Terrific Homer Jack Edwards' Reaction to Game-Tying Goal Worth Watching

Jack Edwards is the television play-by-play voice for the Boston Bruins on NESN. He's a bit of a homer.

OK, he's a gigantic homer.

And he gets into these games.

Watch him react to the Boston Bruins scoring twice with their goalie pulled to rally from 3-1 down to tie the Rangers Tuesday night.



Fantastic.

NHL Announcer Accuses Player of Faking Reaction to Headshot

Brian Hayward didn't have a Hall of Fame NHL career, but the former goalie was around the block a few times.

Since hanging up the pads. Hayward has worked for various outlets as a television commentator. His most recent gig has been with the Ducks on Fox Sports Prime Ticket/West and their local television rights-holder, KDOC.

While Hayward has held multiple gigs with national outlets, he seems most comfortable working as a "homer," or local broadcaster.

His homerism may have crossed the imaginary line Wednesday night at Honda Center, as the Chicago Blackhawks came to town.

Let's go to the videotape.



"Is Seabrook selling this?"

Really?

I know players take dives in the NHL and all around hockey, but this is ridiculous.

Rule No. 1: When a player doesn't get up after taking a brutal shot to the head, don't accuse that player of taking a dive. It's just bad form.

Rule No. 2: When in doubt, see Rule No. 1.

I'm all for homer announcers. The local viewers in southern California are watching the game with a certain color of shades over their eyes, and they don't need the local announcers sticking up for the Blackhawks (or whoever) all night. A little character and some candor is a must when taking on a job like this.

Hayward's willingness to say nice things about the Ducks was tested and proven over the years, as the Ducks gooned their way to a Stanley Cup and have made a habit under Randy Carlyle of playing dirty hockey.

This cheapshot is just the latest example. This time, however, Hayward went too far in defending his team's player.

James Wisniewski deserves a suspension for this hit. It was high, directly to the head, Wisniewski took a run at Chicago's Brent Seabrook, and he nearly left his feet. How that was a two-minute minor is beyond me, because it was a flagrant hit that deserved a five-minute penalty.

Hayward was just doing his job. Blah blah blah. He's speaking to an audience of Duck fans. I get that.

Doesn't give him the right to say something really stupid and embarrassing.

Brennaman/Billick: Hard on the Ears

When you're looking at a schedule of 13 regionally-covered NFL games in a weekend, it's easy to imagine that some of the announcing will be less than stellar.

However, it's hard to imagine there being a worse broadcast team in the NFL right now than the Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick combination on FOX.

They're probably the fourth or fifth team on the network, meaning they rarely call big games. However, since I have Sunday Ticket, I've witnessed their magic a few times. Rarely were they in better -- or worse, I guess -- form than Sunday at Lambeau Field, when Seattle faced the Packers.

Brennaman and Billick were at their best worst late in the first half. Facing a third and goal at the 15, Green Bay ran the clock down to 15 seconds and took their second of three timeouts. That meant they had one timeout left (simple math, but follow along, please). It was going to be third down and goal, meaning they couldn't get a first down without scoring a touchdown. There were no more than two plays left in this possession, barring an unlikely series of defensive penalties, yet Brennaman and Billick were aghast at Green Bay's clock management. Why, they wondered, would the Packers run so much time off the clock?

After a 14-yard pass to Jermichael Finley, it was fourth down and goal at the one. The Packers called a timeout with eight seconds left. Brennaman and Billick again talked about the clock management, curious as to exactly why Green Bay would do such a thing. After a touchdown pass was called back by a penalty, there were still three seconds on the clock. Since the penalty -- which was a bad call -- moved the ball back to the 11, Mason Crosby booted a field goal on the last play of the half.

Normally, I try to leave announcers alone. In fact, I tend to be kind of sensitive to criticism of them, because I know how hard a job it is to do.

However, this is one of those stories that simply can't be brushed aside. Billick wins points with me because he can poke fun at his coaching failures, especially when it comes to developing quarterbacks in Baltimore. That's all well and good, but the guy is clueless in the booth, and Brennaman isn't much better.

The worst thing that could have happened to the Packers was that they would turn the ball over in that sequence. Outside of that, they were going to have a chip shot field goal if they didn't score a touchdown. What would the purpose be of leaving extra time on the clock for Seattle to respond? There's no reason to let a bad team back in the game with a late score, especially when that bad team is scheduled to get the ball for the start of the second half.

For Brennaman and Billick to fail to recognize the nature of the situation -- which was that Green Bay was in goal-to-go and couldn't get a first down -- is inexcusable. Luckily, Mike McCarthy has a better understanding of clock management than these two clowns.

Unfortunately, that isn't saying much.

JOHN MADDEN RETIRES

Something tells me this is going to end up different than the Brett Favre debacling.

Legendary NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden is hanging up the microphone. Madden is 73, and he has called some of the biggest games in NFL history, including the most recent classic Super Bowl.

From NBC:

"It’s time. I’m 73 years old. My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall. I have two great sons and their families and my five grandchildren are at an age now when they know when I’m home and, more importantly, when I’m not…

"It’s been such a great ride… the NFL has been my life for more than 40 years, it has been my passion – it still is. I appreciate all of the people who are and were such an important part of the most enjoyable, most fun anyone could have… that great life with the teams, the players, the coaches, the owners, the League… my broadcasting partners Pat and Al… the production people and the fans …is still great… it’s still fun and that’s what it makes it hard and that’s why it took me a few months to make a decision.

"I still love every part of it – the travel, the practices, the game film, the games, seeing old friends and meeting new people… but I know this is the right time."

The network is in good position, having used Cris Collinsworth in Madden's spot for one Sunday Night Football broadcast last year, and having brought in Matt Millen for studio analysis during the playoffs. Though I'd much rather have Millen call games and Collinsworth stay in the studio, doing it the other way around would be just fine.

As for Madden, it's the end (probably) of a 30-year career in broadcasting. It won't be the same without him. Did he often ramble nonsensically and confuse more than he entertained or informed? Probably. But he was the big-game broadcaster of his generation.

Growing up, there was one way of knowing your team was in the game of the week, and that was if you heard Pat Summerall and John Madden calling it.

Now, it's harder to tell what the big game of the week is, because no one in the business carries the kind of respect Madden had. Not only that, but he became a cult hero to millions of younger fans thanks to the video game.

All in all, it's been a great career for Madden, and he's certainly deserving of his Hall of Fame honors, along with any other accolades that come his way upon this announcement.

FAREWELL, CHARLIE JONES

You know what I find strange?

Charlie Jones was a tremendous broadcaster for almost 40 years. He died today at age 77. And despite the long, wonderful career he enjoyed, this is the best video I can find of Charlie Jones on YouTube.

Odd.

Farewell to another great voice from my childhood.



Jim McKay, Tim Russert, and Charlie Jones. All in one week.

I don't know how much television is done in heaven, but the quality of it just went up by an immeasurable amount.

FAREWELL, TIM RUSSERT

"Big Russ and Me" and "Wisdom Of Our Fathers" were brilliant. His work on "Meet the Press" was influential, even for those not involved in politics.

While his background was in politics, the Buffalo Bills would be remiss not to pay a tribute to Tim Russert this fall. They didn't have a bigger fan anywhere. Russert was famous for chatting guests up about his beloved Bills and Sabres, and he was also insistent on getting home after "Meet the Press" tapings, so he wouldn't miss kickoff of the Bills games.

I was struck by the statement from Senator John McCain, who will officially become the Republican nominee for President in a couple months.

"I am very saddened by Tim Russert's sudden death. Cindy and I extend our thoughts and prayers to the Russert family as they cope with this shocking loss and remember the life and legacy of a loving father, husband and the preeminent political journalist of his generation. He was truly a great American who loved his family, his friends, his Buffalo Bills, and everything about politics and America. He was just a terrific guy. I was proud to call him a friend, and in the coming days, we will pay tribute to a life whose contributions to us all will long endure."

I'm not a political expert, and I'm not a media expert. I'm simply in the media. However, I find it hard to believe that you are going to find anyone in this or any other business who is more prepared for work than Tim Russert was. From that standpoint, he will always be revered in the media business. You don't manufacture the kind of passion or work ethic he possessed. It's either there, or it isn't.

Farewell, Mr. Russert, and condolences to Big Russ, who loses his son on Father's Day weekend.

FAREWELL, JIM McKAY

A pioneer and a legend in this wonderful sports broadcasting business has died.



Jim McKay, the voice you hear in the above video, was 86 years old.

Thank you for all you've done in paving the way for us.

LINKS, LINKS, AND MORE LINKS

It is what it is.

UMD men's hockey preview. Can we get some defense, here? Kevin Pates knows it will be a key part of this year's Bulldog squad. It seems like a "Captain Obvious" thing to say, but it's the key storyline for a team that lost 42 percent of its scoring from last year.

UMD’s defensemen showed the most improvement last season in the lowest-scoring year in WCHA history. Leading the returnees are senior assistant captain Travis Gawryletz, along with juniors Josh Meyers and Jason Garrison, and sophomore Trent Palm.

The Bulldogs should be able to match most league teams along the blue line.

It's also worth noting that UMD started practice Saturday on campus, and I was told the goal is to be on DECC ice by Wednesday. The DECC floor was completely re-done over the summer, a deal that should improve the overall ice condition at the facility, and a rock concert Sunday night is the first major event at the DECC since the project's completion.

As for scoring, look for juniors Michael Gergen (pictured) and Macgregor Sharp to pick up some of the slack. I also wouldn't be shocked by a huge year from senior Mike Curry, who made major strides last year. I've heard really good things about freshmen Kyle Schmidt (Hermantown), Rob Bordson (Duluth Marshall), and Justin Fontaine (Bonnyville, AB).

First, defense (Duluth News-Tribune)

Torre in trouble. Only in New York could a manager be blamed for an aging, pitching-thin team failing in the playoffs. Then again, these morons have made a living out of blaming ARod for this mess. Speaking of morons blaming ARod, the Yankees haven't even been eliminated, and it's already started:

Rodriguez began this series with 4 hits in his previous 44 postseason at-bats. By the time he struck out in the ninth inning Friday night, he was 4 for his last 50. That computes to a batting average of .080 on your handy calculator. “Some of the people who kept him in check are future Hall of Famers,” Cashman said.

Which of these pitchers do you think will make the Hall of Fame when their careers are over:

Justin Verlander, Nate Robertson, Kenny Rogers, Jeremy Bonderman, Joel Zumaya, Jamie Walker, Bartolo Colón, John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Paul Byrd, Francisco Rodríguez, Scot Shields, Derek Lowe, Mike Timlin, Keith Foulke, Alan Embree, Tim Wakefield, Bronson Arroyo, Pedro Martínez or Curt Schilling?

After the first two games of this playoff series, we can add C. C. Sabathia, Jensen Lewis and Fausto Carmona to the list.

Of course, Chass fails to call out his boy, Derek Jeter, whose numbers for the series are even worse (.125 OBP compared to .250 for ARod).

It's shocking to me that a guy like Chass can survive as a baseball scribe for this long without having even a basic understanding of sample sizes.

As for Torre, while I hate to see him get blamed for this, it's probably natural. All we hear about is how big the Yankees' payroll is, so the team should be basically without weaknesses if they're spending that much money. However, the Yankees have been fatally flawed for many years. It's not all Torre's fault, but Steinbrenner can't fire the players, as much as he might want to sometimes.

Report: Yanks' Torre managing for his job in ALDS (ESPN.com)
New October, but Same Old A-Rod (New York Times)
Yankees Losing = All ARod's Fault (FanHouse)

Chip Caray sucks. So says Wikipedia. Ouch:

"Chip Caray has long been considered one of the worst sports broadcasters, both today and over baseball history. Many believe he is the least prepared play-by-play announcer in baseball. He often holds on to a topic he thinks he knows and will not let it go during a broadcast. Most believe he is the perfect example of "nepostism". Even during his non-Braves broadcast, Caray seems to become completely biased and is absolutely disrespectful to the team he decides not to "cheer on". He has a complete disregard for baseball history. Most feel he should do the sports industry a favor and quit."

(Awful Announcing)

Look out, Barry. Now that Marion Jones has finally given in, Bonds appears to be the next target.

Sources familiar with the investigation into perjury and tax evasion charges against the all-time home run leader told the Daily News that the U.S. Attorney's office in San Francisco remains determined to indict Bonds by the time the grand jury expires in January.

"Once they're finished with (Jones), then it's Bonds," an attorney familiar with the case said.

The feds don't believe Bonds. Except for two brief respites, Anderson has been in prison since July 2006 for refusing to testify against his longtime friend.

Feds: Barry Bonds is Next (FanHouse)