RJ leaves Sabres broadcast unannounced

[SabresBaltimore]

I was at the game, so I'm just seeing this now.

 

I'm hoping RJ has a speedy recovery.

[klos1963]

29 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

I love RJ, but he needs to hang it up.  It's not worth the risk to his health.

How do you know announcing games is a risk to his health?

48 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

I missed the game and only saw highlights; noticed that Duffer was doing the play by play call later in the game but RJ had been doing it earlier in the game on Risto's goal.

I thought "What the hell happened to RJ?" and came here to find out!

Hope he is doing OK and this is just a false alarm type of thing.

Hope RJ is home for Christmas and feeling OK.

 

I started yelling for Ray to shut the hell up, he's the worst ever. Then realized he was doing the play by play.

[woods-racer]

2 minutes ago, klos1963 said:

How do you know announcing games is a risk to his health?

I started yelling for Ray to shut the hell up, he's the worst ever. Then realized he was doing the play by play.

There is only one person in the world I know of that would be worse than Rob at doing the PBP, me!

 

I cast no stones in my glass house. 

 

But I agree he should not be doing the PBP, and I do like him as a color guy.

[LTS]

It's kind of amazing (and in some ways not) the amount of Twitter traffic related to RJ.

Naturally it runs the gamut.. but to have him trending on Twitter in the US is indicative of something.

I'm basically still up tonight hoping for some word on his condition... and naturally I want it to be good news, for him.

[pi2000]

13 minutes ago, klos1963 said:

How do you know announcing games is a risk to his health?

Because some day he's going to get wheeled out on a gurney during a game.

[LTS]

1 minute ago, pi2000 said:

Because some day he's going to get wheeled out on a gurney during a game.

The question is... would he have been wheeled out of his home on a gurney just the same?

 

[Sabel79]

3 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Because some day he's going to get wheeled out on a gurney during a game.

 

Just now, LTS said:

The question is... would he have been wheeled out of his home on a gurney just the same?

 

Given the choice, I know which one I’d do... 

[pi2000]

1 minute ago, LTS said:

The question is... would he have been wheeled out of his home on a gurney just the same?

 

No.   He would probably been napping on the couch with the game on in the background... and his grandkids feeding him scotch and sodas.

[LTS]

Just now, Sabel79 said:

 

Given the choice, I know which one I’d do... 

That's open ended, so I don't know how to respond.  Let's just say, I assume it would depend on which you'd rather be doing at the time.. announcing the game or sitting in your house.  But the point, to address pi, is whether broadcasting is causing any additional stress to increase the risk to his health.

I don't know if that can be answered. I don't want to speculate with relation to RJ.  But there's stress in doing something and there's stress in no longer doing something as well. It really depends on what it means to that person.

[Sabel79]

Oh, I’d have to be wheeled out of that damn booth.  

[pi2000]

Just now, LTS said:

That's open ended, so I don't know how to respond.  Let's just say, I assume it would depend on which you'd rather be doing at the time.. announcing the game or sitting in your house.  But the point, to address pi, is whether broadcasting is causing any additional stress to increase the risk to his health.

I don't know if that can be answered. I don't want to speculate with relation to RJ.  But there's stress in doing something and there's stress in no longer doing something as well. It really depends on what it means to that person.

Bob Miller retired for health reasons.... he had heart issues, but is generally in fine condition. If they find something off.with RJs ticker there is no way he comes back.

[LTS]

3 minutes ago, Sabel79 said:

Oh, I’d have to be wheeled out of that damn booth.  

I'm with you there.

1 minute ago, pi2000 said:

Bob Miller retired for health reasons.... he had heart issues, but is generally in fine condition. If they find something off.with RJs ticker there is no way he comes back.

Sure, but we know he has a heart issue.  He's come back after beating cancer. I'm not going further than that.  RJ is making the decisions he thinks are best. The man has given so much to the Sabres fan base for so long that I can only support anything he decides.

 

[klos1963]

21 minutes ago, woods-racer said:

There is only one person in the world I know of that would be worse than Rob at doing the PBP, me!

 

I cast no stones in my glass house. 

 

But I agree he should not be doing the PBP, and I do like him as a color guy.

He's horrible. Actual made the brilliant statement about the Eichel line becoming our goto line. Sharp as a tack.

13 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Because some day he's going to get wheeled out on a gurney during a game.

ok Doc.

[darksabre]

 

[Sabel79]

 

RJ is the best.  End of.  Get well.  

[Doohicksie]

54 minutes ago, klos1963 said:

I started yelling for Ray to shut the hell up, he's the worst ever. Then realized he was doing the play by play.

No, he was still doing color; he has no idea how to do play by play.  But he did his best, considering the situation.

It's interesting; he said, say "OK" about a minute in playing time after RJ stopped talking.  But leading up to that, he was talking, then pausing a bit (to give RJ a chance to come in I suppose) then talking some more.  Considering the situation I think he did a creditable job to get through a very confusing minute or two, before they told him he was all there was.

[Stoner]

24 minutes ago, darksabre said:

 

For those who don't want to or can't dig further, this tweeter is a sports reporter with Buffalo connections. So pretty solid.

[Taro T]

Glad that he seems to be OK.  Always watch the game on delay, but watched on more of a delay tonight having a Christmas party to go to.  When the Ducks had their PP late in the 2nd it was VERY noticeable that Rob Ray & awkward silence were doing the play by play.  When the TV timeout happened, told the wife either RJ had an elderly bladder break (which he's never taken before) or we'd be hearing Brian  Duff after the commercial.  Very sad that we got the Duffer there.

[Andrew Amerk]

Praying for RJ and his family. 

 

[JJFIVEOH]

It's an unfortunate situation that we all have to accept, just like his family. He's never been a physical specimen and to deal with his health past and the workload.......... we all, and so does he, have to accept the progression of life. 

At his point, it could be a very minor issue and within a month we'll never even talk about it again. But we have to accept the inevitable. RJ is a damn legend. There is nobody that can compare. 

I have to admit, Duffer jumping in without notice, he was pretty candid and knowledgeable. Dunleavy prepares for his games...... Dufffer stepped in without notice and did a hell of a lot better than Dunleavy. He didn't do too much play by play, which is understandable. But, he was candid and pretty comical with Rob. Very entertaining, in my opinion. Probably not the best combo for a full time staff, but still. 

Sabres fans don't need a play by play guy to explain the game, they just need a guy to break the monotony. 

[JJFIVEOH]

At this point, I don't think calling games is a risk to his health. If anything, it may have prolonged his life because for most of his life, it's all he's had to live for. 

I'm a drag racer and have seen many, many people come through the ranks where racing is their entire life. Even though they have great lives outside of racing, without racing they feel dead on the inside. 

I'm not going to assume. but to me it seems that RJ, if he can't call a game, is lost. The saying "he died doing what he loved" can't be more in play than a situation like this. 

Some cities need a play-by-play guy to explain stuff because they aren't hockey savvy. Buffalo isn't that way. We all know more about hockey than 90% of the fans. We just need some background noise. If, by chance, we can't watch a game in its entirety we can still let it play in the background. RJ's tone and inflection is second to none. I can listen to him and know if the game sucks or is super exciting. (Doc Emrick can't do that).

 

RJ, I  know you aren't the healthiest person, I also know you recently got over throat cancer. I just hope the Sabres can put together a decent enough run to make you proud before you have to leave. 

 

If it means anything, no offense Dan, but Duff killed it. He was forced to step in and did an admirable job. Not so much a perspective of a play by play guy..... but overall he made the last period comical meshing with Rob. 

 

I think Duff did a better job coming off the bench than Dunleavy does actually preparing for the job, knowing he is going to call a game. (Sorry Dan, I know you do well. You're just outmatched by Duffer)

[Brawndo]

John Vogl got a text message from RJ this AM.

Still Kicking is what he sent 

 

[Eleven]

13 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

John Vogl got a text message from RJ this AM.

Still Kicking is what he sent 

 

Well, that's good in the short term.  

[French Collection]

Get well RJ.

[Stoner]

He made the New York Times and the Drudge Report. The Sabres word of the year might have to be changed to "stretcher."