Hi -
 
On Sun, 24 Mar 1996, David B. Erickson wrote:
> Michael Jackson's comments re: TV coverage hit the mark.  Bob Norton may be
> the most verbose color commentator ever to sit in front of a mike; he makes
> John Madden look positively taciturn.  While his knowledge of the game is
> evident, the verbal overkill and interminable repetition soon have you
> reaching for the "mute" button.
 
  Having now watched most of 7 games on MSC (thanks !!) via DirecTV this
weekend - both from Munn and the 'Knick - I'd have to qualify David's and
JMJ's comments with "I guess it's what you're used to ...."  Western fans
may find Bob Norton's "wordy" color commentary and proclivity to plug every
player's high school/prep/junior team at least once (if not more :-) a bit
hard to take, but IMHO the regular MSC announcing duo is just as hard to
stomach for an Eastern fan.  At least Norton does his homework and takes
the time to learn the proper pronounciation of each player's name, and is
quick to commend good plays (and criticize bad ones) of BOTH teams.  The
MSC guys spent most of the 1st and 2nd periods of the PC-Minn game carping
about how "plodding" and methodical PC's game plan was, and how this didn't
allow Minnesota to show off its offensive firepower "that we've become used
to at Minnesota."  Gee - do you think that maybe that was the whole idea !?!?
While I'll agree that this wasn't the most exciting game to watch, why not
use the opportunity to point out some relevant *details* of the pace-slowing
tactics that Pooley was employing (which, BTW, Norton would have instinctively
done) rather than continually bemoan how Minn just "couldn't get into its
normal groove."  The topper was their complaining that having been forced
to play this way by a less-talented PC team would handicap Minn in their
next game vs. a faster Michigan team.  Note to the NC$$ Selection Committee:
in the future, please seed Minn *only* against talent-rich, up-tempo teams,
lest the Gophers pick up some bad habits by having to scrum with the riff-
raff (all with unpronouncible names) from the East .... UMass-Lowell didn't
fare much better this afternoon, having had the temerity to play in a
defense-oriented game "that couldn't possibly hope to match the unrelenting
excitement" of the Minn-Mich game.  Puhleeeze ....  Much as the MSC crew
would like to think otherwise, college hockey does not revolve exclusively
around Minnesota.  Playing to the home folks is fine for MSC's regular
season broadcasts, but if you're tabbed by the NC$$ to broadcast a National
Tournament it seems to me you've got to work a little harder at seeing the
world through other than maroon/gold glasses.  WCHA uber alles won't cut it
when your audience expands East of Pittsburgh ....
 
  Norton/McDonough will presumably handle the announcing chores from Cinci,
and there's a reason; for better/worse, they *know* the game, and can speak
with a level of balanced objectivity that most of the other crews I've had
to endure can only dream of ....
 
> On the other hand, I was very favorably impressed with the ice-level
> comments delivered by Ellen Weinberg -- she actually sounded like she
> understood the game and knew what she was talking about.
 
  I think Bob Norton mentioned at one point that she was a former college
hockey player herself, so that would explain her impressive knowledge of
strategy and tactics.  As for:
 
> Alita Haytayan, I hope you were taking notes -- that's the way it should
> be done.
 
  There's little hope for her - which seems strange given her affliation
with a station based at BU where they take their hockey *very* seriously;
you'd think someone would have pulled her aside by now and critiqued her
performance in a constructive way ....
 
> Work by the camera crews was shoddy at best, and obviously whoever was in
> the truck didn't have a clue either.  I saw both the UML-MSU and BU-CU
> games on the tube, and neither production was of professional quality.
> NESN does a fine job during the season, as I presume PASS and MSC and
> PRIME do; you'd think for the finals the NC$$ might have contracted with
> folks who know their business.
 
  I agree 100% !!  And why no highlights from the other games ?!?!  A few
clips from the early round games would have been a nice lead-in to today's
games, but .... nothing (I have yet to see a clip of UVM's controversial
game-winner vs. LSSU).  And failing to show the clip of Mike Legg's simply
*incredible* goal vs. Minn. during a between-period break in the CC-UML
game was simply inexcusable; why let ESPN Sportscenter have all the fun !!
 
  Hope to see some of you in Cincinnati ....
 
  Cheers from Maryland - Jim
 
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