There is a rumor that Mike Emrick could be brought in to replace Paul Steigerwald, whose contract expired at the end of this past season. Mike Emrick's contract also expired with MSG. Could it happen? Mike Emrick says Pittsburgh is a special place for him.
Mike Emrick began his career here, being a unpaid journalist covering the Penguins in the late 60's. He has been a huge Pittsburgh Pirates fan for 52 years. He just loves the city of Pittsburgh so those things could attract him here.
I don't think it would be a bad idea, he's a hall of famer and one of the best, if not the best hockey announcer right now. A lot of people don't like Steigerwald for several reasons, he's been broadcasting with us since the 80's and it's been said, if he's not re-signed by Root Sports then he will have another job within the organization because of his time with us. My guess would be radio broadcaster or something like that.
What do you guys think? Do you think we should sign Emrick? I know a lot of people want to see Lange back on T.V. and I want that too, I think we should consider Lange before Emrick, but don't get me wrong having 'Doc' would be cool but would it work for us?
ROOT SPORTS
Play by Play: Emrick or Lange / Color Commentator: Errey
105.9 The X
Play by Play: Steigerwald / Color Commentator: Bourque
when you have a H.F. in mike lange why would you go with someone else!
Because Lange ruffled a lot of feathers in his last term as Play by Play guy and had a lot of hard feelings after he was moved to radio. Lange is an all-time great, but for however many years he has left, he should stay in the radio booth.
People hate Steiggy, sometimes for legitimate reasons, but the guy bleeds for this team...if he gets displaced for Emrick, I'll feel bad for the guy because he genuinely loves what he does and isn't just a mercenary announcer like you see a lot recently. I sincerely hope the Pens organization will find a suitable spot for him with the team if this situation does go down...
Because Lange ruffled a lot of feathers in his last term as Play by Play guy and had a lot of hard feelings after he was moved to radio. Lange is an all-time great, but for however many years he has left, he should stay in the radio booth.
People hate Steiggy, sometimes for legitimate reasons, but the guy bleeds for this team...if he gets displaced for Emrick, I'll feel bad for the guy because he genuinely loves what he does and isn't just a mercenary announcer like you see a lot recently. I sincerely hope the Pens organization will find a suitable spot for him with the team if this situation does go down...
A LOT of people on this board bleed Penguins colors, too. And we're all just as qualified as Steigerwald, which is to say he's not, for doing this job. Only when you go around the league and hear every PBP man do you come to the realization that the Pens have the worst one. I mean, there's some pretty bad ones out there, believe me. And maybe Jack Edwards in Boston is the only one who could get under my skin more than Steigerwald, but when it comes right down to it, he's just not good at calling a game. I've said this before, but as a color analyst back in the day next to Lange, he wasn't at all bad. But PBP is a special job. You need talent to do it. I know I couldn't do it. It bothers me when guys who have no business doing it are placed in these positions.
If he is REALLY committed to this, he should just go back to broadcasting school and learn the job. But in the end, Steigerwald is an announcer. A presenter. He should be like Al Trautwig on the MSG broadcasts. Interviews, presentations, etc. That's what he's good at, not PBP.
I would love it... Steiggy's lack of professionalism and inability to follow the play is getting a bit old. He is definitely in the mid to lower tier of play-by-play guys in the NHL.
I'm a big Doc fan...I'd even take him over Lange at this point.
Lange's a lot like Larry King. He was a beast in his hayday but has deteriorated as he's got older and would be a bit of a disappointment imo.
Plus I love Mike Emrick has a million words for pass and one for a shot.
"Crosby floats one over to Malkin, who relays it back to Letang, who quickly pushes it back to Malkin. Malkin cycles it down low to Sid who flips it over to Staal who DRIVES it on net. Rebound to Sid with the DRIVE and Malkin DRIVES home the rebound!"
Why would a broadcaster get a ring?? That makes absolutely no sense and sounds like BS to me. Even if Steigerwald does suck elephant balls.
I don't want to get my hopes up on this but when I hear both contracts are expiring and Doc has some type of connection to Pittsburgh, it's hard to not let the imagination run wild with thoughts of actual decent play calling, and God forbid... a lack of idiotic anecdotes and statements. Also I think it would be more fun to count the number of times we hear "DRIIIIVE!" per game and rant about that then genuinely have feelings of disrespect and loathing for the guy calling the play. Emrick would be great, and I agree probably better than Lange ultimately. But either is infinitely better than Steigerwald.
Also no idea why, if he got the boot from TV, Steigerwald would get Lange's PBP job on the radio, which by all accounts he's done a great job with. My wife listens to him on XM on the way home from work and says she almost doesn't want to switch mid-game because the difference is so jarring.
Either he's going to stay put or he's going to be gone from Penguins broadcasting IMO. Unless Lange is retiring which I've heard nothing to suggest that.
I'm a big Doc fan...I'd even take him over Lange at this point.
Lange's a lot like Larry King. He was a beast in his hayday but has deteriorated as he's got older and would be a bit of a disappointment imo.
Plus I love Mike Emrick has a million words for pass and one for a shot.
"Crosby floats one over to Malkin, who relays it back to Letang, who quickly pushes it back to Malkin. Malkin cycles it down low to Sid who flips it over to Staal who DRIVES it on net. Rebound to Sid with the DRIVE and Malkin DRIVES home the rebound!"
It's beyond stupid... it's unethical. He is not part of the team in any way, shape, or form. He contributed nothing to the Cup run, anymore than we did. In fact he probably contributed less than you average fan cheering in the stands. I suppose mgmt could make the argument that he sucked so bad he forced people to turn off the TV and go buy tickets...
I thought salary was part of the reason Steigerwald got the job. Emrick would not come cheap. And face it their ratings are already high. I do not see them spending the money.
I thought salary was part of the reason Steigerwald got the job. Emrick would not come cheap. And face it their ratings are already high. I do not see them spending the money.
Or is Doc thinking about the paycut because even a paycut would be a raise from living in NJ. The cost of living is absurdly lower and he can be where his heart is. (All speculation, btw)
It's beyond stupid... it's unethical. He is not part of the team in any way, shape, or form. He contributed nothing to the Cup run, anymore than we did. In fact he probably contributed less than you average fan cheering in the stands. I suppose mgmt could make the argument that he sucked so bad he forced people to turn off the TV and go buy tickets...
Fans contribute more because they pay to see the games, it's really crazy. And I don't know how he did it.
There is a rumor that Mike Emrick could be brought in to replace Paul Steigerwald, whose contract expired at the end of this past season. Mike Emrick's contract also expired with MSG. Could it happen? Mike Emrick says Pittsburgh is a special place for him.
This rumor was started by Mark Madden, who likely heard it from the same sources that told him that Pat Burns was going to replace Michel Therrien as head coach of the Penguins during the 2008-2009 season.
So you might want to take that rumor with a rather large grain of salt.
This rumor was started by Mark Madden, who likely heard it from the same sources that told him that Pat Burns was going to replace Michel Therrien as head coach of the Penguins during the 2008-2009 season.
So you might want to take that rumor with a rather large grain of salt.
It's beyond stupid... it's unethical. He is not part of the team in any way, shape, or form. He contributed nothing to the Cup run, anymore than we did. In fact he probably contributed less than you average fan cheering in the stands. I suppose mgmt could make the argument that he sucked so bad he forced people to turn off the TV and go buy tickets...
Before you go talking about how "unethical" it was for Steigerwald (and Errey, for that matter) to get a Cup ring, you might want to realize that those rings were ordered specifically by Lemieux, and paid for out of his and Burkle's pockets - not by the League, like the players' rings are. Lemieux and Burkle gave out several additional (albeit, as I recall, somewhat smaller) rings to various people they wanted to honor. It was a classy gesture on the part of Lemieux and Burkle, not anything "unethical" as you are claiming.
