Jack Michaels - Oilers PBP

[Behind Enemy Lines]

And on the flip side, Cam Moon is a revelation on the radio call. Bob was trying to talk baseball with him during the game against St. Louis, and Cam politely but firmly shot him down by saying, "I'm in hockey mode right now" and refusing to get suckered in to the side chatter.

If only we could get Cam with an actual former player like Strudwick instead.

I think it's very obvious where Michaels learned the self indulgent bad habits that have carried over to his television play calling. Cam Moon is a solid talent and would be greatly enhanced with someone who's actually played the game. Strudwick would be a fantastic update as an analysis who is insightful, concise, funny, and actually played the game.

Jack Michaels brings great energy and passion to his play calling. But his tv work overcalls the action of what viewers can see on their screen. He fills every moment like a radio play caller who needs to engage an audience's imagination and inability to see the game. When he's focused and locked in on the game, letting it breath so to speak (and himself too), he is a really good play caller. But when he gets lost in stories and weird asides often at expense of what's happening in the game, it's a needless distraction and annoyance. Way more good than bad. But the learned poor self-indulgence from his radio days can frustrate for sure.

 

[guymez]

On the 2nd Oilers goal (Hyman) against Vegas...Louie starts talking right at the face off and doesnt stop until the puck is in the net. Jack then calls the goal after the fact.

 

[Reasonable Oil Fan]

There really needs to be another option.

3. Go back to calling monster truck events.

I suppose I was spoilt by Rod Phillips for all those years. Michaels is almost embarrassing

 

[guymez]

There really needs to be another option.

3. Go back to calling monster truck events.

I suppose I was spoilt by Rod Phillips for all those years. Michaels is almost embarrassing

I hear you.
Rod Phillips was one of the best. He pulled you into the game and elevated games that proabaly werent worthy of being elevated.
Michaels does the opposite and tries to rely on the occasional call to maintain interest.
It doesnt work.

An example... Jack will babble for a few minutes then call out the name of the player with the puck and then go right back to rambling on about nothing.

Babble babble babble......."Bouchard with the puck".......Babble babble babble.
I mean WTF is that?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I'm in the minority that still preferred Kevin Quinn.

 

[K1984]

I'm in the minority that still preferred Kevin Quinn.

Couldn't stand him. The king of irrelevant statistics "the Oilers lead the league in shots on goal between the 8th and 14th minute of the second period on Tuesday nights" type nonsense. Obsessed with the shot count in general. Never got the impression he knew a hell of a lot about the game.

He was at his worst when with Louie Debrusk. We would be in the midst of getting punted for the 5th time in a row and those two would be yucking it up, or even worse - "the Oilers really need to come back in this one to get back into the playoff hunt." Dude. They're 15 points out and it's January. Shut up.

There were some nights where the commentary annoyed me more than the disgrace on the ice.

 

[JordanGalhanth]

I'm in the minority that still preferred Kevin Quinn.

Lets the shot gooooooo, scores

 

[RegDunlop]

Lets the shot gooooooo, scores

I'm in the minority that still preferred Kevin Quinn.

Overtimeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Winner

 

[TheGingaNinja]

I like Jack, but his tangent about the Karate Kid (and his Johhny Lawrence take) were groan worthy, lol.

 

[BIeucheeseWithWings]

Careful, we may end up with a woman PBP. They are all horrendous to listen to.

 

[JordanGalhanth]

 

[NegativeNelly]

Jack seems to think he has to do color as well by telling stories during the action and when something happens he says the same thing "quick shot score". To me, Cam Moon brings passion, no long drawn out stories and accurate play by play. I'd like to see Cam get a shot with Louie but that won't happen.

 

[JordanGalhanth]

Thread bump.

Listening to CHED since I don't have cable, and I have to ask... Is it just me, or has CHED's overall coverage taken a nosedive lately?

Now right away, Cam Moon is OUTSTANDING and has the patience of a saint; he's definitely what we hoped Jack would be when Rod retired. I thoroughly enjoy listening to him.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the rest of the broadcast.

First of all, the studio coverage this year took a real step back after Reid Wilkins left. The new host feels like he's not quite settled in yet, and he and Rob Brown have awkward chemistry at best.

Then Bob Stauffer on color... OOF.

For some reason this year, Bob's commentary has been unusually ill-mannered -- constantly interrupting Cam's play-by-play, griping away with grouchy-old-man tangents, and even trying to call the action over top of Cam at times ("That last sequence Cam, they got real lucky there and I think they should--oh, look out, 2-on-1").

Overall, it almost comes across as though Bob wants to compete with Cam rather than mesh with him. Maybe he misses Jack; maybe he wishes he had the PBP role. But either way, it's not a professional look (or listen). Cam deserves far better.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

Thread bump.

Listening to CHED since I don't have cable, and I have to ask... Is it just me, or has CHED's overall coverage taken a nosedive lately?

Now right away, Cam Moon is OUTSTANDING and has the patience of a saint; he's definitely what we hoped Jack would be when Rod retired. I thoroughly enjoy listening to him.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the rest of the broadcast.

First of all, the studio coverage this year took a real step back after Reid Wilkins left. The new host feels like he's not quite settled in yet, and he and Rob Brown have awkward chemistry at best.

Then Bob Stauffer on color... OOF.

For some reason this year, Bob's commentary has been unusually ill-mannered -- constantly interrupting Cam's play-by-play, griping away with grouchy-old-man tangents, and even trying to call the action over top of Cam at times ("That last sequence Cam, they got real lucky there and I think they should--oh, look out, 2-on-1").

Overall, it almost comes across as though Bob wants to compete with Cam rather than mesh with him. Maybe he misses Jack; maybe he wishes he had the PBP role. But either way, it's not a professional look (or listen). Cam deserves far better.

Do we have a call in show? Like a normal one where people will call in for up to two hours post game like cgy, mtl, Vancouver. Don't know about Toronto and the others

Flames have a good one.

 

[brentashton]

Thread bump.

Listening to CHED since I don't have cable, and I have to ask... Is it just me, or has CHED's overall coverage taken a nosedive lately?

Now right away, Cam Moon is OUTSTANDING and has the patience of a saint; he's definitely what we hoped Jack would be when Rod retired. I thoroughly enjoy listening to him.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the rest of the broadcast.

First of all, the studio coverage this year took a real step back after Reid Wilkins left. The new host feels like he's not quite settled in yet, and he and Rob Brown have awkward chemistry at best.

Then Bob Stauffer on color... OOF.

For some reason this year, Bob's commentary has been unusually ill-mannered -- constantly interrupting Cam's play-by-play, griping away with grouchy-old-man tangents, and even trying to call the action over top of Cam at times ("That last sequence Cam, they got real lucky there and I think they should--oh, look out, 2-on-1").

Overall, it almost comes across as though Bob wants to compete with Cam rather than mesh with him. Maybe he misses Jack; maybe he wishes he had the PBP role. But either way, it's not a professional look (or listen). Cam deserves far better.

CHED/Corus has made some questionable decisions, overall.

-Moving OilersNow from its highly rated midday timeslot, which then causes its start time to move anytime the Oilers have early/East time zone games
-Cutting Reid’s show to an hour, which in turn caused him to exit to EST. They bring in Bryn G for the pre/post Oiler slots but as you mention, he just doesn’t have it.
-Move the transmitter to 880 which drops their ability to reach most of northern and eastern Alberta - the home of Oiler faithful, not in the Edmonton metro area.

It’s as if CHED really doesn’t want to,be the broadcast rights holder anymore. If they do, they’re treating it poorly. Bob often seems frustrated with CHED/Corus in his on air ranting.

 

[Norwegianoiler]

Listen, you gotta've a shooter's mentality to be Johnny on the spo,t and score a goal scorer's goal where you tickled the rafters.

Jack is Jack, but paired with a color guy whose only color is a shade of sepia, nothing matters.