Dan Wallace: Who Are These Guys Now?

Dan Wallace: Who Are These Guys Now?
- Dan Wallace

A team that shows up some nights and not others...

Boy oh boy, I've always liked Wes Walz, but when he's the color guy for Wild game broadcasts with Lapanta, the guy never shuts up!

Hahahahahaha!!!! Gump, you hit the nail on the head there. But would you prefer Greenlay back? I tend to think that Walz is probably the most informative about things that are going on in the game. Ryan Carter tends to do a little too much in the way of comedy one-liners. Walz has a lot to offer as a color analyst, but yes, he needs to let LaPanta call the game as well.

Just a quick example on Walz, Greenway had the puck in a great scoring chance position, but continued to skate and looked to make a pass. While LaPanta was calling the game, Walz said "shoot" in what he later said was under his breath...but it was clear as day. It's something that I hope the Wild coaches play for Greenway, would be an EXCELLENT teaching point on why he needs to shoot more often. I know that it's easier to see stuff from up in pressbox, but I think great players have taught themselves to almost see the game that way.

Babcock to Minnesota?

Maybe a bit TOO informative... i mean don't get me wrong, he knows the game for sure and i'm certain he see's the ice in a much more advanced manner than even the most avid fans and/or broadcasters... I just wish he would make his color statements short and to the point, not observations where he needs a 3 minute dissertation to get to his point!

As far as the Wild play goes, the passing and puck moving game has gotten better, but my heavens these guys can screw up even the simplest of passing plays, whether it's a bad or errant pass or just a horribly received pass, muffed or missed these guys seem to do it time after time... So many offensive and even break out plays where if passes are completed, Wild would have more frequent and higher percentage chances to score a few more goals... and i'm not even talking about disrupted passes or passing lanes clogged, i'm talking about simple tape to tape passes that for whatever the reason don't connect.

For a speed challenged team like the Wild, gotta take better care of the puck.

The Wild's current broadcast teams (including radio) leave a lot to be desired. Neither Anthony LaPanta nor Bob Kurtz is reincarnation of Keith Jackson for Hockey by any means. Mike Greenlay, Wes Walz, and Ryan Carter all have behaviors that distract or weaken their broadcast teams when they are the color analysts. Tom Reed also fits into that mold on the Radio, however there are times I am not sure who is the problem child on the Radio.
When Tom Kelly is doing Color on Twins baseball I make a very concerted effort to watch, because he does a great job of educating us as fans on why things will happen rather than what just happened. Tom Kelly would not be a great full time Color Analyst though, his stick would get monotonous quickly.

As for the Wild, I would quote the grounds keepers from that classic 1989 film, "Major League" but this is a PG-13 web-page.

I pay attention to Twins games when Kelly is doing color just because I am waiting to hear him swear on the air. It's a known fact that Tom Kelly's normal, every day language is generally pretty colorful.