The Reason Why we all Hate Versus

by Zachary Zielonka on Mar 13, 2009 12:00 PM EDT Comment 6 comments

The Sabres have showed up on national TV seven times already this season and still have one more to play. Many times when we play games on Versus or if we are so fortunate NBC we see comments such as:

I hate when the game is on this damn channel. I’ve had burnt toast that more lively then these two guys. ughhh

I put the radio on. Cant hear VS anymore. So much better, isn’t it?

these announcers are very boring

John Buccigross said something that was fairly poignant in his column on Tuesday.

Just about every local fan thinks his announcer is the best because of the shared interpretation and judgment of events and an often-shared enthusiasm. A beloved local announcer needs to exude pain as well as pleasure. This is when he becomes loved. It also is a pleasure when an announcer such as Jeanneret acquires so much equity that he can call out a bad play by the Sabres or admit an official made the right call even if it was close and went against Buffalo. This is what we all should strive for: seeing and interpreting the just cause despite our perspective.

This attempt at neutrality also is why national broadcasters almost always are universally hated. They don't broadcast the game through one team's perspective, so fans interpret their broadcasting as not wanting their team to win. National announcers don't continually validate what one specific team is doing. I have been writing the following in this space for years and years: Barry Melrose, Keith Jones, Brian Engblom, Ray Ferraro and most other national announcers do not care who wins.

He is honestly right. Buffalo Sabres fans have been blessed with a handful of long-tenured play-by-play announcers and color commentators. Rick Jeanneret started with the Sabres doing the radio play-by-play in 1971 and still calls both television and radio to this day. Ted Darling was the original voice of the Sabres, starting during the inaugural season and working all the way until the 1991-92 season. Both of these men have given Sabres fans a memory that makes the game just that much better. A random moment like Game 4 of the 1993 playoffs against Boston, the infamous "May Day" game, or Game 5 of the 2006 playoffs, the "Now Do You Believe" game.

National games have their roles in the world of hockey, spotlighting teams that fans wouldn't normally watch unless they order Center Ice. But the local games, with the "homer" announcers, give fans the feeling that everyone is rooting with them. They have that feeling of rooting with you instead of rooting against you. National announcers always never care who wins but it feels like they hate your team because they never talk about it enough.

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Its not even just the homerism but its how they call the game. Like its a radio call. Sprinkled with a few anecdotes placed in quickly. The problem with Versus (either when Doc is calling the game or not) is that they allow their stories to take over the game rather than supplement it. I have seen announcers on Vs seem almost upset that action is getting in the way of their story. Wait I’m sorry, I have this whole thing turnaround. ,If there is a scrum or a fight, please don’t show it and please sound the horn after every goal whether home or not. Ahh Vs. Eases the pain in between bull fights.

The population of Pominville keeps rising!

by Blackcapricorn on Mar 13, 2009 12:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This is the real reason

It’s not so much that I want to listen to homer announcers, as it is that I want to listen to radio announcers. Announcing for radio forces you to actually call the game rather than to talk about whatever other random things…

Blue and Gold (of Buffalo)

by Ebscer on Mar 14, 2009 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry, but I like Versus

Once in awhile I like hearing impartial announcers and how they perceive the Sabres. I like Doc Emrich but I agree the others are somewhat boring, especially compared to Rick Jeanneret and, yes, they tend to be story-happy during many of the broadcasts.

However there is another side to that coin. Since Rick and Ted Darling (before him) always have done radio-TV simulcasts, Rick tells me every move someone is making – hey, I can see for myself on TV! I don’t need to be told so-and-so is skating behind the net – I see it. I always appreciated the great announcers of the past on Hockey Night In Canada who had just the right balance because they didn’t do radio at the same time. That’s the bad side of doing TV and radio both at once.

I like the guys in the studio on Versus. Sure, I like hearing Roby, Razor and Harry but it’s nice to hear other opinions here and there and the three gusy Versus have know the sport, too.

What I like best is the great HD picture. Versus gives us an ultra-sharp hockey game, which we can’t get on Sabres away games. I do appreciate Time-Warner Cable giving us the home games in high-def (Channel 700 in my area).

Anyway, I’m glad we have Versus, especially come playoff time. What the hell does ESPN do for hockey? Nothing.

by ccthemovieman on Mar 13, 2009 1:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

My problem with Versus isn’t the lack of homerism. The problem is it caters to an audience of which I am not a member. They are trying to appeal to the casual hockey fan or person who just randomly turned on VS. These people don’t want a play by play radio call of the game like we get from RJ. I do. I recognize what they are doing and understand why they are doing it. But it doesn’t work for me so I won’t be able to like it.

They also do a rather poor job with the presentation. They’ll interview someone and have a PIP of the person they are talking to overlaid on the bottom right of the screen. Unfortunately, that covers 1/3 of the ice during play. It’s boneheaded presentation choices like this that bug me. I don’t have to see the person you’re talking to VS, but I do have to see the hockey game.

Also, I know (everyone who watches sports knows) that you are going to talk about the period that was and other NHL action during intermission. Stop telling me every 5 minutes, VS. Every hockey fan knows Brian and Keith will be joining you because they watch VS with regularity. Everyone who isn’t a hockey fan has no idea who they are so telling me isn’t doing anyone any good.

There are myriad little things like this that really irk me during the broadcast. I can live with somewhat boring, neutral commentators. I understand why they are the way they are. I can’t live with idiotic presentation choices that detract from or even prevent me from watching the hockey game. If play is ongoing, there should be a scorebar. That’s it. Any other video or graphic overlay should be saved for a stoppage in play.

by JetpackJesus on Mar 13, 2009 2:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Why we hates verses

I think we hate verses mainly because they are not one of us and our beloved Rick Jeanneret is, we don’t take kindly to outsiders when it comes to our sports teams

by Sabresfan4ever1981 on Mar 14, 2009 6:30 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm grateful

for all the hockey coverage we can get……because it’s very little on the national networks. If you want to hate a network, hate ESPN which would rather show 25 hours of poker every week rather than one hockey game.

by ccthemovieman on Mar 14, 2009 10:17 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs