What a great interview. As a big fan of all three, this was a great watch. So much better to watch it on youtube where you can see them. Well done guys.
I used to like Strombo back in the 90s on CFNY, but never thought he made any sense for HNIC. I don't think this interview changed my view in any way. His notion of inclusiveness is to bring people who aren't conservative/traditional into the hockey tent, but also to aggressively try to push conservatives/traditional-minded folk out. He can call that progress if he wants, but in my eyes, it's just a newer, more 'woke' version of exclusivity masquerading as progress. Good interview though. As much as I don't agree with a whole lot of what he had to say, I respect him for coming on a show that's outside his usual zone. It was an actual conversation, which doesn't happen enough these days.
This is a masterclass in interviewing. When Bob has a guest who is willing and able to talk as much as Strombo has here he will let that person drive the conversation. I respect Strombo a lot and in the big picture he had the right idea of what he wanted to do at HNIC but his actual CONTENT was not the greatest. He was more interested in being too general rather than talking about the game and teeing up the contest weekly in a way that feeds the hockey fan. It felt at times a bit like a microcosm of his late night talk show (which I was a big fan of) Ah well, once again another great podcast by the Maestro of Canadian sports talk.
Bobcat, one of, if not the best sports interviewer in Canada. When a guest can take the lead, he lets it happen! This was a great bit of story telling.
Ron Is a legend proclaimed in his own mind Don Cherry is legendary Proclaimed by all of Canada Ron rode Don’s Coat tails and threw Don under the bus Missing Don especially on Remembrance Day❤ Ron and CBC deserve each other Old Dinosaur’s almost extinct
George has some great ideas I’d love see come to life. Watched a lot of his late night shows, music shows, and looking back wish he could have made a bigger impact on HNIC. I can’t get my kids to watch sports even though they are exceptional athletes themselves. The idea of having an open mic in pre games, and hearing from athletes unscripted would really get their attention. That’s why they watch TH-cam, Twitch, etc. Its basically unscripted.
I initially was one of those ppl who didn't care much for Strombo as host of HNIC (and was happy when MacLean came back) but after listening to a few of his interviews about that experience (including this one) over the past few years (and his self-awareness) and what's happened to HNIC I'm starting to think maybe he was the right person but hired during the wrong time (maybe a few years too early) I think now in this era of casual hockey fan "experts" and analytics and players displaying more personality (e.g. not wearing suits) I think he would've been a perfect host in a casual transitional era to the future (especially in the wake of the Don Cherry firing)
I think Strombo sure has a high opinion of himself. Wow. But he is way off the mark. People do not want wokeness and politics in sports. They just want to enjoy the game. That's why NBA ratings are so incredibly low....millions and millions of less viewers than previous years. Go woke and go broke. Lastly, HNIC ratings are better without Strombo than they were with him. He was the wrong guy for that show. Period.
I like Strombo, but he sure talked a lot in this interview without saying anything substantive. He alluded a lot to his "vision" how he wanted to do HNIC differently, but I've been listening for 30 minutes and can't think anything specific he proposed changing beyond letting Ron MacLean do the pregame for him and making HNIC less "racist"
Personally I think we're at a major turning point in sports broadcasting and what viewers want and accept. Anyone born between the 60's - 80's, don't mix sports with politics and social awareness messages. Whereas, anyone born in the 90's and beyond, are open and willing to mix those themes and news stories. Of course, this is an overall generalization, but when you look at it on the macro level, it's true. Born 60's-80's (40-60 yrs old) - are the last "traditional" group Born 90's-Present (30 yrs and younger) - are the "modern" group The youth now is attracted to and is geared towards engaging, penetrative journalism, which is inclusive of sports. You see this same trend happening with the athletes themselves. The younger ones are more open and outspoken and speak up on matters outside of their sport. The older athletes would never have done that. Simply put, it's just a sign of the changing tide.
@@mq830 ^ This I think a lot of people are looking at where sports is TODAY then looking down the road (much like Alberta when oil was doing good and not planning for the future). On the surface, baseball, for example, has high attendance and television ratings...but it's dying because it's losing it's cultural relevance (particularly amongst young people). That's why Manfred (love him or hate him) has been throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks (DH both leagues, extra innings, short double headers) because he knows there's no use preserving all of a game's tradition if that game isn't going to exist in 30 years. We live in a rapidly evolving world and the mantra is true: adapt or die.
@@DrPooks My thoughts exactly. He seemed to have a very non-specific understanding of his specific vision for change. Though I guess that's true for most people who want to 'change the conversation' in 2021.
I've been saying for a while now that hockey broadcasts are brutal. They have a big opportunity to put out good content during intermissions, which is almost half the show, yet every single intermission they just have a bunch of talking heads saying nothing. It is unwatchable. Plus, is the best they can come up with having only one camera show the game action?
George is talking about introducing something different, but he doesn't explain what it was. I didn't watch Hockey Night in Canada on a regular basis when George was hosting, so I may have missed this knew technique and/or content he tried to introduce into a stale old broadcast. George seems like a great guy who is smarter and more affable than most people in the room, but I'm curious to know what vision he had that was stifled. As an outsider looking in, all I remember is a bunch of people in the comments section saying they missed Ron McLean (sp?) George goes on to talk about racism without giving examples. Don Cherry was basically a self parody; guy was so stupidly over-the-top xenophobic that he could not be taken seriously, and it's a good thing that he got canned. But other than that, I don't get the racism part. I wish George the best, but I don't see the innovative aspect he tried to introduce. P.S. Please bury the hatchet with Mike Wilner and bring him on to discuss the current state of sports broadcasting. Things look bleak from my limited vantage point. I know you guys have massive egos that might prevent you from interacting, but please give it a shot. After all, we're just talking about sports. It's not the goddamn Cuban Missile Crisis.
"Change is good?" Bullshit, at least not in sport. Even the kids of a new generation, if they love sports, will be socially conservative; their ideals more akin to the beliefs of their fathers than that of a supposed forward-thinking youth. CBC pulled the plug on Strombo because they eventually understood that their socially conservative hockey fanbase wasn't buying the schtick that Strombo sailed in with to save our souls. The viewer is the one that determines exactly how much change is tolerable. We didn't like Strombo because they had a perfectly excellent legend already in the role, and that dude didn't talk down to us or try to suck-off a new gen of unloyal pseudo-hockey fans.
"We didn't like Strombo because they had a perfectly excellent legend already in the role" (who during the past year has ironically become ten times more obnoxious and self-righteous than Strombo ever was).
Sports isn't immune to change---it's affected by changes in society just like anything else. And no, all Young folks aren't socially conservative, whether they're from the U.S. or Canada. It's usually always the liberals who help make real change, not the conservatives. I used to watch Strombo interview people on his TV show The Hour years ago, which I really liked---cool to hear what he's doing now. Enjoyed this conversation, too.
Another great show!!! I started watching Hockey Night In Canada when they would join the Leaf game in progress after The Beverly Hillbillies. Over the years I have gravitated more and more away from the game since the Flyers bullied their way to the cup. I loved to hate Don Cherry and would yell at him "don't fight with the guy who hit your teammate score a goal on their team". Then the NHL changed the game to slow down their superstars and then doubled the size of goalie equipment. You can protect a goalie just as well with smarter smaller equipment. The coverage of the game also got old. Yes they have updated equipment but they are somehow further away from the feel of the game. George is right about the kids they watch the game on their phone and social media is everything. Basketball gets it. The NFL gets it. They did games on Prime and on The Nic for the kids and even added slime to those broadcasts. They are growing their base. Hockey and Baseball are so stuck in the past it's sad. I just hope another sport I love Curling figures it out. They need to focus on the hot young women who are at the top of their game rather than the old men at the top of their game. Finally I was so happy to see an ad when you broke away for an ad. An ad on TH-cam means the show is growing.
Stombo is so humble . Imagine how much more "woke" HNIC would be if he stuck around , and that's saying something. We don't need more SJW in sports. Sports is a much needed refuge from politics. Get woke go broke.
Hockey is big in Canada but in the City of Toronto, it is a dying sport. Nobody wears a Leafs hat or Jersey but go outside of the 6 then you'll see it. Just a fact
Strombo was the odd man out in a media industry largely controlled by older white males. He was hip, cool, edgy...and carved a great career. It could have been much more in Canada!
This guy is so self righteous, he came across as talking down to people, George floyd? I don't watch sports for political/ life issues, I go to others media, sorry but unless it happened in said sport, I will turn off the channel/media talk sports show.
Great interview, tho no surprise given how great Bob is. I’ve never liked George less than I do now. That ego has gotten out of control, and though he tries to sell it as if he isn’t bitter at all, it’s pretty obvious he’s bitter as can be at the whole thing. Seems like an overly insecure guy, like he needs to have his ego stroked 24/7. It’s too bad because there is no denying he’s a talented broadcaster, but there were things in that interview which seem pretty damn made up to me. Players told him they thought HNIC was a RACIST broadcast?! BS. I don’t even know a way you could even try to make that case!! Unless of course you’re still overly bitter and trying to make your former employer look bad without being the villain....
15 views. These are 2 of the biggest Canadian broadcast icons in the last 30 years.
The quality of the guests on this podcast is unreal.
He's a got a Rolodex going back 40 years
This was a great conversation. Highly recommended.
What a great interview. As a big fan of all three, this was a great watch. So much better to watch it on youtube where you can see them. Well done guys.
This was time well spent. Very entertaining conversation.
I used to like Strombo back in the 90s on CFNY, but never thought he made any sense for HNIC. I don't think this interview changed my view in any way. His notion of inclusiveness is to bring people who aren't conservative/traditional into the hockey tent, but also to aggressively try to push conservatives/traditional-minded folk out. He can call that progress if he wants, but in my eyes, it's just a newer, more 'woke' version of exclusivity masquerading as progress. Good interview though. As much as I don't agree with a whole lot of what he had to say, I respect him for coming on a show that's outside his usual zone. It was an actual conversation, which doesn't happen enough these days.
but who want hold onto older crowds because ron snd don dont let them retire lol
This is a masterclass in interviewing. When Bob has a guest who is willing and able to talk as much as Strombo has here he will let that person drive the conversation. I respect Strombo a lot and in the big picture he had the right idea of what he wanted to do at HNIC but his actual CONTENT was not the greatest. He was more interested in being too general rather than talking about the game and teeing up the contest weekly in a way that feeds the hockey fan. It felt at times a bit like a microcosm of his late night talk show (which I was a big fan of)
Ah well, once again another great podcast by the Maestro of Canadian sports talk.
Bobcat, one of, if not the best sports interviewer in Canada. When a guest can take the lead, he lets it happen! This was a great bit of story telling.
Strombo can talk. He knows how to run a convo.
This quality of this show is outstanding. Must listen stuff!
Unbelievable episode. Top shelf. The insight into HNIC was captivating.
Great podcast!!Miss u guys on tv, hopefully Ullbe back soon
Excellent episode. I look forward to this new show Strombo is cooking up.
This interview was FANTASTIC! Completely changed my mind on George, and he is AWESOME!
Great podcast Bobcat! Gave us a great look at how Strombo ticks. Very impressed.
This was spectacular!
i wish this show get more hits. sportsnet was dumb to let this guy go. look like a rockstar. i am talking about bob.
Bob was great interviewing . He let George speak. It was a good insightful interview.
Bob spoke? 90% of this was Shannon. No one likes to hear the sound of their own voice more.
@@tyassine ya shannon needs to shut up but bob did really well as the mod
One of the best ones yet Bobcat! Very insightful.
The pride of Malton, Ontario!
It seems like podcasts will become the norm. The hosts have full control with little to no censorship.
Ron Is a legend proclaimed in his own mind
Don Cherry is legendary
Proclaimed by all of Canada
Ron rode Don’s Coat tails and threw Don under the bus
Missing Don especially on Remembrance Day❤
Ron and CBC deserve each other
Old Dinosaur’s almost extinct
George has some great ideas I’d love see come to life. Watched a lot of his late night shows, music shows, and looking back wish he could have made a bigger impact on HNIC. I can’t get my kids to watch sports even though they are exceptional athletes themselves.
The idea of having an open mic in pre games, and hearing from athletes unscripted would really get their attention. That’s why they watch TH-cam, Twitch, etc. Its basically unscripted.
Can we please get Bobcat back on the fan 590...Any time slot please...anything from 6am till noon preferably. Unbearable to listen to now.
I initially was one of those ppl who didn't care much for Strombo as host of HNIC (and was happy when MacLean came back) but after listening to a few of his interviews about that experience (including this one) over the past few years (and his self-awareness) and what's happened to HNIC I'm starting to think maybe he was the right person but hired during the wrong time (maybe a few years too early) I think now in this era of casual hockey fan "experts" and analytics and players displaying more personality (e.g. not wearing suits) I think he would've been a perfect host in a casual transitional era to the future (especially in the wake of the Don Cherry firing)
HNIC with Rod MacLean was an antiquated junk heap of broadcasting for years. Never changed.
CBC is the big leagues is it John, Ok. Shannon did not look happy after the " players think HNIC is racist" comment.
forgot to mention schitts creek
Strombo looks like a young Doug Gilmore
I think Strombo sure has a high opinion of himself. Wow. But he is way off the mark. People do not want wokeness and politics in sports. They just want to enjoy the game. That's why NBA ratings are so incredibly low....millions and millions of less viewers than previous years. Go woke and go broke. Lastly, HNIC ratings are better without Strombo than they were with him. He was the wrong guy for that show. Period.
I like Strombo, but he sure talked a lot in this interview without saying anything substantive.
He alluded a lot to his "vision" how he wanted to do HNIC differently, but I've been listening for 30 minutes and can't think anything specific he proposed changing beyond letting Ron MacLean do the pregame for him and making HNIC less "racist"
Personally I think we're at a major turning point in sports broadcasting and what viewers want and accept.
Anyone born between the 60's - 80's, don't mix sports with politics and social awareness messages.
Whereas, anyone born in the 90's and beyond, are open and willing to mix those themes and news stories.
Of course, this is an overall generalization, but when you look at it on the macro level, it's true.
Born 60's-80's (40-60 yrs old) - are the last "traditional" group
Born 90's-Present (30 yrs and younger) - are the "modern" group
The youth now is attracted to and is geared towards engaging, penetrative journalism, which is inclusive of sports.
You see this same trend happening with the athletes themselves. The younger ones are more open and outspoken and speak up on matters outside of their sport. The older athletes would never have done that.
Simply put, it's just a sign of the changing tide.
@@mq830 ^ This I think a lot of people are looking at where sports is TODAY then looking down the road (much like Alberta when oil was doing good and not planning for the future). On the surface, baseball, for example, has high attendance and television ratings...but it's dying because it's losing it's cultural relevance (particularly amongst young people). That's why Manfred (love him or hate him) has been throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks (DH both leagues, extra innings, short double headers) because he knows there's no use preserving all of a game's tradition if that game isn't going to exist in 30 years. We live in a rapidly evolving world and the mantra is true: adapt or die.
@@DrPooks My thoughts exactly. He seemed to have a very non-specific understanding of his specific vision for change. Though I guess that's true for most people who want to 'change the conversation' in 2021.
shannon was and still is a loyal dinosaur and didnt want change at hockey night
I've been saying for a while now that hockey broadcasts are brutal. They have a big opportunity to put out good content during intermissions, which is almost half the show, yet every single intermission they just have a bunch of talking heads saying nothing. It is unwatchable. Plus, is the best they can come up with having only one camera show the game action?
George is talking about introducing something different, but he doesn't explain what it was. I didn't watch Hockey Night in Canada on a regular basis when George was hosting, so I may have missed this knew technique and/or content he tried to introduce into a stale old broadcast. George seems like a great guy who is smarter and more affable than most people in the room, but I'm curious to know what vision he had that was stifled. As an outsider looking in, all I remember is a bunch of people in the comments section saying they missed Ron McLean (sp?) George goes on to talk about racism without giving examples. Don Cherry was basically a self parody; guy was so stupidly over-the-top xenophobic that he could not be taken seriously, and it's a good thing that he got canned. But other than that, I don't get the racism part. I wish George the best, but I don't see the innovative aspect he tried to introduce. P.S. Please bury the hatchet with Mike Wilner and bring him on to discuss the current state of sports broadcasting. Things look bleak from my limited vantage point. I know you guys have massive egos that might prevent you from interacting, but please give it a shot. After all, we're just talking about sports. It's not the goddamn Cuban Missile Crisis.
thr older crowd hate george because they hold onto ron for life because hate younfger people taking jos dont let them retire lol
"Change is good?" Bullshit, at least not in sport. Even the kids of a new generation, if they love sports, will be socially conservative; their ideals more akin to the beliefs of their fathers than that of a supposed forward-thinking youth. CBC pulled the plug on Strombo because they eventually understood that their socially conservative hockey fanbase wasn't buying the schtick that Strombo sailed in with to save our souls. The viewer is the one that determines exactly how much change is tolerable. We didn't like Strombo because they had a perfectly excellent legend already in the role, and that dude didn't talk down to us or try to suck-off a new gen of unloyal pseudo-hockey fans.
"We didn't like Strombo because they had a perfectly excellent legend already in the role" (who during the past year has ironically become ten times more obnoxious and self-righteous than Strombo ever was).
CBC didn't employ Strombo to do hockey.
Sports isn't immune to change---it's affected by changes in society just like anything else. And no, all Young folks aren't socially conservative, whether they're from the U.S. or Canada. It's usually always the liberals who help make real change, not the conservatives. I used to watch Strombo interview people on his TV show The Hour years ago, which I really liked---cool to hear what he's doing now. Enjoyed this conversation, too.
@@alondathomas293 Hi, George. Glad you're not on Saturday Night.
Another great show!!! I started watching Hockey Night In Canada when they would join the Leaf game in progress after The Beverly Hillbillies. Over the years I have gravitated more and more away from the game since the Flyers bullied their way to the cup. I loved to hate Don Cherry and would yell at him "don't fight with the guy who hit your teammate score a goal on their team". Then the NHL changed the game to slow down their superstars and then doubled the size of goalie equipment. You can protect a goalie just as well with smarter smaller equipment. The coverage of the game also got old. Yes they have updated equipment but they are somehow further away from the feel of the game. George is right about the kids they watch the game on their phone and social media is everything. Basketball gets it. The NFL gets it. They did games on Prime and on The Nic for the kids and even added slime to those broadcasts. They are growing their base. Hockey and Baseball are so stuck in the past it's sad. I just hope another sport I love Curling figures it out. They need to focus on the hot young women who are at the top of their game rather than the old men at the top of their game. Finally I was so happy to see an ad when you broke away for an ad. An ad on TH-cam means the show is growing.
Stombo is way ahead of his time... unfortunate that Rogers never saw this
I remember he got alot of flak and I hated him as host. But now you know he was trying to do things differently and had zero support from corporate.
You got your green card yet, George?
bring back george on hockey night in canada
George doesn't give any examples
Stombo is so humble . Imagine how much more "woke" HNIC would be if he stuck around , and that's saying something. We don't need more SJW in sports. Sports is a much needed refuge from politics. Get woke go broke.
but older cerowd wanted ron lol
great guest, but he was awful on HNIC
Hockey is big in Canada but in the City of Toronto, it is a dying sport. Nobody wears a Leafs hat or Jersey but go outside of the 6 then you'll see it. Just a fact
Strombo was the odd man out in a media industry largely controlled by older white males. He was hip, cool, edgy...and carved a great career. It could have been much more in Canada!
This guy is so self righteous, he came across as talking down to people, George floyd? I don't watch sports for political/ life issues, I go to others media, sorry but unless it happened in said sport, I will turn off the channel/media talk sports show.
George helped "move the conversation"...by wearing skinny pants.... LOL!!!!!!! Give me Ron anytime. Good riddance, Hipster.
Great interview, tho no surprise given how great Bob is. I’ve never liked George less than I do now. That ego has gotten out of control, and though he tries to sell it as if he isn’t bitter at all, it’s pretty obvious he’s bitter as can be at the whole thing. Seems like an overly insecure guy, like he needs to have his ego stroked 24/7. It’s too bad because there is no denying he’s a talented broadcaster, but there were things in that interview which seem pretty damn made up to me. Players told him they thought HNIC was a RACIST broadcast?! BS. I don’t even know a way you could even try to make that case!! Unless of course you’re still overly bitter and trying to make your former employer look bad without being the villain....
but older crowf hated george
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