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

[norrisnick]

You know why ? Because he was replaced and not shoved down our throat. I don't get why you're so over defensive about this lol, person sucks at their job and is still being forced on people, people complain.

How is Leah Hextall being forced upon you? She call many Toronto games?

 

[Buff15Sabres]

My friend did you not see the countless threads about Paul Romanuck. Paul Romanuck got blasted more than anyone I've ever seen, calling players the wrong names all the time and just flat out horrible at his job. No enthusiasm or anything. You know what the difference with him was ? He got canned when people voiced their opinion on how shit he was, he wasn't shoved down peoples throats.

Apart from Boston, Jack Edwards gets brutally roasted by every fan base.

Pierre Mcguire ?

You know why ? Because he was replaced and not shoved down our throat. I don't get why you're so over defensive about this lol, person sucks at their job and is still being forced on people, people complain.

ESPN heard and agreed with the feedback that she wasn't a good play by play announcer. They demoted her to on-ice reporter as a result. Let's see how she does at that before clamoring that she gets completely replaced ?

 

[norrisnick]

ESPN heard and agreed with the feedback that she wasn't a good play by play announcer. They demoted her to on-ice reporter as a result. Let's see how she does at that before clamoring that she gets completely replaced ?

She's doing PBP tonight.

 

[AvroArrow]

How is Leah Hextall being forced upon you? She call many Toronto games?

I take it you don't discuss any issues outside the town you live in am I right ? How do they effect you ?

Likewise, how does my comment effect you ? Just don't pay attention to it if you don't like it am I right ?

What a garbage take, I watch other teams games as well not just my own which is why I always voice my opinion on how shit some commentators are. I didn't see you come run to the defense of Jack Edwards ? I wonder why ?

 

[The Worst One]

Send her ass home asap.

 

[JadedLeaf]

NBC did it with an NFL game in the early 80’s. I think there were some CBC telecast (either nhl or cfl) without announcers because of a strike in 00’s.

It doesn’t really work. You basically has keep laser focus on the game as a home viewer (which is far more difficult than if you are at a game).

Ahh it was the strike! That's what I wasn't remembering, thanks. I do remember it being harder to follow because you couldn't get up and get food or drinks and rely on the play by play to know what was happening.

 

[Chips]

That's all well and good.

Where are the threads on the men f***ing up and/or being terrible at their jobs? Could there be some reason that she gets piled on and there is nary a mention of the men in broadcasting that suck at their job? You'd think that these paragons of evaluating broadcasting excellence would have a thing or two to say about someone else, no? Is everyone else great at the job, and she the only one bad at it? I find that hard to believe.

If broadcasting excellence is so important, where are all the other evaluations? If it is such an experience altering aspect of hockey watching, how can it be that only one person is bad at it?

As has been pointed out there are threads every year on bad male commentators. Fortunately, most of them are local so we don’t have to deal with them as much. Presumably because there are so many men already, the network isn’t going to force an unqualified and or irritating man to a prominent role just to have more men.

Aside from the occasional Cassie Campbell comments, nowhere near as many as Hextall, there are other women in broadcasts who don’t get hate, certainly not remotely close.


To the last paragraph, there are degrees of bad. Most of the commentators are just fine/neutral. They don’t add a lot but they don’t take away, and they know player names and the games rules etc. A few are really good. Occasionally we get a great one tho I don’t know who that is right now.


Hextall was clearly hired 80% because of her name and 20% to hire a diverse group (which they still largely failed at, but). She herself in the Atheltic article about her acknowledged hiring less qualified people for diversity sake.


Hextall is pretty damn bad. It’s a combination of things. If it was just one she’d probably get more of a pass, but people are less forgiving of one thing when there are others.

She’s forgotten names a lot, I’ve literally heard her refer to a guy playing by the name of an old player not in the league. She’s confused teams cities before (or player with team. I think it was the former). Even in her rinkside role (which I honestly don’t mind) she’s demonstrated she doesn’t know all the rules and occasionally loses track.

In PBP she does some of the same, there’s some dead air (including after a big freaking goal was scored), she at times alternates from fairly quiet stale to really loud high pitched yelling that just doesn’t sound good.


“Voice for radio” is a thing. Either a good voice or a distinct voice. Her voice is neither good nor distinct. It just sounds really awkward and at times annoying. It’s not just her high pitch, it’s her vocal chords (I guess, idk anatomy or singing terms lol). She sounds tiny


There are women calling games in sports who sound way better, whose voices work better. She got the job because who you know/family name is everything in hockey.

 

[ElysiumAB]

*clicks to open perfectly normal thread thats filled with healthy dialogue

Seriously tho - leave this poor woman alone. She's actually not afraid to be her true self on air and not act like other fake talking heads in a similar position.

Can she please live her best life and her truth and her love language far away from a microphone?

Heard her speak for 20 seconds as between the bench talent and she didn't know a basic NHL rule. Though, huge improvement over her doing the play by play.

 

[wolfgaze]

Great, another potential 250 page thread full of misogynistic BS.

Oh look it's the "misogyny!" defense.

No one can criticize Leah Hextall's job peformance or else it's an attack on all women, right?

Grow up.

 

[bleedblue94]

Because if we criticize her for being bad at her job we are misogynists, and has absolutely nothing to do with the poor quality of her work

Isn't that the truth.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

she's horrible, I feel like I'm being hazed tonight by ESPN on this preds stars broadcast .

 

[holy]

That's all well and good.

Where are the threads on the men f***ing up and/or being terrible at their jobs? Could there be some reason that she gets piled on and there is nary a mention of the men in broadcasting that suck at their job? You'd think that these paragons of evaluating broadcasting excellence would have a thing or two to say about someone else, no? Is everyone else great at the job, and she the only one bad at it? I find that hard to believe.

If broadcasting excellence is so important, where are all the other evaluations? If it is such an experience altering aspect of hockey watching, how can it be that only one person is bad at it?

Go check out the thread about Drouin’s fall from grace. Misandrist pigs man, I hate them so much.

 

[Oilslick941611]

I don't mind her. She's certainly better this year than she was last year.

 

[Sheppy]

Her call on the Mason Marchment goal made me want to impale myself on a fence post.

f***ing hell.

 

[MikeyMike01]

With digital board ads, at least Leah isn’t the worst part of hockey broadcasting now.

 

[CalgarySnow]

Oh look it's the "misogyny!" defense.

No one can criticize Leah Hextall's job peformance or else it's an attack on all women, right?

Grow up.

I’m a woman and she’s awful. Just why did they re-employ her when so many people didn’t like her? I thought Cassie Campbell Pascoe was bad but she’s way ahead of Hexall, at least she knows the game

 

[Dr Pepper]

Her call on the Mason Marchment goal made me want to impale myself on a fence post.

f***ing hell.

At least you caught it live. I'm watching the game on SN Now and it cut to an ad during the middle of play. Came back just as Marchment was celebrating.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

I’m trying to watch the Dallas game to see Wyatt Johnston’s first game. But I had to mute it.

 

[Random Comment]

Logged on to say she’s brutal. She just doesn’t have a good play by play voice. She should stick to colour commentating. There are many men who have bad play by play voices too. Also has lots of trouble with player names. She will learn those, but she can’t change her voice.

 

[Unspecified]

She is horrible and I can barley hear her voice...

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Someone in the prospects forum pointed out How bad Wyatt Johnston’s first goal play by play’s was and I couldn’t agree more.

One of the worst goal calls I’ve ever heard.


Now compare it to the play by play for JJ Peterka’s first goal…

 

[Rob Brown]

How is Leah Hextall being forced upon you? She call many Toronto games?

Yes, because every hockey fan ONLY watches their own teams games. Brutal post.

Someone in the prospects forum pointed out How bad Wyatt Johnston’s first goal play by play’s was and I couldn’t agree more.

One of the worst goal calls I’ve ever heard.


Now compare it to the play by play for JJ Peterka’s first goal…

Deflating.

 

[yada]

I've heard plenty of worse goal calls then either the marchment or johnson goals. They arent bad goal calls, now not liking the announcer is 1 thing but those calls dont stand out.

 

[Unspecified]

So I'm thinking about getting ESPN+ since I don't have a cable provider which rules out NHL Center ice apparently. Please tell me she is not an all the time commentator.

 

[Chips]

So I'm thinking about getting ESPN+ since I don't have a cable provider which rules out NHL Center ice apparently. Please tell me she is not an all the time commentator.

Idk how many stars games ESPN+ has, but she seems to get the b squad assignments. Late/west games and or bad teams (might just be a lot of the west teams happened to be bad last year )