Shark Byte Host - Amy Gutierrez | A San Jose Sharks Blog

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Shark Byte Host - Amy Gutierrez

Since Drew Remenda left for Canada, there has been a lot of chatter about new host Amy Gutierrez. After reading a thread on Chompboard.com, I've realized that many people would like to see someone with more hockey knowledge hosting the show, but hockey knowledge is only a part of what makes a good host.

I agree with a lot of fans who posted their comments; I would like to see the Shark Byte host have a lot of hockey knowledge as well. However, I personally feel that a solid television presence is almost equally important. Fortunately for Amy, she has a very good presence on TV and she seems comfortable in front of the camera. Unfortunately, her hockey knowledge is limited; especially when compared to other hosts such as Jamie Baker and Drew Remenda.

Jamie Baker was an excellent Shark and has a great amount of hockey knowledge; however, his performance on Shark Byte was a bit awkward. He seemed uncomfortable in front of the camera and his lack of media experience showed. Baker's interviews were raw which gave good insight into how players interact with one another, but it did not make for good TV. For example, watching Marcel and Christian play hockey on the PS3 was boring and Baker's questions only seemed to confuse and annoy the young Germans. Even worse was having to watch Baker interview Tosk and Ville, in a car, on their way to a deli. Again, there was little conversation between the three and nothing interesting was revealed. With time, Baker will get better working the media side of hockey, but right now, I think he's in his ideal position: doing color on the radio.

As for Remenda, he did make a very good host. Though I didn't agree with a lot of what he said during games, Remenda definitely knew hockey and was entertaining on the show. Given his experience in coaching and radio, Remenda became the perfect candidate for the job. He was entertaining and knowledgeable; more importantly, he had a great rapport with the players. Some of Remenda's best work was when he would get on the ice with the players and simply get roughed up. With Gutierrez, we lose the opportunity to see this comedic, physical interaction with the guys and it's unfortunate.

Since there are a lot of fans clamoring for a change, why don't we give Marty McSorley a chance? He has the knowledge and has spent a lot of time in front of both tv and movie cameras. At the very least, he would be able to jump on the ice and go a few rounds with some of the guys. Maybe he would make a good host or maybe not...all I know is that from what I've read, some Sharks fans have decided to no longer watch the show and it may be time for another change.

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