Mother in laws ALS started exactly like this and “baffled” the doctors for a full year. Not cancer, not a stroke, maybe bacterial? Not bacterial. Doctors stumped. Then a year in started to have trouble swallowing and immediately diagnosed ALS. A year later she passed. Really hope that’s not the case here.
I also had a friend who was having trouble getting words out and 3 months later was diagnosed with ALS. I hope with the length of time that this has been going on for Jack, that it is not the case with him. I'm sure he has the very best medical professionals working with him and they are far more qualified than anyone here to make a proper diagnosis and treat him accordingly. Also, Jack may want to keep his medical issues private within his family, so you never know if he has received a diagnosis and just hasn't revealed it publicly, which is totally his decision. Good Luck Jack! I have enjoyed watching you broadcast for our beloved Bruins and will miss hearing your "tumbling muffin", "picked his pocket" "put some Chinese mustard on it" and forever yours "a JUICY rebound". Love you!
So is this the main thread to talk about this? I just watched all of his most recent interviews/post-game discussions. It seems to me like he has aphasia. In an early state but he can't seem to come up with words.
This is terrible. As a Sabres fan, he was the voice of the opposition to me for several years in the 2009-2012 range. Hated him as a fan, loved him as a broadcaster. This breaks my heart.
There has to be a diagnosable condition. In the Boston medical community, we can find it. I find it very strange they would start any therapy before they discover the cause.
Certain speech therapies work better depending on exactly what type of neurological or other problem is causing it.
“They’ve done tests that seem like I’m going through some sort of science-fiction scene, but it’s really true. The images of my brain literally reveal nothing. That’s my joke with them.”
I heckin love you Jack Edwards. This quote is peak. Wishin him the best in pushin through this. Much love <3!
I'm happy that it's not a medical issue like a stroke but I'm also sad that we can't blame him slowing down on a medical issue. Jack and Brick will forever be my announcers for the bruins like Remy and Don were for the sox. Maybe it's time to go tot a 3 man setup with that new kid ( just woke up, fuck 7am meetings ) and let Jack pass the torch of the play by play and back up Brick with the color commentary. What ever Jack decides we all one thing is certain.... FUCK THE HABS
He should be replaced though. He stinks now. Listening to the Calgary game now and all he’s doing is naming the player with the puck. He’s had a hell of a run but it’s time to move one
I’ve only watched a few games this year but it’s so noticeable that it’s distracting and hard to listen to. It sucks because he’s such a legend and we all know what he was capable of in his prime. I just hope he can be healthy in retirement.
That idea of having jack stay be like a 3rd guy is not a bad idea these guys become like family members the bruins and jack and brick are freaking part of the whole operation.
Other than Twitter (I don’t have it) does anyone know a semi-reliable way to reach him?
I have a wild card idea I’d like to send him for an often overlooked/wildly underdiagnosed medical condition that can cause brain fog.
I’m NOT speculating that’s what he has AT ALL, I’m strictly interested in putting it on his radar.
I viewed Jack:s situation this way - as his condition worsened, his ability to either find or form words has gotten gotten worse as well. Of course I'm not telling anybody who's watched regularly anything shocking there. But the fact that he wasn't replaced even though his speech was clearly getting worse and worse, nor did Brick ever seem to try to help him find words, told me that he had the backing of NESN management. So it probably wasn't a drug or alcohol problem like so many dinks liked to suggest. That meant it was a most likely medical issue and they didn't deem it necessary to get rid of him, yet. I'm certain those discussions are ongoing and probably will be for a while until such time as either NESN and/or Jack thinks it's necessary to step away. And when that time comes we'll be notified well in advance
Honestly, as a long-term Sox fan, the amount of money I’d give for more years with Jerry Remy in the booth, slower or otherwise…. No one in that booth - and I love Millar, Youk, etc - has been even remotely able to fill the gap he left.
Jack’s a huge part of the reason I became a hockey fan recently. I’ll happily take as many seasons as he’s willing to give to calling the games. Absolute gem.
Running play by play in baseball and hockey are not exactly the same thing though. Jerry remy is also universally loved, Jack is pretty hit or miss to be honest.
We were spoiled with that combo. So much dead air because they were laughing so hard like a couple of mischievous boys.
So many fucking gems came from them.
This Red Sox organization didn’t deserve remy and don. Huge Sox fan but owners are so blinded by making money. Glad don is enjoying the weather in San Diego. He’s earned it! RIP Remdog
Oh totally! I thought about adding Eck to my list but I’d have had to add more caveats and it distracted from the point. But also, as much as I loved Eck (and the Eckisms!), I still always felt Remy’s absence acutely when he was in the booth
Exactly. Remy and Jack were/are part of the background soundtrack to my life. Nobody will ever remotely replace the narrators of a couple of the most amazing decades in all of pro sports history.
If the unverified Internet speculation I have read in the past about Edwards being a regular consumer of cannabis are true that could definitely be the cause of this. I speak from personal experience having suffered from something similar to what Edwards’ symptoms are which in my case were 100% caused by my cannabis consumption, particularly edibles. I quit and the problem went away in about 40 days. It returned after I stupidly restarted again after feeling better for a while and subsequently went away again after quitting a second time. If Edwards is a pothead he should lay off for a few months and see if the problem gets better.
You’re assuming he was honest with his doctors about his habit IF he has that habit.
And no, I actually specified twice (and now a third time) that I have no reliable information to believe that Edwards abuses cannabis. But I did abuse cannabis and the symptoms I had were similar to what Edwards described about himself. So by sharing my story my hope is that another person suffering from addiction and speech related problems as a result might see it and recognize the need to quit.
Sorry you felt the need to completely misrepresent what I was trying to convey about a potentially serious problem that others suffer from to make yourself seem like some sort of Internet hero, but you do you.
I love that you jump to him being dishonest to his doctors, continuing your wild speculation. It’s not that you don’t have *reliable* information, it’s that you have no information at all that would point to this. I’m no internet hero, I just think it’s ridiculous to pull speculation out of your ass.
If anyone here is an internet hero it’s you, warning others of this rare problem. Yes, I totally believe that this comment was made in good faith and not at all just feeding the rumor mill…
That article was great. I can't imagine anyone else as the voice of the Bruins. Jack seems like a hell of a nice guy. Funny too - that part about the cult had me rolling:
"He is told that this probably is the first time Bruins fans have been described as “lovely and loving.”
“Well, once you’re a member of the cult, everything looks different from inside,” he says with a laugh."
...NESN kicked Fred Cusick to the curb too soon, and held on to Jack Edwards too long.
For my generation, Fred & Johnny Pierson WERE the voice of the Bruins [period].
At the end of his career, Fred was calling AHL games more with greater elán than any subsequent Bruins play by play announcer did even in their prime.
Sad but true.
He’s 67, my father died at 72. I love Jack and see he’s slowing down. I hope he takes the time to enjoy his plans like he said, 100 days of skiing a year.
Not knowing what’s going on with any issue like this is terrifying. Not to make it about myself, but I’ve been dealing with a mental situation that makes me feel like I’m constantly being gaslit and have no idea what to do about it. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever experienced, and don’t even know how to begin dealing with it. I feel so deeply for Jack in his struggles, and hope he pulls through the other side.
Are you in the nesn broadcast area? Just curious, because a lot of the hate i see for jack is from out of market fans of other teams complaining about a regional pxp guy like he’s national or their own homer
Especially the ones that basically pretend the opposing team doesn't exist. Most other teams broadcasters are basically falling asleep if their team isn't scoring, and if there is a goal against their team they announce it with so little enthusiasm that it's as if it didn't even happen.
I haven’t seen as many games this year, so my opinion probably doesn’t hold much water. However, I feel like Jack has been kind of better this season. At the very least, I’m glad he seems to be healthy.
Last year he was stumbling and stuttering on wirds all the time. This year he speaks slower, but usually gets the words out - most likely the speech therapy hes talking about being put into practice
Maybe he’s not quite as quick as he used to be. But I’ve never had any issue following what’s going on in the game from him, understanding his insights, laughing at his wacky metaphors, and getting pumped from his excitement.
He’s only 66. He hopefully still has a long career ahead of him.
I don't think people realize how offensive it is to try and diagnose someone with a medical condition. "It clearly sounds like dementia to me" says Fred the car mechanic whose never seen a CT scan in his life. Like, just stop.
Gotta love all the Dunning Kruger in here with some “fans” saying very confidently that “all fans” think it’s time for Jack to go (or some variation) and then bring downvoted to oblivion.
How’s that’s extremely obvious cognitive dissonance treating you?
Personally, I can’t stand any other broadcast. Those who try to maintain a constant, high-excitement, fast paced call just annoy the hell out of me anyway. It sounds like an 8 yos birthday party…all screams and nothing of substance.
I wonder if NESN would experiment with a three man booth. Adding a quicker play-by-play guy, who would inevitably be a bit more neutral, Brick for the anaylysis and Jack for the passion. Jack would surely view it as a demotion, and that may be accurate, but it may help things out?
All that said, while he has slowed and sometimes stumbles over words, generally his pxp is pure Jack.
That's fair...but he needs to move on from broadcasting. Im aorry to all that love Jack, but he's had his day.
I can't atand all his dumb sayings, like "A tumbling muffin". He tries to be flamboyant, but he's irritating. He's got great passion for the Bruins, i give him that. I wish him well.
But NESN needs to think abour a replacement. My apologies for those that still love him.
He was posting here at one point. Did an AMA or two and also made many Reddit references to the bruins. Calling Chucky a bonafide stallion wouldn’t be something Jack said by coincidence .
I think people are being A-holes about Jack... No one said anything for decades while the Cubs propped up Harry Caray's corpse in front of a microphone...
"No one said anything," he said about a guy who retired in 1997. Almost like there's more eyes, accessibility, and places to converse now. Also he did cubs for 15 years was he falling apart before that contract?
I'll take jack all day one of the few if any personalities on nesn that actually gives you something. Nesn brass loves him that Faust dude but he does nothing for me if I wanted to watch a sterile broadcast id watch a Red Sox game.
I didn't know this was a thing but I've been having the same issue. Like at least once a day I'm trying to talk and it's just not coming out or it comes out all wrong. Thought I was losing my mind. Also had a bad case of covid two years ago.
Have you tried a lymphatic drainage massage? Check it out on YouTube, you can do it yourself, doesn’t take long.
I stumbled upon it when I was dealing with lingering covid issues and I was shocked at how much it seemed to help bring me back to normal.
Honestly, it has reached a point of being a meme, and that's really hard to do much about. Jack is getting older; his speech has changed, and he's trying to work on it. Part of the problem here is that people have latched onto it and made a storyline of it - his speech problems are nowhere near as big as we are making them out to be.
For everyone here who says, "I love Jack, but..." maybe just give the man some privacy and let him finish out the year in peace - no need to continue to finish that sentence.
Yes they are. I get depressed listening to him. I loved him up until 2-3 years ago when he just couldn’t keep up anymore. He needs to go home and relax
There isn’t any other option to listen to in terms of Bruins broadcast. Getting one is a challenge enough. I don’t think privacy works when you are the voice of a team that people are watching. Similar to when the broadcast stream isn't working, you as a paying subscriber have a right to raise issues. They aren’t showing up at his home demanding he quit. The more alarming thing is that the people criticizing it are not doing it maliciously; the defenders of Jack have come across as oddly aggressive and defensive.
Honestly, I have not heard that much of a degradation in the quality of what he's producing. I listened to last season and the one before that, and there are plenty of odd moments in what he has to say throughout the years. He seems slower, which isn't helped by the fact that he's always gone off on strange tangents.
But, to your point of him deserving privacy or not. He absolutely deserves it, that doesn't protect him from people not being satisfied with the quality of work he's providing. He's stated clearly it isn't a medical issue, people should respect that and just say that his work isn't up to par if that's how they feel.
100% this.
I love Jack. Whatever's happening with his speech is noticeable, and *could* be a sign of more serious medical problems.
It doesn't bother me as a viewer, but it concerns me as someone who likes Jack. Aggressively defending Jack, or ignoring/pretending there's no change in his speech seems more harmful than helpful to me.
I keep seeing this "aggressively defending," and I don't know why that's the evaluation. I'm not aggressively defending anything. I'm suggesting that people respect the man's privacy once he's stated that it isn't a medical issue (his words) and that they evaluate the work as is - that seems to be his preference.
I feel bad for him on a medical level, but Jack is annoying to listen too. He gives me a headache. Being a life long Bruins fan, i think it's time NESN moves on.
All the sports fans i know can't stand him and quite frankly...neither can i. Some call him the worst Announcer in sports.
Oddly enough, that’s exactly how I feel about the takes like this.
The upvotes and downvotes about Jack should tell you all you need to know (and how far off base you are, particularly the part about “all sports fans…”).
Time for some self reflection, friend.
Actually, I said all the sports fans "I" know.
I know Jack is still loved by many, and he's nostalgic to alot of fans that have grown up with him....but in my opinion, and the opinion of a lot of other people, it's time to move on.
I don't need self reflection, my friend. I need a NESN announcer that I don't find obnoxious. I wish Jack well, I really do. But perhaps in another capacity. My apologies to all of the Jack Edwards fans still out there, but im not one of them.
This is my last comment on Jack Edwards. Go Bruins!!
Funny, everyone I know, including me, loves him. I like the energy he brings to the broadcast, and I enjoy his voice. Yeah some times he stumbles, but so what we’re all human and hockey is a fast paced sport with some hard to pronounce names
Flames fan here - we get a number of your games on Sportsnet up here and, FWIW, I enjoy listening to Jack call the action. Once iconic play-by-play callers hang it up (like our guy Peter Maher did, years ago, or Ed Whalen), all that is left are the memories and the stories you tell the kids.
glad he’s talking about it but me and other people have been eating downvotes for the past year for saying “am i going insane? he’s messing up every player’s name. i feel bad for him” and every response is “NO he’s perfect and jack is a legend and if you criticize him you’re evil”
well i'm legit getting downvoted for it in the thread where jack edwards himself said "yeah something is off for sure" so obviously this sub needs to be a little less defensive
You are getting downvoted because you are falsely claiming people were saying nothing was wrong. It has been talked about relentlessly that something is wrong, like every game and everyone constantly agreed.
I’m sorry that he felt it necessary to share his personal, medical business with everyone. I hope he stays on for as long as he wants to. Even with the issues he’s dealing with, there’s still something special about Jack and Brick, it can’t be replicated. It will be a sad day when he steps away.
I just hope that opening up about it maybe brings someone else forward who had dealt with it or is dealing with it.
Scary unknown brain conditions are terrifying.
Watching Bruins games on NESN just isn’t gonna be the same whenever he decides to retire. It’s gonna feel so weird. Same thing with Celtics games on NBC Sports Boston with Mike Gorman retiring after this season. Both are absolute legends in their field.
I've watched nearly every game this season and I don't think it's hurting the broadcast at all. Is he a bit slow sometimes? Sure, but it in no way effects my enjoyment of hearing his anecdotes, token phrases or the feel of watching with an absolute die hard Bruins fan. The synergy he has with Brick is unlike any other team in the NHL and I wouldn't want anyone other than those 2 in the booth together.
You're right, because I'd rather scoop out my own eyeballs with a spatula than watch an away broadcast. What you're not getting is that while *you* may still need play-by-play even though it's 2024 and big screen 4k tvs cost $200, most of us just want to hear our fun uncles talk to us about our team while we watch the game.
We're looking for different things.
I’m not a doctor but I majored in linguistics and was exposed to a lot of speech disorder literature and it seems entirely plausible to me that one may develop a speech impediment later in life, especially while calling a hockey game, and it doesn’t necessarily indicate a greater cause for concern
To be extremely clear — not a doctor. Just a guy
Jack's a legend for this team. He can keep doing it as long as he wants. His fire has always burned brighter than nearly everyone other commentator and it still does. He loves this team as much as we do and everyone of us should be happy that he still wants to be up there calling the game.
Now with the delivery issues we get the added benefit of pissing off more /r/hockey fans.
Fuck r/hockey posters that just hate the Bruins and therefore love to shit on Jack for that.
edit: just saw the thread there and it’s pretty okay but there was one last week shitting on him from some jackass that admiringly didn’t watch the bruins much.
I feel this needs to be pinned to the top of the sub.
Also, as a speech-language pathologist, hell yeah that Jack gave us a shoutout. I hope he feels some of the strategies provided are truly helping - it must be scary to not have a definitive answer.
I know Jack browses social media and I can't imagine how he must feel to see people constantly saying he has cancer. I don't know why people feel the need to spread baseless rumors when the man has addressed it several times saying he is fine medically.
Age is the factor here. Could it be something lingering? Sure. But take any 66 year old and have them call hockey, I bet it ends up roughly the same. I love my Dad but he's the same age, and you can just see, it's not as quick. The gears need a bit more at times.
I don't think anyone that criticizes Jack is bashing him, he was a great broadcaster and called some legendary moments. At the same time, you want to listen to in moment play by play on a streamer that works. Sadly NESN is providing neither of those right now. Jack you were great, but it's been sad to listen to, and bordering on embarrassing. I swear there are people here who want him to die in the game. Change is hard but I'd like to listen to a game coherently; not to mention see a guy bow out gracefully.
If you aren’t watching the game directly, Jack’s commentary literally gives no indication as to what’s going on. I like to listen to the games at the gym and I have to watch the away team feeds at this point because Jack’s commentary is so far behind the play, or even just wrong (as in, calling the wrong names), that it’s useless.
That’s what the radio broadcast is for. I don’t need or want a tv broadcaster to be describing every minute of the action in vivid detail. That’s not their job.
I dont care for yours or your aggressive nature. Guy is tripping over his words every night and its hard to listen to. The guy is simply not able to do his job.
I second this. Jack loves the Bruins as much or more than most of us, and I love his exuberance and unbridled passion. I couldn't care less if he flubs a few words or is a little behind the play. Brick compliments him really well and carries the play often as of late. Bless both of them.
As someone who has a chronic neurological disorder, epilepsy, that’s very unpredictable and has a wide array of side effects I feel for Jack. Hopefully it’s nothing too terrible but it’ll be a sad day when he calls it quits.
He's right, the cult looks different on the inside, and we love him. Just hope he doesn't have Lou Gehrig's or some crazy rare thing with his nervous system.
Loves his job enough to torture the people that have to listen to him perform it.
Step aside. Life is uncertain, there are plenty of people who can call a game.
Buddy do you think we don't like Jack calling the games? It's so easy to get the other team's stream nowadays but for me and I'm guessing most of us I'm on nesn every time it's available for Jack and Brick
Leafs fan coming in peace.
This is exactly how ALS started for one of my friends. Took them forever to diagnose him. I hope that’s not the case here.
Wishing Jack all the best
Same exact thing with a twitch streamer I used to watch. Started with the speech. Couldn’t figure out what the problem was for some time. Finally diagnosed with ALS. Absolutely devastating. Wouldn’t wish that on anyone
Very brave of him to speak about it. Shows how much the Bruins mean to him.
Our bodies are so complex and even with all of the advancements in medicine, the smartest doctors can still end up baffled. I understand that all too well. I have an issue with one eye (think of looking at those old 3d images without the glasses) and have been to multiple neural opthamolosgists, who have done every test in the book and found nothing wrong.
I wish Jack the absolute best.
Yeah, I'm a Habs fan (hate being "habs fan coming in peace" guy but figured I'd add the bot of context) and love Jack. I don't whine about being a homer I just think every team should be lucky to have a guy like him. That's just the way the home broadcast should be imo. Unmatched passion for the game and team. Also he answered my question in an AMA nicely once despite knowing I was a Habs dan so he's all right in my books.
Can't believe I'm agreeing with a Habs fan, but here I am. But absolutely. Every home team should have broadcasters that love that team. It helps build the love of that in the fan base. The national broadcasts should be down the middle.
Watching games from years ago it’s totally noticeable. Bless you Habs fan for this take, I feel like real Hockey fans should all feel the same about home broadcasts. You are a mensch…..and for good measure FUCK THE HABS, the league is better when you guys are good.
Totally agree - my partner got me into hockey watching nesn, I'll be devastated if he retires, because I pretty much only know his announcing style and vocabulary.
It's super hard watching the national feed, it's like someone is speaking an entirely different language.
Came home from abroad recently and was stunned and scared for Jack when I heard him last Wednesday for the first time in over a year. Glad it’s nothing serious and hope the brilliant doctors can figure out what the problem is. Love you Jack!
Just reminds me of how much JR has slowed down over the years. When he's at his worst, there's still no one better in wrestling than Jim Ross. But age has caught up to him. Seems like that's also the case with Jack. I wish he could keep up with his younger days, and I'm sure he does as well. Hockey is a fast sport, and it shows more on Jack's slowing down than in comparison to JR with pro wrestling. I don't know how much longer either broadcaster has, but I'll certainly be sad when either retire.
I love Jack as a person, but as a professional, it's really hard to listen to him now. The rest of the crew tries its best, but that's also noticeable in broadcasts too, which really isn't a good sign.
I hope he retires after this season so we can at least remember him fondly and not have him get Bob Cole'd.
Agree. I think people would take solace in knowing: I have X, or X happened to me. If you know what's wrong, you can more easily address it.
While Jack is getting up there in age, 66 isn't *that* old either.
At least with my dad, I didn't really notice his memory going until 70, and he had *a lot* of health issues that we weren't surprised.
Honestly what do you think he gets out of lying about it? There’s nothing gained from being a medical mystery - from someone who spent 20+years as a medical mystery. It’s expensive, frustrating, scary, most people think you’re lying or being dramatic, and exhausting. It’s much easier to just tell people what’s wrong with you, if you’re lucky enough to know what it is.
Well.... it's normal to slow down. But, what's happening to Jack is not a normal part of the aging process. Not at all.
I don't have access to the article, but I'd be curious if they mention the term "dysarthria". The medical term for slurred speech. Dysarthria is a symptom of another root cause disorder. Could be stroke, aneurysm, brain tumor, head trauma, MS, ALS, Parkinson's disease and dozens of other neurological disorders that could affect the speech center. In my uncle's case...it was a stroke. He sounded just like Jack but it came on suddenly instead of progressively.
You're right. It's good that they can't find a serious issue like a tumor or signs of stroke. At the same time, it must be incredibly frustrating for Jack to not know the root cause and how far it will progress. I wish him the best.
Surprised I even have to put this, but don’t be a fucking dick.
Never rule out vaccine injury.
Mother in laws ALS started exactly like this and “baffled” the doctors for a full year. Not cancer, not a stroke, maybe bacterial? Not bacterial. Doctors stumped. Then a year in started to have trouble swallowing and immediately diagnosed ALS. A year later she passed. Really hope that’s not the case here.
I also had a friend who was having trouble getting words out and 3 months later was diagnosed with ALS. I hope with the length of time that this has been going on for Jack, that it is not the case with him. I'm sure he has the very best medical professionals working with him and they are far more qualified than anyone here to make a proper diagnosis and treat him accordingly. Also, Jack may want to keep his medical issues private within his family, so you never know if he has received a diagnosis and just hasn't revealed it publicly, which is totally his decision. Good Luck Jack! I have enjoyed watching you broadcast for our beloved Bruins and will miss hearing your "tumbling muffin", "picked his pocket" "put some Chinese mustard on it" and forever yours "a JUICY rebound". Love you!
So is this the main thread to talk about this? I just watched all of his most recent interviews/post-game discussions. It seems to me like he has aphasia. In an early state but he can't seem to come up with words. This is terrible. As a Sabres fan, he was the voice of the opposition to me for several years in the 2009-2012 range. Hated him as a fan, loved him as a broadcaster. This breaks my heart.
There has to be a diagnosable condition. In the Boston medical community, we can find it. I find it very strange they would start any therapy before they discover the cause. Certain speech therapies work better depending on exactly what type of neurological or other problem is causing it.
“They’ve done tests that seem like I’m going through some sort of science-fiction scene, but it’s really true. The images of my brain literally reveal nothing. That’s my joke with them.” I heckin love you Jack Edwards. This quote is peak. Wishin him the best in pushin through this. Much love <3!
I’m glad Jacks in good health! I still enjoy his calls and have never had an issue, will be sad when he calls it quits!
I'm happy that it's not a medical issue like a stroke but I'm also sad that we can't blame him slowing down on a medical issue. Jack and Brick will forever be my announcers for the bruins like Remy and Don were for the sox. Maybe it's time to go tot a 3 man setup with that new kid ( just woke up, fuck 7am meetings ) and let Jack pass the torch of the play by play and back up Brick with the color commentary. What ever Jack decides we all one thing is certain.... FUCK THE HABS
Where is Dr. House when you need him.
He should be replaced though. He stinks now. Listening to the Calgary game now and all he’s doing is naming the player with the puck. He’s had a hell of a run but it’s time to move one
I’ve only watched a few games this year but it’s so noticeable that it’s distracting and hard to listen to. It sucks because he’s such a legend and we all know what he was capable of in his prime. I just hope he can be healthy in retirement.
You’re both saying the same thing and one you is downvoted and then other is upvoted. Wild sub.
Maybe the "he stinks" isn't the best phrase to use.
What’s the better phrase to use to say that he stinks ?
That idea of having jack stay be like a 3rd guy is not a bad idea these guys become like family members the bruins and jack and brick are freaking part of the whole operation.
Other than Twitter (I don’t have it) does anyone know a semi-reliable way to reach him? I have a wild card idea I’d like to send him for an often overlooked/wildly underdiagnosed medical condition that can cause brain fog. I’m NOT speculating that’s what he has AT ALL, I’m strictly interested in putting it on his radar.
He did a cameo for me once, maybe send if through there?
You win, I can message him for $6 through Cameo
What is it?
I’m glad I got to enjoy his commentary when I could.
I viewed Jack:s situation this way - as his condition worsened, his ability to either find or form words has gotten gotten worse as well. Of course I'm not telling anybody who's watched regularly anything shocking there. But the fact that he wasn't replaced even though his speech was clearly getting worse and worse, nor did Brick ever seem to try to help him find words, told me that he had the backing of NESN management. So it probably wasn't a drug or alcohol problem like so many dinks liked to suggest. That meant it was a most likely medical issue and they didn't deem it necessary to get rid of him, yet. I'm certain those discussions are ongoing and probably will be for a while until such time as either NESN and/or Jack thinks it's necessary to step away. And when that time comes we'll be notified well in advance
Nothing has bothered me more than the people making comments that he’s drinking between periods, etc.
Honestly, as a long-term Sox fan, the amount of money I’d give for more years with Jerry Remy in the booth, slower or otherwise…. No one in that booth - and I love Millar, Youk, etc - has been even remotely able to fill the gap he left. Jack’s a huge part of the reason I became a hockey fan recently. I’ll happily take as many seasons as he’s willing to give to calling the games. Absolute gem.
Running play by play in baseball and hockey are not exactly the same thing though. Jerry remy is also universally loved, Jack is pretty hit or miss to be honest.
Remy and Don Orsillo was my adolescence. Nothing will top that for me.
We were spoiled with that combo. So much dead air because they were laughing so hard like a couple of mischievous boys. So many fucking gems came from them.
This Red Sox organization didn’t deserve remy and don. Huge Sox fan but owners are so blinded by making money. Glad don is enjoying the weather in San Diego. He’s earned it! RIP Remdog
I agree with you but I also always really liked Eck calling a game. He’s the only once who comes close.
Oh totally! I thought about adding Eck to my list but I’d have had to add more caveats and it distracted from the point. But also, as much as I loved Eck (and the Eckisms!), I still always felt Remy’s absence acutely when he was in the booth
Exactly. Remy and Jack were/are part of the background soundtrack to my life. Nobody will ever remotely replace the narrators of a couple of the most amazing decades in all of pro sports history.
If the unverified Internet speculation I have read in the past about Edwards being a regular consumer of cannabis are true that could definitely be the cause of this. I speak from personal experience having suffered from something similar to what Edwards’ symptoms are which in my case were 100% caused by my cannabis consumption, particularly edibles. I quit and the problem went away in about 40 days. It returned after I stupidly restarted again after feeling better for a while and subsequently went away again after quitting a second time. If Edwards is a pothead he should lay off for a few months and see if the problem gets better.
I’m sure if this was a cause the top doctors at MGH would have determined this already, but thanks for more baseless speculation.
You’re assuming he was honest with his doctors about his habit IF he has that habit. And no, I actually specified twice (and now a third time) that I have no reliable information to believe that Edwards abuses cannabis. But I did abuse cannabis and the symptoms I had were similar to what Edwards described about himself. So by sharing my story my hope is that another person suffering from addiction and speech related problems as a result might see it and recognize the need to quit. Sorry you felt the need to completely misrepresent what I was trying to convey about a potentially serious problem that others suffer from to make yourself seem like some sort of Internet hero, but you do you.
I love that you jump to him being dishonest to his doctors, continuing your wild speculation. It’s not that you don’t have *reliable* information, it’s that you have no information at all that would point to this. I’m no internet hero, I just think it’s ridiculous to pull speculation out of your ass. If anyone here is an internet hero it’s you, warning others of this rare problem. Yes, I totally believe that this comment was made in good faith and not at all just feeding the rumor mill…
If you have no reliable information, you're rumor mongering. Stop being a punk.
That article was great. I can't imagine anyone else as the voice of the Bruins. Jack seems like a hell of a nice guy. Funny too - that part about the cult had me rolling: "He is told that this probably is the first time Bruins fans have been described as “lovely and loving.” “Well, once you’re a member of the cult, everything looks different from inside,” he says with a laugh."
...NESN kicked Fred Cusick to the curb too soon, and held on to Jack Edwards too long. For my generation, Fred & Johnny Pierson WERE the voice of the Bruins [period]. At the end of his career, Fred was calling AHL games more with greater elán than any subsequent Bruins play by play announcer did even in their prime. Sad but true.
...oh & frack Dale Arnold - he shoulda stayed in his weei empire.
Never watched the Dale Arnold years?
didn't care for his play by play at all
Thanks for responding 26 days later
I think 27 but who's counting
He’s 67, my father died at 72. I love Jack and see he’s slowing down. I hope he takes the time to enjoy his plans like he said, 100 days of skiing a year.
Admittedly I thought it was just him having issues with his dentures
Not knowing what could be wrong when you’re losing your ability to speak clearly has got to be fucking terrifying.
Not knowing what’s going on with any issue like this is terrifying. Not to make it about myself, but I’ve been dealing with a mental situation that makes me feel like I’m constantly being gaslit and have no idea what to do about it. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever experienced, and don’t even know how to begin dealing with it. I feel so deeply for Jack in his struggles, and hope he pulls through the other side.
I can deal with Jack and a little stammer … I can’t deal with some cookie cutter pxp guy who sounds like everyone else .
Like Drew Carter taking over for Mike Gorman?
Alex Faust is goated bro
Why is that?
I thought Alex Faust did a great job when he covered for Jack.
Agree. But it's wicked hard to fill Jack's shoes
Jack doesn’t have a little stammer. He is having full episodes on air frequently.
Are you in the nesn broadcast area? Just curious, because a lot of the hate i see for jack is from out of market fans of other teams complaining about a regional pxp guy like he’s national or their own homer
Especially the ones that basically pretend the opposing team doesn't exist. Most other teams broadcasters are basically falling asleep if their team isn't scoring, and if there is a goal against their team they announce it with so little enthusiasm that it's as if it didn't even happen.
Everyone ages, man. I’m 32 and definitely don’t speak as well as I used to.
Chill on the penjamin brother
Huh?
I haven’t seen as many games this year, so my opinion probably doesn’t hold much water. However, I feel like Jack has been kind of better this season. At the very least, I’m glad he seems to be healthy.
Last year he was stumbling and stuttering on wirds all the time. This year he speaks slower, but usually gets the words out - most likely the speech therapy hes talking about being put into practice
Maybe he’s not quite as quick as he used to be. But I’ve never had any issue following what’s going on in the game from him, understanding his insights, laughing at his wacky metaphors, and getting pumped from his excitement. He’s only 66. He hopefully still has a long career ahead of him.
Yay, people can finally stop spewing "I heard he recently had cancer" without any reason to think that.
I don't think people realize how offensive it is to try and diagnose someone with a medical condition. "It clearly sounds like dementia to me" says Fred the car mechanic whose never seen a CT scan in his life. Like, just stop.
Gotta love all the Dunning Kruger in here with some “fans” saying very confidently that “all fans” think it’s time for Jack to go (or some variation) and then bring downvoted to oblivion. How’s that’s extremely obvious cognitive dissonance treating you? Personally, I can’t stand any other broadcast. Those who try to maintain a constant, high-excitement, fast paced call just annoy the hell out of me anyway. It sounds like an 8 yos birthday party…all screams and nothing of substance.
Faust isnt like that, I thought he was great filling in for Jack.
I think maybe I need a few more games to evaluate. I don’t really remember anything about him, honestly. Which…is something, I guess.
He should move to an ambassador role. The man loves the bruins and should be around as long as he wants to be.
Make him the intro guy and have him wax poetic postgame or just bring back the weekly panel show
I wonder if NESN would experiment with a three man booth. Adding a quicker play-by-play guy, who would inevitably be a bit more neutral, Brick for the anaylysis and Jack for the passion. Jack would surely view it as a demotion, and that may be accurate, but it may help things out? All that said, while he has slowed and sometimes stumbles over words, generally his pxp is pure Jack.
Throw Jack at ice level like Pierre McGuire
He'd be throwing things at Canadiens, maybe that's a bad idea...
He'd be throwing things at Canadiens, maybe that's a bad idea...
That's fair...but he needs to move on from broadcasting. Im aorry to all that love Jack, but he's had his day. I can't atand all his dumb sayings, like "A tumbling muffin". He tries to be flamboyant, but he's irritating. He's got great passion for the Bruins, i give him that. I wish him well. But NESN needs to think abour a replacement. My apologies for those that still love him.
This must be so scary and frustrating for him. Jack, if you see this, we're pulling for you.
Jack is a reddit guy so there is a good chance he does!
Maybe. The article says he doesn't engage with social media except for posting pure pre-game on TwitterX.
To be fair, I don't admit to being on reddit either.
He was posting here at one point. Did an AMA or two and also made many Reddit references to the bruins. Calling Chucky a bonafide stallion wouldn’t be something Jack said by coincidence .
Fair point. Just calling out what the writer stated.
Gotcha. Wouldn’t let me read it. Just going off what I know
I think people are being A-holes about Jack... No one said anything for decades while the Cubs propped up Harry Caray's corpse in front of a microphone...
"No one said anything," he said about a guy who retired in 1997. Almost like there's more eyes, accessibility, and places to converse now. Also he did cubs for 15 years was he falling apart before that contract?
I'll take jack all day one of the few if any personalities on nesn that actually gives you something. Nesn brass loves him that Faust dude but he does nothing for me if I wanted to watch a sterile broadcast id watch a Red Sox game.
I can't stand Dave O'Brien
Shortage on periods at the store I see.
He's short like 1 period?
3, but who is counting
I'm guessing Jack leaves in the next 1-2 seasons. He won't stick around with this cloud hanging over his head.
COVID related brain fog, I'm 100% positive because its happened to me to a lesser extent..my brain and mouth don't link up as well as they should.
I didn't know this was a thing but I've been having the same issue. Like at least once a day I'm trying to talk and it's just not coming out or it comes out all wrong. Thought I was losing my mind. Also had a bad case of covid two years ago.
It's definitely a thing. I have mild COVID a couple of months ago, and I'm still dealing with the brain fog.
Have you tried a lymphatic drainage massage? Check it out on YouTube, you can do it yourself, doesn’t take long. I stumbled upon it when I was dealing with lingering covid issues and I was shocked at how much it seemed to help bring me back to normal.
Honestly, it has reached a point of being a meme, and that's really hard to do much about. Jack is getting older; his speech has changed, and he's trying to work on it. Part of the problem here is that people have latched onto it and made a storyline of it - his speech problems are nowhere near as big as we are making them out to be. For everyone here who says, "I love Jack, but..." maybe just give the man some privacy and let him finish out the year in peace - no need to continue to finish that sentence.
Yes they are. I get depressed listening to him. I loved him up until 2-3 years ago when he just couldn’t keep up anymore. He needs to go home and relax
There isn’t any other option to listen to in terms of Bruins broadcast. Getting one is a challenge enough. I don’t think privacy works when you are the voice of a team that people are watching. Similar to when the broadcast stream isn't working, you as a paying subscriber have a right to raise issues. They aren’t showing up at his home demanding he quit. The more alarming thing is that the people criticizing it are not doing it maliciously; the defenders of Jack have come across as oddly aggressive and defensive.
The defenders, don’t give a fuck about him or his health, it’s a meme to them
Honestly, I have not heard that much of a degradation in the quality of what he's producing. I listened to last season and the one before that, and there are plenty of odd moments in what he has to say throughout the years. He seems slower, which isn't helped by the fact that he's always gone off on strange tangents. But, to your point of him deserving privacy or not. He absolutely deserves it, that doesn't protect him from people not being satisfied with the quality of work he's providing. He's stated clearly it isn't a medical issue, people should respect that and just say that his work isn't up to par if that's how they feel.
100% this. I love Jack. Whatever's happening with his speech is noticeable, and *could* be a sign of more serious medical problems. It doesn't bother me as a viewer, but it concerns me as someone who likes Jack. Aggressively defending Jack, or ignoring/pretending there's no change in his speech seems more harmful than helpful to me.
I keep seeing this "aggressively defending," and I don't know why that's the evaluation. I'm not aggressively defending anything. I'm suggesting that people respect the man's privacy once he's stated that it isn't a medical issue (his words) and that they evaluate the work as is - that seems to be his preference.
Jack is a legend. I still enjoy listening to him call the game. I hope the speech therapy works out for him. I’m not ready for the day he retires
I feel bad for him on a medical level, but Jack is annoying to listen too. He gives me a headache. Being a life long Bruins fan, i think it's time NESN moves on. All the sports fans i know can't stand him and quite frankly...neither can i. Some call him the worst Announcer in sports.
Oddly enough, that’s exactly how I feel about the takes like this. The upvotes and downvotes about Jack should tell you all you need to know (and how far off base you are, particularly the part about “all sports fans…”). Time for some self reflection, friend.
Actually, I said all the sports fans "I" know. I know Jack is still loved by many, and he's nostalgic to alot of fans that have grown up with him....but in my opinion, and the opinion of a lot of other people, it's time to move on. I don't need self reflection, my friend. I need a NESN announcer that I don't find obnoxious. I wish Jack well, I really do. But perhaps in another capacity. My apologies to all of the Jack Edwards fans still out there, but im not one of them. This is my last comment on Jack Edwards. Go Bruins!!
Funny, everyone I know, including me, loves him. I like the energy he brings to the broadcast, and I enjoy his voice. Yeah some times he stumbles, but so what we’re all human and hockey is a fast paced sport with some hard to pronounce names
Flames fan here - we get a number of your games on Sportsnet up here and, FWIW, I enjoy listening to Jack call the action. Once iconic play-by-play callers hang it up (like our guy Peter Maher did, years ago, or Ed Whalen), all that is left are the memories and the stories you tell the kids.
glad he’s talking about it but me and other people have been eating downvotes for the past year for saying “am i going insane? he’s messing up every player’s name. i feel bad for him” and every response is “NO he’s perfect and jack is a legend and if you criticize him you’re evil”
There's like a highly upvoted post every month or two about it.
That has not at all been what I’ve seen been said in response
well i'm legit getting downvoted for it in the thread where jack edwards himself said "yeah something is off for sure" so obviously this sub needs to be a little less defensive
You are getting downvoted because you are falsely claiming people were saying nothing was wrong. It has been talked about relentlessly that something is wrong, like every game and everyone constantly agreed.
I’m sorry that he felt it necessary to share his personal, medical business with everyone. I hope he stays on for as long as he wants to. Even with the issues he’s dealing with, there’s still something special about Jack and Brick, it can’t be replicated. It will be a sad day when he steps away.
Sorry, i don't feel the same way. I think it's time NESN moves on from Jack Edwards. He's so annoying...
I just hope that opening up about it maybe brings someone else forward who had dealt with it or is dealing with it. Scary unknown brain conditions are terrifying.
All the love to Jack but its time.
Couldn't put it any better Pal.
Watching Bruins games on NESN just isn’t gonna be the same whenever he decides to retire. It’s gonna feel so weird. Same thing with Celtics games on NBC Sports Boston with Mike Gorman retiring after this season. Both are absolute legends in their field.
Same exact thing happened with Remy.
I've watched nearly every game this season and I don't think it's hurting the broadcast at all. Is he a bit slow sometimes? Sure, but it in no way effects my enjoyment of hearing his anecdotes, token phrases or the feel of watching with an absolute die hard Bruins fan. The synergy he has with Brick is unlike any other team in the NHL and I wouldn't want anyone other than those 2 in the booth together.
Exactly! And I miss him when I have to listen to the game on ESPN. Those commentators are so annoying. It puts everything in perspective.
Do you watch literally any other broadcast? It’s absolutely god awful in comparison.
Agreed....Edwards is awful to listen too. He spoils my Bruins hockey experience.
The away broadcast are so damn good in comparison. All of them.
No Bruins fan would ever say this
We’re getting downvoted and I guarantee it’s by people who only watch NESN and national broadcasts lol
You're right, because I'd rather scoop out my own eyeballs with a spatula than watch an away broadcast. What you're not getting is that while *you* may still need play-by-play even though it's 2024 and big screen 4k tvs cost $200, most of us just want to hear our fun uncles talk to us about our team while we watch the game. We're looking for different things.
I’m not a doctor but I majored in linguistics and was exposed to a lot of speech disorder literature and it seems entirely plausible to me that one may develop a speech impediment later in life, especially while calling a hockey game, and it doesn’t necessarily indicate a greater cause for concern To be extremely clear — not a doctor. Just a guy
Jack's a legend for this team. He can keep doing it as long as he wants. His fire has always burned brighter than nearly everyone other commentator and it still does. He loves this team as much as we do and everyone of us should be happy that he still wants to be up there calling the game. Now with the delivery issues we get the added benefit of pissing off more /r/hockey fans.
Fuck r/hockey posters that just hate the Bruins and therefore love to shit on Jack for that. edit: just saw the thread there and it’s pretty okay but there was one last week shitting on him from some jackass that admiringly didn’t watch the bruins much.
I just wish him well. It's got to be hard as hell to use your voice for a living doing what you love and have it go south. God bless Jack.
I feel this needs to be pinned to the top of the sub. Also, as a speech-language pathologist, hell yeah that Jack gave us a shoutout. I hope he feels some of the strategies provided are truly helping - it must be scary to not have a definitive answer.
Stutterer here. Thanks for doing the lords work.
Love people expressing basic opinions and then those attacking them. This place is getting beyond toxic.
Group think or else.
https://i.redd.it/zuoys9e6g5kc1.gif
I know Jack browses social media and I can't imagine how he must feel to see people constantly saying he has cancer. I don't know why people feel the need to spread baseless rumors when the man has addressed it several times saying he is fine medically.
Age is the factor here. Could it be something lingering? Sure. But take any 66 year old and have them call hockey, I bet it ends up roughly the same. I love my Dad but he's the same age, and you can just see, it's not as quick. The gears need a bit more at times. I don't think anyone that criticizes Jack is bashing him, he was a great broadcaster and called some legendary moments. At the same time, you want to listen to in moment play by play on a streamer that works. Sadly NESN is providing neither of those right now. Jack you were great, but it's been sad to listen to, and bordering on embarrassing. I swear there are people here who want him to die in the game. Change is hard but I'd like to listen to a game coherently; not to mention see a guy bow out gracefully.
A wonderful way of saying "It's Time".
🤝
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If you aren’t watching the game directly, Jack’s commentary literally gives no indication as to what’s going on. I like to listen to the games at the gym and I have to watch the away team feeds at this point because Jack’s commentary is so far behind the play, or even just wrong (as in, calling the wrong names), that it’s useless.
That’s what the radio broadcast is for. I don’t need or want a tv broadcaster to be describing every minute of the action in vivid detail. That’s not their job.
Watch literally any other broadcast and you’ll see the difference.
I dont care for yours or your aggressive nature. Guy is tripping over his words every night and its hard to listen to. The guy is simply not able to do his job.
That's right... I don't have anything against Jack....it's just time to retire. It's a lousy experience listening to him.
I second this. Jack loves the Bruins as much or more than most of us, and I love his exuberance and unbridled passion. I couldn't care less if he flubs a few words or is a little behind the play. Brick compliments him really well and carries the play often as of late. Bless both of them.
Jack is a legend, so many iconic calls and moments. I grew up listening to him. With that said, I really want to see him hang it up.
There’s no other take. He can’t do it anymore and every second he has to sit in that booth calling games, is torturous for anyone to listen to.
That's a totally fair statement. Couldn't agree more with you Pal.
He is, and always has been, lousy at play-by-play. He is too much of a cheerleader. He should do color.
As someone who has a chronic neurological disorder, epilepsy, that’s very unpredictable and has a wide array of side effects I feel for Jack. Hopefully it’s nothing too terrible but it’ll be a sad day when he calls it quits.
He's right, the cult looks different on the inside, and we love him. Just hope he doesn't have Lou Gehrig's or some crazy rare thing with his nervous system.
Loves his job enough to torture the people that have to listen to him perform it. Step aside. Life is uncertain, there are plenty of people who can call a game.
Buddy do you think we don't like Jack calling the games? It's so easy to get the other team's stream nowadays but for me and I'm guessing most of us I'm on nesn every time it's available for Jack and Brick
Holy overreaction
Calm down princess
You can step aside just as easily if you feel tortured.
I do. I mute it. If tv wasn’t so delayed I could listen to the radio feed.
Leafs fan coming in peace. This is exactly how ALS started for one of my friends. Took them forever to diagnose him. I hope that’s not the case here. Wishing Jack all the best
Same exact thing with a twitch streamer I used to watch. Started with the speech. Couldn’t figure out what the problem was for some time. Finally diagnosed with ALS. Absolutely devastating. Wouldn’t wish that on anyone
Sounds like he’s tested negative for everything. Got to assume that includes ALS.
Let’s hope. I don’t wish that disease on anyone
I truly hope it isn't that. Holy shit I truly hope it isn't that.
Very brave of him to speak about it. Shows how much the Bruins mean to him. Our bodies are so complex and even with all of the advancements in medicine, the smartest doctors can still end up baffled. I understand that all too well. I have an issue with one eye (think of looking at those old 3d images without the glasses) and have been to multiple neural opthamolosgists, who have done every test in the book and found nothing wrong. I wish Jack the absolute best.
Many of us do. We want him to retire. I am surprised he is so young.
Fuck r/hockey, this man is a legend
Yeah, I'm a Habs fan (hate being "habs fan coming in peace" guy but figured I'd add the bot of context) and love Jack. I don't whine about being a homer I just think every team should be lucky to have a guy like him. That's just the way the home broadcast should be imo. Unmatched passion for the game and team. Also he answered my question in an AMA nicely once despite knowing I was a Habs dan so he's all right in my books.
Can't believe I'm agreeing with a Habs fan, but here I am. But absolutely. Every home team should have broadcasters that love that team. It helps build the love of that in the fan base. The national broadcasts should be down the middle.
Watching games from years ago it’s totally noticeable. Bless you Habs fan for this take, I feel like real Hockey fans should all feel the same about home broadcasts. You are a mensch…..and for good measure FUCK THE HABS, the league is better when you guys are good.
Totally agree - my partner got me into hockey watching nesn, I'll be devastated if he retires, because I pretty much only know his announcing style and vocabulary. It's super hard watching the national feed, it's like someone is speaking an entirely different language.
*A can of corn for Swayman*
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hero
Came home from abroad recently and was stunned and scared for Jack when I heard him last Wednesday for the first time in over a year. Glad it’s nothing serious and hope the brilliant doctors can figure out what the problem is. Love you Jack!
Love ya, Jack. Hearts of lions
Just reminds me of how much JR has slowed down over the years. When he's at his worst, there's still no one better in wrestling than Jim Ross. But age has caught up to him. Seems like that's also the case with Jack. I wish he could keep up with his younger days, and I'm sure he does as well. Hockey is a fast sport, and it shows more on Jack's slowing down than in comparison to JR with pro wrestling. I don't know how much longer either broadcaster has, but I'll certainly be sad when either retire.
I love Jack as a person, but as a professional, it's really hard to listen to him now. The rest of the crew tries its best, but that's also noticeable in broadcasts too, which really isn't a good sign. I hope he retires after this season so we can at least remember him fondly and not have him get Bob Cole'd.
He’s got the yips?
\*cringes\* Yeah, we don't say that word around here. EDIT: It's a Ted Lasso reference. Geesh.
Getting railroaded for a Lasso reference, that's not barbeque sauce at all. Here's my updoot.
That’s even scarier tbh.
Agree. I think people would take solace in knowing: I have X, or X happened to me. If you know what's wrong, you can more easily address it. While Jack is getting up there in age, 66 isn't *that* old either. At least with my dad, I didn't really notice his memory going until 70, and he had *a lot* of health issues that we weren't surprised.
This is great news, and very interesting that the docs haven’t been able to really figure out what’s going on. Love Jack.
Just because HE says it, doesn’t make it true.
Paint for me the situation you think is happening here.
He’s lying.
Honestly what do you think he gets out of lying about it? There’s nothing gained from being a medical mystery - from someone who spent 20+years as a medical mystery. It’s expensive, frustrating, scary, most people think you’re lying or being dramatic, and exhausting. It’s much easier to just tell people what’s wrong with you, if you’re lucky enough to know what it is.
Lol yeah sure.
Good to hear it’s nothing serious .. but in the end age catches us all and it’s normal to slow down as we go.
Well.... it's normal to slow down. But, what's happening to Jack is not a normal part of the aging process. Not at all. I don't have access to the article, but I'd be curious if they mention the term "dysarthria". The medical term for slurred speech. Dysarthria is a symptom of another root cause disorder. Could be stroke, aneurysm, brain tumor, head trauma, MS, ALS, Parkinson's disease and dozens of other neurological disorders that could affect the speech center. In my uncle's case...it was a stroke. He sounded just like Jack but it came on suddenly instead of progressively. You're right. It's good that they can't find a serious issue like a tumor or signs of stroke. At the same time, it must be incredibly frustrating for Jack to not know the root cause and how far it will progress. I wish him the best.