While the NHL’s free agency period may not be as covered as the NBA’,s the Dallas Stars are just as active as the Mavericks, pursuing the likes of Vincent Lecavalier and others that can give the likes of Jaime Benn much needed help on the front line. Time will tell which local team gets the fish they want.
But while they’re looking to make additions that wear sweaters and skates, the Stars might want to also consider adding help elsewhere. They may help themselves as much as anywhere with an addition on the broadcast side.
Few in DFW will argue that for years the Stars have had the best broadcast duo in the area in Ralph Strangis and Daryl Reaugh. Brad Sham and Eric Nadel may be loved individually, but the Rangers booth has been a revolving door for years with their second announcer, and most Cowboy fans are still hoping that somehow Dale Hansen will make peace with Jerry and rejoin Sham. But Ralph and Razor.
But they can only do so much. As the team they cover looks to craft a new image, they need help in telling the audience about it. And their own equivalent of Pierre McGuire may be it.
Pierre McGuire, for those who don’t know is the “between the glass” reporter for NBC Sports’ coverage of the NHL. And he definitely is a bit of a lightning rod, as my Twitter feed during the playoffs had quite a few posts asking him to shut up.
But McGuire’s position in the broadcast team remains sound even if quite a few people don’t like how he carries it out. He is hockey’s sideline reporter, out there to talk directly to players, observe the scene from the benches and inform people of the essential “game within the game.” He is their version of Ahmad Rashad or Ken Rosenthal.
While all that can help a new generation of sports fans get to know hockey in the Metroplex, such an addition to the Stars will also help answer the biggest question many may have: “Who are these guys?”
With an influx of young, relatively unknown talent, the Stars no longer have the likes of Mike Modano, Brenden Morrow, Brett Hull, Ed Belfour or Marty Turco to draw in fans. Their biggest task in drawing fans (outside of, you know, winning again) lies in getting them to know the likes of the Benn brothers, Eric Nystrom, Loui Eriksson, Kari Lehitonen and others.
That’s where the third reporter comes in. Such a person could use breaks in game time, and possibly pre-game, to talk about the players as individual people, get the fans to know who they are.
This, of course, would be in addition to getting the viewers in closer to Lindy Ruff and how he operates. A new coach only adds even more uncertainty that fans need cleared up.
If the McGuire comparison is not a good one for you, then think of it as the Stars getting their own version of what Emily Jones does for the Rangers.
Now the only reminding question is who this reporter could be. Well, I know of a young lady with a real good sports knowledge and a great on-air persona – one who was recently let go from 105.3 The Fan…
Filed under: articles, Stars | Tagged: dallas stars, Daryl Reaugh, hockey, ice, jasmine Sadry, nhl, ralph strangis, reporter, sideline | Leave a comment »
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