If you have read any of my articles throughout this NHL season and/or postseason, you are familiar with my utter distaste for the VERSUS network.
From the on-air broadcasters to the in-studio analysts, VERSUS continues to treat hockey fans in the States (at least the vast majority of those that I have talked to) to sub-par broadcasts on a weekly basis.
Previously known as OLN, or the Outdoor Life Network, VERSUS was previously focused on outdoor sports. Then, after the NHL lockout season, VERSUS signed a two-year contract with the NHL, and in 2007, the two entities extended their contract through the 2010-11 season.
VERSUS is owned by Comcast, which is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Perhaps this offers justification as to why every television personality employed in the NHL sector of the network seems to favor the Flyers every time their games are covered.
This may also be one reason why the network is a joke—I mean really, what more could anyone expect from anything stationed in Philly?
While the availability of the VERSUS network has expanded over the past few years, there are still many people scattered around the country whose cable package doesn't even include the channel.
In one way, I envy all of you. But in another way, it just doesn't seem right that you should have to special order the channel or resort to an internet live feed to watch your team play.
Such play-by-play studs as Mike "Doc" Emrick and Joe Beninati fill the ears of viewers with their cartoon-character voices and overuse of big words on a weekly basis.
You're calling a hockey game, not giving a speech before Congress. Call the game, and leave out the word choice that implies you have received a college education.
To compliment their play-by-play counterparts, VERSUS has assembled an even more pathetic assembly of color commentators and in-studio analysts. Led by Eddie "I used to coach the Pittsburgh Penguins, but I got fired" Olcyzk and Billy Jaffe, these guys do their part to remind us that they are collecting a paycheck for offering their pointless opinions on national television.
In the studio, Bill Patrick, Keith Jones, and Brian "the 80s called and they want their mullet back" Engblom offer in-depth analysis during intermissions, and pre/post-game editions of Hockey Central.
I will admit that while the studio guys do offer a much needed break from Emrick and Beninati's pointless in-game ramblings, they don't do much to offer stats and facts, but rather bombard us with their vast array of mid-season/end of season/playoffs/career awards.
Does anyone really go to bed at night wondering which three players Keith Jones would want on his third line?
VERSUS has seen a steady increase in ratings over the past two seasons, however if the number of people who mute the television to watch the game, but flip on their local radio station to listen to a real announcer (enter Mike Lange) was taken into account, ratings may actually be shown to have decreased.
Maybe I'm all alone on this one, but I would much rather sit down and watch/listen to a game on my local FSN Pittsburgh station that have to spend three hours wondering how Mike Emrick is considered a good announcer while trying to follow the game at the same time.
The local stations carry the load for the majority of the regular season, but are pushed aside by the second round of the playoffs. Something doesn't seem right with that picture.
I know the NHL, like everything nowadays, is a business, and the rights to broadcast games are bought and sold like loaves of bread. But wouldn't it be nice to be able to choose between tuning into your local station, or contemplating repeatedly stabbing yourself in the ears with a sharp object while watching a VERSUS telecast during the playoffs?
While I do realize the importance of national broadcasts to the further growth of the NHL in the United States, it baffles me to think that these guys are the best that our beloved league has to offer.
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2 months ago
You're a moron. You know why Mike Emrick is considered a "good" announcer? Because he has 35 years of experience broadcasting hockey. And if you really think that Paul Steigerwald is a better option than even mental midget Joe Beninati, then you clearly have no idea what you are talking about sir.
Clearly, your opinion is completely invalid because people are finding the conference finals on Versus. Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals drew 2.3 Million viewers, better numbers than ESPN drew for the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals.
And yeah, hiring Mike Lange will end all the bias. Sure, let's hire a Pittsburgh announcer, and it'll even things out.
Jeez, this must be why you write for the Bleacher Report, because no one else will let you write this garbage anywhere else.
2 months ago
Glad to see that Steve Bettman has joined the site... tell your dad Gary I said hello.
I never said VERSUS should hire Mike Lange. I said that I enjoy listening to local broadcasts over VERSUS broadcast, and it would be nice to be able to have a choice between the two.
The only reason 2.3 mil. people tuned in for the Conference Finals is because they have no other choice. I'd like to see the results poll given to those 2mil. people: Do you enjoy watching hockey games on VERSUS? My bet would be the no's would outweigh the yes's by a significant margin.
If you enjoy listening to Mike Emrick discover ways to use the word "finesse" as a noun, verb, and adjective in the same sentence, or Beninati use the word "ditto" outside of an elementary school playground, then i do feel bad for you.
2 months ago
I enjoy listening to Mike Emrick because he's a literate, passionate commentator. Only Gary Thorne and John Davidson have come close to being at as many big games as he has. For full disclosure, I'm a Devils fan, but that doesn't mean I enjoy listening to Chico Resch.
And Beninati is an idiot. But the fact is that most people who find Versus are ok with what they do. At least it's not ESPN, where no matter what game you were watching, they were in love with their Ducks.
As long as they don't watch the studio show. That is full of shit. But they certainly aren't biased towards the Flyers. In fact, if you asked most Flyer fans, or most any other fans across the league, they'd think the entire league has it in the bag for the Pens.
It's better than what we had, and while it was purely a money grab, they have better commentators than ESPN had. Are you saying you wouldn't be feeling a Flyer bias if Bill Clement were in the house?
2 months ago
Mike Emrick is one of the best announcers in the game today. Eric, it was a fairly well written article, but I think you went a bit overboard. And no, 2.3 million people dont watch simply cuz "there's nothing else on". people are smart enough to turn the tv off. it actually was a popular and greatly watched game. You don't know what you're talking about eric
2 months ago
Alan, can you not read? I said the people tuned in b/c VERSUS was the only network showing the game, not because they didn't feel like watching reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond.
If you want to watch a hockey game, you're gonna watch it no matter what network it is on. Whether you enjoy or not is another story, but you're still going to watch.
Put your tongue back in your mouth and think about what you're reading before you comment on it... and you should know by now that i always go "a bit overboard".
And as for Mike Emrick being a "literate, passionate commentator", i'm sorry that I am unable to find outbursts of "OOOAAHHHH" after every save, every shot that misses wide, every hit, and 3 out of 4 times the puck is dumped in the zone to be entertaining commentary. And is it really neccessary to substitue the word "finesse" for the word "pass." It's a hockey game, not a college lecture.
Emrick's a joke, and Edzo isn't even a has been, he's a never was who is still stuck in the past. Just listen how many times the words "when i coached the Penguins..." or "before I was fired by the Penguins..." come out of his mouth.
2 months ago
Are you two numb skulls that read his article high? Clearly to me this is turning into a "Pittsburgh vs. Everyone that dislikes Pittsburgh" argument. Eric is simply stating his dislike for the Versus NHL broadcasts and giving creditable evidence as to why. If you're going to argue the valid points that he made why don't you say "Mike Emerick is a terrific announcer because...” well I can't even think of a good example. I can however find two horrible examples...
Steve Bettman: You know why Mike Emrick is considered a "good" announcer? Because he has 35 years of experience broadcasting hockey.
Whoa! Whoa! Sound the alarm *whop whop*. I didn't know that the simple fact of 35 years of experience gave you the title of "good" announcer. I think the 21 years of experience that I have watching hockey tell me Versus is a joke compared to every other hockey broadcast I've watched over the course of my young adult life.
Enter Alan's Genius Argument: "Mike Emrick is one of the best announcers in the game today." Okay, why? Are you comparing his abilities to that of, oh let's say...Barney Fife? Lucille Ball?
It may seem like I’m really trying to rip you guys a new one, I'm not. It just really irks me when people try and argue "FACTS" in an article with there own personal opinion. The opinions you two provide are of course valuable and I'm sure Eric appreciated responding to them. Just next time you argue something throw some facts in to back up your opinion.
2 months ago
OK Fine, read any article published by any Sports Media commentator in the past 10-15 years, they'll show you nothing but praise and respect for what Mike Emrick does.
How about fact: All 3 Broadcast Networks that have covered hockey since 1995 (FOX, ABC, NBC) have selected Emrick for one of their announcing pairs. 2 of them as #1.
Fact: All 3 cable networks that have covered hockey since 1986 (ESPN, SportsChannel America, Versus) have at one time or another had Emrick as their lead commentator, or lead reporter (ESPN: 1986-88, SCA: 1990-94, Versus: 2006-Present).
Fact: Emrick has been involved in every Olympic broadcast since 1992, for 4 different networks (CBS, TNT, MSNBC, NBC), save for 2002 when he sat it out because his dog was dying of cancer.
Is that not fact enough for you?
2 months ago
Your love and obsession with Mike Emrick is very adorable. However, my main argument was directed to the Versus broadcast and what they deliver to hockey fans. Mike Emrick is the best thing they have going for them, and in my OPINION that isn't saying much. However, Mike Emrick is beloved through out the league and everything that you have stated was pretty obvious to me, I watch enough sporting events to understand that he gets around.
My main beef is with Versus, two examples...
1. I was watching the Pens vs. Flyers game on Thursday and they decided that while game four of the Eastern Conference Finals was going on it would be a fabulous idea to interview their GM or maybe Owner, I don't recall who he was. I'm sorry I was to busy paying attention to the game...thanks a lot Versus.
2. They decide it's a fantastic idea to cut to "Hockey Central" right in the middle of the biggest scrum of the entire series...not only was it probably one of the most exciting points in the game. It was the biggest fight of the series.
Just piss poor quality from our Versus crew if you ask me, Versus should NOT be covering the Stanley Cup Playoffs...that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
2 months ago
1. You think ESPN wouldn't do that? Have you seen Monday Night Football? And that already gets good ratings.
2. Yeah, because really, we need more intelligent insights from Olczyk or Eliot.
But yeah, they are good points.
2 months ago
I guess my biggest question is as to why this is posted on the humor page. I didn't really find anything funny here.
2 months ago
Hey, it hockey, no one watches. It's not even considered a major sport in the U.S. I think reruns of the Munsters on Nike at night gets a bigger audience.
2 months ago
Eddie, apparently you also think that "Nike at night" really exists.
Nick at Night, maybe?
You're from Philadelphia aren't you?
2 months ago
I hate the fact that the games are on Versus. The NHL is stupid for extending their contract. I can't believe there is no other outlet out there that wants Hockey.
I have I think the 2nd best package you can get on Dishnetwork. Yet only their Gold star or whatever it is called carries Versus. You mean to tell me out of 200 or so different channels, versus doesn't even crack the most watched stations?
Get hockey on a channel that more people have. It is awful that they have gone this long with out a real station putting their games on TV.
about 1 month ago
Hey Steve your the idiot.
Just because someone has x amount of years experience doesn't automatically make them good.
Point is, Emrick is a retard who wouldn't recognize a hockey puck if it hit him in crotch.
All he knows about hockey is what college the players attended.
Is it at all possible that more viewers this year has anything to do with who is playing in the finals (Sidney Crosby)? 2004 featured Tampa Bay, people in Florida didn't even watch.
Hockey will never be one of the top 3 sports in the states.
The NHL and the fans would be better off if they stopped trying.
about 1 month ago
Mike Emrick has ruined my playoff hockey viewing for the last time. My wife and I love to watch hockey together normally but every time that guy is announcing she refuses to watch with me. I can't take his useless trivia, and that mind numbing voice of his is worse than fingernails on a chalk board. He reminds me of those old 1920's announcers like the ones SNL uses for a James Cagney voice spoof. I find myself talking and sometimes yelling at the TV because he is so f'ing annoying. Being an insane die hard Red Wings fan makes this guy even harder to listen to. The Pens are a great team, and Cindy, oops, I mean Sydney Crosby is a great player but give us a break! Emrick talks about this kid like he's the next hockey messiah! Count how many times Mikey says the name Crosby in this series, I swear he has a school girl crush on him. Vs. has pretty decent coverage of the games but Emrick negates the whole thing. Until they get rid of this guy I will listen to the game on the radio while watching it on TV. The delay time between live radio play and TV play is annnoying but it's no where's near the painful experience of having to listen to Mike " the James Cagney wanna be" Emrick.
about 1 month ago
Well all i know to add is a quote from a previous article of mine:
2. The first two games of Stanley Cup are showing on Versus. At least I get to watch the bulk of the games on NBC, but for real, this Versus thing is getting annoying! Hockey, still considered one of the four major sports, is placed along side fishing and hunting on Versus. At least on NBC it competes with golf and other "sports".
I think this speaks my opinion. Great Article, Eric!
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