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Official 2015 NHL Playoffs Thread
- Thread starter ColonelZulu
- Start date
Definitely no doubt which athletes play for the love of the sport
Well, all my favorite teams are out. Pittsburgh Penguins had a weakened team and didn't have a lot of mustard on offense.
The Canadiens fizzled out.
The Canadiens fizzled out.
MAN! I like the game that the Blueshirts brought with them today! (And if Bishop wants to continue to play fast and cute with the puck...well, that would be OK with me!)
...just a few observations... EVERYTHING I know about the Tampa Bay Lightning I've learned in the last 2 hours, and as a life-long Rangers' fan, I like what I see! It seems to me that they are a nice team, but not nearly as physical as the Rangers...perhaps that's the 'European' influence? I always accuse the Rangers of making one pass too many...SHOOT THE FREAKIN' THING!!!...but the Lightning take that problem to a whole new level. I watched them take one shot on goal across the course of TWO power plays! AND! an icing while on the power play? I've known since I was 10 years old that THAT is the ultimate fool's play! If Ben Bishop keeps playing with the puck the way I saw him play today, it has GOT to come back and bite him/them! He spends WAY too much time goofing around with the puck outside the crease. I suspect...I don't know this...that the Lightning haven't been tested by the Red Wings or the Habs the way the Rangers have been forced to bring their best game every night. Given what little I know, I think the Caps are a considerably better team that the 'lings...(Get back to me in 10 days!?)
As that great American philosopher and entertainer James Brown once said "I Feel Good!"
On another, yet related, topic... I spent 15 years calling high school football on the radio...8 years doing play by play for our local college baseball team. I truly appreciate hearing a play by play guy who absolutely and utterly knows, and clearly communicates, what he sees in front of him. The pace of hockey makes it so far beyond my skills so as to be beyond my comprehension! Mike Emrick is like a god!
"There are great announcers all over sports. No one on earth does basketball like Marv Albert with those phrases that are now simply a part of the game (Yes! He's on fire! From way downtown! Not exactly what he had in mind!) but for the way his resounding voice sings the city tune of the game. He's like a singer, Marv is. And football . how could anyone ever do football better than Al Michaels, that staccato voice, in perfect rhythm, always in control, every word immaculately pronounced, always one step ahead. Then there's Vin Scully doing baseball, timeless, wonderful each word perfectly chosen, each inning like a summer song you want to last a little longer.
But, if you ask them there's a pretty good chance they'll tell you the same thing.
Michael Emrick, who everyone calls Doc, is the best of them all." (Joe Posnanski, NBC Sports)
As that great American philosopher and entertainer James Brown once said "I Feel Good!"
On another, yet related, topic... I spent 15 years calling high school football on the radio...8 years doing play by play for our local college baseball team. I truly appreciate hearing a play by play guy who absolutely and utterly knows, and clearly communicates, what he sees in front of him. The pace of hockey makes it so far beyond my skills so as to be beyond my comprehension! Mike Emrick is like a god!
"There are great announcers all over sports. No one on earth does basketball like Marv Albert with those phrases that are now simply a part of the game (Yes! He's on fire! From way downtown! Not exactly what he had in mind!) but for the way his resounding voice sings the city tune of the game. He's like a singer, Marv is. And football . how could anyone ever do football better than Al Michaels, that staccato voice, in perfect rhythm, always in control, every word immaculately pronounced, always one step ahead. Then there's Vin Scully doing baseball, timeless, wonderful each word perfectly chosen, each inning like a summer song you want to last a little longer.
But, if you ask them there's a pretty good chance they'll tell you the same thing.
Michael Emrick, who everyone calls Doc, is the best of them all." (Joe Posnanski, NBC Sports)
What a great game today! I hope the rest of the series follows suit. If the Flames don't make it I like an original 6 team to win (or the Jets now) excepting Montreal, and after the way Tampa Bay stole the SC from us in 2004 (yes Flames fans have a long memory when it comes to this), I even have more reason to want to see the Rangers come out on top. One of the great things here in Canada when the playoffs kick in is we get to hear some of the great play by play (chiefly) and color commentating (to a lesser extent) from The U.S. feeds. I especially like Doc and would agree with what Posnanski says here^^^. Especially nice not having to hit the mute or channel selector when the blowhard opinionated egomaniac Don Cherry comes blustering aboard between periods. Go Hawks, Rangers!
I grew up listening to Marv Albert call the Rangers on TV, and a guy named George Michael on the radio. George Michael was also, the tightest, brightest rock n roll disc jockey I've ever known...and I go back to Cousin Brucie and Dan Ingram! Early 80s we spent 3 hockey seasons in Watertown, NY! Pre-cable, we watched the CBC! I remember Don Cherry fondly... mostly because of the way he dressed! He certainly brought AUTHORITY to the mic! I believed every word he said!
I was going through a 6 -year-long drought during which I rejected baseball as 'my father's game'...but the CBC rekindled my love for the game by introducing me to National League baseball. The Expos on Monday night, the Jays on Tuesday...the Expos on Wednesday night, The Jays on Thursday...every night of the week, all summer long, as I remember it! They were the Andre Dawson, Tim Rains, Gary Carter Expos!
I'd grown up a 'Kid-from-the-Bronx' Yankees' fan...what did I really know about baseball? I know a lot more today...
SO...god bless the CBC, and, by association, god bless Don Cherry!
If either of these series go 7, and the Final does, too, the Rangers will, no doubt, win The Cup during the week of my 60th birthday!!
I'm gonna get the tee shirt!
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I grew up listening to Marv Albert call the Rangers on TV, and a guy named George Michael on the radio. George Michael was also, the tightest, brightest rock n roll disc jockey I've ever known...and I go back to Cousin Brucie and Dan Ingram! Early 80s we spent 3 hockey seasons in Watertown, NY! Pre-cable, we watched the CBC! I remember Don Cherry fondly... mostly because of the way he dressed! He certainly brought AUTHORITY to the mic! I believed every word he said!
I was going through a 6 -year-long drought during which I rejected baseball as 'my father's game'...but the CBC rekindled my love for the game by introducing me to National League baseball. The Expos on Monday night, the Jays on Tuesday...the Expos on Wednesday night, The Jays on Thursday...every night of the week, all summer long, as I remember it! They were the Andre Dawson, Tim Rains, Gary Carter Expos!
I'd grown up a 'Kid-from-the-Bronx' Yankees' fan...what did I really know about baseball? I know a lot more today...
SO...god bless the CBC, and, by association, god bless Don Cherry!
If either of these series go 7, and the Final does, too, the Rangers will, no doubt, win The Cup during the week of my 60th birthday!!
I'm gonna get the tee shirt!
Jeez...I remember Marv Albert and Red Light Messina doing to radio broadcasts. But not for TV. That was Jim Gordon and Bill Chadwick. Or Phil Esposito ("I heard metal, Phil") with Gordon. Then it was Phil with Sam Rosen. John Davidson paired with Rosen for a really long time, but now it's Joe Micheletti.
That said, I'd rather listen to ANY of them than Emrick. I get sick of his repeated phrases "A little squib pass behind the net." Or "He manages to skittle the puck out of the corner."
Edzo is ok I guess.
As for Pierre McGuire, I'd rather have Snoop Dog as the analyst.
Other things I hate about NBCS coverage: They own the highlights, so I can't watch the replay on the NYR app when they have the game. At the end of the game, f'ing McGuire always grabs the #1 star just as the arena announcer is calling out the three stars. So instead of skating out to salute the crowd and toss a puck to a kid, they are stuck in an on-air interview. As if NBCSports and Pierre are more important than the Blushirt Faithful.
OH GAWD! Now ya got me THINKING...trying to do Math and History at the same time! In truth, I'm way past Math and History right now,
but I'll get back to ya.
Emrick is horrible as announcer and I am truly stupefied what makes him so popular. His endless stream of creative euphemisms for describing the play are not cute. They are annoying and obtrusive. I prefer watching the game with the sound muted rather than listen to his obnoxious mouth noises.
Maybe I'm being too hard on the guy. I could just be spoiled having grown up listening to Pat Foley.
I turn 60 myself in July. I miss the Expos so much - never really warmed to the Blue Jays much. Montreal always seemed to be able to field a decent team despite a lack of funds/support, and they came SO close to going to the WS but lost out on "Blue Monday". Looking forward to watching the Ducks/Hawks game this afternoon. I hope it's as great a series as the other one is shaping up to be!I grew up listening to Marv Albert call the Rangers on TV, and a guy named George Michael on the radio. George Michael was also, the tightest, brightest rock n roll disc jockey I've ever known...and I go back to Cousin Brucie and Dan Ingram! Early 80s we spent 3 hockey seasons in Watertown, NY! Pre-cable, we watched the CBC! I remember Don Cherry fondly... mostly because of the way he dressed! He certainly brought AUTHORITY to the mic! I believed every word he said!
I was going through a 6 -year-long drought during which I rejected baseball as 'my father's game'...but the CBC rekindled my love for the game by introducing me to National League baseball. The Expos on Monday night, the Jays on Tuesday...the Expos on Wednesday night, The Jays on Thursday...every night of the week, all summer long, as I remember it! They were the Andre Dawson, Tim Rains, Gary Carter Expos!
I'd grown up a 'Kid-from-the-Bronx' Yankees' fan...what did I really know about baseball? I know a lot more today...
SO...god bless the CBC, and, by association, god bless Don Cherry!
If either of these series go 7, and the Final does, too, the Rangers will, no doubt, win The Cup during the week of my 60th birthday!!
I'm gonna get the tee shirt!
OK...(MAN! The Intrawebs is a wonderful resource!!!) I had to do a lil digging...about one minute's worth...to find George Michael as the color commentator for the Islanders between 1974 and the 77/78 season. I was just out of high school and addicted to New York City radio...WABC in particular. George Michael replaced Cousin Bruce Morrow and did the evenings, probably 7p-11p, for WABC between 1974 and 1979. I remember being fascinated by being able to listen to him on WABC (pre-recorded, but you never would have guessed that) and on WOR-TV doing color for the Islanders simultaneously! Never was an Islanders' fan, but I watched them just to listen to him. The timeline isn't exactly as I remembered it last night, and why would you let the facts get in the way of a good story? But the there's the intrawebs to straighten things out!
Meanwhile, Marv Albert and Sal Messina were broadcasting Rangers' games for WOR-TV. Man! Marv scored that gig in 1967 and stayed at it until 1993!
I don't remember it at all, but Wikipedia reports that Eddie Giacomin did color commentary for the Islanders during the 78/79 season. I was living in Watertown NY by then...watching the CBC...
Meanwhile, Marv Albert and Sal Messina were broadcasting Rangers' games for WOR-TV. Man! Marv scored that gig in 1967 and stayed at it until 1993!
I don't remember it at all, but Wikipedia reports that Eddie Giacomin did color commentary for the Islanders during the 78/79 season. I was living in Watertown NY by then...watching the CBC...
So I came in from some yard work just in time to see a half dozen clips of the Ducks slashing, and slapping, and tripping the Blackhawks' goalie as he was skating toward the bench! Is that the way the Ducks play? I mean, I already want an Original 6 Final, but if that's the Ducks' game, I just want to see someone drop the gloves and beat the crap out of one or two of them...
On a side note, went to the Mets game today. Not only did we sit below Bon Ueker (who gave my daughter a wink), Howie Rose was in the next booth over! Gave my kid the smile and thumbs up when we yelled "Matteau, Matteau, Matteau!" to him.
