Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

Wittman was one of the all-time greats, although possibly underappreciated. He was never the "marquee" guy in any sport (Cole and Irvin would get the national hockey stuff, he'd get the regionals only, and he'd be bumped by Cahill or Armitage in the CFL often) but there was NO ONE would was as versatile and so rock solid in everything he did. Edmonds has shown clearly that being good in one genre does not make you good in a different sport, and Wittman could entertain equally in a 2 OT hockey game, 3 hour football game, a 10 second track and field sprint or the hour of filler leading up to it (him and McGowan were absolute brilliance), or the leisurely pace of curling. Name me another broadcaster today that can diversify as effortlessly as that (Cuthbert is the only one who comes to mind as a full-time multi-sport broadcaster).

And just wondering if Walby and Dunigan were not ex-Bombers, would they be as highly regarded? Matt is getting better, but he was pretty rough at the start (his "commentary" was usually just hooting and hollering after a play with no real insight into the play itself). And Walby was flat out horrendous in my view, not very bright either - and it showed.

And Doug Brown needs to stop breaking out the mangled Thesaurus every time he opens his mouth to do colour. We get it Doug, you're smarter than all of us, just ask you.

Posted

One of my favorite Don Wittman calls of all time. Ellett lets it go - SCORES! Don wasn't a homer by any stretch, but you could sure tell how pumped he was when Ellett popped this OT goal against the Oilers....brings a tear to the eye.

Posted

And Walby was flat out horrendous in my view, not very bright either - and it showed.

Something tells me that you would have a completely different opinion if you were asked to comment in the presence of said Mr. Walby...

I see a video, three guys sitting on the deck at Jefferies during a spectacular summer day, when suddenly the sun disappears and a huge shadow overtakes the outdoor area. Is it a storm cloud? An eclipse? Look up. Look way up! Mr. Wally hears you bitching and wants to add his two cents? Lmao

Posted

 

 

 

Bob Cole is the best play by play announcer for hockey, but Cuthbert is CFL footballs best. However, Dunigan is great for a laugh and says it like he sees it. Love him and Gord Miller.

20 years ago maybe but Cole is an old man now and can't keep up with the play, he spends most of the games now hoping that he is sitting in the pie.
 

Yeah Cole is so past his prime, it's not even funny. He's got to retire. Sadly, whichever yahoo who replaces him won't be any better. It's just disgusting.

I can't stand listening to Randorf call a game. It's like what I imagine the sound of paint drying sounds like.

 

 

I liked Randorf when he was on the CFL panel, but that's because analyzing seems to be more his style. Play by play doesn't seem like his thing. You have to be somewhat energetic to do it, and he's not. Now Gord Miller and Chris Cuthbert, that's a different story. They make their game's exciting with their energy.

 

Rod Black is energetic, but in a "I'm high on skittles" way.

Posted

Walby described football as a CBC analyst the way any good former offensive lineman would. With a chicken wing in his left hand & a bottle of beer in his right. He was having fun.

To this day, Walby and Wittman are my favourite CFL broadcast crew of all time...

Posted

Walby described football as a CBC analyst the way any good former offensive lineman would. With a chicken wing in his left hand & a bottle of beer in his right. He was having fun.

To this day, Walby and Wittman are my favourite CFL broadcast crew of all time...

Walby described football as a CBC analyst the way any good former offensive lineman would. With a chicken wing in his left hand & a bottle of beer in his right. He was having fun.

To this day, Walby and Wittman are my favourite CFL broadcast crew of all time...

I always liked Don because he'd find a way to mention the Blue Bombers on every CFL broadcast he did. I job shadowed Don for a day on the old 24 Hours set when I was in grade 9 which was so cool. I met all of the on air celebrities that day as he got ready for his sportscast. He treated me so well. I also met Alvin Karpis that day in the studio. John Harvard interviewed him as I recall. I was introduced & we spoke for a few minutes. Asked me my name, how old I was, what grade I was in & why I was there. Seemed like a really nice old man. Then I found out who he was.... I Just remember telling my dad that night I had met Alvin Karpis & he just looked at me with an astonished look & said, "You met Alvin Karpis??"

Posted

I was extremely fortunate to do a one-week internship thing with TSN at the end of broadcast school, in 2002, when the Scotties were in Brandon. Did a variety of things, but was a gopher sometimes for the on-air crew. Hung out next to the booth while the broadcasts were on. In those days, TSN broadcast the week, and CBC picked up the weekend. It was Wittman, dumbass Mike Harris and Joan McKusker working the CBC 'casts, and they'd show up in the VIP/Broadcasters area on the Thursday during the day. It's a long story, but Wittman was a big time practical joker and because I was there in the vicinity, he had me aid and abet a rather elaborate joke on McKusker that actually worked out slamming Harris more than anything. It was glorious and proved to me just how much of a treat Don Wittman is.....a genuinely wonderful man.

Posted

Why does Marty Biron have such an outrageous French accent on TSN? He's lived in Canada his whole life!

Because he's been taking elocution lessons from Pepe LePew.
Posted

I was extremely fortunate to do a one-week internship thing with TSN at the end of broadcast school, in 2002, when the Scotties were in Brandon. Did a variety of things, but was a gopher sometimes for the on-air crew. Hung out next to the booth while the broadcasts were on. In those days, TSN broadcast the week, and CBC picked up the weekend. It was Wittman, dumbass Mike Harris and Joan McKusker working the CBC 'casts, and they'd show up in the VIP/Broadcasters area on the Thursday during the day. It's a long story, but Wittman was a big time practical joker and because I was there in the vicinity, he had me aid and abet a rather elaborate joke on McKusker that actually worked out slamming Harris more than anything. It was glorious and proved to me just how much of a treat Don Wittman is.....a genuinely wonderful man.

Yeah, Don was a nice man. Before I job shadowed him, I called him at work out of the blue to ask if I could job shadow him for a day & he immediately agreed. All the guys on the 24 Hours set were nice. I don't recall seeing a lot of egos on that show the day I was there. I never liked Harris & his monotone delivery & know it all attitude, "I'm smarter than anyone else" on air persona. He had one really good curling season 20 years ago & unfortunately he parlayed that into a curling broadcast career.
Posted

 

I was extremely fortunate to do a one-week internship thing with TSN at the end of broadcast school, in 2002, when the Scotties were in Brandon. Did a variety of things, but was a gopher sometimes for the on-air crew. Hung out next to the booth while the broadcasts were on. In those days, TSN broadcast the week, and CBC picked up the weekend. It was Wittman, dumbass Mike Harris and Joan McKusker working the CBC 'casts, and they'd show up in the VIP/Broadcasters area on the Thursday during the day. It's a long story, but Wittman was a big time practical joker and because I was there in the vicinity, he had me aid and abet a rather elaborate joke on McKusker that actually worked out slamming Harris more than anything. It was glorious and proved to me just how much of a treat Don Wittman is.....a genuinely wonderful man.

Yeah, Don was a nice man. Before I job shadowed him, I called him at work out of the blue to ask if I could job shadow him for a day & he immediately agreed. All the guys on the 24 Hours set were nice. I don't recall seeing a lot of egos on that show the day I was there. I never liked Harris & his monotone delivery & know it all attitude, "I'm smarter than anyone else" on air persona. He had one really good curling season 20 years ago & unfortunately he parlayed that into a curling broadcast career.

 

Wasn't even a good season. Fluked his way through the Oly Trials (they've since put measures in place to keep things like this from happening...) and picked up a Bronze (!!!) at Olys when  there were basically no other countries worth a damn competing at that time....awful.

Posted

I was extremely fortunate to do a one-week internship thing with TSN at the end of broadcast school, in 2002, when the Scotties were in Brandon. Did a variety of things, but was a gopher sometimes for the on-air crew. Hung out next to the booth while the broadcasts were on. In those days, TSN broadcast the week, and CBC picked up the weekend. It was Wittman, dumbass Mike Harris and Joan McKusker working the CBC 'casts, and they'd show up in the VIP/Broadcasters area on the Thursday during the day. It's a long story, but Wittman was a big time practical joker and because I was there in the vicinity, he had me aid and abet a rather elaborate joke on McKusker that actually worked out slamming Harris more than anything. It was glorious and proved to me just how much of a treat Don Wittman is.....a genuinely wonderful man.

Yeah, Don was a nice man. Before I job shadowed him, I called him at work out of the blue to ask if I could job shadow him for a day & he immediately agreed. All the guys on the 24 Hours set were nice. I don't recall seeing a lot of egos on that show the day I was there. I never liked Harris & his monotone delivery & know it all attitude, "I'm smarter than anyone else" on air persona. He had one really good curling season 20 years ago & unfortunately he parlayed that into a curling broadcast career.
Wasn't even a good season. Fluked his way through the Oly Trials (they've since put measures in place to keep things like this from happening...) and picked up a Bronze (!!!) at Olys when  there were basically no other countries worth a damn competing at that time....awful.
Then, just like Rod Black we were stuck with Harris.
Posted

Wasn't it Don Whitman who was able to interview the terrorists at the Munich Olympics?

What an amazing career he had.

Seemed like a really nice old man. Then I found out who he was.... I Just remember telling my dad that night I had met Alvin Karpis & he just looked at me with an astonished look & said, "You met Alvin Karpis??"

So he didn't look creepy?

Posted

How in the world does Black survive when he is so terrible and seemingly no fans like him?

I still remember attending a job fair in 1989 and Sylvia Kuzyk was just sitting in the CKY booth with no one around her, so a friend and I went over and talked to her, though we were kind of in awe of talking to a celebrity who was on TV! Anyway, she told us that if we went to Red River college and took broadcasting, we had a chance to be broadcasters one day, and follow in the steps of their latest new young broadcasting star who she said had potential to one day be a national broadcaster. That man's name was of course, Rod Black.

Posted

How in the world does Black survive when he is so terrible and seemingly no fans like him?

I still remember attending a job fair in 1989 and Sylvia Kuzyk was just sitting in the CKY booth with no one around her, so a friend and I went over and talked to her, though we were kind of in awe of talking to a celebrity who was on TV! Anyway, she told us that if we went to Red River college and took broadcasting, we had a chance to be broadcasters one day, and follow in the steps of their latest new young broadcasting star who she said had potential to one day be a national broadcaster. That man's name was of course, Rod Black.

Of course during those days there was also Clay Young, who took to the meaning of wearing a wife beater a little too far and is now banished to Thunder Bay, forever. And Peter Young, a confident brash up and comer that is rumoured to have worn shorts while behind the desk. Neither of these were related to Angus Young, who definitely wore shorts while working and Malcolm Young, both have gone onto very lengthy and successful careers. Malcolm, sadly, suffers from dementia, has a one room spot in a personal care facility in his homeland, will never work again, but still has more of a brain than Clay Young.

I'm just waiting for Throw Long to chime in on the Wells family.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...