Guerin Austin and Steve Lyons are not returning to NESN
- Thread starter soxhop411
- Start date
Good riddance to Steve Lyons.
Did he remind anyone else of Ranch Wilder from Angels in the Outfield?
Did he remind anyone else of Ranch Wilder from Angels in the Outfield?
The whole sideline reporter is a stupid thing to begin with. They bring nothing to the table that the announcer can’t share or I can read online ahead of time. That being said I grew to like Guerin. Jamal? Not so much. Just do away with the thing.
Don't they need someone down at field level to get quotes from players after the game? I think the rest of the role really follows from that.
I appreciated Guerin. She made the game more accessible for my three daughters as they grew into real Sox fans. They love baseball and they loved her. She always had a wave and a smile for them at games, and was generous with her attention and time. It was nice for them to have a woman to relate to in the game. It's a thankless job and she did it with genuine interest and self deprecating humour.
As other have said it's a small role, especially for a real follower of the game, but I understand the need to pull in the more casual fan.
(JMB FTW)
As other have said it's a small role, especially for a real follower of the game, but I understand the need to pull in the more casual fan.
(JMB FTW)
Guerin really grew into the role. She was cringey bad in the beginning but she got a lot better and I grew to appreciate her. She was also a really good sport in 2018 when she kept getting crushed by Gatorade. Her replacement will almost certainly be a downgrade. Bummer.
Lyons was unwatchable.
Lyons was unwatchable.
Guerin was fine, but not surprising that she's gone. That job has a relatively short shelf life in Boston and is a position that is easily filled. No slight to Ms. Austin, but unless the person in that slot is just flat out terrible, the person filling it (much like the position itself) it matters little to most of us. Lyons on the other hand...good riddance. He added very little to his main role as pre/post game co-host and was flat out horrible in the booth. Considering Jerry Remy's health and Eck's reluctance to go full time in the booth, I think it makes perfect sense to hire on someone who is better able to transition from the studio to the booth when called upon to do so.
If her replacement is Jahmai Webster, as mentioned in the OP, then he will not be a downgrade. He's done quite a bit for NESN and is pretty good at everything they've thrown at him.
Lyons is a blithering idiot, and to not have to listen to him talk about the Red Sox anymore is the first watah of the 2021 season.
I grew to really like Austin and am sad to see her leave. I saw her role as one to create context around the game vs. analysis of the game. Her pre-game and/or in-game shots often focused on the Fenway game experience, whether it was from a player's perspective or a fan's perspective. That's not something that the PBP announcers focus on. So I didn't feel like she was redundant... more supplemental and complementary. It's certainly open to debate whether the role should even exist or whether the various personalities (Cervasio, Frede, Mae, Watkins, Streiski, Dell, Erdahl, Austin, etc.) added or subtracted from the telecast, but I think Guerin was on the + side of the equation.
Lyons.... yeesh. Another in a long-line of ex-Red Sox dullards in that role. Buh bye.
Lyons.... yeesh. Another in a long-line of ex-Red Sox dullards in that role. Buh bye.
Webster is much better than Austin, in my opinion. Total gain by substraction.
I think both Guerin and Jahmai are good in that role. It is kind of a weird role but I thought they each had strengths and the truth is that while I'm kind of cynical and critical about the broadcast at times, the tidbit of news or perspective from the stands during the game really does add to my enjoyment of the game, if the personality is good at it. I think they are both actually very good at it and over time I thought Austin developed a nice rapport especially with Jerry during some of those segments. I bet she lands on her feet with another good gig. She really grew into the role and did a nice job.
I have to admit I'm "meh" on both of them. It makes me wonder if they are going to hire another (younger?) female in-game reporter, as that has been NESN's M.O. for years.
Webster has already been given the position. I just find him "cheesy". I'm sure he's a great guy etc but in the long run, it's not that big of a deal. Losing Lyons is a big deal. He was horrible in the booth. And Tom Caron has a voice for print.
Really will try and enjoy and appreciate as much Remy as we have left. Winning solves everything though amirite?
IMHO Guerin was very good, and seemed overqualified for such short segments.
In baseball the sideline reporter is pretty meaningless.
Let's go to Heidi
"Well if he throws strikes and gets ahead he can be very effective"
In baseball the sideline reporter is pretty meaningless.
Let's go to Heidi
"Well if he throws strikes and gets ahead he can be very effective"
There's something to be said for that relaxed attitude she had, it is no accident Hazel continued to work at hosting national studio shows long after her exit from NESN. Guerin was overqualified for the sideline gig and she showed it, I'd feel like she was throwing information at me rather than a more casual approach which I feel works better. Besides the network level sideline reporters, I think most act a bit aggressive to show their worth rather than an extension of the broadcast as their job becomes less and less necessary with Twitter and so forth.
Look at Tony Siragusa, that guy was useless on the sideline as a 3rd wheel but he lasted quite awhile just due to the more casual approach. I hated it but most of the audience apparently responded to it.