Who covers the Raptors better ... TSN or 590 ?

[guyroch]

I would like to vent ... Sportsnet going googoo gaa gaa over opening night hockey and having the rights is getting sicking to listen too ..

I would like a NBA radio station to listen to all day

[mjt20mik]

I hate Matt Devlin... and sadly he is on both TSN and Sportsnet and is the host of everything Raptor related.

[guyroch]

I hate Matt Devlin... and sadly he is on both TSN and Sportsnet and is the host of everything Raptor related.

Why would you " hate " Matt Devlin ...

[mjt20mik]

Why would you " hate " Matt Devlin ...

He is just a very unenthusiastic, monotone commentator with an average knowledge for the game. I grew up listening to chuck, and while he wasn't the greatest knowledge wise, he did provide a lot of enthusiasm and made the game very enjoyable to watch.

Also, for those that have listened in to Devlin doing national tv broadcasts (on NBA TV during the playoffs), the dude tries so much harder and is better prepared. Which makes it seem like he just doesn't give a shit about the Canadian audience.

[MACK11]

I hate Matt Devlin... and sadly he is on both TSN and Sportsnet and is the host of everything Raptor related.

What?
Matty D is solid

Leo&Rob need to go

[white men can't jump]

He is just a very unenthusiastic, monotone commentator with an average knowledge for the game. I grew up listening to chuck, and while he wasn't the greatest knowledge wise, he did provide a lot of enthusiasm and made the game very enjoyable to watch.

Also, for those that have listened in to Devlin doing national tv broadcasts (on NBA TV during the playoffs), the dude tries so much harder and is better prepared. Which makes it seem like he just doesn't give a shit about the Canadian audience.

You have to consider some things though...

Devlin does 82 Raptors games a year. I'm sure he prepares plenty, but at some point, there's very little left to learn about the team you're covering.

Again, he does 82 Raps games, meaning that he has actually pretty limited time to prepare much of anything a lot of the time between games, so there are frequent times where he won't be too prepared for the opposing team. Still he's way better than a lot of guys around the league....there was some surprising love for Sacto's guys last night even though they frequently misrepresented things about the Raptors, starting early when they said we were coming off a 47-win season.

For the playoffs, he gets the time to prepare for 2 specific teams. And you bet your ass he's more enthused, because it's more fun to call playoff basketball. This is true across all sports in regards to broadcast crews.

He's still generally enthusiastic and excitable for most Raps broadcasts. Thought that came through pretty clearly last season as we were winning lots more games and broadcasts were plenty animated...still though, it's 82 games (plus meaningless preseason crap) so there's no way he's always excited.

Swirsky was not that good. He also had nights where he just didn't bring any energy, and his lack of great knowledge of the game came through. Listening to Swirsky was like listening to someone getting excited about a shopping list or travel map...."Onions, baby!" "Break out the Salami and Cheese!" "That shot comes in all the way from (insert suburb of Toronto here)". He literally offered nothing beyond these stupid catchphrases.

[white men can't jump]

What?
Matty D is solid

Leo&Rob need to go

Rod Black should not be allowed to do any sports. The guy is by far the worst tv sports journalist I've ever seen in my life, with Ron MacLean coming in a close second.

[guyroch]

He is just a very unenthusiastic, monotone commentator with an average knowledge for the game. I grew up listening to chuck, and while he wasn't the greatest knowledge wise, he did provide a lot of enthusiasm and made the game very enjoyable to watch.

Also, for those that have listened in to Devlin doing national tv broadcasts (on NBA TV during the playoffs), the dude tries so much harder and is better prepared. Which makes it seem like he just doesn't give a shit about the Canadian audience.

I am like you that it was hard to follow Chuck ... But you may not like his work but hate is a harsh word ... He is a play by play guy and should be judged on how he calls a game but it's his side kick that should be judged on how prepared he is cause that guy has to be the opinion person of the broadcast ...

He does love this city which I respect .. Did you know he got his break calling baseball and did that for the first part of his broadcasting career .

[MACK11]

Rod Black should not be allowed to do any sports. The guy is by far the worst tv sports journalist I've ever seen in my life, with Ron MacLean coming in a close second.

I'm sure every raptors fan has no idea how Rod black is still employed

[Nilanka]

Yeah, I feel Devlin gets some unfair criticism in these parts.

I don't miss Swirsky one bit.

[guyroch]

It seems everytime I turn TSN radio it " The voice of Leaf Nation " ... Who is the voice of Raptor nation ??? The Voice of Leaf nation is either swearing or apathy .. Why not We are the voice of " Raptors "

[Nilanka]

Maybe because Sportsnet airs more games.

[Jclaw]

It is frustrating. Driving this morning with the 8:00 segment starting (590) and it's all opinion about a leafs loss rather than a raptor win. I'm hoping maybe it was different leading off the 7:00 hour or the 9:00 but I didn't hear those. I guess we just have to accept being relegated to #2 at this time of the year and not be frustrated every time we are treated like #2

[Nilanka]

It is frustrating. Driving this morning with the 8:00 segment starting (590) and it's all opinion about a leafs loss rather than a raptor win. I'm hoping maybe it was different leading off the 7:00 hour or the 9:00 but I didn't hear those. I guess we just have to accept being relegated to #2 at this time of the year and not be frustrated every time we are treated like #2

I heard the 7:00 hour, and it was all Leaf talk as well.

[planetmars]

Sports radio is a business.. and the smart thing to do for a business is to cater towards your audience. There are frankly way more Leafs fans then Raptors fans. If that ever changes (and I don't suspect it will anytime soon), then Raptor talk will always come in after the Leafs. I'd say there are more Blue Jay fans then Raptor fans as well.. so baseball talk will get a lot of play as well (the good thing for the Raptors is that the Raptors season begins when the Blue Jays season ends).