You know who is (frank)ing terrible at what they do now on TSN? Mike Johnson and whatshisname goalie guy, Jamie something. It's like they put an open audition out for former players to give their 2 cents, and maybe even call a game or 2. And only 2 put in for it.
- weirdoh

I don't mind Johnson...huh huh...

The best would be Norm MacDonald. The CBC would have to have a full time department to handle all the complaints about his jokes. Or have him as the colour guy. That would rule.

I don't mind Johnson...huh huh...

The best would be Norm MacDonald. The CBC would have to have a full time department to handle all the complaints about his jokes. Or have him as the colour guy. That would rule.
- Zezel

How anybody can sit there and listen to Johnson as he tries to do his commentary is beyond me. He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He has a voice fit for print.

I think in hindsight it would have been better to give Strombo the Hometown Hockey show to try the new approach to build a new following there and allow for more of his personality to shape the show and let it sink or swim on those merits. Ron was / is comfort for most folks. He's genuine and has a real visible enthusiasm for the players and the game and I think a lot of fans respond to that.
They COULD really stand to recycle some of the smug and spastic pundits though...

How anybody can sit there and listen to Johnson as he tries to do his commentary is beyond me. He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He has a voice fit for print.
- weirdoh

Oh.

How anybody can sit there and listen to Johnson as he tries to do his commentary is beyond me. He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He has a voice fit for print.
- weirdoh

I actually like Mike J. He comes off as pretty humble for a guy that had a decent career and adds value with his commentary, to me at least. He's miles beyond the strident little monkey babble that spills out of Healy

Oh.
- lumlums

Sorry if you are married to him

I actually like Mike J. He comes off as pretty humble for a guy that had a decent career and adds value with his commentary, to me at least. He's miles beyond the strident little monkey babble that spills out of Healy
- Morris_Wanchuk

Adds value. (frank) me

How anybody can sit there and listen to Johnson as he tries to do his commentary is beyond me. He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He has a voice fit for print.
- weirdoh

Wow, you hate that guy. I'm kind of meh about him. I do miss the Bob Cole/Harry Neal combo, the greatest play by play and colour man combo in the history of sport. Or why they relegated Joe Bowen to the radio I'll never understand. I want to see Rogers get destroyed as a corporate entity. Unfortunately they own a money printing machine.

Dustin Johnson's wife

I'll probably get hemorrhoids for saying this, but Healy at least can put together a thought on air and not sound like Jimmy from the local city college doing his first intramural volleyball game.


(frank) Healy

Bring back Peter Puck.

I think in hindsight it would have been better to give Strombo the Hometown Hockey show to try the new approach to build a new following there and allow for more of his personality to shape the show and let it sink or swim on those merits. Ron was / is comfort for most folks. He's genuine and has a real visible enthusiasm for the players and the game and I think a lot of fans respond to that.
They COULD really stand to recycle some of the smug and spastic pundits though...
- Morris_Wanchuk

This actually makes a lot of sense.

Yeah, Ron's thorough knowledge of the game comes through. I never hated Strombo but Ron has reffing experience, he's a hockey nerd, it helps to bring a lot of that to the flagship hockey gig.

Wow, you hate that guy. I'm kind of meh about him. I do miss the Bob Cole/Harry Neal combo, the greatest play by play and colour man combo in the history of sport. Or why they relegated Joe Bowen to the radio I'll never understand. I want to see Rogers get destroyed as a corporate entity. Unfortunately they own a money printing machine.
- Zezel

I don't know where it all came from, but yeah...(frank) he just seems so out of his element

Wow, you hate that guy. I'm kind of meh about him. I do miss the Bob Cole/Harry Neal combo, the greatest play by play and colour man combo in the history of sport. Or why they relegated Joe Bowen to the radio I'll never understand. I want to see Rogers get destroyed as a corporate entity. Unfortunately they own a money printing machine.
- Zezel

Cole/Neale were by far the best team i've ever heard. Cole still has his moments, but really they're so few and far between that I wish he would just hang em up.

Bring back Peter Puck.


- Atomic Wedgie

He's dead.

Cole/Neale were by far the best team i've ever heard. Cole still has his moments, but really they're so few and far between that I wish he would just hang em up.
- H8terade

Yup, Cole and Neale, that was the tandem I grew up with. Cole's voice is HNIC to me.

Adds value. (frank) me
- weirdoh

yeah I think so, his between the benches 'pulse of the game stuff' is better than Healy's over-exagerated hyper babble about how some comment from a player on the bench lead to some game turning epic play. Total nonsense.
I understand if folks think Johnson is kind of bland - he is, but I really don't get the extreme level of hate for some guy that gets barely any airtime in comparison to organ grinder Healey.

Yup, Cole and Neale, that was the tandem I grew up with. Cole's voice is HNIC to me.
- weirdoh

Same. Unfortunately now it's like watching a boxer past his prime getting killed in the ring.

Cole/Neale were by far the best team i've ever heard. Cole still has his moments, but really they're so few and far between that I wish he would just hang em up.
- H8terade

I never bought into this thing that Cole is slipping in his old age. But yeah, he's the voice of hockey to me. His cadence and the way he delivers the drama is the best in all of sports I think. I can hear in my mind the way he would say 'Tremendous pressure by these Maple Leafs!' or when he would just yell 'SCRAMBLE' when the puck was loose...chills up my spine. His call on Sundin's 500th career goal, the short-handed OT game-winner against Calgary...solid gold.

I wish they would take all of his sound bites and have it as an option on NHL video games that you could have Cole calling the games, I could listen to that all day.

Same. Unfortunately now it's like watching a boxer past his prime getting killed in the ring.
- H8terade

true again. too bad

The quality of "experts" dropped significantly with the addition of the Sportsnet crew. It's been pretty obvious to most people.

I didn't think it could get worse than Al Strachan but here we are.
- daeth

The Punjabi guys are pretty cool, even if they are speaking some weird moon-man language. That was pretty funny that their calls in the final went viral and Pittsburgh was loving it.

yeah I think so, his between the benches 'pulse of the game stuff' is better than Healy's over-exagerated hyper babble about how some comment from a player on the bench lead to some game turning epic play. Total nonsense.
I understand if folks think Johnson is kind of bland - he is, but I really don't get the extreme level of hate for some guy that gets barely any airtime in comparison to organ grinder Healey.
- Morris_Wanchuk

Healy's awful. Maybe he should stick to actually trying to analyze the game instead of the socks a player was wearing on the bus ride.

Cole/Neale were by far the best team i've ever heard. Cole still has his moments, but really they're so few and far between that I wish he would just hang em up.
- H8terade

I'm not a huge Hughson fan but I REALLY couldn't wait for Cole to be nudged out of the TML broadcasts. I really couldn't stand all the affected "Oh Baby" nonsense from Cole and the fact that he seemed to have missed half the action during play. I used to put Bowen on the radio and turn down the TV sound to not hear Cole.
To each his own for sure, but the Jim Ralph / Bowen broadcasts were some of the most enjoyable for me at least.

I'm not a huge Hughson fan but I REALLY couldn't wait for Cole to be nudged out of the TML broadcasts. I really couldn't stand all the affected "Oh Baby" nonsense from Cole and the fact that he seemed to have missed half the action during play. I used put Bowen on the radio and turn down the TV sound to not hear Cole.
To each his own for sure, but the Jim Ralph / Bowen broadcasts were some of the most enjoyable for me at least.
- Morris_Wanchuk

Ralph and Bowen were great too. The Leafs had a good thing going with vintage Cole and Bowen.

I used to love how every single game, when powerplays weren't working, Ralph would always say something like 'sometimes you have to keep it simple and go to plan B - traffic in front, get it to the point and hammer it'. You could mouth the words ahead of time whenever that topic came up, it was classic.