Orsillo out at end of the year

[pruneface]

Fire Remy, too, I might watch a NESN game without the mute button. Close your eyes instead, imagine you're watching The View. Or listen to Vin Scully, see how baseball coverage could be done in a parallel universe where player history, facts, stats, and other facets of baseball are covered without missing a single play . No s***, folks, it really is possible. The man is a master and adds layers of depth to the broadcast. For many, baseball is a soap opera, hence the appeal of Remy or Orsillo talking about what they ate last night or what they bought shopping. Broadcasters become first ladies, prima donnas in the solipsistic world of 24/7 social applications. Couple of fat hens gossiping. Makes you feel like they're your lovable, good for nothing, lazy (but nice, so NICE!) neighbors/friends/relatives sitting on the couch drinking your beer; that's the appeal, I guess. Or just plain familiarity. What a ringing endorsement! Clowns. They should dress like one during the broadcast as they skip over whole outs or even whole innings. But they never forget to plug the sponsors. Good company men. Orsillo stood for the average fat slob living the consumer lifestyle hitting the jack pot. Sitting on his ass and getting paid for it. Now the dream is over.

 

Robot umps? NESN should be the first network to experiment with robot broadcasters. It'd be an improvement. I sometimes wonder if Remy isn't a drunk robot with his commentary. He does color? He does instant replay. Even blind people are complaining he's too obvious.

 

In Canada, a famed broadcaster was fired and subsequently returned to his position after mass public protest. It can be done if enough fans really think Orsillo is important. I'd suggest putting effort into cloning Scully before he dies as a more worthwhile pursuit. Just like his predecessors, you'll get used to Orsillo being gone, forget his name and gradually accept the next guy. No explanation needed. The elites hold the masses in disdain and maybe they got a point. Rapid reaction = little to no thought. All this assumes the normal workings of society, which should not be taken for granted.

 

Then again, watching this year's FO is like waiting impatiently for the lab rat to notice the blinking red button that administers food. They'll learn what is obvious but it takes so much damn time. Red Sox suck.

Edited August 27, 2015 by pruneface

[Youk Of The Nation]

One hundred years by The Cure. Pornography album. 1982. Alternative Pop/Rock.

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you meant to post this in a different thread.

[a700hitter]

If they fire Remy as well, I might watch a NESN game without the mute button. Or close your eyes instead, imagine you're watching The View. Sometimes I listen to Vin Scully, see how baseball coverage could be done in a parallel universe where player history, facts, stats, and other facets of baseball are covered without missing a single play . No s***, folks, it really is possible. The man is a master and adds layers of depth to the broadcast. For many, baseball is a soap opera, hence the appeal of Remy or Orsillo talking about what they ate last night or what they bought shopping. Couple of fat hens gossiping. Makes you feel like they're your friend sitting on the couch; that's the appeal, I guess. Or just plain familiarity. What a ringing endorsement! Clowns. They should dress like one during the broadcast as they skip over whole outs or even whole innings.

 

In Canada, a famed broadcaster was fired and subsequently returned to his position after mass public protest. It can be done if enough fans really think Orsillo is important. I'd suggest putting effort into cloning Scully before he dies as a more worthwhile pursuit. Just like his predecessors, you'll get used to Orsillo being gone, forget his name and gradually accept the next guy. No explanation needed. The elites hold the masses in disdain and maybe they got a point. Rapid reaction = little to no thought. All this assumes the normal workings of society.

 

Then again, watching this year's FO is like waiting impatiently for the lab rat to notice the blinking red button that administers food. They'll learn what is obvious but it takes so much damn time. Red Sox suck.

 

Great post. I think Orsillo and Remy clown when the game is boring beyond years. When it merits our attention, they are on top of the game in a professional manner. It is unfair to compare any announcer to Vin Scully. He is incomparable. No one has his depth of experience and relatable stories. He is a baseball treasure.

[pruneface]

Great post. I think Orsillo and Remy clown when the game is boring beyond years. When it merits our attention, they are on top of the game in a professional manner. It is unfair to compare any announcer to Vin Scully. He is incomparable. No one has his depth of experience and relatable stories. He is a baseball treasure.

That's the problem. Scully isn't the gold standard, but the exception. He got where he was by honing his craft. Guys like Remy and Orsillo s*** on it. Got a declining culture, get s***** broadcasters. The Jays crew does a good job. They're sober, (no pun intended, Remy). That's extended to the guys in the truck who put up timely graphics could of come straight out of fangraphs. With NESN, it's a drunken orgy with moments of corporate sponsorship lucidity. Gotta keep the priorities. These guys inspired Twitter. The all about me culture. Often, the NESN broadcasters come before the game. Scully never puts himself first. Hardly ever talks about himself. Talks baseball. Baseball's rich history - surely there's a wealth of material to fill up the time, especially with an historic team like the Sox. But you gotta have someone with an IQ. Not just some sated hedonists.

 

Problem with NESN, they don't go far enough with their brand of vapid entertainment.

How about a spanish announcer table alongside the regular team? Cut the boring interviews short they have with the guests up in the booth each game by powerbombing them through the table.

Get a guy that can juggle, maybe make cute animals out of balloons.

Encourage Remy by installing a fully stocked bar in the booth. Make his commentary more interesting, if not more relevant.

Get a guy who can do tricks with his toupee.

Have them wear face masks, dress up as women, use funny sound effects when there's a gaff on the field.

Install a laugh track.

Douse each other with flammable liquid and play with a lighter.

Put a couch up there.

Erect a strip club dancer pole and see what happens.

Have a live feed on the booth in a little corner of the screen the whole game long and do stunts inspired by the movie jackass.

Film the athletes getting surgery and air clips during the game with surgeon's commentary.

 

Get inspired NESN. Be innovative.

Edited August 27, 2015 by pruneface

[sk7326]

Scully is the best - and he and Dodgers have worked to make sure it's the case. (see his low and basically travel free workload)

 

Orsillo and Remy's silliness basically moved with the game and the part of the season. Not every regular season game is a soap opera, and some of them are downright boring ... and the Red Sox guys get more dialed in when the games dictate it. But yes, Remy has worked a lot less at it as the RemDawg has exploded. He was sharper in the early 2000s when McDonough and Orsillo/Kurtz were sharing joint custody.

[Bellhorn04]

This is more about 'if the guy does a pretty good job and is very popular, why is he getting canned?'

[SoxnCycles]

That's the problem. Scully isn't the gold standard, but the exception. He got where he was by honing his craft. Guys like Remy and Orsillo s*** on it. Got a declining culture, get s***** broadcasters. The Jays crew does a good job. They're sober, (no pun intended, Remy). That's extended to the guys in the truck who put up timely graphics could of come straight out of fangraphs. With NESN, it's a drunken orgy with moments of corporate sponsorship lucidity. Gotta keep the priorities. These guys inspired Twitter. The all about me culture. Often, the NESN broadcasters come before the game. Scully never puts himself first. Hardly ever talks about himself. Talks baseball. Baseball's rich history - surely there's a wealth of material to fill up the time, especially with an historic team like the Sox. But you gotta have someone with an IQ. Not just some sated hedonists.

 

Problem with NESN, they don't go far enough with their brand of vapid entertainment.

How about a spanish announcer table alongside the regular team? Cut the boring interviews short they have with the guests up in the booth each game by powerbombing them through the table.

Get a guy that can juggle, maybe make cute animals out of balloons.

Encourage Remy by installing a fully stocked bar in the booth. Make his commentary more interesting, if not more relevant.

Get a guy who can do tricks with his toupee.

Have them wear face masks, dress up as women, use funny sound effects when there's a gaff on the field.

Install a laugh track.

Douse each other with flammable liquid and play with a lighter.

Put a couch up there.

Erect a strip club dancer pole and see what happens.

Have a live feed on the booth in a little corner of the screen the whole game long and do stunts inspired by the movie jackass.

Film the athletes getting surgery and air clips during the game with surgeon's commentary.

 

Get inspired NESN. Be innovative.

 

Yes, baseball should be much more serious!

 

It's a damned shame most people enjoy being entertained.

[jimbob728]

Number of times I have turned off the TV at some point during a game due to the performance of:

 

Hanley Ramirez = 14

Craig Breslow = 10

Matt Barnes = 10

Pablo Sandoval = 9

Rick Porcello = 8

Don Orsillo = 0

 

Okay, this is not true. I stick with the games through the bitter end, even when anyone in the bullpen is warming up ( not including Koji ) and you don't have to be Nostradamus to predict the future. I simply am trying to present my analysis of why NESN rating decline.

 

I live in Florida and the NESN feed is blocked when the Sox play Tampa or the Marlins. The two non-stop, inane, talking douche bags that do the Rays games are the worst, just like Pepper Brooks and Cotton McKnight on "Dodgeball" only not funny or informative. I grew up in Pittsburgh and they fired the "Gunner" Bob Prince, a Pittsburgh icon and the voice of the Pirates for 28 years after he told some drunken sponsors to shut the f*** up and get out of the booth. That is where the real pull is. The sponsors, not us, not the fans. When Giant Glass, Bob's Discount Furniture Store, Sullivan Tire, Jordan's. Hood, et.al., tell them they f***ed up with the Orsillo deal, that is when they (NESN) might listen.

[Elktonnick]

Don and Jerry are terrible except when you are forced to listen to every other broadcaster. Don and Jerry are better than every other broadcast IMHO

[Kimmi]

Yes, baseball should be much more serious!

 

It's a damned shame most people enjoy being entertained.

 

I watch baseball to be entertained. There are different ways that the "entertainment" value can be attained. Of course, having a good game to watch is the most obvious. Scully's approach is another - he is in a league of his own.

 

However, Don and Jerry are equally entertaining, in a different way. They absolutely crack me up - I love it. I know enough about the game that I don't need every detail pointed out to me while I'm watching. Especially in blow outs. When the situation calls for, they are all business.

 

As others have said, if you live outside the NESN viewing area, you get the "privilege" of watching other teams' announcers. Some people have no idea how bad it gets. Aside from Scully, Don and Jerry are the best.

[Kimmi]

the feud got so bad Remy started to cry when talking about Don last night

 

I was going to point this out. You would expect the typical professional response from Jerry when asked about Don, but you can't deny the genuine emotion he showed when talking about it.

[a700hitter]

Remy is very funny and entertaining, but he is also an excellent analyst. He doesn't overdo it by analyzing the minutiae. He gives you the inside baseball analysis on the stuff that helps you understand the game better. I think he is one of the best. I have had the Extra Innings baseball package since it started and I watch a lot of games other than the Red Sox games. I think Remy is one of the best at what he does. Orsillo is underrated as a play by play man. He does a great job in the post season for TBS.

[Dojji]

Yep. Good voice, good attention to detail, not above cracking a joke but usually keeps it professional, and plays a great straight man for Remy. We're gonna miss him.

[Kimmi]

Remy is very funny and entertaining, but he is also an excellent analyst. He doesn't overdo it by analyzing the minutiae. He gives you the inside baseball analysis on the stuff that helps you understand the game better. I think he is one of the best. I have had the Extra Innings baseball package since it started and I watch a lot of games other than the Red Sox games. I think Remy is one of the best at what he does. Orsillo is underrated as a play by play man. He does a great job in the post season for TBS.

 

What do you know? I give you a +1 on that post.

[sk7326]

From what I get on Extra Innings when I've had it - you basically have announcers who are either too "Serious", which is a bit much for a hometown broadcast, and homers who are annoying and do not offer any real analysis. Living here in DC, FP Santangelo is an annoying homer, and on Orioles broadcasts Gary Thorne has evolved into one.

 

Don and Jerry strike the right balance - where they clearly want the Sox to win, but are not going to sugarcoat things, nor credit the opponent when appropriate. Some games the analysis is heavier than others - but some games inspire that more. Don will not be out of work long. Sean and Jerry, Ned, Ken Coleman, Dick Stockton and beyond much can be said similar. Red Sox have largely been blessed in this area.

[a700hitter]

Go here to sign a petition to keep Don Orsillo in the broadcast booth.

 

https://www.change.org/p/john-henry-nesn-petition-to-keep-don-orsillo-at-nesn?recruiter=367527952&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink#petition-letter

[Spudboy]

Go here to sign a petition to keep Don Orsillo in the broadcast booth.

 

https://www.change.org/p/john-henry-nesn-petition-to-keep-don-orsillo-at-nesn?recruiter=367527952&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink#petition-letter

 

Done.

[a700hitter]

Done.

They ruined our fun with lousy teams. There is no need to change the one aspect of Red Sox baseball that we all like. This is typical of decisions made by a dysfunctional organization.

[Elktonnick]

I watch baseball to be entertained. There are different ways that the "entertainment" value can be attained. Of course, having a good game to watch is the most obvious. Scully's approach is another - he is in a league of his own.

 

However, Don and Jerry are equally entertaining, in a different way. They absolutely crack me up - I love it. I know enough about the game that I don't need every detail pointed out to me while I'm watching. Especially in blow outs. When the situation calls for, they are all business.

 

As others have said, if you live outside the NESN viewing area, you get the "privilege" of watching other teams' announcers. Some people have no idea how bad it gets. Aside from Scully, Don and Jerry are the best.

 

On this we agree 100%

[Youk Of The Nation]

Yes, baseball should be much more serious!

 

It's a damned shame most people enjoy being entertained.

 

The baseball is entertaining to me, I don't need irrelevant chatter from the announcers. I am entertained by Castiglione and O'Brien, who mostly talk stats and records.

[SoxnCycles]

The baseball is entertaining to me, I don't need irrelevant chatter from the announcers. I am entertained by Castiglione and O'Brien, who mostly talk stats and records.

 

I don't mind irrelevant chatter, if it's funny.

 

I hang out here, don't I?

 

I don't think I've ever seen Don and Jerry step on an important play on the field.

Their discussions this season about whether replay is showing a player out or safe are hysterical, IMO.

[SoxHop]

Remy and Ors had a chemistry together you rarely find or see in life. Inside a booth or outside. Only a total jackass would ruin something like that.

 

I hope this gets reversed.

 

I'm not happy about how this Sox team has performed this year. I'm livid that they would think to replace Ors. And I really like Obrien.

 

Any of you catch them talking about the guest that had so much chest hair they couldn't see each other?

[sk7326]

I'm 37 - so on the TV side I've lived through a number of combinations ... rankings (since 1985 since that is where I can remember really climbing aboard - and all of them were better than anything involving Hawk Harrelson, Chip Caray, Michael Kay or any number of others - we have been lucky)

 

1. McDonough and Remy - Best combination of entertainment and insight. Sean the best of the PbP guys, used his own opinions to engage Remy - especially with poor home plate umps, and umpshows in general (when the ump is showing up players). Appropriate homerism level too - want the Sox to win but not at all blind nor afraid to call out problems. Plenty of humor including the RemDawg stuff - but also got a PbP guy incredulously asking "where did that miss?" when I was wondering the same thing.

 

2. Orsillo and Remy - Orsillo more genial, but dynamic with Jerry got lesser quality analysis from the Dawg. But the broadcasts have not stopped being entertaining and are still great with tone.

 

3. Martin and Monty - first one I can remember - Ned's voice was the best of them. Monty was not in prime RemDawg's class, but I think Ned was very much on the Back 9 when he hooked up with Remy

 

4. Kurtz and Remy - I liked Bob Kurtz, but I don't really remember much. They were fine.

 

5. McDonough and Monty - Sean was able to turn out good professional PbP - but the touches which made the Remy combination so good weren't there yet.

 

6. Martin and Remy - Ned did not have his fastball anymore. Jerry was still learning. Not a good combo.

[VA Sox Fan]

Go here to sign a petition to keep Don Orsillo in the broadcast booth.

 

https://www.change.org/p/john-henry-nesn-petition-to-keep-don-orsillo-at-nesn?recruiter=367527952&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink#petition-letter

 

Signed it

[Thunder]

Go here to sign a petition to keep Don Orsillo in the broadcast booth.

 

https://www.change.org/p/john-henry-nesn-petition-to-keep-don-orsillo-at-nesn?recruiter=367527952&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink#petition-letter

 

Good call. Signed and sealed.

[mvp 78]

I signed it but changed the spelling of my street to see where that s*** gets sold.

[Bellhorn04]

I'm 37 - so on the TV side I've lived through a number of combinations ... rankings (since 1985 since that is where I can remember really climbing aboard - and all of them were better than anything involving Hawk Harrelson, Chip Caray, Michael Kay or any number of others - we have been lucky)

 

You were especially lucky to miss Hawk when he covered the Red Sox in the late Seventies, before defecting to the White ones.

[pruneface]

Yes, baseball should be much more serious!

 

It's a damned shame most people enjoy being entertained.

 

What's entertaining is subjective. People treat it is a license. If so, then anything goes. Got at least three options. Go highbrow - inform people during the broadcast. Scully does his homework, provides details you'd find in a scouting report, even for the opposition. 'Bout the only prep Remy and Orsillo do is raising a glass or lifting a fork. Scully only does home games and road games in CA. He's pushing 90. Otherwise, the guy'd be pushing up daisies.

 

Go conventional - what NESN is doing. Uninspired and the easiest option.

Go lowbrow - appeal to the base.

 

A compromise, I suggest,

 

Substitute a pair of muppets for the other. Fans wouldn't miss a beat.

Edited August 28, 2015 by pruneface

[pruneface]

This is more about 'if the guy does a pretty good job and is very popular, why is he getting canned?'

They're popular. 1/2 ain't bad. Don't think they're good enough. NESN isn't playing to their strengths. Unstated goal is to distract fans from the game, get attention on themselves and plug products. No problem.

 

Give 'em both toy bazookas to shower the crowd with free gifts - bobbleheads, balled up t-shirts, dunkin' donuts, used game worn underwear, you name it.

 

Orsillo likes food more than baseball? Okay, have him host an in-game cooking show. Invite famous chefs to instruct as Orsillo learns the finer points of culinary arts. Put up a split screen. Then have him test the food. The more exotic, the better. Sauteed cow testicles with a jujube glaze. Pablo could join the fun in between innings and lose weight running up and down to get back into position. Will he make it in time? The suspense would be intolerable.

 

Remy got an affinity for alcohol? Have him chug a beer during the 7th inning stretch. Fans can join in. Increase beer sales. Sponsors would love it. Then, throw the empty bottle out of the booth. The lucky fan gets bonked on the head receives a free Remdawg T-shirt. Plugging two products in one go. Could even plug the hospital they send the fan to.

 

During the game, fans put up cards - instead of a K, a bottle of beer, for each one Remy downs. Increase betting and interest by gambling on which inning Remy passes out. As he gets drunker, watch Remy loosen up, tell us how he really feels about the umps, the errors. That would be worth the price of admission alone. Must see TV. Now that's entertainment.

Edited August 28, 2015 by pruneface

[pruneface]

I watch baseball to be entertained. There are different ways that the "entertainment" value can be attained. Of course, having a good game to watch is the most obvious. Scully's approach is another - he is in a league of his own.

 

However, Don and Jerry are equally entertaining, in a different way. They absolutely crack me up - I love it. I know enough about the game that I don't need every detail pointed out to me while I'm watching. Especially in blow outs. When the situation calls for, they are all business.

 

As others have said, if you live outside the NESN viewing area, you get the "privilege" of watching other teams' announcers. Some people have no idea how bad it gets. Aside from Scully, Don and Jerry are the best.

That's awesome. Visiting other mlb fan websites, here's what they had to say 'bout their announcers:

 

"As others have said, if you live outside the [insert team here] viewing area, you get the "privilege" of watching other teams' announcers. Some people have no idea how bad it gets. Aside from Scully, [insert names here] are the best."

Edited August 28, 2015 by pruneface