Rumour - Now Confirmed - Jeff Marek Leaving Sportsnet

[Locke]

Sports Journalism should have a 'Mad Max' element to it.

Each week there should be a trial by Combat, two shall enter, only one shall leave.

And each Journalist has to fight for their place. If you win, you survive another week, if you lose...? Well...we all know what happens if you lose.

That way its survival of the fittest and, more importantly, sports journalists will be more forthcoming with the information that they have because they could be in the Thunderdome tomorrow having a shockingly callous glance at their own mortality.

I do suppose that there might be some pesky 'Labour Laws' to take into consideration, but we can deal with that when the time comes.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by bluejays

Was personally never a fan of the guys who want to be Ron Maclean. Be your own personality. My main problem with Marek was him living for hockey. Nobody cares about your knowledge of what you read happened in the 1992 Canada cup, or which junior team a guy played for, or that he comes from a great family based on him wearing a tie to your interview. He just tried too hard to make himself all about hockey. And it was painful.

Kyle I wasn’t a fan of but he genuinely now seems like a nice guy who is just trying to find his footing on the podcast. I’m sure he’ll be better than Marek. Now if he can just get Friedman to stop forcing the terrible banter. Friedman seems to be going more and more into tangents to sound like the smartest guy in the room before delivering his rumor. Just get to it man.

I can’t stand Ron and I was a big fan of Marek
I don’t see them being similar at all

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I can’t stand Ron and I was a big fan of Marek
I don’t see them being similar at all

Well. You just presented the solution to your own problem.

Marek vs. MacLean

Thunderdome.

Marek has to watch out for the Old Man Strength and potential inability to feel pain for....reasons.

Anyhow...book it and we solve this once for all.

And who said 'Violence never solves anything?'

It solves a great deal of otherwise fairly tricky conflicts!

[saillias]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I can’t stand Ron and I was a big fan of Marek
I don’t see them being similar at all

+1 Marek is a nerd but in a different way than Maclean. I don't get the sense he is all about hockey only, quite the opposite. I suspect he could have been music/pop culture journalist if he didn't get on Sportsnet

[topfiverecords]

Marek was the equivalent hockey knowledge level of Loubardias, but without the personality and charm.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Just me I guess but I liked Marek. he was always honest talking about the Flames.

I like the guy and liked him on his radio show. But i didn't like the part on 32 thoughts where he would go on and on about random small things or issues. That podcast is about rumours, business of hockey, and insider information. Marek didn't have much to offer there.

He's a self described hockey nerd. Many of us are....some like that part of him, but i think it grated on others like me.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I can’t stand Ron and I was a big fan of Marek
I don’t see them being similar at all

I touched on it months ago. We’ll agree to disagree, but I found it was more micro expressions that marek tried to emulate, more so with the same hand gestures (insert eye roll). Then the second part about feeling the need to be a hockey historian akin to needing to read every hockey book like it’s a bible, drives me crazy about both of them.

Ron is sharp though. Like the puns or not, he responds super fast to closing out the last statement with a play on someone else’s words. It’s pretty impressive.

[McG]

Originally Posted by bluejays

I touched on it months ago. We’ll agree to disagree, but I found it was more micro expressions that marek tried to emulate, more so with the same hand gestures (insert eye roll). Then the second part about feeling the need to be a hockey historian akin to needing to read every hockey book like it’s a bible, drives me crazy about both of them.

Ron is sharp though. Like the puns or not, he responds super fast to closing out the last statement with a play on someone else’s words. It’s pretty impressive.

Is it impressive or is it a setup? I’m thinking setups more and more because I don’t think he’s good in freestyle; think about some of the disciplinary stuff like tarps off or similar.

He is good at Oiler cheerleading though…but then so is Sportsnet in general.

And not even mentioning the ridiculous things that he tries to do to show knowledge.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by McG

Is it impressive or is it a setup? I’m thinking setups more and more because I don’t think he’s good in freestyle; think about some of the disciplinary stuff like tarps off or similar.

He is good at Oiler cheerleading though…but then so is Sportsnet in general.

And not even mentioning the ridiculous things that he tries to do to show knowledge.

Personally I don’t think they’re set up lines. There is a genuine surprise from whomever dropped a line that I think it’s not done purposely at all. lol - tarps off sounds so dumb. No idea how that saying became a thing.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by saillias

+1 Marek is a nerd but in a different way than Maclean. I don't get the sense he is all about hockey only, quite the opposite. I suspect he could have been music/pop culture journalist if he didn't get on Sportsnet

Dan Carlin had an episode of his podcast where he talked with Marek about stuff for an hour and a half. Marek is just one of those guys (like Carlin) who likes to nerd out about history and culture.

https://thebigstorypodcast.ca/2019/1...th-dan-carlin/

[dustygoon]

How does Marek land on his feet if it's true that it was the league (and potential vegas anti-gambling people) that pushed for the firing as a public hanging?

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

How does Marek land on his feet if it's true that it was the league (and potential vegas anti-gambling people) that pushed for the firing as a public hanging?

With a non-rights holder like TSN or DFO?

[saillias]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Dan Carlin had an episode of his podcast where he talked with Marek about stuff for an hour and a half. Marek is just one of those guys (like Carlin) who likes to nerd out about history and culture.

https://thebigstorypodcast.ca/2019/1...th-dan-carlin/

i've listened to every HH episode since like 2012. how did i not know he talked to Jeff Marek?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by bluejays

Ron is sharp though. Like the puns or not, he responds super fast to closing out the last statement with a play on someone else’s words. It’s pretty impressive.

Sharp doesn't make him any less grating. The guy is just such a narcissist that he's simply off putting.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

How does Marek land on his feet if it's true that it was the league (and potential vegas anti-gambling people) that pushed for the firing as a public hanging?

I wonder if he goes back to his roots, that being pro wrestling and MMA.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Sharp doesn't make him any less grating. The guy is just such a narcissist that he's simply off putting.

I can see why some people see him as a narcissist but I don’t think so. During his Cherry days I’d agree. But after he got backlash he seems to have mellowed out quite a bit - almost grateful that he has a job. I don’t like his extreme history of hockey, because it’s frankly ancient history, but I do realize the second he’s gone there will be a longing for some level of tradition that he has.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Marek is the kind of guy that everyone later learns he loves huffing his own farts, and no one is surprised. Not a fan, not missed.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by bluejays

I can see why some people see him as a narcissist but I don’t think so. During his Cherry days I’d agree. But after he got backlash he seems to have mellowed out quite a bit - almost grateful that he has a job. I don’t like his extreme history of hockey, because it’s frankly ancient history, but I do realize the second he’s gone there will be a longing for some level of tradition that he has.

Read his autobiography and it's clear the man has a HUGE ego and ultimately will protect his own ass over everything else.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Read his autobiography and it's clear the man has a HUGE ego and ultimately will protect his own ass over everything else.

The flack that Don Cherry's kid gave him online after Ron shared that pic he took with Don at that bday party and making it seem like things were all good between them.

(Don should have been taken off the air long before he was imo, but ya know, two things true at once)

[dustygoon]

This new Amazon prime hockey program coming on Mondays is going to need a broadcast crew.

Given how it's rumoured that amazon pushed around the league when it came to keeping final edit rights for the docuseries, maybe amazon flexes some more and puts Marek on broadcast team? Would be a smart move by them.