I love summer, being a Canadian is not hard to understand why. After temperatures that can reach -20o Celsius, and never ending snow storms, you don't need to use rocket science to figure out that summer has the taste of prize, if managed to survive the winter, now it's time to lay on the sun, and enjoy the Stanley play offs and the big final, every thing you survived winter for.
From then on, I must admit that things become a little boring as, I am not a huge fan of summer sports, I start to dig deep into sports television to find a piece of sports entertainment, that could be used to spend the rest of the season. NASCAR and Golf become my two best friends, but I am always counting down the days for the summer to end then I know NHL conferences will start pretty soon.
Today as I looked into the schedules for the season to come, I caught myself thinking that summer was taking too long. I need hockey and I am ready for the action. Let the boys hit the ice!!!! I have already started doing my arrangements so that I don't miss a single second of any game, had to speak with the TV broadcasting provider in London to make sure that they solve last year’s problems, and also make the broadcasting a little bit more interesting. Hope it works.
As for now I can only wish that summer is over soon, and that autumn brings back the hockey and all its emotions.
GO Sens GO
Wednesday 21 July 2010
Wednesday 14 July 2010
“Colisms” – The good, the bad and the ugly of Bob Cole.
Lately I have been thinking about the iconic Hockey Night in Canada “play by play” commentator Bob Cole. And while I respect his work and role in the Hockey broadcasting world, I have to question why he has been so successful and been around for so long?
Bob Cole has had a staggering career, he began broadcasting hockey on radio in 1969 and moved to television in 1973 when HNIC expanded its coverage. He then went on to call all of the Stanley Cup Finals between 1989 and 2008. He was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996 for broadcasting excellence… excellence? I’m not so sure.
There is no doubt he has the “classic” commentators voice, at times soothing and that he has a passionate and emotional enthusiasm for the game. But ever since I can remember, watching a game with Bob Cole commentating is like “watching a game blind” as they say. His catch phrases and trademarks like “oh baby,” “what a dandy,” referring to the game itself as “baby,” speeding up and slowing down his sentences without clear reason can be at times endearing but at others frustrating. The way he never clearly describes the location of the puck on the ice often saying “over there” and describing the players as “they” or “he” is confusing! And certainly not what I would think of as “play by play” descriptive commentary.
While I can see the amusing side of all this and that Bob Cole is surely an alright guy I do think it is remiss of CBC to have kept him on for so long. Hockey is an emotionally charged game for most Canadians and when a particularly adrenaline inducing game comes along there is nothing more frustrating than having a commentator who seems to know less than you about what’s going on. Hence, the expression “watching the game blind” as at times you literally have to try and fill the gaps yourself.
Check out this link:
“This is it BABY!!! This has gone WILD!!!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7ZYjUgIZ7A
Nick
Bob Cole has had a staggering career, he began broadcasting hockey on radio in 1969 and moved to television in 1973 when HNIC expanded its coverage. He then went on to call all of the Stanley Cup Finals between 1989 and 2008. He was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996 for broadcasting excellence… excellence? I’m not so sure.
There is no doubt he has the “classic” commentators voice, at times soothing and that he has a passionate and emotional enthusiasm for the game. But ever since I can remember, watching a game with Bob Cole commentating is like “watching a game blind” as they say. His catch phrases and trademarks like “oh baby,” “what a dandy,” referring to the game itself as “baby,” speeding up and slowing down his sentences without clear reason can be at times endearing but at others frustrating. The way he never clearly describes the location of the puck on the ice often saying “over there” and describing the players as “they” or “he” is confusing! And certainly not what I would think of as “play by play” descriptive commentary.
While I can see the amusing side of all this and that Bob Cole is surely an alright guy I do think it is remiss of CBC to have kept him on for so long. Hockey is an emotionally charged game for most Canadians and when a particularly adrenaline inducing game comes along there is nothing more frustrating than having a commentator who seems to know less than you about what’s going on. Hence, the expression “watching the game blind” as at times you literally have to try and fill the gaps yourself.
Check out this link:
“This is it BABY!!! This has gone WILD!!!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7ZYjUgIZ7A
Nick
Wednesday 7 July 2010
DRAFT, FREE AGENTS AND WHAT TO DO IN THE OFF SEASON?
As the excitment of the previous years Stanely Cup finals starts to wear off and slowly a void begins to emerge...what is one to do? How should we spend this time without being able to watch the great game? meditating? preparing for the next season? watching re-runs of great Stanely Cup eras? I open the floor to suggestions on this topic, what is a hockey fan to do???
One way of course is to follow the endless deals and dramas of the entry draft and free agent frenzy. Although the quailty of this years prospects seemed a little low the soap opera style drama that played out between Taylor vs Tyler has been mildly entertaining. In regards to the SENS Brian Murray trading away the 16th first round pick, I do agree with the logic that the player the SENS need was not really in that range of the draf. So to trade it for David Runblad who in theory is going to be ready to peform for Ottawa by 2012, is a good decision I think. This quote from chief scout Pierre Dorion puts it quite nicely:
"We felt David Rundblad was going to be better than any player we were going to be able to get in this draft...That's why we did the deal. I know it's not sexy that we didn't go on stage and draft somebody into the organization. But, we felt whoever we take, this guy is going to be a better player. He's a top-four defenceman who moves the puck. He does a lot of things for us."
Agreed Pierre. Although I don't know if anyone has ever considered the Entry Draft sexy.
In the free agrent world, I am excited about Sergei Gonchar being signed so quickly and think that he will be great for the Ottawa D (and for 16.5mil over 3 years he better be!) But I do think that he will add some offence that is needed to balance out the play. I will miss the A-Train and his amazing shot blocking and heavy hitting capabilities though!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRM-oWqsKBc
One way of course is to follow the endless deals and dramas of the entry draft and free agent frenzy. Although the quailty of this years prospects seemed a little low the soap opera style drama that played out between Taylor vs Tyler has been mildly entertaining. In regards to the SENS Brian Murray trading away the 16th first round pick, I do agree with the logic that the player the SENS need was not really in that range of the draf. So to trade it for David Runblad who in theory is going to be ready to peform for Ottawa by 2012, is a good decision I think. This quote from chief scout Pierre Dorion puts it quite nicely:
"We felt David Rundblad was going to be better than any player we were going to be able to get in this draft...That's why we did the deal. I know it's not sexy that we didn't go on stage and draft somebody into the organization. But, we felt whoever we take, this guy is going to be a better player. He's a top-four defenceman who moves the puck. He does a lot of things for us."
Agreed Pierre. Although I don't know if anyone has ever considered the Entry Draft sexy.
In the free agrent world, I am excited about Sergei Gonchar being signed so quickly and think that he will be great for the Ottawa D (and for 16.5mil over 3 years he better be!) But I do think that he will add some offence that is needed to balance out the play. I will miss the A-Train and his amazing shot blocking and heavy hitting capabilities though!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRM-oWqsKBc
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