Who are the worst commentators in the league?

Skrudland2Lomakin

Registered User
Jan 1, 2011
7,676
5,658
If your play-by-play guy doesn't do anything but local teams that's probably a sign that he's A). not thought too highly of out of market and B). prone to bias.


I can tune into Big 10 basketball and hear Joe B. or the international broadcast of things like the Winter Classic between teams he's unaffiliated with, that to me is a sign that he's well regarded. Most of the guys in this thread are confined to only doing hockey commentary or local stuff, I think that's clear sign that they only appeal to locals.
 

iamjs

Registered User
Oct 1, 2008
12,569
931
They have to. Steigerwald was thankfully re-assigned because the new guy is miles better and has cut down on the homerism.

Errey is still there though...

and the thing is it's not like it's a recent change either. He's been out of that role since the summer of 2017, or about 140ish regular season games. I think part of the reason Mears doesn't have the homerism that Steigerwald had was that he worked at a national level for several years and knew there was more to the job than knowing the local team. As much as I didn't care for him (Steigerwald) in his play-by-play role, his role as an interviewer/media type I don't mind. He has years of knowledge and history to share, which makes him... eh, I don't want to say perfect. Let's call it a good fit for what he does with the organization now.

I'm probably in the minority when it comes to Errey. I've mentioned it on here a few times that he picks up on things, especially on goals being called back, that aren't usually spotted immediately. To me, he has toned down "being Errey" a little with Mears in the booth. Not much, but a little.

Now if you really want to get me going about bad things about the Pens' broadcast, let's talk Potash (but that's for another thread since this is only for commentators.)
 

Syrinx

Registered User
Jul 7, 2005
9,509
778
Cary, NC
They have to. Steigerwald was thankfully re-assigned because the new guy is miles better and has cut down on the homerism.

Errey is still there though...

I don't think Errey's any worse than a lot of color guys. He's just goofy.

I couldn't care less either way what other fans think.
 
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Niten Ichi Ryu

Registered User
Jul 1, 2018
1,699
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Kevin Quinn - Edmonton

Puts me to sleep even after drinking 2 cans of red bull. Constantly getting the players names all wrong and mixed up, literally every game. And his "Overrrrrtiiime winner!" is the worst overtime call in the league. Sounds like a 45 yr old virgin with nerdiest voice getting his first sloppy
 

PoutineSp00nZ

Electricity is really just organized lightning.
Jul 21, 2009
20,046
5,653
Ottawa
Ottawa's radio team get worse and worse. Very hard to listen to, spend more time joking around with each other than calling the game.

Dean Brown calling it "sudden victory overtime" drives me bananas.
 

CaptBrannigan

Registered User
Apr 5, 2006
4,259
1,580
Tampa
Ottawa's radio team get worse and worse. Very hard to listen to, spend more time joking around with each other than calling the game.

Dean Brown calling it "sudden victory overtime" drives me bananas.
Ottawa is terrible. I remember listening to Vegas at Ottawa last season on XM and they referenced “the good Karlsson” about 10 times when doing play by play. Came across as total jack wagons.
 

Mr Misunderstood

Loser Point User
Apr 11, 2016
9,869
10,898
Charlotte, NC
If your play-by-play guy doesn't do anything but local teams that's probably a sign that he's A). not thought too highly of out of market and B). prone to bias.


I can tune into Big 10 basketball and hear Joe B. or the international broadcast of things like the Winter Classic between teams he's unaffiliated with, that to me is a sign that he's well regarded. Most of the guys in this thread are confined to only doing hockey commentary or local stuff, I think that's clear sign that they only appeal to locals.

Joe B. also does college lacrosse for the Big Ten Network and is very good at it.

*cheap lacrosse plug
 

LeafsNation75

Registered User
Jan 15, 2010
37,975
12,506
Toronto, Ontario
You have selected hearing then. Bowen whines and complains about the reffing. He's as biased as Edwards is. If you are going to be consistent on complaining about Edwards for being a big homer, atleast be consistent on Bowen for being the same.
Seriously you think Bowen whines and complains about the refs? I suggest you look at this video from last years playoff series between Toronto and Boston, when Edwards complained about the whistle being blown when the Bruins got possession of the puck since Andreas Johnsson looked to injured and couldn't get up. There was a play earlier in that same game which was blown dead because of the refs whistle since one of the Bruins looked to be injured when the Leafs had possession of the puck and I'm sure Edwards did not mind it being stopped at that time.



It should also be mentioned that Joe Bowen is the most recent winner of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award and is now apart of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The NHL Broadcasters' Association who votes for it obviously don't have a problem with him the way you do. So it's good that them and Leafs fans on here don't take you seriously with your typical hate comments about anything Leafs related.
 
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Habs10025

Registered User
Sep 28, 2017
3,605
968
Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson You can tell when their doing a game who they want to win their negative comments are heavily tilted at one team over the other . Its either them deciding to call the game that way or their being told to . The end result it ruins the game and makes it not worth watching .
 
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Gaylord Q Tinkledink

Registered User
Apr 29, 2018
28,510
29,735
Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson You can tell when their doing a game who they want to win their negative comments are heavily tilted at one team over the other . Its either them deciding to call the game that way or their being told to . The end result it ruins the game and makes it not worth watching .

Glenn Healy was the worst for something like this.

A team could be winning 1-0, but have been outplayed all game and he would build them up. They lose the lead, he shoots them down.

Colorado guys, or guy seems terrible. Every time I watch the highlights on NHL, I swear he's going to cry, or get mad.

Jack Edwards. Guy is a tool.
 

Windy River

Registered User
Jan 31, 2013
1,635
665
The Bruins commentary is rather obnoxious. It has that not-quite-subtle homerism mixed with just the right amount of self-righteousness that tells you they really, truly, believe they are giving a fair, unbiased account of the game.
 
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yada

move 2 dallas 4 work
Nov 6, 2006
11,648
644
watching happy pony
Mic emrick is A#1 worst. When you have an annoying guy that uses words that dont exist in hockey rinks to describe plays so he sounds smarter grates on the ears. I see no pieces of pie, i see no bales of hay so pitchforks are not needed, i dont see shuffleboards and plenty of other garbage. Top it off with the fact you hear him the most because hes the #1 national guy, only other guy close to as annoying is joe buck.

Jack Edwards is annoying. I dont care if hes a homer for the bruins as its a local broadcast and the team he works for. I just find how he calls boring and i have hated him since 03 when i heard him call some playoff games for espn.

Dennis potvin is terrible but i do admit i laugh when he makes smug remarks about the rangers, rangers fans, and other players.

Not sure if hes still doing games but tyson nash was terrible, bill lindsay also was terrible.

Dave taylor is the biggest homer in the nhl and used to always say refs and the nhl office hated the lightning and were out to get them. I actually liked him because the chemistry between he and rick peckham was excellent. I actually prefer him over engblom during bolts games tho.

While i understand the hate for stegey in pens broadcasts i didnt mind him. I actually like bob errey and feel he picks up things. New pbp guy isnt bad.
 
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Go Wings

Registered User
Sep 26, 2009
6,163
4,127
Chatham, ON
Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson You can tell when their doing a game who they want to win their negative comments are heavily tilted at one team over the other . Its either them deciding to call the game that way or their being told to . The end result it ruins the game and makes it not worth watching .

Agreed they're awful
 

CharasLazyWrister

Registered User
Sep 8, 2008
24,360
21,008
Northborough, MA
Yeah a lot of people don't like the new Devils guy. I wish Doc still did Devils games.

Some of their best moments came with Doc at the mic. "Marshall! In overtime! The Devils win it!"

Not liking Doc Emrick honestly seems like it’s just become “trendy”.

I’m sure if Gary Thorne (also great) was still broadcasting NHL games, people would be reminiscing about Doc instead of Gary.

The new Devils guy makes me cringe. Just a really strange voice, especially when he gets excited for Devils goals.

 

HajdukSplit

Registered User
Nov 9, 2005
11,035
762
NJ
I generally think Cangialosi is ok for the Devils but he went way over the top yesterday for a win in what is an irrelevant season, but that’s how he normally commentates soccer (he is the PBP guy for the Red Bull’s as well on MSG and he fills in on occasion at Fox Sports)
 

MoeBartoli

Checkers-to-Jackets
Jan 12, 2011
13,954
10,154
The only sure thing here is pick ANY announcer or color analyst and they'll be someone lined up to declare them the worst. :nod:
 

flames96

Registered User
Feb 16, 2019
41
48
Flames are the worst, can't stand Cassie Campbell's voice and she is only there because of pandering and because she has ties in the organization. "If you don't like it, you're a sexist!" Sick of hearing it, Get a grip Canada!
Disgraceful, and not fair. Thought the Oilers were the only ones that made such huge mistakes.
 

DrewGl

Registered User
Jul 28, 2018
1,483
1,341
Alexandria, VA
Watching the Pens/Flames game with the Pens feed. Good lord these guys are terrible. I know home team announcers are homers but this is ridiculous. "Calgary needs to play their best hockey of the year these last 5 minutes to stop the Pens"...meanwhile they are down 5-4 and just lost.
 

DrMartinVanNostrand

Kramerica Industries
Oct 6, 2017
4,513
4,956
Tampa, FL
Read this thread long enough and every single regional and national commentator in the United States and Canada will be named.

Reminds me of DownGoesBrown and his Stanley Cup championships counter article. Find enough reasons and you can make the claim that nobody has ever won a legitimate Stanley Cup in the history of the sport.

But to add something constructive to the discussion, I'll just say that I find Jack Edwards biggest problem is when he goes into, for lack of better phrase, talk show host mode. When he starts riffing about Dougie Hamilton's lack of character or other assorted nonsense. I actually generally chose the NESN broadcast when I watch Bruins games, and it's not by total coincidence; Jack and Brick call a good game and generally have an understanding on what's going on for both teams involved. It's way too late and way too simplistic to talk about wanting Jack to get his op-eds out of the broadcast; if he's been doing that for this long he's not going to stop now, but it's a small (but very widespread) part of the overall game he calls.

For me, the "worst" are the types that either are completely misinformed, and/or the types that have all the charisma of dead muskrats. For me, that's broadcast crews like Anaheim and Minnesota. Couldn't tell you the last time I watched a game of those teams with their crews (and I certainly couldn't tell you the last time I saw an Anaheim/Minnesota game).
 
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Placid Perspicuity

Registered User
Apr 19, 2016
358
427
Seriously you think Bowen whines and complains about the refs? I suggest you look at this video from last years playoff series between Toronto and Boston, when Edwards complained about the whistle being blown when the Bruins got possession of the puck since Andreas Johnsson looked to injured and couldn't get up. There was a play earlier in that same game which was blown dead because of the refs whistle since one of the Bruins looked to be injured when the Leafs had possession of the puck and I'm sure Edwards did not mind it being stopped at that time.



It should also be mentioned that Joe Bowen is the most recent winner of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award and is now apart of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The NHL Broadcasters' Association who votes for it obviously don't have a problem with him the way you do. So it's good that them and Leafs fans on here don't take you seriously with your typical hate comments about anything Leafs related.


You do realize that you’re talking to someone who’s bias is so over the top that he makes Jack Edwards seem objective, right? Good effort, but it’s best to ignore people who are so consumed with trying to put a negative spin on anything Leaf-related. Just point your finger and laugh at his obsessive efforts and move on.
 
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NJ DevLolz

The Many Saints of Newark
Sep 30, 2017
4,565
5,398
I generally think Cangialosi is ok for the Devils but he went way over the top yesterday for a win in what is an irrelevant season, but that’s how he normally commentates soccer (he is the PBP guy for the Red Bull’s as well on MSG and he fills in on occasion at Fox Sports)
He went nuts because it was Cory Schneider's first win in 42 years.
 

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