Pretty incredible that expansion teams are now able to compete very quickly as evidenced by Seattle and Las Vegas before them. I remember in decades past, in virtually all sports, the expansion teams were doormats for at least 5 seasons. When the accumulation of top draft picks each year finally started to contribute, then they’d pull themselves up to respectability. I sort of liked that the new franchises and fans had to “earn it”.
I don't think expansion teams should have to suck for a half dozen years, maybe a happy medium is needed between that and instant success as far as tweeking the rules, though all four of the pro sports leagues are now maxed out or close to it as far as number of teams. Seattle's ownership had to pay $650 million just to join the NHL, which is nothing but a pure windfall for the other teams (or maybe ransom is a better word), so for that price it wouldn't have been fair to essentially sentence them to be bottom feeders for x number of years by being stuck with only players that other teams didn't need.
It’s truly ridiculous but at least PK Subban is tolerable and can speak English.
I can only think of 2 black announcers who sound professional and take their job seriously- Tireco and Gus Johnson. Maybe there are others i’m not aware of but the rest sound like they’re at the barbershop calling a game
Former goalie Kevin Weekes is very good at his job as an analyst for the NHL Network and for ESPN during the playoffs. Well-spoken, articulate, professional in every way, no questions about his qualifications which is as it should be. But everything's been weaponized and there's a lot of putatively White announcers who are also affirmative action hires because of their politics or because of their gender. Probably no one at ESPN would dare to answer the question of what a woman is, just like Comrade Joe's Supreme Court pick. It's all a beyond sick routine, but the product on the ice during the playoffs is anything but.
Tirico is white. Both his parents are Italian.
Incorrect. His dad was black his mom was Italian. I suspect that his name is hers and this was just another one of those bad life decisions.
Bettman really going all in on Diversity. Sad. I tuned in for a game the other night and listened to a woman and a Jew announce a game before muting after 5mins.
No kidding man. We keep hitting new lows.
Women have weak announcing voices compared to men, which almost always is glaringly obvious when a female is one of the crew.
It sounds so out of place it’s tough to listen to. The only one i can tolerate, and i may be in the minority (heh) here, is Doris burke. She knows the game of basketball well and seems to genuinely enjoy watching good basketball when it’s played. I know women can be sly but i don’t get the feeling she has an agenda to push at least consciously. But then again i don’t watch too much nba besides our guys in the playoffs
Danica Patrick is painful in auto racing too. At least she was hot at one point. Now? Not so much
They're for real, Toronto tried to hang on for dear life but couldn't. Taveras and Matthews were non-factors the whole series, especially Matthews who looked terrible tonight.