NESN Bruins format

Anyone know if this years pre-game and post game shows for Bruins on NESN will resemble last years ?

I for one thought last year NESN did a great job with the whole broadcast format, good pre-game coverage/ info with KPD and Nancy M-B, and little things like bringing in old timers and short timers (John Carter, Ken Hodge JR, etc) in between periods was a bonus for me.

I also like the banter between Dale and Gord as well as between Nifty and Gord and Neely and Gord. There is some serious "abuse" going on between those guys at times (like Nifty revealing that Kluzaks old nickname was "Goober" in the locker room).

My only real complaint was the obligitory Sox/ Pats/ C's coverage right during the B's half hour pre-game show. -Piels

I think the Arnold-Kluzak team does an admirable job.
It's too bad WSBK couldn't get rid of Dave Shea. There must be a brighter candle available somewhere out there in t.v. land...

I think the Arnold-Kluzak team does an admirable job.
It's too bad WSBK couldn't get rid of Dave Shea. There must be a brighter candle available somewhere out there in t.v. land...


Ummm....WSBK?

Ummm....WSBK?
I guess he's with NESN now. He used to be with channel 38. One thing that hasn't changed: he's second-rate.

Wow...he is from my home city...Kharkov, Ukraine.

His stats aren't very impressive ..will be another Huml ? I think we'll pass
since we have many similar guys in the system.

I guess I'm in a minority here. It's not so much that I'm a fan of Shea so much, but I simply can't stomach wimpy Arnold and his constant fawning over Kluzak.

Kluzak is annoying, too, and IMO, does not bring the introspective that Andy Brickley brings to the booth. I think Andy is terrific.

Dave Shea may have his faults. After all, who can replace Fred Cusack? But I believe the combo of Shea and Brickley far outweigh Arnold and Kluzak.

One measure of a broadcast crew, again IMO, is how they concentrate on the game and the sport in general. Do fans really care about Kluzak's wedding in Greece, or Arnold's kid going to Bowdoin? At least Shea, while he could show more excitement, does not interject his personal life or that of Brickly into the telecasts.

Be nice. Dale is a semi regular poster here. We don't want to loose what could be a valuable insider because some wimpy poster named Ratty badmouthed our D_arnold. :joker:

Be nice. Dale is a semi regular poster here. We don't want to loose what could be a valuable insider because some wimpy poster named Ratty badmouthed our D_arnold. :joker:
Kevin Paul Dupont is a poster, too, and this wimpy poster would not hestiate to criticize his writing style.

we are blazing new trails here in a way...between Kirk, KPD, and Dale we have some members that have a great avenue for their opinions.

Having said that , all their opinions are open for debate here.

But also , since they are HF members, like us all , nothing personal about them is open for debate.

We will all honor the guidelines...no matter what we may think of another member.

It's hard not to fawn over someone with a resume like Kluzak, but I also hear Arnold ribbing him alot...

I like Andy Brickley. He actually has alot of insights to offer when he's paired with an intelligent play-by-play person. I can remember one game where Brickley filled in for Kluzak and, paired with Arnold, Brickley "came alive": it was an amazing transformation. I thought I was listening to Hockey Night in Canada! Arnold brings out the best in his color person because he asks the right questions.

Shea, on the other hand, is just adequate, no more.

My only real complaint was the obligitory Sox/ Pats/ C's coverage right during the B's half hour pre-game show. -Piels

That would be my only complaint too. Red Sox Spring Training is fine....but it doesn't belong in a Bruins pre-game show. Just like Bruins Training Camp doesn't belong in Red Sox pre-game show. SportsDesk is for getting caught up on all the other Boston teams.

i agree with most of you. i think the arnold & kluzak team is better than the shea & brickley team, and i also think an arnold & brickley team would be better than a shea & kluzak team. i'm not trying to knock him, but arnold really is a better play by play man than shea. shea is ok, but might be better at a sport...i don't know...he seems to be confused about some calls and occurances that we die hards have no problem understanding, and he also tends to overexaggerate some things, like "big" saves by the goaltender. all this being said, i don't think he's bad, either...i'm sure he's better than most of the people they could get...basically, i think arnold is better than shea and brickley is better than kluzak. however, i think pairing andy (who seems to pick up on a little more that kluzak - i'm not knocking gordie) with shea helps, and i think arnold and kluzak have good chemistry, so that works too. as for the personal things thrown into the broadcaster discussions, i don't mind it. when you watch all the games and listen to the same people over 40 nights (plus playoffs), you get to know them...sort of feel a bit of a connection to them, so knowing a little bit about them is not at all a bad thing. all in all, having listened to broadcasters from all over with the center ice package, i think we have it pretty good. :)

Speaking of Brickley and Kluzak doing a good color job, I really think Bob Beers does a very good job on the radio for WBZ.

All three of those guys are more realistic and just plain better than Turk was in the same capacity, imo.

To hear Sanderson tell his opinion of a fight, you'd think a Bruin never lost a hockey fight ! -Piels

I like Beers, too. And I frequently turn on the radio when Dale and Gordie are doing the game on NESN.

Dear Ratty, and all:
I welcome any and all constructive criticism, particularly concerning those things that I CAN change. I must say, though, that the voice is the instrument God gave me, and that is something I can do nothing about. As far as the injection of personal matters into the broadcast, I understand both sides of the argument. We feel like you are inviting us into your living room, so we probably feel as comfortable with many of you as we would with our friends. I feel strongly about never interrupting hot and heavy action, and we try to never have "discussions" when that is under way. We DO have a comfortable relationship with each other, and we do like to rag on each other, just as any friends watching a hockey game would do. We're entering our ninth season together, so our "banter" is probably the same as you have with your longtime hockey buddies. I also feel strongly about the abilities of both Dave Shea and Andy Brickley. I think Dave is a great professional announcer, with much better pipes than I have. And Andy has been a friend since he turned pro out of U.N.H. with the Maine Mariners when I was there as well. We're all different, but I think that is a strength, not a weakness. Where we are all the same, is that we all love the game, and love what we do. Please feel free to post and criticisms here that you would like. I'm always happy to read them, and respond. If you're more comfortable posting to me personally, then feel free. I'm really enjoying the site, and continue to visit it every day, even when I do not post.

Dale

classy post Dale...

I think , as you have probably realized by now, our Board covers the full range of everything Bruin.. That's what makes it so good , in my opinion.

This discussion I view
as a matter of personal preference.

Sort of a Ginger or MaryAnne thing... :D

As long as none of the posts are personal in nature, I'm fine with the discussion and your offer.

What I have always wanted to know...and maybe will never find out now...is why when the games were on TV38 or UPN38 (35 here) they always put me to sleep...they were dark and lifeless.
In that there was no real atmosphere....or they just used too old equipment or something.
I have talked about it to friends and they saw a big difference between NESN and TV38.

NESN was alway bright and upbeat.
Then we (up in maine) lost the UPN38 feed of the Bruins because of stupid UPN35 so no Bruins away games.

So with those 2 things I was so happy to see NESN get all the Bruins games and can now watch all...and stay awake.

My point is Dale...Dave...Andy or even Gordie are super!!!
With the pre and post game stuff as well man how could I or anyone complain about this Bruins coverage?

I like the way Dale keeps it upbeat...Gordie sometimes needs...well...they shouldn't even let blueliners talk too much anyway.. :joker:
Dave makes me remember Fred and Derek...the good, and TV38..the bad...or dark and sleepy!

As for color guys Andy is good...or even maybe better informed IMO...but Gordie is more fun.
Add in al the studio guys Cam, Barry, Rick and Tom as well...all is great.
It really is a good balance IMO. :D

I pefer the Dale and Gord team. I guess that makes me a Ginger fan... or is that MaryAnne ;)

On to the format. I would like to see the Prospect Watch segment continue again this year. Maybe also include that players stats. Something that is difficult to find for some european prospects.

I can tell you that the Globe-NESN arrangement remains the same for B's broadcasts. I'll be on regularly, providing NHL notebook segments, and Nancy MB will provide her regular Bruins notebook segments.
Neely, Pederson and Middleton all have signed on again for their in-arena or in-studio segments. hoh/kpd

I guess my Dupont reommendation was rejected... lol.

Dale

Dale-
I have been a lifetime Bruins fan and grew up going to the Mariners games when Don Sweeney was there and I would love to ask you about your recent comments about the Bruins on WEEI. I am able to listen at work throughout the day and have to say that I was pretty appalled by your comment last week about Saturday's NESN telecast of the pre-season game being "another paycheck" and your comment that you were happy that ESPN has Wednesday night's seasoner opener so that you could watch the Red Sox if they should advance. I'm not sure about other Bruins fans but I want someone calling the games that actually want to be there and are passionate about the game. After hearing the way that you treat callers to your show that want to discuss the Bruins I seriously doubt your passion for the team. I recall a fan calling in recently to discuss training camp and you telling them to call back when they've actually played a game or today's sarcastic comment about breaking down the Steve Shields trade. I realize that the Bruins are not the most popular team in town but you have the opportunity every day to discuss the team and for some reason you choose not to. I realize that this time of year the Red Sox are the focus and should be but this goes on whether it is October or April.
Thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts.
Amy

Amy:
I understand your point, but you have to understand the difference between our radio and television audiences. No one has defended the Bruins and sport of hockey on the radio more than I have, and no one has taken more grief because of it in this town. That's fine, it goes with the territory. Obviously, the Shields comment was a joke based on the unbelievable baseball action over the weekend. And, as much as I love the sport, you can't do a lot of training camp hockey talk without alienating the vast majority of our radio listening audience. I have, and always will, talk about hockey, but specifically when it's more topical than right now. I hope that answers you questions, and thanks so much for listening!
Dale

You let Eddie Andelman run roughshod over you when anyone called to talk hockey. Why didn't you stand up on the air to him when he belittled hockey callers?

Ratty:
You have no idea how much and how many times I stood up for the sport of hockey and the people who like it. After several years, it became obvious to me that my former partner was simply using hockey as his rather warped sense of comic relief. It became easier to simply cut back on the amount of hockey rather than to listen to someone who doesn't know if the puck is puffed or stuffed make fun of the people who enjoy the sport. I would rather NOT talk about the sport than talk about it with someone who not only has no clue but simply mocks and belittles those who do.
Dale

Ratty:
You have no idea how much and how many times I stood up for the sport of hockey and the people who like it. After several years, it became obvious to me that my former partner was simply using hockey as his rather warped sense of comic relief. It became easier to simply cut back on the amount of hockey rather than to listen to someone who doesn't know if the puck is puffed or stuffed make fun of the people who enjoy the sport. I would rather NOT talk about the sport than talk about it with someone who not only has no clue but simply mocks and belittles those who do.
Dale


Dale,
I hear you! I've listened to EEI since day 1 and I don't blame you for choosing your battles and not pressing the hockey issue. Even when it was brought up, it wasn't enjoyable to listen to because there always was the underlying derision from your former partner. I remember calling in when you guys had a show where callers would call in to take part in a hypothetical referendum stating whether hockey or basketball should be abolished. I made 2 points, the first was that if I woke up tomorrow and was 6'10 instead of 5'10, I could play in the NBA and the 2nd was that the last guy on the bench in basketball would never, ever score a championship winning basket, as can happen in hockey. Of course these were ridiculed and we ended our conversation somehow talking about hot dogs from Lawtons.

yeah, i must agree with all these comments on your former partner...he spent as much time talking about his latest trip with the "fabulous" judy, sausages, and squirrel candies as he did sports. i liked listening to you then, and i enjoy it 100 times more now that you're paired with neumy....i actually listen often now when i can, as opposed to before when it was a just a once in a while thing. i've got to say though, i really wish WEEI broadcast over the internet. i spend a good chunk of time at school in maine and i can't listen up here...

my $.02 on the subject FWIW...

Isn't the onus on us ...the hockey fans...for how much air time hockey gets on talk radio ?

I may be wrong here.. but to me the businees of talk radio is also supply and demand...

I think the fan base has wavered for numerous reasons.. But I also remember way back when the Bruins were the toast of Beantown and yes..there was all the coverage and talk one could want..

At the end of the day I don't think it's the host's job to set what is talked about , but instead it's the callers..

IMO..