Mark Madden: Here's what Penguins should do with new broadcast team

As the Pittsburgh Penguins piece together their new broadcast teams, they’re likely debating whether to cling to nostalgia or move forward. A trend toward the latter has already started with the dismissal of Bob Errey from TV color commentary.

For years, the Penguins’ three main analysts have been from their 1991 and ’92 Stanley Cup champs: Errey on TV, Jay Caufield in studio and Phil Bourque on radio.

Each has done a terrific job.

But is their recognizability factor aging out?

Would the Penguins be well-advised to involve latter-day alumni? Names such as Tyler Kennedy, Max Talbot and especially Colby Armstrong pop to mind.

Decisions will be made soon, but one thing is certain: Josh Getzoff will move from radio play-by-play to TV. Getzoff has some Mike Lange-style color to him. Quirky catchphrases like “that’s a P-P-G for P-G-H!” He’s an enthusiastic home-team broadcaster who doesn’t cross the line to pandering. (Think Greg Brown.)

Steve Mears is off TV but has been offered radio play-by-play. Mears should take it. It’s too late to get a job anywhere else. Work radio for a season, look around while doing so. Mears is quality. He got a bad deal, but new owners make changes.

My ideal TV broadcast team is Getzoff on play-by-play, Bourque on color and Armstrong between the benches. Bourque is a polished broadcaster, not just an ex-player. Armstrong’s personality and humor would shine in a tertiary role.

Related:

• Steve Mears, Bob Errey will not return to Penguins broadcasts on SportsNet Pittsburgh
• Penguins announce new name for AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
• AT&T SportsNet changing ownership 'doesn't look great' for Pirates

By the way, humor is the most overrated commodity in sports broadcasting, mostly because former jocks aren’t as funny as they think. They’ve mastered locker-room ha-ha, not what’s humorous to the mainstream. TNT’s studio show for hockey is a prime example. So is Dan Potash wearing theme-night outfits to interview players during Penguins telecasts. (Potash will be back, and should be.)

Radio seems an afterthought in the Penguins’ hiring process.

Bourque would almost certainly feel hard done by if he doesn’t get TV.

Armstrong might not ditch his other jobs to take a Penguins gig, especially not radio. (Radio pays less than TV, if you hadn’t guessed.) Armstrong is on TSN in Canada, did in-studio on Penguins TV and started doing work for TNT this past season. He’s a rising star in hockey media, and deservedly.

I’m suggesting a three-man team for the sake of involving both Bourque and Armstrong. But that’s an extra paycheck.

My wild card is Pierre McGuire, a longtime mainstay of nationally televised hockey.

Twitter’s nutty minority doesn’t like McGuire. The networks foolishly heeded that. But nobody knows hockey better. His presentation is flawless and interesting. McGuire worked for the Penguins as a scout and assistant coach, so there’s a connection. He’s available.

When the broadcasting shakeup became public knowledge, some crazily thought that Fenway Sports Group would bring in people from Boston, where FSG is based.

What, like lovably loony-tunes Jack Edwards? He’s popular in Boston. He wouldn’t work here. Edwards isn’t a consideration. Neither are retired Bruins. That’s silly.

FSG didn’t buy the Penguins (or AT&T SportsNet) to give people from Boston jobs. (Coach Mike Sullivan already has his.) FSG aren’t despicable carpetbaggers, except for how they stupidly alienated Mario Lemieux.

The network has been rebranded SportsNet Pittsburgh.

FSG invited the Pirates to buy in. But, in the grand tradition of Bob Nutting’s ownership, they don’t want to spend dime one.

So, the Pirates might do what Arizona and San Diego do: Give the TV rights back to MLB. MLB produces the games, farms them out to a local station (like, say, 22 The Point) and keeps 20% of the revenue. Estimates for the Pirates’ annual take from AT&T SportsNet ranged between $44 million-$60 million.

So, the Pirates’ TV money will go down. That’s the perfect excuse to cut payroll and blame FSG.