I'd like for Ray to be drunk during broadcasts. It wouldn't hurt his ability to diagnose the game and would be hilarious.
What can we do to get rid of Ray?
- Thread starter JThorne
- Start date
cybresabre
prōject positivity
Well said.
He'd go on and on about how invisible Greg O'Renko seemed all game, despite Mikhail actually playing in Rochester that night.
Kublakhan
Lets Go Buffalo !!!
I like Rob Ray and there are plenty of people around here that also do.Ray has been the kind of guy that would chat with you all night at a pub or any function really and has for many years around this area making many friends..
Ethan Edwards
Registered User
I met Rob Ray for the first time in the very early 1990s while he was a Rochester call-up rooming with Bill Houlder at the Holiday Inn on Niagara Falls Blvd. Great guy then, great guy now. I love that he calls Buffalo home. I could go on. I've run into him a few times these last three years and he's still a quality guy.
None of that is relevant to his ability as a commentator. No need to trash him, I agree, but it shouldn't be cause to skew a valid opinion. He is great between the benches when there's tension or a scrum or, my favorite, a bench-to-bench explosion (I point to L. Ruff v. B. Murray as Exhibit A), with a certain dry wit, so as a 3rd man at home or on the road when they let him station there, no problem. As the primary color guy, I'd prefer a change.
I like Rob Ray. His comments on the game and analysis don't bother me at all. He reminds me of Buffalo and sounds like I'm sitting in the local gin mill listening to a guy yelling at the tv. I think he's great, and we could do sooooo much worse.
I live in Raleigh and we have John Forslund who is absolutely AWSOME to listen to and is by far one of the most neutral commentators, even when calling a Hurricanes game. He respects the other team, is animated when the opponents score and compliments the other teams on fine play.
Then there is the color guy Tripp Tracey. Jesus Jumping Christ.......this guy is cringe worthy. He has said things that we have to rewind just to make sure we heard it right.
He will get on a roll and discuss the current foods he is eating or has made. Complete receipes....down to the cook times.....on air.....during a game....
He locks onto a comment and that's all we hear for the next 5 games......until someone corrects him. He made the comment that "he's playing like someone gave him a shot of INSULIN" someone finally mentioned it might be ADRENALIN.
He talked about Cam Wards groin and the things he did to his groin to prep for the upcoming season and games.......**shudder**
John F. has many times had to rein him back to kept him from crossing the line. He talked about his girlfriend and the date they had and how the night ended, JF jumped in and told him if he wanted to have other dates with her he might want to keep certain things private.
RR isnt the best but it could always be much worse.
My wife is from Pittsburgh........enough said
I live in Raleigh and we have John Forslund who is absolutely AWSOME to listen to and is by far one of the most neutral commentators, even when calling a Hurricanes game. He respects the other team, is animated when the opponents score and compliments the other teams on fine play.
Then there is the color guy Tripp Tracey. Jesus Jumping Christ.......this guy is cringe worthy. He has said things that we have to rewind just to make sure we heard it right.
He will get on a roll and discuss the current foods he is eating or has made. Complete receipes....down to the cook times.....on air.....during a game....
He locks onto a comment and that's all we hear for the next 5 games......until someone corrects him. He made the comment that "he's playing like someone gave him a shot of INSULIN" someone finally mentioned it might be ADRENALIN.
He talked about Cam Wards groin and the things he did to his groin to prep for the upcoming season and games.......**shudder**
John F. has many times had to rein him back to kept him from crossing the line. He talked about his girlfriend and the date they had and how the night ended, JF jumped in and told him if he wanted to have other dates with her he might want to keep certain things private.
RR isnt the best but it could always be much worse.
My wife is from Pittsburgh........enough said
Chad Thundercock
Slayer
This is why we get people like Ray and Peters 'representing' us, and why Buffalo doesn't have nice things.
joshjull
Registered User
Lets not get carried away. We also have some very sharp guys like Duff and Dunleavy on the broadcasts with Ray. Around the sports world more and more ex players are getting into broadcasting with little to no skills for it. NFL broadcasts are overflowing with them from the studio to the broadcast booth. I've often wondered how many unemployed communications grads are watching at home crying when these guys talk.
Sabretip
Registered User
As much as I liked Ray and May when they were players, neither really adds a lot of unique or insightful commentary. Frankly, the best moments of last season's broadcasts were when Duff and Dunleavy were together. Once RJ retires, I'd be in favor of Duff becoming the color commentary guy next to Dunleavy for all games.
The intermission host could be someone like Adam Benigni or Ed Kilgore IMO in part-time gigs split with their regular network jobs and team them there with a Ray or May.
The other option would be to keep Duff as the studio host and recruit either Craig Simpson or Garry Galley from CBC - both are amongst the best color commentators on the air IMO.
The intermission host could be someone like Adam Benigni or Ed Kilgore IMO in part-time gigs split with their regular network jobs and team them there with a Ray or May.
The other option would be to keep Duff as the studio host and recruit either Craig Simpson or Garry Galley from CBC - both are amongst the best color commentators on the air IMO.
Sabretip
Registered User
You're lucky to have Forslund on TV and the awesome Chuck Kaiton on radio! I have always been impressed how Kaiton, as a one-man show, can blend articulate and passionate play-calling with insightful analysis and commentary in between. He's a rare talent in that regard.
Sabretip
Registered User
The one thing I give Ray a lot of credit for, and which I actually think he's improved his contributions to broadcasts with, is focusing more on conveying the on-ice activities as seen from the bench - he's often able to not only explain what's being said or the reactions of players/coaches on either bench but also catch what the penalties or stoppages were caused by as seen at ice level. As an ex-player, he's quicker to pick up on that stuff than the PxP man in the booth - and he's also become more objective in both praising and criticizing plays by either team. As much as I love RJ and Dunleavy, both of them are a little too one-sided when describing the Sabres: they'll sing hymns of praise for good play but sugar-coat poor play and mistakes. Ray isn't afraid to speak his mind when he sees Myers make a bone-headed play or Hodgson coast back on his defensive assignments.
For those reasons, I do think he adds value to the broadcast - as long as he's not the primary color commentator, he can shine. Not sure if the Sabres will ever do it like CBC (where Hughson and Simpson are in the booth and Healy is between the benches) or NBCN (where Emrick/Strader and Olczyk/Engblom are in the booth and Maguire/Engblom are between the benches) do it but it would allow Ray to fill in only on details at ice level and allow the overall commentary to be done by someone more well-spoken and insightful.
