Vosters replaced by Flames broadcaster Rick Ball

[Drumman44]

Yes, let's hire the guy with absolutely no hockey knowledge to fill the shoes of a legend we've very clearly forced into retirement. That will go over well.

Worked for Conan. “No one can take David Letterman’s place”

Lisa Kudrow Told Ex Conan O'Brien 'You're No One' Ahead of His Late-Night Debut — and Meant It as a Compliment

Conan O'Brien recalled his first year hosting 'Late Night with 'Conan O'Brien,' which faced a mix of negative reviews and disappointing ratings. As he recalled, 'I had to develop from a fetal pig to a full-size pig in front of America' and was even given some tough love by ex Lisa Kudrow.

people.com

 

[scorehawks]

Yeah he was so incompetent that it almost reeked of a nepotism hire. I'm not sure how he got the job in the first place with his lack of credentials and knowledge of the sport.

I will not miss him having an orgasm every time Bedard touched the puck.

Take a read of of Jamie Faulkner's comments in the Daily Herald today on Vosters' today. Sure sounds like she hired him.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Worked for Conan. “No one can take David Letterman’s place”

Lisa Kudrow Told Ex Conan O'Brien 'You're No One' Ahead of His Late-Night Debut — and Meant It as a Compliment

Conan O'Brien recalled his first year hosting 'Late Night with 'Conan O'Brien,' which faced a mix of negative reviews and disappointing ratings. As he recalled, 'I had to develop from a fetal pig to a full-size pig in front of America' and was even given some tough love by ex Lisa Kudrow.

people.com

This analogy would be like putting Letterman's camera man behind the desk.

 

[TheFridge]

Worked for Conan. “No one can take David Letterman’s place”

Lisa Kudrow Told Ex Conan O'Brien 'You're No One' Ahead of His Late-Night Debut — and Meant It as a Compliment

Conan O'Brien recalled his first year hosting 'Late Night with 'Conan O'Brien,' which faced a mix of negative reviews and disappointing ratings. As he recalled, 'I had to develop from a fetal pig to a full-size pig in front of America' and was even given some tough love by ex Lisa Kudrow.

people.com

What? Conan -- who had worked as a late night TV host for how long before replacing Letterman?

 

[clydesdale line]

Take a read of of Jamie Faulkner's comments in the Daily Herald today on Vosters' today. Sure sounds like she hired him.

Almost positive she did. Glad she (or she got overruled) realized it was a mistake and quickly moved on.

 

[ClydeLee]

What? Conan -- who had worked as a late night TV host for how long before replacing Letterman?

You're thinking of Leno. But being on a late late show is not a prime gig.

The articles today had quotes saying Vosters was the best of the tryouts, he clearly wasn't. But I always felt his looks played a part. They had him and Sharp for a reason paired up

 

[Malaka]

It's a very happy day for this Blackhawks fan because I'm never again going to have to hear Chris Vosters announcing for the Blackhawks.

You know, Vosters actually is a very good announcer. I've got to qualify my comments by saying he's got a good voice and is good at his job when he knows relatively anything about it, and there's the rub because Chris Vosters looks for any reason to be awkward. In his time in Chicago, he is the worst excuse for a hockey broadcaster I've ever seen in over two decades doing this job.

A couple of examples, 10 minutes before a game a few months ago, 'I’m stuck in a snowstorm,' and a young announcer who wasn't anticipating working had to scurry into the booth and fumble through the game. He was coming back from the offseason earlier this year, almost ready to rejoin the team, and didn’t care enough to get better accustomed to hockey or even learn the rules. Well, Vosters always had an excuse, always found a way to milk the system. He came to Chicago, of course, in exchange for Pat Foley, who has gone on to retire a hall of famer in broadcasting. But even before that, Pat Foley was a guy who cared and who tried hard at bettering his craft.

The Calgary broadcasting team, when that trade was made, said, 'We can't believe we lost Rick Ball to replace Chris Vosters.' Well, let me tell you, Chris Vosters doesn't sing. And you're trying to bring along a young team into a new era. This is not the kind of guy that you want around young talent highlighting the start of Bedard’s legacy in any way, shape, or form.

That deal was one of the worst deals in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks. And when Kyle from Chicago writes his memoirs about his time in Chicago, I have the title for that chapter: Disaster.

So kudos to Jamie Faulkner and Danny Wirtz for being able to get anything more than a roll of tape for this overpaid, underachiever. Chris Vosters is now someone else’s problem in baseball. That will be his last professional stop in hockey. And he basically, in my opinion, was a disgrace to the profession when he was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. As he leaves Chicago, I just have one sentiment for Chris Vosters: Good riddance.

We are through two periods in New Jersey

 

[BobbyJet]

Just saw this for the first time .... I had assumed Vosters was going to be Hawks announcer for years to come. What a f***ing relief, I must say.
He was way over his head in the role.... all the best on his future endeavors, outside of hockey..

 

[Drumman44]

What? Conan -- who had worked as a late night TV host for how long before replacing Letterman?

Uh 0 days? Do you not know this very famous story?

 

[TLEH]

There really isn't an excuse for it either. Its having someone in charge of an area of the business that just whiffed on the hockey side. You can't just have a guy with a good voice and an up-beat personality call good games. He needs to understand the game. Its fast. This isn't baseball.

 

[hockeydoug]

The 4 main guys are all 57-62.

Foley started declining about 62-63 imo.

Short term upgrade but going to be alot of turnover the next decade probably.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Sort of feel for Vosters. He wasn't great, but he didn't deserve the vitriol he received here. If he continued to do his homework over the summer (grow a better grasp of hockey terminology), stop saying "and that's a score", and stopped showing up to work with a turtleneck, I'd be mostly fine with him staying.

Having said that, seems like Ball is an improvement and I could see him and Panger having good chemistry for a long while here. Might not be Foley and Edzo, but Baller and Panger should be a solid pair.

 

[TLEH]

Sort of feel for Vosters. He wasn't great, but he didn't deserve the vitriol he received here. If he continued to do his homework over the summer (grow a better grasp of hockey terminology), stop saying "and that's a score", and stopped showing up to work with a turtleneck, I'd be mostly fine with him staying.

Having said that, seems like Ball is an improvement and I could see him and Panger having good chemistry for a long while here. Might not be Foley and Edzo, but Baller and Panger should be a solid pair.

He doesn’t deserve people saying negative things about him personally but I haven’t really seen that anyway.

It’s mostly just, great guy, really bad at his job. I don’t think he was close to being passable. He had to go.

 

[Hawkaholic]

If someone's bad at their job, they are going to be criticized. It comes with the territory. Feel bad he lost his job, but that's the nature of that business.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Sort of feel for Vosters. He wasn't great, but he didn't deserve the vitriol he received here. If he continued to do his homework over the summer (grow a better grasp of hockey terminology), stop saying "and that's a score", and stopped showing up to work with a turtleneck, I'd be mostly fine with him staying.

Having said that, seems like Ball is an improvement and I could see him and Panger having good chemistry for a long while here. Might not be Foley and Edzo, but Baller and Panger should be a solid pair.⁹

He deserved it 100%. He was awful. He had an entire off-season to watch other announcers on tape, learn the sport, learn the terminology, etc. He chose to not do any of that. Good riddance to the worst sports announcer I've ever heard in my life.

 

[WarriorofTime]

It's a very happy day for this Blackhawks fan because I'm never again going to have to hear Chris Vosters announcing for the Blackhawks.

...

We are through two periods in New Jersey

I'll be honest, took until my third time to realize this was a Foley Karpovtsev copypasta

 

[bwanajamba]

Sort of feel for Vosters. He wasn't great, but he didn't deserve the vitriol he received here. If he continued to do his homework over the summer (grow a better grasp of hockey terminology), stop saying "and that's a score", and stopped showing up to work with a turtleneck, I'd be mostly fine with him staying.

Having said that, seems like Ball is an improvement and I could see him and Panger having good chemistry for a long while here. Might not be Foley and Edzo, but Baller and Panger should be a solid pair.

It wasn't just a terminology or hockey knowledge thing though. His commentary all too frequently broke down into simply listing the name of whoever touched the puck for half minute + stretches at a time. Some of that is hockey knowledge but I also think the game just moves too fast for him. And his key-jangling whenever Bedard was on the ice was horribly grating. First month of the season, ok, sure. It kept up the entire year. In general he just felt like he saw his role as an extension of the team's PR and marketing wings which is just a bad and inauthentic experience for the viewer. The man is much better suited to be the MC at Blackhawks Convention than he is to be a pbp guy. Wish him well and everything personally but not sorry to see him go.

 

[HighLifeManIsHigh]

You guys just got the best pbp guy in hockey. He’ll be your guy for the next 10-15 years and you guys will love every second of it. Congrats, but also, f you for stealing him lol

 

[clydesdale line]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1798852660021612645

 

[Behn Wilson]

So kudos to Jamie Faulkner and Danny Wirtz for being able to get anything more than a roll of tape for this overpaid, underachiever.

Based on the timing with the new sports network, my guess is this was motivated by someone at the new sports channel that actually knows hockey and my guess is the Hawks probably had little choice to go along with this. They probably pretty much said this guy blows and no chance in Hell we will be using him

 

[hawksfan50]

Everyone on this board now giddy over this!

 

[CallMeShaft]

Fiddy is so giddy about this, he's forgetting to add in his usual spelling errors.

 

[BobbyJet]

I guess we'll never know the thought process but I will never understand why Vosters was hired in the first place. The other candidates that I heard do games were all better. In my mind, Jason Ross Jr and Weideman stood out for me back then .... but it's nice to get a respected veteran like Ball. I can finally listen to the play-by-play again without cringing.

 

[ClydeLee]

I will never understand why Vosters was hired in the first place. The other candidates that I heard do games were all better. I guess we'll never know the thought process.

He's handsome. Apparently the suntimes had an article stating there was some tension with Vosters & Pang but I can't read it.

 

[ploppsdman]

The glory of Voster’s inimitable call of “a shot and a goal” will echo into eternity.