SB Nation Best/Worst NHL Broadcasters

[elias2600]

I don't think it's fair to be putting an announcer at the 1-star level just for his accent.

He's got Peter Loubardias at one star, and Rick Jeanneret at four. They both have similar responses from fans who either like or hate their voice/delivery. It makes no sense that he has them on either ends of the scale.

I personally find both of those guys to be enjoyable to listen to. I love how excitable Jenanneret gets, and also the way Loubardias says "He Scoooooooouuuuuuures!"

I mean everyone is entitled to their own opinion on these guys, so it's fine, but i just don't see the logic in his ratings. At least he had Steigerwald at 1 star. I definitely think he is the worst of all of the announcers in the whole league without a doubt.

I love this video with Loubardias. I watch it every few months, and it gets me excited for how much of a roller coaster ride watching hockey can be:

Edited July 9, 2011 by elias2600

[ClarkyDano23]

I don't think it's fair to be putting an announcer at the 1-star level just for his accent.

I think I'd normally agree, but in the case of Loubardias, the way he says "scores" tilts me so badly, I have to mute the TV when they show Flames highlights on NHL on the Fly. Damn is it annoying(to me of course as it's a personal preference, or lack thereof).

[elias2600]

wow, I guess that really shows how much it is a matter of personal preference, as I do like the way he says it, haha.

Anyway, I guess the best or maybe the only criteria that should be in play is knowledge of the game, lack of bias, and ability to keep up with everything that is occurring, and maybe something like anecdotal storytelling/entertainment value.

since accent/voice is so opinionated, it should really be thrown out the window when writing an article like this imo.

[newjerseydamo]

wow, I guess that really shows how much it is a matter of personal preference

Spot on.

I actually find Doc and Chico the most enjoyable to listen to (and not just because they're the Devils announcers).

Whilst Chico comes out with some silly, borderline stupid, things to say, he makes listening a little bit more enjoyable.

I too have to mute the Penguins announcers if that's the only feed I'm stuck with. way too much homer for my liking.

Montreal have good (IMO) announcers that I am quite happy to listen to.

[Pepperkorn]

Doc is the best, Chico darn close to the worst.

[point]

The problem with MSG announcers is: they work for MSG. When they get network gigs they can do much different analysis.

[MantaRay]

Lets face it Chico drags Doc's ratings down.

+1

Love the Chico eats segments and the espirit de corps with the fans, but he is a goofy homer.

[95Crash]

FWIW, in his blurb on Doc and Chico, the author of the article provides a link to a short piece he wrote on Doc back in May (5-24-11):

The Wonderful World of Doc Emrick's Vocabulary

By Derek Zona

I occasionally watch New Jersey Devils' games on Center Ice. The games are broadcast on MSG Network and feature a near-cartoonish cast of characters doing different types of analysis from three or four different locations in the arena. Some of it is insane, like Ken Danyeko's "If I were playing in this one, I would have just punched him in the face...", some of it hilarious, like Chico Resch's "Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I was wrong, Zach didn't shoot that one, look at that, he meant to pass it to Andy and it just went IN! Look at that, huh?" but at least Doc Emrick was a reliable play-by-play guy in that he was on top of the play. Sure he uses "DRIVE" for shot at nearly every opportunity, but he knew player names and was able to express the pace of the game through his cadence.

It must be because of the sheer number of games he's now calling for versus, but I, along with nearly everyone else, have noticed how far Emrick reaches into his thesaurus to call the game. Some of them are meaningful, most of them meaningless and some of them are just plain confusing. Today, with the help of some followers on Twitter, I bring you a list of words used by Doc Emrick in place of "passed" or "shot":

budged, cracked, curled, dented, edged, fed, finessed, filtered, fired, fleshed, flexed, flipped, floated, flopped, forced, glassed, guided, hoisted, hooked, jabbed, jai-alai'ed, knifed, laid, lasered, lassoed, layered, led, lifted, lobbed, looped, nubbed, nudged, pitchforked, punched, pushed, rifled, rolled, rubbed, rushed, sashayed, scorched, shaken, shoved, shuffled, shunted, skittered, skyhooked, slipped, sped along, spun, squeezed, squibbed, squibbled, stabbed, stashed, stoked, swaggered, thrown, trickled, twirled, twisted, wanded, wedged, wended, worked.

http://www.coppernbl...icks-vocabulary

[ClarkyDano23]

wow, I guess that really shows how much it is a matter of personal preference, as I do like the way he says it, haha.

Anyway, I guess the best or maybe the only criteria that should be in play is knowledge of the game, lack of bias, and ability to keep up with everything that is occurring, and maybe something like anecdotal storytelling/entertainment value.

since accent/voice is so opinionated, it should really be thrown out the window when writing an article like this imo.

Lol, true, for instance, I would think it's fair to say that, for the most part, Doc is highly respected around the hockey world, but every now and then I'll hear someone who can't stand his voice either.