The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

[aallenpollreisz]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

Though he's a moron, I'm pro-Melrose. I do not have a valid explanation as to why, however.

[Greyeagle]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

But Norton, unlike Melrose, loves college hockey. And Norton, unlike Melrose, is a nice guy.

Norton strikes me as a guy who genuinely loves college hockey. Melrose strikes me as someone who genuinely loves himself.

[unhpuckfan2001]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

In case anyone didn't know, one of the 3 weekends that Barry spent watching college hockey was when he broadcast the Cornell/UNH game. Cornell thoroughly dominated that game, including what Cornell fans are referring to as The Shift, when Cornell held the puck in UNH's zone for about 2:33 (at 5x5!) before scoring a back-breaking goal in the 3rd period to go up 4-2 en route to a 5-2 win. If that were the only college hockey game you watched all year, I could see why you'd be overly enamored with Cornell.

See for yourself: The Shift.

The fact that you guys actually refer to that as, "The Shift" shows how absurd that series of event was. Classic example of UNH playing ZERO body hockey, not fighting for loose pucks in the corner, and we ALL saw how that turned out . . .

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

Melrose hates college hockey. That's why he's broadcasting it for ESPN.

[theprofromdover]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

Though he's a moron, I'm pro-Melrose. I do not have a valid explanation as to why, however.

Drugs?

[ganzhimself]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

I'm thinking BM is going to be swallowing his words on Scrivens and Cornell when DU lights them up for 4+ goals and Cheverie stonewalls them in the East Regional Final...

[Slasher7]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

ESPN, as whole, is a joke. Even their NFL guys have no idea what they are talking about half the time.

[walrus]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

But Norton, unlike Melrose, loves college hockey. And Norton, unlike Melrose, is a nice guy.

Nortons bias against Maine is so freakin' obvious its pathetic. He does like college hockey, if you say he's a nice guy I believe you. He can go play in the road just the same

[HockeyMan2000]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

It took me a while but I love Norton now. He's a big, wacky, crazy New Englander with heavy biases (not just Maine but UNH too) but at his heart he truly loves the game and he's a nice guy. As a broadcaster he's not perfect, he tells too many anecdotes (though at least he usually knows what he's talking about), but I will take a genuine college hockey fan like that over Melrose, who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else and seems to be biding the time until ESPN gets hockey back (if they ever do).

In terms of ESPN's coverage, it was always solid until Tom Mees tragically drowned. He might have been a "pro broadcaster" but he did his homework and really brought an enthusiasm to his play calling...he was infinitely superior to most of the play by play guys they've used over the years since he died, Gary Thorne included. For a guy who used to be hockey's "defining announcer" (and someone with college experience), Thorne has sounded like he's been phoning it in the last few years -- lots of glaring mistakes and too much of the "schmooze" factor with Barry. Get a room guys -- watch the game instead!

Anyway, hopefully we'll hear more gems like when Steve Levy repeatedly called UNH "Rhode Island" in the late '90s

[cF[Authentic]]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

The fact that you guys actually refer to that as, "The Shift" shows how absurd that series of event was. Classic example of UNH playing ZERO body hockey, not fighting for loose pucks in the corner, and we ALL saw how that turned out . . .

i counted three "hits" during that entire shift. i think any team could control the puck for that long if there was never any pressure on them.

[unh1982]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

It took me a while but I love Norton now. He's a big, wacky, crazy New Englander with heavy biases (not just Maine but UNH too) but at his heart he truly loves the game and he's a nice guy. As a broadcaster he's not perfect, he tells too many anecdotes (though at least he usually knows what he's talking about), but I will take a genuine college hockey fan like that over Melrose, who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else and seems to be biding the time until ESPN gets hockey back (if they ever do).

In terms of ESPN's coverage, it was always solid until Tom Mees tragically drowned. He might have been a "pro broadcaster" but he did his homework and really brought an enthusiasm to his play calling...he was infinitely superior to most of the play by play guys they've used over the years since he died, Gary Thorne included. For a guy who used to be hockey's "defining announcer" (and someone with college experience), Thorne has sounded like he's been phoning it in the last few years -- lots of glaring mistakes and too much of the "schmooze" factor with Barry. Get a room guys -- watch the game instead!

Anyway, hopefully we'll hear more gems like when Steve Levy repeatedly called UNH "Rhode Island" in the late '90s

Norton also knows all of the kids comming up through the ranks and usually, always mentions the prep school as well giving acolades to the coach. The reason he does show a bias towards Hockey east , he went there and his son played there .

[dolan]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

They should just get Wooger and Mazocco. Everyone knows they're the best.

If they would take off the Gopher thongs for once they'd actually be pretty good. They are so pro-Gopher that I have trouble listening to them. Even when the Gophers aren't playing (Final Five weekend ahem) they were still anti-Sioux. But I guess i'd take that over BM who doesn't have a clue what he's talking about.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

If they would take off the Gopher thongs for once they'd actually be pretty good. They are so pro-Gopher that I have trouble listening to them. Even when the Gophers aren't playing (Final Five weekend ahem) they were still anti-Sioux. But I guess i'd take that over BM who doesn't have a clue what he's talking about.

Maybe you should take off your green glasses and stop spreading lies.

[Greyeagle]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

Maybe you should take off your green glasses and stop spreading lies.

{sigh}

[dolan]

Re: The official I love or hate Barry Melrose..

Maybe you should take off your green glasses and stop spreading lies.

I have quite a few buddies who go to UM, they see it too...