This makes me sad. Was planning to tune in tonight specifically for Don. (Been super busy so haven't made it a point to watch lately.)BellhornIsGod said:
Report: This is Don Orsillo's last season
- Thread starter Corsi
- Start date
I'm surprised NESN can afford OB, but certainly he'll be fine.
And if Merloni takes over color, that'd be okay, too. However, I was really thinking OB would take over for Castig long-term. I'm almost full-time radio this year and Castig has started really missing a lot of calls - using the wrong name, stumbling, etc. He seems to be getting long in the tooth at 68.
Like others, I'm just completely perplexed about the kick in the shins they've given Orsillo. That dude really stepped up during Remy's absence and worked smoothly with 15 different guys, some of them clowns.
Seems awfully personal for a guy so generally well regarded.
And if Merloni takes over color, that'd be okay, too. However, I was really thinking OB would take over for Castig long-term. I'm almost full-time radio this year and Castig has started really missing a lot of calls - using the wrong name, stumbling, etc. He seems to be getting long in the tooth at 68.
Like others, I'm just completely perplexed about the kick in the shins they've given Orsillo. That dude really stepped up during Remy's absence and worked smoothly with 15 different guys, some of them clowns.
Seems awfully personal for a guy so generally well regarded.
The suck at NESN knows no bounds.
Let's break one of the few things that isn't broken.
What a gaint tool Maar seems to be and by tool I mean prick.
Does anyone in John Henry's sports empire having any fucking connection to the real world and how people should be treated?
OB is solid, but the execution of this, seemingly over many years, is so Red Sox!
Let's break one of the few things that isn't broken.
What a gaint tool Maar seems to be and by tool I mean prick.
Does anyone in John Henry's sports empire having any fucking connection to the real world and how people should be treated?
OB is solid, but the execution of this, seemingly over many years, is so Red Sox!
Ha. I worked with Maar for many years at ESPN. He's a great director. Not sure how he got himself in as an exec making decisions. I won't miss Orsillobot but this is a silly way to run a railroad.MyDaughterLovesTomGordon said:
NESN makes them take the week off, and then makes them work an extra week outside of the baseball season?
What the hell kind of policy is that?
What the hell kind of policy is that?
To be fair to NESN, it sounds like they DID want to wait until after the season, but Orsillo forced their hand. Not sure why that helps him, but maybe he was just pissed and decided to blow things up.
Tonight might be a little awky, as my kid would say.
Tonight might be a little awky, as my kid would say.
The timing is questionable, but if it's true that DO leaked the story today, I'm not sure NESN is 100% to blame for it. If the network was planning on quietly letting him go after the season/the end of his deal, that seems like the best possible way to handle it other than maybe a fond farewell/tribute during the last NESN broadcast of the season.
Unless DO felt his hand was forced by the threat of yanking him off the broadcasts sooner than the end of the season, the awkward situation tonight and going forward might be as much his own doing as NESN's.
Unless DO felt his hand was forced by the threat of yanking him off the broadcasts sooner than the end of the season, the awkward situation tonight and going forward might be as much his own doing as NESN's.
BellhornIsGod said:
The worst decision by NESN was to pair Jade McCarthy and Uri Bernguer in that horrid version of Sports Desk. I assume that was before Maar took his present position. Replacing Orsillo with Dave O'Brien is a very good decision. No bad feelings toward Orsillo, but he had the job for 15 years, and, IMO, he hardly distinguished himself. He had an incredibly poor recall of past events and players (by his own admission) and had the habit of rattling off meaningless statistics from Press Guides. But I'm glad to hear it was Orsillo, himself, that leaked the news. He'll get a few weeks off to line up his next job and to rest up for his TBS postseason gig.
Feel bad for Orsillo, more than pleased with O'Brien.
I must add that (amazingly) I think this year was the best for Remsillo in a long time. I wish Orsillo well.
I must add that (amazingly) I think this year was the best for Remsillo in a long time. I wish Orsillo well.
It's interesting to read the outpouring of support for DO. I remember his first game here (Nomo's no-hitter of the O's) and people were killing him for "not being emotional enough", so it's good to see that he won people over.
I'm going to miss the guy. When he's paired with Eck, I don't think that there is a better color/PBP team in the business.
It would be interesting to know exactly why Maar wanted DO to go, but I doubt we'll ever get to the bottom of that.
Dave O'Brien is a nice replacement though.
I'm going to miss the guy. When he's paired with Eck, I don't think that there is a better color/PBP team in the business.
It would be interesting to know exactly why Maar wanted DO to go, but I doubt we'll ever get to the bottom of that.
Dave O'Brien is a nice replacement though.
It's not going to happen, but it would be kind of awesome if he went out like this (audio NSFW):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0xB9uxKnec&t=58s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0xB9uxKnec&t=58s
Pete Abraham @PeteAbe 2m
2 minutes ago
If Dave O’Brien shifts to NESN, here’s hoping @LouMerloni is a prime candidate for games on WEEI if he wants it. He’s great when he fills in
2 minutes ago
If Dave O’Brien shifts to NESN, here’s hoping @LouMerloni is a prime candidate for games on WEEI if he wants it. He’s great when he fills in
I never understood the Orsillo love. The defense is typically, "there are much worse guys out there". Well then. I suppose this could have been handled better, but O'Brien is a much better announcer ("the announcer is better, is O'Brien" in Orsillo-speak).
I don't think its necessarily that the heads at NESN are blaming the declining ratings on Orsillo directly, as much as it could be that declining ratings = less sponsor money = them not being willing to give Orsillo more money in the face of the broadcast not netting enough. Guess it depends on what they're giving DOB. Couple that with what everyone else has talked about (Don's distaste for the new "week off policy, etc) then I guess a change now while the team is a loser is probably as good a time as any. Stupid that they couldn't make it through the season. Maybe in the face of knowing he was out DO played the TBS card and management decided him being around at all moving forward could be a problem? Who knows. Its bad timing all around.NickEsasky said:
mt8thsw9th said:
Yeah, it's a bit over the top in here. Orsillo was McDonough-lite when he started here--he got better over the years and was never less than solid (except when he and Remy got giggling over some private joke), but this is hardly a tragedy. And if the team gets better, ratings will be just fine without him.
Well this isn't the news I was expecting to see when logging onto SOSH today. What a drag. I always liked DO.
WenZink said:
Jade turned out to be pretty good on ESPN (paired with Randy Scott, even!). Just had a baby in the past few days
The Red Sox almost never handle the news of an employee's departure well -- Francona, Cherington, Orsillo etc...
I am more curious about the future of Remy and that slot. I like Eck although some of the youngsters on Reddit/r/redsox seem to dislike him (they also think of Don O as our own Harry Carey which is rather hyperbolic).
I could like with D'OB and Remy/ECK in some kind of rotation. I could do without Steve Lyons.
I am more curious about the future of Remy and that slot. I like Eck although some of the youngsters on Reddit/r/redsox seem to dislike him (they also think of Don O as our own Harry Carey which is rather hyperbolic).
I could like with D'OB and Remy/ECK in some kind of rotation. I could do without Steve Lyons.
NESN at its finest. If you talk to anyone who has worked there it sounds like a complete shit place to work.Corsi said:
Not sure of his contract status, but Jeff Levering, Pawtucket's lead broadcaster in 2013-14, is doing select games for Brewers radio this season. He'd be an appealing option for either TV or radio here. Very talented.
HangingW/ScottCooper said:
It is. Angry Dick Flavin was actually extended an offer and he declined since he was in rehab.
Funny about that "extra week in the off season" thing. Didn't Orsillo call the Beanpot more than once? Didn't suck.
I like the idea of a guy with local ties (O"Brien qualifies) not some generic guy with good pipes. I liked him enough as a broadcaster that I'll miss the familiarity, but O'Brien has that, too. The Republic will endure.
Agree with the poster about Joe Castig. Not about Merloni, though. I think that job (radio) demands 2 guys that can do p-b-p.
Bob Gamere is available.
I like the idea of a guy with local ties (O"Brien qualifies) not some generic guy with good pipes. I liked him enough as a broadcaster that I'll miss the familiarity, but O'Brien has that, too. The Republic will endure.
Agree with the poster about Joe Castig. Not about Merloni, though. I think that job (radio) demands 2 guys that can do p-b-p.
Bob Gamere is available.
When Sean McD got canned, he had been publicly critical of the Red Sox for a while. I never sensed DO as being anything but a cheerleader. I'm surprised Eck is still on the NESN payroll. I'll never forget that postgame when there must have been a call from upstairs during commercial break to tell an apoplectic Eck to shut up.
And with this whole thing about making the on air talent like Orsillo work a week during the offseason to make up for a mandatory in-season break, what does Maar expect them to do, go rake leaves and shovel snow at his house?
And with this whole thing about making the on air talent like Orsillo work a week during the offseason to make up for a mandatory in-season break, what does Maar expect them to do, go rake leaves and shovel snow at his house?
I'm not saying DO is the worst announcer in MLB, but you watch any guy for long enough and he becomes endearing. Fuck, I watched a lot of Mets when Pedro signed with them (and they bought up two rookies named Wright and Reyes) and I didn't want to murder Fran Healy by the end of the season.
Not a huge loss talent wise*, it's more the way this is going down.
* Dave Flemming was doing PawSox games when Don Orsillo got hired. Whiff.
Not a huge loss talent wise*, it's more the way this is going down.
* Dave Flemming was doing PawSox games when Don Orsillo got hired. Whiff.
Spacemans Bong said:
I'm not a huge Orsillo guy. He started his Red Sox gig by being a less controversial McDonough Clone, which turned me off. But you're putting him at the bottom of the barrel. I'd put DO in the top half of announcers in the league without question. He's not an al time great, but he's definitely above average.
So my guess is that a disproportionate % of those expressing support for DO are >40y.o., maybe even >60y.o. And the people who pay $$ for advertising are far more interest in those <40.
(Sox fans of a certain age have been spoiled by Ned Martin and Curt Gowdy.)
(Sox fans of a certain age have been spoiled by Ned Martin and Curt Gowdy.)
I'm quite happy with the Dave O'Brien news. If we're not at the game and the conversation gets around to packing for the next trip or some other silly personal matter, we put Dave on. This will be an easy transition for me. More baseball info is good!
Chad Finn said:
So, someone friendly to him leaked on his behalf? Or maybe unfriendly? I can't believe anyone close to him would want to see him shown the door mid-season. But who knows?
WenZink said:
I'm surprised anybody watches NESN outside of Red Sox games. That channel is a black hole.
They know it too; one of the main things holding up my completely cutting the cord is NESN's hanging on to silly black-out policies.
BestGameEvah said:
Because Dave never talks about silly stuff like Joe's latest trip to Shaw's.