Cassie Campbell-Pascall

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

My favourite parts about this thread is the mild, casual misogyny and self loathing of Flames fans realizing they now like Kevin Bieksa.

He had me the moment he had a photo of Fiddler imitating him in the background. That's some funny stuff.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

I personally find it bizarre. I think a lot of people here are wound way too tight

I watch the game and pay attention to the hockey first and foremost. Then I kind of hear the commentators as another voice in the room to which you can pay attention or not.

I agree with your whole post, but this part makes this whole topic really weird to me.

My checklist for watching hockey on TV is:
- Can I watch it?
- Is the picture good?
- Is the audio good?

Commentators are something I barely ever notice during the actual game. They neither add much nor take away. The difference between the best of the worst of them is so little, and mostly subjective. Sometimes I disagree with their opinions when I catch them, sometimes I don’t, but I’m watching the game, I don’t really give a ####. They are easy enough to ignore if you don’t like them, and bring enough to add a touch of value if you do like them.

The only one I honestly have an opinion on is Derek Wills, because if you’re listening to the radio he is the actual focus, you have to listen if you want to follow the game. Commentators on TV? Watch the game. It’s that thing on the ice the commentators are commenting on. You don’t have to listen to figure out what’s happening.

In general though, people throw themselves off the ledge over everything lately. GT and most PGT are unbearable. Bunch of people complaining their entertainment isn’t entertaining them enough. Could use more actual hockey talk.

[calgarygeologist]

Bieksa is great because he can have fun in his role, not take himself too seriously yet still provide value insight. It makes it interesting and entertaining to listen to. I wish I had the opportunity to watch some of the TSN broadcasts from the east with Johnson, O'Neill or McLennan. I really like listening to those guys on TSN's Overdrive and they are probably awesome on the hockey broadcasts as well.

[Eb0la11]

I like her too. She has good observations and is well spoken and her observations are relevant from her playing days. I think we are quite blessed with her and hrudey doing a lot of our games. I think this group is amongst the best in the last 30 years.

[shadowlord]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

This seems like a pretty poor excuse to accept mediocrity. If SN is committed to putting together a top notch product t
hey should not be content with subpar local talent just because other people might cost more. Also it is one thing if SN is burying a subpar product in a regional market with smaller viewership but they are also putting this out there for national consumption.

It's never been about putting together a quality product. To them (and any other business), it's about making money. In TV, that means gaining viewers=advertising dollars at the lowest cost possible.

Last night's game might have been broadcast nationally, but it's the late game, which means it's 10pm-1am in the Eastern time zone. The cost for transferring in someone from out-of-town isn't going to add enough new viewers to change the bottom line.

[chedder]

I don't care for her at all but I am going to agree with the posters that don't want the game thread full of this and will refrain from that type of post in there going forward.

[powderjunkie]

Hockey has got to be by far the hardest sport to do colour for. So darn fast and unpredictable.

Other sports have predictable rhythm and a lot more down time, and you end up with bigger 'characters' doing the job. Simply not possible with hockey IMO.

Soccer is the only one that it remotely comparable in terms of flow...maybe there is a reason most soccer broadcasts use a 1 man booth (AFAIK)


I think Cassie is fine. The only alternatives I'm sure I'd prefer off the top of my head are Craig Simpson, Ferraro (just the quickest and sharpest), and Hrudey (for reasons well articulated in this thread). Everyone else is just background noise.

The best value for me is having them between the benches, where they can offer some insights you can't get yourself with a rewind button.

[theinfinitejar]

I've said it before about Cassie, she knows a lot about hockey, but you couldn't tell it from watching her on TV.


She's bad, but not uniquely so, most colour commentary in hockey is around her level of insightfulness.

[djsFlames]

Nm not worth it.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Wayne Gretzky, is by most metrics, the best player of all time. But could you imagine listening to him all the time if he was a broadcaster? I would stick my head in the oven.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

My favourite parts about this thread is the mild, casual misogyny and self loathing of Flames fans realizing they now like Kevin Bieksa.

I for one cannot stand Bieksa even the slightest amount. Greaseball meathead

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

I for one cannot stand Bieksa even the slightest amount. Greaseball meathead

Hoser with a valley girl accent.

Still owned by Ferland to this day.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by dammage79

It's SN towing the NHL marketing line. McHerpes is the face of the league like it or not. And as such I thoroughly believe it's the hockey media's job to over saturate the leagues hottest commodity. We've seen this for decades, its an old formula.

Previous era over saturated athlete coverage:

Gretzky
Lemieux
Lindros
Crosby vs. Ov and 99 times out of ten it was only about Crosby. It was disgusting.

End of the day, we hate it more because he is an Oiler.
But really, as far as Canadian media goes, if it's not Toronto you'd never hear about it. Just imagine if he was a Leaf.

Anyhoops, Cassie is fine but I also think she's doing her job in over celebrating the holy annointed one. It's in the job description.

This is pretty much it. McDavid IS the most marketable player in the league, not just for the Edmonton. So since hockey is the #1 sport in Canada, Sportsnet is McDavid every damn minute of the day because they want to continue to hype up the most exciting player that will be shown on their broadcasts plenty of times.

Media are gonna focus on the superstars. Flames lack one, so it sucks when all you hear about is the other opponent's. What the league needs is more McDavid's, McKinnon's, Kane's, and etc. The more each team has a player that can dominate the game and be a storyline night in, night out, the stronger the league gets.

[memphusk]

Its simple. Cassie Campbell just isn't good at her job. Happens everywhere.

[btimbit]

I really like and admire Cassie she just isn't good at doing colour, she loses her train of thought too easily and just blusters her way through it.

I enjoy her on the panel, especially when Hrudey is on it as well and they take shots at each other

[soulchoice]

Originally Posted by btimbit

I really like and admire Cassie she just isn't good at doing colour, she loses her train of thought too easily and just blusters her way through it.

I enjoy her on the panel, especially when Hrudey is on it as well and they take shots at each other

She is better suited for the panel, keep her there; away from the booth as a colour analyst.

[Buff]

As many have said, she's a good panelist but not an analyst. I think colour analyst is a hard job. Does she have that job because she's willing to try? She's done it for quite a few years now but I don't know if she had had any tangible improvement. I wish she could call it a day and stick to just being on the panel where she is a very valuable team member.

[Dx54]

I think you miss the point of all the flak she gets. Let me ask you this- would you hire someone for a job that requires a certain level of journalism, broadcasting skills and all-round charisma to someone based on the accolades that Campbell has for completely unrelated skills? Cause I sure as hell wouldn't. I feel like that's a massive slap across the face of people who actually dedicated their lives/careers to becoming a sports analyst only to have a hack like Campbell try and commentate her way out of a paper bag on national television; its horrible. And that goes for all commentators, good or bad. Not just Campbell.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Hoser with a valley girl accent.

You're hitting the "mild, casual misogyny" side of my post though.

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

He had me the moment he had a photo of Fiddler imitating him in the background. That's some funny stuff.

I was a big fan of the Nude Kesler.

waitaminute...

[BMStrikesAgain]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

You're hitting the "mild, casual misogyny" side of my post though.

It's not casual misogynnnnyy to suggeeest that someone who like elongaaaates their wooords and uses the word like like a lot is a misogynist oookkkk?

It's a linguistic term to describe how someone talks, nothing more.