Cassie Campbell-Pascall

[killer_carlson]

I do not post much anymore - been close to 2 years since my last post - but I think some of you forget how lucky we are to have Cassie Campell-Pascal doing Flames games. She's a ground breaking icon who has mad respect around the game of hockey.

Her resume:

• Team Captain of 2 Team Canada Olympic Gold Medal winning Teams. The pressure and lead up to the 2002 win in particular was unreal (for those of you too young to have remembered).
• She's a member of the Order of Canada
• She replaced Eric Duhatschek on the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee when Duhatschek's term ended. She became the first woman on that committee. https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...ion-committee/

Let me say that again: The highest level of the hockey community thinks highly enough of Cassie Campbell-Pascal that they asked her to replace Eric Duhatschek on the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee. No one on this site can remotely compete with that. No one.

She's a Member of the Order of Canada. Again, that is our nation's highest honor for its citizens.

Along with 3 other leading Canadian women athletes (Jen Kish, Kerrin Lee-Gartner and Fran Rider), she has agreed to donate her brain for the Canadian Concussion Centre. The CCC has analyzed the brains of 44 former professional athletes but they were all male donors. This will permit the examination on the effects of concussions on female brains as well. https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/former...arch-1.3924208

As her husband works for the Flames, she has to demonstrate her objectivity and goes out of her way to speak about the other team and player otherwise she'll be called a homer. Even with that said, I received a text last night from an Oiler fan hollering about Cassie highlighting Tkachuk.

I enjoy her on the HNIC crew. But for 1 game a couple weeks ago, i've always enjoyed her participation. I think she gets better each time out and my daughters seem to notice when they hear a "girl" speaking about the game. Listening - actually listening - I think she's holding back on what she may really want to say at times so as to not be overly critical. Instead she is trying to spin the situation in a positive way for an opposing player rather than call out the poor play of another. Interestingly, in doing that she's opening herself up to critique. My hope is that she continues to grow and actually lets us know what she really wants to say some times. I'd like to see them ask her how she would have approached certain situations in her role as "Captain".

You don't become Team Captain of the planet's best women's hockey team if you're not able to see when players aren't performing and then deal with it - whether on the bench, in the dressing room, at practice, off ice etc. There have only been five people to be Team Captain of the Women's Team Canada at the Olympics. She is the only person to have done so twice. We won both times. Best in the world.

The objective indicators of her expertise are beyond compare. I don't know what more we can ask of a colour commentator that she doesn't bring to the table.

She is a ground breaker.

She's a credit to the sport of hockey.

We are so lucky to have her doing Flames games.

[calgarygeologist]

I don't think anyone is going to argue her resume or contribution to sport but her contribution to the at home experience of watching a hockey game is poor at best. Being a great athlete does not equate to being a great broadcaster or a great analyst.

[Blaster86]

Who are you, her mother?

Kidding aside, she's also a giant Flames homer, so I have no idea why people were whining in the GDT about her "openly cheering for the Oilers."


Even when the Oil took the lead she was talking like it was luck and they were barely able to do it despite really controlling play.

[zamler]

One of the greatest ever to play the game. One of worst when it comes to commentary.

Another example. Wayne Gretzky is arguably the greatest athlete of all time. He ended up being one of the worst coaches of all time, being the best at something doesn't automatically make you best at everything.

[Yoho]

I get the same vibe from Cassie as I do of Trudeau, that regardless of performance we are stuck with them forever.

[Jiri Hrdina]

I think she's miss-cast in her role. I enjoy her a lot more when she's part of the between period panel. She seems to do better when she has time to collect her thoughts. As a color commentator I find her to be very similar to Charlie Simmer, in that neither could quickly analyze a play on the fly in a manner in which they are telling you something beyond what we can all see with our own eyes.

Part of being in the media is accepting criticism. That being said, I find the specific comments about her to be over the line sometimes. One poster was suspended last night for a lewd and misogynistic comment. Another made a similar remark.

That makes us as Flames fans, and this community, look really bad. No need for that garbage.

[Flames1217]

She's great except when we are playing the Oilers.

When playing the Oilers she will rant about McDavid at every single chance. Its annoying to be honest, anyone can make a great play or score a nice goal and she will always revert to something about Mcdavid.

[BigFlameDog]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think she's miss-cast in her role. I enjoy her a lot more when she's part of the between period panel. She seems to do better when she has time to collect her thoughts. As a color commentator I find her to be very similar to Charlie Simmer, in that neither could quickly analyze a play on the fly in a manner in which they are telling you something beyond what we can all see with our own eyes.

Part of being in the media is accepting criticism. That being said, I find the specific comments about her to be over the line sometimes. One poster was suspended last night for a lewd and misogynistic comment. Another made a similar remark.

That makes us as Flames fans, and this community, look really bad. No need for that garbage.

Well said Jiri. I agree with this sentiment, doing colour can’t be easy. I think she had a rough night last night especially and it is probably even tougher trying to do it all off a monitor. That said, I have two hockey playing girls who are up to speed on her achievements and contributions and idolize her. I would like to see her stick with an analyst role, I agree I think she is wired for that.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think she's miss-cast in her role. I enjoy her a lot more when she's part of the between period panel. She seems to do better when she has time to collect her thoughts. As a color commentator I find her to be very similar to Charlie Simmer, in that neither could quickly analyze a play on the fly in a manner in which they are telling you something beyond what we can all see with our own eyes.

Part of being in the media is accepting criticism. That being said, I find the specific comments about her to be over the line sometimes. One poster was suspended last night for a lewd and misogynistic comment. Another made a similar remark.

That makes us as Flames fans, and this community, look really bad. No need for that garbage.

This... a thousand times. When she is on the panel with Hrudey and Bieksa, i think she is a huge part of it.

When she is doing color commentary? She should be no where near it. She talks about things that are irrelevant to what is happening, are not happening at all, and about players that are not on either team....during the play.

World class hockey hall of fame player and builder.

Really good TV analyst during breaks.

Awful color commentator that takes away from the game instead of adding to it.

I feel the exact same way about Kelly Hrudey as well.

[nik-]

That's a long list of accomplishments that clearly don't lend any ability to do her current job. No one is complaining about Cassie's ability to play hockey during the broadcasts.

[Textcritic]

I get the criticism of the broadcast crews even if this is something that personally never really bothers me. But I remain completely mystified about how aggravated so many seem to be by something that strikes me as so completely innocuous. I don't think Campell-Pascall is an especially good colour commentator, but she sure does not bother me so much as to froth at the mouth with demands for her termination. Reactions to her are over-the-top ridiculous, and it is difficult to avoid thinking that it has something to do with her gender.

[GranteedEV]

I don't mind Cassie on colour. Tbh I don't notice colour commentators in general, and I tjink the amount of focused criticism they get is absurd.

I do wonder if the people who hate the pitch of her voice simply have poor sound systems though.

[Jiri Hrdina]

I enjoy Hrudey in part because him and Ball just have amazing chemistry.

I think you have two types of good color analysts.
Ones who are entertaining, for me Hrudey is this.,
Ones who are able to quickly distill deeper observations about the game and play down to something the audience can grasp. For me there is a lack of these in hockey - perhaps because the game moves too fast. Seems more common in baseball and football.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by transplant99

This... a thousand times. When she is on the panel with Hrudey and Bieksa, i think she is a huge part of it.

When she is doing color commentary? She should be no where near it. She talks about things that are irrelevant to what is happening, are not happening at all, and about players that are not on either team....during the play.

World class hockey hall of fame player and builder.

Really good TV analyst during breaks.

Awful color commentator that takes away from the game instead of adding to it.

I feel the exact same way about Kelly Hrudey as well.

I have said this before, but the thing I really enjoy about Hrudey is his camaraderie with Rick Ball. I find myself not caring at all about his read on most of the game, but greatly appreciate the levity and friendliness he provides to the broadcast. They are a great duo.

[Azhouse]

Not a fan.

She do be lovin’ some Connor.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I have said this before, but the thing I really enjoy about Hrudey is his camaraderie with Rick Ball. I find myself not caring at all about his read on most of the game, but greatly appreciate the levity and friendliness he provides to the broadcast. They are a great duo.

Yeah that's fine.

But that doesn't mean he or Cassie are good.

Craig Simpson is a great one to compare them too. He is beside Hughson and compliments him well. Great chemistry and flow.

These two have two of the best in the business beside them in Ball and Cuthbert.....and they get in the way.

I agree with Jiri though...it seems be coming a lost art.

Doug Barkely was the best i have ever heard on radio.

Harry Neale was absolute gold on TV.

All that being said, i have only ever turned off commentating twice in my life because it was overpowering the actual game...both times it was the Avalanche crew about 15 or so years back.

We just dont get anything close to that any more.

[kukkudo]

Nah she sucks keep her on the intermission panels.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Reactions to her are over-the-top ridiculous, and it is difficult to avoid thinking that it has something to do with her gender.

Why would think that? And does Cassie need special treatment because she's a woman? Do you think women are inferior and need to be protected? Sounds like it. What if someone did say Cassie shouldn't be doing colour because she's a woman, so? Yes that's wrong but she can handle it Cassie doesn't need you or anyone to protect her. She's proven that her entire career.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think you have two types of good color analysts.
Ones who are entertaining, for me Hrudey is this.,
Ones who are able to quickly distill deeper observations about the game and play down to something the audience can grasp. For me there is a lack of these in hockey - perhaps because the game moves too fast. Seems more common in baseball and football.

I don't see his games very often but I think that Eddie Olczyk does a great job of breaking down the game. He is probably one of the best in the NHL.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Ones who are able to quickly distill deeper observations about the game and play down to something the audience can grasp. For me there is a lack of these in hockey - perhaps because the game moves too fast. Seems more common in baseball and football.

For some reason hockey coaches, players, commentators and analysts in general try to hide x's and o's. It would be nice to see someone like Gulutzan break plays down from a coaching perspective.