I was at the game and didn't hear him. JR got a nice round of applause from the arena when they showed him on the jumbotron.
- johndewar

JR was pretty good on the pre game show. He picked Matt Read as his standout star of the night!

Edit: He picked Read before the game started.

I was at the game and didn't hear him. JR got a nice round of applause from the arena when they showed him on the jumbotron.
- johndewar

He started offering unsolicited "analysis" right off the bat... Jonesy could barely get a word in edge-wise and JJ was having a hard time working the PBP around him.

He started offering unsolicited "analysis" right off the bat... Jonesy could barely get a word in edge-wise and JJ was having a hard time working the PBP around him.
- Tomahawk

I am, frankly, stunned that JR would try to make himself the center of attention.

/not really

Well yeah, I feel better.... But to me it feels like I'm walking on thin ice... one step in the wrong direction and your falling through...

I do also like the 3rd line, however I think Giroux would be served much better by having Downie on his wing. He will bring what Hartnell does in the corners, but has a better passing game to feed Giroux and Voracek.
- youarewrong

I wouldn't mess with the lines. I think G is close to breaking out. Unfortunately, he doesn't play well when he's not scoring. He feels the pressure and tries to do too much. He made a number of bad, low percentage passes last night. He needs to relax. Smoke a doob and just chillllllll

I like JJ and frankly, don't understand why folks don't like his calls.

I don't think the Flyers broadcast team is overly homeriffic, but since they are paid by the team, they are going to slant a certain way.
- johndewar

If you go by whistle to whistle calls, Jackson is really good. Stays on top of plays. You dont have to be watching the TV to know what is going on. That is really rare for TV broadcasters these days. I mean listen to some other announcers... it will just be "Crosby to malkin, back to Crosby"... Where as Jackson will say, "Crosby with the cross ice pass to Malkin, back to Crosby in the slot."

I think its the After Whistle Dumbing down to Coatsy that really gets to people. But he has to work with what they give him. He was excellent when Dorny was there. They were a great team.

I am, frankly, stunned that JR would try to make himself the center of attention.

/not really
- johndewar

I don't really mind it because he doesn't hide the fact that he likes to be the center of attention. He's also a pretty friendly guy.

I know. It's like he doesn't want to read it so he starts paraphrasing. It's a short quote, not an entire novel. There is no need to paraphrase. Just read it word for word.
- PhillySportsGuy

Doesn't want to...or Cant?

What is the flyers record since mjl's ban?

Hmmmmm...

Actually Jim Jackson called it a punch to the face in his Jack Edwardian manner however it looked to me like he just pushed off Simmond's chest.

I don't know why I dislike JJ's calls so much. I mean Gene Hart was as big of a homer and I loved him back in the day.

If the game is broadcast on another station and available for viewing in my area, I will generally watch the non CSN version.
- TheRat14

Agreed on the so-called punch. It was more of a push to Simmonds. People tend to overreact with Ott. Still hate the guy, though.

I also agree about preferring to watch the game on another channel when it's available. I like the different perspective on the Flyers ... and it's fun to hear other broadcasters praise or criticize our players.

JJ does a good job, I think ... and Jonesy's not bad. But Steve Coats just adds an amateurish or buffoonish quality to the whole broadcast, and that's something I can live without.

Actually, Rinaldo skated over right after Ott Threw a punch at one of the Flyers players....everything had been settled up until Ott threw the punch, which yes was at the benches.
- Pyzik

it was a mutual push between ott and simmonds between the benches. rinaldo was still pi$$ed about the hit ott threw at him earlier at (or right after) the whistle when leino was getting a penalty for slashing. rosehill evened it up by attacking ott for the hit, and rinaldo came close to putting us down man but was assessed a 10 min misconduct.
ott played our fourth line (and simmonds) like a piano on that sequence

I wouldn't mess with the lines. I think G is close to breaking out. Unfortunately, he doesn't play well when he's not scoring. He feels the pressure and tries to do too much. He made a number of bad, low percentage passes last night. He needs to relax. Smoke a doob and just chillllllll
- PhillySportsGuy

That's probably Richie's text to him verbatim.

(although there's probably mention of a slumpbuster, too)

Well yeah, I feel better.... But to me it feels like I'm walking on thin ice... one step in the wrong direction and your falling through...

I do also like the 3rd line, however I think Giroux would be served much better by having Downie on his wing. He will bring what Hartnell does in the corners, but has a better passing game to feed Giroux and Voracek.
- youarewrong

Yea I am in the same boat...however I do believe the boat is turning around, just don't want the rudder to get stuck and they end up going right back into the direction they started with.

I am being very cautiously optimistic right now...but last night IMO was a good...really good sign that they are starting to believe in the Chief's system, like Bill mentioned...they didn't panic when they went down by one. They just stuck to their game and did the job. If they were down by one about two weeks ago, I would have turned the game off cause it would have been doom and gloom the rest of the game.

Once they hit that .500 mark and start beating some better teams (Boston, TB, Wash, NJ) then I'll start feeling much much better. But again, I think the boat is turning....

I feel a hell of a lot better now than I did a few weeks ago. They have gotten a lot better and still have room to grow. Giroux is very close to breaking out (he keeps hitting ht post) and Voracek has been terrific lately. I, also, think Simmonds has found his game again. I can't speak highly enough about the 3rd line.
- PhillySportsGuy

I think the difference in success of each line right now is exactly what Bill pointed out in his write up of what makes a line work: the grinder. last night during the game we were talking about hartnell and how he's been mostly invisible and how much he's hurting the first line right now. he's had a few games/shifts where he was doing the right things and that's when you noticed the top line dominating. for the most part though he seems to be playing without and edge or passion, not agitating, creating havoc at the net and mucking in corners.

on the flip side simmer has been playing much better winning battles and feeding linemates and getting to the net. downie is playing hard and creating space and chances for other guys as well. as a result the 2nd and esp 3rd line are more noticeable and scoring the majority of goals.

hopefully hartnell can get back in a groove and find the game that makes him and his linemates successful

If you go by whistle to whistle calls, Jackson is really good. Stays on top of plays. You dont have to be watching the TV to know what is going on. That is really rare for TV broadcasters these days. I mean listen to some other announcers... it will just be "Crosby to malkin, back to Crosby"... Where as Jackson will say, "Crosby with the cross ice pass to Malkin, back to Crosby in the slot."

I think its the After Whistle Dumbing down to Coatsy that really gets to people. But he has to work with what they give him. He was excellent when Dorny was there. They were a great team.
- youarewrong

I agree about his whistle to whistle play calling. I just cringe when the homer in him comes out. Just call the penalty then watch the replay before getting all upset. I also hate his "down goes (insert other team's player)" fight call.

What is the flyers record since mjl's ban?

Hmmmmm...
- ggunky

what the heck did the guy say? seems like he's been gone a long, long time.

Doesn't want to...or Cant?
- youarewrong

I didn't want to go there.

What is the flyers record since mjl's ban?

Hmmmmm...
- ggunky

What did he get banned for?

what the heck did the guy say? seems like he's been gone a long, long time.

- FlyerGuy

I know. I've been wondering where he was. He's probably reading everything we write and going through withdraw.

I know. I've been wondering where he was. He's probably reading everything we write and going through withdraw.
- PhillySportsGuy

very surprised he would do or say something to get banned. He would usually make very good points, and had excellent insights into the Flyers ... even if he was extremely argumentative a lot of the times.

who knows ... I was banned a couple of years ago for calling a Bruins fan an idiot, so I guess we all need to learn our lessons.

I know. I've been wondering where he was. He's probably reading everything we write and going through withdraw.
- PhillySportsGuy

You know the minute he gets back, he's going to respond to each and every post that he didn't agree with during his ban, no matter how long ago they were posted.

If you go by whistle to whistle calls, Jackson is really good. Stays on top of plays. You dont have to be watching the TV to know what is going on. That is really rare for TV broadcasters these days. I mean listen to some other announcers... it will just be "Crosby to malkin, back to Crosby"... Where as Jackson will say, "Crosby with the cross ice pass to Malkin, back to Crosby in the slot."

I think its the After Whistle Dumbing down to Coatsy that really gets to people. But he has to work with what they give him. He was excellent when Dorny was there. They were a great team.
- youarewrong

i agree that jj is good with the actual call during play. what relly bugs me is when he has no sense of what the fans are going through. example would be a game where the flyers have 45 shots and the other teams has 18 and we're down 2-1 and he'll say something like "this is an entertaining game" or when we were struggling at the start of the season and he and jonesy or cotsey are yucking it up about something during a stoppage. i don't need him tearing his hair out in the booth but get a sense of what these games mean to the fans and stop acting like you're having a blast when they're losing games they should win

You know the minute he gets back, he's going to respond to each and every post that he didn't agree with during his ban, no matter how long ago they were posted.
- Tomahawk

He'll fill the whole thread with responses from weeks ago

You know the minute he gets back, he's going to respond to each and every post that he didn't agree with during his ban, no matter how long ago they were posted.
- Tomahawk

do you think he has a word doc open and is crafting his replies so he can just copy and paste them on that day?

I don't really mind it because he doesn't hide the fact that he likes to be the center of attention. He's also a pretty friendly guy.
- PhillySportsGuy

Incredibly friendly. When I used to work at the Apple Store in Ardmore, he came in a few times. I told him how much I enjoyed his time here and what a tremendous player he was and he was incredibly humble and thankful.

Can't say the same for John LeClair. Very unfriendly and no matter how subtle we were, he wasn't interested.

Ed Hospodar by the way is easily the friendliest former player I've ever met. Bone-crushing handshake too.

i agree that jj is good with the actual call during play. what relly bugs me is when he has no sense of what the fans are going through. example would be a game where the flyers have 45 shots and the other teams has 18 and we're down 2-1 and he'll say something like "this is an entertaining game" or when we were struggling at the start of the season and he and jonesy or cotsey are yucking it up about something during a stoppage. i don't need him tearing his hair out in the booth but get a sense of what these games mean to the fans and stop acting like you're having a blast when they're losing games they should win
- hogweed

I think you're being a bit irrational. You can't expect the broadcasters to be all doom and gloom if the team is losing. A game can be entertaining even if the Flyers are losing.