Rumor: Things Not Left Unsaid 3 - Flyers Rumors and Media Mentions: Never Ending Circles

[Rebels57]

Mets fan here too (grew up on jersey shore). Mets have the best booth probably in all sports tho giving them independence from "the regime"

Gross.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Mets fan here too (grew up on jersey shore). Mets have the best booth probably in all sports tho giving them independence from "the regime"

I have been a Mets fan longer than I have been a Flyer fan. The Mets TV crew doesn’t pull punches when criticizing the team. The Flyer TV crew will blame bad luck, the refs or some other lame ass reason

 

[TCTC]

I have been a Mets fan longer than I have been a Flyer fan. The Mets TV crew doesn’t pull punches when criticizing the team. The Flyer TV crew will blame bad luck, the refs or some other lame ass reason

I have no problem with homerism from local TV crews (as long as it's my team, of course). Sure, it can be tiresome to a degree, but a bad game won't get better when the commentators are constantly complaining and criticizing. Only makes the viewing experience even more miserable.

 

[Hexxxy]

Yeah. It's a great education, too, because when you don't spend the entire broadcast doing ad reads and sucking off replacement-level depth players, you can actually analyze the sport and the decisions players and managers make in-game. I have learned so much more about baseball through the Gary/Keith/Ron combo.

Phenomenal broadcasts overall. Great cinematography, they actually experiment with camera angles and multiple perspectives. During dead time, director and camera crew do a great job of finding unique shots that the booth can riff on. I watch tons of regional hockey and baseball broadcasts between ESPN+ and MLB.tv and there isn't anything on the same planet as SNY's baseball coverage. Would love to see that influence spread, because it feels like everything else is so cookie-cutter and uninformative these days.

I have been a Mets fan longer than I have been a Flyer fan. The Mets TV crew doesn’t pull punches when criticizing the team. The Flyer TV crew will blame bad luck, the refs or some other lame ass reason

funny thing here is org treatment of it's own players and personnel -- these organizations do it completely opposite. Mets notoriously treated their past stars like absolute ass -- like completely ignored them. So they get Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling scrutinizing them in the booth.

 

[TCTC]

funny thing here is org treatment of it's own players and personnel -- these organizations do it completely opposite. Mets notoriously treated their past stars like absolute ass -- like completely ignored them. So they get Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling scrutinizing them in the booth.

And that's a good thing? I prefer the Flyers way. Much more decent.

 

[Rich Nixon]

And that's a good thing? I prefer the Flyers way. Much more decent.

Eh, I'd prefer Bobby Clarke being an asshole on TV than running the team for decades.

I have no problem with homerism from local TV crews (as long as it's my team, of course). Sure, it can be tiresome to a degree, but a bad game won't get better when the commentators are constantly complaining and criticizing. Only makes the viewing experience even more miserable.

There's a difference between homerism and straight up propaganda, and on the flip side of that there's a difference between valid criticism and complaining. I'm talking about like, a broadcast candycoating the bullshit vs. one that will tell you that they see the bullshit too. When the team sucks and they're playing bad, the last thing I want is like Jim Jackson telling me "well they lead the game in hits" and all that.

I think that hot mic clip of Jones/Jackson after the Flyers got shut out by the Blues years ago* was the most telling part. You could hear them talking about the lack of effort from the players and how it was the worst game they'd seen in years. But they're not allowed to say that on air. So they spend the game going "Flyers are gonna hafta find a way to muster up some more offense!" and "They just aren't getting the bounces!" But you know they don't believe that. They see the same things we do, but they work for the team so they can't say them.

It's patronizing, and I literally think it has made our fanbase at large really stupid. Some of the most vocal Flyers fans you meet couldn't describe the strengths and weaknesses of players they watch 82 times a year because they never really learned how to watch the sport via the broadcast. They get shot block stats and hit replays and f***-all else.

*the game that turned the Blues season around when they went on to win the Cup, I believe.

 

[Magua]

Call me crazy, but I think you can honor and treat your former players as important to the fabric of the organization……while not exclusively hiring them for every single front office position, often with full tenure. Mike Schmidt orally farts on air a couple times a month. He isn’t a Senior Advisor handpicking the President of Baseball Operations. Dr. J flies to Los Angeles to woo Paul George; Dr. J does not have a say in the head coach.

 

[BiggE]

Call me crazy, but I think you can honor and treat your former players as important to the fabric of the organization……while not exclusively hiring them for every single front office position, often with full tenure. Mike Schmidt orally farts on air a couple times a month. He isn’t a Senior Advisor handpicking the President of Baseball Operations. Dr. J flies to Los Angeles to woo Paul George; Dr. J does not have a say in the head coach.

Absolutely! You didn’t see the Phillies take Richie Ashburn out of the booth and put him in charge of baseball operations nor do the Eagles run every personnel move by Brian Dawkins and Wilbur Montgomery and make sure that they approve of the move.

I’ll always love Bobby Clarke as a player. Same goes for Bill Barber and Paul Holmgren and John Leclair, but none of them should be involved in operation of the team, period.

And, FFS, maybe the person in charge of the entire hockey operation should be someone who has some type of NHL hockey management experience??

 

[Beef Invictus]

And that's a good thing? I prefer the Flyers way. Much more decent.

The Flyers treat a bunch of their former players like total trash.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

The Flyers treat a bunch of their former players like total trash.

Which is why they love Torts

 

[freakydallas13]

Call me crazy, but I think you can honor and treat your former players as important to the fabric of the organization……while not exclusively hiring them for every single front office position, often with full tenure. Mike Schmidt orally farts on air a couple times a month. He isn’t a Senior Advisor handpicking the President of Baseball Operations. Dr. J flies to Los Angeles to woo Paul George; Dr. J does not have a say in the head coach.

I've always said you can roll out the red carpet for alums without handing them the keys to franchise. Make them commentators, emissaries, special guests. Have throwback nights. Bring them to special events. Have them be locker room hype-men. Put them on TV. Whatever.

Just stop giving them the defacto hockey ops positions. I'm begging you, stop letting them make decisions for this team.

 

[FromOyVey2Matvei]

The Flyers treat a bunch of their former players like total trash.

Just look at their treatment of Morgan Frost…

I know he’s technically a current player, but he’s basically an honorary ex player. You just know Torts can’t wait to shut the lid on that toilet seat for the last time.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

Just look at their treatment of Morgan Frost…

I know he’s technically a current player, but he’s basically an honorary ex player. You just know Torts can’t wait to shut the lid on that toilet seat for the last time.

100%... the second hes gone the hit peices from Flyers media begin...

 

[FlyerNutter]

Meltz:


“They are in a rebuld; hence, hurting their playoff chances at the deadline last season to pick up an extra first round pick, and stockpiling a total of six picks (two their own, four from other orgs) for the 2025 Draft. Whether it's the rebuild effort you'd want doesn't make it a "false narrative".

Want to say that it's a halfway effort ala the Hextall years (trading Schenn, for example, but keeping Giroux, Voracek and Simmond through their primes)? That's fair.

To say it's not a rebuild at all? That's not true.”

 

[TCTC]

The Flyers treat a bunch of their former players like total trash.

I hope your prime example isn't Cutter Gauthier who never even played for the Flyers.

 

[Hexxxy]

And that's a good thing? I prefer the Flyers way. Much more decent.

it wasn't a good thing from a PR perspective and hurt the franchise in general but it did create the best baseball booth in MLB, and possibly the best sports booth commentariat in any sport right now. IDK how it competes historically but distance between the org created some objectivity unlike the flyers who only produce sycophants

 

[Rich Nixon]

it wasn't a good thing from a PR perspective and hurt the franchise in general but it did create the best baseball booth in MLB, and possibly the best sports booth commentariat in any sport right now. IDK how it competes historically but distance between the org created some objectivity unlike the flyers who only produce sycophants

It can't be overstated what a disservice it is to have the teams entirely running the broadcast. The Flyers wrote the book on that by inventing and owning the first-ever regional sports network, and even though they're technically under separate umbrellas in the Comcast portfolio now, it's stil the same company and NBC Sports Philly operates as if it was the mouthpiece of the Flyers. Now with the RSN model dying and so many teams moving to direct streaming options, that issue is going to spread even further.

The Pirates are my baseball team (I know. I know.) and Pittsburgh's RSN died, so now their broadcasts are handled by a joint sports network/streaming service they co-own with the Penguins. And if there's any team in sports that deserves objective commentary on the state of its ownership and management, it's the atrocious tax write-off that is the Pittsburgh Pirates. Their games are 1000% mute material, the most banal and boring bullshit imaginable.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

It can't be overstated what a disservice it is to have the teams entirely running the broadcast. The Flyers wrote the book on that by inventing and owning the first-ever regional sports network, and even though they're technically under separate umbrellas in the Comcast portfolio now, it's stil the same company and NBC Sports Philly operates as if it was the mouthpiece of the Flyers. Now with the RSN model dying and so many teams moving to direct streaming options, that issue is going to spread even further.

The Pirates are my baseball team (I know. I know.) and Pittsburgh's RSN died, so now their broadcasts are handled by a joint sports network/streaming service they co-own with the Penguins. And if there's any team in sports that deserves objective commentary on the state of its ownership and management, it's the atrocious tax write-off that is the Pittsburgh Pirates. Their games are 1000% mute material, the most banal and boring bullshit imaginable.

It kind of helps for the Flyers that hockey in America isn’t too big (it’s a blessing & curse so to speak). So as a potential fan you have to really go out of your way to follow it even to the point you might be one of the few of your social groups to do so. It’s a niche product so that really helps create a more cultish fanbase at large same with a more limited media following compared to the other major sports in the city.

So they can keep doing these PR rebrands & a good enough chunk of the fanbase will buy it every time.

It’s no different than the NHL as a whole when they deny links to CTE & playing hockey. They get away with it unlike the NFL because inside their bubble the majority either agree with them or don’t care. The ones that do are in the minority & aren’t loud enough to make a change.

 

[Hexxxy]

It kind of helps for the Flyers that hockey in America isn’t too big (it’s a blessing & curse so to speak). So as a potential fan you have to really go out of your way to follow it even to the point you might be one of the few of your social groups to do so. It’s a niche product so that really helps create a more cultish fanbase at large same with a more limited media following compared to the other major sports in the city.

So they can keep doing these PR rebrands & a good enough chunk of the fanbase will buy it every time.

sincere question who's bigger -- mets or flyers. guessing mets?

 

[Rich Nixon]

sincere question who's bigger -- mets or flyers. guessing mets?

Any MLB team (other than my aforementioned Pirates or their fellow atrocity the A's) is going to be "bigger" than almost any NHL team (except maybe the Leafs).

The Mets do about double the revenue compared to the Flyers (~$400m a year vs ~$200m a year) and I'm surprised the gap isn't wider. Much bigger fanbase, more games, better national TV contracts.

 

[Hexxxy]

Any MLB team (other than my aforementioned Pirates or their fellow atrocity the A's) is going to be "bigger" than almost any NHL team (except maybe the Leafs).

The Mets do about double the revenue compared to the Flyers (~$400m a year vs ~$200m a year) and I'm surprised the gap isn't wider. Much bigger fanbase, more games, better national TV contracts.

I think the pirates may do better than the flyers tbh. but teams like Miami or the A's no.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Honestly if the Pirates have one fan that’s one too many for what the people at the top of their organization deserves. But id imagine they do benefit from Pittsburgh being a good sports town & there’s nothing else sport wise going on in the summer.

 

[Rich Nixon]

Honestly if the Pirates have one fan that’s one too many for what the people at the top of their organization deserves. But id imagine they do benefit from Pittsburgh being a good sports town & there’s nothing else sport wise going on in the summer.

I f***ed up so bad when it came to baseball. I hated the whole sport as a child. I hated Phillies spring training/early season coverage (on Comcast Sportsnet!) taking away time from Flyers playoff coverage. I actively rooted against the Phillies up until I was like 15.

Half-heartedly bandwagonned them in 2008, but it felt empty given my past haterism. Plus at that point I'd moved to Pittsburgh and was simultaneously witnessing the birth of the Penguins obnoxious bandwagon, and I didn't wanna be That Guy. So I gravitated to the local team, with its gorgeous ballpark and $1 tickets and rookie Andrew McCutchen.

Loved my time in that little city, took its hapless ball club with me as my memento. Would have been a much happier existence if I'd just swallowed my pride and bought a Phils cap like everyone else in 2008, but being a thoroughbred Flyers fan I think I just crave maximum pain in sports fanhood.

 

[Rich Nixon]

Anyway, back to our bullshit hockey team. I am readying my entry into Flyers counterprogramming. Site/blog/whatever launches Monday with a 2,000-word writeup on this topic, then we're on to the next.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1814363337364480306

I'll probably make a thread when it's live, but the goal is basically to make high-quality written pieces that encapsulate the valid criticisms we voice here, but that don't get any play in the insular rah-rah of Flyers coverage and Flyers fan blogs. Feel free to send any ideas you have my way.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

I f***ed up so bad when it came to baseball. I hated the whole sport as a child. I hated Phillies spring training/early season coverage (on Comcast Sportsnet!) taking away time from Flyers playoff coverage. I actively rooted against the Phillies up until I was like 15.

Half-heartedly bandwagonned them in 2008, but it felt empty given my past haterism. Plus at that point I'd moved to Pittsburgh and was simultaneously witnessing the birth of the Penguins obnoxious bandwagon, and I didn't wanna be That Guy. So I gravitated to the local team, with its gorgeous ballpark and $1 tickets and rookie Andrew McCutchen.

Loved my time in that little city, took its hapless ball club with me as my memento. Would have been a much happier existence if I'd just swallowed my pride and bought a Phils cap like everyone else in 2008, but being a thoroughbred Flyers fan I think I just crave maximum pain in sports fanhood.

Yeah I was 2 when the Phillies went to the WS in 93. Other than that my early childhood of watching baseball was brutal because the Phillies sucked until the core of Utley, Rollins, Howard, etc. all arrived as well as Middleton as the owner took more control of the team. Honestly more embarrassing they were so cheap before that even being in a bigger market.

I wanted the Phillies to be good but it just wasn’t realistic for most of that time period. So I had to basically start rooting for players & such like Griffey Jr. but he was always hurt & on the west coast.