2/28 @Flames

Ferm Sheller

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 5, 2007
20,404
Sometimes I think these game threads are a little hard on Jack. He's 66 years old? Fast paced word retrieval is hardly atypical at that age and it is not like he is broadcasting golf. By a massive margin, hockey is the most challenging sport for play by play. And Jack compounds issues with the fatal flaw of clearly being a Bruins fan. He gets, apparently, too excited to speak correctly. It happens.
He went from not having any issues speaking to having fairly significant issues almost overnight. No one's being hard on him, people are just curious. To me, he seems like someone's who's suffered a mild stroke and it's not merely a product of being 66 (which isn't terribly old), but that's just complete speculation.
 

Ferm Sheller

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 5, 2007
20,404
Does nobody else recognize that his voice and delivery have slowed considerably? Like, he's trying really hard to pronounce words. Something doesn't seem right
Yes, it's very noticeable -- a moderate problem I would say, not mild.
 

McDrew

Set Adrift on Memory Bliss
SoSH Member
Apr 11, 2006
4,060
Portland, OR
I am having a frustrating season because I lost a parent (not dead, just not there anymore) to post-stroke expressive aphasia. Hearing Jack start to degrade in the same way is unpleasant. Jack is also experiencing sundowning, which is an increase of the affects as the day goes on. He's at his best during East Coast matinees. He's at his worst on West Coast night games.
 

Myt1

educated, civility-loving ass
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Mar 13, 2006
41,578
South Boston
Sometimes I think these game threads are a little hard on Jack. He's 66 years old? Fast paced word retrieval is hardly atypical at that age and it is not like he is broadcasting golf. By a massive margin, hockey is the most challenging sport for play by play. And Jack compounds issues with the fatal flaw of clearly being a Bruins fan. He gets, apparently, too excited to speak correctly. It happens.
Have you heard him try to interview Montgomery after the games?

There’s no doubt that play by play exacerbates issues, and that literally talking for a living is difficult when you’re having difficulty talking. But he’s having an extremely noticeably very difficult time pre and postgame, too.

I’m beyond glad that he got to call Ullmark’s goal. I hope he gets to call a cup win on the NESN commemorative video this year. But this really ought to be his last.
 

MiracleOfO2704

not AWOL
SoSH Member
Jul 12, 2005
9,528
The Island
To wit, this was 5 years ago:

View: https://youtu.be/1Jb2r0v7cUo


He’s not as fast there as he was when he was with ESPN, but the speech flowed. These days, it really sounds like he’s having both word retrieval issues and, at times, making his mouth do what he wants.

Now, if you want unfair, early in the Bullies of Baltimore doc, a clip of Edwards announcing the name of the new Baltimore team is downright jarring.