Do we like Dan yet?

[Stoner]

It's in my DNA... Moments like last night take me to the play by play guy.

I tracked down Dan's calls of Tage's five goals. It wasn't that easy. Nothing on sabres.com. I found them on WGR's site by playing a postgame podcast and advancing 15 seconds at a time until I got to the plays of the game at 31:10.

They were good calls. Dan has another level. I think he tries very hard not to be Rick. And I think at his core is the idea that only the biggest moments deserve the most excitement. Fine, but we're not used to that, and any big goal even in a meaningless game (and there have way too many of those) deserves a big call.

Anyway, what does everyone think of the calls?

In the end I think if Dan recalibrates himself a little and is a little less principled, he might just be a pretty good fit for Sabres fans.

Edited December 9, 2022 by PASabreFan

[Indabuff]

For me I think it's a matter of a certain degree of acceptance rather than liking him more. 

[Refuting]

I dont like the way he says "Scores" at all. It doesn't sound right he should shorten it or say it differently 

[matter2003]

Not really.  He seems to just be trying too hard because it doesn't come naturally to him. He's barely listenable at times.

Edited December 8, 2022 by matter2003

[Sabres Fan in NS]

We have been spoiled by 50 years of the best play-by-play guy in any sport.

Dan is fine, but it's taking some getting used to.

[Weave]

Never noticed his goal calls last night.  Thats not a bad thing.

Edited December 8, 2022 by Weave

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

We have been spoiled by 50 years of the best play-by-play guy in any sport.

Dan is fine, but it's taking some getting used to.

The biggest thing is just the acceptance that it’ll never again be as good 

[Refuting]

2 minutes ago, Thorny said:

The biggest thing is just the acceptance that it’ll never again be as good 

They could do better than Dan Dunleavy though

[JoeSchmoe]

My biggest complaint against Dan isn't his goal celebrations, but it's all those plays he misses. For someone like me thats on the road most nights driving my kids to out of town arenas, I want someone that can paint a picture of what's going on on the ice. 

He's perfectly serviceable for TV, and he's actually really likeable as a host, he just doesn't have his radio game down.

[inkman]

6 minutes ago, Thorny said:

The biggest thing is just the acceptance that it’ll never again be as good 

It comes with age.

[Thorner]

10 minutes ago, Refuting said:

They could do better than Dan Dunleavy though

Why bother. He’s decent. 

Rick is so, so far beyond anyone else, no matter who calls the games will be a disappointment with the slightest comparison. Rick was one of the top reasons I’m a Sabres fan. It’s honestly a huge loss. 

Replace Dan and the new person would still greatly suffer by comparison. Even if there is a small improvement, it’s not enough/worth prioritizing that over a dude’s job who by all accounts is a good guy and does a decent job. 

No sense chasing what we can’t get 

Edited December 8, 2022 by Thorny

[Indabuff]

5 minutes ago, inkman said:

It comes with age.

You've been on fire lately. 

[Zamboni]

Not a fan. Never will be a fan.

for me… He’s the “Steve Shields” of PxP. He’s decent. He’s passable. He’s acceptable. And those are just the nice things I have to say about him As far as his game calling. I’m sure personality wise… He’s a terrific person and quality human being.

 

If RJ was an A+ 

DD is a C+
 

just speaking for myself like everyone else is.

Edited December 8, 2022 by Zamboni

[Radar]

Please Dan just call the play......quite with commentary and what's not actually happening on the ice. On radio......can't even follow the game with him. 

[That Aud Smell]

40 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

I want someone that can paint a picture of what's going on on the ice. 

I don't think that style of call will ever be found in modern hockey PBP people. Rick was a master of course - and Ted Darling did it nicely as well - because they cut their teeth doing radio calls.

IMO, Dunleavy's okay. And frankly, I'm okay with that so long as the hockey team improves.

As posted here multiple times, I still can't stand his inexplicable aversion to announcing that someone has scored. The making of a goal does not call for the continuation of a narrative. It calls for an exclamation. An ***** one.

Edited: The filter struck the word ej.aculated. I meant it in its secondary (?) meaning. As in: "'He SCORES!' ej.aculated the announcer."

Edited December 8, 2022 by That Aud Smell

[That Aud Smell]

[Getpucksdeep]

Most games for me are via pirate stream on a laptop cast to TV.  I mix between home & away feeds and the mute button depending on the opponent and happenings in the game.  I guess he's serviceable vs most other US markets.  Mostly I want a radio quality / detailed broadcast instead of trivia night or random agenda driven banter during the play.  Rayzer-bonics is another annoyance.  The Canadian broadcasts and talent are so much better. 

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

We have been spoiled by 50 years of the best play-by-play guy in any sport.

Vin Scully would like a word.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

Vin Scully would like a word.

Has he not retired or kicked the bucket or both ??

[Doohicksie]

He did recently pass, but he was one of the best, perhaps the best, play by play announcer in any sport.  Ever.  For 67 years.

[PerreaultForever]

Well he's no RJ.

But on the bright side he's no Jack Edwards either. It could be much worse. 

I personally like what the Kraken assembled. Forslund has a lot of energy and manages to add excitement. Olcyzk levels it with much better hockey knowledge and insight than Ray. Dan is very flat in comparison and could use some of that energy. "That's Kraken hockey baby" comes off great and he could use some sort of battle cries for the Sabres in a similar manner. Really, just more energy and excitement. He's often just too flat. 

[Porous Five Hole]

1 hour ago, JoeSchmoe said:

My biggest complaint against Dan isn't his goal celebrations, but it's all those plays he misses. For someone like me thats on the road most nights driving my kids to out of town arenas, I want someone that can paint a picture of what's going on on the ice. 

He's perfectly serviceable for TV, and he's actually really likeable as a host, he just doesn't have his radio game down.

This is the Sabres fault. The Sabres are the only organization in the league that simulcasts their tv PBP for the radio. Everyone else has a dedicated radio and tv team. It’s garbage. 

[Pimlach]

I do not dislike Dan.  I like that he doesn't copy RJ.   I suppose he can get better in time.  

I think he would be better as a neutral announcer.  He sounds like a neutral announcer a lot of the time.  At times he gets just as excited for the opponent's good play as ours.   My wife complains about him for that.   I just tell her there is only one RJ.  

My biggest complaint is hearing him on the radio.  He just does not paint a picture of the game in my head.   Most of the time I don't know were the puck is on the ice - I cannot visualize it in my head by just listening to him.

Ted Darling was the master of that skill, like this:      "Perreault has it at the red line, gaining speed he is up over the blue line, into the right faceoff circle, he gets slowed down by Park, he circles back - still with the puck - he finds Martin on the left wing!!  He shoots, he SCORES!!!  Richard Martin blasts a slap shot past Ed Giacoman on a beautiful pass from Gil Perreault - and the Sabres take a 1-nothing lead".   

 

RJ was great and so was Ted Darling before him.  Ted could smoothly paint the picture while being highly accurate and on time.

We have been spoiled with those two guys.  

 

[Stoner]

Food for thought: in the Jeanneret timeline this is approximately 1981 for Dan. Was Rick Rick in 1981? Was he entrenched and beloved? Were his calls broadcast around the continent as emblematic of the Sabres? Did he have only a niche following, with most of the fans preferring Ted? Now, Dan is 57 so he doesn't have the time that Rick had to call May Day in 1993 and go on TV in 1996 and really take off as "RJ." But there is room for growth in Dan and in the fans' hearts... Just as there's room for the team to grow, which of course is the defining factor in Dan's ultimate legacy. If the Sabres win Cups under Dan, we will weep at his retirement as we draw our little Dans, Danielles and Dunleavies against our hips.

 

Edited December 8, 2022 by PASabreFan

[mjd1001]

I like Dunleavy. I don't catch many mistakes he makes, and as Pimlach said, he does well as a 'nuetral' announcer but I like that.  Sure, I loved RJ doing the games but in all honesty, I prefer guys that are a bit less excitable. Jack Edwards style...or the guy who used to (and maybe still does) the Penguins games?  No thank you. On the other hand,  The tv guy that I saw from San Jose (I watched part of the SJ broadcast for the Sabres game), he wasn't very loud but he was very good.

So It took me a little while to get used to Dunleavy, but I like him. I'm happy he's the PBP guy for the team.