Rick Jeanneret: What Is Your Favorite All Time Call?

[SwampD]

5 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

"_____ clears it.... Not out!"

oof

[FogBat]

A lot of good ones out there. First one that came to mind was May Day. Someone else beat me to it, so I had to find something else:

 

 

[Skibum]

I didn't have cable TV when I was growing up in WNY in the 80's and early 90's, then I moved out west for a while. So I didn't see many RJ games prior to the mid 2000's. My favorite calls since then are Scary Good, Who Else?, and the Ottawa brawl. There hasn't been much to get excited about since those days!

[Taro T]

8 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

"_____ clears it.... Not out!"

The ______ word you are looking for is Smehlik.  Only on rare occassions did Jeanneret ever mention that name and not state it using the proper full formal version as you quoted it.

But why in the name of all that is good and holy would you consider that quote of his to be a favorite?

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, Skibum said:

I didn't have cable TV when I was growing up in WNY in the 80's and early 90's, then I moved out west for a while. So I didn't see many RJ games prior to the mid 2000's. My favorite calls since then are Scary Good, Who Else?, and the Ottawa brawl. There hasn't been much to get excited about since those days!

Rick didn't start doing TV until the mid-90s, so no one is going to find youtube memories prior to then anyway.  

[Stoner]

Just now, Eleven said:

Rick didn't start doing TV until the mid-90s, so no one is going to find youtube memories prior to then anyway.  

Unless someone can unearth clips of him doing games on cable in the early 70s.

[Eleven]

8 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Unless someone can unearth clips of him doing games on cable in the early 70s.

He did games on cable back then?

[Taro T]

9 minutes ago, Eleven said:

He did games on cable back then?

It was only run to a very limited # of homes back then, but those that were fortunate enough to have had cable (we weren't among them ?) could catch a few of the games that weren't shown on Ch 7 or Ch 2 (depending on the year) with Jeanneret doing the pbp.

Sabres were actually the 2nd team to have games shown on Cable TV.

Edited February 27, 2020 by Taro T

[Eleven]

20 minutes ago, Taro T said:

It was only run to a very limited # of homes back then, but those that were fortunate enough to have had cable (we weren't among them ?) could catch a few of the games that weren't shown on Ch 7 or Ch 2 (depending on the year) with Jeanneret doing the pbp.

Sabres were actually the 2nd team to have games shown on Cable TV.

Well look at that.

We did have cable--just basic because reception was poor--but we did not have Sabrechannel; I assume that's where the games were shown?

Edited February 27, 2020 by Eleven

[Taro T]

4 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Well look at that.

We did have cable--just basic because reception was poor--but we did not have Sabrechannel; I assume that's where the games were shown?

They were shown on Cable Channel 10.  Not sure if that was only broadcasting Sabres games or if they showed other things the rest of the time.  Pretty sure it would've been the latter, but as we didn't get cable run to our area until the late '80's, don't know that for certain. 

[DarthEbriate]

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

The ______ word you are looking for is Smehlik.  Only on rare occassions did Jeanneret ever mention that name and not state it using the proper full formal version as you quoted it.

But why in the name of all that is good and holy would you consider that quote of his to be a favorite?

It's not a favorite so much as a signature. RJ delivers it with a nuance that's really beautiful.

Nowdays I almost always watch the game if I can, but during the peak of the tank I'd listen online (not yet subscribed to NHL Center Ice or whatever it's called). And the pause, then "Not out!" was commonplace. RJ also didn't have to really describe the exact action. He gets more and more anxious and agitated the longer a shift gets or the more attempted clears or the better the opposition players on the ice. So --- while making dinner with the radio in the background, for example --- I'd get a very clear mental picture of "Oh crap, this is getting dangerous" vs. "yeah, the Habs kept the puck in, but they're going for a change and it's all good" based on RJ's voice and inflection of the "Not out".

(Sadly, Internet radio and local broadcasts weren't a thing back in the '90s-early aughts to hear it with Smehlik. I never knew him as the Grandfather of Not Out.)

[matter2003]

I have several that I can't decide between...

1) Hannan's 4OT goal against NJ to give the Sabres the 1-0 victory -- "This series is  going back to where Jimmy Hoffa is" as Lorentz lets out a surprised little giggle

2) Jason Wooley's OT goal in the 1st game of the Stanley Cup Finals..."Jason Wooley!! Jason Wooley!! The shot heard round the world! The shot heard round the world!!"

3) Brad May's OT winner to beat Boston---"May Day! May Day! Brad May!!"

4) Pominville's game winner in OT against the Sens to sweep the series---"Now do you believe?!? Now do you believe?!?!? These guys are good...scary good!!"

5) Drury's goal to send the Sabres into OT with 7 seconds left against the Rangers combined with the shots of thousands of Party in the Plaza people going nuts... "The score!!!!!!!!! Buffalo Scores!!!! Chris Druuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuury!!!  Who else!?!? Who else?!? Chris Druuuuryy has tied it at 1 with 7 seconds left!"  And the ref pointing to the back of the net emphatically like 15 times while skating over there

and then...

6) Afinigenov's subsequent goal in OT of the Rangers game to give the Sabres the come from behind win... "Maxim Afinigenov!! Blooooooooowwwssss it by Lundquist!! Maxim Afinigenov!! Gives Buffalo the win in OOOOOVVVEEEEEEEERTIMEEE!"

 

And obviously any number of the La-La-La-La-LaFontaine calls were awesome

Edited February 27, 2020 by matter2003

[Marvin]

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

They were shown on Cable Channel 10.  Not sure if that was only broadcasting Sabres games or if they showed other things the rest of the time.  Pretty sure it would've been the latter, but as we didn't get cable run to our area until the late '80's, don't know that for certain. 

My friends had it.  There wasn't much else on channel 10 except stock trading and weather reports.  It also carried network shows when games pre-empted them.

If memory serves me right (for the _Iron Chef_ fans), we had 2, 4, 5 (6), 7, 9 (8), 11, 17 (3), 19 (12), and 29 (9).  Channel 5 had HBO and Rangers games.  I remember channel 19 very distinctly because _Doctor Who_ was on at a different time from Channel 17.  I can't recall what was on 13.

[BuffaninSWFL]

How about when Soupy destroyed Umberger?

 

[Stoner]

9 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

It's not a favorite so much as a signature. RJ delivers it with a nuance that's really beautiful.

Nowdays I almost always watch the game if I can, but during the peak of the tank I'd listen online (not yet subscribed to NHL Center Ice or whatever it's called). And the pause, then "Not out!" was commonplace. RJ also didn't have to really describe the exact action. He gets more and more anxious and agitated the longer a shift gets or the more attempted clears or the better the opposition players on the ice. So --- while making dinner with the radio in the background, for example --- I'd get a very clear mental picture of "Oh crap, this is getting dangerous" vs. "yeah, the Habs kept the puck in, but they're going for a change and it's all good" based on RJ's voice and inflection of the "Not out".

(Sadly, Internet radio and local broadcasts weren't a thing back in the '90s-early aughts to hear it with Smehlik. I never knew him as the Grandfather of Not Out.)

You nailed it. What's my favorite Jeanneret call? Upon reflection — any three minutes of uninterrupted action in a playoff game. I had to listen to plenty of them with no access to the games on TV. He took me there. Pure magic. Also, I would be willing to bet my worldly possessions that Rick has never once — not once! — uttered the phrase "right point" or "left point" in his career. He didn't have to. We saw it, right or wrong, in our heads.

[Second Line Center]

1. These guys are good

2. Drury goal

3. May Day

4. Hannan's goal

5. Every ridiculous Hasek save.  "Makes the save" just had something extra when it was Hasek.  It was as if RJ was telling us don't worry he's got this.  

[Stoner]

11 hours ago, Taro T said:

It was only run to a very limited # of homes back then, but those that were fortunate enough to have had cable (we weren't among them ?) could catch a few of the games that weren't shown on Ch 7 or Ch 2 (depending on the year) with Jeanneret doing the pbp.

Sabres were actually the 2nd team to have games shown on Cable TV.

Cable coverage must have started in 72-73. The 71-72 media guide has no mention of games on cable. Paul Wieland's book has this picture:

 

[Eleven]

5 hours ago, BuffaninSWFL said:

How about when Soupy destroyed Umberger?

 

I was at that game.

[spndnchz]

19 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I was at that game.

Me too. I remember people were mad they showed replays of the hit before he even woke up on the ice.

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, spndnchz said:

Me too. I remember people were mad they showed replays of the hit before he even woke up on the ice.

Except they DIDN'T show replays of the hit.  (If they showed it, it was before people were paying attention.)

They showed it multiple times up in the press box apparently and the morons from Filly up there were accusing the Sabres of repetiitively showing it on the Jumbotron.  Friggin' Phlyers schmucks.

[spndnchz]

Simple logic tells you where I was that game. Lol. I could swear it was on the jumbo too.

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, spndnchz said:

Simple logic tells you where I was that game. Lol. I could swear it was on the jumbo too.

They definitely didn't show it multiple times.  (Wanted to see it and never got to see it again until we got home.)  Pretty sure we figured out here that the replay had been shown once fairly quickly after the hit and that was it.

[FogBat]

1 hour ago, Eleven said:

I was at that game.

I wish I could have been at that game. That was a hit for the ages!

For those who watched at home (like I did), did you feel like Soupy knocked you out by surprise as well? I know I never saw it coming.

[gilbert11]

On 2/26/2020 at 12:53 PM, spndnchz said:

 

Damn, I hated those red and black uniforms 

 

[Stoner]

So many little "calls" — they've got their own game going; it'll be icing if he gets there first, he does, and it is!; and here we go; and the game is over; smoked it off the pipe (recently changed to "smashed it off the pipe"; a wild and woolly one.

Rick vexed me in the early years with some odd sayings like "betwixt and between" and "shan't." Many of those Canadian regionalisms have gone away over time. He also used to say "again" to rhyme with "a-pain."

Here's another oddity. Whether the goalie makes a pad save or a glove save or a blocker save, it seems that any shot that rebounds to the side is, "He kicked that one off into the corner."

Rick's been an endless source of fun and passion — too bad the franchise you could say the same about up until 2011 retired about the time we all thought Rick was going to. Early Jack is being wasted, and so is Late Rick.