[News] Jim Hughson: Canucks Homer?

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by getbak

This one stood out to me when I was watching the highlights from Game 3:



"It's lucky it hit the goaltender or it might have got right through to Jiri Hudler."


Not really an unbiased call on that play. It certainly wasn't a good thing for the Flames that it didn't go to Hudler.

None of this stuff is scripted. The guy has to fill about 2 hours of air time during the course of the game - completely on the fly.

You can go through any game from any PBP guy and find stuff like this.

This is silly.

[Enoch Root]

Of course he's a homer - he's been living in Lotusland and calling Nuck games for years.

But so what!?!?

Welcome to earth - it is what it is and it isn't going to change. Constantly whining about it is not going to change anything, but it is clogging up the GTs and PGTs with annoying posts.

The Flames are in the playoffs - let's talk about hockey!

[Enoch Root]

and it could be a LOT worse - we could have John Garrett.

[nairster]

The grass is always greener. Yes, Hughson is from Vancouver and might be just slightly bias. He has lived here his whole life, can you really blame him? However, on the flip side, Simpson hates the Canucks and is so PRO-FLAMES it's not even funny. So I guess it evens out.

That being said, Hughson is the best in the business. No Play by Play guy touches him and I'm not just saying that because I'm from Van. It's a known fact in the industry.

So quit crying and enjoy his work....

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by nairster

The grass is always greener. Yes, Hughson is from Vancouver and might be just slightly bias. He has lived here his whole life, can you really blame him? However, on the flip side, Simpson hates the Canucks and is so PRO-FLAMES it's not even funny. So I guess it evens out.

That being said, Hughson is the best in the business. No Play by Play guy touches him and I'm not just saying that because I'm from Van. It's a known fact in the industry.

So quit crying and enjoy his work....

Not sure you are using "known fact" correctly. Perhaps you meant "popular opinion".

He's not even an honorable mention in this list:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...-today/page/12

He's 10th on this one:

http://thehockeywriters.com/counting...the-nhl-today/

And Doc Emrick says hi.

[RedMileDJ]

nm

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by nairster

The grass is always greener. Yes, Hughson is from Vancouver and might be just slightly bias. He has lived here his whole life, can you really blame him? However, on the flip side, Simpson hates the Canucks and is so PRO-FLAMES it's not even funny. So I guess it evens out.

That being said, Hughson is the best in the business. No Play by Play guy touches him and I'm not just saying that because I'm from Van. It's a known fact in the industry.

So quit crying and enjoy his work....

I don't think anyone is saying that Hughson isn't technically good at his job. I personally think he is a great play by play talent and he has a nice voice as well. I also don't think he is offensive in any manner, but his homerism just cannot be hidden. Like I said earlier, at times I think he realizes and then tries to compensate the other way, but it never hits the mark the same way.

Simpson is a true-blue Oiler. He is neither a Canucks or Flames guy by nature, but I think he does a good job of trying to be the Yin to Hughson's Yang (which is this situation puts him as a Flames advocate at times).

[OzSome]

So we got Jim Hughson-Craig Simpson combo, Romanuk-?? in Jets-Ducks series, Rick Ball & John Garrett is doing the Tampa-Detroit series. Who else is doing PBP-colour on other series?

I don't really have any problem with Hughson because I am more focus on watching the game than listening to play-by-play. Besides whatever he says during the game will not change the outcome of the game. He can keep telling stories about the Sedins if he wants to and it won't bother me.

[Flames89]

Just be happy we don't have Healy on colour

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

And Doc Emrick says hi.

Emrick isn't in the conversation either or shouldn't be. His voice is extremely grating. Hughson doesn't have the quirks of other broadcasters - if you're a guy who likes Emrick or Jeanneret or one of those guys with unique styles you'll find Hughson bland, but he's good at what he does, which is straight up call the play. It makes sense that CBC wants that as their lead guy.

Personally I say Chris Cuthbert is the best. I'd also rather have Gord Miller than either of Hughson or Emrick; I've been listening to him call the Pit/Rags series and aside from Pierre McGuire (whose annoyingness is overblown anyway) it's really a good broadcast.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by OzSome

So we got Jim Hughson-Craig Simpson combo, Romanuk-?? in Jets-Ducks series, Rick Ball & John Garrett is doing the Tampa-Detroit series. Who else is doing PBP-colour on other series?

I don't really have any problem with Hughson because I am more focus on watching the game than listening to play-by-play. Besides whatever he says during the game will not change the outcome of the game. He can keep telling stories about the Sedins if he wants to and it won't bother me.

Romanuk/Johnson/Healy are working the Habs-Sens series and Randorf/Galley are doing the Jets-Ducks. Cole and Millen are covering the Rangers-Pens series, and they're picking up the US feeds for the other series.

[yads]

I think this thread is full of confirmation bias. He's been fine. I find his voice annoying, but that's a whole other kettle of fish.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Emrick isn't in the conversation either or shouldn't be. His voice is extremely grating. Hughson doesn't have the quirks of other broadcasters - if you're a guy who likes Emrick or Jeanneret or one of those guys with unique styles you'll find Hughson bland, but he's good at what he does, which is straight up call the play. It makes sense that CBC wants that as their lead guy.

Personally I say Chris Cuthbert is the best. I'd also rather have Gord Miller than either of Hughson or Emrick; I've been listening to him call the Pit/Rags series and aside from Pierre McGuire (whose annoyingness is overblown anyway) it's really a good broadcast.

For some reason I like Emrick and hate Jeanerette. I am with you on
Cuthbert and Miller, and I'd throw in Ball (thouigh he'd be a homer).

I don't mind Hughson and prefer him over Cole. I think the homerism stuff is overblown. I just resented being told that it's a "known fact" he is the best.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

...I'd throw in Ball (thouigh he'd be a homer)...

I don't think so. When Ball has done national broadcasts he has been very balanced.

[Poe969]

Ball is pretty good IMO. He's the kind of guy I'd rather have doing this series, maybe after the Flames move on he'll get the call.

[The Yen Man]

I normally cut pbp guys slack, and a little homerism doesn't bother me. I'm usually ok with Hughson. The only thing that irked me was the whole "legend of Eddie Lack" comments, and he kept up with it during the whole game. That was over the top. But other than that, I've got no real problems with the guy.

I do think fans overblow the homerism sometimes though. As fans, it's sometimes hard not to focus in on the negative comments towards your team, and kind of gloss over any positives they bring up. I get that. Hughson and Simpson do give a lot of praise to guys like Gaudreau and Bennett, so it's not as one sided as people perceive IMO.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Rick Ball is quite good. I don't necessarily love his goal calls and he doesn't have that "high drama" thing, but his overall play by play (which is really 80% of the game) is excellent. And oh my God, so much better than what came before. If Mark Lee never calls another game, we'll all be better off.

I suspect that Hughson will continue to call the Flames if they win; I suspect that the guys calling the east series will continue to do so and same for the West.

As for my unpopular opinion, I think Jack Edwards is outstanding.

[locsofblu]

Who cares! with all this whining going on Id swear I was a canucks board. He's definitely toned it down over the years though and still a decent enough pbp guy.

[J epworth]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I don't think so. When Ball has done national broadcasts he has been very balanced.

I said before the series, Ball would be the perfect PBP for this series, has experience in national broadcasts with HNIC, used to do Canucks radio for years as backup for Shorthouse, and now is the Flames PBP. Would be very knowledgeable about both teams and be able to call a balanced game.

Should have been an easy decision for Rogers.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by RedMileDJ

Chris Cuthbert > all others.

Examples: Olympic PBP and 2004 Flames Stanley Cup run PBP.

My Dad used to work with Hughson and has some good stories. I'll post them later.

I'd put Miller in second place too.

TSN still has the best PBP tandem just rotting away. A shame.