NESN UPDATE - NESN’s Jack Edwards announces retirement

[DKH]

Jack is frustrated as he is only 66 but he knows Curt Gowdy was finished at 68 as was Ken Coleman at the age of 64. Ned Martin was fired by NESN at the age of 69. Bob Wilson quit in 1994 at the age of 65 when the Bruins and WEEI refused to pay him during the lockout. Johnny Most retired at the age of 66.

Fred Cusick was the exception as he walked away from the NHL at the age of 79 because he had trouble seeing the ice in the new arenas.

Jack is a year younger than Dale who retired last year. The Bruins made it clear to NESN that they wanted Jack back for the 100th season.

It's a sensitive matter but it is the circle of life.

Thanks for info. He is killing the broadcasts - I get it 100th year and all and I’m assuming Papa Jacobs who these days is just watching wants him but this has to be it. He can not be back next season

 

[whitetape]

I think they have to let him ride out the season, but could they please tell him to cut down or even eliminate the statistical set pieces: "The Flyers are fourth worst in the league in giving up high-danger scoring chances from the 9-minute mark to the 19th minute of the second period, so the B's will have an opportunity to do some damage then" while Zacha gets creamed from behind and a fight starts to break out, or DeBrusk makes a beautiful steal and sends in Marchand, or whatever else Jack misses taking place in front of him. Just stick to the play-by-play!

 

[mjhfb]

Thanks for info. He is killing the broadcasts - I get it 100th year and all and I’m assuming Papa Jacobs who these days is just watching wants him but this has to be it. He can not be back next season

I agree, because I get sad listening to him, instead of being charged up watching the play.
I like him and wish him all the best, but this season I've been checking if I get the opponents feed.

 

[Hookslide]

I agree, because I get sad listening to him, instead of being charged up watching the play.
I like him and wish him all the best, but this season I've been checking if I get the opponents feed.

No matter what your feelings for the guy, bottom line he cannot do the job, he needs to be replaced. One of his problems is he just continues to babble, which is a distraction, maybe if he just did play by play you might be able to overlook some of it temporarily, be cause the fan can see most of what is going on the ice.

 

[Oates2Neely]

Curious if Jacks interview with Ray Bourque the other night has anything to do with this decision. That was tough to watch.

 

[nonoffensiveusername]

Checking in since I'm actually watching what games I can this season (all MSG games blacked out, NHLN games blacked out . . . . lame).

I feel really bad for Jack. This is pretty clearly a situation where ownership wanted him here for the centennial, because he is a legend in Boston, regardless of his detractors. But he is doing a job he's no longer up for, and it's sad to hear. I hope he takes a well-earned retirement next year and that he never has to pay for a drink in Boston. It would actually be really nice if they did a pre-game event for him.

 

[Alicat]

I love Jack but it is time to hang them up.

 

[mikelvl]

I love Jack but it is time to hang them up.

It really is. His broadcasts have become torture. He can't do the job anymore. Listening to his calls on 2011 replays vs. today, he's unbelievably bad. Athletes can't play forever when their bodies tell them it's time to go. Well, Jack's body is telling him it's time. And he awkwardly attempted to go off on Maroon again last night, but it was so much gibberish that maybe people didn't notice. So so so awkward.

 

[PB37]

It really is. His broadcasts have become torture. He can't do the job anymore. Listening to his calls on 2011 replays vs. today, he's unbelievably bad. Athletes can't play forever when their bodies tell them it's time to go. Well, Jack's body is telling him it's time. And he awkwardly attempted to go off on Maroon again last night, but it was so much gibberish that maybe people didn't notice. So so so awkward.

Prime Jack hit hard and was always on top of the action, regardless of his clear fandom. He's struggling out there to keep up. I wonder if NESN would consider going with three guys in the booth the rest of the year - one PbP guy and Jack/Brick as colors to give him a bit of a break. Maybe Jack could be the guy on the ice giving color from there.

 

[McGarnagle]

I still say the best thing is to have Faust become the new PBP man and give Jack an unscripted Coach's Corner type segment with Sophia during the intermission.

 

[dugg133]

I love Jack but it is time to hang them up.

Yeah this is kinda where I'm at. I'm younger then most here, so Jack has literally been the voice of the bruins for just about as long as I can remember, he took over when I was like 7. He'll always hold a special place in my heart as the voice of the bruins when I first really fell in love with the team and the game. But it's time, he just can't keep up with the game anymore and kinda drags down an otherwise great broadcast team with Brick, Sophia, Razor, Barry, and Jaffe. Genuinely makes me very sad that he likely won't be able to go out on his own terms, but at some point it's not fair to him either to keep trotting him out there for nostalgia reasons and have fans question his health after every game.

 

[jgatie]

I still say the best thing is to have Faust become the new PBP man and give Jack an unscripted Coach's Corner type segment with Sophia during the intermission.

I don't know, man. They took him off the post-game Monty interview, seemingly because he was 10 times worse when unscripted.

 

[Sheppy]

I still say the best thing is to have Faust become the new PBP man and give Jack an unscripted Coach's Corner type segment with Sophia during the intermission.

We just don't need him talking, honestly. It's time.

 

[NeelyDan]

Blah I feel bad bc honestly his voice returning to my house every fall brought me a lot of joy

 

[Therick67]

I still say the best thing is to have Faust become the new PBP man and give Jack an unscripted Coach's Corner type segment with Sophia during the intermission.

I'm 100% against anything that gives us less Sophia

 

[SpeedyLazaro]

My buddy bought a Jack cameo for his dad's birthday... it's 3 minutes of unhinged slurring and awkwardness. hard to watch. give the guy a proper sendoff and send him off

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

Prolly the nicest guy any of us could care to meet, but he should not be speaking for a living.

 

[jgatie]

I'm 100% against anything that gives us less Sophia

Replace every Mad Fisherman episodes with Sophia reading the phone book and I'd have NESN on 24/7.

 

[Fenian24]

Replace every Mad Fisherman episodes with Sophia reading the phone book and I'd have NESN on 24/7.

Make her the Mad Fisherman and I might watch it. Far and away the best personality they have had since Kate Tappen, light years better than Hextall.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

My take on Jack is that when he's purely calling the play-by-play, and calling it pretty straight, he's still ok. Not prime form but he gets by. Probably he's so well drilled in that after decades of experience that it still comes out fairly naturally despite his health issues. But anything else is really really difficult for him to the point of being simply uncomfortable for the viewer. There's no way around it - this has to be the last season. The sooner NESN and Jack himself resign themselves to that fact the better it will be and he can have a proper send off.

 

[Mad-Marcus]

The faster Jack tries to talk, the worse his apparent condition gets. I assume it's neurological. At times Stroke victim-like. Sad but since he insists on being both play by play and the color commentator at times, he is leaving himself exposed to embarrassment and ridicule.

Here's a gold watch, time to retire.

 

[BostonBob]

View attachment 787210

I happily declined the opportunity to make the trip

Ah - come on now Fenway. Taking shots at our fine country.........that's beneath you aye.

 

[Mike in Houston]

Ranger fan here. You guys should really try and lock up Faust before we do. He's filling in on the radio when Kenny Albert and Don La Greca are otherwise committed. And he's excellent! Most of us think that when our TV guy, Sam Rosen (40th season), finally retires, Albert will get the job. That leaves a hole in the radio booth.

Regarding Jack. Has it been this steep drop off or has this been a slower decline? I have watched highlights of NYR/BOS from this season and boy it is bad. I mean he already mispronounced Zibanejad from day one but he called Kreider "Crowder" and had a lot of trouble with Gustafson the other night.

 

[Sheppy]

Ranger fan here. You guys should really try and lock up Faust before we do. He's filling in on the radio when Kenny Albert and Don La Greca are otherwise committed. And he's excellent! Most of us think that when our TV guy, Sam Rosen (40th season), finally retires, Albert will get the job. That leaves a hole in the radio booth.

Regarding Jack. Has it been this steep drop off or has this been a slower decline? I have watched highlights of NYR/BOS from this season and boy it is bad. I mean he already mispronounced Zibanejad from day one but he called Kreider "Crowder" and had a lot of trouble with Gustafson the other night.

It's tough to listen to on a nightly basis, man. I remember earlier this year he was calling Ryan Lindgren, Ryan Lindberg, Lindstrom, Lundstrom to the point where he actually stopped his thought process for like 20 seconds and didn't say a word.

I don't think it's fair to the viewer/listener and I don't think it's fair for Jack himself to continue on. It's just glaringly bad.

You really notice it when you go back and watch clips from mid 2010's - He's an absolute sparkplug but right now it's super tough to listen to.

 

[PB37]

Ranger fan here. You guys should really try and lock up Faust before we do. He's filling in on the radio when Kenny Albert and Don La Greca are otherwise committed. And he's excellent! Most of us think that when our TV guy, Sam Rosen (40th season), finally retires, Albert will get the job. That leaves a hole in the radio booth.

Regarding Jack. Has it been this steep drop off or has this been a slower decline? I have watched highlights of NYR/BOS from this season and boy it is bad. I mean he already mispronounced Zibanejad from day one but he called Kreider "Crowder" and had a lot of trouble with Gustafson the other night.

As far as I remember, he started slurring his words about 3 seasons ago but it wasn't that noticeable. But these past two seasons, it's been very noticeable and it's getting worse.