Quote:
Originally Posted by transplant99
Strombo was nothing but square peg/round hole.
cringe worthy stuff.
With Ron he is going to rub hard core fans the wrong way but he appeals greatly to the average hockey fan and its why his longetivity in that role is where it is. He connects with his audience and that is something very few people can do.
He is the highest paid member of HNIC by a mile I would think so if he was not worth it, he would be replaced in a heart beat as Rogers has been purging anyone they could for 3 years now to save money.
Last nights fellating of McDavid after the second period was as bad as it gets for what should be an impartial panel but its pretty clear SN was hoping to have the McDavid narrative to ride throughout the playoffs. All of them just being good soldiers...if you will.
The Oilers going out in 4 is the worst thing that could happen to them short of the Leafs getting bounced early....from a business perspective.
Like every other aspect of pro sports now...its just business.
I chose to stop watching between periods myself but found myself wanting to know what Bieksa said because he is really quite brilliant in the role they have given him.
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Strombo might be "cringe-worthy" to the traditional hockey audience, but he was brought in to grow the game for Rogers.
He was elite at pulling information out of potatoes like Nick Kypreos. Maclean constantly polishes their shoes. George never acted like an expert, Ron frequently does. Ron also can't hold a candle to George's ability to interview anyone on any topic.
Losing Strombo was a huge mistake, hockey is patently inaccessible for a growing number of people, and the Raptor's success two years ago has only drawn more kids away from the sport.
Believing Bieksa is brilliant is a testament to the CBC sports broadcasting machine and template.
If you don't believe me, go and listen to his podcast with Kesler. It's two ego's pumping each other tires and pretty much unlistenable. They say insightful things from time to time, but it's like picking strawberries grown in manure. Unsurprisingly they couldn't find sponsors and ended it.
Kevin is and has been coached. Good on him, he's figuring out the profession. They give him space to give his thoughts, and they all act like he just did a magic trick. Someone like Versteeg is a 1000% more insightful, with 1/2 the ego, and without requiring the same level of coaching.