Big changes at CSNNE and WEEI.com

Lazy vs Crazy

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Keeping Kyle Draper and dumping Abby Chin and A. Sherrod Blakely is some backwards decision making.
 

Jeff Van GULLY

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Unfortunately, that’s usually not how it works. Tomase comes off to me as a big corporate suck up.

Very much like Dave O’Brien, who, make no mistake, got Orsillo shitcanned. He had been angling for the job since he stepped into the EEI role.
 

Patriot_Reign

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As an aside, important to remember that Dale Arnold is still a full time employee at two different media entities.

Life is not fair.
 

MuzzyField

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In my mind she's exactly replacement level as a sideline reporter. Tough break for her, but no loss for fans.
What is replacement level in Boston. She was so much better that her predecessor, she set the local bar above replacement level.

It was fun watching Abby make that useless dunce she replaced irrelevant and he's still beyond bitter.

Who are the above replacement (real world) alternatives?
 

MuzzyField

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they should had fire trenny and kept gary
No.

Trenni paid all her media dues on the road to Boston via Pittsburgh and Milwaukee and is great at doing the job she is being paid to do in Boston. Get a clue about her current gig and then figure it out and then understand it.

Given her actual sports knowledge and work ethic compared to almost all sports media in the Boston market she should have be co-hosting a morning or afternoon drive time radio show.
 
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Murby

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No.

Trenny paid all her media dues on the road to Boston via Pittsburgh and Milwaukee and is great at doing the job she is being paid to do in Boston. Get a clue about her current gig and then figure it out and then understand it.

Given her actual sports knowledge and work ethic compared to almost all sports media in the Boston market she should have be co-hosting a morning or afternoon drive time radio show.
I came to echo this. Trenni paid her dues and she does a tremendous job. If she was given a consistent radio gig in one of the drive times M-F, I too would tune in.
 

Van Everyman

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I’m disappointed they let go of Abby Chin. Sideline reporter is never an easy job but she’s always been informed and asked intelligent questions. Plus my 13 year-old daughter is a big fan.
 

Rusty13

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Disappointed to hear about Abby and Tanguay, who seemed like a good guy despite how utterly insane he could get on the airwaves. I gotta be honest, but I could honestly care less about Hags. I never understood his appeal. And, yes, like everyone else, I remain baffled that Jon F’n Tomase is still employed in Boston sports media — 12 years after his despicable part in “Spygate”.
 

Patriot_Reign

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What is replacement level in Boston. She was so much better that her predecessor, she set the local bar above replacement level.

It was fun watching Abby make that useless dunce she replaced irrelevant and he's still beyond bitter.

Who are the above replacement (real world) alternatives?
Don't be throwing shade at G-Dick
 

Patriot_Reign

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I came to echo this. Trenni paid her dues and she does a tremendous job. If she was given a consistent radio gig in one of the drive times M-F, I too would tune in.
In the past she did fill-in/ guest host roles on both sports stations, lastly being weei. I think she intentionally stepped away from radio, as it was too toxic for her. For whatever reason sports radio is driven by endless "HE SUCKS HE BLOWS" crap much more then their television counterparts.
 

NickEsasky

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I used to be high on Trenni until she decided to become a hot take machine like Curran just to feed the TV show.
 

steveluck7

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In the past she did fill-in/ guest host roles on both sports stations, lastly being weei. I think she intentionally stepped away from radio, as it was too toxic for her. For whatever reason sports radio is driven by endless "HE SUCKS HE BLOWS" crap much more then their television counterparts.
I remember she was in Sochi during those Olympic games and called in regularly to the Sports Hub. She seemed like a good fit for radio with her knowledge and personality. There's no doubt she has the skills and knowledge to host but i can imagine she'd get at least a handful of callers everyday attempting to man-splain things to her and i'm sure that's just something she doesn't want to deal with.
 

Murby

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I remember she was in Sochi during those Olympic games and called in regularly to the Sports Hub. She seemed like a good fit for radio with her knowledge and personality. There's no doubt she has the skills and knowledge to host but i can imagine she'd get at least a handful of callers everyday attempting to man-splain things to her and i'm sure that's just something she doesn't want to deal with.
Yeah. I also remember hearing her on EEI in the mornings and she was good. I don't doubt she wanted to focus on tv where it was fewer yahoo's trying to tell her she didn't know anything and it was better money. She made the right choice for sure. I just know she would kill it on radio if she was given the agency to do whatever she wanted to nip that crap in the butt.
 

henrydog

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While it seems like there is near universal hate for Tomase, I've never really minded him and have honestly kind of liked him, at least his guest spots on EEI. Even with the Spygate bullshit he completely owned up to the fact that despite the multiple sources he had they weren't reliable and ultimately he shouldn't have written the story. On EEI he's the only one who could go back at Kirk and Callahan and get under their skin (they both acknowledged that) and was the one who hilariously got John Dennis to leave the studio when he came back to guest host for a week a few years ago.

I'm not sure why I enjoy listening to him. I think it's because it seems like he honestly doesn't give a shit whether or not you like him, and I'm just enough of a casual listener (when I was listening on my commute AND he was on the air) that that doesn't bother me at all.
 

Patriot_Reign

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Yeah. I also remember hearing her on EEI in the mornings and she was good. I don't doubt she wanted to focus on tv where it was fewer yahoo's trying to tell her she didn't know anything and it was better money. She made the right choice for sure. I just know she would kill it on radio if she was given the agency to do whatever she wanted to nip that crap in the butt.
maybe, but she's had some pretty substantial social media gaffes that she has refused to walk back or address. it's one thing to ignore twitter mentions, another to take callers asking the questions live on radio.

just a couple but demanding the west point cadets be immediately expelled for throwing up the white power ok hand signal during a graduation photo (during a weekly call-in to NPR), when it was later revealed they were playing the circle game. people make mistakes in their rush to judgment, but she never acknowledged the error, which would've been super easy to do in the next week's NPR segment.
when the "me too" movement took off she was onboard immediately , shouting to the rafters. but didn't have an issue with appearing as part of compilation video of nbc sports people wishing mike tirico a big happy birthday during the socci olympics, when it had recently come out he was a creeper. and posting celeb photos with ice cube, who if you've ever listened to any of nwa's hip hop work you'd know they held women down in the absolute lowest regard for what they presumably existed for.
 

Patriot_Reign

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imo the role sideline reporters offer doesn't provide much.

"let's go down to sideline reporter X for a check in! Reporter X - Hi I'm here with Jason Tatum, Jason what do you need to do better? Jason - Well we really need to be crashing the boards more, and following up on our foul shots. Reporter X - OK, back up to you guys!"

No different then the players who have weekly call in sports station spots. Almost all bring nothing, just regurgitated cliches. Have never understood the appeal of paying these guys to come on.
 

PC Drunken Friar

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maybe, but she's had some pretty substantial social media gaffes that she has refused to walk back or address. it's one thing to ignore twitter mentions, another to take callers asking the questions live on radio.

just a couple but demanding the west point cadets be immediately expelled for throwing up the white power ok hand signal during a graduation photo (during a weekly call-in to NPR), when it was later revealed they were playing the circle game. people make mistakes in their rush to judgment, but she never acknowledged the error, which would've been super easy to do in the next week's NPR segment.
when the "me too" movement took off she was onboard immediately , shouting to the rafters. but didn't have an issue with appearing as part of compilation video of nbc sports people wishing mike tirico a big happy birthday during the socci olympics, when it had recently come out he was a creeper. and posting celeb photos with ice cube, who if you've ever listened to any of nwa's hip hop work you'd know they held women down in the absolute lowest regard for what they presumably existed for.
Why is #MeToo in parenthesis? Was it fake?

So in this one post, you think the cadets were innocent. You minimize the #MeToo movement. And vilify her for taking a picture with a very famous actor who...you know...as a rapper and an actor...is an ACTOR. At least you are consistent.

(As an aside, before you defend the cadets...have you ever played the circle game? Isn't part of it that someone tries to "break" that circle with their finger? At no point, from the footage that I saw were there any other person looking, attempting to break the circle or getting punched for looking at the finger.

Also, isn't it a big part of the "me too" movement (if Tirico and Ice T are monsters) that maybe she has to cater to these men in order to do her job? Ever think of that?
 
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Kliq

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Sideline reporting is something that you think you don't need until something happens (like a key player getting injured and taken back to the locker room) in a big game and nobody knows what is happening.
 

IndustrialJustice

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Curious to see what, if any, impact this has on the quality of broadcasts.

View: https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1291085419048706048
In the coronavirus era I don't think there will be sideline reporters allowed, or at the very least it would be different and weird. If you have to cut somewhere I guess you would cut there. NBCSB got whacked from a number of angles. Their money was all in those Celtics games which got wiped out this year. Then you have advertisers having less to spend.

Some of these moves don't make sense though. They did Tanguay really dirty. Same with Abby. I guess they'll elevate DJ Bean to be a poor man's Haggerty. I don't understand how Trenni is still there. She doesn't do any reporting or really contribute more than any of the people they cut. Curran could have gotten the axe since I think they'd be fine with just Perry who I assume costs them less. Plus with TB12 gone, a ton of opt outs, and a strong probability of coronavirus disrupting this season, I don't think the Patriots are going to be as strong as before.

I think a lot of NBCSB's problem is just like in this situation, these decisions are being made from corporate. Other RSNs have basketball, hockey, and baseball, and don't compete with something like NESN and don't have an NFL team in the region that's a juggernaut like the Patriots. So the business decisions made elsewhere might not be the best here. I feel like the cuts that were made feel like they came from corporate. If they cut Abby (no sideline reporting), Trenni (her and Tanguay are interchangeable) DJ Bean, Giles, those make sense. But to cut your main hockey and NBA guys, plus all of the other folks, it seems very imprecise.
 

Patriot_Reign

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Why is #MeToo in parenthesis? Was it fake?

So in this one post, you think the cadets were innocent. You minimize the #MeToo movement. And vilify her for taking a picture with a very famous actor who...you know...as a rapper and an actor...is an ACTOR. At least you are consistent.

(As an aside, before you defend the cadets...have you ever played the circle game? Isn't part of it that someone tries to "break" that circle with their finger? At no point, from the footage that I saw were there any other person looking, attempting to break the circle or getting punched for looking at the finger.

Also, isn't it a big part of the "me too" movement (if Tirico and Ice T are monsters) that maybe she has to cater to these men in order to do her job? Ever think of that?
Don't consider #MeToo to be fake at all. Apologies on using parentheses and not the full hashtag title.
The cadets actions were investigated and they were found to be innocent. What is more likely to you, they were playing a stupid game or trying to throw out some racist hand gestures on the sly in full view? When the story first developed did you think, maybe let's wait and see what comes of this, or did you immediately want to ruin the kids lives?
Maybe a similar vilification to what happened to the Duke lacrosse alleged rapists of several years back?

My greater point was that it's easy to shout out to the internet for that applause and slaps on the back (great job speaking out on the internet you're so brave!!!) , but when there is opportunity for actual action she's turtled.
 

PC Drunken Friar

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Don't consider #MeToo to be fake at all. Apologies on using parentheses and not the full hashtag title.
The cadets actions were investigated and they were found to be innocent. What is more likely to you, they were playing a stupid game or trying to throw out some racist hand gestures on the sly in full view? When the story first developed did you think, maybe let's wait and see what comes of this, or did you immediately want to ruin the kids lives?
Maybe a similar vilification to what happened to the Duke lacrosse alleged rapists of several years back?

My greater point was that it's easy to shout out to the internet for that applause and slaps on the back (great job speaking out on the internet you're so brave!!!) , but when there is opportunity for actual action she's turtled.
Bringing up Duke Lax. Another check of the 'ol deflection box.

Yes, they were literally doing "something" on the sly. Am I positive that they were throwing that up there as a racist symbol? No, I am not. Am i convininced that they lied about the "game"? No, but I think they could have been (see my reply earlier).

But thanks for exposing yourself, but I guess I should have seen that earlier.
 

Patriot_Reign

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Bringing up Duke Lax. Another check of the 'ol deflection box.

Yes, they were literally doing "something" on the sly. Am I positive that they were throwing that up there as a racist symbol? No, I am not. Am i convininced that they lied about the "game"? No, but I think they cEould have been (see my reply earlier).

But thanks for exposing yourself, but I guess I should have seen that earlier.
Expose myself?
lol, get fucked dude.
Enjoy your cancel culture outrage.
 

OurF'ingCity

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Sideline reporting is something that you think you don't need until something happens (like a key player getting injured and taken back to the locker room) in a big game and nobody knows what is happening.
This is the one scenario where sideline reporting is still relevant these days (injury info) but I assume that information could be obtained by a PA or whatever and just relayed to the commentators, rather than needing a more expensive on-camera presence to handle it.

If getting rid of sideline reporters becomes part of a larger trend though that is probably a negative for women in sports media. As much as the “attractive woman sideline reporter” became a cliche, the likes of Michelle Tafoya, Erin Andrews, Hazel Mae, Heidi Watney, etc. all parlayed that experience into more substantial hosting/reporting roles. If sideline reporting didn’t exist, would they have had those larger opportunities?
 

cornwalls@6

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Other than the occasional injury news(which an off camera person could provide much cheaper), sideline reporters, male or female, are completely irrelevant to my enjoyment of a game broadcast. And almost never say anything enlightening or interesting to me.
 

Light-Tower-Power

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This is the one scenario where sideline reporting is still relevant these days (injury info) but I assume that information could be obtained by a PA or whatever and just relayed to the commentators, rather than needing a more expensive on-camera presence to handle it.

If getting rid of sideline reporters becomes part of a larger trend though that is probably a negative for women in sports media. As much as the “attractive woman sideline reporter” became a cliche, the likes of Michelle Tafoya, Erin Andrews, Hazel Mae, Heidi Watney, etc. all parlayed that experience into more substantial hosting/reporting roles. If sideline reporting didn’t exist, would they have had those larger opportunities?
Agreed, and Abby was more than just an "I talked to the coach at halftime and he said we need to pick up our defense in the second half" sideline reporter. She was good in the studio and posted a lot of good Celtics content on social media. I don't recall her doing any studio work when she was first hired so I think the sideline job ended up being a good stepping stone into a larger role.
 

nattysez

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Other than the occasional injury news(which an off camera person could provide much cheaper), sideline reporters, male or female, are completely irrelevant to my enjoyment of a game broadcast. And almost never say anything enlightening or interesting to me.
The exception proves the rule: when Ros Gold Onwude was first doing Warriors games, I recall her having some interesting insights as a former college player. She also tended to get more respect from the Warriors since they knew she'd played at Stanford, so she got more interesting takes from the players. But then TNT plucked her away.
 

bsj

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Abby was by far the best they have had in that role in many years. I appreciated what she brought to the broadcast, and unlike most in that role, cuts to her never felt like an interruption. I also liked how she used her social media to promote the team and her work.

Not a fan of this at all.
 

Cellar-Door

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I'm sure Abby Chin will get a new job. It isn't just weird Celtics twitter that thinks she's good, national people talk about her a lot. I remember Zach Lowe highlighting her in his League Pass ratings in the past as one of the best in that role.
 

the1andonly3003

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Celts broadcasts have gone from Willie May, Greg Dickerson and Abby Chin, with fill ins like Mannix, Scal and others at sideline. Seems like pretty consistent in low turnover if you think about it.
 

nayrbrey

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Abby just tweeted that she will finish out the season. Definitely the correct call on NBCSBs part.

View: https://twitter.com/tvabby/status/1291747271214858243?s=20

“But, this isn’t goodbye just yet. When I received the news, I was offered the choice to finish out the season and I’m taking it! I’m not ready for this incredible ride to be over. I’ll see you tonight. Go #Celtics!“
Edit- added text of tweet
 

Ale Xander

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Abby was by far the best they have had in that role in many years. I appreciated what she brought to the broadcast, and unlike most in that role, cuts to her never felt like an interruption. I also liked how she used her social media to promote the team and her work.

Not a fan of this at all.
This right here. +101

She was one of the best in the business, for all of team sports. Holly is a little better, maybe Allie too. That's it.

I am holding out hope she replaces Draper for 2021.
 

RedOctober3829

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Abby just tweeted that she will finish out the season. Definitely the correct call on NBCSBs part.

View: https://twitter.com/tvabby/status/1291747271214858243?s=20

“But, this isn’t goodbye just yet. When I received the news, I was offered the choice to finish out the season and I’m taking it! I’m not ready for this incredible ride to be over. I’ll see you tonight. Go #Celtics!“
Edit- added text of tweet
Haggerty is finishing out the hockey season and will depart NBCSN in October per his Twitter.
 

Lazy vs Crazy

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I red that wrong, he's taking over pregame and postgame. I hope this lets Abby stick around. The C's do need an alternate play by play person now.