Beloved HNIC announcer insults Toronto Maple Leafs fans in new interview
Jim Hughson, legendary broadcaster who is now retired, has admitted that it was extremely challenging to call Toronto Maple Games every weekend on HNIC.
Jimmy Hughes, as his friends would call him, had a tremendous career in the broadcasting industry, as he's been involved in every type of sport from baseball to hockey to even video games. Hughson had two very different views of fanbases when comparing calling games of the Vancouver Canucks as opposed to the Maple Leafs.
"I found that as a broadcaster -- and everyone knew I was a Vancouver guy and that I lived in the city -- local people didn't think I was a big enough fan and the other guys thought I was too much of a fan."
"One of the downsides of having the top chair in Hockey Night in Canada is basically you become a Toronto Maple Leaf broadcaster because you're there every Saturday, whether they're good or bad. As the years have gone by, I've noticed a real change in fandom, a part of it social media I think... the local fan base expects their broadcasters to be like them.
They want fans and if you're not you must hate them and that's the problem you get when you're broadcasting on the national level out of Toronto is that they want a local broadcast but at the same time the broadcasters are broadcasting to every corner of the province.
You know, you might be broadcasting a game with the New York Islanders playing and the young men who play for the Islanders are from all different parts of Canada as well and their people are invested in it as well.
It's really a hard one to win in that sense and now you get judged every day on social media or every minute on social media, which has changed the aspect of broadcasting for the guys that are still doing it entirely."
They want fans and if you're not you must hate them and that's the problem you get when you're broadcasting on the national level out of Toronto is that they want a local broadcast but at the same time the broadcasters are broadcasting to every corner of the province.
You know, you might be broadcasting a game with the New York Islanders playing and the young men who play for the Islanders are from all different parts of Canada as well and their people are invested in it as well.
It's really a hard one to win in that sense and now you get judged every day on social media or every minute on social media, which has changed the aspect of broadcasting for the guys that are still doing it entirely."
Now that Hughson is retired, he seems to be at peace with how everything in his career turned out, and yes, that seems to include the Leafs as well. Regardless of whether you're a fan or not of Jimmy, his voice will live in the minds of hockey folks forever.
Credit Hockey Patrol:
Legendary announcer Jim Hughes criticizes Maple Leafs fans with latest comments
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 18 | 217 ANSWERS Beloved HNIC announcer insults Toronto Maple Leafs fans in new interview Was Jim Hughson your favourite hockey announcer of all-time? | ||
| Yes | 37 | 17.1 % |
| No | 180 | 82.9 % |
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