Can we replace Eric Francis on Sportsnet? Please?

[Oil Stain]

I never really knew who Eric Francis was until I saw him on the broadcast last week disrespecting Stajan and acting like a complete tool.

I can't believe that guy has a job in hockey.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

I never really knew who Eric Francis was until I saw him on the broadcast last week disrespecting Stajan and acting like a complete tool.

I can't believe that guy has a job in hockey.

Imagine talking down to a 1000 game player. Stajan got 55 points one year playing with the likes of Andropov and Ponikarovsky. Who has scored the only series winning goal for the Flames since Marty Gelinas in 2004.

[nik-]

Eric Francis can't do quality journalistic work and can't form interesting questions so he resorts to baiting. If he had the talent to do his job well, he wouldn't have to do what his schtick he has been for years. He's still a thing because people keep taking the bait and posting his stuff here and talking about it other places.

Stop paying attention to the hack and eventually he goes away.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

I never really knew who Eric Francis was until I saw him on the broadcast last week disrespecting Stajan and acting like a complete tool.

I can't believe that guy has a job in hockey.

I missed this. What exactly did he say to Stajan?

[flames_fan_down_under]

His back and forth with Stajan was embarassing, and he is, well, kind of an idiot. But he absolutely NAILS it in his Sportsnet piece today.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...losing-streak/

Shortly after the Flames' two losses to the Leafs, the team held a players-only meeting in Montreal that has produced disturbing yet unsubstantiated whispers that Tkachuk was urged to tone things down.

If, in fact, the heartbeat and future captain of this team was told anything of the sort it would explain why the Flames are where they are.

This team needs more players to get their noses dirty and exhibit a hatred for losing, not less.

From that meeting three weeks ago until Saturday, Tkachuk’s presence had been noticeably muted.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Francis was the guy to ask about the couple of things Tkachuk heard in the dressing room. I mean a few other media asked questions immediately after Tkachuk's remark but they didn't ask. You have to give credit to Francis for that - it's like yeah what did that mean when Tkachuk said it.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

His back and forth with Stajan was embarassing, and he is, well, kind of an idiot. But he absolutely NAILS it in his Sportsnet piece today.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...losing-streak/

Meh. He keeps calling Tkachuk future captain like he used to say Bruce Boudreau was the future head coach. I give him credit for nothing because he deserves nothing.

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Imagine talking down to a 1000 game player. Stajan got 55 points one year playing with the likes of Andropov and Ponikarovsky. Who has scored the only series winning goal for the Flames since Marty Gelinas in 2004.

Francis is a clown faced hack, but it wouldn’t surprise me that Sportsnet threw Stajan to the wolves.

I imagine they have given him minimal media training, coaching, feedback and review.

A few weeks ago Stajan was doing the postgame show with Brendan Parker. They were chatting away not realizing they were still live on the air. Someone phoned Parker to tell them as much.

Stajan ribbed Gio about the shirt he was wearing during the postgame interview.

While he thought they were off air, he explained how the Flames are cheap when it comes to handing out swag to players, compared to Toronto where they would hand swag out like candy for everyone in his family. He joked (I think) When he arrived in Calgary he had to wear a shirt Stephane Yelle wore in 2007.

It’s not really a good look for him to call the team responsible for his employment cheap after making millions of dollars working for them, now during a pandemic.

No one told him the cardinal rule in broadcasting. Assume every mic is live or recording.

I get a large part of it is getting your reps in, but I would imagine Sportsnet is investing next to nothing in him. Letting Francis talk down to him is another example of what a joke their broadcasts are.

[Sandman]

I remember back in the day, when I was a daily SUN subscriber thinking,"why is the movie critic covering the Flames now?"

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Boreal

Francis is a clown faced hack, but it wouldn’t surprise me that Sportsnet threw Stagan to the wolves.

I imagine they have given him minimal media training, coaching, feedback and review.

A few weeks ago Stagan was doing the postgame show with Brendan Parker. They were chatting away not realizing they were still live on the air. Someone phoned Parker to tell them as much.

Stagan ribbed Gio about the shirt he was wearing during the postgame interview.

While he thought they were off air, he explained how the Flames are cheap when it comes to handing out swag to players, compared to Toronto where they would hand swag out like candy for everyone in his family. He joked (I think) When he arrived in Calgary he had to wear a shirt Stephane Yelle wore in 2007.

It’s not really a good look for him to call the team responsible for his employment cheap after making millions of dollars working for them, now during a pandemic.

No one told him the cardinal rule in broadcasting. Assume every mic is live or recording.

I get a large part of it is getting your reps in, but I would imagine Sportsnet is investing next to nothing in him. Letting Francis talk down to him is another example of what a joke their broadcasts are.

Did they spell his name right?

[Erick Estrada]

LOL Pinder is still taking Francis to task this morning about his Gaudreau takes. Love it!

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Madman

It was great, Pinder put Francis in his place this morning during the 9. Francis was stating that it was a fact Johnny won't be re-signing here and is gone, Pinder quite energetically stood up to him and basically said - you either know something you're not saying, or this is simply just your opinion.

You could tell Francis was taken aback and quickly backed down from his stance and softened to it just being his opinion. It was refreshing to hear, thanks Pinder.

Originally Posted by Madman

https://www.sportsnet.ca/960/the-nine/

The brilliance starts around 21:40.

Clip posted in the game thread:

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Here’s some intermission content. Ryan Pinder calls Eric Francis out pretty directly.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1363995075643011072

[Northendzone]

so if johnny does not resign here, then do we give eric a cp group apology?

i don't care what johnny and has g/f have said about wanting to be here. ask yourself, if you were in his spot and the team continues trending in the current direction, would you commit to being here for 6 more years

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

so if johnny does not resign here, then do we give eric a cp group apology?

i don't care what johnny and has g/f have said about wanting to be here. ask yourself, if you were in his spot and the team continues trending in the current direction, would you commit to being here for 6 more years

Asking questions about the possibility is fine.

He’s been saying outright for years, regardless of situation, that he’s leaving. It has a hard expiry date, for ‘reasons’.

[btimbit]

Posing the question and bringing up the possibility is fine. That's not what he's doing though.

Stating that it's definitely happening 100% like you know for sure makes you an attention-seeking a-hole

It's to the point now where you just know he wants Gaudreau to leave so he can do his smug face and say he was right all along

[Pickle Juice]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

so if johnny does not resign here, then do we give eric a cp group apology?

i don't care what johnny and has g/f have said about wanting to be here. ask yourself, if you were in his spot and the team continues trending in the current direction, would you commit to being here for 6 more years

Eric is that you?

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I remember back in the day, when I was a daily SUN subscriber thinking,"why is the movie critic covering the Flames now?"

A movie critic that only got his first gig because mommy nepotismed him into a career.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

so if johnny does not resign here, then do we give eric a cp group apology?

i don't care what johnny and has g/f have said about wanting to be here. ask yourself, if you were in his spot and the team continues trending in the current direction, would you commit to being here for 6 more years

First, resign is the opposite of re-sign.

Second, "self-fulfilling prophecy" comes to mind. A lot of people have been claiming that Johnny's never gonna re-sign here, and it's been going on for years. At what point does that become a factor in his decision?

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Posing the question and bringing up the possibility is fine. That's not what he's doing though.

Stating that it's definitely happening 100% like you know for sure makes you an attention-seeking a-hole

It's to the point now where you just know he wants Gaudreau to leave so he can do his smug face and say he was right all along

We've heard that Johnny wants to go home and play. I'm assuming if that is his intention he has to push the Flames hard for a trade this season or in the off season. If he goes to his desired team he'll want close to a full season to impress them so that he can get a contract extension and not hit the free agent market. Free agency would be a terrible thing for him.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

We've heard that Johnny wants to go home and play. I'm assuming if that is his intention he has to push the Flames hard for a trade this season or in the off season. If he goes to his desired team he'll want close to a full season to impress them so that he can get a contract extension and not hit the free agent market. Free agency would be a terrible thing for him.

Where have we heard that? Other than his one time comment that ‘playing for the flyers would be cool (paraphrased)’ when asked by philly media?