Canuckz.com » Sportscaster of the Week

Sportscaster of the Week: Final Edition

Tonyz Tanti — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:31:59 +0000

Ok, I’m sick of this weekly segment, and training camp is around the corner. So this will be the last edition of our weekly feature: sportscaster of the week. Lets go out with a bang, take it away Roger!

Sportscaster of the Week: Pierre McGuire

Tonyz Tanti — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:40:20 +0000

Every Tuesday, Canuckz.com profiles a Canadian sportscaster. Sometimes they’re sportscasters we like, sometimes they’re ones we don’t. Today’s sportscaster is one that you either absolutely love or absolutely hate: Pierre McGuire. What do we think? Well, lets think about that for a minute…

Pierre McGuire has many different roles. He works for TSN and NBC, and is also a regular guest on the Team 1040. He’s an in-studio analyst, a colour commentator in the booth, and an ice-level commentator. My biggest problem and his biggest attribute is his excitement level. Let me explain. As a colour commentator in-game, he gets WAY too excited about the fine details of the game. He can get more excited about a chip off the boards than some announcers get after a goal. He needs to pick and choose his moments and I think 2.5 hours of him in a game can get a bit much.

Now Pierre McGuire the in-studio analyst or on-air radio guest is a much different story. He’s obviously well tapped-in to many sources, so he’s well informed about the ins and outs of the league. He also gets a chance to calm down a little, and focus his thoughts in a smaller time frame. In that format, he’s great. Just don’t give me 2.5 hours of him.

BAD McGuire:

GOOD McGuire:

Sportscaster of the Week: Michael Landsberg

Tonyz Tanti — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:07:57 +0000

Every Tuesday, Canuckz.com profiles a Canadian sportscaster. Sometimes they’re sportscasters we like, sometimes they’re ones we don’t. Today’s sportscaster is someone we love to hate: Michael Landsberg.

Landsberg first broke onto the national scene as a reporter for TSN’s Sportsdesk in the 80′s (I still think they should call it Sportsdesk, but that’s another story for another day). He was my favourite anchor when I watched Sportsdesk in the early 90′s when he got his current gig as host of Off the Record. That’s when my opinion of Landsberg changed.

Off the Record, for those that don’t know, is a sports talk show that combines celebrities, athletes and sportscasters, talking informally about the sports news of the day. The only problem for those that don’t live in the Greater Toronto Area is that guests are often Toronto sports personalities/athletes and/or talk about the Leafs, Raptors, Blue Jays, Argos a ridiculous amount of time. TSN is never more the “Toronto Sports Network” as when this show airs.

No doubt, Landsberg has a huge ego, he’s not very likable, but I have to admit, he’s entertaining. He was on the Blake Price Show on Team 1040 when he was in town for the Junos in March. He was so cocky, but totally entertaining. He had no problem talking about himself or how great he makes his show, but he didn’t give the standard run-of-the-mill answers.

So do we like Michael Landsberg? I’m still not too sure, but we keep watching him, and I guess that’s the point.

One of the best episodes I’ve seen of Off the Record (amazingly it had TWO Canucks and NO Leafs/Raptors/TSN anchors/Toronto Community Channel personalities/etc.). Find out how Kevin Bieksa “punted” Shane O’Brien…

Sportscaster of the Week: Ray Ferraro

Tonyz Tanti — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:55:36 +0000

Every Tuesday, Canuckz.com profiles a Canadian sportscaster. Sometimes they’re sportscasters we like, sometimes they’re ones we don’t. This week it’s one of the best in the business, Ray Ferraro. Ray Ferraro is almost like the Troy McClure of the broadcasting business. He could start every broadcast with “Hi I’m Ray Ferraro, you may remember me from TSN, Sportsnet, Team 1040, NBC, Canucks TV PPV…”. What I like about him is he’s not afraid to tell it like it is and offer REAL insider information. Too many ex-players are unwilling to really tell you what happens behind the scenes and criticize players. Ferraro has no trouble doing either (remember when he ripped into Patrik Stefan after this?).

I think Ferraro is at his best when on with Pratt and Taylor on the Team 1040. He has great chemistry with them, and I think the open format of talk radio allows him to really let loose. The format also allows them to play “Brass Bonanza” every time he’s introduced.

Sportscaster of the Week: Hazel Mae

Tonyz Tanti — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:51:40 +0000

Every Tuesday, Canuckz.com profiles a Canadian sportscaster. Sometimes they’re sportscasters we like, sometimes they’re ones we don’t. This week we profile a sportscaster that we like to look at but don’t like to listen to! This week’s Sportscaster of the Week: Hazel Mae.

You probably remember Hazel Mae from her days at Rogers Sportsnet, accompanied by a glass desk and little leather skirt, cheerfully providing the day’s sports highlights. After Sportsnet, she moved on to NESN in Boston, working Red Sox games as a sideline reporter. She was probably the most obvious example of a sports network in Canada trying to sell sex in their sports reporting. I’m not sure she ever got the network high ratings, and I’m not sure she was ever taken seriously, given her attire. It’s not like she’s the only good looking female sports reporter to come out of Canada (Jennifer Hedger, Martine Gaillard, Evanka Osmak are other examples), it’s just that she’s like the Anna Kournikova of Canadian sportscasting. Marginal talent, above average looks, and most importantly… a willingness to flaunt it!

But the real legacy of Hazel Mae in Canadian sportscasting is her little leather skirt and its ability to accurately judge hockey fights during Don Taylor’s sportscasts! Well, that, and a reference in the best Canucks rap video ever made: “Trapper’s Delight.”

Sportscaster of the Week

Tonyz Tanti — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:17:05 +0000

Every Tuesday, Canuckz.com profiles a Canadian sportscaster. Sometimes they’re sportscasters we like, sometimes they’re ones we don’t. Last week we featured an underrated old guy, this week we feature an annoying young guy: Jason Portuondo.

Portuondo, for those that don’t know, is an anchor for Sportsnet Connected who has brought us some quotes that even the “boom goes the dynamite” guy would find lame. Continually he tells us “remember to wash your hands after you.. FLUSH” (basketball), “that old Beatles song: all you need is… GLOVE” (baseball/hockey), and “E-fence, that’s right, E-fence, because there was no D!” (any sport). Ouch.

Maybe what annoys me most, as a Canucks fan, is the fact that he can’t pronounce the word “Canuck”. Shouldn’t that be a prerequisite to getting a job as a sportscaster in this country? There’s only 6 teams here, you should probably know them.

Canadian Sportscaster of the Week: Vic Rauter

Tonyz Tanti — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:08:54 +0000

Every Tuesday, Canuckz.com will profile a Canadian sportscaster. This week is Vic Rauter.

Over the course of his career, Vic Rauter has done it all. Recently, I saw him on Sportscentre doing the highlight packages. I, for one, think he is quite possibly the most underrated Canadian sports broadcaster of all-time! His style is unique to himself and he is very articulate. Oh, and of course, his signature line “MAKE THE FINAL.” Brilliant. In recent years, he has taken a limited role with TSN, who instead have replaced him in favour of cookie-cutter Fox News type personalilties. Give me guys like Vic Rauter over them any day. Here are a couple samples of his best work:

“BUNBURYYYYY!!!”

“MAKE THE FINAL!”