BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan
03-11-2007, 02:55 PM
He speaks, He scoooorrrrrrres!
Raucous. Intense. Excitable. You may not recognize the face, but Rick Jeanneret, Sabres’ play-by-play man, has the voice that is ‘top shelf ’ among hockey fans
As the team he works for rockets toward the Stanley Cup playoffs, Jeanneret is the high priest of Sabres Nation, translating the action to listeners around the world through satellite and Internet radio.
In the team’s reflected glow, Jeanneret shines, appearing in commercials and having his signature goal calls downloaded into cell phones.
In Buffalo, children who grew up listening to Jeanneret’s voice now hear their own kids howling, “Top shelf — where momma hides the cookies.”
He deflects credit with practiced ease, like a Ryan Miller blocker save. Mention his popularity, and he points back to the team. With Jeanneret at the microphone and longtime analyst Jim Lorentz at his side, the Sabres’ ratings top the league in market share, he agreed.
“But when the Sabres were playing poorly, and weren’t winning, before the lockout, in the bankrupt years — ratings were brutal. My ratings were brutal.”
Fine, but how do you explain someone paying $200 for a jersey, then stitching JEANNERET on the back?
“That’s my sister,” he says — Jeanneret with the blocker! — and laughs.
Though he’s pondered retirement in recent years, Jeanneret can’t go yet. Whatever happens on the ice, the 64-year-old Jeanneret is signed through the end of next season. Hockey superagent Don Meehan used to negotiate his deals, but he’s his own rep now. “Yes, I got a raise,” he says. “No, I’m not going to tell you what I make.” Jeanneret has had other offers. Specifically,
from two American teams who still have the same announcers, Jeanneret says. He said no.
“This,” he says, “has totally been my desire.”
http://buffalonews.com/185/story/30286.html
On the Web
To listen and watch some of the best of Rick Jeanneret, go to www.youtube.com/group/rjsbest (http://www.youtube.com/group/rjsbest)
http://media.buffalonews.com/smedia/2007/03/11/10/121-jeanneret.standalone.prod_affiliate.50.gif
http://media.buffalonews.com/smedia/2007/03/11/10/746-bn-20070311-G002-announcergothis-215714-MI0002.standalone.prod_affiliate.50.jpg
http://buffalonews.com/185/story/30286.html
Raucous. Intense. Excitable. You may not recognize the face, but Rick Jeanneret, Sabres’ play-by-play man, has the voice that is ‘top shelf ’ among hockey fans
As the team he works for rockets toward the Stanley Cup playoffs, Jeanneret is the high priest of Sabres Nation, translating the action to listeners around the world through satellite and Internet radio.
In the team’s reflected glow, Jeanneret shines, appearing in commercials and having his signature goal calls downloaded into cell phones.
In Buffalo, children who grew up listening to Jeanneret’s voice now hear their own kids howling, “Top shelf — where momma hides the cookies.”
He deflects credit with practiced ease, like a Ryan Miller blocker save. Mention his popularity, and he points back to the team. With Jeanneret at the microphone and longtime analyst Jim Lorentz at his side, the Sabres’ ratings top the league in market share, he agreed.
“But when the Sabres were playing poorly, and weren’t winning, before the lockout, in the bankrupt years — ratings were brutal. My ratings were brutal.”
Fine, but how do you explain someone paying $200 for a jersey, then stitching JEANNERET on the back?
“That’s my sister,” he says — Jeanneret with the blocker! — and laughs.
Though he’s pondered retirement in recent years, Jeanneret can’t go yet. Whatever happens on the ice, the 64-year-old Jeanneret is signed through the end of next season. Hockey superagent Don Meehan used to negotiate his deals, but he’s his own rep now. “Yes, I got a raise,” he says. “No, I’m not going to tell you what I make.” Jeanneret has had other offers. Specifically,
from two American teams who still have the same announcers, Jeanneret says. He said no.
“This,” he says, “has totally been my desire.”
http://buffalonews.com/185/story/30286.html
On the Web
To listen and watch some of the best of Rick Jeanneret, go to www.youtube.com/group/rjsbest (http://www.youtube.com/group/rjsbest)
http://media.buffalonews.com/smedia/2007/03/11/10/121-jeanneret.standalone.prod_affiliate.50.gif
http://media.buffalonews.com/smedia/2007/03/11/10/746-bn-20070311-G002-announcergothis-215714-MI0002.standalone.prod_affiliate.50.jpg
http://buffalonews.com/185/story/30286.html