I don’t do this very often, but in the wake of the devastation that has all but wiped out Haiti; I just wanted to give the readers a little heads up. You can use your Rogers or Fido cell phone, text “help” to 1291 and you will be able to donate $5 to the Haitian relief efforts. Every little bit helps. And now on to this week’s questions.
Name: Chris
Comment:
Sup Clubber. Who are your top five play-by-play announcers (any sport) of all time?
Answer:
Hi Chris, this answer is bound to inspire a lot of debate, but here you go.
1 – NHL – Bob Cole. The pride of Newfoundland, Bob Cole was named the lead voice of Hockey Night in Canada when I was a teenager and remains one of my all-time favourites. While Cole might have messed up some names now and then, his booming voice and incredible ability to increase his level of excitement during a big goal or big save makes him a legend in Canadian broadcasting. One of my favourite calls from Cole, Red Wings Stanley Cup final back in the late 90’s, “Yzerman!!… dangerous!!… scores!!” Brilliant.
2 – MLB/NBA/NCAA Basketball – Dan Shulman. A humble and unassuming kid from Thornhill, Ontario, Dan Shulman was recently named the top U.S. network play-by-play man for the past decade by Sports Illustrated. Not to shabby for a guy who went to Western. Shulman’s voice, professionalism, attention to detail and ability to go with the flow of the game are without equal. To top it off, the man has no ego. At the rate he’s going, Shulman will be my pick for number one all-time in a few years.
3 – NFL/Tennis – Dick Enberg – Oh my! So simple, and yet so effective. Dick Enberg was so good that he had the honour of calling 10 Super Bowls, he called Wimbledon 26 times, and the man won 13 Emmy Awards. Heck, Enberg even called three CFL games during the 1982 NFL labour stoppage.
4 – NHL – Dan Kelly. An Ottawa native, Kelly was the voice of the St. Louis Blues for years. Kelly also was the man who called the 1987 Summit Series between Canada and the USSR. His “Gretzky to Lemieux” call still sends a chill up my spine. Kelly also called the greatest goal in Stanley Cup history, Bobby Orr’s series winner in 1970.
5 – NCAA football – Keith Jackson – With his deep baritone voice and his subtle southern charm, Jackson was THE voice of NCAA football from the time I was a kid and remains one of my idols to this day. His signature call “Whoa Nelly!” might have sounded cheesy coming from someone else. But coming from Jackson, it was pure gold. Jackson was also the first voice of ABC’s Monday Night football.
Honourable mentions go out to Don Wittman and Danny Gallivan. One of the finest gentlemen I have ever met, Wittman was the voice of the CFL, the NHL and the Brier on the CBC for years. Wittman was also the greatest Track and Field announcer in the history of Olympic television, bar none. Gallivan was the soundtrack of the Montreal Canadiens glory years and much to the chagrin of the powers that be at the CBC, he invented his own language. “Savardian spin-a-rama” and “Cannonading drives” become part of the Canadian vocabulary thanks to the pride of Syndey, Nova Scotia; Mister Danny Gallivan.
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Name: Jonah from KW
Comment:
Hey Jim, what do you think of Steve Ott? Every time I watch him play I feel like I’m watching a beer league game. He yaps, slashes, hits from behind, does knee-on-knee, but when someone calls him on it he won’t back it up.
Sean Avery does the same but at least he’ll drop the gloves to back up what he does.
Answer:
Hi Jonah. I have never met the man so I don’t know what he’s really like. But as far as a hockey player, I am not really sure what to think.
I texted a friend of mine who plays on a team in the Western Conference and posed the question; “Is Steve Ott a punk, or is he just doing his job?”
His answer was blunt and to the point. “He’s a punk, I don’t like him and nor does anyone else. I don’t like how he runs around and isn’t accountable for the way he plays”.
I texted another friend of mine who plays for the Blackhawks and his answer was quite different. “For the most part, Ott has respect for the game and the players in the game, not like some other guys in the league”.
I am inclined to agree with the view that Ott isn’t accountable for his actions. There’s always going to be a need for an agitator in the NHL. However, the “code” says that if you start something, you sure as hell better be ready, willing and able to back it up.
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Name: Dale B.
Comment:
Jim, who is the best national anthem singer in professional sports?
Regards, Dale
Answer:
Hi Dale, that’s the easiest question I have ever been asked. When it comes to anthem singers, there was the legendary Roger Doucet at the Montreal Forum, and then there was all the rest. Monsieur Doucet was quite simply the most inspiring anthem singer that has ever lived. As great as Doucet was, I must confess that I always had a soft spot for Kate Smith singing God Bless America at the old Philadelphia Spectrum.
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Name: Diamond
Comment:
Why is it when a player injures another player and the league decides what the punishment should be that they haven’t realized that the suspension should be as long as the injured player is unable to play? Since the time of the Todd Bertuzzi incident it seems that head hunters don’t have to suffer as much as the injured parties. Isn’t it time to balance out the playing field?
Answer:
Hi Diamond, thanks for the question. I wish I had Colin Campbell on my speed dial. Doling out punishment in the NHL is as mysterious as Stonehenge or why my wife doesn’t find Will Farrell funny. Campbell has stubbornly refused to hand out a suspension as long as the victim was injured. You are 100 per cent right, when it comes to head shots, the victim always suffers more than the guilty party. Back on October the 24th, the Panthers David Booth suffered a serious concussion after taking a head shot from the Flyers Mike Richards. Booth finally was able to return to practice on January the 12th. Richards was never suspended. This is a debate that has been going on for years. I have all the respect in the world for Colin Campbell, but while he’s in charge of discipline at the NHL, nothing is going to change.
Just a heads up, I am off to Miami at the end of the month to cover Super Bowl 44, so next week’s version of Ask Jim Lang will be the last one for a while. If you really need me to answer a particular question, get it in quick.