitudinal study (probably requiring years of analysis) that would stand up to peer-review academic study. Which you haven't. I wish people would give up the "so-and-so national broadcaster is a homer" silliness.

 

[MasterDecoy]

Hughson doesn't even sound like he enjoys hockey

He sounds mildly entertained sometimes, but only if the canucks are playing

f*** that guy and f*** CBC for keeping him around

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Jim Hughson is the best announcer in hockey AINEC. Cant believe people are actually saying negative **** about him ITT. I guess it's the HF way though, hate on everybody just cause.

Not surprising coming from a Canucks fan

 

[King In The North]

Much prefer non-Sportsnet/CBC guys although enjoy Rick Ball and John Shorthouse.

Cuthbert is a gem.

 

[tony d]

I think it was. I like Hughson but Cuthbert's one of the best in the business.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Yes, big mistake. Now their #2 guy is Paul Romanuk, LOL!

 

[armani]

I never understood why Hughson is so big in Canada. He is not enjoyable to listen to at all.

Hughson sucks balls, Cuthbert makes an awesome broadcast team along with Gord Miller, Ray Ferraro, and Jamie McLennan - likely the best in covering NHL hockey.

 

[FerrisRox]

Hughson sucks balls, Cuthbert makes an awesome broadcast team along with Gord Miller, Ray Ferraro, and Jamie McLennan - likely the best in covering NHL hockey.

I am absolutely amazed to see Jamie McLennan on a list of the "best" at anything.

I actually think he was a better goaltender then he is a broadcaster and if you're familiar with his hockey career, you know that is not a compliment.

 

[Jtown]

I am absolutely amazed to see Jamie McLennan on a list of the "best" at anything.

I actually think he was a better goaltender then he is a broadcaster and if you're familiar with his hockey career, you know that is not a compliment.

he is good on the radio, but not that great of a broadcaster

 

[rent free]

I am absolutely amazed to see Jamie McLennan on a list of the "best" at anything.

I actually think he was a better goaltender then he is a broadcaster and if you're familiar with his hockey career, you know that is not a compliment.

why do you think this?

 

[FerrisRox]

why do you think this?

He constantly points out the obvious and when he does state an opinion, it's always something universally accepted. He's not going out on a limb when he says Connor McDavid is the most exciting young player in the league or Carey Price is struggling right now, etc. He's the master of the obvious, his analysis is always incredibly basic and he never offers any information that a fan doesn't already know. A real analyst should be pointing out things you don't know or, as an ex-player, offering insights that help give fans an inside look into a players psyche, or things from behind the scenes of being an NHL player that you may not know. McLennan never does this.

 

[GKJ]

I don't remember it as Cuthbert being fired, they just let his contract expire because Cuthbert wanted a the #1 role and wasn't going to get it.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

This is the first time I've heard that Hughson was big in Canada.

So, you need to be told when someone is big?

Doesn't calling every Stanley Cup final on CBC in Canada for several years kinda imply that?

 

[TMLeafer]

They have Romanuk calling conference finals games from "high above centre ice", are you really surprised by their talent evaluation?

(Yes I understand CBC vs Rogers)