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Post by jkr on Jun 19, 2016 19:31:33 GMT -5
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Post by blny on Jun 19, 2016 19:49:38 GMT -5
The ground work was laid earlier in the spring. Short of a smear campaign, there was lots of chatter about the product and Strombo. I feel bad for George. It was almost a no win situation for him.
I thought, from the limited amount I saw, that he got better this year and in the playoffs. His greatest strength - being a huge fan of the game - came across as his greatest weakness. He seemed like a fanboy amongst 'hockey guys'. He was merely a symptom though, and not the root of the problem.
I always thought it was tacky that they gave Ron the Cherry segment and a Sunday night show of his own. He lingered over the whole production. He couldn't just go away.
The second intermission was still decent enough. Friedman carried it with his insider stuff.
The Ron and Don show might bring back some, but there's a big reason change was made in the first place. Forgetting the past, and giving the mic back to Ron won't fix things.
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Post by PTH on Jun 19, 2016 23:34:14 GMT -5
Not a big fan of Strombo myself, but I liked the way he tried to make the hockey guys talk and tried to get out of hockey clichés, he made them speak normal English and I enjoyed that.
Maclean has had his day, if they had to swap out Strombo it should've been to move forward, not backwards. Keep Maclean as an elder statesman on occasion, but no more than that.
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Post by CentreHice on Jun 20, 2016 1:01:57 GMT -5
My guess is that the objective, neutral Strombo wasn't enough of a Leaf sell-out for the fans' liking. Wasn't it reported at the outset of Strombo's hiring that he's a [gasp] Habs' fan? At best, an experiment doomed from the start.
With Matthews being drafted, let's not take any chances….cue the head cheerleafers back to the spotlight…
Coach's Corner will likely go back to its longer time allotment, as well….
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 20, 2016 8:07:06 GMT -5
This isn't a major story, IMO ... I don't dislike the guy, but I've never been a fan of Strombo on HNIC ... haven't been a big fan of the new Sportsnet hockey program, for that matter either ... replacing him is not a bad thing ... might as well defer it to someone who knows the job already ...
Cheers.
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Post by franko on Jun 20, 2016 8:30:59 GMT -5
he has 3 years (I think) to go on a five year contract; McLean 2 on a four; Cherry's is done.
guess we'll see . . .
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Post by Polarice on Jun 20, 2016 8:43:58 GMT -5
he has 3 years (I think) to go on a five year contract; McLean 2 on a four; Cherry's is done. guess we'll see . . . I think Cherry just signed for 2 more years. As far as HNIC, I wish TSN took the bid more seriously then we wouldn't have to sit through the crap on sportsnet!! |
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Post by 24in93 on Jun 20, 2016 9:01:51 GMT -5
I dread Saturday night games where I'm forced to watch their swill.
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Post by CentreHice on Jun 20, 2016 10:15:23 GMT -5
This isn't a major story, IMO ... It's major for Strombo, if he wanted to keep the job.  And it's somewhat major for non-Leafs' fans who were enjoying some objectivity....finally. Get ready for the Matthews-Babcock Network.... |
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Post by Polarice on Jun 20, 2016 10:44:23 GMT -5
I always thought Strombo looked awkward and never really fit in. Truth is that it's probably a good thing.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 20, 2016 10:54:21 GMT -5
I'm not crazy about McLean getting back in. I'm truly sick and tired of his pathetic puns. If he lost that schtick, he might come across better.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 20, 2016 11:44:58 GMT -5
This isn't a major story, IMO ... It's major for Strombo, if he wanted to keep the job. And it's somewhat major for non-Leafs' fans who were enjoying some objectivity....finally. Get ready for the Matthews-Babcock Network.... I dare say you're probably right, CH ... I think the story is more about Strombo experiment not working out and then going back to what worked before ... honestly, man, I thought he was out of his element from day-one ... I think Reap was right when he said Strombo looked "awkward" ... that never went away for me ... MacLean might pander to the TO crowd, but he knows the sport much better than Strombo ever did ... conversely, I couldn't see MacLean doing the personalized, up close and personal interviews that I associate with Strombo (which he brought with him to Sportsnet) ... I think it's a good move by Sportsnet ... Cheers. |
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Post by jkr on Jun 20, 2016 12:52:33 GMT -5
IMO this is another sign that Scott Moore has no clue what he is doing. He replaces McLean two years ago because he thought he wasn't right for the job. Now he is??? If McLean was wrong for the job in 2014 he's wrong for the job now. I don't understand the elation in some quarters for this move.
Between Hughson/Simpson doing the play by play & Healy prattling on about everything I couldn't watch HNIC during the Finals. I watched the NBC coverage with Mike Emrick & company instead. Rogers just can't admit that the Americans can do top notch hockey coverage.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 20, 2016 14:18:50 GMT -5
Agree, jkr. I like Friedeman, Mike Johnson and Ray Ferraro. They really need to find a play by play guy who calls a balanced game and can still see the play. I also think Sportsnet is in for an embarrassing situation at some point in the future involving Cherry. He may say or do something that will be very politically incorrect. As people get older, it isn't uncommon for them to become suspicious of things around them and very distrustful. Not to mention the deterioration in memory. There aren't many older people who are still at the top of their game. Those factors could lead to something Rogers will regret. Oh well. There should be natural consequences for poor decisions.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 20, 2016 21:27:41 GMT -5
Strombo never looked like a hockey guy. He belonged more between presenters at the Academy Awards. I always looked forward th Ron and Don before I would take my bathroom breaks. Ron is the tactful straight man for Don the entertainer. Ron fills in Dons Alzheimer's gaps. I enjoy hearing how Don taught young Orr how to shoot a lifter and won Coach of the Universe as voted by God.
The Cherry bad suit fashion show is getting very old as is the I told you so. I do like to hear about the beautiful soldiers overseas, not for the intellectual matter but because nobody else acknowledges them and they are the real heroes. Cherry uses them for his benefit but at least he does mention them.
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Post by franko on Jun 27, 2016 12:50:47 GMT -5
unofficially . . .
Everyone has tonnes of respect for Ron and he's become a cultural icon...he's done a brilliant job of Hometown Hockey, which really leverages his strengths. . . . [SNet] need to build talent that can take the torch from Ron . . . Unfortunately (but in some ways, fortunately), there are strong opinions around hockey in Canada, and a lot of traditionalists who don't like Strombo's style and question his credibility (even though he got his start in Sports radio - they ignore the fact that Ron got his start as a weather man). In any case, the decision wouldn't have been made based on playoffs ratings - ratings, in fact, were stronger than expected given the lack to Canadian teams. . .Tradition is great, but if the traditionalists don't allow room for fresh energy, young fans will not tune in (NBA's doing a great job of this). Ob
All the above would apply to discussions around Don and Bob Cole and any other traditional on-air personality - tension between old and new, tradition and progress, majority and niche
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Post by seventeen on Jun 27, 2016 13:59:36 GMT -5
Broadcasting isn't treated like pro sports though. Performance isn't the key criteria. When Lafleur couldn't cut it anymore there were no jobs for him. When Cherry and Cole (both of whom were great or good in their day) can't cut it anymore they keep on going like royalty who won't die. It's not doing our memories of them any good.
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Post by CentreHice on Jun 27, 2016 14:40:34 GMT -5
Cole, 83. Cherry, 82. It's not as if the fans or their employers won't let them retire. Obviously, they want to keep going as long as their health holds out….and so that wish is being honoured. Nothing wrong with valuing the elderly. I thought Cole did a really good job in the playoff games I saw. Cherry fumbles around a little more than usual…but he's still the bullying charlatan he's always been….and Leafs' fans still love him for it. (Was seated beside a 50-something Leaf fan at a wedding on Saturday night. A lot of Leaf talk, of course--Matthews, Babcock, Strombo vs. Maclean--and it came up that he thought Cherry coached Orr for 4 or 5 seasons! I had a bit of information to impart…) |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 27, 2016 15:23:33 GMT -5
Cole, 83. Cherry, 82. It's not as if the fans or their employers won't let them retire. Obviously, they want to keep going as long as their health holds out….and so that wish is being honoured. Nothing wrong with valuing the elderly. I thought Cole did a really good job in the playoff games I saw. Cherry fumbles around a little more than usual…but he's still the bullying charlatan he's always been….and Leafs' fans still love him for it. (Was seated beside a 50-something Leaf fan at a wedding on Saturday night. A lot of Leaf talk, of course--Matthews, Babcock, Strombo vs. Maclean--and it came up that he thought Cherry coached Orr for 4 or 5 seasons! I had a bit of information to impart…) I don't know if this has anything to do with their decisions, but I know I feel pretty good being able to contribute at 57 (the workplace environment makes a huge diff, too) ... I'm giving back to the system that reared me ... I wonder how they feel about being able to contribute the way they do at their ages ... so long as they have the energy for it ... found Bob Cole's play-by-play call to be a tad behind the play at times, but I've talked to people who used to listen to him on the wireless radio and they said Cole could put you right in the rink back in the day ... I suspect he'll be honoured in the same way as Danny Gallivan, Foster Hewitt and Rene Lecavalier were ... Don Cherry ... well, I know how you feel about the guy and I'll only watch him when he honours those in uniform ... but I'll bet his passing will be a nationally-televised event ... he's got an all-encompassing viewership ... former/active players, coaches, fans, et al ... he's had some pretty bigoted views over the years but how many other cash cows does CBC have ... the guy brings in bucks and I'm thinking that might have outweighed a few of those controversial comments over the years ... Cheers. |
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