"Take that Calgary Puck!" — SN960 and Calgary sports media discussion

[dino7c]

PM retired guys let it go

Wills is good and has certainly earned playoffs

[djsFlames]

We're talking about one game, essentially a special guest appearance for one broadcast.

It's not a big deal, and one-off, guest PBPs have been done on a number of occasions over the seasons.

You could even just have him in the booth for the game chipping in commentary with Loubo and taking the reigns for the third period of one of their games.

I think it's a reasonable and fun idea. And I don't think Maher would tell Rogers to #### off if they rang him up with the proposal.

He's still very much invested in this team to this day.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Incogneto

There is no way Wills would let this happen. Its a well known fact that he is a very arrogant, self-important person.

This describes 99% of media personalities...

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

This describes 99% of media personalities...

Not at all
The industry is generally full of kind and humble people who support and help each other out

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I don’t know Wills personally and maybe there’s something I missed somewhere but this post seems entirely unfair. Personally I don’t mind Wills call. It’s not easy following up a hall of fame broadcaster and maybe the issues are not his call but rather it’s different from what longtime fans were used to.

I've met Wills and he seems like a super nice guy. I didn't ask him (and never would), but I can't imagine that anyone in his position would be interested in having the guy you replaced come in for "just one" playoff game. That's preposterous. Derek Wills has had to deal with a lot of behind the scenes garbage to get the games done over the past couple years. Broadcasting from a board room has to be incredibly difficult, and that isn't because he chose that method.

And before I even say this...I loved Peter Maher. He was great and made some amazing calls in the 2004 run. But, as he got nearer to the end it wasn't the same. I think that some people are romanticizing how great this would be, when really his calls were not that great in the last year or two. That's not an attack on him at all, as it will happen to us all as we age.

[troutman]

Imagine being the new guy in Journey, and then have Steve Perry come back to replace you. Awkward?

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Not at all
The industry is generally full of kind and humble people who support and help each other out

Those qualities aren't mutually exclusive. I'm not even saying self-importance is a particularly 'bad' quality, but actually kinda necessary to do the job.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by Incogneto

There is no way Wills would let this happen. Its a well known fact that he is a very arrogant, self-important person.

I do know Wills personally and this is entirely unfair.

I didn’t like his initial radio hits where he wouldn’t answer the question but instead always asked “what do you guys think”, but he has changed that.

He’s following a hall of famer. That’s tough, and I think he’s fine.

[Yamer]

I don't know if he was ready for retirement, but those last couple of years with Maher certainly weren't his sharpest on air performances. I'm not sure nostalgia will compensate compounding 8 years of age, rust, and disconnect from the current product.

Well intentioned, but I don't think this idea is well thought through.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

We're talking about one game, essentially a special guest appearance for one broadcast.

It's not a big deal, and one-off, guest PBPs have been done on a number of occasions over the seasons.

You could even just have him in the booth for the game chipping in commentary with Loubo and taking the reigns for the third period of one of their games.

I think it's a reasonable and fun idea. And I don't think Maher would tell Rogers to #### off if they rang him up with the proposal.

He's still very much invested in this team to this day.

Not remotely realistic and little chance Maher would want to go out and embarrass himself. Let’s not forget his ability to memorize players and keep up with the play had declined at the end of his career. He’s been out of the game so long he would have a difficult time calling Flames players let alone opposing players.

[Table 5]

I think Derek Wills has definitely improved away from the PBP when talking about the team with the rest of the crew. Still a bit of a homer, but hey it comes with the job description. I think he's actually better than Maher at it.

That said, every time I hear him doing PBP, it makes me miss Peter Maher. Peter was a natural storyteller and he did a fantastic job of transporting you into the game. Wills just doesn't have that quality...words are said, but I'm not really listening. It especially drives me nuts that he is always behind the goal calls. You hear the crowd reaction, and then a second later, in comes Wills, late and dragging out the call.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Those qualities aren't mutually exclusive. I'm not even saying self-importance is a particularly 'bad' quality, but actually kinda necessary to do the job.

Ok but I still think you are making a massive assumption with no real basis.
And I also don't agree it's necessary to do the job.
Basically I think you are talking out of your arse.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Not remotely realistic and little chance Maher would want to go out and embarrass himself. Let’s not forget his ability to memorize players and keep up with the play had declined at the end of his career. He’s been out of the game so long he would have a difficult time calling Flames players let alone opposing players.

There's no way he could be in worse form than Bob Cole was at the end of his run. And yet we gave Cole some big games to wrap up and everybody was respectful and understanding about his declining ability to keep up with details at that point. It wasn't an issue.

There wouldn't be anything embarrassing about it.

A HOF pbp stopping in to announce as an honorary guest and a nod to the fans and the team this season is a fun idea that would bring a lot of people joy, is not a big deal, and isn't embarrassing.

And if Derek Wills loves his craft/profession, which I'm sure he does, he would be honoured to lend his chair to a legend for a broadcast.

The seriousness/wet blanket responses are something else.

Relax.

[mikeecho]

I may… not be… the biggest fan… of Derek Wills… weird and… often choppy… and overly rigid… cadence… but there is… most certainly no… way that… Peter Mahrer… would be… able to jump back in… to the broadcast booth to call… one last game.

[browna]

Yeah Maher back in for a game is just not a good idea, but just lesser of a good idea than to have Kerr jump in and call the fights like he did one or two seasons at the end of Maher's run. What a amateur circus act that was.

Listened to parts of radio broadcasts the last week and you certainly have to use your imagination with Wills calling the game. The Tkachuk goal I could hear the crowd noise a full second before he called it, droning on about something.

[Number 39]

Are they still calling the games from a boardroom? If so, I’d bet that becomes permanent as a travel cost cutting measure now that they have proven it can be done.

[Strange Brew]

Wills is fine IMO. He calls the details pretty well, at least when they are actuall there in the building.

Having Maher call a playoff games is just a strange idea. If you wanted to do something like that, do it in the regular season or pre season. No publicity stuns needed for the playoffs.

If the goal is just to recognize him, then bring him on the broadcast somehow. No need for him to call the game IMO.

[Number 39]

Willis is serviceable IMO. My issue is more that I perceive (and I could be mistaken) that Maher was pushed out rather than left in his own terms.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I don’t know Wills personally and maybe there’s something I missed somewhere but this post seems entirely unfair. Personally I don’t mind Wills call. It’s not easy following up a hall of fame broadcaster and maybe the issues are not his call but rather it’s different from what longtime fans were used to.

I don't think it mattered who came after Peter Maher. That person was never going to be as widely accepted in that role as Pete was.

[TheSquatch]

Maher left after 2 years where his performance was noticeably less good than in the past. I think he knew when to retire, knew that he was slipping in his ability to get names right, to enunciate complex sequences correctly. The mistakes were creeping in, mistakes, stutters, awkward pauses etc, stuff that didn't happen when he was younger. Rather than fall into the "laughable legend" category like a Bob Cole or worse yet, a Steve Armitage, Peter retired gracefully and just at the right time.

We were lucky to have such quality for such a long time. And even at his worst, he was better than most. But his game was slipping, and I'm sure he knew it. So he retired, and why not?