A new contender for worst broadcaster of all time (Leah Hextall)

[featherhawk]

atrocious, she just needs to stop, go away you are not a hockey play by play person that people can listen too

she puts people to sleep

 

[Oddbob]

Thanks for posting it...

I listened until the Kopitar goal... it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting

As you say, she's clearly intelligent, and has a good grasp of the language and the game

Honestly, she's better than a lot of announcers I've heard watching highlights over the years...

I just think hearing a female voice during the game may be too drastic a change for some viewers, and will automatically be seen as a negative...

No she is just bad, and doesn't have a good voice for PBP.

 

[Oddbob]

Jeff Rimer and Tripp Tracy are worse. That is all. I am a broadcaster by trade. I have hired and designed programming and talent for a long time.

There is nothing wrong with her. She is a she when you are used to hearing a male. Campbell Pascall has always sounded to me like they pushed her to this level before she was ready, but Hextall is fine.

It takes some getting used to. For sure, but my instincts tell me that she being female and a really unfamiliar sound is what you are having trouble with. Watch Jeff Rimer on the Blue Jackets games. That is what bad sounds like

You are wrong, she is bad, nothing to do with her being a woman or unfamiliar voice. It is perfectly fine to take issue with bad commentary from a woman, just as it is a guy. Kind of tired how many comments bring this up about "well we just aren't used to it". When someone is even half decent at something, you don't need to get "used" to it. If it makes you feel better, I hate the Bruins PBP guy more than any other PBP person ever in existence!

 

[Super Hans]

It reminds me of speech-to-text closed captioning AI. The timing is off and the spelling (especially names) is bad and the only redeeming quality to it is comical mistakes it might make.

She sounds like an AI that has been fed hundreds of hours of hockey footage and programmed to attempt play-by-play. Her timing is bad, you can tell some of the dead air is her trying to figure out which player is is. They just happened to assign a female voice to this AI. They could have assigned Microsoft Sam voice and it would still be awful commentary.

 

[Ghetty Green]

Not to pile on but she is extremely bad. Coyotes pp down late third and she's talking with zero urgency

 

[DearDiary]

It took her 8 seconds, yes 8 seconds to realize that it was Debrincat who scored not "He"

 

[Devils090]

ESPN has failed spectacularly and it’s not even Thanksgiving, honestly not surprised

 

[scorpiorising]

First time listening to her tonight and she is embarrassingly bad.

She didn't seem to know what was going on and seemed very amateur.

 

[bleedgreen]

Sounded like a high school game on a local access channel.

 

[kingsfan28]

Of the two games I've heard her call, I wonder if she's even at the game or in a booth in New York calling the game remotely? There always seems to be a delay.

 

[The Colonel]

Hey Sara Civian is good.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

She is brutal. Zero emotion. Get rid of her already.

 

[txpd]

You are wrong, she is bad, nothing to do with her being a woman or unfamiliar voice. It is perfectly fine to take issue with bad commentary from a woman, just as it is a guy. Kind of tired how many comments bring this up about "well we just aren't used to it". When someone is even half decent at something, you don't need to get "used" to it. If it makes you feel better, I hate the Bruins PBP guy more than any other PBP person ever in existence!

As I said Csmpbell Pascall doesn't sound good. I think she is worse

 

[Summer Rose]

I like Leah Hextall.

 

[Mach2]

It reminds me of speech-to-text closed captioning AI. The timing is off and the spelling (especially names) is bad and the only redeeming quality to it is comical mistakes it might make.

She sounds like an AI that has been fed hundreds of hours of hockey footage and programmed to attempt play-by-play. Her timing is bad, you can tell some of the dead air is her trying to figure out which player is is. They just happened to assign a female voice to this AI. They could have assigned Microsoft Sam voice and it would still be awful commentary.

For some reason I wasn't able to put my finger on the real problem...but you nailed it!

 

[3074326]

ESPN has failed spectacularly and it’s not even Thanksgiving, honestly not surprised

It hasn’t failed, what planet are you on? ESPN+ is an overwhelming success to everyone who isn’t complaining about literally everything.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

She did the Blackhawks-Coyotes game last night.
I thought she did fine, her voice just does not project very well but that may be more of a technical issue since Moore’s voice wasn’t exactly loud and clear either.
Engineers gotta tune up the mids.

 

[MuckOG]

My god, she is AWFUL

 

[uncleben]

It took her 8 seconds, yes 8 seconds to realize that it was Debrincat who scored not "He"

Oh, come on... now we're looking for gripes

Commentators do that all the time
Both the "He scores!" without an explicit name, and letting dead air sit after a goal, letting the crowd and celebration noise play before piping back up.

 

[Blender]

We had Hextall followed by Buccigross back to back last week, and Buccigross was far worse. It wasn't even close really, at least Hextall was trying to objectively call the game even if she's a bit flat in her delivery.

 

[holy]

We had Hextall followed by Buccigross back to back last week, and Buccigross was far worse. It wasn't even close really, at least Hextall was trying to objectively call the game even if she's a bit flat in her delivery.

That guy is actually the worst. I was cringing so hard listening to him yesterday.

 

[ISensFanI]

The woman who did the oilers game last night was really bad

 

[not a troll]

She did the Blackhawks-Coyotes game last night.
I thought she did fine, her voice just does not project very well but that may be more of a technical issue since Moore’s voice wasn’t exactly loud and clear either.
Engineers gotta tune up the mids.

Maybe add some auto tune to it too.

 

[Jetsfan79]

To each their own. To me, slamming a broadcaster is like panning a book for its cover. Or lodging a complaint in a restaurant for the garnish. Constructive or respectful criticism is fine ofcouse. Never been one for ad hominems or cheap shots

 

[Sparksrus3]

She's absolutely terrible.. and if what she needs is practice then she should be practicing in the minors..not at the highest level of hockey in the entire world

Change the very first word to He’s and you have Doug Weight when he was made Islanders head coach .