Stuff
I'm just going to keep the email flowing:
John in Kansas writes: The current batch of Sox announcers, by modern standards, including the NESN crew, are average or slightly above average. Compared to the Ken Colemans or Ned Martins, however, they are terrible. But even in those days, the Sox had clunker announcers. Remember Bob “Gomer Pyle” Montgomery?
The deal with McDonough -— I think he was 'let go' not because he was critical of the team. I mean Duquette’s been gone for years and he stayed. I think McDonough got a big head and for a while led the team to believe he was going to be the new Curt Gowdy- a Sox announcer who would go national. It became obvious that McDonough put the Sox second so they eventually downsized him to Fridays only and then out. After the fact McDonough pulled the same BS that Sox players who sign merely for more money with other teams always claim—he really wanted to stay, etc., that the Sox were always his team. But, even though he is now far back in the ESPN rotation, if you check the newspaper archives, you'll see that
Apart from the level of banter, I see no real difference between Orsillo and McDonough. They sound very similar and I believe it was McDonough who started the "RemDawg" cult, not Orsillo.
I do not understand how Jerry Remy has become a cult figure, because he talks about a lame un-Boston-esque stuffed animal mascot. But even in KC fans (obviously flown in form Boston) mobbed him after a game last season. Remy has always been a talented color man and was at his best when teamed with Ned Martin. I remember I talked to him and Martin before an exhibition game in 1992 in DC. I was the only one who even recognized him. Now he is mobbed even in KC!
The comments about out of town announcers I find amusing because I have the totally opposite opinion. Recently MLB Extra Innings went a good time with the home announcers while the Sox were on the road and I was stuck listening to Baltimore, NY, Cleveland and Seattle announcers. I’ve previously heard the Baltimore announcers when I worked in Washington, and the NYY announcers many times and have low opinions of them. None of these guys are better than the Sox team of Orsillo/Remy, and most of these guys are such low level homers that you get tired about how the umpires are squeezing their pitchers, but their own guys are showing 'patience' and good judgment by not swinging at close pitches. The Yankee announcers, who call almost all their players by pet names or nicknames, are pretty much the worst.
Chris writes: I started feeling that NESN’s broadcasts were unwatchable about half way through last season….I think NESN would put a sponsor’s tattoo on Don Orsillo’s mother’s back if he would let them and the price was right. ... Maybe the solution is to turn the sound down on NESN and turn up the visitors broadcasters on XM Satellite radio?
Forever Expos fan Clarkie writes: Try having your team pulled off local television for an entire season, play "home" games for parts of two seasons on a Carribean island (including that convenient Montreal-to-Florida-to-Philly-to-San-Juan-to-Seattle jaunt from 2003), then moved completely to another city.
As a diehard "baseball" fan, I have no problem with Orsillo/Remy and
the NESN broadcasts. There are worse options, like having to watch Tim
McCarver while your team is winning the World Series. Or having the
sport go on strike when you finally have the best team in baseball.
Janice writes, regarding Matt's piece on life in Iraq: Thank you for posting this. This is all everyday news to me, because my husband is there with your friend, but I am glad that other people who don't know how it is over there can read this and get a better idea of what a soldier's life is like in Iraq.
*Have time for one quick story before I get back to the day job: So I was introduced to a friend of a friend yesterday, who tells me he grew up in Ottawa as friends with a former Bruins defenseman. I won't say who, but suffice to say his play was such that I barely restrained myself from saying something like "so how many times did you school him out on the pond?" Anyway, turns out this guy's dad played a couple stints with the Montreal Canadiens, and just to stick it to pops, he decided to root for another team in the Adams Division -- and picked the Whalers, of all teams. Eventually, after several drinks, he started telling us about how Canada built the Rideau Canal to keep America from attacking, and I started picturing him as Terrance and/or Phillip while he talked. Those wacky canooks.
*NO! NO! NO! The Sox do not want Bret Boone! Pay attention to me on this the way you would when the animals all start acting funny before a tornado strikes.
And finally, for this week's Dave's World contest, a prize will go out to the person who can come up with the most creative way for the Red Sox to fleece the Mariners of closer Eddie Guardado in a trade, the opposite of how Dan Duquette got Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe for Heathcliffe Slocumb. Last week's winner, Matt. K., got a Seattle Sounders pocket schedule.
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