Talking Heads
If you are going to call a hockey game – at least do the research. What else do you have to do? Game preparation is a key ingredient to create a quality television product.
I subscribe to NHL Center Ice (for you Canadian fans Centre Ice). So, I watch a lot of hockey and listen to many analysts and commentators. I’m not just partial to the Curt Keilback/Darren Pang tandem of the Phoenix Coyotes, or the Rick Peckham/Bobby (“The Chief”) Taylor partnership of the Tampa Bay Lightning, or even to the John Forslund/Tripp Tracy duo of the Carolina Hurricanes. There are several excellent television broadcasters out there in the Hockey universe.
The CBC schools everyone on how hockey should be produced. They are always prepared since they have lived with hockey for a lot longer than their U.S. cousins, and essentially set the gold standard along with TSN and Rogers Sports Net. (However, I did take umbrage of Pierre McGuire’s love fest with the Edmonton Oilers last year during the Stanley Cup finals. Maybe he was upset about having to report on the game for NBC? He is an honest broadcaster and he tells it like it is, but come on, if he watches the tape, he could hear how he was clearly biased for the Oilers.)
Most of the analysts that work the games today find ways to touch on the stories of their opponents while still being true to their home franchise. What is difficult is listening to the pabulum of blathering idiots that do not get their information right.
The other night when the Tampay Bay Lightning faced the Atlanta Thrashers in the Thrashers home opener, Turner Sports South Darren Elliot said this, “Tampa Bay has kept its high profile skaters together such as Marty St. Louis, Brad Richards, and Vinny Lecavalier together for a high price – including Danny Boyle. Because of this Afasenekov had to fill the massive shoes of Frederick Modin that they had to let go for salary cap issues.”
Yes, Modin was sacrificed but to create room for the ‘Bolts pressing need of a better goaltender in Marc Denis. However, Dan Boyle, the consummate professional, took less money in order to stay with the team. Modin was a key ingredient to the franchise’s Stanley Cup run, but he was not sacrificed because of St. Louis, Richards, Lecavalier, or Boyle – the team needed the room for the pressing need of the goaltender Denis.
All I want is for broadcasters to call the game (Turner South does not pay attention to the action on the ice that well either) and get their information accurate. Good analysts teach the game to the viewers – if the viewers know more about the product (that includes every team) than the broadcasters, then there is a problem.
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