Eleven Posted October 30, 2006 Report Posted October 30, 2006 Crusho, I can't tell what you're driving at. Gurtler was--in that clip and in his career--an average NHL announcer, which is to say, bad. We are blessed with Jeanneret. I actually am not a fan of his increasingly ostentatious goal celebrations. What I am a HUGE fan of is how he describes a game. This is a hypothetical compare/contrast between Jeanneret and "normal NHL announcer": JEANNERET: Miller steers that shot back to the boards. Tallinder picks it up, sweeps it back around to Lydman. Lydman clears it across the zone to Roy. Roy takes it up past center and then pushes it into the Philadelphia zone. Pominville is there; he steers it back into the corner and then throws it out to Afinogenov. Afinogenov circles around Hatcher, fakes a shot, throws it back to Tallinder--a shot! Saved by Esche! Roy picks up the rebound right at the post, across the crease and SCOOOOOOOORE! Afinogenov took Roy's pass across the slot and now Buffalo has a three-nothing lead! Now, let's listen to NORMAL NHL ANNOUNCER (not the guys on CBC; they're good) but a Gurtler type, or the guys I hear on the radio for other teams all the time, who would announce the same play like this: Miller saves. Tallinder to Lydman. Up to Roy. Roy skates, dumps, Pominville. To Afinogenov. He moves, passes, Tallinder shoots. Rebound. SCORE! Maxim Afinogenov on the rebound. That's what the NHL sounds like in most cities (even when the home team is scoring). I remember watching Rangers broadcasts in the 70s (Beck to Esposito. Back to Beck. The shot...a goal! but that was ALL the description), Crapitals broadcasts in the 90s (similar, but with less scoring), and now, on the Internet, listening to broadcasts league-wide. And that's what the NHL sounded like with Gurtler. Jeanneret's value, to me, always has been in his unusual and incredible ability to narrate incredibly fast live events with active verbs and good descriptions. I can listen to him and see the game in my head. Most radio announcers cannot do that, and I don't know of any TV announcers--other than those employed by the CBC--who can. Gurtler didn't have that; Darling came close but missed. Both of them were TV-only guys, of course, and I would say "that's the difference" if I didn't listen to so many bad radio-only guys across the league who suck even though they have no video to rely on. But I'm glad I'm not listening to Gurtler call Sabres games anymore.
elcrusho Posted October 30, 2006 Author Report Posted October 30, 2006 This post was all about THIS dude - seriously listen to his voice, it cracks me up every time...
Eleven Posted October 30, 2006 Report Posted October 30, 2006 This post was all about THIS dude - seriously listen to his voice, it cracks me up every time... I know--and sorry about what turned into a threadjack, but what is it with Gurtler that cracks you up? I just don't get it I guess.
BetweenThePipes00 Posted October 30, 2006 Report Posted October 30, 2006 I think the point is that he was SO bad it's funny.
Stoner Posted October 30, 2006 Report Posted October 30, 2006 Eleven, great post! Bad impression of Jeanneret, but great post! OK, decent impression, but some of the verbiage doesn't ring true. I think the secret to Jeanneret's style is that he doesn't tell too much. You'll never heard him say "And Miller gets the toe of his left skate on it and kicks it into the near right wing corner" like most of the modern announcers. He'll say "Miller boots that one away." It's left to your mind's eye (when you're listening on radio) to fill in the rest, and that's pretty cool. Of course when you're watching on TV, you can see it going off the left skate into the right wing corner. :) As for the goal calls, I agree to an extent. But I sense with this team he has toned it down a bit. He doesn't have to sexy up some of these goals like he had to during the dark days of 2-1. I believe he's gotten more spontaneous, too. Did you hear the Drury and Briere calls? I don't think he ever said "score!" -- it was "right in front! Briiiiiiiiiiiere" Same as his drawn out "score" call but the scorer's name. Neat. You are absolutely right though. The brilliance of Jeanneret is what happens the 59 minutes in a game a goal is not being scored.
shrader Posted October 30, 2006 Report Posted October 30, 2006 But Gurtler gave us such great calls as: "_______ skates unmolested into the zone." "Holy Zhitnik!" "Takeo Spikes with the tackle."
slapshot1619 Posted October 30, 2006 Report Posted October 30, 2006 I love Jeanneret. and I totally agree with eleven's post. The one thing that makes Jeanneret a great Buffalo Announcer and a hated national announcer is that he is infact a homer. His embellished Score calls get our adrenaline pumping while we listen/watch. While if you watch national broadcasted games on VS you get very bland commentary because they try not to show bias to any one team, while Jeanneret is obviously biased toward the Sabres. you just can tell in the difference of the ways he calls a Sabre Goal and a opposition goal. Buffalo Goal: "Briere SCOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRREEEEESSSSSS DANNY BRIERE!!!!!!!" Opposition: "and they Score! A laser from _____ makes it 2 - 1 ____ lead. Obvious Buffalo Bias.
elcrusho Posted October 30, 2006 Author Report Posted October 30, 2006 I think the point is that he was SO bad it's funny. :thumbsup:
wudden Posted October 30, 2006 Report Posted October 30, 2006 While on the topic of announcers, does anyone else cringe every time they hear that douche-bag play-by-play guy from Versus say 'DRIIIVE!" instead of "Shawwwt"?? What the ^#% is a drive?! This is hockey, not golf..
Corp000085 Posted October 30, 2006 Report Posted October 30, 2006 gurtler was also the poet responsible for my signature...
Stoner Posted October 30, 2006 Report Posted October 30, 2006 You know, John Gurtler has taken a lot of grief over the years, some of it from me. But as time goes on, I think people should start to recognize that he was put in a very, very tough situation when he was asked to replace a legend. I believe he was the director of public relations at the time -- not sure what play by play experience he had. He did OK. Ask Fushetti about his Gurtler sighting at Our Lady of Perpetual Guilt in Lackawanna.
LabattBlue Posted October 30, 2006 Report Posted October 30, 2006 Forget Gurtler, so many great things about the game makes me wish I could see the whole thing... -Coming back from a 5-2 deficit and the crowd getting louder and louder with each goal -The Aud -LaFontaine's pass to May from the seat of his pants -Bourque getting faked out of his jock -Moog looking like a beached whale as May scored -...and still my favorite part of the game which is not on this video clip. May getting caught on camera kissing his stick for good luck prior to scoring the series clinching goal. GO SABRES!!!!!!!
LabattBlue Posted October 31, 2006 Report Posted October 31, 2006 It's on there at the end.... Damn. I'v watched that video numerous times and must have always closed it down before it ended. Thanks!!
sabregoats Posted October 31, 2006 Report Posted October 31, 2006 While on the topic of announcers, does anyone else cringe every time they hear that douche-bag play-by-play guy from Versus say 'DRIIIVE!" instead of "Shawwwt"?? What the ^#% is a drive?! This is hockey, not golf.. yeah something about that really bothers me. plus i am convinced that no one ever scores when he says that.
bob_sauve28 Posted October 31, 2006 Report Posted October 31, 2006 5:30 in.... :thumbsup: Holy crap, forgot all about John Gurtler!
Eleven Posted October 31, 2006 Report Posted October 31, 2006 :thumbsup: NOW I get it. I can be dim sometimes....
fushetti Posted October 31, 2006 Report Posted October 31, 2006 Ask Fushetti about his Gurtler sighting at Our Lady of Perpetual Guilt in Lackawanna. Mothers Day 1998, I had to accompany my mother to church as a Mothers Day present. I'm kneeling at OLV in Lackawanna when I turn to my right and the mulleted balding John Gurtler is doing the same at the end of my pew. I immediately ran home and called PASabrefan who gave less of a #%^$#! about my discovery. After church, I went to HSBC Arena to watch Matt Barnaby score a hat-trick in Game 2 of Round 2 of the 1998 playoffs.
KansasPat Posted October 31, 2006 Report Posted October 31, 2006 You know, John Gurtler has taken a lot of grief over the years, some of it from me. But as time goes on, I think people should start to recognize that he was put in a very, very tough situation when he was asked to replace a legend. I believe he was the director of public relations at the time -- not sure what play by play experience he had. He did OK. Ask Fushetti about his Gurtler sighting at Our Lady of Perpetual Guilt in Lackawanna. Anyone wanna clue me in as to what the "tough situation" was? Was this about the time Ted Darling died? And WTF is "NFSP" that I keep seeing on the screen (yes, I was nowhere near Buffalo for this playoff series). As for RJ, here's the amount of class he has: When Dallas scored "No Goal", he treated the moment as if it was scored by a Sabre just the same -- in other words, with as much emotion as he could muster. He ain't gonna slobber over the opposition for just anything, but he'll apply it when the moment calls for it.
BetweenThePipes00 Posted October 31, 2006 Report Posted October 31, 2006 Anyone wanna clue me in as to what the "tough situation" was? Was this about the time Ted Darling died? And WTF is "NFSP" that I keep seeing on the screen (yes, I was nowhere near Buffalo for this playoff series). As for RJ, here's the amount of class he has: When Dallas scored "No Goal", he treated the moment as if it was scored by a Sabre just the same -- in other words, with as much emotion as he could muster. He ain't gonna slobber over the opposition for just anything, but he'll apply it when the moment calls for it. Yes the tough situation was stepping in for Darling, who I don't think had actually even died yet ... but either way, he was following a legend, no one other than RJ could do that, and they were not set up for simulcasts at that point. NFSP was kind of a precursor for Empire I think ... Niagara Frontier Sports ...
ReneRobert Posted October 31, 2006 Report Posted October 31, 2006 Crusho, I can't tell what you're driving at. Gurtler was--in that clip and in his career--an average NHL announcer, which is to say, bad. We are blessed with Jeanneret. [...] Gurtler didn't have that; Darling came close but missed. Both of them were TV-only guys, of course, and I would say "that's the difference" if I didn't listen to so many bad radio-only guys across the league who suck even though they have no video to rely on. But I'm glad I'm not listening to Gurtler call Sabres games anymore. I agree with your praise for RJ, but I think that you are unfair to Ted Darling. Darling did TV and radio all along; RJ was for a good part of the 1970s restricted to the broadcasts on International Cable. Ted Darling was the best play by play man in the NHL through the 1980s, and his sickness and death was a terrible loss. I can clearly remember in the latter 1970s listening to my dad and friends talk about how much better Darling was than "that crazy man" RJ. RJ is very good (scary good, even), but we should not allow our praise for the present to cloud our sense of the past.
Stoner Posted October 31, 2006 Report Posted October 31, 2006 I think we need to clarify the 70s broadcasting situation. I came around in 1975 and started listening to games on the radio that fall. From that time through the end of the 70s, I always remember Rick being on the radio, although at times he and Ted would split up duties, Ted doing the first and third, and Rick doing the second. Was there a time when Rick was not on the radio? What was the deal with International Cable? Was he on TV only -- or was it a simulcast of his radio call? At the very least, your statement that Darling did radio "all along" is not accurate. He was the radio voice for the first season, while Dave Hodge did TV. The second year, Ted went to TV and Rick took over on radio. Can anyone reconstruct all this? Yes, Ted deserves a ton of praise. Many if not most old time fans have a very soft spot for Ted, and many preferred him to Jeanneret. Many, like myself, went the other way. I don't think the current fondness for Rick Jeanneret is anything new. Although his style has changed a bit over the years, if you liked "that crazy man" in the 70s, you like him now. I'm rambling now...
wjag Posted October 31, 2006 Report Posted October 31, 2006 Yes, Ted deserves a ton of praise. Many if not most old time fans have a very soft spot for Ted, and many preferred him to Jeanneret. Many, like myself, went the other way. I don't think the current fondness for Rick Jeanneret is anything new. Although his style has changed a bit over the years, if you liked "that crazy man" in the 70s, you like him now. I was so excited to watch the Thrashers-Sabres in high def the other night. About 1/2 the way through the first period, I found myself disappointed with the announcing, so I switched to the MSG, regular coverage. I lost the high def, but got back a much more animated play-by-play. Kind of like an old pair of sneakers. Hate to give them up cause their worn in just right and comfortable. Rick's style hypes the game, intentionally or unintentionally. I remember thinking that during the Isles game it was sooooo boring. The announcers were sooooo monotone. Rick definitely livens it up. He's old, but worn in just right.
ReneRobert Posted October 31, 2006 Report Posted October 31, 2006 I think we need to clarify the 70s broadcasting situation. I came around in 1975 and started listening to games on the radio that fall. From that time through the end of the 70s, I always remember Rick being on the radio, although at times he and Ted would split up duties, Ted doing the first and third, and Rick doing the second. Was there a time when Rick was not on the radio? What was the deal with International Cable? Was he on TV only -- or was it a simulcast of his radio call? At the very least, your statement that Darling did radio "all along" is not accurate. He was the radio voice for the first season, while Dave Hodge did TV. The second year, Ted went to TV and Rick took over on radio. Can anyone reconstruct all this? Yes, Ted deserves a ton of praise. Many if not most old time fans have a very soft spot for Ted, and many preferred him to Jeanneret. Many, like myself, went the other way. I don't think the current fondness for Rick Jeanneret is anything new. Although his style has changed a bit over the years, if you liked "that crazy man" in the 70s, you like him now. I'm rambling now... Rambling, but making sense, as a historian should. :D As a fellow historian, let me offer what little knowledge I have. International Cable was TV only for a few years in the mid-1970s. During those years, Ted was radio (GR 55) and free TV (first channel 7, then ca. 1977 channel 2) with Pat Hannigan; Rick was cable only with Paul Wieland By the end of the decade, International lost their exclusive rights (or were absorbed by an area-wide cable company; I'm not sure), and people like us in NF could see the home cable games too. At that point, Ted did all TV, and Rick moved to radio only. It pretty much stayed that way into the 1990s, which is why John Gurtler replaced Ted on TV. After the gurtler experiment (which happened after I moved away, alas) Rick took over TV, which made sense anyway because the old free TV/cable dichotomy had become passe anyway, and continued to do radio as a simulcast. Simulcast technology was also pretty old; Van Miller used to do TV/Radio simulcasts of the Braves? I will now stop my rambling. Class dismissed. :lol:
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