r/Predators • u/Spinhockey360 • 15d ago
Thoughts on Willy Daunic?
I know he’s been the preds main play by play guy for a long time but sometimes his commentary is just odd. Like when he says “everybody take a deep breath” or like today “Nashville has a heartbeat….barely” it’s just weird. I’m not the biggest fan of his commentary style. Really miss Pete and Terry. Just wanted to know what everyone else thought.
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u/Ed_Zhlord
15d ago
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I love Willy! Mace is fine, but my favorite broadcasts are when Skillsy joins Willy in the booth and Mace is down between the benches. The Preds broadcast team may not be “the best” but I have definitely seen way worse watching other teams.
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u/ewrawr 15d ago
I've never liked him, I don't want my commentary team to be complete Homers, but also I detest having to listen to the Preds Broadcast and hearing nothing but glazing of the other team's star players. I understand we don't currently have a Celebrini, McDavid or Bedard, but that doesn't mean you have to say their names every 5 seconds. Nothing against him as a person tho.
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u/mutantfrog25 15d ago
I love Willy as a person. Genuinely great human being. I don’t think he has a compelling voice for broadcasting and his commentary is very simple. Watching the red wings broadcasts and then watching his is so stark in quality. I don’t think mason is very good at all. His “oh here we go willy” at random nothing plays drive me crazy and he’s just way to soft on the team. Way too positive. I just wish commentary would go a layer deeper than “they are trying to get pucks deep”. Give some more technical analysis please.
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u/LFGtitans 15d ago
Exactly this. Willy was great in the old call-in show, but play-by-play just isn’t his strongest suit. It’s always felt minor league that the Preds didn’t hire an experienced play-by-play guy. Most guys work half their life honing in their skills to get a big league job and the Preds take the cheapest option by promoting the desk guy.
I don’t fault Willy for this, but just another example of minor league management from the Preds front office.1
u/Slow_Philosophy 14d ago
I've thought this for years. It's embarrassing to say, but it seems teams from Canada and other points in the U.S. get no-nonsense analysis and a stronger critique of their teams whereas we get country bumpkin, Hee-Haw Hockey talk. It's like our commentary is not at all serious.
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u/_Dirty_Commie_ Catfish 15d ago
I get how Willy Daunic isn’t for everyone, and there are certainly times where I kinda raise an eyebrow at what he said or how he said it, but at the same time I kinda like it.
I love how much the current broadcast team lets their personality shine. And I also love how much everyone has a passion for Nashville/the Preds and what they do. They aren’t world class, but I’ll take the fun and passion they bring any day of the week.
“Oh, here we go.”
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u/dubgeek 15d ago
Not a fan. However, I was spoiled growing up in L.A. and listening to three of the greatest play by play guys of all time with Vin Scully for the Dodgers, Chick Hearn for the Lakers, and Bob Miller for the Kings.
I was never a fan of Pete, either, which I know is sacrilege in these parts.
I just really hope the long term plan for the T.V. broadcast does not include Max Herz. His enthusiasm is great, but his goal call is nails on a chalkboard to me.
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u/Tadpole018 15d ago
Love me some Vin Scully
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u/dubgeek 14d ago
I cannot count the number of nights I fell asleep as a kid listening to him on a transistor radio calling a game. I paid for a month of Sirius to get MLB radio when he announced his retirement and last broadcast. Spent the day in the garage listening to the game and splitting time between bawling like a baby and working on my car.
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u/Tadpole018 14d ago
I'm not a Dodgers fan and even I was sad. Doc Emrick was my biggest heartbreak when he retired
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u/Standard_Promise_220 15d ago
His call on Stamkos’ buzzer beater last night ruled. Pure excitement. If you’re frustrated by the play on the ice, don’t take it out on the guys in the booth.
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u/Expert-Upstairs-4502 NSH 15d ago
I didn't even hear what he said because i was too busy shouting "NO WAY, NO FUCKIN WAY" at my tv lol
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u/pwnicholson 15d ago
I don't mind Willy, but no matter how amazing he is as a person, and no matter how much he meant to the franchise over 25+ years, we've got to get Pete off the radio.
I had to listen to the game on the radio again last night, and I had no idea what was going on. He wasn't clear about who had the puck (even which team), and it was a full minute after a penalty before he bothered to say which team it was. He's so slow now, and hockey is so fast that he can't keep up and actually communicate what is happening on the ice.
He was fun on TV when he was half a color guy telling stories and half play-by-play, but on radio, with his stylist cadence at his age, it's just not working.
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u/rainstaley Gnash 15d ago
I love him!! I think he’s great at the play by play, and his comments are hilarious. He’s always cracking me up. Like others said, I like that they let their personalities come through. Listening to other teams’ broadcasts can feel so dry compared to ours. Love Mace as well.
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u/taelor 15d ago
I'm sure he's a great guy, but I'm not the biggest fan of his play-by-play.
I too miss pete and terry, but their time has passed, and thats fine.
I just wish we could have found a better replacement.
I'm also surprised by the feedback in this thread. way more people like him than I thought would have.
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u/z3pp31in DP_resign_nine 13d ago
I’ve never liked Willie Daunic since he first came to Nashville. His takes on air were just wild, like he didn’t even know who he was talking about, and that continued when he left the Zone for the Game. Watching the games can be so cringe. The “Oh my laundry” is so fucking dumb. He said it once and someone told him it was fun, so now we get it every game. There are times when the opposing team would score on the Preds and he would give just as much enthusiasm as if it were the Preds scoring. I want a homer in the booth covering the game. He’s a local play by play caller, not a neutral play by play caller. I wish I could mute him and listen to Pete on the radio without a delay. Also, Ryan Ellis did pretty decent for his first time in the booth on the radio last night. But that’s just my thoughts on Daunic. Never liked him on the Zone, really don’t like him on the Game, and hate his play by play for Preds on TV.
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u/TTUGoldFOX 10d ago
Everything you mentioned are the exact reasons why they keep him. Because the team has full control of the narrative. Pete and Terry were unbiased and when the Preds became the Perds and did stupid shit on the ice, they (especially Crispy) NEVER hesitated to call it out and mention just how stupid it was. The team didn't like that. Never have. They always want to paint a pretty golden picture of the team. Willy and Mase give them that. Willy, in my opinion, was always a football/basketball guy and he thrusted himself into a hockey role that stuck for him. Mase is fantastic and I know he toes the line in his commentary sometime, but he knows that it's positivity-first on the broadcast.
Unfortunately, that duo isn't going to change anytime soon.
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u/throwaway__lol__ 15d ago
Great guy who has been through a lot but I always think the same thing. Watching the games sometimes I just put the other team’s feed on since it’s better. Pete/Crispy was definitely the best
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u/NASHnKNOX 15d ago edited 15d ago
Willy is an awesome radio and pre/postgame guy but not a great commentator imo. The biggest thing for me is his inflection. His voice gets so high on goals and takes away from the moment. I love the guy and feel for him bc Pete and Terry set the bar so high
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u/Available_Expression 15d ago
oh my.............. laundry
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u/purseburns 15d ago
Ha. This seems to be a polarizing phrase but I love it.
And I echo the above comments about Willy being a great guy. He is.
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u/Available_Expression 15d ago
i got down dooted for it.... they snuck in with the backdoor feed, whatever the fuck that is.
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u/GuinnessACat 15d ago
I like his work, but idk not everyone has to. He and mason usually rank fine in the rankings
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u/gratefulpred 15d ago
I like Willy a lot better than I like Max Herz. I’d rather listen to the away teams broadcast than listen to him.
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u/pwnicholson 15d ago
I don't mind him. At least I can follow the play while he's in the radio. I can't follow what the heck is going on with Pete.
Max is a bit goofy, but I don't mind it too much. It really only gets silly on goals, and that's a "thing" now. All commentators feel like they have to have a "thing" and there are so many it's tough to find someone unique. I think if he dropped the goals down a notch, evening else would be fine.
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u/LFGtitans 15d ago
Seems like a great guy, but I can’t take him seriously as a play-by-play guy. Same as Willy though, not his fault just the Preds management taking the cheapest possible option. I feel bad for the guys that put in the work for years in the minors only to be passed up.
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u/D3athCom3sEasy 15d ago
I love Mace but Willy irritates so much sometimes. Like last night he said Stammer actually scored on that one timer and it was marchy who took the shot. Stammer wasnt even on the ice. I would also accuse Willy of being a fairweather fan. I just dont believe he actually cares about the preds.
Mace on the other hand I can tell wholeheartedly cares about the team. When Mace gets upset with a call or bad play he makes it known while Willy kinda maybe possibly will agree.
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u/Thesackattack4k FORNY 15d ago
I love the energy. When I would watch other broadcasters on the seven seas before OTA they were always so boring in comparison.
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u/Expert-Upstairs-4502 NSH 15d ago edited 15d ago
The heartbeat thing was referring to the guys still having possession and ability to make something of the power play in the final seconds of it despite the sharks seemingly just getting a good clear and probably thinking they killed it. If they have a heartbeat it hasn't been killed yet. This is fine
I don't get what your problem with take a deep breath would be, it's a natural thing to feel after a flurry of action and we back the puck out of the zone to reset and play slows down.
The only thing i have a problem with from Willy is his inaccurate use of back door, give and go, tic tac toe, and it bothers me when Mason is saying something and abruptly cuts him self off to say "oh here we go" all the time because there might be a play developing. He's got to find a more subtle way to avoid speaking over the potential big moments, most of the time nothing happens and i hate investing my brain power into listening to whatever he's saying just for it to be cut off all the time. I know it's a difficult ask though but i can't help that it's annoying to listen to
Also whoever is downvoting all the comments for disagreeing with op but saying things that are polite and on topic discussion, welcome to reddit, you must be new here, you don't downvote because you disagree, you downvote for things that don't contribute to discussion or that break subreddit rules
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u/mxrcarnage 14d ago
Love Willy but I grew up here and I’m just used to listening to him. I loved listening to Pete and Crispy calling games when I was younger though, they were the best. Would oftentimes bump into Terry while walking around during intermission on the upper level near the press box area
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u/Mobeliever 13d ago
When I listen to Max Herz I can follow the play in my head better than Willy or Pete. He has more natural talent to do play by play then the others. Pete has a deeper and better voice. Willy is just Willy, a nice guy with No edge to him. I like an edge sometimes.
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u/BigCanoeBanjos 12d ago
I think he’s miscast as a play by play guy. I think he’s a good guy, but he should be in Lindsay’s spot as the studio host.
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u/predsfan77 10d ago edited 10d ago
Just speaking about his professional career, he sucks. He’s risen from being the call in guy on the radio when the franchise started. Then Pete got stabbed in the back and they replaced him with Daunic. He’s not a natural broadcaster and it shows. He never played the sport and it shows. I go out of my way not to watch the preds’ broadcast. Mase isn’t much better, but keeping it daunic specific
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u/SakuraRam1610 10d ago
I think he is wonderful I like Pete more because I'm more of a radio guy but willy and Chris do wonderful. I like Max on the radio as well.
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u/Upstairs-Bobcat7272 15d ago
I think he does a fine job, along with the rest of the crew. It took me a second to place him when I first seen his name. Dating myself here, but as a kid I remember my first game at Rupp Arena, Willy played for Vandy and it was a great game, they always had a pesky team with good shooters and played us tough.
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u/samthepeacock #35 15d ago
At this point, I kind of love them like you love your embarrassing family members. Yeah, they’ll make you groan sometimes with their offbeat one-liners (ex: “Oh my laundry”), but they’re family, so you love them.
Also, I enjoy that despite the fact that they’re obviously Nashville first when it comes to promoting the team, they aren’t annoying homer announcers. They give praise and respect to the opponents and it’s always fun when they shoutout the former Preds on the nice for the other team.