RICK JEANNERET'S SEMI-RETIREMENT

[GeorgeKramer]

So who are the lead candidates to take over for RJ when he is not broadcasting road games for the Sabres in 2011-12?

In addition, what about who will be the color commentator for the games that Harry Neale will be taking off this season?

My picks are Kevin Sylvester and Danny Gare, with other candidates for play-by-play expected to include Mark Jeanneret, Paul Hamilton and Brian Koziol. Color commentator candidates could include Rob Ray, Mike Robitaille and Jim Lorentz (Terry Pegula may ask him to return on a part-time basis after learning how the previous ownership low-balled him during contract negotiations a few years ago.)

Interesting topic. You gotta wonder how much influence RJ will have, especially when it comes to pitching his son to become his eventual replacement. WGR on-air hosts will likely promote Hamilton for the gig whenever they get a chance.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Mark Jeanneret's "audition" last year was weak at best. There are plenty of better play-by-play people working in the minor leagues. You can get away with a "name" for commentary, but you need somebody with skills to keep up with a sport as fast as hockey. It ain't like baseball. It's probably time to think outside the market.

Bringing Lorentz back would be a great move. It's hard to believe that Harry Neale was cheaper than Lorentz, so I don't think that money was the only issue. He may be more willing to work for the Sabres on a part-time basis, although getting the travel half of the schedule would be no bargain.

 

[Bob1370]

If you're worried about someone who can follow the play and inject energy into the presentation as Rick Jeanneret does, I don't think he's got an equal anywhere in the vicinity--but one possibility who could handle it well, would be the Rochester Americans play by play guy, Don Stevens.

 

[jas2525]

First off, while Rick's son Mark is almost as good as his dad at calling plays, his delivery is awful. I mean, truly horrible. Keep Mark out of the booth at all costs.

Kevin Sylvester has improved greatly between last season and this past season. But I'm not sure I want to see him as the primary game caller. Let me think about it for the rest of my post and I'll get back to you.

Danny Gare? Just too boring.

Roby? Excellent commentator, not so much on the numbers crunching. Is that what you want in the color chair?

Same holds true for Rob Ray. Very good commentary, but isn't color supposed to be about stats n' things as well as commentary? Don't know how effective (or comfortable) he or Roby would be throwing around the numbers.

Paul Hamilton would be great as a game caller and as a color guy.

Hey, if Golisano was still in charge, and read my post, he'd probably hire Paul to do both!

In conclusion:
I guess having Sylvester calling the games and Hamilton doing color would work for me. These two have also worked together at 'GR, so there's already that familiarity. And keep Ray and Roby close by for supplemental commentary.

 

[bbb]

I agree with Hamilton. I think he's really good. I'm somebody who listens on the radio more often than I get to watch the games, and I'm not going to miss RJ nearly as much as I thought I would. His delivery is as good as there ever was, but he never tells you the game situation. It's so maddening.

Or, his partner, Harry, could stop reciting useless stats and actually give the game situation - score and time, every once in awhile.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Well, I guess we'll have a chance to audition several people next season to see who works out. I'm not excited at the prospect of either Sylvester or Hamilton doing play-by-play. I don't hear either one as a big leaguer in that role. They're fine for what they do, but PBP is a whole different animal - especially in hockey.

As far as color commentary is concerned, I'd rather hear Gare, or somebody else who's played or coached in the NHL. I don't think Rob Ray fit the role well. He's OK in short bursts, but I don't think I want to hear him for an entire game. Once again, Lorentz would be great, even if it's only for half the games.

This could be WGR's opportunity to bring in a real talent to do PBP, and fill Schopp's PM drive slot. If he's not planning to leave, they should be planning to dump him.

 

[John C]

I agree with Hamilton. I think he's really good. I'm somebody who listens on the radio more often than I get to watch the games, and I'm not going to miss RJ nearly as much as I thought I would. His delivery is as good as there ever was, but he never tells you the game situation. It's so maddening.

Or, his partner, Harry, could stop reciting useless stats and actually give the game situation - score and time, every once in awhile.

Totally agree with this comment about RJ and listening on the radio. When I do have to listen without watching on TV RJ rarely gives the game situation outside of going to a break. I realize he's busy doing PBP and he's one of the best so who am I to criticize. From the TV point of view, it's amusing to me when there's long stretches, say at least 8 minutes, without a stoppage in play and listen for RJ to chirp in about how "someone else can say something any time"!

 

[jas2525]

Hate to pile on, but that was my only real criticism of Rick: If you were listening to the radio and not watching the game on TV, you can go a looooong time not knowing what the score is! VERY annoying. Gets to the point where you don't even care which team scores...just as long as SOMEBODY does so you can get a score update!

 

[refunp01]

Hate to pile on, but that was my only real criticism of Rick: If you were listening to the radio and not watching the game on TV, you can go a looooong time not knowing what the score is! VERY annoying. Gets to the point where you don't even care which team scores...just as long as SOMEBODY does so you can get a score update!

I agree. I enjoy listening to RJ's call of the game, but if you tune in on the radio and don't know the score it can be an awfully long time before the next commercial break or goal. It will be interesting to see how the broadcast team evolves with someone else calling the road games.

 

[SirRoxalot]

It might be an indication of how important the radio feed was in comparison to the video feed. Video puts all that info on the screen most of the time. It wouldn't surprise me that RJ was coached to let the screen deliver the time & score info.

 

[yugoidar]

If Rick's not giving the score enough, maybe someone needs to buy him an Egg Timer, when the sand runs out - it's time to flip it over and give the score. An old baseball PBP announcer's trick!

Regarding his part-time status - I realize this is blasphemous, but as much as we all love Rick's play calling ability, and he is a legend, maybe it's time he just hung it up. It happens to everyone sooner or later. Van Miller with the Bills is a great example.

With new ownership, maybe it's a good time freshen the broadcasts, give Rick a "royal sendoff". the keys to a new car and bring in some new blood.

The idea of having separate broadcast teams for home and away games just doesn't seem very practical to me. And if Rick's thinking of working his son into the plan, we all know how that worked for a certain radio morning man a few years back.

 

[JustPastBuffalo]

Finding a permanent-sub for Rick would be less of a problem if the team could go to its radio play by play guy. This might be the time to recall that Jeanneret came up calling the games on radio while the legendary Ted Darling called the games on TV and cable. Years ago, like so many NHL clubs, the Sabres cut costs and cut the separate radio PBP team. The chickens have come home to roost.

 

[Philip_Airtime]

I must be in the minority of those who actually thought Mark Jeanneret did a good job filling in for his father. Hockey play-by-play is perhaps the most difficult in all of sports because of the fast-breaking action on the ice. I thought Mark described the game action quite clearly, keeping up with the fast pace. He doesn't have his father's excitement. But that's okay. It would be foolish for anyone to try and become a second Rick Jeanneret. Still, you do sense a bit of his father's cadence during scoring opportunities around the goal crease.

Since Terry Pegula seems to be willing to spend his money on this team and its associated ventures, perhaps now is the time to split the play-by-play duties, having Rick and his road games replacement do TV while radio would have its own announcer, maybe Paul Hamilton. TV doesn't require the constant description that Rick has to provide because of his presence on the radio. We're watching. We can see what's happening. Yet, as mentioned by other posters here, the radio audience is short-changed because of the lack of score updates. Plus, it sounds like crap when one of the analysts is referencing a video clip on the radio. So, indeed, split the play-by-play duties. As Jim rightfully argues, that would give the Sabres a bigger announcing bench for the future.

 

[bbb]

Hate to pile on, but that was my only real criticism of Rick: If you were listening to the radio and not watching the game on TV, you can go a looooong time not knowing what the score is! VERY annoying. Gets to the point where you don't even care which team scores...just as long as SOMEBODY does so you can get a score update!

LOL - I have actually thought this same exact thing! Sadly, not even a score or a commercial break got you the score every time. A lot of times, but definitely not all the time, like you would think.

Splitting up into radio and TV would be so ideal. Seeing that Rick did so many games on the radio, I always found it odd that he didn't give the radio listeners what they needed.

 

[Element9]

Previous posters have made a valid point. Rick Jeanneret was at his best when he did play by play on radio during the years when the Sabres had separate crews for radio and television. Most of his best calls came on radio games. In the last few years, Rick has tended to drift away from the action. Maybe it’s because he’s content to let the picture to do the talking. Doubt that he’s disinterested or bored. With the TV monitors and TV producers and directors rattling his IFB and all the commercial billboards that he has to read, the radio broadcast takes second seat to the TV broadcast. This is one of the drawbacks of the TV-Radio simulcast on radio.

Buffalo hockey fans should realize there won’t be another Rick Jeanneret. The next play by play person should understand that he will be living in RJ’s shadow for a few years. John Murphy understood this when he took over years ago from Van Miller as the Bills PBP man. Even Jeanneret had to live in Ted Darling’s shadow for a few years. Darling, smooth as silk, Jeanneret gritty and volatile. The Sabres PBP job isn’t easy. Of all sports, hockey may be the toughest game to call. The pace is frantic, the players and puck move around at lightning speed and possession constantly changes. If you’re good at hockey PBP, my guess is you can call just about any sport.

Unfortunately, Rick Jeanneret’s son sounded like he needs a few more years in the minors. Kevin Sylvester is a better studio host than play by play man. He was in an unenviable position last season calling the games in Jeanneret’s place and his lack of AHL or minor league PBP experience was evident. Notice his friends and family stuffed the Buffalo News Sunday Sport section with complimentary letters a few weeks later? The guy who best handled the PBP job was Paul Hamilton. He was neither flamboyant or dull. He had a good delivery, was steady, knowledgeable and on top of the play. The guy who said Paul Hamilton would best suit the Sabres and their fans carrying the weight in Jeanneret’s absence probably had it right.

 

[GeorgeKramer]

Hamilton didn't do any of the play-by-play action last season, but did get a couple games the two seasons prior. If he gets the nod, that will open things up for someone to take over the Sabres/Bills beat reporter job at WGR. I'd love for that to be Brian Koziol but he makes more money at his day job so I doubt he'd become a full-timer in the uncertain corporate world of radio.

Two more names to ponder - Pete Weber of the Nashville Predators and Don Stevens of the Rochester Amerks.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Why would Pete Weber give up the Preds & come to Buffalo to be compared with RJ?

You want to be the guy that replaces the guy that replaces RJ. Bring back John Gurtler.

 

[John C]

Why would Pete Weber give up the Preds & come to Buffalo to be compared with RJ?

You want to be the guy that replaces the guy that replaces RJ. Bring back John Gurtler.

Yes, bring back Gurtler and turn down the sound. Was Gurtler doing the TV PBP when RJ called "May Day" on the radio? I'm just wondering. Gurtler was so long ago I don't remember how well he did PBP.

 

[Philip_Airtime]

Why would Pete Weber give up the Preds & come to Buffalo to be compared with RJ?

You want to be the guy that replaces the guy that replaces RJ. Bring back John Gurtler.

Yes, bring back Gurtler and turn down the sound. Was Gurtler doing the TV PBP when RJ called "May Day" on the radio? I'm just wondering. Gurtler was so long ago I don't remember how well he did PBP.

Yes, you remember correctly. Most of us heard John Gurtler call May's winning goal because we were watching on TV. I would dare say most Sabres fans heard Rick's "May Day" call in day-after replays, not live.

 

[JustPastBuffalo]

....Especially if they listened to WGR News Radio 55 which featured Jeanneret's PBP calls in the sportscasts @15 and 45 the following day. We also produced a showcase of calls including Rick-isms, hits and fights. These aired once an hour between 5 and 8:59 on the morning show. I'd dare say the idea for the now famous (and money-making) "Carubba Collision" came from those packages on WGR. As long as I'm crediting those features, it should be noted that the idea for featuring Rick's calls in the morning show came from Chuck Finney, enhanced by Darryl Parks.