Bring Back Roby

[breese866]

"He looks like a bulldog eating his lunch off a thistle".  Common, seriously.  What does that even mean? That's hilarious.  I remember other Robyisms like "he's hanging around the net like dirty socks."  That is old school stuff.  Grass roots movement to bring him back, even for a game or two a year.  What say you.

[Taro T]

  On 12/3/2019 at 3:53 AM, breese866 said:

"He looks like a bulldog eating his lunch off a thistle".  Common, seriously.  What does that even mean? That's hilarious.  I remember other Robyisms like "he's hanging around the net like dirty socks."  That is old school stuff.  Grass roots movement to bring him back, even for a game or two a year.  What say you.

Expand  

The Robyisms for the most part beat a full serving of Robbyisms.  (No, you're right.)

It was good having him back for a game.

[Zamboni]

I wouldn’t want him back full time. But if he did like 9 other games this season or every home game that falls on a Monday thru Thursday or something like that. That would be a nice treat. 

[Neo]

I got “older than dirt” from Robitaille, as a young man so many years ago!  And now, I am!  I do, however, still have my chiclets and am yet to go down like a stack of dishes.  Oh, and “beat like a rented mule” ... blue collar poetry as good as it gets.

[nucci]

anything to get rid of Ray

[Robviously]

  On 12/3/2019 at 6:44 AM, Zamboni said:

I wouldn’t want him back full time. But if he did like 9 other games this season or every home game that falls on a Monday thru Thursday or something like that. That would be a nice treat. 

Expand  

I doubt he’d come back full time anyway, but it’d be amazing to have him on the broadcast for 10 games a year. I didn’t realize until last night how much of the joy of watching the Sabres growing up was due to him. Honestly, maybe more than RJ. 

“He took him to the woodshed” is one of my favorite quotes of all time and he has maybe a 1000 lines like that. It still felt like he had new ones last night too. 

[Tondas]

  On 12/3/2019 at 6:44 AM, Zamboni said:

I wouldn’t want him back full time. But if he did like 9 other games this season or every home game that falls on a Monday thru Thursday or something like that. That would be a nice treat. 

Expand  

Maybe have him only do the games RJ does?

[Carmel Corn]

I learned how to pronounce Calgary from him.....Cal.....gary

Seriously though, I miss the ol' "Hockey Hotline" days where he and Brian Blessing used to do post game and take phone calls on the old Empire Sports network.

[Pimlach]

It would be fun for about 6 or 8 home games.  

He was fun to listen to for nothing else but the old Robyisms, but I think you keep Ray.

 

I like Rayzor with RJ.  I like Duffer with Marty.  

[shrader]

Let the guy enjoy his retirement.  Yes, it was fun to listen to him, but if he's enjoying his current life, thumbs up to him.

[Stoner]

  On 12/3/2019 at 12:04 PM, Carmel Corn said:

I learned how to pronounce Calgary from him.....Cal.....gary

Seriously though, I miss the ol' "Hockey Hotline" days where he and Brian Blessing used to do post game and take phone calls on the old Empire Sports network.

Expand  

My recollection of that show is they just sat there and chatted like two friends for what seemed like hours after the game. Far from the terribly forced "conversations" Brian tortures Marty with.

  On 12/3/2019 at 9:52 AM, Neo said:

I got “older than dirt” from Robitaille, as a young man so many years ago!  And now, I am!  I do, however, still have my chiclets and am yet to go down like a stack of dishes.  Oh, and “beat like a rented mule” ... blue collar poetry as good as it gets.

Expand  

See now, someone on here has attributed "stack of dishes" to Larry Playfair. Smell? "Beat him like a rented mule" is also a Mike Langeism of Pittsburgh Penguin play by play fame. Is it possible these sorts of things are heavily borrowed? Nah. (And Rick has always given Larry credit for "top shelf.")

[Doohicksie]

  On 12/3/2019 at 11:31 AM, Robviously said:

“He took him to the woodshed” is one of my favorite quotes of all time and he has maybe a 1000 lines like that. It still felt like he had new ones last night too. 

Expand  

There are several of those "old school" players that used to do color during games.  Roby was great, Lorentz was great.   Mickey Redmond for the Red Wings is still doing it, but he's getting like RJ- getting a little stale, a little slower on the uptake.  Based on that, no Roby should not come back anywhere near full time, but it was fun listening to him for a night, and if he did occasionally it would be good.

[Doohicksie]

  On 12/3/2019 at 2:33 PM, PASabreFan said:

See now, someone on here has attributed "stack of dishes" to Larry Playfair. Smell? "Beat him like a rented mule" is also a Mike Langeism of Pittsburgh Penguin play by play fame. Is it possible these sorts of things are heavily borrowed? Nah. (And Rick has always given Larry credit for "top shelf.")

Expand  

A lot of those expressions, I think, were in the vernacular on the bench during their playing years.  It's not that a broadcaster "invented" these -isms, it's that they introduced them to viewers.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Doohickie

[bob_sauve28]

I've said it before and I'll say again, we need a young attractive--and knowledgable--hockey girl/woman on the broadcast. Most other broadcasts of all sports our going with the ladies. 

[Weave]

  On 12/3/2019 at 2:56 PM, Doohickie said:

A lot of those expressions, I think, were in the vernacular on the bench during their playing years.  It's not that a broadcaster "invented" this -isms, it's that they introduced them to viewers.

Expand  

This seems most likely to me.  Would be interesting to hear a more current player with a Robie level personality that hasn’t been cleaned up too much and hear the vernacular today.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Weave

[etiennep99]

Robitaille lives with massive chronic pain, heavily dependant on his wife for help.  There was article on this fact several years back. 

Based on last night, it seems like the mind is willing and able, and the body is likely not. [In contrast to Okposo's possible future.]

I would be surprised to see him return much, if at all.

 

What I liked most about Robitaille were his stories about his playing days, something you don't get much on radio any more where downtime is spent on commercials instead of colour-commentary.

 

Everything has its season. 

[Zamboni]

  On 12/3/2019 at 3:12 PM, bob_sauve28 said:

I've said it before and I'll say again, we need a young attractive--and knowledgable--hockey girl/woman on the broadcast. Most other broadcasts of all sports our going with the ladies. 

Expand  

Meh.  Need vs Want. I’m not gonna confuse the two.

[Neo]

  On 12/3/2019 at 2:33 PM, PASabreFan said:

My recollection of that show is they just sat there and chatted like two friends for what seemed like hours after the game. Far from the terribly forced "conversations" Brian tortures Marty with.

See now, someone on here has attributed "stack of dishes" to Larry Playfair. Smell? "Beat him like a rented mule" is also a Mike Langeism of Pittsburgh Penguin play by play fame. Is it possible these sorts of things are heavily borrowed? Nah. (And Rick has always given Larry credit for "top shelf.")

Expand  

Well, my memory is ... suspect ..  and I think heavily borrowed would be the case for these colorful phrases.

[Doohicksie]

  On 12/3/2019 at 3:12 PM, bob_sauve28 said:

I've said it before and I'll say again, we need a young attractive--and knowledgable--hockey girl/woman on the broadcast. Most other broadcasts of all sports our going with the ladies. 

Expand  

Why?

[bob_sauve28]

  On 12/3/2019 at 6:44 PM, Doohickie said:

Why?

Expand  

For several reasons. 

I want someone really smart to do color and go over plays 

Girls are a hockey market now and should be represented 

A young person should be represented, not just old former players of the team 

And why do we always have the meatheads (aside from Marty) being our color guys? 

I just would like having a female on the broadcast. 

[Carmel Corn]

  On 12/3/2019 at 7:09 PM, bob_sauve28 said:

For several reasons. 

I want someone really smart to do color and go over plays 

Girls are a hockey market now and should be represented 

A young person should be represented, not just old former players of the team 

And why do we always have the meatheads (aside from Marty) being our color guys? 

I just would like having a female on the broadcast. 

Expand  

No offense, but seems like a solution in search of a problem.....not that I am exactly crazy about how it is done today.  

[bob_sauve28]

  On 12/3/2019 at 7:36 PM, Carmel Corn said:

No offense, but seems like a solution in search of a problem.....not that I am exactly crazy about how it is done today.  

Expand  

I just think it would improve the "broadcast" Ha! 

 

But seriously, if they hired someone who was young, attractive and very hockey knowledgeable, it would be an improvement, IMO 

[Stoner]

bob_sauve, report to Human Resources. bob_sauve...