TNT Sports’ Inside The NBA gets a lot of attention for its on-set hijinks, which sometimes turn physical. Corporate sibling NHL on TNT Face Off has been known to do some of the same. And the latest example of that was a seemingly-joking on-set “fight” between analyst Paul “Biz” Bissonnette and researcher Chris “Jaz” Jastrzembski, who had the temerity to wear a Philadelphia Flyers hat on set during TNT’s broadcast of their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins Sunday and then try to fact-check Bissonnette on air. Here’s how that went:
https://twitter.com/BR_OpenIce/status/1761884617395614122
This exchange saw Bissonnette run from the desk to the behind-the-cameras spot Jastrzembski was in, put him in a headlock, and jersey him (pull his shirt over his head). Bissonnette then took off Jastrzembski’s Flyers hat and threw it in the trash, throw some elbows, take him to the ground and delivered a wedgie.
Jastrzembski responded with some shots of his own throughout, and he then jumped Bissonnette from behind as Bissonnette was cutting a Pens’ promo that might have been a fit on fellow corporate sibling All Elite Wrestling. And, unsurprisingly, this all sparked some comment, including from the show Twitter account and from panel host Liam McHugh:
#ReigningDefending https://t.co/Z7mbWAkAnE pic.twitter.com/tnvO69ZdhF
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) February 26, 2024
And from some of the guys from Philadelphia sports blog Crossing Broad (where Jastrzembski used to work):
I hired @Chris_Jast bc he had some fight in him https://t.co/uVGbLCnjH4
— Kyle Scott Laskowski (@KyleScottL) February 25, 2024
And from many more people:
Jax found his inner-Dave Brown there at the end.
— lafanda (@dmm0888) February 25, 2024
🤣🤣🤣 that’s my PHILLY boy thru and thru 🤣🤣🤣
— Denise Donato (@deneesee_d) February 26, 2024
https://twitter.com/ev_sporer/status/1761884954663792923
I hope @GrittyNHL watched that.
— The Bald Beav 🦫 (@TheBaldBeavv) February 26, 2024
hockey kayfabe
— chad calderone 🇺🇸 (@chadcalder50954) February 25, 2024
Meanwhile Ron MacLean on Hockey Night In Canada: “Tonight we honour the 1937 Flin Flon Bombers and the great granddaughter of Moose McKaboose who bought their local referee 50 timbits, Marie thank you, terrific. Arkells gets you started, Leafs-Habs, next.” https://t.co/TMmKURT1KH
— Paul Ross (@RealPaulRoss) February 26, 2024
Meanwhile on Sportsnet, Kelly Hrudey just repsonded to Jennifer Botterill's idea of how to better protect players with a story about one of his teammates trying on a helmet for the first time in the 1980s https://t.co/u4i7HIKnFi
— Dr. Grizzo (PhD, MD, BA, MBA, 7'4 240 IQ) (@mrgrozz) February 25, 2024
The evolution of TV’s hockey intermission. https://t.co/07WznqFmlx
— Dave Hodge (@davehodge20) February 26, 2024
Over on Sportsnet, Ron wants you to know there was a hockey player who played for Buffalo in the 1980’s who jumped when he scored. And one of jumping man’s sons, Nick, scored for Chicago today in a loss to Detroit and Patrick Kane scored the OT winner and Kane is from Buffalo https://t.co/7ardpwk3ZR
— David O'Connor (@DavidSOConnor) February 26, 2024
Remember when TNT wasn’t involved with the NHL? Stuff like this never happened. Hockey is fun https://t.co/tQ1yLOXbrI
— rob (@robfromsasky) February 26, 2024
Jastrzembski had his own post-fight thoughts:
FAN?!?!?!?!? https://t.co/Rss8zP7Kgz
— Chris Jastrzembski (@Chris_Jast) February 25, 2024
Take notes @SEAbuoy pic.twitter.com/fHf79YaeC2
— Chris Jastrzembski (@Chris_Jast) February 25, 2024
Memorial Day Weekend is three months away. I have some time. https://t.co/u9Rs439cgj
— Chris Jastrzembski (@Chris_Jast) February 25, 2024
It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog https://t.co/EWe9CWg8f2
— Chris Jastrzembski (@Chris_Jast) February 25, 2024
This was pretty entertaining, and certainly up there with some of the Inside The NBA fights we’ve seen. And this is the same intermission show that also featured a serious discussion with Tony Granato about his cancer battle (plus a conversation between Granato and the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, who he used to coach) and a full breakdown of Brayden Point’s puck control. So they have range. Unfortunately for Jastrzembski, though, the Flyers went on to fall 7-6, with the Penguins perhaps inspired by Bissonnette’s fighting and promo.
[NHL on TNT on Twitter]
About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.