Eddie Olczyk Part Deux

So we're waiting for some news to break about tonight's game.  But it's way out in Sully Country and doesn't start until 9 PM (8 PM if you're behind enemy lines like Jordan and myself) so news should be a little behind our normal schedule.

So why not fill up a little of everyone's time by getting back to that pet project I was working on about Eddie Olczyk and the job he does during Blackhawks games when they're nationally televised on the VERSUS NBC Sports Network.  A little over a week ago, we found out what rival Pittsburgh blog, The Pens Blog had to say about the man they call "Eddie Olsucks".

Next on the docket is Nathan from Hockey Wilderness, a Minnesota Wild blog on the SBN Network.  Now, some of you might remember that blog from an incident that occurred a little over two years ago.  But I went to the head of the blog and not our friend Pinky for an answer.

Make the jump for what Nathan had to say.



Here is the verbatim response from Nathan the proclaimed "Chuck Fletcher" of Hockey Wilderness:

Frankly, the Wild fanbase is always leery when the Wild are on Vers...Univers...NBC Sports Network. First off, they screw up the start time, and (for home games) a late-arriving crowd looks even worse. Secondly, we anticipate the "trap" and "boring" and "bad for the game" storyline to be beaten into the ground, even though Jacques Lemaire has been gone for years and the team no longer plays that style. Thirdly (and this has nothing to do with Wild fans loving the home TV crew, trust me) they pair a world class pbp guy in Mike Emrick with a color guy who puts even the most glaring of homers to shame. Now, in a town where Hawk Harrelson is employable and Bill Swerski's Superfans reigned supreme, maybe Edzo is tolerable. But to anyone who prefers their pizza not be taller than the beer accompanying it his pro-Blackhawk bias renders the entire viewing experience unwatchable. To hear over and over that the good guys are victimized by the refs when Steve Montador is called for being draped over someone's back or being told that Dan Carcillo "plays the game the right way" or the audible disappointment when Niklas Backstrom makes an incredibly save on Patrick Kane or even listening to him feign interest when the Sedin twins put on a display of passing only the Harlem Globetrotters could replicate you have to wonder who at NBC made the mistake of having compromising photos of themselves taken and how Eddie Olczyk was able to get his hands on them, because for the life of me, I can't imagine any other reason he has that job.

Some pretty good smack talkin' don't you think?  And he didn't even have to bring up economical woes or tragic stories revolving around Chicago's downtrodden.  It's a Christmas miracle!  Nathan also makes some good points in regards to the tone of voice "Edzo" uses in situations for and against the Blackhawks.  Have you ever heard of Dave Mishkin?  He's the radio play-by-play for the Tampa Bay Lightning and he would drive me absolutely up the f**king wall if I had to listen to him...



He also calls other team goals with the excitement of someone noticing a clipped fingernail in between their keyboard keys.  Why do I bring this up?  Because it is the most extreme version of something Eddie Olczyk does (slightly less flamboyantly) during a NATIONALLY TELIVISED game in which he's supposed to be impartial.

So let me know your guys' thoughts on intonation, more "Edzo" bashing, and the job Nathan did of explaining his point of view.

Let me close by thanking Nathan once again for participating in our little survey...



I do believe I owe you an MGD.