Can We Get Some Decent Announcers For The Playoffs?
Posted 8:43 PM ET | Comments 8
Is it just me or is this one of the worst years for biased play-by-play and colour commentary? I understand that each team has their own announcer, whether on TV or on radio, for local broadcasts. What I'm talking about is the people doing nationally televised games on CBC , NBC, etc. Should these games not be called evenly for the benefit of all fans and not just fans of one team?
To give you an example, in game 3 of the Canucks/Kings series, Dustin Brown hit Henrik Sedin and he had a hard time getting to his feet. It was a clean hit according to everyone involved, including the Vancouver Canucks. However, at the time, there was some question as to the legality of the hit. Now, as a play-by-play announcer and colour commentator on a nationally televised game, you would think that their jobs as professionals would be to objectively look at the hit and not judge anyone involved. You would think.
However, this was not the case with Jim Hughson. He was desperately trying to find something wrong with the hit. First it was an elbow. Then, after seeing a few more replays, it was interference. He continued to try and find something wrong with the hit when his job was to be objective and not to pass judgement. Jim Hughson was the play-by-play man for the Vancouver Canucks for years until he got his current job with the CBC, where he calls games for many teams and not just the Canucks. Maybe, because of his previous experience, someone else should have gotten the call for the Canucks/Kings series.
If you are not able to call a game without bias towards a certain team on a national broadcast, then you shouldn't be calling it. It really is that simple. Fans of the other team do not want to hear their team constantly berated by the announcer and should be able to enjoy the game the same as the fans of the opposing team.
Rocky Vaughn
To give you an example, in game 3 of the Canucks/Kings series, Dustin Brown hit Henrik Sedin and he had a hard time getting to his feet. It was a clean hit according to everyone involved, including the Vancouver Canucks. However, at the time, there was some question as to the legality of the hit. Now, as a play-by-play announcer and colour commentator on a nationally televised game, you would think that their jobs as professionals would be to objectively look at the hit and not judge anyone involved. You would think.
However, this was not the case with Jim Hughson. He was desperately trying to find something wrong with the hit. First it was an elbow. Then, after seeing a few more replays, it was interference. He continued to try and find something wrong with the hit when his job was to be objective and not to pass judgement. Jim Hughson was the play-by-play man for the Vancouver Canucks for years until he got his current job with the CBC, where he calls games for many teams and not just the Canucks. Maybe, because of his previous experience, someone else should have gotten the call for the Canucks/Kings series.
If you are not able to call a game without bias towards a certain team on a national broadcast, then you shouldn't be calling it. It really is that simple. Fans of the other team do not want to hear their team constantly berated by the announcer and should be able to enjoy the game the same as the fans of the opposing team.
Rocky Vaughn
At least it wasn't Brian Hayward.
I totally agree. Emrick is the same way in the east. He has heavy bias against the Caps, and sounded downright disappointed after a couple of their victories in the first round. He does the same thing during the regular season. As a Sabres fan, it's awful listening to Emrick at any point in the season... he always treats the Sabres as if they're the opposition.
His nasal voice also annoys me, but, I digress, my main problem is the bias. There's no place for it on a national broadcast, much less the ONLY national broadcast either side gets to see.
There was something wrong with Browns hit on Sedin. It was late. Should have been a minor penalty.
Know what else was late? Canucks showing up to playoffs. Good riddance!
Agreed. Hughson and Simpson were brutal homers. Now they have to suck it up without their beloved Canucks. I used to like them both but there was Zero impartiality in calling those games. They gave Kings zero credit for the victories