It's official -- Zolak replaces Gino

[BradfordPatsFan]

I'm sure that there is more than enough local talent within New England who are qualified
- and who would kill for the chance - to broadcast the games of the team they grew up following.
There should be no reason to look toward SoCal, brah - or hayfields in Indiana - or Sewer York
(isn't one Damon Amendolara enough?) - when there is very likely already the next Ken Coleman,
Bob Wilson, Fred Cusick, or Gil Santos, somewhere in our midst.

I want the next Voice of the NEP to be a fan of the NEP, not of Me Myself & I, or of the Big Network Gig.

Like who? Do you really want someone making their first venture into play by play in a major market like Boston?

 

[Nikolai]

I'm ok with it. Not thrilled, not disappointed. Let's just see where it goes.

 

[mtbykr]

Great hire.....congrats ZO!

 

[patfanken]

I think the right guy to replace Gil is standing right in the wings and is already in the organization,. He has a great radio voice. He has a lot of college play by play experience in both football and basketball, He is completely knowledgeable about the local area, and most importantly he has great pipes. He also has an show on the Pats we site during the season, which doesn't need to constantly resort to toilet humor to get through the 2 hours. I give you for your consideration..... John Rook.

 

[VOODOOZF]

I have nothing against Zo as he seems like a nice guy, but I don't like this choice. I would have gone for someone in the Boston market who is a natural broadcaster. Zo seemed a little out of place in the booth last season

 

[MoLewisrocks]

No matter what you say, do not care for Zo... his talk show personna may be different than his color commentary, but cannot separate the two personality. Did not care for him as a player, do not care for him on the radio all that much.

IMO Troy would have been lightyears better than him..

He lost me about 2 months ago when he was talking about he and Todd Rucci used to drive a cadillac that they chopped the roof off of, back and forth to the "Tard School"(Wrentham State).. that sealed the deal for me. He is just another bombastic, ignorant ratings whore.

Judging from his twitter feed, I think Zo's radio personality is a lot more natural than the one he has to adopt when he's asked to behave intelligently (like on the coaches segment of All Access or as a sideline reporter last season). He's a natural frat boy, and I wonder if he can seperate the two well enough to be a first string team color commentator. He will probably be OK while Gil remains, thereafter watch out. The Gil replacement is the really scarry one to come. I also wonder what will happen to the radio gig as they gave him the whole week off to prep for game 1 of the pre season...

Sadly I don't think Troy is remotely booth ready and I'm not sure Bru has the temperement for it. Nor are he or guys like Light quite far enough removed yet to be comfortable commentating somewhat dispassionately on the performance of a team and coaching staff they so recently played for.

But it could be worse, as the pre season telecast will underscore again tonight...

 

[1960Pats]

Since I either go to the game or tape it to be watched later, I seldom get a chance to listen to the games on radio. Therefore, I don't really care who takes over on radio.

 

[patchick]

I'm sure that there is more than enough local talent within New England who are qualified
- and who would kill for the chance - to broadcast the games of the team they grew up following.
There should be no reason to look toward SoCal, brah - or hayfields in Indiana - or Sewer York
(isn't one Damon Amendolara enough?) - when there is very likely already the next Ken Coleman,
Bob Wilson, Fred Cusick, or Gil Santos, somewhere in our midst.

I want the next Voice of the NEP to be a fan of the NEP, not of Me Myself & I, or of the Big Network Gig.

Sure, that would be ideal. But I want a great play-by-play announcer first and foremost.

I lived in the San Francisco area for a while in the '90s, and unexpectedly got wrapped up in the Giants purely because of the great Hank Greenwald. If Hank was on the radio, I wanted to listen. He embodied the Giants for almost three decades, bringing the game to life, becoming part of the team's lore and part of the texture of a summer's day in the Bay Area. He was born and raised in Michigan.

 

[Tunescribe]

I have nothing against Zo as he seems like a nice guy, but I don't like this choice. I would have gone for someone in the Boston market who is a natural broadcaster. Zo seemed a little out of place in the booth last season

You're right, because he wasn't IN the booth last season. He was on the sideline.

Zo will do a good job. He's smart and knows the game.

 

[patfanken]

Guess I am in the minority here, but do not care for Zolak.. find him to act too young on his radio gig..

Would have preferred Troy Brown, who comes across the radio as smooth and knowledgeable..

Darryl, I think if you judged less of Zolack's work on talk radio and more on his work when he does Patriots All Access, you would think better of him. He is knowledgeable, quick on his verbal feet, and I don't think he'll be afraid to speak his mind. He was the most likely candidate and surprisingly he got the job. I would have been just as happy to have Troy there, but I think Zo has the bigger personality. Troy is almost too understated, which is fine for my tastes, but media exec's like the "big personality".

Now lets get Rook the play by play job,

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

Rook would be a good choice. He does a great job on ESPN3's college basketball coverage and he knows the players. I never considered him because, in my mind, he already has a job for the team. I wonder if he would take the job.

 

[patchick]

Now lets get Rook the play by play job

Rooke's a solid pro. But FYI, it's Rooke with an e at the end -- which matters because there's another longtime radio pro named John Rook, who even looks a little like Rooke.

 

[atomdomb]

Judging from his twitter feed, I think Zo's radio personality is a lot more natural than the one he has to adopt when he's asked to behave intelligently (like on the coaches segment of All Access or as a sideline reporter last season). He's a natural frat boy, and I wonder if he can seperate the two well enough to be a first string team color commentator. He will probably be OK while Gil remains, thereafter watch out. The Gil replacement is the really scarry one to come. I also wonder what will happen to the radio gig as they gave him the whole week off to prep for game 1 of the pre season...

Sadly I don't think Troy is remotely booth ready and I'm not sure Bru has the temperement for it. Nor are he or guys like Light quite far enough removed yet to be comfortable commentating somewhat dispassionately on the performance of a team and coaching staff they so recently played for.

But it could be worse, as the pre season telecast will underscore again tonight...

I agree. Listening to Troy try to string words together into a coherent sentence is painful. He just feels so unnatural to me. Zo is a nutjob but I think he has great football knowledge and has a very smooth delivery unlike Troy.

 

[MaineFB]

Scott will be good in the booth. A guy that knows the game extremely well and who is nicely connected there.

That said, the Pre/Post game radio show is simply the worst in the the country. Thats where a former player is so desperately needed. The franchise does most everything right so to me, its uttlerly shocking you have two fools hosting. Last year I listened to the opposing teams programs.

 

[captain stone]

Like who? Do you really want someone making their first venture into play by play in a major market like Boston?

Sean McDonough, for one. He has the voice - and the face - to smoothly transition to radio.

 

[captain stone]

I didn't listen to the radio broadcast; how well did Zolak perform?

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Sean McDonough, for one. He has the voice - and the face - to smoothly transition to radio.

Im not sure Sean has the support, hes burned bridges up here and hes not the most popular guy in the world.

I listened to the radio for two minutes on the way to my brothers and two minutes on the way home, I thought Zo was good, Gil was in mid season form already calling a Gronk catch and interception and a run by Vereen that wasnt vereen.

 

[fnordcircle]

When I think about Patriots highlights, I always hear Gil's voice in my head. Especially for the games like the snow bowl, etc. I don't listen to the radio but the NFL Films dvds always use Gil and Gino for those clips.

He just sounds so perfect in those moments, so iconically Patriot that it is going to be hard to adjust to Gil being gone.

Gino was fine but it wasn't the same for me so I'm ok with the switch to Zo and he's such a part of the organization it is a really good fit..

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

Sean McDonough, for one. He has the voice - and the face - to smoothly transition to radio.

I love Sean, my favorite Red Sox pbp guy and part of my favorite announce trio with Jay Bilas and Bill Raftery. That being said, why would he leave a cush national job at ESPN doing college football and basketball to cover the Patriots? He wouldn't be able to do both and by all accounts he absolutely loves where he is at with the network.

 

[captain stone]

I love Sean, my favorite Red Sox pbp guy and part of my favorite announce trio with Jay Bilas and Bill Raftery. That being said, why would he leave a cush national job at ESPN doing college football and basketball to cover the Patriots? He wouldn't be able to do both and by all accounts he absolutely loves where he is at with the network.

You're probably right; but wouldn't there be a way if he really wanted to, that he could both call once-a-week Pats games and stay at the 4-letter network?