FSN's Frank Mazzocco out

[Goon]

This is a sad turn of events. The one thing you could say about Woog and Frank is that they truly cared about what they were doing. Not sure your gonna get that from whoever replaces them. I know a lot of Sioux fans hated them, but I think those fans were too blinded by their hatred of the gophers. Yes they did say some stuff that didn't make a lot of sense (see after the Frattin hit this year), but why those fans took it so personal is beyond me. They were also willing to critize their team at times, which is something I don't think you would see a lot of homer announcers do. It was obvious that Woog has had a problem for the last couple of years so his time was probably numbered but this still seems out of the blue. And if the reason was because Lucia was upset, I think if I were a gopher supporter that would be the nail in the coffin for the Don's tenure in Dinkytown.

Hate is such a strong word, dislike Frank yes, I thought he was a lap dog for the Gophers program and a Buffoon. I like Doug Woog because he knows his hockey and leveled Frank out.

[Goon]

Also heard from a co-worker that Woog has Parkinson's.

That's sad if that turns out to be true.

[siouxnami]

That's sad if that turns out to be true.

I hope not that is a devistating disease that affected my family and a good friend.

[DMT]

Any time that I had the chance to watch the Sioux on FSN, I would gladly watch Woog and Mazzocco over Sweeney. If only I could get my radio to match with my TV, I could/would listen to Hennesey.

Hmmm...Maybe Hennesey could do TV and radio at the same time?

[The Whistler]

I liked Woog & Loved John Madden - must be the Generation Gap again

I like how Woog used to rant and rave up and down the sidelines and Madden would always bitch about the Canadian players on the other teams.

[dagies]

I love how Reusse likes to take digs at the gophers but whether or not Lucia really caused this is, IMO, questionable. It could be Reusse putting 2 and 2 together to get 5.

[Sioux-cia]

I'm not surprised. From I heard from a very reliable source this winter is that Woog has Parkinson's. Obviously he wouldn't be physically able to do his job much long.

Then he shouldn't drink. The couple of times we ran into him, the guy was so drunk I was amazed he was still standing!

[farce poobah]

The explanation that makes the most sense is that Gopher Athletic Department told FSN to make the switch. That implies Lucia but couldn't have happened without Maturi going to bat for it.

Woog, absolutely love what he brings to the game in terms of knowledge. He has slowed down, but would be a great 3rd man in the booth or with postgame when he's had a chance to gather his thoughts. But his powers of observation are second to none, and I've listened to a lot of hockey color guys to make that assessment. The guy has spent most of his adult life on a sport that I love, so I can't help but respect and admire (and hey maybe I'm a bit envious...).

Mazzocco was fine, most of the time. In the last few years he's gotten increasingly opinionated, both positive to the Gophers and negative. He was brutally honest about the Gophers at times this season, and I can see where that drove this decision. I also give him credit for learning the opponent's roster.

[sagard]

I love how Reusse likes to take digs at the gophers but whether or not Lucia really caused this is, IMO, questionable. It could be Reusse putting 2 and 2 together to get 5.

I'm pretty skeptical of a Lucia play. Frank was an independent contractor, the other guys they basically own. I'd be shocked if this was anything other than a cost saving move.

[soSIOUXme]

Any time that I had the chance to watch the Sioux on FSN, I would gladly watch Woog and Mazzocco over Sweeney. If only I could get my radio to match with my TV, I could/would listen to Hennesey.

Hmmm...Maybe Hennesey could do TV and radio at the same time?

I will actually miss Woog & Mazzocco even though I try as much as possible to avoid listening to tv announcers both for Sioux and Gophers.

DMT this might help you make tv & radio matchup...if you have dvr & computer. Listen to internet radio broadcast instead of local (will usually be even or behind national tv/satellite broadcast) then stop/rewind dvr of live game til they match...if you don't have laptop/desktop in same room as tv use an rf transmitter (like for mp3 player) to transmit from desktop to stereo near tv. Works for me although occasional adjustments are necessary a couple times a game. Should be a simpler way but I haven't found one yet :-)

[SiouxMeNow]

IRONICALLY Woog and Mazz' went out singing the praises of UND (willingly or not) with wins over the Goofs and other WCHA teams in their last 6 games...

(I call it poetic justice! )

[Big A HG]

5-10 years from now we'll all be talking about how great it was to listen to Doug and Frank on FSN North compared to whomever gets some tenure as their replacements.

[Oxbow6]

I love how Reusse likes to take digs at the gophers but whether or not Lucia really caused this is, IMO, questionable. It could be Reusse putting 2 and 2 together to get 5.

Or 2+2=4!

Would be pretty bold for Reusse to make public comments like that without some inside knowledge. He isn't Sid!

[Siouxtimestwo]

Or 2+2+4!

Would be pretty bold for Reusse to make public comments like that without some inside knowledge. He isn't Sid!

I tend to agree with you. I doubt Lucia flat out said, "Fire Frank and Doug!" and that is the sole reason for this decision, but I can imagine he wasn't happy with their comments toward the program this year. Considering the number of posters on here who cite anonymous, inside sources, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to believe that a high profile Twin Cities journalist has sources, as well.

I will miss Woog, but not Frank. Wooger made some outrageous statements over the years, but those statements were always trumped by his hockey knowledge, at least for me. Frank never had that hockey knowledge and was a bit too arrogant for me.

[UNDLeafsGuy]

I don't know about that. I think it's time that UND went out and hired a professional play-by-play announcer with some hockey knowledge. Sweeney has over stayed his welcome. When FSSN was new, the idea was "hey, let's bring that guy over from WDAZ to do play-by-play, I'm sure he'll be cheap, and only people in Grand Forks and Fargo are watching anyway". Now that we have a national broadcast, it's embarrassing when Sweeney spends half the time talking about unrelated things, and freaks out and raises his voice three octaves when the most minor thing is happening on the ice. "Sioux player coming down the ice!, and, OH MY!, he dumps the puck into the zone!!!!!". Scanlan can stay, Sweeney needs to go.

I agree with this SIOUXPR.

Does Sweeneys giggling laugh with every other sentence bother anyone else like it does me

The FSSN is country wide now and we need an upgrade for our play by play.

Scanlan does a nice job with the color, he is a keeper

[Sioux-cia]

Scanlan does a nice job with the color, he is a keeper

Really? He always looks uncomfortable to me. It's like he doesn't know if he should look at the camera, his hands, the floor...

[MafiaMan]

I'm not sure whether to be ecstatic over this or if in a year I'll be wishing for Frank and Doug to be back in the booth. While I wasn't happy with Woog and his riot-inciting tone during game 3 of the Sioux/Gopher series, I have personally met him several times and chatted hockey with him. He bleeds maroon and gold but was very polite in discussing Sioux hockey with me and always complimentary about the team. I ran into Doug at the Final Five and since I had Scott Sandelin's and Bill Watson's autographs on the back of my son's Sioux jersey, asked if he'd sign it too. He chuckled and said "I don't sign many green jerseys," but gladly wrote his name on the back. Nice conversation piece.

By the way, he does read this site, too. I liked the picture previously posted and during the WCHA playoffs a few years ago, I ran into Doug at Joe Sensor's in Bloomington. I asked him if I could take a picture with him wearing my Sioux jersey and his response was "if I didn't think that would end up on SiouxSports.com about five minutes after we take it, I would." I just about peed my pants.

[Goon]

I'm not sure whether to be ecstatic over this or if in a year I'll be wishing for Frank and Doug to be back in the booth. While I wasn't happy with Woog and his riot-inciting tone during game 3 of the Sioux/Gopher series, I have personally met him several times and chatted hockey with him. He bleeds maroon and gold but was very polite in discussing Sioux hockey with me and always complimentary about the team. I ran into Doug at the Final Five and since I had Scott Sandelin's and Bill Watson's autographs on the back of my son's Sioux jersey, asked if he'd sign it too. He chuckled and said "I don't sign many green jerseys," but gladly wrote his name on the back. Nice conversation piece.

By the way, he does read this site, too. I liked the picture previously posted and during the WCHA playoffs a few years ago, I ran into Doug at Joe Sensor's in Bloomington. I asked him if I could take a picture with him wearing my Sioux jersey and his response was "if I didn't think that would end up on SiouxSports.com about five minutes after we take it, I would." I just about peed my pants.

I really like Doug Woog, but Frank no so much. It won't be the same watching UND dismantle the Gophers and having Doug tell it like it is.

[Wilbur]

I'm going to miss the rug, and the wooger. Unless Anthony LaPanta has been holding back all of these years, the U of M, broadcasts will be taking a couple of steps back......

Its almost like FSN is blaming the poor crowds, and three years of poor performances on the ice on the broadcasts...

[LB#11]

Bernie Burgraff is having Mazzocco on his show saturday morning(8-10)...sounds like Frank isn't very happy with the way things were handled.

[SiouxTupa]

I don't know if all the Frank-bashing is because he's a Gopher homer, but if you watch the broadcasts, he's really very complimentary of other teams at times. Sure he's a homer, but apparently not enough of a homer according to the brass.

Bottom-line, I loved his play-by-play timing/voice/etc. I hope he continues doing hockey somewhere.

[Goon]

Bernie Burgraff is having Mazzocco on his show saturday morning(8-10)...sounds like Frank isn't very happy with the way things were handled.

What channel is that on?

[choyt3]

What channel is that on?

740 the FAN

[Goon]

740 the FAN

Thanks...

[redwing77]

I found there are tiers of homers in broadcasting.

Some just bleed their team, like Doug Woog.

Others just about cream themselves (sorry for the graphic language) every time their favorite player on their team steps on the ice (See Pittsburgh Penguin announcers every time Crosby touches the puck) or scores (see the Crow... ok, i don't know the name of the guy, but he does the play by play for the Tampa Bay Lightning. When they score, it sounds like a crow cawing...that or it's the first goal he's ever seen, first goal scored all season, and the cup clinching goal all wrapped up into one package... seriously, get over yourself).

Frank Mazzocco isn't unprofessional, but he isn't the best in the college game either. He was 100x the homer that Woog was. However, when I look back, I think he lost a lot of his edge.

I remember first watching the FSN coverage back during the days of the Murray-Bochenski-Parise days. Sure, I watched before then, but I didn't pay much attention.

Well, every time a Sioux player hit a Gopher, Mazzocco would decry that it was surely a penalty. It was simply impossible to listen to at times. The last few seasons, every time something he didn't like happened, he wouldn't make a comment. Instead, he'd sortof moan or groan or mumble in the background.

It's almost like this firing was a long time coming because he barked at the wrong crowd? I dunno.

On one hand, you have to let the commentators do their jobs with a minimum of interference (provided the rules are followed and professionalism is maintained). On the other hand, they are representing the University of Minnesota. If their antics get over the top and, when confronted, the reaction isn't to their liking... things change.

I don't know what the deal is with this crew. I'm not going to sit here and dance in their demise. Nor am I going to sit here and give props to UND's team. I don't think they're really any better or worse.

Frank isn't the worst I've heard. He certainly wasn't Hall of Fame quality either (but then again, who is? Ron Santo was named to the Commentator Hall of Fame recently... sorry, folks, but.... whatever standards they had is now gone). However, I think that the unknown isn't always better.

Big A Hg might be correct. We may look wistfully upon these past years as higher quality when it comes from the opposition side of the broadcast.