His feel for the game was unmatched. Somehow he seemed to know when a big moment was just about to happen.
It’s a lost art. The play calling on the ESPN feeds for these playoffs has been dire. Half the time the PBP and colour guy are talking about some anecdote from practice or someone’s training habits when a goal is scored.
The texture around hockey broadcasts is as much a part of my memories as the gameplay itself. My golden era was Cole, Harry Neal, and the HNiC theme on CBC. All gone now. Without them, the broadcasts feel flatter.
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Originally Posted by fotze
If this day gets you riled up, you obviously aren't numb to the disappointment yet to be a real fan.
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The literal voice of hockey. Sure there was Dick Irvin before him and others, but Bob was the man. And nobody has come close. He led a good life, earned his rest. Rest well Bob .
__________________ "Everybody's so desperate to look smart that nobody is having fun anymore" -Jackie Redmond
Seems like HNIC is fully devoting their broadcast and upcoming broadcast to him, and well deserved. Despite what people think of Ron MacLean, he's pretty good under these circumstances.
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The voice of the NHL for the 80s, most of the 90s and early 2000s.
He didn't do a ton of big Flames gaves relatively speaking.
Vancouver's game 7 in 1989 was probably the best.
I always thought it was interesting that he and Harry Neale got the Flames/Canucks series in '89 as opposed to the much higher profile Kings/Oilers (Gretzky vs. his old team). I'm glad he did as it was a great called series.
About 15 years ago, I was new to an Architecture firm, that was Canuck crazy. The guy whose name was on the front door, was talking about his upcoming wedding, and mentioned something about Bob Cole and rum..
My mind immediately went to the Mike Richard’s ‘Bob Cole, Chicks I Like’ bit, so I quickly brought it up on the computer. Being in Vancouver, I figured nobody had heard it.
Turns out, Bob Cole was the Boss’s future father in law. The room didn’t find Mike Richard’s funny…
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His feel for the game was unmatched. Somehow he seemed to know when a big moment was just about to happen.
interestingly my father in law is friends with a retired NHL and hockey play by play person and they were exchanging some emails which were copied to me
this gentleman's take was essentially exactly yours (sensing the big moments) and confirmed Cole as the GOAT